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The 7 Never-to-be-Forgotten Principles of Government
harrybrown.org — Whether it's a desire to end abortions, keep the wrong people out of the country, make your city drug-free, stop corporate frauds, crack down on criminals, or make health care more accessible and less expensive, you can imagine how the right new law could make everything okay.
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- freedomwv, on 04/07/2008, -4/+30This is something that every American needs to read.
- blackolive, on 04/07/2008, -10/+14Everyone *has* heard this stuff before - it's called spin. This guy is using anger against government oppression to attack the good government does - like children's hospitals & fire departments.
This man would kick sick children out of their hospitals under the disguise of fighting evil tax overlords like Barrack Obama & Jimmy Carter. He's confused - it's conservatives who put this country in debt, not children's hospitals.- V3n0M, on 04/08/2008, -2/+7What?? Neither children's hospitals nor fire departments run on federal tax dollars.
- blackolive, on 04/08/2008, -8/+4He isn't ranting against the federal government, but all government:
"Government doesn't work. Because government is force, because government programs are designed to enrich the politically powerful,"
Like food quality standards, fire departments, children's hospitals, etc. He's nuts.
And frankly your comment proves his strategy is working: he says several good things so you don't notice the really bad things he says. Every nutcase is witty & charismatic *because* of people like you. - V3n0M, on 04/08/2008, -1/+5Are you for real or are you purposely trying to be a caricature?
- blackolive, on 04/08/2008, -6/+3I simply believe he means what he says. Frankly I've been watching this man's intellectual bait & switch for a long time:
He mentions bad government that voters *don't support* then blames all government - but if government is always evil then we should turn education over to the churches, stop mandating children get vacines, & auction off vital organs to the highest bidder instead of give them to children.
Really the problem isn't government - Europe is doing fine. The problem is a lack of democracy. - V3n0M, on 04/08/2008, -1/+5I see. I don't follow the author that closely, so I'm bringing my own definition of "government" to the article. Through the lens I'm looking through, I'm seeing it as Federal Government (as that is what I personally have a problem with) not ALL Government (as I don't have much issue with State or Local governments for the most part - they seem much more democratic to me - I agree that lack of democracy is the problem!)
P.S.:
Churches should have a competitive opportunity to educate children.
Children should NOT be mandated to receive vaccines.
What one chooses to do with their vital organs (given to charity or auctioned off) should be the decision of the owner of those organs. - JigoroKano, on 04/08/2008, -3/+2Children aren't mandated to receive vaccines. They just can't go to public school without them, else they will be a risk to spread disease among the student population.
And selling organs isn't pragmatic. Doctors wouldn't want this. Doctors match patients with organs based upon need and merit. Money would interfere with medicine. It would also create a capitalist incentive to kill people and harvest their organs.
I'm all for private schools getting a slice of the education budget. Lots of other countries do this: Denmark, Canada, ...
- blackolive, on 04/08/2008, -6/+3I simply believe he means what he says. Frankly I've been watching this man's intellectual bait & switch for a long time:
- blackolive, on 04/08/2008, -8/+4He isn't ranting against the federal government, but all government:
- doctechnical, on 04/08/2008, -0/+4And hospitals and fire departments need to be run by the government... why?
- V3n0M, on 04/08/2008, -2/+7What?? Neither children's hospitals nor fire departments run on federal tax dollars.
- blackolive, on 04/07/2008, -10/+14Everyone *has* heard this stuff before - it's called spin. This guy is using anger against government oppression to attack the good government does - like children's hospitals & fire departments.
- blackolive, on 04/07/2008, -23/+23"Government doesn't work. Because government is force, because government programs are designed to enrich the politically powerful,"
Like children's hospitals? And the fire department?
"You don't control government" ... "Your ideal law will be written by politicians for political purposes."
Europe is doing okay, they have an odd system called *counting the votes.* This guy is blaming government when he should be blaming our *rigged elections.*
"Politicians don't weigh their votes on the basis of ideology or social good. They think in terms of political power."
