Brat Foments Controversy with Statement

[AuH20]

The Establishment Left isn't very happy with this.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articl...rles-c-w-cooke

With just seven little words, the freakout began: “The government holds a monopoly on violence.”

These were written by David Brat, a professor of economics at Virginia’s Randolph-Macon College and, now, the Republican party’s nominee for the state’s seventh congressional district. “Unusual” and “eye-opening” was the New York Daily News’s petty verdict. In the Wall Street Journal, Reid Epstein insinuated darkly that the claim cast Brat as a modern-day fascist. And, for his part, Politico’s Ben White suggested that the candidate’s remarks “on Neitzsche and the government monopoly on violence don’t make a whole lot of sense.” As is its wont, the progressive blogosphere lost its collective marbles too: One contributor sardonically described Brat’s claim as a “doozy,” while another contended that such opinions were sufficient for “one to question his, shall we say, cognitive coherence.”

[CaseyJones]

[mczerone]

I'm liking Brat more everyday. He's not perfect, but he's generating good discussion.

[Christian Liberty]

there is not a single intelligent individual who disagrees with brat here.

[cjm]

there is not a single intelligent individual who disagrees with brat here.

I might disagree with the verb "holds" and go with "claims."

[mczerone]

I might disagree with the verb "holds" and go with "claims."

Since they also claim a monopoly on which "claims" are true (via the Supreme Court), whatever it claims to have, it has.

At least as far as it's enforcers are concerned.

[Anti Federalist]

I like this.

[Christian Liberty]

I might disagree with the verb "holds" and go with "claims."

Fair enough. I wasn't considering this small of a disagreement when I made my comment. I had in mind the mindless lefties and Republicans (or do I repeat myself?) who would protest "no, most of what government does isn't violence, its just stuff we decide to do together" or the like. I agree with you. But so would Brat, or anyone else who makes the statement. The bottom line is that in any violent confrontation between the State and someone else, the State essentially always wins, even though the State is nearly always at fault. That's the problem.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

now that's what i like to hear

[Aratus]

a legitimate or illegitimate monopoly? there has to be a pertinent
john locke or john rawls quote on this... even though we've got
a mix of the two, now... and blurred lines under potus stewardship

[torchbearer]

like this guy

[Kotin]

I'll say this: Rand and really any of our people in congress have really never mentioned this..

the fact that this guy comes out swinging with this first.. pretty cool in my book.. this is an issue that if even remotely questioned, makes authoritarians froth at the mouth all across the political spectrum.. its a huge issue.. and most in politics would rather it never even be brought up at all. Many in congress would not even know what to say about this except that its good..

[Anti Federalist]

At the UN Gun Debate at King's College in July of 2001, a UN spokesperson made this statement:

"Civilian ownership of firearms in the US threatens the legitimate powers monopoly of the state"

[Pericles]

I'll say this: Rand and really any of our people in congress have really never mentioned this..

the fact that this guy comes out swinging with this first.. pretty cool in my book.. this is an issue that if even remotely questioned, makes authoritarians froth at the mouth all across the political spectrum.. its a huge issue.. and most in politics would rather it never even be brought up at all. Many in congress would not even know what to say about this except that its good..

Yeah, why wait to start kicking ass?

[nayjevin]

Brat Foments Controversy with Statement

...

MSM predictably Foments Controversy with Brat's Statement

[Christian Liberty]

At the UN Gun Debate at King's College in July of 2001, a UN spokesperson made this statement:

"Civilian ownership of firearms in the US threatens the legitimate powers monopoly of the state"

The UN should be kicked out of New York.

[Feeding the Abscess]

I'll say this: Rand and really any of our people in congress have really never mentioned this..

the fact that this guy comes out swinging with this first.. pretty cool in my book.. this is an issue that if even remotely questioned, makes authoritarians froth at the mouth all across the political spectrum.. its a huge issue.. and most in politics would rather it never even be brought up at all. Many in congress would not even know what to say about this except that its good..

Ron did, but you're right, nobody else associated with the liberty movement has done so.

[Christian Liberty]

Ron did, but you're right, nobody else associated with the liberty movement has done so.

I doubt Rand has enough guts to deal with it at all.

[asurfaholic]

I doubt Rand has enough guts to deal with it at all.

i think its immature and close minded to just claim its a matter of guts here. Rand is aiming to win the votes of the idiot majority so he can take a higher office hopefully. He is likely trying to avoid a "fringe" or "radical" label, and yet would want to be seen as a reasonable balance between the current hawks and the "far right extremists."

Guts has nothing to do with it, like his strategy or not.

[Aratus]

Dr. Rand is trying not to roil the more conservative Mittsters.
Dave Brat is opining from a sweetly reet conservative district
that might do a 50/50 split towards the Democrat come fall.
He has all summer to strut his stuff an' so far he's doing great.