Meta tags:
description=Just another WordPress.com site;

Headings (most frequently used words):

the, in, obama, again, recent, tibor, space, reflections, on, modern, democracy, recycled, but, still, very, relevant, individualism, right, key, butts, nyt, is, wrong, once, consumerism, and, christmas, ip, anyone, at, daily, bell, laws, versus, regulations, utilitarian, foibles, liberty, productivity, posts, comments, archives, categories, meta,

Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (525), and (252), that (195), for (88), this (86), are (85), they (70), one (69), human (67), not (61), their (61), with (54), but (52), have (51), what (51), all (51), such (45), there (42), will (40), from (40), who (39), #individualism (38), some (38), property (35), free (35), our (34), people (33), those (29), can (28), which (28), his (28), you (27), has (26), more (25), would (25), beings (25), when (24), society (24), life (24), may (23), other (22), these (22), most (22), its (22), just (22), them (21), rights (21), intellectual (21), something (21), being (21), individuals (21), political (20), 2013 (20), very (20), posted (20), government (20), others (20), then (20), individual (20), also (20), only (19), how (19), make (19), tangible (19), tibor (18), nature (18), than (17), been (17), hobbes (17), own (16), any (16), about (16), intangible (16), new (16), individualist (16), public (15), well (15), classical (15), social (15), community (15), view (14), szatyor2693 (14), right (14), machan (14), even (14), idea (14), ideas (14), good (14), liberal (14), made (14), 2008 (13), obama (13), liberty (13), way (13), indeed (13), should (13), out (13), things (13), much (13), november (12), 2009 (12), 2010 (12), 2011 (12), 2012 (12), again (12), democracy (12), must (12), yet (12), course (12), point (12), example (12), does (12), lives (12), nothing (12), like (11), uncategorized (11), anyone (11), why (11), into (11), because (11), seems (11), novel (11), different (11), kind (11), unique (11), democrats (11), now (10), resources (10), want (10), men (10), work (10), while (10), usually (10), say (10), process (10), world (10), both (10), were (10), cannot (10), version (10), many (10), com (9), july (9), wrong (9), rest (9), women (9), too (9), believe (9), was (9), american (9), fact (9), whether (9), case (9), distinction (9), terms (9), university (9), york (9), over (9), man (9), comment (8), january (8), march (8), august (8), see (8), basic (8), think (8), never (8), personal (8), philosophy (8), protection (8), central (8), could (8), anything (8), matter (8), isn (8), certain (8), however (8), whatever (8), thus (8), book (8), merely (8), times (8), debt (8), wordpress (7), space (7), december (7), use (7), understanding (7), works (7), issue (7), need (7), power (7), citizens (7), market (7), country (7), interest (7), run (7), simply (7), since (7), thought (7), else (7), least (7), rand (7), possible (7), reason (7), problem (7), after (7), often (7), christmas (7), ultimately (7), press (7), thomas (7), business (7), true (7), position (7), humanity (7), state (7), efforts (7), goals (7), hobbesian (7), individuality (7), majority (7), democratic (7), get (6), comments (6), february (6), april (6), june (6), september (6), october (6), 2014 (6), modern (6), leave (6), statists (6), various (6), citizenry (6), namely (6), produce (6), etc (6), markets (6), know (6), economy (6), system (6), long (6), either (6), economic (6), great (6), here (6), supposed (6), tradition (6), governments (6), private (6), thing (6), first (6), same (6), less (6), did (6), take (6), part (6), might (6), poem (6), words (6), stuff (6), far (6), between (6), quite (6), consider (6), ones (6), although (6), come (6), major (6), time (6), among (6), off (6), law (6), consumerism (6), gift (6), where (6), libertarian (6), communities (6), comte (6), put (6), marx (6), down (6), everything (6), values (6), books (5), 2015 (5), recent (5), wants (5), productivity (5), initiative (5), productive (5), certainly (5), result (5), utilitarian (5), states (5), sure (5), don (5), choose (5), appear (5), health (5), folks (5), policy (5), laws (5), patents (5), another (5), essential (5), without (5), makes (5), against (5), latter (5), distinctive (5), poems (5), computer (5), seem (5), having (5), ayn (5), decisions (5), two (5), nor (5), division (5), form (5), aren (5), exactly (5), let (5), professor (5), message (5), commerce (5), love (5), members (5), vatican (5), every (5), living (5), common (5), had (5), libertarianism (5), princeton (5), contemporaries (5), moral (5), scientism (5), followers (5), preferences (5), each (5), vote (5), california (5), design (4), site (4), account (4), butts (4), once (4), reflections (4), still (4), projects (4), labor (4), including (4), http (4), actually (4), themselves (4), creative (4), though (4), suggest (4), keep (4), likes (4), upon (4), live (4), intervention (4), greatest (4), goes (4), versus (4), until (4), distinct (4), place (4), types (4), piece (4), someone (4), her (4), called (4), items (4), owned (4), whereas (4), serves (4), value (4), forth (4), tend (4), natural (4), classify (4), itself (4), musical (4), watch (4), hold (4), back (4), physical (4), materialism (4), anti (4), approach (4), theme (4), norton (4), held (4), ethics (4), order (4), whose (4), thinkers (4), support (4), notion (4), before (4), morality (4), choices (4), rousseau (4), given (4), liberalism (4), atomistic (4), polity (4), economists (4), subjective (4), thesis (4), capacity (4), earn (4), hudson (4), your (4), name (3), log (3), blog (3), politics (3), nyt (3), key (3), posts (3), allocate (3), www (3), editorials (3), better (3), call (3), philosophical (3), capable (3), bureaucrats (3), politicians (3), notice (3), agents (3), claim (3), become (3), behind (3), regulations (3), understood (3), likely (3), foibles (3), act (3), means (3), brought (3), services (3), high (3), essence (3), responsible (3), clear (3), uniquely (3), framework (3), read (3), constitution (3), mind (3), irrelevant (3), secure (3), death (3), societies (3), body (3), protects (3), via (3), later (3), land (3), designs (3), former (3), yes (3), outcome (3), related (3), effort (3), subject (3), object (3), item (3), objects (3), albeit (3), difficult (3), identify (3), control (3), supernatural (3), realm (3), entirely (3), mainly (3), arrangement (3), dresser (3), tends (3), portion (3), reality (3), belong (3), component (3), minds (3), material (3), spiritual (3), home (3), function (3), turn (3), game (3), amounts (3), start (3), chapman (3), school (3), enterprise (3), gifts (3), wish (3), church (3), desire (3), away (3), mundane (3), nearly (3), christian (3), materialist (3), religions (3), existence (3), earth (3), person (3), forces (3), views (3), care (3), champion (3), virtue (3), trade (3), higher (3), longer (3), few (3), needs (3), david (3), destinies (3), ethical (3), 1976 (3), especially (3), collectivist (3), communitarian (3), self (3), parts (3), owe (3), obligations (3), predecessors (3), successors (3), return (3), gives (3), direct (3), source (3), serve (3), taylor (3), line (3), type (3), linked (3), etzioni (3), 1985 (3), sciences (3), require (3), identified (3), development (3), fully (3), really (3), bits (3), rational (3), along (3), implications (3), radical (3), attributes (3), done (3), contributions (3), wealth (3), years (3), 187 (3), voting (3), party (3), enacted (3), required (2), manage (2), report (2), content (2), sign (2), subscribed (2), subscribe (2), feed (2), create (2), commentary (2), categories (2), recycled (2), relevant (2), older (2), statist (2), charge (2), everyone (2), permit (2), thedailybell (2), sthash (2), dpuf (2), realize (2), judge (2), sensible (2), wise (2), heart (2), dispute (2), getting (2), driven (2), incapable (2), around (2), completely (2), powers (2), deemed (2), exceptions (2), rule (2), innovate (2), address (2), advocate (2), pushing (2), deny (2), creates (2), theory (2), tax (2), prohibits (2), intrusions (2), regimentation (2), engage (2), main (2), exists (2), instead (2), fail (2), grasp (2), shame (2), year (2), gang (2), socialist (2), products (2), employment (2), fellows (2), entrepreneurship (2), under (2), provided (2), violate (2), prosperity (2), freedom (2), program (2), securing (2), job (2), declaration (2), independence (2), feature (2), bill (2), insurance (2), coerce (2), purchase (2), insists (2), number (2), goal (2), bell (2), finally (2), ownership (2), copyrights (2), reassigned (2), owner (2), necessarily (2), hasn (2), developed (2), enforce (2), copyright (2), akin (2), enforcement (2), protected (2), taxation (2), occurs (2), legal (2), conceives (2), mean (2), find (2), answer (2), ordinary (2), creation (2), invest (2), gain (2), produced (2), tree (2), mountain (2), particular (2), intention (2), end (2), appears (2), significant (2), measure (2), intentional (2), candidate (2), intentions (2), identity (2), created (2), william (2), locke (2), basis (2), current (2), champions (2), james (2), novels (2), paradoxical (2), apart (2), ways (2), continuum (2), smoke (2), brick (2), diffused (2), kinds (2), leading (2), set (2), theological (2), hope (2), critics (2), ontological (2), dualism (2), supposedly (2), fundamentally (2), composition (2), face (2), takes (2), color (2), top (2), building (2), car (2), house (2), unless (2), force (2), supply (2), enable (2), distinguishing (2), candidates (2), plato (2), actual (2), suggests (2), intimately (2), expressed (2), treated (2), enough (2), metaphysics (2), rendition (2), element (2), contact (2), otherwise (2), distinguish (2), aspects (2), inventions (2), combination (2), configured (2), show (2), song (2), pen (2), lead (2), little (2), encounters (2), wishes (2), reach (2), contrasts (2), above (2), assuming (2), potential (2), argue (2), constitute (2), analysis (2), afoot (2), ever (2), similar (2), popes (2), change (2), remember (2), giving (2), involves (2), family (2), rely (2), within (2), christianity (2), pope (2), millions (2), west (2), places (2), money (2), historically (2), despite (2), previous (2), dead (2), according (2), reports (2), calls (2), elements (2), avid (2), concerned (2), god (2), bin (2), laden (2), islam (2), commander (2), muslim (2), khosru (2), army (2), widely (2), contemporary (2), literature (2), superior (2), america (2), found (2), distorted (2), historical (2), founders (2), extensive (2), foundation (2), paul (2), trying (2), ideology (2), reactionary (2), features (2), mixed (2), affairs (2), knowledge (2), whom (2), gained (2), mystery (2), guide (2), wherein (2), managed (2), special (2), group (2), executive (2), pay (2), president (2), rutledge (2), 1998 (2), 1957 (2), emeritus (2), departments (2), auburn (2), alabama (2), argyros (2), economics (2), orange (2), hoiles (2), chair (2), 1997 (2), defenders (2), stress (2), inherited (2), associations (2), betray (2), academic (2), hands (2), popular (2), alternatives (2), useful (2), behalf (2), repeatedly (2), collective (2), acquire (2), ultimate (2), tolerate (2), born (2), birth (2), accumulate (2), service (2), definitive (2), formula (2), sanction (2), exclusively (2), instincts (2), benevolence (2), happiness (2), duty (2), tribe (2), adult (2), decide (2), making (2), following (2), contrary (2), starobinski (2), 2003 (2), review (2), treats (2), link (2), recently (2), narrow (2), communitarianism (2), collectivism (2), easily (2), non (2), sufficient (2), calling (2), actions (2), room (2), institutions (2), authority (2), sovereignty (2), old (2), ago (2), defense (2), presses (2), fighting (2), light (2), pretty (2), famous (2), atomism (2), authors (2), versions (2), decades (2), douglas (2), cambridge (2), harper (2), row (2), objective (2), comprise (2), definite (2), share (2), mistake (2), came (2), landed (2), dozens (2), gotten (2), sadly (2), attention (2), socialism (2), expected (2), stage (2), happen (2), believed (2), recommended (2), except (2), collection (2), physics (2), advances (2), progress (2), wanted (2), doesn (2), method (2), matters (2), philosopher (2), lights (2), follow (2), left (2), karl (2), deal (2), ideals (2), seen (2), requires (2), results (2), illusion (2), vital (2), sense (2), general (2), impact (2), goods (2), choice (2), give (2), reject (2), impose (2), tenets (2), important (2), purpose (2), path (2), neo (2), includes (2), separate (2), quantitative (2), talents (2), species (2), based (2), crucial (2), persons (2), novelist (2), consciousness (2), proper (2), ancient (2), says (2), sacrifice (2), myself (2), perpetrate (2), ruse (2), luck (2), sunstein (2), wonderful (2), artists (2), bunch (2), argument (2), past (2), said (2), didn (2), reimbursements (2), ought (2), depends (2), taxes (2), hearts (2), suddenly (2), proposition (2), judicial (2), demand (2), started, website, email, write, loading, collapse, bar, subscriptions, reader, privacy, already, join, subscribers, entries, meta, news, archives, ray, aga, dem, search, short, undertaken, 34699, rqqemgrt, reserve, prerogative, spending, rob, prudent, lies, dealt, barnyard, beasts, masters, animals, innovation, creativity, pushed, inconsistent, grant, running, possess, undertake, passive, omits, motivated, assume, lethargic, trust, nudging, stimulating, nudge, nudgers, artificial, incentives, issues, threats, stimulus, packages, breaks, subsidies, entrepreneurial, guarantee, slaves, scared, gusto, routinely, distrust, advocating, stimuli, refuse, 