US History Questions-

[thehighwaymanq]

I am currently taking a US History II Honors course and throughout I have taken down notes and questions about the free market / Constitutional response to events. If you could help answer some questions or provide links to answers, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm really trying to take my knowledge of libertarian politics as far as possible before college:



What is a union? How does the free market handle unions?

How does the free market stop outsourcing of jobs?

How does the free market handle tycoons?

Why did the US enter World War One?

Should taxes exist at all?

Social moral economic reasons for the legalization of marijuana?

Can the draft be considered slavery, therefore illegal?

Is the government asking for citizens to buy liberty bonds allowed under the Constitution?

Does an Isolationist / non-interventionist foreign policy lead to dictators and tyrannical leaders abroad?

This will become a running post throughout the year about basically all issues and the application of the ideals of Liberty to American events. Thank you!

-Matthew

[thehighwaymanq]

Bump for more knowledge!

[Vessol]

Are these interview style questions or something that you just want so you can balance your own thoughts off of?

I'm no professional by any means, so please don't take what I write as any kind of professional response.

1. What is a union? How does the free market handle unions?
A Union is basically a group that workers form in order to protect their own interests. I as a free market advocate have nothing against the IDEA of a union, however I am disgusted with what they have become. Thanks to their influence over politics, they have created regulations and laws that give them more power to those in control of Unions who make tons of money. They give an unfair playing field for their employers.
Probably the biggest example of how Unions control the buisiness world is through immigration policies. The very first immigration policies that dealt with capping immigrants coming from Eastern Europe, were influenced 100% by Unions not wanting a labor force that would work within the free market endangering their stranglehold over buisinesses.

2.How does the free market stop outsourcing of jobs?
The first problem is that the way that this question is handled puts a negative issue on outsourcing. Outsourcing is the outcome of the free market reacting to laws that make it harder to conduct business in a certain economy. There are many laws that limit buisinesses here so much that it is unprofitable for them to operate within the United States. Is it bad for a company to operate on what is profitable for them? I'm sure if laws were less existent and less restricting, this would be a much less worrisome problem.

3. How does the free market handle tycoons?
According to Dictionary.com, a tycoon is a businessman of exceptional wealth and power.
Is this such a negative thing that a man be so accomplished within the market?
The only problem is that many such tycoons are only responsible because they can manipulate their way through the government in order to make themselves more profitable artificially instead of actually participating within the market.
Tycoons rise and fall in a free market by their skill in buisiness, not in political whoremongering.

4. Why did the US enter World War One?
This is a rather vague question. I think that those in power would've liked to enter World War 1 when Britain and France did, however they couldn't as popular opinion was against it as well as they had a lack of a casus belli against Germany.
I am not the one to raise conspiracies, but it would not be too outlandish to suggest that there was some pushing here and there by various powers in order to sway popular opinion.
Look at who were the ones whom intercepted the Zimmermann Telegram, the British. They were having an awfully hard time in France, so why not? Enrage Americans by making them think that the Germans asked Mexico to declare war on the United States, while the thought of war with Mexico just recently was still fresh.

5. Should taxes exist at all?
As long as it is involuntary, then no. Taxes are immoral. Why does a government have justification to steal your property when no one else legally can? If I were to buy you a car and then say "Congratulations! Here is a car! You now have to pay for it and have no choice to refuse unless you wish to go to jail!", if I did that I would be laughed at, why is the government any more special?

6. Social moral economic reasons for the legalization of marijuana?
It is immoral for the government to tell you what you can or cannot do to yourself.

7. Can the draft be considered slavery, therefore illegal?
Yes. I'd use the word immoral instead of illegal however.

8. Is the government asking for citizens to buy liberty bonds allowed under the Constitution?
Asking citizens is a hell of a lot better than forcing them by gunpoint to pay for wars abroad. This is how the majority of a war is funded. Liberty bonds are pretty much just tokens that are sold to make those whom are not capable of signing up to get shot can feel better and "patriotic".

9. Does an Isolationist / non-interventionist foreign policy lead to dictators and tyrannical leaders abroad?
It does not either deter them or create them specifically. What it does do however is prevent those tyrannical leaders from pointing their fingers and blaming you in order for them to gain power within their countries and justify attacks on you.

[Live_Free_Or_Die]

What is a union? How does the free market handle unions?

How does the free market stop outsourcing of jobs?

How does the free market handle tycoons?

Free market questions are better posed at Mises. This forum has banned some of it's free market potency.



Why did the US enter World War One?

Could have been a great question for OD but I am sure someone will tackle this one.



Should taxes exist at all?

According to Minarchists and Constitutionalists which this site claims to be loaded with.... YES!!! Congress has been delegated the power to tax. Woot!



Social moral economic reasons for the legalization of marijuana?

Constitutionalists do not recognize government morals. The Constitutional answer is it should be up to each state to decide. The power to regulate drugs has not been delegated to the federal government.



Can the draft be considered slavery, therefore illegal?

No. Congress can raise Armies under Article 1, Section 8. This power is not qualified by specifying whether or not Congress can authorize the use of force to raise an army.



Is the government asking for citizens to buy liberty bonds allowed under the Constitution?

Asking. Yes. The government can ask anything.
Coercing. No. The power to coerce people to buy liberty bonds has not been delegated. But the power to steal via taxation has been delegated.



Does an Isolationist / non-interventionist foreign policy lead to dictators and tyrannical leaders abroad?

The Constitution outlines no foreign policy. Foreign affairs are left entirely up to the whims of Congress and the President which are the always the best representation a free people can elect.



This will become a running post throughout the year about basically all issues and the application of the ideals of Liberty to American events. Thank you!

-Matthew

Excellent. I look forward to providing a consistent Constitutional perspective and will try not to deviate off into Voltopia.

[Bman]

Free market questions are better posed at Mises. This forum has banned some of it's free market potency.


On levels it is a shame, but they brought it on themselves by their incapability to communicate rationally with other human beings.

[thehighwaymanq]

2.How does the free market stop outsourcing of jobs?
The first problem is that the way that this question is handled puts a negative issue on outsourcing. Outsourcing is the outcome of the free market reacting to laws that make it harder to conduct business in a certain economy. There are many laws that limit buisinesses here so much that it is unprofitable for them to operate within the United States. Is it bad for a company to operate on what is profitable for them? I'm sure if laws were less existent and less restricting, this would be a much less worrisome problem.

But even if we had a true free market system, wouldn't business still benefit if it went overseas to China? Just due to the pay scale?



8. Is the government asking for citizens to buy liberty bonds allowed under the Constitution?
Asking citizens is a hell of a lot better than forcing them by gunpoint to pay for wars abroad. This is how the majority of a war is funded. Liberty bonds are pretty much just tokens that are sold to make those whom are not capable of signing up to get shot can feel better and "patriotic".

How did we fund wars before Liberty Bonds, before Federal Reserve printing- tax increases?

