There is a bit of a debate going on over at The Corner, the National Review's group blog, on whether the 150-year sentence meted out to Ponzi scheme fraudster Bernard Madoff is excessive. Well, given that the man is 71 years old, it is academic anyway since he will die in the slammer. But clearly, the length of the punishment is symbolic, though the judge could be accused of grandstanding - it might have been…

From Samizdata.net

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

Some speculation is already generating about who might get the top job at the Institute of Economic Affairs, the think tank in the UK that is, in some ways, the grand-daddy of free market think tanks in the UK. John Blundell is going, having been in the post for some time. Guido has some rather barbed comments about Blundell. Guido mentions an old journalist friend of mine, Allister Heath, as a candidate. Allister would be…

From Samizdata.net

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

I rather like the recently-launched magazine of UK current affairs, Standpoint. This item on Ken Loach, the film-maker, is particularly good. I wish the magazine success and it should give publications such as The Spectator, Prospect and The New Statesman a run for their money….

From Samizdata.net

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

"Brown's claim that he'd increase public service spending year after year is not an exaggeration, it is a lie. I cannot think of any modern Prime Minister who has based his strategy on a demonstrable lie - but Brown thinks no one can add up enough to expose him. After all, he got away with it as Chancellor. Why not now? As I have said before I believe the internet will hound him. We have…

From Samizdata.net

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

Imagine a private school where students sat in a math class for weeks misbehaving and learning nothing. Imagine that school gets on TV news because the administrators suspended the young lady who blew the whistle by taking a cell phone video and giving it to her mom who confronted them. Do you think […]

From The Liberty Papers

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

Homeowners’ Associations are one of life’s little sour tastes of government. Petty meddling nannies who tell you that you can’t do X, or that you must do Y, in order to keep the neighborhood “uniform” or somesuch. Sadly, it’s also a microcosm for most peoples’ reactions to government. When it’s a neighbor […]

From The Liberty Papers

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

Is there no U-turn that this shameless government will not indulge, helped by their handmaiden, the Daily Telegraph? At least, Brogan fences the slurry in, although it oozes and drips through the cracks in the fence. Now, casting my mind back, I seem to recall that targets, micro-management and huge public expenditure without gain are all hallmarks of one G. Brown Esq. So how can this 'target culture' be derided as Blairite? In an interview,…

From Samizdata.net

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

I happen to live in Arizonas 5th congressional district; and am currently represented in the house by Harry Mitchell.
Congressman Mitchell and I disagree about a lot of things. Abortion, social security and government health care, school choice and education policy, many economic issues, government intervention and regulations in general, and the overall wisdom of his […]

From The Liberty Papers

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

As I’ve mentioned before, I sometimes question my allegiance to the belief that we’re in the midst of a bear market rally. Part of this is due to the constant media affinity for “green shoots”, and the fact that in many ways, the “second derivative” is actually improving…
But I don’t think the fundamentals are […]

From The Liberty Papers

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

First a little humor in this Sprint Spoof from Reason.tv

Now Dr. Ron Paul’s prescription for reforming healthcare in America

From The Liberty Papers

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom