About This Blog

Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) was the greatest economist of my time. His greatest works can be accessed here at no charge.

Mises believed that property, freedom and peace are and should be the hallmarks of a satisfying and prosperous society. I agree. Mises proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the prospect for general and individual prosperity is maximized, indeed, is only possible, if the principle of private property reigns supreme. What's yours is yours. What's mine is mine. When the line between yours and mine is smudged, the door to conflict opens. Without freedom (individual liberty of action) the principle of private property is neutered and the free market, which is the child of property and freedom and the mother of prosperity and satisfaction, cannot exist. Peace is the goal of a prosperous and satisfying society of free individuals, not peace which is purchased by submission to the enemies of property and freedom, but peace which results from the unyielding defense of these principles against all who challenge them.

In this blog I measure American society against the metrics of property, freedom and peace.

Sunday, August 4, 2024

With Regard To The Olympic Boxing Controversy

Unfortunately, we are now living in Clown World. And, unfortunately, females tend to be clowns. It's in their genes. Do you doubt it? Here is the official Clown Code of Ethics (https://mycoai.com/code-of-ethics/):

Quote:
1. I will keep my acts, performance and behavior in good taste while I am in costume and makeup. I will remember at all times that I have been accepted as a member of the clown club only to provide others, principally children, with clean clown comedy entertainment. I will remember that a good clown entertains others by making fun of himself or herself and not at the expense or embarrassment of others.

2. I will learn to apply my makeup in a professional manner. I will provide my own costume. I will carry out my appearance and assignment for the entertainment of others and not for personal gain or personal publicity when performing for either the International club or alley events. I will always try to remain anonymous while in makeup and costume as a clown, though there may be circumstances when it is not reasonably possible to do so.

3. I will neither drink alcoholic beverages nor smoke while in makeup or clown costume. Also, I will not drink alcoholic beverages prior to any clown appearances. I will conduct myself as a gentleman/lady, never interfering with other acts, events, spectators, or individuals. I will not become involved in or tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or any protected status.

4. I will remove my makeup and change into my street clothes as soon as possible following my appearance, so that I cannot be associated with any incident that may be detrimental to the good name of clowning. I will conduct myself as a gentleman/lady at all times.

5. While on appearance in makeup and costume, I will carry out the directives of the producer or his designated deputies. I will abide by all performance rules without complaint in public.

6. I will do my very best to maintain the best clown standards of makeup, costuming, properties, and comedy.

7. I will appear in as many clown shows as I possibly can.

8. I will be committed to providing an atmosphere free of discrimination and harassment for clowns of all ages to share ideas and learn about the art of clowning.
In Clown World all clowns are equal, males and females are as interchangeable as makeup and costumes. In Clown World punches don't hurt and water thrown at the audience is confetti. In Clown World wishing can make it so.

Ladies, all I can say is: Be careful what you wish for.

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Presidential Election Day 2024 Fraught With Unknowns

It is possible to research and recite the unvarnished facts regarding the Presidential election process and the candidates. Everything else being equal such facts would persuade even the dumbest voter that one candidate or the other is a potato head. But we do not live in a world where everything else is equal. In the real world there are known and unknown variables that will affect the Presidential election:

1) The IDEOLOGICAL base of the Democrat Party. Economic Fairness/Equity, Abortion, Climate "Crisis," DEI, the god of Democracy, Public Health, Gun Control, Cancel Culture, No Such Thing as an "illegal human being..." Blah, blah, blah. These are emotional issues impervious to facts and reason. Ideological Democrats would vote for a potato no problem. The question is: How many of your friends and neighbors fall into this category?

2) Trump Derangement Syndrome. Many, many Americans hate Trump with a passion. In their minds he lies about everything, abuses women, insults everyone from WWII veterans to the wheelchair bound, is a self-confessed, wannabe dictator... To voters suffering from TDS, a potato has more character and morals than Trump. I'm not saying TDS voters are wrong. I'm just saying.

3) The Mainstream Media. Squarely in the camp of the Progressives; willing to merge hard news with editorial opinion. More than willing to carry the water for The Powers That Be.

4) Social Media Bias/Censorship. Probably got Biden elected in 2020.

5) Massive Power Concentration in Government. Those in power tend to do whatever it takes to stay in power. The Republican Party is replete with Rino's and fat cats who would like to see a potato in charge if it would preserve their elite position in the status quo. What election mischief or betrayal is within their reach?

6) October Surprise. Those entrenched in power now are undeniably in a position to radically tilt the playing field. Russia, Russia, Russia anyone? War in Ukraine? Middle East? Pandemic 2?

7) Financial Meltdown. If what we all expect is coming arrives before November, all bets are off.

8) Election Fraud. I do not wear a tin hat, but I am not stupid. When the stakes are as high as they are, do not be surprised if a potato is re-elected by a flood of mail-in ballots arriving 4 days after the polls close -- despite the opinion polls, despite the potato's lack of campaigning, despite the potato's dementia. If all the efforts to register illegal aliens and fictional voters turns out not to be fiction, all of the election variables listed above will not matter in the least.


Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Biden "Concurs" with Sotomayor's Dissent on Supreme Court Immunity Ruling

Yesterday's 6-3 Supreme Court decision on Presidential Immunity has the Left throwing another Henny-penny tantrum. Once again it seems, progressive politicians in charge of the government are frozen in "fear for our democracy." On behalf of the Leftists on the Court, Justice Sotomayor wrote a 33-page sky-is-falling screed asserting that "the President is now a king above the law." 

Last night Joe Biden, the current sitting President who would be king, went on national TV to remind us that he holds "the most powerful office in the world." He assured us that he "concurs" with Sotomayer's dissent."

However, slurring words together in the manner of an 81-year-old codger, Biden warned: "Today's decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what the president can do. The power of the office will no longer be constrained by the law, even including the Supreme Court of the United States. The only limits will be self-imposed by the president alone."

I assume Biden was speaking hypothetically and doesn't really believe there are now no limits on what he can do as a would be king. On the other hand, he did make a point of telling us that up until now his actions as President have been constrained by the law. 

Really? Joe Biden turns out Executive Orders like there is no tomorrow. His Department of Justice regularly snubs Congressional subpoenas and colludes with prosecutors to bring lawfare cases against his political rivals. His Department of Homeland Security allows millions of unvetted aliens to stream illegally across our southern border to rape and pillage American citizens.  

Yet, this clueless liar-in-chief wants us to believe that he would never, ever abuse the power of the Presidency as a would be king. Why? Because he says he is a man who can be trusted. He looked straight into the TV cameras with his serious, black, sleepy eyes and swore that he is a man of George Washington-like character, a virtuous, honest man who deeply believes that no one is above the law...not even Hunter Biden's Big Guy who twisted the arms of oligarchs for fame and fortune in Ukraine.

Yeah. Right. Carry on, Your Majesty. We truly believe you will be a kind and benevolent king.

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Vote For ANYONE Who Will Shrink Leviathan


Over the years we the people have created a powerful and dangerous beast of gigantic proportions in Washington, DC. This beast has become a threat to the very principles upon which this country was founded, namely Property, Freedom and Peace. 

We the people attempt to control this beast by building a cage around it, by using the puny tools of the Judiciary branch against the overgrown powers and resources of the combined Executive and Legislative branches. Small judicial victories against the Executive/Legislative beast are hard to come by and may soon be impossible altogether when activist justices who legislate from the bench dominate the Supreme Court. 

The sad part is we the people have enabled all of this by our willingness to sell our votes to politicians who promise to reward us with benefits funded by taxes extorted from our neighbors.

Assuming voting still matters, it's time we cast our votes for ANYONE on the ballot who promises to cut the Washington, DC beast down to size, who promises to return Leviathan's ill-gotten power and resources to their rightful owners: We the People.

Yes, I know promises can be broken. But a promise to downsize the federal Leviathan is better than a promise to keep spending more and more and more.... 

Sadly, Javier Milei, the libertarian President of Argentina, is not running for President of the United States. However, both Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have promised to drain the Washington, DC swamp, not with the fervor shown above by Milei, but a promise is a promise. 

Both Trump and Kennedy are electable if enough of us decide enough is enough. Pick one. Vote for him. And once your Milei wannabe gets to Washington, hold his feet to the fire and demand he keep his promise.

Our property, freedom and peace -- our lives -- depend upon it. 

Saturday, June 8, 2024

Your Vote and Other People's Money

This election season reminds me of the Margaret Thatcher quote: "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."

Our society has a systematic problem. No amount of governmental tweaking can solve the problem of running out of other people's money. Period.

The only systematic solution is for society to be organized strictly on the basis of individual property rights, i.e., Thou shalt not steal. In such a society, the only money you eventually run out of is your own. And if you fail to produce enough and save enough so you don't run out of your own money when your life depends on it, well tough bananas. What kind of message would this send to future child-producers?

So the real question with regard to these United States in the here and now is: Will American voters suddenly decide to jump off their socialist merry-go-round and vote for absolute individual property rights?

No way in hell. Not this election season. It's going to take a catastrophic collapse of our socialist society to get the attention of the American voter. Hopefully, those who survive the collapse will learn the right lesson.

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Voting

Americans voting for the President of the United States are like inmates voting for the Warden of a prison. We get all worked up over hollow promises the candidates make. We cast our vote in an election run by the system. And, after all is said and done, we're still confined in a cell serving life without parole.

Saturday, February 5, 2022

What It Will Take To Save This Nation

Will the resurrection of Federalism save this nation? Nope. I think the Great American Experiment proves one thing: it's impossible to design a principled method of government for a citizenry which is, by and large, without principles.


The other day I was watching a religious broadcast on TV. A group of pious ministers was discussing the Christian lifestyle. As an aside, one minister commented that he was able to survive for a time in NYC because he knew how to obtain "free" food by jamming a hat pin into a food vending machine enabling him to take the food without paying for it. A fellow minister in the group laughed and said he wished he had learned that trick when he was a poor student struggling to get through college.

 

If clergymen can't comprehend the inherent evil of theft, why should a politician?

 

Ben Franklin said: "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."

 

Were The Founders truly virtuous people? I don't know. I do know that precious few Americans today understand the principle of private property and even fewer practice the virtue of honesty. Our culture has rationalized and legitimized theft by accepting and institutionalizing the practice of robbing Peter to pay Paul -- a practice politicians adore and Americans voted to create. The devolution in this nation from federalism to nationalism only made this evil system more efficient.