LA Pointless Numberplate watch, no-2356b

David Davis

SIIIY JD…..B4 WEE (really)…..B4 14 SUE (conjures up worrying scenarios of interest to social workers, that one.)

Against Central Bank Independence

by David Webb

Hungary has come under EU pressure to reverse its attempt to bring its central bank under democratic control. I suppose you could say the  EU is consistent in that it wants monetary affairs conducted away from the glare of publicity–there is no democratic input into the European  Central Bank either. Of course, Hungary is not a member of the eurozone and so should be free to do as it pleases in monetary affairs, but, given its financial difficulties, the country is vulnerable to EU pressure not to dismantle the undemocratic technocracy, of which independent central banking is one element.

Shadow People: Attacks On Humans Increasing

Note: Will it bring men in white coats knocking on my door if I say that I “saw” such creatures when I was a very young child? That doesn’t mean I believe in their existence. Seeing things that aren’t there and can’t be there may be a part of tuning the human mind. But it’s interesting to read that others have seen them. Mr Blake describes one in his Blood of Alexandria. SIG

The Corporate State: A House Divided Against Itself

by Kevin Carson
http://c4ss.org/?p=9584

The present historic epoch is one of transition from authoritarian institutions like states and corporations, to a society of self-organized networks and voluntary associations. As in any historic transition, second-order variables introduce high levels of turbulence to the process.

The Boy Friend

Ken Russell was frequently maddening. On the other hand, he could make his actors do the most uncharacteristic and even astonishing things. Here, for example, is Twiggy giving what I think is the best ever performance of All I Do the Whole Night Through.

Mrs Gabb and I watched the whole of The Boy Friend on telly last night. All else aside, it may be her only collaboration with Ken Russell in which Glenda Jackson keeps all her clothes on….

Still here

David Davis

I don’t know really how people who have stuff to do can find enough time to blog. At least it’s rather easier today than trying to keep a “diary”. Does anyone remember those? And you couldn’t even publish them. Not easily anyway.

We are embarrassed by the lack of content put up by us this last few days, but there are always other things that need to be done.

 

Thoughts on Privatisation

by David Webb

Privatisation of services – which is basically what libertarians are calling for, along with an elimination of personal taxation – suffers from the key flaw that the bureaucratisation of our society extends to the private sector too: just because they are privatised, services do not have to be efficiently run, with lean management teams.

Libertarian Alliance Personal Numberplate watch edition 203a/5

David Davis

K4MAL (must be a Lebanese restaurateur), K9REN (seen a few weeks earlier but forgotten), WI6AN M, followed closely by another similar WW Beetle called WI6AN W (driven by a girl.) Hint: think famous coalfields.)

No: we are interested in the interesting ones. KEN 699P does not cut the cake, nore does J233 RON, or P333 SHE. These are merely unimaginative and cheap.

Nadine Dorries MP and the Quest for Sexual Abstinence

by Sean Gabb

I have just heard that Nadine Dorries has withdrawn her Sex Education (Required Content) Bill. If passed, this would have required schoolgirls to discuss abstinence in the classroom. The summary of the Bill taken from the UK Parliament website is as follows:

Change You can believe in….

Walter E. Kaegi: Emperor of Byzantium

Heraclius: Emperor of Byzantium
Walter E. Kaegi
Cambridge University Press, 2003, 380pp
ISBN 0 521 81459 6
Reviewed by Richard Blake

This is the first biography of Heraclius in over a century, and the first ever in English. That a biography was worth writing should be clear from the book’s cover note:

What War with Iran Might Look Like

Note: Most Englishmen who comment on American politics fit themselves into the world view of either the Republican or Democrat Parties. Therefore, most English comment on Mr Obama proceeds on the assumption that what he has done to America is supremely good or supremely bad. But I am not pro-American. I judge American politics purely by their impact on England.

For this reason, I regard Mr Obama as an excellent American President, and very much hope he wins the next election. He may have turned America into more of a police state than his opponents would have done. He may simply have turned it into a different sort of police state from the one his opponents had in mind. I don’t care. I’m not an American. I don’t live in America. What happens there is, in itself, of no more consequence to me than what happens in Ecuador or Nigeria. What I do like about Mr Obama, however, is that he is the first American President in over 30 years who has not started any wars. Doubtless, he has not made the world a safer place. But he has done little to make it even more dangerous than he found it.

Since Ron Paul will not be the Republican candidate this year, the American presidential election will be a contest between a man who has started no wars, and whatever unwrapped mummy has bellowed the loudest that he will go to war with Iran/North Korea/Russia/China/Somalia/Cuba, etc, etc. Unless you really want the world to be blown up because “Jesus would have done it,” I suggest it isn’t much of a contest.

Sooner or later, the dollar will collapse, and America will complete its long transition from barbarism to decadence. We shall all then be able to forget the nightmare of its hegemony, except as a threat to naughty children – “Eat up your greens, or the Americans will come and bomb you!” For the moment, Mr Obama is easily the safest pair of hands in Washington. I may even donate £25 to his re-election fund. SIG

Justin Raimondo on Libertarian Strategy

by Justin Raimondo
http://bleedingheartlibertarians.com/2012/01/libertarianism-political-action-cultural-change/#comments

To begin with, the idea that you and the rest of the “bleeding heart libertarians” on this blog are libertarians is the result of a misunderstanding. Are we really supposed to take seriously a “libertarian” who proposes licensing parents by the State? Puh-leeze.