Just like Obama & Jimmy Carter!? Pure evil!!11!111 Of course I fear government, but this guy takes his hatred too far.- V3n0M, on 04/08/2008, -9/+7Why bring up hospitals and fire departments? These things have nothing to do with the federal government.
- blackolive, on 04/08/2008, -12/+9He *isn't* ranting against the federal government, but all government:
"Government doesn't work. Because government is force, because government programs are designed to enrich the politically powerful,"
Food quality standards, children's hospitals, etc. Pure failure!!11!!!11
(BTW food quality standards are federal.)- Digger1218, on 04/08/2008, -3/+3Buried for !!11!!!11 used non-sarcastically.
- blackolive, on 04/08/2008, -2/+3Are you kidding me? It was obvious sarcasm.
- Digger1218, on 04/08/2008, -2/+2Yeah, I misread.
- dracostimpy, on 04/08/2008, -5/+10Private hospitals and schools are much better than public, allowing private competition to the publicly funded police and fire depts would compel them to be proactive rather than reactive, and as for food quality standards, well I think this pretty much says it all:
"The USDA is blocking an American slaughterhouse that wishes to voluntarily test its beef for mad cow disease so it can sell meat to Japan.
Creekstone Farms, a slaughterhouse in Kansas, has spent $500,000 to create a mad cow testing facility to comply with Japan’s tougher regulations. Forbidden from testing and shut off from its Japanese market, the company loses $200,000 in sales every day, and it has already been forced to layoff fifty workers.
Unfortunately for the people at Creekstone Farms, the USDA will not permit such testing, because the agency does not consider the testing “scientifically warranted,” and it worries that competing slaughterhouses may appear unsafe by comparison."
http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id ...- chicofaraby, on 04/08/2008, -6/+5"Private hospitals and schools are much better than public"
Source? - JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -3/+8Thank you. I'm glad someone else decided to take the time to address those issues. Whatever it is, the free market can do a much more competent and effective job than any bureaucratic government equivalent.
- dracostimpy, on 04/08/2008, -1/+7Source? How about the home-schooled kids (the ultimate in private schooling) who've won the national spelling/geography/math/etc bees for about 50 years in a row now? How about the fact that public schools in several districts are now creating magnet schools that mirror the way many private schools are run precisely because they're losing students to private schools? How about Bush's NCLB Act, which has effectively turned public schools into army grunt factories since curricula are now tailored to the least common denominator rather than grouping students by aptitude so the gifted kids aren't learning arithmetic all four years of high school? I'm not going to waste time looking for a source on something that is so self-evident.
As for hospitals, there's this:
http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/best-hospit ...
I didn't bother to count, but I know that Mayo, Cedars Sinai, and almost all the other nationally renowned "magnet hospitals" are either private or university, the latter being hybrids of public and private since they're state-owned but funded in no small part by private donors. Not very many municipal public hospitals on that list, though. - blackolive, on 04/08/2008, -4/+3Blaming government for the insane screw-ups of a court-appointed leader isn't being honest. *Only* the Bush administration could be so dumb.
(The guy the "anti-government" people voted for.)
Also the private hospitals in the states aren't doing very well. Have you been to one recently? They'll charge you thousands for a simple blood test. - chicofaraby, on 04/08/2008, -7/+4"Whatever it is, the free market can do a much more competent and effective job than any bureaucratic government equivalent"
Another BS claim with no backup.... - dracostimpy, on 04/08/2008, -0/+6The court that appointed that leader IS government itself. Can I blame government for appointing an idiot to lead itself? Yes I can!
Hospitals aren't doing well because government agencies like the FDA and the labor union known as the AMA limit the availability of cheap drugs and competition within the medical field. Again, the FDA's uselessness is self-evident by the fact that we can't even import cheaper drugs from Canada, despite the fact that Canada bought the drugs from America in the first place. What a ***** joke.