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

But even if we had a true free market system, wouldn't business still benefit if it went overseas to China? Just due to the pay scale?




How did we fund wars before Liberty Bonds, before Federal Reserve printing- tax increases?

The Government always funds its war endeavors through theft (Especially for the business entities who profit off of Government spending -- War Profiteers), and that necessarily doesn't mean tax increases. Revolutionary war they created Continentals out of thin air which they inflated away. Civil War we had greenbacks and the CSA fiat currency, both inflated away. Now we have the dollar, inflating away. Wars are always paid for by inflation. Governments can just decree one day a new currency and coercively dictate everyone abides, though we could resist and not abide, but that shows courage and conviction. Other than that, it is mostly inflated debt.

World War II and Vietnam war they instituted price controls. Pretty sure in all the other wars they did also. In war the government becomes omnipresent.

[emazur]

What is a union? How does the free market handle unions?
A group of employees, rather than an individual, may have more success negotiating with the employer. There's nothing really wrong with that as long as the govt. isn't involved. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

How does the free market stop outsourcing of jobs?
A better question would be "How can government be stopped from making jobs and production in America so expensive?" Jobs and production remained in America until it was made too expensive

How does the free market handle tycoons?
By tycoons you mean robber barrons? The real robber barrons used government to club the competition. Free market tycoons became big and successful and were a benefit to Americans.

Why did the US enter World War One?
I don't know how accurate this explanation is but I find it intriguing
YouTube - WW1: What Happened? - Part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGoedwgFSbs)

Should taxes exist at all?
All federal taxes should be abolished. I'm not hell bent against state/local taxes so long as they're minimal.

Social moral economic reasons for the legalization of marijuana?
Prohibition doesn't work. See history. The federal government has no authority in the Constitution to regulate/ban marijuana. It took a Constitutional amendment to make alcohol illegal. Besides, what a person does with his own body is nobody else's damn business. Also, the drug war costs a ton of money and innocent people get caught in the crossfire, literally, such as when the government raids the wrong house in a drug bust.

Can the draft be considered slavery, therefore illegal?
Yes

Is the government asking for citizens to buy liberty bonds allowed under the Constitution?
Been wondering about this myself.

Does an Isolationist / non-interventionist foreign policy lead to dictators and tyrannical leaders abroad?
No, that's an interventionist policy leads to.

[cindy25]

Are these interview style questions or something that you just want so you can balance your own thoughts off of?

I'm no professional by any means, so please don't take what I write as any kind of professional response.

1. What is a union? How does the free market handle unions?
A Union is basically a group that workers form in order to protect their own interests. I as a free market advocate have nothing against the IDEA of a union, however I am disgusted with what they have become. Thanks to their influence over politics, they have created regulations and laws that give them more power to those in control of Unions who make tons of money. They give an unfair playing field for their employers.
Probably the biggest example of how Unions control the buisiness world is through immigration policies. The very first immigration policies that dealt with capping immigrants coming from Eastern Europe, were influenced 100% by Unions not wanting a labor force that would work within the free market endangering their stranglehold over buisinesses.

2.How does the free market stop outsourcing of jobs?
The first problem is that the way that this question is handled puts a negative issue on outsourcing. Outsourcing is the outcome of the free market reacting to laws that make it harder to conduct business in a certain economy. There are many laws that limit buisinesses here so much that it is unprofitable for them to operate within the United States. Is it bad for a company to operate on what is profitable for them? I'm sure if laws were less existent and less restricting, this would be a much less worrisome problem.

3. How does the free market handle tycoons?
According to Dictionary.com, a tycoon is a businessman of exceptional wealth and power.
Is this such a negative thing that a man be so accomplished within the market?
The only problem is that many such tycoons are only responsible because they can manipulate their way through the government in order to make themselves more profitable artificially instead of actually participating within the market.
Tycoons rise and fall in a free market by their skill in buisiness, not in political whoremongering.

4. Why did the US enter World War One?
This is a rather vague question. I think that those in power would've liked to enter World War 1 when Britain and France did, however they couldn't as popular opinion was against it as well as they had a lack of a casus belli against Germany.
I am not the one to raise conspiracies, but it would not be too outlandish to suggest that there was some pushing here and there by various powers in order to sway popular opinion.
Look at who were the ones whom intercepted the Zimmermann Telegram, the British. They were having an awfully hard time in France, so why not? Enrage Americans by making them think that the Germans asked Mexico to declare war on the United States, while the thought of war with Mexico just recently was still fresh.

5. Should taxes exist at all?
As long as it is involuntary, then no. Taxes are immoral. Why does a government have justification to steal your property when no one else legally can? If I were to buy you a car and then say "Congratulations! Here is a car! You now have to pay for it and have no choice to refuse unless you wish to go to jail!", if I did that I would be laughed at, why is the government any more special?

6. Social moral economic reasons for the legalization of marijuana?
It is immoral for the government to tell you what you can or cannot do to yourself.

7. Can the draft be considered slavery, therefore illegal?
Yes. I'd use the word immoral instead of illegal however.

8. Is the government asking for citizens to buy liberty bonds allowed under the Constitution?
Asking citizens is a hell of a lot better than forcing them by gunpoint to pay for wars abroad. This is how the majority of a war is funded. Liberty bonds are pretty much just tokens that are sold to make those whom are not capable of signing up to get shot can feel better and "patriotic".

9. Does an Isolationist / non-interventionist foreign policy lead to dictators and tyrannical leaders abroad?
It does not either deter them or create them specifically. What it does do however is prevent those tyrannical leaders from pointing their fingers and blaming you in order for them to gain power within their countries and justify attacks on you.

7. Immoral as well as illegal; because the 13th amendment bans not only slavery but also involuntary servitude.

[thehighwaymanq]

If marijuana is legalized, on a state or federal level, will the government take over the marijuana production industry, and therefore, sacrifice the "effectiveness" of the drug by changing, or adding to, it?

[emazur]

If marijuana is legalized, on a state or federal level, will the government take over the marijuana production industry, and therefore, sacrifice the "effectiveness" of the drug by changing, or adding to, it?

Didn't happen with alcohol did it? Is there something else (food/health related) that made you ask this question? But to answer your question, my guess is "no".

[thehighwaymanq]

Did the government have any role in the cigarette industry and the toxins they put in cigarettes? Because of the subsidizing of tobacco plants did they have a role?

New question: with the talk of Bush tax cuts and the richest 1% with all the money- what is the Libertarian stance on this? Isn't the reason for the consolidation of wealth is due to the Federal Reserve

[thehighwaymanq]

How would the Libertarian movement respond to the rising prices of college and furthering education?

[thehighwaymanq]

Did Hoover react well during the Stock Market crash worsening economy?

What does the Government do if the dollar, and the world economy, does collapse?

[thehighwaymanq]

Do tax dollars going to lawyers that represent poor criminals make us a more non-free market system?

