http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/libertarians/ en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:51:48 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2418038/posts It appears that some state and county Tea Party groups are trying to cleanse their ranks of libertarians. That's a shame since the movement started with Ron Paul and his libertarian followers, and was then co-opted by mainstream GOP Sean Hannity types. Lawrence Samuels, editor of Facets of Liberty: A Libertarian Primer and participant in the Monterey County Tea Party, is witnessing the purge firsthand: [A]fter a successful 4th of July Tea Party parade and Freedom Rally in Monterey, the cracks in the alliance split wide open. I was accused of belonging to too many leftist organizations. In fact, I... insidecatholic.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2418038/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:51:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-rlc/2411566/posts Liberty Republicans need to think about strategies to counteract the cooptation of the revived liberty movement that Rockefeller or Progressive Republicans will attempt. The Tea Party movement’s explosion shows that liberty Republicanism can succeed. As well, the failure of Rockefeller Republicanism under the Bush administration might keep big government Republicans from success, especially when we liberty Republicans refuse to cooperate with them. Because the Tea Party movement is composed of many fine and well meaning but inexperienced activists, it is susceptible to the same tactics that coopted the libertarian movement in 1980. If a Progressive Republican calls himself a “libertarian”... Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-rlc/2411566/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:52:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2409665/posts Montreal, December 17, 2009 – Canadian teenagers are among the largest consumers of cannabis worldwide. The damaging effects of this illicit drug on young brains are worse than originally thought, according to new research by Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, a psychiatric researcher from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. The new study, published in Neurobiology of Disease, suggests that daily consumption of cannabis in teens can cause depression and anxiety, and have an irreversible long-term effect on the brain. "We wanted to know what happens in the brains of teenagers when they use cannabis and whether they are... McGill University Health Centre http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2409665/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:57:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405728/posts Michigan's state Senate and House passed a smoking ban that will make indoor smoking illegal, save for gambling areas, cigar bars and cigar shops. The measure, HB 4377, passed by a vote of 24 to 13 in the Senate and was overwhelmingly approved by the House in a vote of 75 to 30. The legislation will become law when Gov. Jennifer Granholm signs it; she has come out in favor of such legislation, according to press reports from Michigan. The law will go into effect May 1. Exemptions to the legislation include cigar bars, tobacco stores and casinos. A smoking... Cigar Aficionado http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405728/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:10:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404074/posts The Libertarian Party is stuck in a loop that sustains its electoral irrelevance. Now is the perfect time for a strategy change. America has long used third parties as forums for statements of dissatisfaction with the big two. But while Theodore Roosevelt, Strom Thurmond, George Wallace, and Ross Perot generated considerable heat, they were populist flares who soon burned out. Every four, years the Libertarian Party picks a presidential candidate who tallies meager vote totals. In 2008, former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr received 523,686 votes -- 0.4% of the national total. Clearly, the purpose of the exercise isn't to win.... American Thinker http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404074/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 22:48:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402649/posts Which of the following statements best matches your view of global warming? This whole global warming thing is a hoax. 29% I don't know whether global warming is real, but the government should limit carbon dioxide emissions just to be safe. 5% Global warming is real, it's a threat, and the government should limit carbon dioxide emissions. 10% Whether or not global warming is real, it doesn't justify more taxes or regulations. 26% Global warming is mostly natural and there's not much we can do about it. 29% Total votes: 7267 Libertarian Party http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402649/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 06:44:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2398245/posts A woman in Canberra blew a .385 yesterday, one of the highest ever recorded. BAC numbers of .40 are supposed to mean death. Read the linked article for more information. The Daily Telegraph (Australia) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2398245/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 06:51:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2398279/posts It may have been the year of one of her classic films, Some Like It Hot, but a home movie found after 50 years in an attic apparently demonstrates that Marilyn Monroe may have enjoyed pot too. A silent reel-to-reel colour film, dating probably from the late 1950s, shows a relaxed star taking a quick puff from what is alleged to have been a joint of marijuana while sitting on a couch with at least two other people. But, as President Bill Clinton and other politicians might put it later, she did not inhale, not much anyway. The film shows... gaurdian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2398279/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 10:05:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2398467/posts