More on the AMA cartel here:
http://www.mises.org/article.aspx?Id=1547
- chicofaraby, on 04/08/2008, -6/+5"Private hospitals and schools are much better than public"
- Digger1218, on 04/08/2008, -3/+3Buried for !!11!!!11 used non-sarcastically.
- blackolive, on 04/08/2008, -12/+9He *isn't* ranting against the federal government, but all government:
- V3n0M, on 04/08/2008, -9/+7Why bring up hospitals and fire departments? These things have nothing to do with the federal government.
- JDenigma, on 04/07/2008, -3/+33Hey, mrbabyman dugg this. Maybe that's a stamp of approval to indicate this will make the front page, ha ha. It would be nice to see something different for a change make the front page in the political section rather than articles about Bush, Obama, and Clinton. Same old, same old. The front page section of the political category is just so boring and one sided. Not much variety there. It will be interesting to see if this gets quickly buried in spite of the number of diggs it is quickly generating.
Anyway, while I'm at it here, I thought I'd quote something here that is sort of off topic for this thread. This would be a good place to quote it.
April 18, 1946.....Gustave M. Gilbert, a German-speaking prison psychologist, visits Hermann Goring in his prison cell during the Nuremberg Trials and has this following conversation with him...........
Gustave Gilbert: "We got around to the subject of war again and I said that, contrary to his attitude, I did not think that the common people are very thankful for leaders who bring them war and destruction."
Hermann Goring: "Why, of course, the people don't want war," Goring shrugged. "Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship."
GG: "There is one difference," I pointed out. "In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare war."
HG: "Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country".
(Nuremberg Diary , pp. 278-79)- Bagos1, on 04/08/2008, -0/+13This really says it all....good quote.
- Petron10, on 04/08/2008, -0/+4Thanks for posting such an eye-opening quote. There is no chance in hell I would ever have heard of that without you posting it.
- freedomwv, on 04/10/2008, -0/+2I have seen this quote before and it really does sum up the thinking of a lot of leaders. They think they can make us fight a war if they say the right words. This is exactly why it is so important to think for yourself at all time and never blindly follow anyone.
- BuzzDiggity, on 04/07/2008, -4/+11american genius... great article!
- freedomwv, on 04/10/2008, -0/+1yes indeed.
- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -11/+20For the leftists who are upset about their taxes going to fund this unconstitutional war, maybe if they stop to think about it, they would then know how the rest of us feel when we get upset about our money being robbed from us and being used towards unconstitutional spending that we neither approved of or consented to.
Just a thought for anyone out there who is calm, slow pulsed, objective, and intellectually honest. You can't have it both ways after all.- neocognitism, on 04/08/2008, -13/+8If you're a Republican or a "rightist," your party is responsible for more pork and runaway deficit spending in the history of the entire world. That's a fact, and our kids are going to be paying it off for generations.
"Tax & Spend" seems like a utopia to our "Tax the Middle Class Only & Spend & Spend & Spend & Spend on the Rich"- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -7/+12You need to pay better attention and acquire some reading comprehension. You obviously had a knee-jerk reaction and didn't get my point. No, I am not a republican. I am an anarcho-capitalist libertarian, meaning no government at all. How about them apples? So I am the furthest thing from a republican today. Did you see my other post above? I would think that would have served as a tip off for you to get a clue there. I am against the neoconservatism. I am against the war. I was trying to make an honest point for the leftists out there who on one hand are rightfully upset about their taxes going to fund this war, but out the other side of their mouth in their double standard will be willing to imprison or kill someone who refuses to pay their taxes because they don't want their tax money going to thinks they don't agree with either. It's called theft, confiscation, the income tax and it should be abolished. The taxes for the war are wrong and the taxes for all this other ***** are wrong! Get me now? Capice?!
I swear, some people only see some buzzwords and that's all they see and they immediately react without thinking about what they saw.- chicofaraby, on 04/08/2008, -8/+4"meaning no government at all"
Funny, Marxist Communism has the same goal...
and makes about as much sense. - RuffRidr, on 04/08/2008, -3/+4"Funny, Marxist Communism has the same goal..."
