The government's K-12 schools--aka "public schools--are once again a battleground on which a bitter dispute is playing out. Wait!--once again? The government's schools have been a battleground since their inception in the 19th century. Since that's where the children...
Justice
TGIF: Who’s the Aggressor? Who’s the Victim?
by Sheldon Richman | Jul 16, 2021 | Economics, Featured Articles, Justice, Libertarianism, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
When a libertarian says that the most basic individual right is the right not to be aggressed against, a clever interlocutor may accuse the libertarian of begging the question, of stuffing the rabbit into the hat. The trick, the critic will say, is in the word...
TGIF: Defend the Enlightenment!
by Sheldon Richman | Jul 2, 2021 | Justice, Libertarianism, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
The libertarian philosophy is embedded in Enlightenment liberalism. This is clearly seen in its commitment to free inquiry (reason) and free speech, the full realization of which, I argue, requires complete respect for individual rights, including property rights....
TGIF: Liberty as a Problem-Solving Process
by Sheldon Richman | Jun 25, 2021 | Economics, Featured Articles, Justice, Libertarianism, Politics, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
Strictly speaking, liberty isn't the solution to problems. It's what creates the framework in which solutions can be discovered. That is an important distinction because it reminds us that advocates of full-blown liberty do not offer the world a problem-free society...
TGIF: VP Harris Tells Guatemalans to Stay in Their Place
by Sheldon Richman | Jun 11, 2021 | Economics, Foreign Policy, Justice, Libertarianism, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
Shame on Vice President Kamala Harris. On her recent trip to Guatemala she said, "I want to be clear to folks in the region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come. I believe if you come to our...
TGIF: What the State Really Is
by Sheldon Richman | Jun 4, 2021 | Economics, Justice, Libertarianism, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
To better understand the nature of government, one can think of it as an agency that sells or, more precisely, rents power to others. The greater the power and the wider its scope, the more opportunities the state's agents will have to sell access to it in return for...
How a Libertarian Would Solve Land Conflict in the Middle East
by Jeff Deist | Jun 4, 2021 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy, Justice, Libertarianism
The recent spate of bombing violence in Israel's West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza demonstrates the enduring attachment both Israelis and Palestinians have to physical land in the country. Both sides make claims—legal, moral, and political—to land within Israel,...
Libertarian Challenges Lockdowns…& Wins! ft. TJ Roberts Ep. 168
by Patrick Macfarlane | Jun 2, 2021 | Justice, Libertarianism, Politics, Vital Dissent
https://youtu.be/1ydfyOqsigI Last week, I was joined by TJ Roberts, an Austro-libertarian and second-year law student. TJ was ticketed for attending a church service during Kentucky's lockdown. He sued in federal court and won. His victory helped set precedent that...