Fractional-reserve banking is a contentious issue within libertarian theory. This is confusing because I do not consider it to be part of libertarian theory at all.
Fractional-Reserve Banking: Not Fraud, Not Folly
May 13th, 2013 Submitted by Wendy McElroyThe Undead Democracy Apocalypse
May 12th, 2013 Submitted by Davi Barker
“They crowd our imagination. They hide under our beds. They lurk within the dark recesses or our primal unconsciousness. You can’t run, you can’t hide – it’s going to get you. The beast, the ravager, the Lusus Natura. What is it, and why do we fear it?” ~Mark Rein Hagen
The best monsters are personifications of real fears, and the monsters that survive the test of time and cinema are those that evolve into psychological metaphors for something human. I want to put forward what may be an uncomfortable premise for some. I believe that the key to the success in the zombie genre lies in their ability to tap into subconscious and unacknowledged fears that democratic government isn’t working.
In Defense of Liberty: State of Denial
May 9th, 2013 Submitted by Michael Hendricks
One of the most common cries of the Statist is “Who would provide defense without the State?” The idea that the State somehow provides protection is observably false. If one examines military campaigns throughout history they will find that armies always defend the capital of the State as its top priority. It defends government facilities and officials first, and civilians are low on the priority list.
Let’s examine the Russian defense of Stalingrad, and the Chinese defense of Manchuria during World War II, and just so you know it can happen here too, the battle known as “First Bull Run” to the Union and “First Manassas” to the Confederates, and the Battle of Gettysburg, both during the American Civil War.
Who Are the Runaways?
May 7th, 2013 Submitted by Seth King
After hearing about the news of three missing Cleveland women being found alive it inevitably got me thinking about the state’s role in this.
Naturally, as a market anarchist my initial thoughts were along the line that private detectives would have done a better job, and that police waste countless resources going after victimless criminals instead of real criminals. But that’s not really outside of the box thinking, at least not for somebody well steeped in libertarian philosophy. No, it wasn’t until I started thinking about children’s rights that I discovered a nuance in the statist reaction towards missing children.
The State and BDSM
April 25th, 2013 Submitted by Sima Qian
This article is not meant to insult any one’s kink. It may come off as disparaging some one’s kink, which is not my intent, but only to look at the State. I think it’s great that adults can find out what their needs and desires are and meet them in a safe, sane, and consensual way, and I think there is a big, bright red line between the State and kink: consent. Also, I’m rather vanilla, so if I misused any terminology or concepts please forgive me, and let me know so it can be corrected.
I’ve seen rumblings about this on anarchist sites for about a year, but I haven’t seen anyone state it outright and I think it should be: The State is a non-consensual group “BDSM” scene. That’s not an analogy, but an exact description.
DEBT: The First 5,000 Years
April 23rd, 2013 Submitted by Davi BarkerDavid Graeber is an anarchist author who teaches anthropology at Goldsmiths College, University of London. His book, “DEBT: The First 5,000 Years” takes an anthropological approach to the history of debt, not just who owed what to who, but how debt was used and what it meant in various cultures. David gave this talk as part of the Authors@Google program. It’s a long view, but utterly fascinating. I was especially astounded to hear him claim that there is no historical basis for barter economies, and in fact recording debt was the common means of transacting without currency. This video is chalked full of startling information, that was at least new to me. Enjoy!
Bumps in the Bitcoin Road
April 17th, 2013 Submitted by Jeffrey A. Tucker
Now that Bitcoin seems to be on the way toward monetization, or at least the long process is noticeably underway, there are a number of issues that are troubling people. I will deal with a few here. Note this crucial distinction which is somehow lost on many commentators on the Bitcoin issue. The flaws are not with the technological unit itself but with its mode of delivery in real market conditions.
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Fr33 Aid Abandons Non-Profit Tax Status in Favor of Bitcoin
April 15th, 2013 Submitted by Davi Barker
Exciting news from the world of Bitcoin this Tax Cattle Day. Today is the day, with fear in our heart, we submit to the human farmers who fleece us under threat of violence. But today Fr33 Aid is making the courageous move of declaring their financial independence by willfully and publicly severing their ties with the IRS, forsaking all the banking privileges that entails, and announcing themselves as an entirely bitcoin based organization. As far as I know they are the first charitable organization to do this. I hope you can appreciate how radical this is.
Bitcoin Skepticism and Bitcoin Fever
April 12th, 2013 Submitted by Roman Skaskiw
Skepticism of Bitcoin usually begins, quite reasonably, by citing its lack of intrinsic value. In this regard, it compares unfavorably to gold, as discussed recently by Patrik Korda on Mises.org.
The second reason for recent Bitcoin skepticism is its meteoric (some would say bubble-like rise), which indeed experienced a sharp correction the day after Parik’s article. Time will surely tell, but for the impatient, the philosophers and the gamblers, I offer these reasons for measured optimism in everything but the very-long term.
Hope in Hawley
April 7th, 2013 Submitted by Alex R. Knight III
Hawley, Massachusetts. A small little town in a rural New England area west of the Berkshires. A recent article run by the Associated Press, “Small Mass. Town Sees a Rash of Resignations,” stated that:
“Select Board member Tedd White resigned Thursday, the fourth official in the town of about 330 residents to step down since a March 12 special election to replace a selectman who died in office.
White said in his resignation letter he would rather ‘pound my thumbs with a hammer’ than attend ‘crooked, rigged’ board meetings.”
