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< ? Colorado Blogs # >

:: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 ::

The Party of Principle

One of the reasons I remain a registered Libertarian is it's the only party I see taking principled stands on anything. A Libertarian Party activist wrote this letter which appeared in the Denver Post today.

Re: "Mandated primaries, conventions sought," Feb. 21 news story.
The Post's report on HB 1142 was misleading. It suggested that the effect of HB 1142 would be to force minor parties to have primaries. While this is true, it is like forcing a child to eat ice cream. Minor parties will be pleased to accept free publicity afforded by a primary election forced on them by state law.
This new law also would force counties to have otherwise unnecessary primaries at county taxpayer expense. Can you imagine requiring a primary in every precinct for the sole purpose of choosing the Libertarian nominees for governor and U.S. Senate? This would have happened in August of 2002 if HB 1142 had been in effect at that time. Yes, some counties would have had primaries for other reasons. But HB 1142 would have required a primary in every precinct of every county, even if there were no registered Libertarian voters in the entire county.
The House has passed HB 1142 and we await the Senate's decision. Should this law ever force a minor-party primary on the counties of Colorado, we Libertarians hope that citizens will remember that Libertarians vigorously opposed this law. We detest the idea of requiring taxpayers to fund a primary to select our nominees. We are quite capable of doing this ourselves without taxpayer assistance.
NORM OLSEN
Golden


To summarize, this bill would provide an ENORMOUS amount of 'free' publicity for the Libertarian Party but they are opposing it because it uses lots of public money. If you think taxation is theft you ought to stand behind your principle, and in this case the LP comes through with flying colors.

:: Walter 7:02 PM [+] ::
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:: Sunday, February 23, 2003 ::
The Bell Curve

Atrios wraps up a five part discussion of the book by that name here. I added, in the comments (typos corrected):

I read the book. Or at least I tried to. I read through the first chapters as the authors laid out their case, and the more I read the more I found it to be irrelevant. So what if they were right? So what if IQ is an accurate predictor of economic achievement, or that IQ is largely hereditary? (I'm not arguing that any of that is true) What are the policy implications? They may have tried to make the case for dismantling the welfare state but it seems to me that they make the opposite case, that some people are less capable of caring for themselves and will need permanent state subsidized assistance.
Eventually I put the book down and wrote it off as irrelevant to intellectual debate or public policy.


That book certainly doesn't do libertarianism any favors.

You may remember the most controversial aspect of the book is the authors' attempt to tie racial disparities in IQ scores to genetic differences. To be fair this is a small part of the book, and I could never understand why they included it in the book at all. The most cynical explanation would be that the authors were racist and were trying to give racist theories a boost.

:: Walter 12:26 PM [+] ::
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:: Saturday, February 22, 2003 ::
Why Regulation Doesn't Work

It didn't take long for regulation experts to get on the tube yesterday talking about how lax enforcement of local fire and safety codes is a danger around the country. I fully expect city councils and county commissioners and any other regulatory agency you can find will be passing new codes, beefed up penalties and increased budgets for inspectors. Your local nightclubs will be jumping through hoops for some time trying to keep up with the new wave of inspections and nanny types nosing around their places of business. Ever wonder how many of these experts are consultants who will make money from this situation?
Will you be safer for it? Not much. Why? Because these sorts of regulations fall under the realm of the political process. Here's some more of the predictable dialog that follows this sort of tragedy: (from the Denver Post)

A deadly flash fire, like the blaze that destroyed a West Warwick, R.I., nightclub called The Station, killing at least 95 people late Thursday, is not likely to happen in Denver any time soon, city fire officials said Friday.
That is, as long as club and theater owners comply with the city's inch-thick set of fire-code rules, Gonzales said.
"We have a few problems, but the vast majority of the clubs in our city have responsible owners that follow the rules," said Gonzales, who runs the Fire Department's fire-prevention and inspection division.
That is partly because the city is vigilant about enforcing its fire code, and the spaces that house nightclubs are monitored carefully, from design and construction through opening of the clubs' doors.


All well and good, but do you think, if asked the same question earlier in the week, fire officials in West Warwick, RI would have answered differently?
Certainly nightclub managers will be looking at their clubs with a fresh eye on safety in the coming days. But if history is a guide, we can expect that in a few years the furor over club and concert safety will die down, and the situation will slowly go back to the way things were a few days ago. That is in part because the political pressure to regulate the clubs will die down as public attention is diverted elsewhere.
There is no perfect solution to such problems, but there are ways to alleviate them. One is to shift the responsibility of safety inspection from governmental bodies to the organizations that are financially liable for injuries caused by negligence. Financial liability does not wane with time, and encourages long term vigilance. For instance, if insurance companies were forced to do their own inspections they might be much more strict than local government. It's doubtful that any insurance company would allow the Chicago nightclub E2 to stay open, and the prospect of losing liability coverage might be more daunting to the owners than city imposed sanctions. Could irresponsible club operators still exist under such a system? Of course they could. Accidents would still happen, and both of the recent tragedies seem to involve individuals knowingly skirting safety regulation. But it is sobering to think that private sector safety enforcement might have saved quite a few lives over the last week or two.

