Totalitarianism and the Politics of Sex
We, this satirical and heretical dystopian futurist book, ends by resolving whether or not the protagonist can find penultimate happiness in the cocoon of the One State even as his lover faces execution.
Property Rights and the Paparazzi
“…someone’s ‘reputation’ is not and cannot be ‘owned’ by him, since it is purely a function of the subjective feelings and attitudes held by other people. But since no one can ever truly ‘own’ the mind and attitude of another, this means that no one can literally have a property right in his ‘reputation.’ A person’s reputation fluctuates all the time, in accordance with the attitudes and opinions of the rest of the population.” (For a New Liberty, chapter 6, page 117)
Quote of the Day: Otteson on Rights and Duties
Jim Otteson asks about rights and duties with respect to health care. A choice line:
“What is not the test for having a right to something is that one really, really wants it.”
The Cairo Garbage Calamity
The documentary shows there was a functioning system of garbage collection that had co-evolved with the norms of Egyptian society. The government then stepped in to “solve the problem.” The result: disaster.
The Education Bubble
The average range of tuition inflation is normally 8% annually, and prices have not fallen or stabilized once since 1977, regardless of economic climate. This symptom may be attributed to cheap and accessible money.
Are We a Self-Hating Commercial Society?
In a few short hours, I was assaulted ten times with the demand that I display social consciousness. Can we all please cut the sham and go back to plain old buying and selling? Why blur the distinction between the commerce and charity?
DeLong on the Austrians
Not surprisingly, DeLong is not too impressed with (his own understanding of) the Austrian view. Unfortunately, DeLong’s list contains views that are not the “Austrian” take.
It Is Not the Aggregate Demand, Stupid!
According to Obama’s leading economic adviser, the current double-digit unemployment rate is obviously due to a “shortfall in aggregate demand.” The only “obvious” thing about such a diagnosis and prescription is that they are very useful to the Obama gang.
Short the Delusion
To be proved right in the end is never as sweet as one imagines. The recognition goes to those who curry favor with the media through publicists and charm while reconstructing history to suit their purposes.
John Holt: Libertarian Outsider
Outsiders like Holt come at their single issues the way certain dogs come at certain bones. They don’t become movement libertarians. They just go on about their intellectual business, providing us with invaluable ammunition.