34657, obamas, zaovpmpd, step, regiment, pretend, misguide, notorious, five, plans, stalin, unleashed, russia, satellite, soviet, knees, creatively, productively, payoffs, charitable, leads, boot, proactive, implement, daydream, purposefully, marketed, arises, bustling, render, arbitrary, restriction, stops, achieving, objectives, opposite, regime, departs, significantly, supports, primary, yourself, revolution, provide, elderly, necessary, young, unalienable, morally, promote, perhaps, sentient, overrides, violated, editorial, heartland, org, daily, compared, cease, trademarks, voluntary, exchange, transfer, odd, smoothly, consistently, complain, security, guards, taxing, unjust, understands, establishes, protect, beside, device, patent, contract, trademark, secondary, detail, owning, thinking, finds, appropriates, appropriate, produces, gadget, machine, product, copies, traditions, possession, games, becoming, intentionality, decides, purposes, conversely, pre, existing, concatenation, comes, status, hinge, qualifying, remotely, intended, mentally, tied, starting, ockham, john, decision, mix, acquisition, sadowsky, israel, kirzner, judgment, explore, possibility, untouched, meaning, deliberations, trees, rocks, fish, lakes, deliberate, names, screenplays, compositions, arrangements, alleged, problematic, theories, divide, differentiation, numerous, exclusive, particularly, cigarette, pollutants, neither, straightforwardly, inspection, hand, unlike, vapor, clouds, allusive, liquids, easy, bricks, gases, dense, pure, theater, mirrors, misleading, embraces, invoke, independent, usual, unfounded, distinctions, occur, recourse, fits, performance, recording, fossil, manifest, shape, appearance, marks, style, sounds, band, rock, soil, ghosts, spirits, initially, plausible, delimitation, controlled, fuzzy, grab, characters, bearing, agency, bans, scarcity, capture, aspect, realms, ideal, instances, sophisticated, hinted, through, lacks, strictly, connected, brains, medium, owners, derive, fundamental, branch, dualist, bodies, souls, immaterial, proposed, parcels, senses, score, romance, touched, felt, sensory, organs, immediate, attempt, raw, wild, elaborate, landscapers, metal, mineral, glass, assembled, randomly, assembly, materials, designed, appealing, paper, typewriter, ink, written, author, becomes, manuscript, faces, surrounds, quality, list, invention, alone, clarification, debate, owns, quote, skeptic, tom, federal, welfare, sorts, creators, delong, competitive, institute, regarded, brief, essay, offer, resolution, urge, generous, celebration, besmirch, beats, nonsense, term, embodies, intelligence, spirit, celebrate, highly, honoring, occasion, skilled, crafts, bestow, cherish, personally, bought, airline, tickets, airplane, fly, factory, expertise, date, obtain, billions, roman, catholic, excel, ostentatious, display, riches, mass, eve, witness, ironically, issued, proclamations, peter, square, visited, opulent, shop, dominates, entrance, invited, spend, sums, small, sizable, trinkets, flourishes, cashes, visitors, reminder, theologically, western, friendly, attitude, toward, leaders, denominations, revert, original, doctrines, condemning, commercialism, latest, followed, lamenting, celebrating, referred, streets, newspaper, chiding, everywhere, caught, consumerist, pursuits, peace, denunciation, seriously, prosperously, designated, divine, jesus, destruction, generally, sin, christians, noted, originated, battle, qadisiyya, 636, khalid, ibn, walid, sent, emissary, caliph, abu, bakr, persian, stated, convert, safe, recited, writer, notes, preparation, orchestration, terrorist, deed, murdered, 3000, innocent, payback, rant, routine, discussion, mil, professionalwriting, volumes, volume5, january_2007, 1_07_4, html, recall, osama, explained, evident, readership, sources, information, aside, editors, fringe, restoring, prominence, accuracy, evidently, demean, wonder, loves, big, interventionism, domestic, international, gist, limited, constitutional, due, opening, salvo, lengthy, test, presidential, candidacy, tries, broaden, appeal, fringes, mainstream, combat, trend, led, convictions, arrogance, staggering, kings, pharaohs, caesars, politburos, butting, immemorial, abolished, movement, presumably, measures, legally, backed, regulators, qualifies, superiors, organizing, panel, topic, command, transactions, normal, signals, entrepreneurs, carry, puzzled, hardly, mention, columns, intrusion, relation, overtime, task, dictate, employers, employees, suppose, applicable, fascist, dictates, relations, sometimes, criticized, failing, concern, references, london, chapter, leviathan, collier, 