Fuck the State

[Dr. Medulla]

For all those who have been outraged about his answer re. the Civil Rights Act, Jonah Goldberg of all people raised a good point in saying that just a few years ago it was liberals and Democrats who were lionizing Goldwater and libertarianism, that his opposition was principled. But now it's unAmerican and pure evil blah blah blah. If someone wants to mess with Rand Paul's position regarding the Civil Rights Act as contrary to libertarian positions, weren't state and local laws that forced segregation on local businesses just as punitive and contrary to libertarianism?

This is a David Waldman quote about abortion, but I think it works well for a lot of these types of issues, and sums up my feelings well:

The problem with leaving the decision up to the states, he says, is that it doesn't go far enough. "I think states should leave the abortion question up to the counties," he explains. "Then I think counties should leave the abortion question up to municipalities. Then the neighborhoods should leave the abortion question up to each block." And each block, as you might have guessed, should leave the abortion question up to each household.

Nicely put. In practice, states rights just means "we have a better chance of getting our way with that level of government than the federal." You don't hear a lot about states rights when Republicans are in power, do you.

[Dr. Medulla]

Only those of good moral character need apply …

[Flex]

Only those of good moral character need apply …

Mmmm... luxuriant mustache.

Man, even a few years ago I would have read that and gone "no fucking way does anyone support this", but now? Who knows.

[Flex]

Wow. This is one of the most vile sentiments I've ever seen in the New Yorker (re: WikiLeaks):

But, unlike authoritarian regimes, democratic governments hold secrets largely because citizens agree that they should, in order to protect legitimate policy.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010 ... z0pXSu32ff

(via BOVARD)

[Wolter]

Wow. This is one of the most vile sentiments I've ever seen in the New Yorker (re: WikiLeaks):

But, unlike authoritarian regimes, democratic governments hold secrets largely because citizens agree that they should, in order to protect legitimate policy.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010 ... z0pXSu32ff

(via BOVARD)

Fuck people. Anyone with that mentality deserves the slave state they get.

[Dr. Medulla]

Wow. This is one of the most vile sentiments I've ever seen in the New Yorker (re: WikiLeaks):

But, unlike authoritarian regimes, democratic governments hold secrets largely because citizens agree that they should, in order to protect legitimate policy.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010 ... z0pXSu32ff

(via BOVARD)

So, the difference between authoritarian and democratic systems is merely consenting to hoarding power by those in charge.

[eumaas]

"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."
- The Prisoner

"To be GOVERNED is to be kept in sight, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-driven, numbered, enrolled, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, estimated, valued, censured, commanded, by creatures who have neither the right, nor the wisdom, nor the virtue to do so. To be GOVERNED is to be at every operation, at every transaction, noted, registered, enrolled, taxed, stamped, measured, numbered, assessed, licensed, authorized, admonished, forbidden, reformed, corrected, punished. It is, under pretext of public utility, and in the name of the general interest, to be placed under contribution, trained, ransomed, exploited, monopolized, extorted, squeezed, mystified, robbed; then, at the slightest resistance, the first word of complaint, to be repressed, fined, despised, harassed, tracked, abused, clubbed, disarmed, choked, imprisoned, judged, condemned, shot, deported, sacrificed, sold, betrayed; and, to crown all, mocked, ridiculed, outraged, dishonored. That is government; that is its justice; that is its morality."
- Proudhon

[Marky Dread]

"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."
- The Prisoner

"To be GOVERNED is to be kept in sight, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-driven, numbered, enrolled, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, estimated, valued, censured, commanded, by creatures who have neither the right, nor the wisdom, nor the virtue to do so. To be GOVERNED is to be at every operation, at every transaction, noted, registered, enrolled, taxed, stamped, measured, numbered, assessed, licensed, authorized, admonished, forbidden, reformed, corrected, punished. It is, under pretext of public utility, and in the name of the general interest, to be placed under contribution, trained, ransomed, exploited, monopolized, extorted, squeezed, mystified, robbed; then, at the slightest resistance, the first word of complaint, to be repressed, fined, despised, harassed, tracked, abused, clubbed, disarmed, choked, imprisoned, judged, condemned, shot, deported, sacrificed, sold, betrayed; and, to crown all, mocked, ridiculed, outraged, dishonored. That is government; that is its justice; that is its morality."
- Proudhon

Welcome to England eumaas.

[eumaas]

http://c4ss.org/content/2665

I'm a little iffy on this. I agree with the thrust about stigmergy, but I'm not totally keen on the example given--I find entrapment distasteful when anybody does it.

[Flex]

http://c4ss.org/content/2665

I'm a little iffy on this. I agree with the thrust about stigmergy, but I'm not totally keen on the example given--I find entrapment distasteful when anybody does it.

Yeah, the examples left a me a little queasy too. Thrust of the argument is fairly sound, it seems to me, tho.

[eumaas]

Yeah, the examples left a me a little queasy too.

I suppose the libertarian justification is that the State always exists in a condition of aggression against ordinary people, and cops are certainly of an especial vulnerability to this (as compared to a librarian). But, from a virtue ethics angle, I think engaging in such entrapment isn't great for the person doing it regardless of whom the act is committed upon.

[Dr. Medulla]

Officer estimates enough for speeding convictions

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's highest court has ruled that a person may be convicted of speeding purely if it looked to a police officer that the motorist was going too fast.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that an officer's visual estimation of speed is enough to support a conviction if the officer is trained, certified by a training academy, and experienced in watching for speeders. The court's 5-1 decision says independent verification of a driver's speed is not necessary.

The court upheld a lower court's ruling against a driver who challenged a speeding conviction that had been based on testimony from police officer in Copley, 25 miles south of Cleveland. The officer said it appeared to him that the man was driving too fast.

Fulfilling fine quotas just got a whole lot easier in Ohio.

[Flex]

A delightful offshoot topic of the flotilla attack: http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/06/03 ... he-states/

[eumaas]

I wonder if Rand Paul supports this?

[eumaas]

Long's post:
http://aaeblog.com/2010/06/04/defend-red-black-cafe/

Check out the comments.