[thehighwaymanq]

If unemployment was at 25% during the Depression, and it's now at 10%, how can this economic crises be seen on that level?

[TonyFromTheBronx]

This was posted in Hot Topics a while back......It answers your questions about WW1...WW2...and a bunch of others stuff....
************************************************** **
1. 1916......Germany is winning World War 1, and makes a generous peace offer to Great Britain. Germany, which was the last nation to mobilize for WWI, offers to basically go back to how everthing was before the war.

2. Zionists approach the UK leaders with a dirty deal. "Don't make peace. You can still win this war if the USA joins on your side." They offer to use their influence to bring the USA into the war on UK's side. The price the UK must pay is to take over Palestine from the German-allied Ottoman Empire after the war - and to then allow jewish immigration into Palestine.

3. The Brits agree to "The Balfour Declaration" , later issued to Zionist Lord Rothschild. (Edit: Agreement was made privately in 1916...but not made public until 1917)

4. ....Anti German war propaganda in the US suddenly goes full blast. "Beat Back the Huns!"

5. Zionist owned puppet Woodrow Wilson manuevers the USA into this senseless war. The "yanks" arrive to take on the Germans and "make the world safe for democracy", while the Brits head south to concentrate on the Ottoman Turks.

6. Instead of fighting for America, 10,000 American zionists join the British front lines to fight against the Turks.

7. In Germany, Zionist and Marxist jewish leaders begin organizing wartime labor strikes in the German weapons factories. The Zionist press begins underming the war effort. UK drops fliers (written in Yiddish) all over Germany...promising the jews a piece of Palestine after the war.

8. After many months of bloody fighting, Wilson offers Germany a just "peace without victory." Trusting Wilson's words, the Germans lay down their arms and retreat

9. The Brutal Treaty of Versailles is imposed upon occupied Germany (1918). Zionist bankers crafted the monetray reperations clause which crushed the German economy.

10. After the war was over, the German people realized that Zionist and Marxist jews had stabbed her in the back. A distrous hyper-inflation followed. Germany was to remain under occupation until 1932.

11. German and Austrian territory was stripped away and parceled out to the newly created states of Poland and Czechoslavkia. One section of Germany was actually cut off from the mainland like an island, leaving a "Polish corridor" cutting right through Germany.

12. A talented artist and gifted orator named Adolf Hitler rose to prominence through his fiery speeches denouncing Versailles, the Marxists, the "November Criminals" who collaborated with the West, and the jewish newspapers and jewish central bankers.

13. Hitler was elected Chancellor in 1932. The worldwide depression hit Germany particulary hard. The German economy lay in ruins.

14. Hitler quickly moved to consolidate power and to arrest or deport communists.

15. Jews were permitted to live and work in Germany, but they were barrd from sensitive areas such as government, media, and banking. Many jews emigrated peacefully. Many also stayed.

16. Hitler pulled Germany out of the League of Nations and he took over Germany's Warburg/Rothschild "Fed." New currency was issued interest-free. This would be like an American president pulling us out of the UN and "Ending The Fed."

17. Globalist and Zionist propaganda began immediately. Boycotts of Germany and other threats were issued throughout the 1930's. Sulzberger-Ochs owned NY Times began agitating against Germany. In 1933, Fed Chairman Eugene Meyer resigned from his position so that he could buy the Washington Post. He quickly turned it into a Stalin friendly / Hitler hating propaganda sheet. (His grandson Donald Graham runs the Post today)

18. Within 3 years, the German economy was booming while the rest of the world was mired in Keynesian Depression. The autobahn was built and Volkswagens were mass produced. Germany was back!..Even Hitler's critics agree....the German people of all classes loved Hitler.

19. A conference of France, UK, Italy, and Germany agreed that the German Sudetland should be transferred from Czechoslovakia and placed under the German Reich. The Sudetan Germans celebrated, while the warmongering drunken Churchill called UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain "an appeaser."

20. Without a shot being fired, Austria (Hitler's birthplace) merged with Germany in 1938, uniting the German speaking people of Europe. Hitler was given a hero's welcome upon his return to Austria. But the western media called this voluntary Austro-German reunification "a conquest."

21. Hitler offered a deal to Poland. Return Eastern Prussia and the German city of Danzig to us (stolen by Versailes), and we'll let you have a mile wide corridor to the Baltic Sea so that you won't be landlocked.

22. Poles consider the offer but are urged by FDR behind the scenes to not make a deal. (as confirmed in the diary of Polish ambassador to the US)

23. Germans are severely mistreated under the Polish military dictatorship. (Czecks stranded in Poland made the same complaint.) On Sept 1, 1939, Germany puts an end to this nonsense and reclaims it's stolen land & people by force. Hitler makes no further claims against Polish territory.

24. UK and France immediately declare war against Germany for it's "invasion" of Poland. US media goes bonkers as well. Of course, no one complains about the fact that the Soviet Unon invades Poland just two weeks later....swallowing up the whole country, and murdering much of Poland's intellectual and military elite!!!

25. From Sept 1939 to April 1940, UK and French mass 500,000 troops along the Belgian and Holland border. Immense political pressure is placed upon these two small nation to allow Allied bases to be established there.

26. Hitler issues numerous pleas for the UK and France to withdraw their war declarations...but the cross channel Allied build up continues.

27. The Allies finally strike a deal with Holland/Belgium. The invasion of Germany is not to come through it's re-fortified border with France (The Rhineland)...but through Holland/Belgium.

28. Hitler's hand is forced. The German Blitz in the West is a PRE-EMPTIVE defensive measure. The entire allied force is caught unprepared and ends up being pinned on the beaches of Dunkirk.

29. Of course, the western press (as well as today's History Books) portray this as "Germany conquers Holland/Belgium/Luxembourg"

30. As a show of good faith to the British, Hitler deliberately allows the Allied force to be boat lifted by local British fishermen. He could have captured the entire force, but he believed that if the Brits could make a dignified retreat, he could achieve peace with them.

31. The Mad Dog, Alcholic, Neo-Con Churchill becomes Prime Minister....vowing to "fight them on the beaches...in the streets"

32. France accepts Germany's peace terms. Germany occupies northern France and fortifies its beaches against a British Invasion. The new French government under Marshall Petain is based in Vichy and is totally autonomus. Life in France goes on quietly.

33. Remember, Britian is an island, so in order to wage war against Germany, Churchill needs to re-establish his forces near Germany and/or on the European mainland somewhere. He is negotiating with the Danes and the Norwegians to establish bases there.

34. A Norwegian politician named Quisling gets wind of this dirty deal, and he informs the Germans. Again, as a pre-emptive move, Hitler quickly takes ports in Denmark and Norway. The Germans assure the Scandinavians that they have no intention of conquest. Life goes on quietly and peacefully for the Danes and Norwegians. After the war, Quisling's name becomes a word for treason..."quisling"....a totally unfair characterization.