A video of Marilyn Monroe allegedly smoking marijuana has been made public some 50 years after it was filmed. The film was recently bought for $275,000 (£166,000) by US collector Keya Morgan, who is making a documentary on the death of Monroe in August 1962. He tracked it down to an attic in New Jersey - the person who filmed it said it was taken at an informal gathering in 1958 or 1959. The film shows a personal side rarely seen in public since the actress achieved stardom. At one point in the film, Marilyn points her nose toward her... BBS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2398467/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 15:55:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388332/posts On April 16 in NRO, Daniel T. Griswold, the head of immigration policy for the libertarian Cato Institute attacked National Review complaining that in three "consecutive" issues, "anti-immigrant crusaders," including John O'Sullivan and Mark Krikorian, have "pushed every button to whip up hostility to immigration." Let us ignore the nasty smears....focus on Griswold's substantive position. Near the end of the NRO article Griswold insists that he is not for "open borders," but his record suggests otherwise. A story in the Christian Science Monitor (August 30, 2000) by Scott Baldauf is particularly revealing. Baldauf describes a new project of the Immigration... National Review Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388332/posts#comment Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:54:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387719/posts The most fundamental problem with libertarianism is very simple: freedom, though a good thing, is simply not the only good thing in life. Simple physical security, which even a prisoner can possess, is not freedom, but one cannot live without it. Prosperity is connected to freedom, in that it makes us free to consume, but it is not the same thing, in that one can be rich but as unfree as a Victorian tycoon’s wife. A family is in fact one of the least free things imaginable, as the emotional satisfactions of it derive from relations that we are either... The American Conservative http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387719/posts#comment Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:55:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385825/posts According to Politico.com, Ayn Rand — the subject of two new biographies, one of which is titled Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right — is “having a mainstream moment,” including among conservatives. (Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina wrote a piece in Newsweek on Rand, saying, “This is a very good time for a Rand resurgence. She’s more relevant than ever.”). I hope the moment passes. Ms. Rand may have been a popular novelist, but her philosophy is deeply problematic and morally indefensible..... National Review Online - The Corner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385825/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:51:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373194/posts SAN FRANCISCO — These are heady times for advocates of legalized marijuana in California — and only in small part because of the newly relaxed approach of the federal government toward medical marijuana. State lawmakers are holding a hearing on Wednesday on the effects of a bill that would legalize, tax and regulate the drug — in what would be the first such law in the United States. Tax officials estimate the legislation could bring the struggling state about $1.4 billion a year, and though the bill’s fate in the Legislature is uncertain, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has indicated... NY Times via The Woodward Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373194/posts#comment Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:51:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2371642/posts Hot Air's AllahPundit recycles a tired argument about conservatives sitting down and shutting up when the RNC sticks the goobers in the sticks with a liberal weenie candidate. It's all about being on the winning team, donchaknow? A variation of "My tired Republican hack can beat up your tired Democrat hack!" There's no debating these types: a philosophical difference of opinion spells doom for the Republican Party. But make no mistake: this debate must be held and now's as good a time as any. We agree with AllahP. more than we disagree. But that doesn't mean that it's not... DBKP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2371642/posts#comment Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:33:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2365505/posts WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday. Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws. The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes. Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2365505/posts#comment Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:06:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2364818/posts The time is right for Silicon Valley -- style progressivism to woo independents into a political force under the Libertarian Party banner. Here's how. If the two-party system is ever going to be seriously challenged, this is the moment. The GOP, the stall-tactic party, is reeling. The Democratic administration is struggling to turn around the economy. And across the country, creative, engaged folks are increasingly feeling politically homeless. More Americans consider themselves independents (39%) than Democrats (33%) or Republicans (22%) -- and the gap is widening. Who will fill that void? Sarah Palin is rumored to be mulling the... FAST COMPANY http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2364818/posts#comment Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:52:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2361545/posts One topic that has only recently begun to attract attention is the Nazi anti-tobacco movement. Germany had the world's strongest anti smoking movement in the 1930s and early 1940s,supported by Nazi medical and military leaders worried