We are at war with Eurasia, we have always been at war with Eurasia

Michael Rozeff writes about the next great state racket: terrorism.

There is every reason to conclude that the war on terrorism does not aim to eliminate terrorism. That is a pretext. What are these reasons?

(1) Terrorism can’t be eliminated.

(2) Terrorism is not a large problem.

(3) The costs of fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are huge, at least one trillion dollars, compared to the costs imposed by terrorism.

(4) The U.S. has caused more terrorism by starting two wars.

(5) The U.S. has made no effort against terrorism in many parts of the globe.

(6) The U.S. has made no significant effort to reduce its own political, military, and economic presence in foreign countries that entangles the U.S. in local power struggles.

(7) Worldwide terrorism has risen since the U.S. began the war on terrorism.

Read the rest at LRC

Waking Life, a beautiful story

Just play it out, you won’t regret it

Youtube playlist

Play Command Economy Dictator

 

And maybe win a Nobel prize for Economics…

For all brainy totalitarians out there:

http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/economics/trade/index.html

Pointing out the fallacies is left as an exercise for the reader.

Why Rome Fell

 

This is a very interesting article I’ve picked up from vizigot at the liberalism.ro forum

http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cjv14n2-7.html

Taxation, inflation, price controls, then pure and unabashed slavery is what led to the near dissolution of a social system. But interestingly (not paradoxically), the end of the state was a great relief for the strangled populace.

In the end, there was no money left to pay the army, build forts or ships, or protect the frontier. The barbarian invasions, which were the final blow to the Roman state in the fifth century, were simply the culmination of three centuries of deterioration in the fiscal capacity of the state to defend itself. Indeed, many Romans welcomed the barbarians as saviors from the onerous tax burden.

Although the fall of Rome appears as a cataclysmic event in history, for the bulk of Roman citizens it had little impact on their way of life. As Henri Pirenne (1939: 33-62) has pointed out, once the invaders effectively had displaced the Roman government they settled into governing themselves. At this point, they no longer had any incentive to pillage, but rather sought to provide peace and stability in the areas they controlled. After all, the wealthier their subjects the greater their taxpaying capacity.

In conclusion, the fall of Rome was fundamentally due to economic deterioration resulting from excessive taxation, inflation, and over-regulation. Higher and higher taxes failed to raise additional revenues because wealthier taxpayers could evade such taxes while the middle class–and its taxpaying capacity–were exterminated. Although the final demise of the Roman Empire in the West (its Eastern half continued on as the Byzantine Empire) was an event of great historical importance, for most Romans it was a relief.

Feel free to check it out.

The Fake War on Terror

It kind of feels like absurd art.

From the Radical Libertarian

The Machinery of Freedom – Episodes Two and Three

Thanks Niels at Freedom Channel for uploading the latest episodes to YouTube:

The Moral Argument

Applying the Moral Argument

Dying for me?

A very good quote from Franc Tremblay:

No “messiah” has ever “died for me.” They died because they were fools.
No soldier has ever “died for me.” He died for his beliefs and his paycheck.

I have never asked anyone to die for me, and I don’t care if you think you sacrificed yourself for me. You haven’t. I never chose for anyone to do this, I never paid anyone, I never agreed to any such thing. YOU did it for yourself and now you are putting this on our shoulders? Go fuck yourself, you arrogant prick.

Die veteran, die soldier. You deserve death. HE WHO LIVES BY THE SWORD DIES BY THE SWORD. EVEN YOUR RELIGION SAYS SO.

Right on!

Market Anarchy – The Radio Show

This is the first installment from a series that shows good potential. It will be called “The Machinery of Freedom” (after David Friedman’s book) and it will attempt to illustrate anarchist theory, human incentives and how they relate with each other. What guides people to action, what is society, coercion, cooperation and markets.

Get more HERE.

Initially posted by Niels at Freedom Channel.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Thanks Niels over at the Freedom Channel for the idea.

From Logicola, a contemporary rehash:

The Revolution will be permed, highlighted and set. It will have its own
award ceremony, with the biggest winners unable to attend except for via
live satelite link, because of their current Revolutionary commitments.
The Revolution will be a teacup in a storm, or a bottle in a message, or a
door to a key. The Revolution will always come with fries.

Because the Revolution will be televised.

Ayn Rand interviewed by Mike Wallace

Part One

Part Two

Part Three