35. The UK and German war was confined to the air. UK has bombed German civilian areas 8 times but Hitler never responded in kind. Finally, Hitler issued a warning that if there was one more air raid on civilian targets, Germany would respond likewise. When this happened, the western press hyped Germany's "bombing of civilians."

36. FDR secetly urged Churchill to keep fighting, assuring him that he would find a way to get the US into the war.

37. Germany was allied with Japan and Italy in an anti communist defense pact. This is the card that FDR would later play to get the USA into war.

38. In 1941, Mussolini (who fancied himself the new Caesar) attacked Greece. This was totally unrelated to Germany's war. The Italian were unsuccessful and this gave the British a potential opening on the mainland. The Brits said to the Greeks: "Hey. Would you like some help against the Italians?"....So Germany had to come and end this Italian-Greek war so that the Brits could not set up shop in Southern Europe....Again, the western press portrayed this as a "conquest."....A similar scenario played out in Yugoslavia.

39. Soviet troops begin massing in the west. Hitler knew that sooner or later, Joe Stalin would break his peace pact and invade Europe while Germany and UK were pre-occupied with each other. In June of 1941, Hitler catches the Soviets flat footed....taking millions of POW's and driving the Soviet killers deep into the Russian heartland. The liberated Ukrainians and Baltic peoples welcomed the German columns with cheers and showers of roses.

40. The communist underground in America goes nuts! FDR starts sending war supplies to the Soviets...thus rescung Soviet communism from extinction.... Communist underground groups throughout Europe (including many jews) begin waging guerrilla attacks against German troops. By December of 1941, Germany occupies most of Europe...but is still pleading with the Brits to end the war.

41. Charles Lindbergh gives his famous speech in which he warns that FDR, the British, and the jews were trying to drive us into war. Joseph Kennedy expressed similar concerns (confirmed in diary of James Forrestal)

42. Hitler refused to respond to FDR's provokations (USA actually helped the Brits to spot and sink the Bismark, killing hundreds of German sailors)...so FDR decides to bait Japan instead. He cuts off their oil shipments, closes the Panama Canal to them, sails his destroyers through Japanese waters etc. Realizing that sooner or later the Americans would enter the war, Japan decides to take the first shot by sinking as many US ships as possible at Pearl Harbor. FDR KNEW the attack was coming but allowed 2000 sailors to die...just so we could enter the war.

43. The US enters the war. Italy quickly collapses...leaving Germany to wage war on THREE fronts. .....South (Italy)....(East) Russia....and the west after the Normandy invasion. During this time, hundreds of thousands of German women and children are being burned alive by cruel Allied firebombings. Jews, communists, and thieving gypsies are interned in concentration camps. As war conditions detriorate, typhus epidemics spread throughout the camps....killing many.

44. Germany's days are numbered. General Patton wants to take Germany so that the Russians do not. But FDR and Eisenhower are preserving East Germany for Stalin...whose beastly communists would go on to gang rape an estimated 2 million German women. Patton later stated that "We fought the wrong people."....Patton would later be assassinated under orders from Eisenhower or higher.

45. Rather than submitting himself to "the spectacle of a jewish show trial", Hitler commits suicide on April 30, 1945. In his final testament, he writes: "It is untrue that either I or anyone else in Germany wanted war with Britai or America. This war was wanted solely by International Jewry and its henchmen."

46. Germany surrenders unconditionally on May 1, 1945. That SAME DAY....Stalin issues a report stating that the German Camp in Auschwitz , Poland used gas chambers to kill millions of people. A myth was born...a myth that suited the Marxists, the Globalists, and the Zionists....a myth that led to the sympathetic establishment of Israel.

47. Japan was trying to make a surrender deal...but Truman was determined to nuke them (FDR had also died in April 1945). The MURDEROUS nukes ended the war in Japan.

48. North Korea and Manchuria were given to Stalin. Stalin had declared war on Japan AFTER the two A bombs were dropped!!!! This was his reward ! This was how commnism spread to Asia. As a result of FDR/Truman's gift to Stalin...the Korean War and Viet Nam War would later be fought.

49. German military leaders were tried before the kangaroo court of Nuremburg and then MURDERED.

50.Out of the ashes of WW2, the UN, the IMF, and the World Bank were established.... as well as the seeds of the socialist EU and the war making NATO.

51. 1948...ISRAEL IS ESTABLISHED....OPENING UP A WHOLE OTHER CAN OF WORMS!


So you see....Hitler was put down because HE DEFIED THE NEW WORLD ORDER. It is necessary for the Powers That Be to demonize and vilify him to this day....

Think about it......is it even possible to have a conversation obout politics today ...either from the "left" or the "right" without Hitler eventually being mentioned???? Bush is Hitler....Obama is Hitler......lol

[TonyFromTheBronx]

If unemployment was at 25% during the Depression, and it's now at 10%, how can this economic crises be seen on that level?

because when you factor in those who are discouraged and quit looking...and those who are working part-time but want to work full time....the actual unemployment rate is close to 20% (confirmed by weekly Gallup polls)..

The U-3 number of 9.7% we hear in the news is a bullshit number.

[thehighwaymanq]

I organized my previous questions to make it easier. Thanks to everyone whose answering!

1)New question: with the talk of Bush tax cuts and the richest 1% with all the money- what is the Libertarian stance on this? Isn't the reason for the consolidation of wealth is due to the Federal Reserve

2)How would the Libertarian movement respond to the rising prices of college and furthering education?

3)Did Hoover react well during the Stock Market crash worsening economy?

4)What does the Government do if the dollar, and the world economy, does collapse?

5)If unemployment was at 25% during the Depression, and it's now at 10%, how can this economic crises be seen on that level?

6) Do tax dollars going to lawyers that represent poor criminals make us a more non-free market system?

[pcosmar]

If unemployment was at 25% during the Depression, and it's now at 10%, how can this economic crises be seen on that level?

;)
10% ?
Closer to 22% nationwide. Well over 25% where I am located.

10% only counts a % that are recorded in the system. And is a fudged number.
:(

[TonyFromTheBronx]

I organized my previous questions to make it easier. Thanks to everyone whose answering!

1)New question: with the talk of Bush tax cuts and the richest 1% with all the money- what is the Libertarian stance on this? Isn't the reason for the consolidation of wealth is due to the Federal Reserve

2)How would the Libertarian movement respond to the rising prices of college and furthering education?

3)Did Hoover react well during the Stock Market crash worsening economy?

4)What does the Government do if the dollar, and the world economy, does collapse?

5)If unemployment was at 25% during the Depression, and it's now at 10%, how can this economic crises be seen on that level?

6) Do tax dollars going to lawyers that represent poor criminals make us a more non-free market system?

in a free conomy limited to a constitutional role....there is no more income tax nor social security tax...

that puts a lot more wealth in our hands....money we can use to take of ourselves and reinvest in the private economy...


have a look at www.tomatobubble.com for simple answers to your questions about money and currency

[pcosmar]

6) Do tax dollars going to lawyers that represent poor criminals make us a more non-free market system?