that tobacco might prove a hazard to the race. Many Nazi leaders were vocal opponents of smoking. Anti-tobacco activists pointed out that whereas Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt were all fond of tobacco, the three major fascist leaders of Europe-Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco-were all non-smokers. Hitler was the most adamant,characterising tobacco as "the wrath of the Red Man against the White Man for having been... BMJ [British Medical Journal] http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2361545/posts#comment Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:47:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2361734/posts ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Farmers from North Dakota and Vermont and four others trying to plant hemp seeds at the headquarters of the Drug Enforcement Administration have been arrested. Arlington County police spokeswoman Detective Crystal Nosal says six people were charged with trespassing on Tuesday. They were among 21 people protesting the ban on farming of hemp, which is related to the illegal drug marijuana. The Hemp Industries Association says the protesters turned to civil disobedience for the first time. The group is lobbying lawmakers on Capitol Hill. They want to grow hemp for non-drug products. North Dakota farmer Wayne... WDAY NEWS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2361734/posts#comment Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:59:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2356023/posts In less than six weeks, Virginians have an opportunity to make their voices heard in defense of the Constitution and the principles of individual freedom and limited government enshrined therein. Senator Ken Cuccinelli is running to become Virginia’s next attorney general, and your vote for him can send a strong message to politicians all across Virginia… and even the nation. The message is that we are tired of politicians who are too spineless to defend our rights from an ever-encroaching big government. The message is that Founding principles matter, and that politicians who follow Founding principles unabashedly and unashamedly will... Story in Roanoke Star Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2356023/posts#comment Tue, 6 Oct 2009 17:24:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2354642/posts The prevalence of mental health disorders in this country has nearly doubled in the past 20 years. Who is treating all of these patients? Clinical psychologists and therapists are charged with the task, but many are falling short by using methods that are out of date and lack scientific rigor. This is in part because many of the training programs—especially some Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) programs and for-profit training centers—are not grounded in science. A new report in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, by a panel of distinguished clinical scientists—Timothy Baker... Association for Psychological Science http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2354642/posts#comment Sun, 4 Oct 2009 16:35:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2354730/posts Sarah Palin enjoys considerable support among libertarian Republicans, and many libertarian independents are giving her a second look. Adam Brickley believes that the Sarah Palin John McCain scooped up out of Alaska to be his running mate was much more libertarian than the vice presidential candidate who had to support McCain's policy positions on the stump. What we are seeing now, says Brickley, is "more of the original, pre-McCain Sarah Palin": "A lot has been said lately about the idea that Sarah Palin is positioning herself as a the libertarian in the 2012 field... This is exactly I have been... Texas for Sarah Palin http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2354730/posts#comment Sun, 4 Oct 2009 19:13:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2354333/posts Milton Friedman puts forward a compelling case for the legalization of drugs You Tube 8 minutes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2354333/posts#comment Sat, 3 Oct 2009 22:56:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2354160/posts Last week's talking point at The Humble Libertarian was a question of how we of a libertarian mindset should approach politics. Should we work to reform the Republican Party from the inside-out, should we focus on a third party, or should we eschew parties altogether and focus on education? A very thought-provoking discussion ensues in the comments, including my own response, which turned out much longer than I thought it would, and so I am re-posting it here. Organized Exploitation http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2354160/posts#comment Sat, 3 Oct 2009 16:08:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2344467/posts BERLIN – A doctor leading a group therapy session gave participants drugs and other substances that killed two and left 10 hospitalized, Berlin police said Sunday. One person was left comatose and in critical condition. The doctor who led the session has acknowledged giving the participants various substances and drugs during the meeting, Martin Steltner, a spokesman for the Berlin prosecutor's office, told The Associated Press on Sunday. It was not clear whether illegal drugs were given and whether the substances were injected or taken orally. A police statement said autopsies have been carried out on the two dead people... Yahoo/AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2344467/posts#comment Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:39:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2343878/posts More than two dozen motorcycles crashed on a freeway in Oregon on Friday, blocking traffic for hours, police said. Oregon State Police said the bikers were behind a car when traffic unexpectedly slowed in the northbound lanes on Interstate 5. The collision sent bikes scattering across the road, near Wilsonville, south of Portland. msnbc http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2343878/posts#comment Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:02:20 GMT