Secondly, your “argument” in favor of the “trickle down” theory — that libertarians must convert “the intellectuals” in order to make any long lasting change — is dishonest, self-serving, and just plain false. After all, since jobs in the realm of ideas are rare and much sought after, and since most of these coveted positions are financed by money-bags with an agenda of their own (often in conflict with libertarianism), “intellectuals” are easily bribed, and the majority naturally tend to act as apologists for power. He who pays the piper calls the tune.

Third, your argument is incredibly self-serving: since you are doubtless the recipient of financial largesse from IHS, what you’re saying is: “Please don’t give any money to the Paul campaign: instead, you should give it to me.” That is your argument, boiled down to its essentials: why not come out and say it?

What has your panties in a bunch is the indisputable fact that Paul’s success is due precisely to the incredible success of the Rothbardian-Rockwellian “right wing populist” strategy which you and your fellow “bleeding hearts” despise: all those “yahoos” snot-nose Jeffrey Friedman hates are rallying around Paul’s libertarian banner! Horrors! Well, isn’t that just tough: you and your “left-libertarian” cronies don’t own the libertarian label, and never did.

“Bleeding heart libertarianism” is a device whereby a bunch of spoiled Kochotopus-funded nonentities hope to get tenure by convincing your commie colleagues in the faculty lounge that libertarianism is just another form of leftism. Well, good luck with that, because you’ll need it. In the meantime, you’ll pardon the rest of us as we ignore IHS and give our support to the Paul camaign.

Oh, and by the way: your efforts to reach out to the “left” are being surpassed by the Paul campaign, as progressives like Tom Hayden, Glen Greenwald, John Walsh, and a host of others defend Paul from the vicious attacks you and your ilk are promoting. So please

History of an Idea

Spiked: Falsely Claiming to Oppose the Race Relations Industry

Spiked: Falsely Claiming to Oppose the Race Relations Industry
David Webb

Cultural Notes No. 57

An occasional publication of the Libertarian Alliance,
Suite 35, 2 Lansdowne Row, Mayfair, London, W1J 6HL.

ISBN 9781856376440

ISSN 0267-677X (print)
ISSN 2042-2539 (online)

© 2012: Libertarian Alliance, David Webb

David Webb studied Chinese and Russian at Leeds University, where he was involved in Marxist politics. He has since become a conservative writer, contributing to The Salisbury Review and Right Now!, and more recently contributing extensively to the Libertarian Alliance blog. He lived for four years in China (Tianjin, Kunming and Chengdu) and now writes freelance on Chinese politics and economics.

The views expressed in this publication are those of its author, and not necessarily those of the Libertarian Alliance, its Committee, Advisory Council or subscribers.

FOR LIFE, LIBERTY AND PROPERTY

Bad teachers, or just bad curricula?

David Davis

“Bad teachers should be sacked within weeks”, it says in the Daily Mail which didn’t print my comment, probably because I broke “Godwin’s Law” and used the N-word. But I said it on Facebook anyway:-

The main problem is not “bad teachers”. Bad teachers are “a” problem, but not “the” problem. “The” problem is bad, mendacious, self-important, twaddle-laden, Nazi “syllabuses”, set by governments that think they ought to be “delivering” education. This is compounded and entrenched by making today’s teachers all pass a qualifcation in practical Marxism, provided during “teacher training”, otherwise they can’t become “accredited”, whatever that means….

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=293042434077087&id=662052517

More personalised number plates

David Davis

All observed in the last month or so, in Lancashire and Liverpool.

X 4 DC X….BI6 ROB….MI55 CDW….STO3 LEN (really)….PI MMP (yes really)….MAR6E (I think)….J8YNE….others to follow when I can find the scrap of paper on the dashboard.

Sean Gabb: On Defending “The Indefensible”

Free Life Commentary,
A Personal View from
The Director of the Libertarian Alliance
Issue Number 217
12^th January 2012

On Defending “The Indefensible”
by Sean Gabb

During the past month, I have spent much of my time as Director of the Libertarian Alliance speaking up for the rights of Emma West – theSouth London“Tram Lady” – and of the alleged murderers of Stephen Lawrence. Because of this, I have received several e-mails of denunciation. I normally ignore criticism. However, since I may spend at least the next few years defending the rights of people who are regarded as unspeakably evil by the ruling class and all who stand in awe of the ruling class, it may be useful if I say something in my own defence.

A Year of Wonders — And Another to Come?

by Kevin Carson
http://c4ss.org/?p=9459

Looking back on the events of 2011, I have to keep reminding myself it wasn’t a dream.

I should post less often

David Davis

Interesting it is, how, when one of mine hits the top here, the LA site-stats go down to less than 40 views an hour. (That is //total views//, not “unique” ones not previously logged.) Otherwise, they chug merrily along at 80-120 views an hour, and sometimes many more than that, specially when the Director has put something up! I will henceforth write less often, but try to be //better!//

Idea: please tell me in the comments what you might like me to write (or not write) about!