There are many problems with the injustice system. Lawyers are a big problem with it.
Prosecutors are a HUGE part of it.

Entirely too many laws are a root cause.
It would have to be scraped and rebuilt to even accommodate a free market.

[axiomata]

I organized my previous questions to make it easier. Thanks to everyone whose answering!

1)New question: with the talk of Bush tax cuts and the richest 1% with all the money- what is the Libertarian stance on this? Isn't the reason for the consolidation of wealth is due to the Federal Reserve

In the richest 1% there are 3 types of people. 1) People who have inherited their wealth. A high income tax tax doesn't really affect them since their annual earned income is a very small portion of their overall wealth. 2) Corporatist who are in bed with government. These people don't really care about a high income tax because their relationship with government gives them an edge over their more honest competitors. 3) People who earn their wealth by providing goods and services to consumers at a quality and price that is mutually beneficial. The expiration of the Bush tax cuts would hit these people the hardest.

A libertarian isn't directly concerned with the distribution of wealth as long as such distribution comes about without coercion. What they care about is that the wealth of every sector of society continually increases and this is only possible in a free market system.


2)How would the Libertarian movement respond to the rising prices of college and furthering education?

Just as water flows down hill, inflation flows to sectors highly subsidized by government. It flows to sectors that get their hands on freshly printed money first. The rising prices in education, health care, and real estate (before the bust) can be directly tied to the strong government intervention in these sectors.


3)Did Hoover react well during the Stock Market crash worsening economy?

No, Hoover intervened (http://mises.org/daily/2902).


4)What does the Government do if the dollar, and the world economy, does collapse?

Legalize competing currencies and don't try to help (in the way they are wont to do.)


5)If unemployment was at 25% during the Depression, and it's now at 10%, how can this economic crises be seen on that level?

The current Great Recession is not as bad as the Great Depression, but it is pretty darn bad. Unemployment was measured differently then from now so comparing their 25% to our 10% is apples to oranges. Hit up google for the technical difference.

[thehighwaymanq]

because when you factor in those who are discouraged and quit looking...and those who are working part-time but want to work full time....the actual unemployment rate is close to 20% (confirmed by weekly Gallup polls)..

The U-3 number of 9.7% we hear in the news is a bullshit number.

But how do we know that the reported number was 25 in the GD but the real number wasn't something like 40?

[thehighwaymanq]

How has the federal government intervened in the business of colleges

[Zatch]

How does the free market stop outsourcing of jobs?

YouTube - Dr. Milton Friedman speaking about Free Trade (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvulNnvJLp8)

How does the free market handle tycoons?

YouTube - Milton Friedman - Monopoly (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdLBzfFGFQU)

YouTube - Milton Friedman - The Robber Baron Myth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmzZ8lCLhlk)

Social moral economic reasons for the legalization of marijuana?

YouTube - Milton Friedman - Why Drugs Should Be Legalized (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLsCC0LZxkY)

YouTube - William F. Buckley on Drugs (1-3) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDWpdLEbc1s)

YouTube - William F. Buckley on Drugs (2-3) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s56YpdXxKNM)

YouTube - William F. Buckley on Drugs (3-3) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMz1IQgZnps)

[thehighwaymanq]

WIN! Thank you!

[thehighwaymanq]

Bump.

How do countries (such as the US) receive illegal drugs from very poor nations thousands of miles away?

[Chieppa1]

Still doing my answers but, as I read the questions; the closer I got to the end the more angry I became at the person asking them.

[Omphfullas Zamboni]

Bump for thought-provoking questions. To the original poster, have you watched the series, Free to Choose?

[thehighwaymanq]

Bump for thought-provoking questions. To the original poster, have you watched the series, Free to Choose?

No I have not.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&expIds=17259,26637,27113,27219,27357&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=free+to+choose&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbs=vid:1&source=og&sa=N&tab=wv&fp=83e886b0c3e93174

But I will start to watch them. Thank you!

[thehighwaymanq]

When Ron Paul says we should "legalize competing currencies" what does he mean?

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

When Ron Paul says we should "legalize competing currencies" what does he mean?

Repeal legal tender laws, capital gains taxes on gold and silver, and generally repeal all laws/regulations/taxes in regards to currency and money.

[axiomata]

When Ron Paul says we should "legalize competing currencies" what does he mean?


See The Denationalization of Money (http://www.iea.org.uk/files/upld-book431pdf?.pdf) by F.A. Hayek.

[thehighwaymanq]

My teacher says when you privatize industry, such as DMV, you cant complain about problems or bring issues up to anyone. She spent hours at DMV the other day because their computers went down, and they didnt want to do things manually, so they locked the doors and kept people out. And she brought it up because I talk about the privatization of government agencies a lot, but i thought DMV was government run?

[mczerone]

My teacher says when you privatize industry, such as DMV, you cant complain about problems or bring issues up to anyone. She spent hours at DMV the other day because their computers went down, and they didnt want to do things manually, so they locked the doors and kept people out. And she brought it up because I talk about the privatization of government agencies a lot, but i thought DMV was government run?

She is, of course, exactly 180 degrees wrong. The service sucks because you have to go there. There isn't a different business you could take your business to.

It sounds as if she's bought into the lie that the ONLY way to get what you want is by voting, by "the democratic process". When she hears "private", she just thinks that there will be some single rich person or board of directors that get to make all the decisions, and would listen to no one else, like she would. Instead it is private business that must more dearly listen to their customers, because they can leave at any time.

Ask her if, given the option, she would choose a different DMV service provider. That's what libertarianism is. Whenever someone complains about the Post Office, the Roads, Police, War, Welfare, Medicare, etc., etc., turn around and ask them if they want to switch ______ service providers (e.g. postal, roads, security, charity, etc.). Libertarianism isn't so much about privatization as it is competitiveness.

[AlexMerced]

My video playlist on History (lots of good fun stuff): http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=51591D1AA010CCAD

My video on playlist on Labor Economics (unions, min. Wage, Licenses,etc.):
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=712CD0E0F3EEB4FF

[thehighwaymanq]

Question: college tuition rises because government subsidized loans that are available to students at low interest. But what about federal assistance that does not need to be paid back? Does that contribute to higher college costs, or is the free money to families just increasing the money supply and therefore inflation?

[emazur]

It does contribute to higher college costs - if students get this "free" money there would be less demand to attend college, and with less demand you'll get lower tuition prices. There need not be inflation to dish out this free money, the redistribution of this wealth can come solely from taxes. But since the the federal government never balances its budget, federal assistance does contribute to inflation (taxation w/o legislation) to some degree

[IDefendThePlatform]

Question: college tuition rises because government subsidized loans that are available to students at low interest. But what about federal assistance that does not need to be paid back? Does that contribute to higher college costs, or is the free money to families just increasing the money supply and therefore inflation?

