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| from Reason to Freedom |
| Weekly Libertarian magazine. News and Opinions supporting non-aggression and individual rights for all. Promoting thinking for oneself, thus helping to create a free, benevolent society. Randian 0bjectivists. |
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| Jury Rights Day ~ September 5 |
| 2008-08-22 15:40:23 |
On September 5 of this year, Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA) activists across the nation will once again celebrate the right of jurors to render a verdict based on conscience by handing out literature, writing letters to the editor, appearing on interviews, and speaking to groups. For more information, go to www.fija.org.
September 5th marks the 338th anniversary of the trial of William Penn – a trial that laid the foundation of our First Amendment Constitutional Rights of Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of Peaceable Public Assembly. Many Governors have signed Proclamations in recognition of Jury Rights Day.
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| The Minimum Wage Terror |
| 2008-08-20 16:43:14 |
You're making $5.85 an hour and that's good enough for now. And you also have a friend standing flatfooted on the ground who would love to hop up onto that bottom rung next to you and make $5.85 an hour, which would be $5.85 an hour more than your friend is making right now. Then along comes Congress. As the fair, caring, sensitive, compassionate, progressive and socially responsible Congresscrats do periodically, they decide to help poor little ol' you by ramming through the Fair, Caring, Sensitive, Compassionate, Progressive And Socially Responsible Minimum Wage Act. So now your knees are quivering, standing there on that bottom rung, sweating out how the results of this benevolent legislation will hit you. Your boss is bound to say one of these things:
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| Saturday Night Assault Specials |
| 2008-08-20 16:34:32 |
There once was a proper young English miss named Alice Pleasance. She, according to Lewis Carroll biographers, was the real life inspiration for a fictional Alice who tumbled down a rabbit hole and commenced a tour of a riotous realm called Wonderland. During her wanderings, she encountered an egg named Humpty Dumpty and came away with a memorable sound bite. Declaimed Mr.
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| How Foreign Policy Affects Gas Prices, by US Rep. Ron Paul |
| 2008-08-18 11:58:00 |
We've heard how the value of the dollar affects Prices">gas prices – and indeed the price of everything. I was pleased that my request for a hearing on such was granted by the Financial Services committee and we were able to hear some very informative testimony. Certainly domestic policies, regarding off-shore oil drilling bans, ethanol mandates, refining capacity, and CAFE standards are interventionist and harmful enough in the energy market.
But how does foreign policy affect gas prices? One important factor is that oil on the world market has been priced in dollars exclusively since 1973. Only two leaders have gone against this arrangement - Saddam Hussein in 2000 and more recently Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with the recently opened Iranian Oil Bourse which trades in non-dollar currencies. But since oil is otherwise exclusively traded in dollars, this means that oil producers have vast amounts of assets held in dollars. Especially since the War on Terror and the PATRIOT Act, many oil-produ...
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| Peregrine Hill 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon |
| 2008-08-14 12:00:00 |
I liked this one better for dinner than sipping. But I’m not highly recommending it, even if the price is in my range.
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| Minimum Wage Terror |
| 2008-08-13 16:53:58 |
You're making $5.85 an hour and that's good enough for now. And you also have a friend standing flatfooted on the ground who would love to hop up onto that bottom rung next to you and make $5.85 an hour, which would be $5.85 an hour more than your friend is making right now. Then along comes Congress. As the fair, caring, sensitive, compassionate, progressive and socially responsible Congresscrats do periodically, they decide to help poor little ol' you by ramming through the Fair, Caring, Sensitive, Compassionate, Progressive And Socially Responsible Minimum Wage Act.
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| What Does a Free Market Require? |
| 2008-08-12 16:49:08 |
I retract all articles I have written that espouse anarcho-capitalism. I erroneously thought all human actions (all products and services) needed to be provided and obtained only through the free market. There are many preconditions for the proper ordering of society, a rational society. The market is not at the head of the list. The market does not encompass everything. There are three services that cannot be market services, for they are the things that make a free market possible.
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| Icardi Surisjvan Nebbiolo 2004 |
| 2008-08-12 12:00:00 |
Another spicy wine from the lineup I was trying that night. Look for a spicy dish to pair this with.
