Blog 103 | The Libertarian Institute

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Aaron Maté: ‘NATO’s mission’ leaves Ukraine destroyed

by Scott Horton | Jan 11, 2023 | Blog

‘NATO’s mission’ leaves Ukraine destroyed — “We are carrying out NATO’s mission.” As Ukraine’s defense minister acknowledges the proxy war, NATO proxy warriors disregard the toll.

Unveiling its latest military assistance package to Ukraine — at $3.75 billion, the largest to date — the White House declared that US weapons are intended “to help the Ukrainians resist Russian aggression.”

For their part, Ukrainians on the receiving end see it differently.

“We are carrying out NATO’s mission,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in an interview. “They aren’t shedding their blood. We’re shedding ours. That’s why they’re required to supply us with weapons.” Repeating a rationale offered by his US sponsors in previous wars, including the invasion of Iraq, Reznikov added that Ukraine “is defending the entire civilized world.”

Ban This!

by Scott Horton | Jan 11, 2023 | Blog

Well shoot. I got kicked off of Twitter again.

Not sure why. Though I did make a crack that Jordan Peterson should jump off a bridge since he has no dignity since he RTs the MeK cult on regime changing Iran.

I mean I didn’t really say go kill yourself. It was more like go jump in a lake. But that might have been the one that did it. Even if I meant it, that’s still bullshit. I wonder if Mr. Free Speech Sometimes, Dr. Peterson will come to my defense …

Anyways, I’ve got too many jobs as it is, and Twitter is a big distraction, so silver linings.

Update: I did not say this TO Peterson at all. He was not on the thread. I just said to someone else, that guy should jump off a bridge. Which is alot like go jump in a lake, and less like you should definitely kill yourself.

Church Proves the Poor Will Benefit From Privatized Education

by Keith Knight | Jan 10, 2023 | Blog, Uncategorized

Depending on which source you look at, there are hundreds of thousands of churches in world.

Almost all Churches contain the two things Democrats constantly tell us are impossible if education were voluntarily funded instead of funded coercively via taxation.

They are private
They are voluntarily funded
The poor can almost always attend for free
There is competition and choice

764 years ago, the Salisbury Cathedral was consecrated in England. Considered the oldest example of early Gothic architecture in England, the old beauty maintains the largest cloister, the tallest spire, and the largest external park or “cathedral close,” of any cathedral in Britain. Inside are also one of the oldest continual-working clocks, and one of the 4 surviving copies of the Magna Carta….Construction was paid for by donations, principally from the canons and vicars of southeast England, who were asked to contribute a fixed annual sum until the building was completed.

– Good News in History September 20th, GoodNewsNetwork.org

This disproves yet another Blue Anon conspiracy theory, “the rich want to privatize education so everyone is stupid and then the rich will dominate us.”

It’s also worth noting that after 12 years of public schools and 4 years of University most people are ignorant of history, economics, science, philosophy, have few marketable skills, low emotional intelligence, and vote for immoral people like Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

Here’s a free book you’ll enjoy: The Voluntaryist Handbook

Ashli Babbitt’s Mother Arrested for Peaceful Protest While Her Murderer is Still Free

by Keith Knight | Jan 8, 2023 | Blog, Uncategorized

The mother of Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot while participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was arrested Friday afternoon for blocking traffic near the Capitol.

Micki Witthoeft, 58, is charged with blocking and obstructing roadways, U.S. Capitol Police said.

– NBC Washington

On January 6th, 2021 Democrats had the chance to finally stand with the 99% against the rich and powerful. Instead of doing so, they chose to vilify the working class and side with the corporate press, CIA, FBI, NSA, blue check Twitter, and all the other powers that be.

In Canada, they had the chance to side with the Convoy Protestors (truckers) against the regime of Justin Trudeau, they again chose to side against the working class.

Little to no coverage has been given to Ashli Babbitt, the unarmed peaceful protestor who was murdered by Michael Byrd. It’s okay for government’s to commit mass murder under the guise of “war and foreign policy”, but do not dare enter the Capitol without a permission slip.

If “we are the government” as Democrats always love to say, wasn’t Babbitt simply going into her own building? Or could it be that “we are the government” is a scam used to get people to comply with immoral laws?

Let’s put their theory to the test.

I hereby call for the arrest of Michael Byrd for the crime of murder in the second degree.

Instead of playing the game of rich vs. poor, or black vs. white, or Russia vs. America, or men vs. women, let’s divide people based on whether or not they are peaceful or violent.

AOC is Dumber Than I Thought: Minimum Wage Edition

by Keith Knight | Jan 7, 2023 | Blog, Uncategorized

Progressives will admit higher prices hurt those with the lowest incomes, but when it comes to raising the price of labor they ignore that very economic reality: Charging more for X discourages X from being consumed.

When you raise the price of employing someone: Fewer people will be employed, smaller businesses will be hurt disproportionately, low skilled employees will not get a chance to get their foot in the door, people with little experience will not get opportunities or on the job experiences, oligopolies will result meaning fewer options for consumers and employees and higher costs for goods and services.