1962, atlas, shrugged, random, libertarians, avoid, individualists, lockean, obviously, rankles, gladly, chosen, doubt, thousands, scholars, feeding, universities, supported, play, sucking, grants, soon, replace, currently, semi, repeated, shore, hopeless, contradictory, subsidiary, larger, wholes, willing, speak, valiant, missed, musings, utter, positions, messages, second, debts, extracted, utilized, beneficiaries, convinced, speaking, easier, needed, hoodwinked, theirs, repaying, spent, pursuit, cathechisme, positiviste, paris, temple, humanite, rests, load, increase, forthright, added, pleased, punch, stand, ready, extract, ethnic, club, religious, nation, large, priority, responsibility, derivative, innumerable, phrase, organ, cell, limb, jean, explaining, aptitude, receives, grows, hence, addition, citizen, conditional, genuine, conditionally, redundant, attacks, dubbed, succeed, post, marxist, alternative, robust, yield, hidden, normative, incredible, operate, independently, implied, level, initiators, ill, sphere, jurisdiction, nozick, worth, noting, connection, containing, eagerly, allies, presentations, lop, sided, aeon, skoble, almost, decade, several, forums, starters, amiss, pointing, limitations, doing, published, renown, insecurity, advance, repeat, publish, peer, tilted, accepted, premier, publishers, virginia, bias, turf, publishing, rival, scandals, apt, fan, atomization, herbert, marcuse, characterizing, capitalist, producing, dimensional, emphatically, continue, insist, conception, irretrievably, wedded, refusing, rather, astutely, selfishness, concept, egoism, library, 1961, fred, miller, neera, badhwar, eric, mack, rasmussen, den, uyl, alas, revamped, thorn, sides, insisted, energetic, smear, campaign, outlook, amitai, etizioni, monochrome, roberto, mangabeira, unger, spragens, irony, chicago, 1981, charles, robert, bellah, habits, commitment, 1991, upgrading, framed, exciting, irreplaceable, flourish, extremely, costly, inhuman, cropper, figure, suffer, deficiencies, concocted, salvage, third, college, try, got, bogged, turns, ignore, authoritarian, totalitarian, figuring, misunderstands, bee, hive, ant, colony, encouraged, early, advocates, liability, boon, excuse, denigrate, declared, sort, infantile, concluding, mature, serious, eliminates, move, propelled, impersonal, standards, accept, lay, impel, absolute, monarchy, full, turned, methodological, develop, atoms, became, favored, forward, slow, impeding, arrested, interfere, consume, ergo, adam, smith, laissez, faire, efficient, him, classes, natures, apple, zebra, advocated, pieces, classification, interests, roughly, animal, height, weight, chose, convention, lines, skill, reductive, analytical, 16th, century, english, history, foremost, motion, treating, recommends, breaking, constitutive, reducing, smallest, governing, extended, centuries, emergence, irked, hegel, wielding, arrest, potent, weapons, flaws, betterment, whole, advantageous, entire, claiming, capitalism, inspires, underpins, criminal, culpability, gains, rejection, guilt, pride, environmental, ubiquitous, phenomena, tragedy, commons, suggesting, stake, caring, honed, officials, represent, cut, policies, resource, preservation, conservation, successfully, aspirations, prosperous, trumped, considerations, vocal, groups, overriding, calculation, austrian, price, properly, objectively, valuable, collectives, argues, idiosyncratic, significance, imposition, skeptical, reasons, enables, defend, subjectivity, accordingly, tended, seeing, known, served, undermine, child, sacrificed, conclusion, decisive, role, secular, aristotelian, rationally, classifiable, contrast, collectivity, holds, implies, norms, taken, mere, whatsoever, appetite, calleth, hate, aversion, evil, preference, legitimately, vulnerable, arbitrariness, resting, bourgeoisie, capitalists, white, european, males, nominalist, subjectivist, numerically, bare, particulars, qualitative, primarily, consisting, entities, willingness, forge, close, somewhat, labeled, earlier, equally, tasks, fingerprints, voices, shapes, ages, locations, individuating, crux, nonetheless, possessed, member, defining, diversity, entity

Text of the page (random words):
m other individuals in the various communities of which they are members taylor following rousseau and others at this point would use the phrase belong to their communities thus assuming that the community is some kind of body of which the individual is but an organ cell or limb this is contrary to the message of a long line of communitarian collectivist thinkers who believe that in the words of jean starobinski explaining rousseau s ideas in the may 15 2003 issue of the new york review of books the aptitude for moral life is a gift that the individual receives from the society in which he grows up hence he is in debt to that society starobinski reports in addition that rousseau treats the life of the citizen as a conditional gift of the state exactly how a gift places one in debt to someone is a mystery genuine gifts aren t supposed to be given conditionally two things are repeatedly missed in all