Yes, any money that is taxed away from some people and given to others (like federal college assistance) will distort the market for that good by giving the student who receives it more buying power than they otherwise would have had. This drives up the cost of college for everyone.

Also, because of tax subsidies to colleges, college has become WAY too popular. Too many 18 years olds go on to college. Many of them use their 4 years to learn less than marketable skills while still running up student loan debt. Government has distorted the market for education to an incredibly high extent, meaning that we could realize huge economic gains simply by getting the government out of the education business.

[thehighwaymanq]

-People say the government profits from war- if this true why, at a time of 3 wars, are we facing such steep economic issue?

-Isn't there a connection to the growing US Welfare State and growing US poverty levels?

[heavenlyboy34]

No. Congress can raise Armies under Article 1, Section 8. This power is not qualified by specifying whether or not Congress can authorize the use of force to raise an army.


Article 1, section 8 only allows Congress to raise an army for 2 years, to be more specific.

[sofia]

we entered ww 1 after the zionists ordered Britain to use their influence to bring america in the war....in exchange, Britain was to dismantle the Ottoman Empire and take over palestine for them.

we also entered so that a new world order could be establ;ished afterwards

[sofia]

-People say the government profits from war- if this true why, at a time of 3 wars, are we facing such steep economic issue?

-Isn't there a connection to the growing US Welfare State and growing US poverty levels?

yes....

producers are carrying non producers on their backs. As the economy groans under the burden...more people fall thru the cracks and turn to the government....and the cycle continues...

read this my son www.tomatobubble.com

[Grubb556]

In reality nobody profits from war. Money spent on the war effort could have been spent on food building etc. In addition property is destroyed, and resources spent rebuilding could have been used to improve the property rather then rebuilding it.

[thehighwaymanq]

As Libertarians, what taxes should exist?

[showpan]

Free Markets:

Milton was completely wrong. In his example of steel, not only did the price of steel go up, it has nearly doubled. This I know having worked in this industry for over 30 years. Not only did the price go up, we lost all those jobs and they have never been replaced by "exporting" jobs...lol...it was all a lie. Ross Perot tried to tell us what would happen with trade agreements an 8 yr old could have made better. He said we would all hear the great sucking sound of our jobs leaving if NAFTA was enacted....and that's exactly what happened. It wasn't about free trade at all. It was about profits shares. People who did absolutely NOTHING thought that they deserved more return on their investment than the people who labored at a company and actually did all the work.Those companies were making a fair profit before they moved and most of them were non union so that whole argument is false. The price for doing business here wasn't too high because they were doing fine and growing according to the economy, or they would have closed long ago. It wasn't until someone pulled this magic fuzzy number out of their ass to claim that unless we had over 2% growth, this country was in trouble. Now, not only did we loose those jobs, but many, many more. Whenever a factory closed, local businesses were also closed and even more people were fired (they call it lay offs but we should call it what it really is) because it was those millions of factory workers who supported smaller business and governments, not the handful of owners. Sure the factories themselves supported many businesses, which had to close too. firing even more. This is the real trickle down economics. States and businesses rely on people working and making a decent wage to buy things and pay sales tax. Without sales tax, they wither and die, which is happening right now to both the people and the government. It's also starting to effect those companies that moved too since the mexicans and chinese don't make enough to buy their products.
"Free trade" was also designed to eliminate borders, eliminate the middles class, destroy the dollar and transfer the wealth. What did we get in return...dog food that kills our pets, drywall that makes us sick, baby toys that make babies sick and pollution that goes unchecked. EPA laws were enacted because people were actually dying without them. Just as unions were formed so that people could make a decent wage while working under SAFE conditions, 40 week, benefits like health care and a pension, vacation and sick leave. Many people actually believe the spin that has been used to justify the attack on unions, but when you look at the actual money that is made by non union owners, their argument should cease to exist, which is why they hide their money in places like the Cayman Islands. If anyone objects to union campaign contributions, (which are voted upon by the members) then they must also object to corporate contributions as well, they can't have it both ways. Contributions and lobbying should be illegal anyway. Politicians should be working for their constituents and not the campaign donors or lobbying firms they represent today.
Welcome to the New World Order.

[showpan]

WWI:

This is a very good short explanation that sums up how this war escalated. If you really want to understand what happened though, you must go back a few decades prior to all of this. Then you can begin to understand that this war was really about imperialism and natural resources. Thomas Jefferson once said "Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto."




The commonly held notion that it was started out of outrage over the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie at the hands of Serbian nationalist secret society known as the “Black Hand” isn’t entirely correct. In fact, the Emperor Franz Josef himself expressed relief over the assassination because it rid him of an heir whom he deeply disliked. The Emperor commented that “God will not be mocked. A higher power had put back the order I couldn’t maintain.”
Indeed, it wasn’t just the Emperor who was relieved; it was reported by an Austrian newspaper that the general consensus among the various political circles was that the assassination, though a tragedy, was for the best. As far as the Austrian people were concerned, it was noted “The event almost failed to make any impression whatever. On Sunday and Monday, the crowds in Vienna listened to music and drank wine as if nothing had happened.” Indeed, it took the government itself a full three weeks to react.
As you’ll see shortly, the “treaty alliance system” that was prevalent in Europe with numerous treaties interconnecting the various states was really at the heart of why what would have been a small conflict, not noteworthy in any way in history, escalated into one of the bloodiest wars in human history with over 15 million people dead. Somewhat ironically, the spark that set it all off was the assassination that nobody really cared about.
So why go to war over an assassination, if nobody cared? Because, while nobody seemed to much care about the assassination itself, Austria-Hungary had been looking for an excuse to wage a “preventative war” against Serbia as a state in order to weaken or destroy them so as to take back territory in the Balkans, which had been taken during the Balkan Wars. They had not taken it back up to this point because they lacked Germany’s support; without that support, they feared Russia too much, because of the treaty Russia had with Serbia.
With the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on June 28th, 1914, Austria-Hungary was able to secure the promise from Germany that it would aid in a war with Serbia and possibly Russia, if Russia chose to enter the fray due to their treaty with Serbia. It should be noted here that Austria-Hungary did not really expect Russia to enter the fray as they expected this to be a very small war that would be over quickly, before Russia would be obligated to respond. Now with Germany’s support if Russia did enter the fray, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia with remarkably severe terms that Serbia would be sure to reject, thus giving Austria-Hungary an excuse to go launch a limited war on Serbia to reclaim territory in the Balkans.
Surprisingly, Serbia responded relatively well to the ultimatum, but they did dispute a few minor clauses, which gave Austria-Hungary the excuse they needed to go to war. At this point, the following general series of events happened due to a variety of existing treaties between various nations, which escalated this minor clash into the first “Great War”.
Russia bound by their treaty with Serbia decides to come to Serbia’s aid.
Germany, with the recent treaty with Austria-Germany, declares war on Russia.
France, bound by an existing treaty with Russia, now is at war with Germany by association. Germany then invades Belgium to have easy access to France.
Britain, allied to France with an existing treaty, declares war against Germany. This was unexpected by Germany as they expected Britain to stay out of the war, due to the fact that the treaty with France was loosely worded and not entirely binding. However, Britain also had a 75 year old treaty with Belgium. So because of both of these treaties, they decided to declare war on Germany.
With Britain now warring with Germany, Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa enter the war as they were colonies of Britain.
Japan honors an existing treaty with Britain and declares war on Germany.
Austria-Hungary declare war on Japan for declaring war on Germany.
The U.S. tries to stay out of the war but in 1917 decides to enter due to Germany’s submarine’s hindering the United State’s commercial shipping because the U.S. was shipping a lot of supplies to the Allies.
So in the end, a small quick war over a minor land dispute got turned into a lengthy war that was joined by powers all over the globe due to a variety of existing treaties dating back as much as 75 years before the war started.

