Big Government

"Libertarianism is rejected by the modern Left — which preaches individualism but practices collectivism. Capitalism is rejected by the modern Right — which preaches enterprise but practices protectionism."

"It was the hidden hand of government that failed, not the market."

The real horror is the prohibition, which has brought about a dark despotism that everyone pretends not to notice.

Ironically, you would think that a film called Broke: The New American Dream would be pessimistic and depressing, while a film called Capitalism: A Love Story would be upbeat and positive. The opposite is true.

"Government intervention in the housing market leads to further and further intervention."

"The idea that we must choose between public healthcare and politicized-private healthcare is false. We can also move to depoliticize the healthcare industry."

It appears that Mr. Sunstein wishes to regulate just about everything.

"The new democracy having inherited the power so long used against it, now shows every disposition to use that power as ruthlessly as any other governing organ ever has used it."

Got a problem? Just give the government even more power, and our friendly, competent rulers will take care of everything. I shudder to think that columnists may actually get paid for spouting such childish twaddle.

There was just something too utilitarian and results oriented in Rand's purportedly principled case for IP, and something too artificial about the state's copyright and patent statutory classifications.