FREE MARKETS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

BLODGIAL has existed since January 2001.

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My name is Isaac Marmolejo and I currently study Economics and Political Science at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

This blog contains my opinions on philosophy, politics, government, and economics. I consider myself an Austrian economist and I regard Ludwig Mises and Ludwig Lachmann as my main influences in economics, but I do not limit myself into just reading, or being influenced by, Austrian Economists. I like the UCLA economic school of thought at the moment, more specifically I do like the writings of Armen Alchian and Harold Demsetz, and I also like the economics of Frank Knight and, to a lesser extent, Ronald Coase. I am also interested in Post-Keynesian economic and while I love the theory, I am skeptical of it’s applications.

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Nick Gillespie reviews <em>Pity the Billionaire: The Hard Times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right</em>, by Thomas Frank. Thomas Frank, like too many on the left, prefers to live in a fantasy world where the U.S. government operates on an "austere" budget, and abides by laissez-faire principles.

‘“Almost all uses of land will entail some infringement on some other piece of land that is owned by someone else. So how can that ever be permitted? No story about freedom and property rights can ever justify the pollution of the air or the burning of fuels because those things affect the freedom and property rights of others. Those actions ultimately cause damage to surrounding property and people without getting any consent from those affected. They are the ethical equivalent – for honest libertarians – of punching someone in the face or breaking someone else’s window.”

So here we have a simple and coherent explanation of why libertarianism is so often associated with climate change denial and the playing down or dismissal of other environmental issues. It would be impossible for the owner of a power station, steel plant, quarry, farm or any large enterprise to obtain consent for all the trespasses he commits against other people’s property – including their bodies.’

"That’s my wife Veronica giving her brother Vincent a shave. Oddly enough, people who perform such rituals every day are rarely Ron Paul supporters. Vincent lived until the age of 38 with his parents. He moved in with us after his mother died. He then made the transition to a nearby group home. He spends his weekdays with friends, coworkers, and staff at a sheltered workshop. He receives good medical care for various significant challenges.

Because of Social Security’s disabled adult child program, Medicare, Medicaid, and a host imperfect, sometimes costly, often essential programs, Vincent has been able to spend his adult life in relative dignity, safety, and comfort. Because of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act and subsequent legislation, Vincent was able to attend public school, where he received important services. Because of those onerous class action lawsuits and the like, conditions at public and private care facilities are much better, much more community-based than they used to be.

Were it not for a host of policies that Ron Paul has consistently opposed, Vincent might well have exercised his individual liberty curled up medicated on a cot in the back ward of a gigantic state mental facility. His mother might have spent her final years going bankrupt, struggling to care for him at home or sending him away for institutional care. These comments might strike you as blogosphere hyperbole. They are not. These were common experiences across the country for hundreds of thousands of disabled people and their families well into the 1960s. In many places, inhumane policies persisted long after. Federal money and federal mandates were absolutely essential to address these concerns."

what is interesting to me here is the distinction between not liking a politician because of their beliefs and not liking one because they dont seem to have any. The writer here is arguing both for Ron Paul, but seems more to be attacking his integrity morevthan the fundamentals of libertarianism. i wonder if progressives like him not because they love his stand on things, but actually that he seems to actually have integrity and a political philosophy (which is notvwhat this guy is saying).

Arnold Kling meditates on the flaws of large organizations, and wonders why government-enthusiasts believe their favorite institution is immune to them. At least large corporations are vulnerable to competition from new firms (unless a government prevents that).