[showpan]

How does the free market stop outsourcing of jobs?

Under the constitution, the government has no right to stop it. It should however, have a moral obligation to ensure that jobs do not get outsourced. Our government on the other hand encourages it through tax credits. They also encourage the H1-B visa program which outsources jobs to foreigners here at home. Want to stop it, simply impose tariffs equal to what other countries impose on us and stop giving out tax breaks and eliminate the H1-B visa program. It's pretty much that simple. While I believe that we need to uphold our constitution, I also believe that certain actions must be taken in order to bring those jobs back since corporations have abused their position.
FDR had proposed a tax on unused profits...
A tax called the Undistributed profits tax was enacted in 1936. The idea was to force businesses to distribute profits in dividend and wages, instead of saving or reinvesting them. Business profits were taxed on a sliding scale; if a company kept 1% of their net income, 10% of that amount would be taxed under the UP Tax. If a company kept 70% of their net income, the company would be taxed at a rate of 73.91% on that amount. Facing widespread and fierce criticism, the tax was reduced to 2½% in 1938 and completely eliminated in 1939.
Today, these companies that have been given billions in tax breaks and bailouts have hidden well over over $2 TRILLION in offshore accounts. This works out to $13,000 per household. If you or I did this, we would be in jail right now.
The 2004 Jobs Creation Act which passed with "bipartisan" support, allowed more than 800 companies to bring that money home at a very reduced tax rate. The companies said bringing the money home, "repatriating" it, would mean jobs...lots of jobs...over 600,000 of them according to Sen. John Ensign.
Pfizer was the biggest beneficiary, it brought home $37 billion, saving $11 billion in taxes. Almost immediately it started firing people. Over 40,000 lay offs since that law took effect. All in all, it appears that over 100,000 jobs have been destroyed because of this act, I can't find any that have been created.

[thehighwaymanq]

How does a country accumulate wealth? If the central bank doesn't produce more, how does more money get created over time? Won't the money supply never increase whatsoever?

[axiomata]

How does a country accumulate wealth? If the central bank doesn't produce more, how does more money get created over time? Won't the money supply never increase whatsoever?

The aggregate wealth of individuals within a country accumulates primarily through entrepreneurship and increases in productivity.

To answer your money question you must define "money." Real money is not wealth, it is a measure of wealth. If by money you mean commodity money then the only way money is created is by mining more precious medals. Even with a nearly constant supply of real money productivity and hence wealth can increase. This would be visible in the form of falling prices i.e. getting more for your money.

I believe the correct definition of money does not limit it to legal tender or gold, but anything that is accepted as payment of debts. This is outside the scope of your question but I believe this also includes private currencies, even discounted fractional reserve notes.

[thehighwaymanq]

Why shouldn't governments nationalize companies?

[pcosmar]

Why shouldn't governments nationalize companies?

Why should they? On what grounds and by what justification?

[IDefendThePlatform]

Why shouldn't governments nationalize companies?

Morally, because government is force. Initiating force against a person or group of persons by taking their company is wrong. Using stolen (ie "tax") money to buy a company is also wrong.

Practically, because government responds to political forces and incentives, not market forces. They don't get the same signals as a company that has to turn a profit to keep the doors open. Because of that, they are less likely to make good decisions that will benefit their customers. Example: The US Post Office.

The information contained in the billions of market transactions that take place everyday is incredible. Governments largely ignore market forces because they make money through force. An interesting book to read about this is "The Wisdom of Crowds" by James Surowiecki. It isn't a political book, and doesn't really deal with market forces directly, but does do a great job of explaining how the aggregation of information from multitudes of independent sources is almost universally preferable to a more "top-down" dissemination of information. Government would be an example of "top-down" information or "group think".

[thehighwaymanq]

In disasters such as Katrina, should the US Gov have any part in rebuilding New Orleans? Do libertarians support FEMA, or think we should end it?

[mczerone]

In disasters such as Katrina, should the US Gov have any part in rebuilding New Orleans? Do libertarians support FEMA, or think we should end it?

In disasters such as Katrina, should the private sector have any part in rebuilding New Orleans? Do statists support FEMA locking down entire states from people trying to bring ice, food and supplies (whatever the price), or think we should continue giving complete dominion to bureaucrats whose only solutions are putting people into "mobile home camps" (which are poorly made and probably a health hazard in themselves) and bring in the military to manage rationing?

Seriously dude, the govt shouldn't have the power to do this type of thing. And you're focusing on the "seen", what about the "unseen"? Shouldn't the National Guard, if it exists, be defending National security, not giving out food to people in need? Shouldn't the Federal govt, if it exists, be limited to making sure that the states don't use aggression against each other after a disaster hits? How many resources are wasted because FEMA claims a monopoly on disaster relief? FEMA is an unmitigated disaster, and should be ended because its supposed benefits are small and fleeting, and its costs are outstanding and tyrannical.

[Brent Pierce]

This lecture series confronts all of those topics head on and is fun to listen to as well.

It is available for free on Itunes also.

http://mises.org/media.aspx?action=category&ID=64

[thehighwaymanq]

BUMP. This thread has so much important information on so many different topics and should be read by all people new to the theory of Liberty. It's a great place to throw questions that are posed to you, get concise answers, and have talking points back for discussion.

Thank you to all! I will continue to throw questions up here.
__________________________________________________ _______________________

How do Libertarians stop inner cities with such intense gun and gang issues. Wouldn't the Second Amendment hurt the city even more?

[Nate-ForLiberty]

BUMP. This thread has so much important information on so many different topics and should be read by all people new to the theory of Liberty. It's a great place to throw questions that are posed to you, get concise answers, and have talking points back for discussion.

Thank you to all! I will continue to throw questions up here.
__________________________________________________ _______________________

How do Libertarians stop inner cities with such intense gun and gang issues. Wouldn't the Second Amendment hurt the city even more?

