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Liberty and Power

  • Mar 20, 2004

    Two Quickies

    by Liberty and Power

    Two quick things this morning:

    1. William Marina's link to the anti-Israel screed on antiwar.com reminds me why I always go to that site with great trepidation. One can be opposed, even strongly opposed, to the war in Iraq and the US presence in the Middle-East more generally (not to mention critical of some/many Israeli policies) without turning Israel into the Great Satan, and without imagining the Jewish

  • Mar 19, 2004

    A Constitutional Right to Marry?

    by Liberty and Power

    Well, at some great risk, I'm going to try my hand at constitutional law for a few minutes. Those of you who read The Corner and Andrew Sullivan's blog may have seen today's discussion of the constitutional status of the right to marry (Andrew affirming it as a constitutional right and the Cornerites being significantly more skeptical). The issue here boils down to wheth

  • Mar 19, 2004

    The Bush Wurlitzer

    by Liberty and Power

    As I type this, major American media are reporting that Pakistan's troops have cornered a"senior" al-Qaida figure, with everyone suggesting heavily that it is #2 man Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Washington Times has stated flat out,"Pakistan says it has cornered al-Zawahiri." Meanwhile, non-US media are saying"it ain't so" - at least, not the al-Zawahiri part. The
  • Mar 19, 2004

    Envy+State=Egalitarianism

    by Liberty and Power

    Some additional comments to Keith Halderman.

    Helmut Schoeck’s Envy discusses various kinds of Envy such as Vulgar and Indignation varieties.

    With respect to the State, a major point in my “Egalitarianism and Empire,” is that with Equality there is always a great deal of human differentiation. Empires tend to offer massive Egalitarian redistribution welfare systems (today we call them “entitlements” as if they were rights), based precisely on the appeal of Envy.

    See th

  • Mar 18, 2004

    Envying the Rich

    by Liberty and Power

    While I also believe Martha Stewart has been bashed unfairly by the government, I hope that, as suggested by Keith Halderman, political progress in America does not depend upon a decline among the poor envying the rich.

    First of all, anyone who has read much on envy, see my essay Egalitarianism and Empire, or more importantly, H. Schoeck, Envy: A Theory of Social Behavior, or has taught school, or even watched a little human action, ought to recognize that the really destructive

  • Mar 18, 2004

    Priceless

    by Liberty and Power

    Oh, I just cannot resist. I have no willpower at all. From today's New York Times:

    Under intense American pressure, Iraq's leaders asked the United Nations on Wednesday to help them form a new government and prepare for nationwide elections.

    Members of the Iraqi Governing Council said they sent a letter to the United Nati

  • Mar 18, 2004

    Neoprohibition

    by Liberty and Power

    Last December, I did an interview on neoprohibitionism for the radio show Culture Shocks with Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

    I was pretty impressed with Lynn, as he was one of the few people who interviewed me where it was obvious that he'd actually read my paper.

    It was also a long interview, which gave us time to actually delv

  • Mar 18, 2004

    Put Aside Envy

    by Liberty and Power

    William Marina makes a good point in his post below referencing my missive on Martha Stewart. He writes, “I hope that, as suggested by Keith Halderman, political progress in America does not depend upon a decline among the poor envying the rich.” He then explains that it is the people near the top, but not quite there, who are the most envious. As we look at who is playing the class warfare card the hardest these days, it is not poor people but r
  • Mar 18, 2004

    Reassessing the Empire

    by Liberty and Power

    I hope readers will find the article below, from Asian Times of interest. The European analysis appears so much better than the"axis of evil,""war" on Terror, invade Iraq, make the pseudo-intelligence fit, scenarios coming out of Washington, while stone-walling it for over two years on revealing the events around 9/11.

    The reaction of so many Americans, over recent events in Spain, and not just the Neocons, reveals the"arrogance" of the Empire view, as understood years ago by som

  • Mar 18, 2004

    Are Institutions Enough?

    by Liberty and Power

    To be even handed I thought it might be interesting to seriously consider the Neo-Con arguments that rebuilding Iraq is possible, and desireable, for not only the U.S., but for the entire free world. Like you, I gag when I hear this rhetoric, but let's take them at face value for a moment.

    One of the biggest complaints I've had in following the Iraq war has been a constant emphasis by the press on the political changes in the country. Every news outlet focuses obsessively on the new Iraq

  • Mar 17, 2004

    No Justice for Martha

    by Liberty and Power

    I have an internet friend, Kenny Rodgers, who has very a left leaning political viewpoint and when I received an email from Ilana Mercer with a exceptionally good article about Martha Stewart I forwarded it to him with the following note.

    Kenny

    What happened to Martha Stewart was totally wrong, and we are never going to get anywhere politically in this country until people stop envying the rich. Do you know how many people