these musings first it is individuals who utter these positions hold these views and so betray their own messages of collective identity second because of the first whatever debts individuals might owe to the society state or community will be extracted and utilized by individuals with their own goals as the beneficiaries states communities societies do not have goals only individuals do although those individuals who manage to convinced others that they are speaking in behalf of the community state or society wherein one is a citizens will have an easier time to acquire from others the resources needed to support their goals having hoodwinked everyone to believe those goals are actually theirs and they are repaying a debt when their own lives are spent on the pursuit of these goals this is the ultimate message of comte s words in cathechisme positiviste paris temple de l humanite 1957 when he states the social point of view cannot tolerate the notion of rights for such notion rests on individualism we are born under a load of obligations of every kind to our predecessors to our successors to our contemporaries after our birth these obligations increase or accumulate for it is some time before we can return any service this to live for others the definitive formula of human morality gives a direct sanction exclusively to our instincts of benevolence the common source of happiness and duty man must serve humanity whose we are entirely had he been more forthright he would have added and i ll be pleased as punch to stand ready to extract from you the debt you owe to those predecessors successors and contemporaries no doubt with the academic community being in the hands of thousands of scholars feeding off the collectivist political order most universities are state run and supported and even those that aren t play the game of sucking up to the state for grants and such it isn t likely that the individualist libertarian theme will soon replace the currently popular semi socialist communitarian etc alternatives still it is useful as one encounters repeated efforts to shore up what is ultimately a hopeless indeed self contradictory idea namely that human individuals are merely subsidiary parts of larger wholes in whose behalf these thinkers are only too willing to speak to stress that there is no there there despite all these valiant efforts human beings are both individual and social beings and they do not belong to anything or anyone their lives are their own something that obviously rankles those who would gladly take over and run it for them and in the process of living they are responsible to make sure that their inherited or chosen associations are wise ones not ones that betray their humanity still it is difficult to see how libertarians and defenders of free markets freedom of trade etc can avoid being also individualists this is especially true of those who stress the need for the protection of basic human rights in the lockean individualist position machan is professor emeritus at the departments of philosophy auburn university alabama and at the argyros school of business economics chapman university orange ca where he held the r c hoiles chair in business ethics and free enterprise from 1997 to 2014 references tibor r machan classical individualism london rutledge 1998 hobbes thomas good chapter 6 of leviathan new york collier books 1962 norton david l personal destinies a philosophy of ethical individualism princeton n j princeton university press 1976 rand ayn atlas shrugged new york random house 1957 machan is professor emeritus at the departments of philosophy auburn university alabama and at the argyros school of business economics chapman university orange ca where he held the r c hoiles chair in business ethics and free enterprise from 1997 to 2014 the declaration of independence is sometimes criticized for failing to address the protection of the public interest but that is itself to fail to grasp that securing the protection of the individual rights of the citizenry is exactly the public interest that needs to be the concern of a free government posted in uncategorized leave a comment obama butts in again posted on march 12 2014 by szatyor2693 obama butts in again tibor r machan i am puzzled that there is hardly any mention in the press columns editorials etc about mr obama s executive intrusion in the employment relation he wants to have overtime pay be higher than it is he seems to think it is the task of the president to dictate terms of trade between employers and employees but it isn t not in a free country but i suppose free country is no longer applicable to the american economy it has