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Economist Shirts, Sookie Stackhouse, and Cops Up
I'm so nerdtastic. My shirts from Mises.org arrived today, and I'm totally wearing one of them to work tomorrow.
Murray Rothbard was one of the major founders and was a huge influence on modern-day libertarianism. Among other things, he was an economist and a historian. I'm actually reading a book of his entitled For a New Liberty, which is fantastic. He was considered the State's greatest living enemy because his ideas on government are radical. And when I mean radical, I mean that he wants to reduce government to nearly nothing. My favorite quote of his is: "The great non sequitur committed by defenders of the State, including classical Aristotelian and Thomist philosophers, is to leap from the necessity of society to the necessity of the State."
Friedrich Hayek was also an economist and a political historian. The tagline on the shirt ("Collectivism is slavery.") was voted by the folks at the Mises Institute as being representative of his contribution to society. He was extremely critical of big government, socialism, communism, collectivism in general. I've yet to read any texts by him, but I've got a couple on my list which I'm looking forward to.
I put up a hummingbird feeder today. I've seen a little guy flying around the parking lot each morning when I go to work. I feel bad for him because I don't think anyone around here feeds the hummingbirds. So, I put the feeder outside this afternoon, and I filled it with a simple recipe of sugar water I found on the net. I hope I'll see him tomorrow morning at the feeder.
I started reading the first Sookie Stackhouse book this morning when I got bored at the office. I'm already 100 pages into it and totally in love.
And yet another song I love by Lyfe.
Murray Rothbard was one of the major founders and was a huge influence on modern-day libertarianism. Among other things, he was an economist and a historian. I'm actually reading a book of his entitled For a New Liberty, which is fantastic. He was considered the State's greatest living enemy because his ideas on government are radical. And when I mean radical, I mean that he wants to reduce government to nearly nothing. My favorite quote of his is: "The great non sequitur committed by defenders of the State, including classical Aristotelian and Thomist philosophers, is to leap from the necessity of society to the necessity of the State."
Friedrich Hayek was also an economist and a political historian. The tagline on the shirt ("Collectivism is slavery.") was voted by the folks at the Mises Institute as being representative of his contribution to society. He was extremely critical of big government, socialism, communism, collectivism in general. I've yet to read any texts by him, but I've got a couple on my list which I'm looking forward to.
I put up a hummingbird feeder today. I've seen a little guy flying around the parking lot each morning when I go to work. I feel bad for him because I don't think anyone around here feeds the hummingbirds. So, I put the feeder outside this afternoon, and I filled it with a simple recipe of sugar water I found on the net. I hope I'll see him tomorrow morning at the feeder.
I started reading the first Sookie Stackhouse book this morning when I got bored at the office. I'm already 100 pages into it and totally in love.
And yet another song I love by Lyfe.
no subject
But that's the beauty of it. Everyone has some skill, or can learn a skill. You perform that skill for others, they pay you, and you can in turn pay others to provide you with things you can't do yourself. Libertarianism isn't that you're completely independent and separate of all others; it's that you're responsible for yourself. You don't expect money from a government entity just for existing. It's not about isolationism (although, many people mistakenly think that). It's about a community that works together, but in the end, everyone in responsible for him or herself. People do care for one another and help each other out, but charity is voluntary, not mandatory (like it is in today's political climate).
And to change your example at the end. I'd prefer to see that vision in a slightly skewed way. If the elderly man didn't have the money or health insurance for car, then he wouldn't be cared for by the government, but a charity organization run by donations and supplemented by a volunteer staff. I've been in Veterans' Hospitals (government run facilities), and they're frightening. I wouldn't wish that coldness on anyone, and I think a voluntary organization would be much warmer and capable with a bend toward the individual.
Basically, I believe that people want to do good. It's just difficult to give your time and money to causes in today's world because the government keeps you in place. They don't want you to move up or out of place. If I was free to do what I want without ridiculous government constraints and insane taxes, then you can bet I'd be more willing to donate money or time to help others.