:: Walter 6:45 AM [+] ::
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:: Thursday, February 20, 2003 ::
Turnabout

If Annika Sorenstam is allowed to play a PGA your event, Brian Kontak thinks he should be allowed to qualify for the US Women's Open. Sheesh.

:: Walter 7:28 PM [+] ::
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:: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 ::
Drug War Casualty Revisited

Glenn Reynolds notices the drug war incident first mentioned here. Better late that never. This sort of thing should be brought to everyone's attention.

:: Walter 8:17 PM [+] ::
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:: Sunday, February 16, 2003 ::
Blog News

I've been considering moving this website off blogspot and to some competitor's hosting service. But now there's this news: Google has bought out Pyra, and Blog*Spot with it. The new infusion of cash might mean upgraded and more reliable service, I would think. I think I'll stay put here and see what happens.

:: Walter 8:50 AM [+] ::
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:: Thursday, February 13, 2003 ::
Sorenstam Will Play

Annika Sorenstam will play in the PGA tour stop at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth this May. Her men's tour debut will happen before Suzy Whaley plays at the Hartford open, so she'll likely be the first woman to play on the PGA tour in many decades.
San Jose Mercury News writer Barry Witt opines:

Though Sorenstam doesn't hit the ball as far as the average PGA Tour player, she's far more accurate. That means that on the tight Colonial Country Club course, a par 70 at 7,080 yards, her lack of length shouldn't be too great an obstacle. Nick Price won there last year, and his 272.7-yard driving average in 2002 isn't much better than Sorenstam's 265.6 mark this season on the LPGA Tour.

At 7080 yards and par 70 Colonial is by no means a short course. Sorenstam's driving distance average would put her at 172nd of 177 on this year's PGA tour stats, so she's at a serious disadvantage in that department. She hit fairways at a rate of .803 playing on the LPGA tour last year, which is better than anyone except Fred Funk on the PGA tour. The comparison isn't worth much, however, since PGA events are held on more difficult courses than the ladies'. Early odds in the clubhouse are 3-1 against Annika making the cut. I'd like to see it happen, though.

:: Walter 8:13 AM [+] ::
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:: Wednesday, February 12, 2003 ::
Drug War Casualty

DEA agents stake out a San Antonio home, laying in wait for a suspected drug dealer. The suspect's 14 year old daughter decides to leave the house, and go for a drive. What would the federal agents do?

If you said, 'shoot the girl dead,' you win a gold star.

Here's the story from the San Antonio Express-News.

Drug war bystander casualty count: seventeen dead, four wounded.

:: Walter 9:39 PM [+] ::
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:: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 ::
Heroes

Charles Barkley was right, athletes are not role models. Certainly not heroes. Not most of them. But these Zimbabwe cricket players are. How often do you see anyone risk a comfortable and wealthy lifestyle to make a political statement? I'm impressed, and I hope they live long, prosperous lives. But I wouldn't bet on it.

Via Instapundit.

:: Walter 8:31 PM [+] ::
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In a Bad Way

Q. What's the worst way to start your day?
A. You pull in to work and find the 60 Minutes crew waiting to talk to you.

Well, it's not quite that serious but my workplace has been in the news frequently of late. It's not all bad though. The practice range is open and and I'm still teaching. Drop me a line if you spend some time in Denver and you want to work on your game.

:: Walter 7:56 PM [+] ::
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:: Sunday, February 09, 2003 ::
Leftists and Libertarians

Atrios, while discussing Christians, manages to throw in an off-hand dis at Libertarians as well:

Likewise, I'm always a bit puzzled by the fact that for most libertarians, big or small L, the Bill of Rights begins and ends with #2.

To which I responded in the comments:

"Are you kidding? You need to get out more. Start at Jim Henley's blog, go to Julian Sanchez's, and Jesse Walker's. You might even try mine. I think these people pretty well represent libertarian thinking, and the 2nd amendment doesn't come up much these days, as the others are under attack from the left and right."

A little farther down in the comments, Atrios backtracks:

I said most libertarians, not all. Most blogger republicans are self-described libertarians.

Well, not exactly. He first said, 'big or small L.' For those unfamiliar with the vernacular, small L libertarians are those who share libertarian political leanings, big L means ones who are actually registered as Libertarian party members. They can't be Libertarians and Republicans at the same time.

I think the reason for Atrios' original comment is that like many leftists, he cannot fathom that someone may be entirely pro civil rights and not share his political ideology. Or worse, his ideology is at loggerheads with civil rights.