become a fascist system where the political executive dictates the terms of economic relations and very few of us appear to mind this i am organizing a panel at my university the topic of which is entrepreneurship in a mixed economy the idea is of course that when politicians and bureaucrats command the terms of trade among the millions of citizens who take part in market transactions the normal signals that guide the decisions of entrepreneurs get distorted what is supposed to be a place wherein the agents carry out their work is not free but managed by a special group of citizens why presumably these citizens have superior knowledge and great measures of virtue than their fellows over whom they have gained legally backed power they are the regulators and just what qualifies them as superiors to the rest of us is a mystery this is one of the features of a mixed economy the arrogance of it is staggering although historically it is common kings pharaohs caesars politburos and such have been butting in the economic affairs of men and women from time immemorial it is this set up that was supposed to be abolished by the classical liberal remember liberal means free political social movement ultimately the only way to combat this reactionary trend led by mr obama co is with the convictions of the citizenry posted in uncategorized 1 comment the nyt is wrong once again posted on january 27 2014 by szatyor2693 the new york times is wrong again tibor r machan here is the opening salvo in the new york times of a lengthy piece on rand paul and it is dead wrong as rand paul test markets a presidential candidacy and tries to broaden his appeal he is also trying to take libertarianism an ideology long on the fringes of american politics into the mainstream the fact is that the libertarianism was the gist of the philosophical foundation of the american political system natural individual rights limited constitutional government free market due process of law all these were there at the start and libertarianism is simply restoring them to prominence but of course the new york times care nothing for historical accuracy it wishes evidently to demean the ideas both the american founders and libertarianism champion no wonder since the times loves big government extensive interventionism both domestic and international it is also quite evident that the times has a very distorted view of its own readership as if they had no other sources of historical information aside from that of the editors of the times what was central to the founders is to the times fringe shame on them posted in uncategorized 1 comment consumerism and christmas posted on december 24 2013 by szatyor2693 consumerism and christmas tibor r machan you all may recall that after 9 11 osama bin laden explained his orchestration of the terrorist deed that murdered some 3000 innocent human beings as payback for america s materialism his anti materialist rant is routine a good discussion of his views may be found here http www army mil professionalwriting volumes volume5 january_2007 1_07_4 html yet as the writer of the above piece notes anti materialism is a common theme among most religions sure the idea that human life is about preparation for an after life a spiritual life superior to the mundane one we can lead here on earth is central to religions in the west however many religions have made peace with the mundane elements of human existence so there tends to be a less avid denunciation of materialism which is how the idea of being seriously concerned with living prosperously here on earth is usually designated after all the christian god is both human and divine in the person of jesus destruction of life is generally deemed to be a sin for christians whereas as bin laden has noted the love of death is central in his version of islam as one account has it this originated at the battle of qadisiyya in the year 636 when the commander of the muslim forces khalid ibn al walid sent an emissary with a message from caliph abu bakr to the persian commander khosru the message stated you khosru and his people should convert to islam and then you will be safe for if you don t you should know that i have come to you with an army of men that love death as you love life this account is widely recited in contemporary muslim literature yet despite the western theological tradition s more friendly attitude toward the mundane nearly every christmas leaders of christian denominations tend to revert to the original anti life doctrines by condemning commercialism the latest pope followed the previous one by lamenting the materialist approach to celebrating christmas they referred to the