I think for this post at least I’ll just share a few stories I’ve had my eye on. First, the guy who wrote the story I posted in my last post, the man who was leaving the Republican Party, is back and wrote about where he is heading since he left. Here’s the link and I’ll just post a few lines here (read the whole article if it interests you, it really is well done)
The country has devolved so much into a two-party system that many folks believe that if you abandon one party, you must necessarily take up common cause with the other one. Yet if a restaurant gives you a choice between eating food laced with rat poison or with arsenic, you might want to eat somewhere else, even if it's a long drive until the next rest stop and even if the new restaurant hasn't gotten great reviews.
Indeed. This gets back into the discussion at the end of the last post. The choice between murder and suicide is no choice at all. I’ll take the path to escape, no matter how unlikely the chances of surviving.
I'm convinced that if many Dems had their way, there would be virtually no area of life beyond their prying eyes, no source of income beyond their prying hands (hence their hostility to property rights), no place where we could retreat to get away from their unceasing desire to regulate us, tax us, prod us, improve us, instruct us, educate us and control us. And, of course, there's nothing Dems love more than a good moral crusade (i.e., global warming) to bludgeon the rest of us into giving them more money and power.
Yep. The thing is, at least the Democrats come out and SAY they are the party of big government and social control programs. The Republicans still are trying to promote themselves as the party of personal liberty, despite doing quite the opposite since it’s inception. I believe most people who vote Republican, like Greenhut are not and never were Republicans, they are just anti-Democrat and their desire to run people’s lives. Hence, they vote and pledge allegiance to the “other” party. Correct me if I’m wrong, please.
Now, for the answer to the question that most people have asked me: What party am I joining? Nothing wrong with registering as "Decline to State" and avoiding any new entangling alliances. But I'll hang around the GOP long enough to vote in the Republican primary for Rep. Ron Paul, the only consistent defender of freedom in Congress. Then I'll probably re-register as a big "L" Libertarian, if they don't mind having me. I've got some issues with the Libertarian Party – i.e., I wish it were more serious about fielding winnable candidates in local races, and it has sported some weird candidates on the ballot at times. But it's filled with good, albeit cantankerous folks who love freedom. So I should fit in pretty well.
The second story is one involving our hate-hate relationship with the RIAA.
Record shops: Used CDs? Ihre papieren, bitte!
New "pawn shop" laws are springing up across the United States that will make selling your used CDs at the local record shop something akin to getting arrested. No, you won't spend any time in jail, but you'll certainly feel like a criminal once the local record shop makes copies of all of your identifying information and even collects your fingerprints. Such is the state of affairs in Florida, which now has the dubious distinction of being so anal about the sale of used music CDs that record shops there are starting to get out of the business of dealing with used content because they don't want to pay a $10,000 bond for the "right" to treat their customers like criminals.
Even more attempts to stop piracy by making buying legal music even harder than it already is. Will they never learn?
7 comments:
I just watched Ron Paul in the debates and he was awesome! I loved when he was asked, "If elected President, would you work to fuse out the IRS?" and he answered, "IMMEDIATELY!". That was awesome! He's got my vote in the primary elections!
I agree with the ex-Republican guy about the Libertarian party not doing a good enough job fielding winnable candidates. I think YOU should run Scott!!
As far as the RIAA, I'm *rolling my eyes* big time, ya take that RIAA!
BTW, I think you're brilliant!
Crystal said...
BTW, I think you're brilliant!
Don't give him too much credit,
that was inherited.
One of my best friends is both a South Park Republican and a consistent critic of the RIAA. I think you and him would have a lot in common. I'll point him over to your blog.
Plus, he's been asking about Ron Paul and if I know anything about him. I tell him to quit bugging me ... Paul's just some kooky libertarian. lol. Just kidding. I tell him that I actually think Paul believes in something and is consistent in his views (both things to be admired). And Paul has consistently been against the war and the Patriot Act. There are Dems that can't say that.
re: unelectable libertarians
The libertarian party cannot simply put out "more" electable people. The reason libertarians don't get elected more is not because of the people who are running, but because of the people who are voting. They are not picking libertarians. Why? Well there's the "lesser of two evils" logic that was talked about in the comments section of the last post, there's ignorance of even the existence of the Libertarian party, there's people's misconceptions of what the part wants, and those who think they are too extreme or radical. Plus there are people who *like* big government. They may not SAY they prefer big government, they may even say the government should be limited, but in the same breath they spout the virtues of the welfare/warfare State and vote accordingly.
Because of all this, the main goal of the Libertarian Party is NOT to get lots of politicians elected. The main gaol is education. Or more accurately re-education, since we're taught from a very early age that Government is a tool that can help us. I think everyone is born a libertarian, they are taught that it is wrong, then they have to break our of that indoctrination to become a libertarian again. I use the small 'l' libertarian there because I'm not saying everyone is born a member of the Libertarian Party, but that we're born with the principles that libertarian philosophy is based on (i.e. private property, tolerance, self rule).
Anyway...
DBack,
Thanks for stopping by. I know it's kinda been a self congratulatory libertarian luv-fest lately. I really gotta do something about that.
I always stop by. I just don't always have something brilliant to add (actually, I probably rarely have something brilliant to say).
Your King for a Day post is a great idea. I'm going to have to think on it and will have a comment in the next day or so.
I’m struggling with what to blog about. On the one hand I know this blog didn’t start out as all that political and has evolved to being maybe overly political, and that may bother some people.
Um, it's your blog isn't it? tough cookies if it offends people...
Maybe we should pass some laws to regulate what you can put on your blog, so as not to cause anyone undue stress, and interrupt their (vain) pursuit of happiness.
Seriously though, I enjoy reading your blog, but I don't always comment.
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