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| Peregrine Hill NV Shiraz |
| 2008-08-12 12:00:00 |
I liked this one better for sipping better than the Cab from the same stable. But I’m not highly recommending it, even if the price is in my price range.
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| What's in a Bill Name?, by US Rep. Ron Paul |
| 2008-08-11 11:56:00 |
Recently Congress passed the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act., also known as the Housing Bill. Its passage was lauded by many who are legitimately concerned about foreclosures and the housing market in our country's economy. I was asked how I could vote against a bill to help American homeowners, but I found this bill to have more to do with helping big banks than helping average Americans.
The answer is that there is more to any bill than its name or the headlines surrounding it. If one only paid attention to bill titles, one could happily vote for almost any bill put to a vote on the floor. Titles do not tell the complete story of a bill's provisions, and many titles are downright deceptive and come close to emotional blackmail of legislators. But we cannot afford to be fooled by fancy titles. The housing bill could perhaps be more aptly named The Big Banking Bailout at Taxpayer Expense Act as large sections of it were written by big banking lobbyists acc...
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| 3 Blind Moose 2005 Merlot California |
| 2008-08-10 12:00:00 |
At its best this wine is OK. You’re probably not going to reach for another bottle after drinking the first one. You might for a 2nd bottle, however.
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| Restore the Constitution in Your County Now |
| 2008-08-08 20:19:23 |
Ignore the presidential campaigns. It is time to focus on taking back the counties across America. We are only 3,000 sheriffs from freedom right now. read more...
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| When Power Speaks Truth |
| 2008-08-06 16:19:02 |
It's rare enough in this age of politician worship and dutiful rules-following for a citizen to speak truth to Power, but it's outright stunning when Power speaks truth to citizens.
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| Leave the United States if you can |
| 2008-08-05 14:56:52 |
It is time -- arguably, it is past time -- for you to get your family and your wealth safely outside the borders of the United States. America has become a police state that is moving quickly toward total surveillance and, in typical American fashion, the resulting society will almost certainly be the "the best and the biggest" tyranny in the world.
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| Dear Liberty Lovers |
| 2008-08-05 13:59:21 |
When I ran for president in 2004 on the Personal Choice Party ticket,
people would ask me, "Why are you running? There's already a
libertarian in this race."
Certainly they had a point.
But now, four years later, as the nominee of the Boston Tea Party, I
could give you 100 reasons why I'm in this race. And every day, it
seems like there's a new one.
I believe, as I'm sure you do, that we need a presidential candidate
who champions liberty. After all, how many people became libertarians
thanks to the presidential campaigns of men like David Bergland, Harry
Browne, and Ron Paul?
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| Washington's Intervention Addiction, by US Rep. Ron Paul |
| 2008-08-04 13:31:00 |
One problem with politicians is that when problems they create come to a head, they typically feel this irresistible urge to DO something, rather than to UN-do something, or to simply back off to avoid exacerbating the situation. Too often, that which they end up doing has very little connection to the cause of the crisis, but plays well in the press and superficially makes everyone feel better. Bills that are rushed through Congress under duress are never studied enough, providing too tempting an opportunity to quietly slip in unrelated provisions that erode freedoms in ways that would never pass as a stand-alone bill. We famously saw this with the PATRIOT Act, but Washington learned nothing from that.
The current housing crisis and the corresponding big government fix are another prime example. First of all, the so-called solution will actually make the problem worse. The problem stems from easy credit and a rush to flood the housing and mortgage markets with money. Relaxed or no...
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| Grape Creek 2007 Viognier |
| 2008-08-01 12:00:00 |
Not a best effort. Try Toasted Head 2004 Viognier. It’s a better (slightly) choice than this….
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| Grape Creek 2007 Cabernet-Syrah |
| 2008-08-01 12:00:00 |
Not an especially good effort here. Try the Tin Roof Cellars 2005 Cabernet-Syrah. It’s a better taste and price.