dead end streets of consumerism according to newspaper reports chiding people everywhere for what the report calls being caught up with consumerist pursuits ironically the pope issued his proclamations from st peter s square at the vatican if you have ever visited the vatican as i and millions of others have you would know it to be one of the west s if not the world s most opulent places and as to consumerism the gift shop dominates the entrance to the vatican where one is invited to spend great sums of money on various small or sizable trinkets commerce flourishes there believe me as the vatican cashes in on the desire of many of the visitors to take away some reminder of their having been to that historically and theologically significant place of course even apart from the vatican the roman catholic church as well as others within christianity often excel in ostentatious display of riches one need but go to high mass on christmas eve to witness this and why not that is how human beings tend to celebrate what they value highly by honoring the occasion with gift giving and gift giving necessarily involves commerce most of us aren t skilled at the crafts that it takes to create the various gifts we wish to bestow upon those we love and cherish i personally bought airline tickets for some of my family members and a computer for another in part because i have no airplane in which to fly them where they would like to go and no factory and expertise to make a modern up to date computer to obtain these gifts i rely as do billions of others on commerce so why then would popes besmirch consumerism and commerce beats me and remember also that materialism is ultimately a nonsense term nothing we purchase is simply material but embodies the creative intelligence indeed the creative spirit of many human beings so i urge all popes to change their message and to have a more generous understanding of all who make use of commerce in our celebration of christmas posted in uncategorized comments off on consumerism and christmas ip anyone posted on november 25 2013 by szatyor2693 intellectual property anyone tibor r machan there is a debate afoot now about whether one ever owns the likes of a novel poem computer game song arrangement or similar intellectual items some argue to quote the skeptic professor tom bell of chapman university s school of law copyrights and patents function as a federal welfare program of sorts of creators while others such as james v delong of the competitive enterprise institute hold that it is difficult to see why intellectual property should be regarded as fundamentally different from physical property i want to suggest a way to come to terms with this dispute in this brief essay and offer a possible resolution a major issue that faces one who wishes to reach a sensible understanding of intellectual property is just what intellectual serves to distinguish among what surrounds us in the world and how that contrasts with other kinds and types of possible property what quality does intellectual point to about something in my list above i am assuming that whatever is an invention or creation of the human mind amounts to potential ip while others would argue that nothing intellectual in fact can constitute property let alone private property but this is merely to start things off in need of clarification and analysis some have proposed that the major element distinguishing intellectual from other property is that it is supposed to be intangible so for example home or car or land parcels are tangible capable of being brought into contact with our senses however a musical score or arrangement or a romance novel is supposed to be intangible such a thing cannot be touched felt or otherwise brought into contact with our sensory organs yet an immediate problem this attempt to distinguish intellectual property is that there are tangible aspects to inventions and there are intangible aspects to these other items that are supposedly all tangible a home is not just some raw stuff but a building that is the result of a combination of ideas some of them inventions even land isn t owned exactly as it occurs in the wild but is configured by the more or less elaborate design work of landscapers the same with whatever so called tangible items that function is property a watch is not just some metal mineral glass and such assembled randomly but some assembly of such materials designed to show time and otherwise be appealing as well in turn a novel song or computer game is also a combination of tangible and intangible stuff the paper typewriter or pen and the lead or ink with which the novel is written only the author...