Congresswoman Cortez said the fact that McDonalds in Denmark pays more than McDonalds in America it clearly wouldn’t be an issue to raise the minimum wage in America.

See the scam?

She claims that “Since multinational billion dollar corporation X can afford Y, all companies in America should be forced to pay for Y.”

Saying McDonalds, a multi billion dollar corporation can afford to pay high wages, is like saying “Houses and health care should go up in price. Jeff Bezos, LeBron James, The Walton Family, and Oprah can afford it!”

No mention of smaller competing start ups which are trying to compete with the big guys, which as we have seen don’t always last. Sam Goody, Sears, Blockbuster, A&P Grocers, Kodak, MySpace, all huge companies that failed since they faced competition.

Finally the Progressive may say, “If a business can’t pay X amount per hour, they deserved to lose everything.” To which I say, “My body my choice.” If I choose to contract for $0.00 an hour as an intern, you have no right to stop me. If I CHOOSE to work for $0.00 an hour, for thousands for hours as everyone does in college, I have the right to do so. People who volunteer for charities get $0.00 an hour. I work and invest time in my business for $0.00 an hour.

AOC, stop using your institutional power to coercively control the working class.

It is utterly embarrassing that “pay people enough to live” is a stance that’s even up for debate.

Override the parliamentarian and raise the wage. McD’s workers in Denmark are paid $22/hr + 6 wks paid vacation. $15/hr is a deep compromise – a big one, considering the phase in.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 3, 2021

Another Successful Fundraiser and the Year Ahead

by Scott Horton | Jan 2, 2023 | Blog

I cannot express how grateful I am, and all the staff and writers here at the Institute are, for your vote of confidence in our work.

We’ve got an incredible year ahead. I’m working on my new book with Darryl Cooper now, Provoked: America’s Role in the Russia-Ukraine War.

But before that is done, we’re going to publish Laurie Calhoun’s Questioning the COVID Company Line, her great collection of told-you-so-at-the-time essays for the Institute in opposition to the germ regime of the last few years and William Van Wagenen’s absolutely incredible Origins of the Dirty War on Syria Revisited: How US Planners Launched an Al-Qaeda-led Regime Change War Masked as Popular Protest and Revolution.

After Provoked is done, we’ll be hard at work on a collection of Justin Raimondo’s Antiwar.com articles, Behind the Headlines: Justin Raimondo Takes on the War Party.

Our good friend Brad Hoff and his co-author Zachary Wingerd are also working on a book about the dirty war in Syria, and there are a few more in the works as well — and that’s just the books!

Every day our great writers and podcasters produce great new material for us all to use in our fight for freedom and to make this country a less-worse place to live. So stay tuned, we will be right here!

-mgmt
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Health Department Pours Bleach on “Unregulated” Food for Homeless!

by Keith Knight | Dec 31, 2022 | Blog, Libertarian Institute Roundtable

If the government didn’t have a monopoly on security, only rich people would be able to have security just like when the government got out of other businesses, the only cars produced were limousines, the only clothes produced were tuxedos and the only food produced was foie gras.

– Michael Malice

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

All I ever wanted to do was find a way to pay Will Grigg

by Scott Horton | Dec 28, 2022 | Blog

William Norman Grigg was the kindest, smartest, best educated and most eloquent American spokesman for the cause of liberty, on the radio or in print — ever.

But the poor guy was always broke, trying to hold together a giant family while writing freelance articles for a living after losing his last full-time job in 2006.

In late 2016, while I was lamenting the fact that my friend was having to host another personal fundraiser to get by, it finally dawned on me: we could do a thing together. Two hosts and writers working together equals something! And hey, I bet we can get Sheldon Richman too!

Perfect.

I only ever got to pay Will one time before he died in 2017. I’m not even sure if he knew.

I will never stop missing Will or his work.

I almost hung it up then. But Sheldon talked me out of it. We’ve got a great little thing going here, and we should not abandon it, he insisted. As sad as we were about Will passing, we were already starting to collect a great group of writers and podcast hosts, and carve out a real place for ourselves in the movement.

And so we have pushed on over the last five years. And we have begun to build one hell of a great organization.

In these crazy times, in the darkest depths of the American culture wars, we are doing our part to keep the focus on freedom, decentralization, anti-government and anti-imperial activism, and of course, sound, Austrian School economics.

Along with Sheldon, we have long-time libertarian heavy-hitters Laurie Calhoun and James Bovard, along with all our rising stars of the next generation.

We have got a hell of a lot of government to oppose and liberty to fight for in this new era.

Help keep the Institute going into the new year, and we will keep doing everything we can to honor the legacy of our hero Will Grigg.

Donate today and write it off on your taxes!

We even have $20,000 worth of matching funds, so you can double your donation!

Thank you everyone, very much. Happy New Year.