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...
Libertarianism
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...
TGIF: About that “Real Estate Dispute” in Sheikh Jarrah
by Sheldon Richman | May 28, 2021 | Foreign Policy, Justice, Libertarianism, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
When the Israeli government describes the conflict over the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem as just a "real-estate dispute," it has a point. Palestinian families are at risk of eviction (and some have already been evicted) from homes they've lived in for...
Prof CJ: Manufactured History Ep. 167
by Patrick Macfarlane | May 25, 2021 | Foreign Policy, Libertarianism, Vital Dissent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQpfQYZgVaU Prof CJ of the Dangerous History Podcast joined me to discuss several themes we have both covered in our work: the pamphleteers of the American Revolution, the 4th Turning, the chaos of history, nuclear obliteration, and...
Hamas, Israel, and the United States
by Sheldon Richman | May 22, 2021 | Blog, Libertarianism
For obvious reasons, I cannot endorse Hamas's firing projectiles at residential centers in Israel. But if is wrong to terrorize Israeli noncombatants into changing their government's outrageous anti-Palestinian policies, then it must also be wrong for Israel and the...
TGIF: Biden Labor Department Undermines Gig Economy
by Sheldon Richman | May 21, 2021 | Economics, Justice, Libertarianism, Sheldon Richman, TGIF
Why should government at any level have the power to overrule how workers and companies define their relationships? This question has become more important than previously with the rise of the gig economy, in which workers such as Uber and Lyft drivers are regarded by...
Discussing Israel-Palestine on Year Zero
by Sheldon Richman | May 21, 2021 | Blog, Foreign Policy, Libertarianism
I discussed what's going on in Israel-Palestine on the Year Zero podcast. Have a listen.