You're the subject matter expert.- chicofaraby, on 04/08/2008, -5/+5And I'm right. Right wing libertarianism makes as much sense as Marxist Communism. They sound like neat theories. But reality isn't kind to either.
- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -1/+6Libertarianism is not right wing nor left wing. The political spectrum is not a flat line running from left to right. That is a false paradigm. Get out of your Flatlanders view of the political spectrum. There are other dimensions out there.
- chicofaraby, on 04/08/2008, -4/+2I can't say I blame the right wingers for wanting to deny they are right wingers. After the failure (again) of de-regulation and tax cuts for Paris Hilton, who can blame them for wanting to deny their ideological underpinnings.
Libertarians are right wing. Sorry. It's only a fact.
- chicofaraby, on 04/08/2008, -8/+4"meaning no government at all"
- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -4/+11Tax and spend and tax and borrow are equally harmful and equally immoral. If you support demanding and forcing people at the threat of force and violence to pay their taxes to whatever your pet issue is, I don't care what it is, you are supporting what amounts to mafia tactics and you are supporting violence and immorality and after a certain point if a person realizes what they're supporting, but still doesn't care, it speaks volumes about what kind of a person they are. You single out the republicans. I hope you're not one of these partisan sycophants who thinks one party has been superior to the other.
- neocognitism, on 04/08/2008, -16/+7"I am an anarcho-capitalist libertarian"
Uhhh so who is going to protect and supply your land, family, your corporation, and your goods? Blackwater?
Good luck with that, moron. You see, the freedom of America allows wingnuts like you to exist as well. Carry on.- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -6/+11Oh, so now you call me a moron. Gee, thanks. You obviously have no understanding of anarcho-libertarianism and you think that Blackwater is somehow an illustration of that. Blackwater is what you're already getting today with this socialist/fascist corporate big government state today.
As for someone I noticed just dugg you for what you said to me, he's in my network I notice. Click, he's now off my friends list. ;-)
- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -6/+11Oh, so now you call me a moron. Gee, thanks. You obviously have no understanding of anarcho-libertarianism and you think that Blackwater is somehow an illustration of that. Blackwater is what you're already getting today with this socialist/fascist corporate big government state today.
- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -7/+12You need to pay better attention and acquire some reading comprehension. You obviously had a knee-jerk reaction and didn't get my point. No, I am not a republican. I am an anarcho-capitalist libertarian, meaning no government at all. How about them apples? So I am the furthest thing from a republican today. Did you see my other post above? I would think that would have served as a tip off for you to get a clue there. I am against the neoconservatism. I am against the war. I was trying to make an honest point for the leftists out there who on one hand are rightfully upset about their taxes going to fund this war, but out the other side of their mouth in their double standard will be willing to imprison or kill someone who refuses to pay their taxes because they don't want their tax money going to thinks they don't agree with either. It's called theft, confiscation, the income tax and it should be abolished. The taxes for the war are wrong and the taxes for all this other ***** are wrong! Get me now? Capice?!
- relic180, on 04/08/2008, -5/+2I'm just going to bury you and every comment that replied to you, for being party cheerleaders. Dem or Repub, right or left, lib or con, it would be nice if people just thought about things on a case by case basis rather than join a team and sling mud at the other side.
- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -0/+5What gives you the idea that I'm being a cheerleader partisan for a particular side just because of my point I was trying to make? I was not defending the republicans. It was just a random thought that I thought I'd throw out there to get those on a particular side of the aisle to think about what they're supporting. I suppose you would have been happy had I said something equivalent to the republicans instead.
- relic180, on 04/08/2008, -1/+1Because I have a problem with the entire discussion that developed, and you just happened to be in there.
Didn't you have a label for yourself too? See, that's just something I'm not ok with. Bury me if you wish, doesn't change my stance.
- relic180, on 04/08/2008, -1/+1Because I have a problem with the entire discussion that developed, and you just happened to be in there.
- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -0/+5What gives you the idea that I'm being a cheerleader partisan for a particular side just because of my point I was trying to make? I was not defending the republicans. It was just a random thought that I thought I'd throw out there to get those on a particular side of the aisle to think about what they're supporting. I suppose you would have been happy had I said something equivalent to the republicans instead.
- neocognitism, on 04/08/2008, -13/+8If you're a Republican or a "rightist," your party is responsible for more pork and runaway deficit spending in the history of the entire world. That's a fact, and our kids are going to be paying it off for generations.
- rpi22, on 04/08/2008, -4/+26"Government is designed to protect men from criminals. The constitution is designed to protect men from government!" - Ayn Rand
- neocognitism, on 04/08/2008, -19/+4Ayn Rand is designed to liberate morons from their common sense and morality.
- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -7/+11Yup, you're obviously an ass kisser for the left.
- neocognitism, on 04/08/2008, -16/+3I'm neither right nor left, but Ayn Rand's Objectivism was a NY Democrat's religion, you should be aware. She's not "conservative" philosophy whatsoever and considering her so is an error. It's more like a cult philosophy.
- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -3/+14Define what you mean by the terms "NY Democrat's religion" and "conservative". The confusion over labels and their meanings gets pretty muddy with the way they get basterdized and they are interchangeable over time and change meanings. A conservative today is different from a conservative decades ago perhaps and certainly different from an 18th century Jeffersonian conservative. Why do you also insist on using the words religion and cult there? I'm not a dyed in the wool Ayn Rand supporter. Ayn Rand's philosophy she espoused as far as I know, belongs to the Objectivist movement today and she supported a constitionally limited government and was considered a "libertarian".
As for you, whatever in hell you are, you sure came across as being on the left with the way you reacted towards me over my point I made above and the way you singled out the republicans. It smacked of being partisan. - relic180, on 04/08/2008, -2/+2Yea, lets definitely get our labels straight. Because after all... isn't that what it's REALLY about?
- JigoroKano, on 04/08/2008, -0/+2Ayn Rand hated the Libertarian party.
- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -1/+4JigoroKano
I know, I've heard that before. From my understanding of it, she didn't like the early libertarian party that was formed. I'm not quite certain on why she didn't, whether it had something to do with her feeling like they were "hijacking" her ideas or that she thought they were "anarchists", which she didn't like.
There is a schism between some Objectivists and Libertarians and the term libertarian has become more broad in its usage in which purists also don't like some of the so-called libertarians calling themself that. I prefer to include the minarchists and anarcho-capitalists under the umbrella term libertarian. Broadening beyond that seem to make it become meaningless. Words do mean things and labels are important to a degree in order to identify and classify different ideas and philosophies.
In reference to that schism between Objectivists and Libertarians, I've noticed people who consider themselves to be Objectivists or fans of Ayn Rand who aren't that consistent in their support of individual rights and constitutionally limited government. Some of these Objectivists tend to also be rather hawkish and hate the libertarians for opposing these wars. There are some people who like Ayn Rand not so much for a consistent philosophy of individual rights, but moreso because they cherry picked certain things they like which she said such as the things she would say against religion.
Oh yeah, like I said there about labels, relic180 is wrong there. You do need some labels to a degree. The problem is with political party labels in politics and the problem comes when people over simplify their use of labels and apply them incorrectly. - relic180, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1First, I'm not wrong, because they ARE over simplified and applied incorrectly today by the very vast majority, and every significant election that I can remember has relied on a "two party" dog and pony show. So labels ARE what it's all about, to a fault.
Second, defining past ideological movements for the purposes of historical reference and the ability for us to further understand our own needs as humans to established organized social structures can be useful. But recognizing the line between usefulness and dependence is something that people are historically terrible at maintaining.
Thus, while labels may be more comfortable, they're ultimately a larger part of the problem than they could ever remedy.
And don't even get me started on the inherent divisiveness of party labels that would not exist otherwise....
- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -3/+14Define what you mean by the terms "NY Democrat's religion" and "conservative". The confusion over labels and their meanings gets pretty muddy with the way they get basterdized and they are interchangeable over time and change meanings. A conservative today is different from a conservative decades ago perhaps and certainly different from an 18th century Jeffersonian conservative. Why do you also insist on using the words religion and cult there? I'm not a dyed in the wool Ayn Rand supporter. Ayn Rand's philosophy she espoused as far as I know, belongs to the Objectivist movement today and she supported a constitionally limited government and was considered a "libertarian".
- neocognitism, on 04/08/2008, -16/+3I'm neither right nor left, but Ayn Rand's Objectivism was a NY Democrat's religion, you should be aware. She's not "conservative" philosophy whatsoever and considering her so is an error. It's more like a cult philosophy.
- JDenigma, on 04/08/2008, -7/+11Yup, you're obviously an ass kisser for the left.
- neocognitism, on 04/08/2008, -19/+4Ayn Rand is designed to liberate morons from their common sense and morality.
- m2garand, on 04/08/2008, -3/+11Great article. Here are four ways to spend money by Milton Friedman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MQp-5lZToE - dncarlson, on 04/08/2008, -2/+4R.I.P Harry Brown
- jjive, on 04/08/2008, -3/+2I forgot, what were the top 7 reasons again.
- freestatelover, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1Harry Browne is spelled Harry Browne, notice the e.
- V3n0M, on 04/08/2008, -0/+5notice the reply button...
- dncarlson, on 04/08/2008, -0/+1Ya know, I originally wrote the E on the end, but stopped before submitting to check the URL [harrybrown.org] - I'll be more careful in the future.
- herkimer65, on 04/08/2008, -2/+11"Giving money and power to politicians is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys."
Well put. - galeninjapan, on 04/08/2008, -3/+5The welfare state reduces a citizen to a client, subordinates them to a bureaucrat, and subjects them to rules that are anti-work, anti-family, anti-opportunity and anti-property. Humans forced to suffer under such anti-human rules naturally develop pathologies. The evening news is the natural result of the welfare state.
- fr0ng, on 04/08/2008, -5/+5Solution: Vote Libertarian.
- zephyear, on 04/08/2008, -3/+1voting libertarian in a 2 party electoral college system is a "wasted" vote.
- galeninjapan, on 04/09/2008, -0/+1You MUST vote for the Douche or the Turd sandwich.
- zephyear, on 04/08/2008, -3/+1voting libertarian in a 2 party electoral college system is a "wasted" vote.
- muffinmonk, on 04/08/2008, -0/+18. Most people who come to power are absolute liars. Some are not, and may not receive that power. In fact, they may not be able to, as the lies the liars had lied upon are now influencing the view of the candidate.
- tehbored, on 04/08/2008, -3/+3And I suppose this person thinks that libertarianism is a better alternative. The problem isn't inherent to government, it's inherent to people. As long as you have humans ruling humans, all these problems will persist. I say bring on the robots!
- freedomwv, on 04/10/2008, -0/+2dumbass!!!
- worldinmyeyes, on 04/08/2008, -2/+7This has more than enough diggs to be on the front page, but looks like the resident shills, spooks, and lemmings are doing their best to keep it from there.
- ironhide, on 04/08/2008, -8/+2yep...must be a.....CONSPIRACY!!! Dun dun dun!
- freedomwv, on 04/10/2008, -0/+2Hope you enjoy the day when the government does everything for you and you have no rights left.
- ironhide, on 04/08/2008, -7/+2Also, maybe, just maybe there are a lot of people on Digg who think you Paulite, libertarian, "free-market", truther-types are full of *****.
- ironhide, on 04/08/2008, -8/+2yep...must be a.....CONSPIRACY!!! Dun dun dun!
- jamessavik, on 04/12/2008, -0/+1It doesn't matter which form of government that you chose, they are all feudalism in the end.
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