:: Walter 8:46 AM [+] ::
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:: Saturday, February 08, 2003 ::
Defense of Fully Informed Juries

Colorado lawyer and civil rights advocate Paul Grant defends the recent actions of a jury that caused a retrial in a murder case. In a letter to the Rocky Mountain News:

Jurors seeking information should not be viewed as a problem ("Rule-breaking jurors prompt new slaying trial for woman," Jan. 31 and the On Point editorial of Feb. 3, "Witless juries"). It is unavoidable and to be welcomed; it is responsible, not irresponsible behavior.
It used to be (when the Bill of Rights guarantee of jury trials was adopted) that jurors were expected to know something about the case and the surrounding facts and circumstances before they were selected. That's why jury trials are required (in most instances) to be held in the district where the crime allegedly occurred. It used to be common, and not a problem, for jurors to know some or all of the parties to the case.
When today's jurors seek information, they are responsibly seeking to get enough to do their job, i.e., try the case, correctly. A fair and honest trial by jury requires an informed jury. Efforts to keep them ignorant and subject to the controlled information flow from the judge and attorneys show major disrespect for the role of the jury.
And the battle against information is a futile one, anyway. Jurors always have important knowledge and experience they bring with them into deliberations; knowledge and experience that often escapes the awareness - hence the control - of the judge and attorneys. The Internet is going to take us a long way towards setting us free from controlled jury ignorance.
Judges and lawyers need to get used to it.


The editorial he cites can be found here. Well done, as usual, Paul.


:: Walter 3:44 PM [+] ::
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:: Thursday, February 06, 2003 ::
Drug War Victims

When the drug warriors aren't helping create a black market in illegal drugs, wasting tax money, diverting police resources from real criminals, or sending innocent people to prison in large numbers, they can occasionally be found killing innocent bystanders.

Who's an innocent bystander, you ask? Baptist missionaries in Peru mistaken for drug runners. Ismael Mena, a Denver resident at home one day when police mistakenly raided his house - they had the wrong address. Or these people here, and even more here. Total casualties listed at the links above :

16 Dead, four wounded. I didn't count the ones where the victims had some drugs, just the ones clearly uninvolved with the drug trade.

Inspired by Kim du Toit's goblin count.

:: Walter 8:08 PM [+] ::
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The Government You Deserve

The Manhattan Libertarian Party today protested a proposed toy gun ban by distributing toy guns to children as school let out. They may have made a tactical mistake picking a Harlem school. Parents showed up to confront the protesters, and even accused them of being (groan) racist. These people deserve the government they get. Read the story and see the sickening video here. I have have to admit that I chuckled on seeing the befuddled look on the Libertarians' faces when they were confronted by an angry mob - the people they were trying to help.

:: Walter 6:40 PM [+] ::
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:: Sunday, February 02, 2003 ::
That's a Hoot

Some readers may remember a little tiff between Jen and Wilde a few months ago. The second chapter of the story can be found at The World Wider Ant. It just keeps getting funnier.

:: Walter 8:20 PM [+] ::
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'Compassionate Conservatism' and Fascism

Arthur Silber has been writing about the underlying principles of 'compassionate conservatism,' and finds they are similar to the principles of fascism. He concludes:

And I have to emphasize again: it is long past time for people to think about political issues in terms of the fundamental principles involved. Does this government program acknowledge man's rights and protect them -- or does it attack and erode those rights? Does this new set of regulations, imposing even more restrictions on yet another industry, respect and encourage freedom -- or does it hamper man's productive ability, and deny man certain essential aspects of his freedom?
It will only be when a significant number of men learn to think in terms of principles in this manner that we might begin to be safe from the encroachments of an ever-growing, ever-more-powerful centralized government. Until that day comes, we will continue to drift toward a fascist-socialist state. That has been the slow trend of the last 50 years -- and these "compassionate conservatives" are doing all they can to speed up that trend, and to destroy what remains of your freedom. And do not forget that a number of these conservatives support a mandatory draft, and proclaim the virtues of censorship. If either of those measures were to come to pass, the future of freedom would be bleak, indeed.
But I will fight these trends in every way I can, and I know that there are a number of people also concerned with man's rights, and with liberty, who will join me in that fight -- and that a significant number of them have been fighting for this particular cause for many, many years.


Note how he describes our course as a 'drift toward a fascist-socialist state.' I think this supports my contention that the struggle isn't the false left vs right dichotomy, but a fight between those of us who understand and support freedom, and those who either don't understand or don't care about it.
A perfect example of the latter category is found in the comments section of Arthur's blog, asking:

Devoting more money to slowing the spread of AIDS in Africa is the leading edge of Nazism? Care for the aged, public education of gifted children, and the prevention of child labor are social evils simply because the Nazi party paid lip service to those goals?

As Arthur notes, it's not the German Nazis specifically but all fascist movements who believe that the rights of individuals are subservient to the greater needs of society. I won't pretend to do Arthur's argument justice, it's best to go read his entire article.

:: Walter 5:05 PM [+] ::
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Meet Steve Kubby

A drug war refugee.

:: Walter 7:34 AM [+] ::
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