Liberty, Power, and Principles

The Independents read Atlas Shrugged since the Nov 2008 election and became horrified by Obama's policy.

I love Cafe Hayek, but these types of posts are childish and kind of kill my interest in the place. It's too bad because I agree with 90% of what's written here, but if the upshot is this notion that the political fight doesn't matter, then it's nothing more than privileged whine (at best).

To take a single example, we are about to take a massive step toward the greatest incursion of freedom anyone can fathom (i.e. socialized medicine in the world's biggest market) and the Cafe Hayek response is to counsel readers not to get caught up in a fight were nearly all Republicans oppose it and all but a few Democrats support it.

Don, please tell me where this "real struggle" takes place if not in the political arena, and especially an arena that is nearly 100% polarized on this legislation. And if we aren't supposed to care about elections and their results, then how are you suggesting your readers should engage this struggle and defend themselves if not with their votes? Historically speaking, if you can't settle your differences with votes you do it with guns.

Well said -- the Higgs stuff is just foolish whining. Childishness at the highest level.

I think the reason so many folks cotton to this kind of talk is because it gives them the license to be angry and lazy at the same time. They love slamming their fists on the table about this or that, but the phone to call their Congressman is too far across the room when their remote control is right their on their laps.

Well said. I used to find tribal party politics great fun. That is before I found principles, and found that my 'team' was as capable of breaching them as the other side.

The real struggle is between persons who love liberty and persons enthralled with power.

Exactly. This is the real divide and how I decide who I vote for.

Krauthammer is a hypocrite. The same man who rightly derides Obama's big government plans is the same man who threw his lot behind the neo-con's and promised that using the government to topple Saddam Hussein would usher in a new era of peace and democracy in the Middle East.

The intention by the neo-cons was good, but bad implementation. We do have an economic interest in securing the oil fields. I hardly see how that intention is anti-freedom. Like I said, horrible execution.

Awesome!

Another classic!

Well, okay. But, I'm still against the government meat-grinder healthcare the Democrats are striving to impose on us. The only reasonable way to fight against it is to threaten the results of their next election because none of the Republicans will vote for this. That's how I'm struggling for liberty and it's a never ending struggle. Somehow, I just have the capacity to passively sit on my hands and wait for politicians to do things to me.

You contribute to liberty through your publications, including this blog. But, if it doesn't have the effect of worrying politicians about their next election, it doesn't do much good. Elections and what they signal do have some importance in the fight for liberty.

"You contribute to liberty through your publications, including this blog. "

I agree he does this, but then his Higgs side renders him impotent because of what you say next:

"if it doesn't have the effect of worrying politicians about their next election, it doesn't do much good."

You're exactly right. I learned much about the cravenness of politicians from Don and Russ. But then we get all the Higgy stuff about being too good to vote.

"Elections and what they signal do have some importance in the fight for liberty."

Absolutely right. You don't have to be a GOP fanboy to realize that they are less of a complete disaster than the looney, dangerous, pompous Muirocrats.

What you're really saying is that the signal-strength of this blog is very low. I agree. However, it does provide a nice place for debate.

I just don't have the capacity...it should read.

"The real struggle is between persons who love liberty and persons enthralled with power."

Struggle? How are you struggling, Don?

What more should he be doing other then his teaching job and writing articles for this blog? How much can one man do?

I think he could vote, and not dissuade others from doing so. Even better, he could persuade people to get off their butts to try to slow the decline instead of playing the self-righteous heckler like Robert Higgs and all the self-righteous do-nothings and dreamers who hang out on the Austrian boards. Ron Paul is the perfect example of this. He did much more good from within the Republican party than from the outside. If all the Higgs-like cranks used their proclivity to complain inside of the Republican party instead of sitting on their hands and cackling, they could at least slow the downward march. Instead they sit and self-medicate by telling themselves how good they are because they're above partisanship. Did Ronald Reagan end The Speech with "now it's hopeless, so let's all go home"? No, even with his libertarian ideals he still found it better to stick around and battle the blue-bloods instead of going off and huffing about his own self-righteousness on his blog. Did he fix the world's ills? No. Did he do everything perfectly? No. But at least he slowed down the decline and actually did something about it. And he didn't say pot-smoking flower-power things like: "A liberty lover refuses to exercise power over others" as if there is no room for any authority over anything.

Mark--absolutely right. Pitch perfect.

No, you're wrong. I shouldn't vote for John Kyl because he's a r-r-r-Republican. Ewww!!! He's exactly like Barney Frank. There's no difference at all between the two guys because they're members of parties!!!

;-)

Mark - everyone has roles. Russ & Don to teach at George Mason and write for this blog. Sarah Palin will be the one who fights the GOP blue bloods in the political trenches.

Yeah, I agree. I just don't like the Higgy pudding. And flower power statements.

I'm also not as hip on Palin. I still can't get over those interviews. How she could be so flat-footed is beyond me. I just don't get it.