Inner cities? You mean where the government has "housing projects"? :D

*But srsly, gangs are not likely to follow gun laws. Therefore, if the people that live in inner cities where there are armed gangs wish to defend themselves, what better way than to have a firearm? Extreme poverty like this is prolonged by government intervention. Building houses where they don't belong, raising pay rates above what they should be, subsidizing poverty by paying people through handouts like unemployment benefits. (What benefits should their be from unemployment anyway?). And most notably, debasing the value of the currency which always hurts poor people first.

Inner city gang violence is like a rotten toenail. It is the extremity that is showing obvious deterioration, but it is malnutrition (which occurs internally and is systemic) that is causing the problem.

[l2jperry1]

But even if we had a true free market system, wouldn't business still benefit if it went overseas to China? Just due to the pay scale?


Probably, but only because we have minimum wage laws, rather unfortunate really.

[thehighwaymanq]

When I was getting my license I kept hearing "Driving is a privilege, not a right"

Is that true?

[cindy25]

Are these interview style questions or something that you just want so you can balance your own thoughts off of?

I'm no professional by any means, so please don't take what I write as any kind of professional response.

1. What is a union? How does the free market handle unions?
A Union is basically a group that workers form in order to protect their own interests. I as a free market advocate have nothing against the IDEA of a union, however I am disgusted with what they have become. Thanks to their influence over politics, they have created regulations and laws that give them more power to those in control of Unions who make tons of money. They give an unfair playing field for their employers.
Probably the biggest example of how Unions control the buisiness world is through immigration policies. The very first immigration policies that dealt with capping immigrants coming from Eastern Europe, were influenced 100% by Unions not wanting a labor force that would work within the free market endangering their stranglehold over buisinesses.

2.How does the free market stop outsourcing of jobs?
The first problem is that the way that this question is handled puts a negative issue on outsourcing. Outsourcing is the outcome of the free market reacting to laws that make it harder to conduct business in a certain economy. There are many laws that limit buisinesses here so much that it is unprofitable for them to operate within the United States. Is it bad for a company to operate on what is profitable for them? I'm sure if laws were less existent and less restricting, this would be a much less worrisome problem.

3. How does the free market handle tycoons?
According to Dictionary.com, a tycoon is a businessman of exceptional wealth and power.
Is this such a negative thing that a man be so accomplished within the market?
The only problem is that many such tycoons are only responsible because they can manipulate their way through the government in order to make themselves more profitable artificially instead of actually participating within the market.
Tycoons rise and fall in a free market by their skill in buisiness, not in political whoremongering.

4. Why did the US enter World War One?
This is a rather vague question. I think that those in power would've liked to enter World War 1 when Britain and France did, however they couldn't as popular opinion was against it as well as they had a lack of a casus belli against Germany.
I am not the one to raise conspiracies, but it would not be too outlandish to suggest that there was some pushing here and there by various powers in order to sway popular opinion.
Look at who were the ones whom intercepted the Zimmermann Telegram, the British. They were having an awfully hard time in France, so why not? Enrage Americans by making them think that the Germans asked Mexico to declare war on the United States, while the thought of war with Mexico just recently was still fresh.

5. Should taxes exist at all?
As long as it is involuntary, then no. Taxes are immoral. Why does a government have justification to steal your property when no one else legally can? If I were to buy you a car and then say "Congratulations! Here is a car! You now have to pay for it and have no choice to refuse unless you wish to go to jail!", if I did that I would be laughed at, why is the government any more special?

6. Social moral economic reasons for the legalization of marijuana?
It is immoral for the government to tell you what you can or cannot do to yourself.

7. Can the draft be considered slavery, therefore illegal?
Yes. I'd use the word immoral instead of illegal however.

8. Is the government asking for citizens to buy liberty bonds allowed under the Constitution?
Asking citizens is a hell of a lot better than forcing them by gunpoint to pay for wars abroad. This is how the majority of a war is funded. Liberty bonds are pretty much just tokens that are sold to make those whom are not capable of signing up to get shot can feel better and "patriotic".

9. Does an Isolationist / non-interventionist foreign policy lead to dictators and tyrannical leaders abroad?
It does not either deter them or create them specifically. What it does do however is prevent those tyrannical leaders from pointing their fingers and blaming you in order for them to gain power within their countries and justify attacks on you.

use the word slavery for the draft; a draft is both immoral and illegal, as per the 13th amendment and quote Ron Paul; he has a chapter on conscription in his new book.

[thehighwaymanq]

What is the Governments role in veteran affairs?

[thehighwaymanq]

Bump

[thehighwaymanq]

Whats a Libertarian view on euthanasia?

[thehighwaymanq]

BUMP!

Is the ADA constitutional?

Aren't taxes going to public education helping society as a whole, and elevates our national level of intellect? Therefore, we should all support it.

[thehighwaymanq]

BUMP

If we don't want government regulation of business, would a company check / calibrate scales for certain businesses? And where would they generate money from?

[Nate-ForLiberty]

BUMP

If we don't want government regulation of business, would a company check / calibrate scales for certain businesses? And where would they generate money from?

We'd have more BBB's. (Better Business Bureau)

[Teaser Rate]

I'm not the purest libertarian around, but I'll take a crack at answering some of your questions.


When I was getting my license I kept hearing "Driving is a privilege, not a right"

Is that true?

I would say it's a privilege as long as it's done on public roads. You have a right to do whatever you want on your own land, but when you use public property in a way which can harm others, you should have to follow certain rules.


Whats a Libertarian view on euthanasia?

It's your life and you should have the right to end it.


BUMP!

Is the ADA constitutional?

Not under a strict interpretation, however you wouldn't get very far trying to bring a case against it under current judicial conditions.


Aren't taxes going to public education helping society as a whole, and elevates our national level of intellect? Therefore, we should all support it.

The problem with that kind of claim is that it can't be quantified in any impartial way or narrowed down to keep the government out of anything. I could make an argument that we should support spending tax dollars to buy everyone beer because it would improve our national morale.


What is the Governments role in veteran affairs?

I think it is the government's legitimate role to take of soldiers who risked their lives for their country.


BUMP

If we don't want government regulation of business, would a company check / calibrate scales for certain businesses? And where would they generate money from?

Most industry standards are regulated from the bottom up through emergent markets. Ask yourself why almost every keyboard uses a QWERTY layout.

[thehighwaymanq]

Whats the Libertarian response to Ann Coulters Ron Paul attack that marriage has too many legal consequences to not be regulated by gov?

[thehighwaymanq]

BUMP.

There are some great questions / answers and dialogue on here. It's a really great resource!

[Watch]

I'm not the purest libertarian around, but I'll take a crack at answering some of your questions.


Euthanasia


It's your life and you should have the right to end it.

That would be a sufficient answer if we are talking about suicide only right? With euthanasia you are giving your right to end your own life, to another person. How do you transfer your rights to them, for them to kill you? This is a good topic, very interesting to hear the dialogue.