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| Zombie Voters and Fortune Cookies |
| 2008-07-30 17:00:07 |
Who are Barack Obama's supporters? Picture an old 1950s era b&w Zombie movie. The Undead rise from their graves, begin lurching forward, arms outstretched, eyes vacant, all murmuring eerily in unison, "Change, change, change…" Except Obama's Zombies don't rise from graves. They emerge from high schools and colleges and Hollywood soundstages and media centers. Much has been made of Obama's appeal to American youth. His hook is emotion and vague idealism, which works well on people loaded with emotion and vague idealism but little in the way of experience and genuine knowledge. A generation that barely discerns between Bambi and actual rutting deer can't be expected to distinguish charisma from substance.
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| Saving us from the Constitution |
| 2008-07-30 16:54:35 |
Scrambling to rewrite their gun laws after the US Supreme Court affirmed the right of individuals to bear arms (DC v. Heller), the District of Columbia Council voted to end the most restrictive antigun laws in the nation and replace them with new restrictions. The new legislation, according to an Associated Press report, is designed to follow the letter rather than the spirit of the ruling: handguns will be permitted but can only be used in the home for self-defense.
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| Llano Estacado NV Port |
| 2008-07-30 12:00:00 |
It’s not your typical port. This one uses Cab grapes as the base and as it turns out to very good effect it seems.
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| Texas Hills Cabernet Sauvignon |
| 2008-07-29 12:00:00 |
Frankly, some better choices for a Cab might be: Llano 2004 Cab Sauvignon, Rothschild 2003, or Aaku 2004. All less than this price.
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| Texas Hills 2006 Syrah |
| 2008-07-29 12:00:00 |
I’m still looking for a great Syrah at a reasonable price and I don’t think this is the one.
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| The Dangers of Neo-Conservative Economic Policies, by US Rep. Ron Paul |
| 2008-07-28 13:08:00 |
The dangers inherent in the foreign policy advocated by the neo-conservatives are well known. While many Americans have become increasingly aware of those dangers, far less attention has been focused on the dangers of neo-conservative economic policies. This issue is of critical importance right now, because many are mistakenly pointing their fingers at the free market as the culprit behind our current economic plight.
There are only a few in elected office who have any real loyalty to free markets and limited government. The agenda of neo-conservatives in the economy calls for a very active central government. Indeed, while there are some neo-conservatives who continue to use the rhetoric of limited government, and who oppose increases in the federal income tax as a way to maintain the political benefits that apply to those who talk about free markets, it is now the neo-conservatives who promote fiat monetary policies even more than those on the liberal left.
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| McPherson Cellars 2005 Sangiovese |
| 2008-07-23 15:25:16 |
Overall, it’s a pretty tasty wine given the price. Some extra time in the bottle or on the shelf might help this wine.
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| Petit Bistro 2005 Chardonnay |
| 2008-07-22 16:20:29 |
A better sipping wine than a dinner wine, I fear. Other varieties from these folks could be a better choice.
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| Dog Tail NV White California |
| 2008-07-22 16:10:16 |
Does the tail wag the dog, or the other way around? It’s a likeable wine, but there are better choices, but maybe not for this price
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| Faith-Based Currency, by US Rep. Ron Paul |
| 2008-07-21 12:13:00 |
The Latin term “fiat” roughly translates to “there shall be”. When we refer to fiat money, we are referring to money that exists because the government declares it into existence. It is not based on production or earnings, and not backed by any commodity. It is solely based on trusting the government. Fiat money is exchanged in the economy as long as there is faith in the government that issues it.
Some are blaming the recent shakeup in the markets to “whining” or financial fear-mongering, which misses the whole point. History has shown that fiat money, or “faith-based currency” always fails, because when governments claim this power, they always behave irresponsibly.
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| Investors Screwed by Fed |
| 2008-07-16 22:11:08 |
The Fed has decided to outlaw short selling of Federal Reserve member banks. Isn't that special?
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| Masters of the Unintended |
| 2008-07-16 16:56:38 |
Libertarians continually point out that the one thing mainstream politicians everywhere never seem to learn, no matter how many do-overs they get, is this: all actions have consequences; ill-conceived actions have unintended consequences. This is because the politician's response to every issue is the same: governmental coercion solves all problems. It's a knee-jerk formula for jerks: See problem A, pass law B, get result C. Problem solved. In this regard, legiscrats are like myopic children
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