Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Support FAMM - Families Against Mandatory Minimums

Mandatory minimum sentencing for drugs was devised in the '70s (in New York) and '80s (Federally) by misguided proponents of the war on drugs, who thought they could eradicate drugs by getting "tough."

The drug war has ruined peoples' lives more than drugs ever could, by throwing them in jail for years and years - at your expense. FAMM has several stories about people whose lives have been ruined. Mandatory minimum sentences can send first-time, non-violent offenders to jail for years.

It's time to get rid of mandatory minimums (and for that matter, drug prohibition). I saw a presentation by the Florida office of FAMM (they only have two state offices - Fla. and Mass.) and I have never heard such heart-wrenching stories.

FAMM.org

Friday, May 14, 2010

Rand Paul Headed for Victory in Kentucky GOP Primary


Rand Paul at Ky. GOP Senate primary debate, from Kansas City Star, photo by Ed ReinkeIt looks like a pretty safe bet that Bowling Green ophthamologist Rand Paul is coasting towards a sizable victory in Tuesday's Republican Senate primary in Kentucky. The May 18 primary pits Paul against establishment scion Trey Grayson, who has released a number of negative attack ads distorting Rand Paul's positions on foreign policy and conflating them with the perceptions of those of his father. In fact, Grayson has started aping some of Rand's positions on economic issues, even distancing himself from the corporate bailouts rubber-stamped by the national GOP.

Rand has been more skillful than his father at bringing mainstream conservatives on board his campaign, earning the endorsement of Steve Forbes, Sarah Palin, Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), retiring Senator Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), and archconservative James Dobson of Focus on the Family.

Today, Salon published a detailed and sympathetic profile of Rand entitled How Rand Paul became the Tea Party's Obama. Last month, reason magazine published an excellent profile of Rand Paul and his campaign, and today our good friend Brian Doherty notes the GOP power shift represented by Rand's campaign, also in reason.

Also participating in the race are rambling but entertaining WWII veteran Gurley Martin (not only is he on the Interwebs, he can be found on the Youtubes and the Twitter) and also-rans John Stephenson and Jon Scribner. Red-meat Republican Bill Johnson dropped out in March after dropping thousands of dollars on his own campaign, after gaining no traction whatsoever, the endorsement of religious firebrand Alan Keyes notwithstanding.

The editors of this site disagree with Rand on a few things, notably abortion and a few of his more socially conservative positions -- things that earned him the endorsement of people like Dobson and social conservative groups in Kentucky. However, the most crucial issues facing this country are primarily economic, and Rand is the candidate with the best understanding of these issues and how to approach and solve the myriad problems our own Federal government has caused: obscene deficits, a crippling national debt, which is approaching an unfathomable $13 trillion dollars, out-of-control spending, and regulations that end up benefiting large corporations while hurting small business - such as recent health care and financial reform legislation.

Without question, Rand's father Ron is more consistent in articulating the libertarian philosophy and is much more vocal about civil liberties issues commonly ignored by mainstream Republicans. In this regard, Rand has left a few observers wanting to hear more on these issues. Then again, Rand is his own person, and he is running for the Kentucky GOP Senate nod, not for the Libertarian Party Presidential nomination. On the other hand, Rand takes a firmer stance against Congressional earmarks and pork-barrel spending, maintaining that Federal funds should be distributed according to objective criteria, not the seniority of a district's Congressperson.

On foreign policy, we appreciate elements of both Pauls' positions - we favor a strong defense, while at the same time resisting the misguided imperative of acting as the world's policeman and the pursuit of costly and quixotic nation-building.

We applaud Rand Paul's impressive campaign and wish him a resounding victory on Tuesday and in November.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Bastiat's Broken-Window Fallacy: Do Disasters and War Create Prosperity?

In this short video, scholar Tom Palmer discusses Bastiat's Broken-Window Fallacy, a very simple proposition that says destruction (in the form of disasters or war) does not create wealth or prosperity. Apparently "experts" like Paul Krugman claim that it does.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Obama's Corporatist Economic Advisors

Obama's Corporatist Economic Advisors
Hopefully, they'll leave us with some change

Barack Obama's economic advisors include some youngish Democratic centrists, genuinely bright economists like Austan Goolsbee and Jason Furman. Their pedigrees include Yale, MIT, Harvard and the University of Chicago, an historically free-market bastion. In many instances, these individuals display a surprising sensitivity to recognizing the spontaneous order brought about by millions of actors in the marketplace. However, the few relatively sane positions they hold will likely be drowned out by the converging cavalcade of interest groups that will accompany a potential Obama victory.

In spite of Obama's anti-trade campaign rhetoric, the members of his economic brain trust are friendly to trade and globalization - so much so that the far left has screamed bloody murder, accusing Furman and Goolsbee of having "Wall Street viewpoints" and being "crypto-Bushies." Furman authored a notable paper lauding the salutary effects of Wal-Mart's low prices. Speaking of the net benefits that Wal-Mart's cost savings gave the working poor -- an estimated $263 billion dollars -- Furman declared "there are very few public policies that I’ve advocated in my life that would make as big a difference as that." His estimates of wage suppression ran about $5 billion. "It's just an enormous differential." The Nation's Naomi Klein almost summons the lynch mob, and then concludes their saving grace might just be their paeans to Keynesianism and John Kenneth Galbraith.

Obama's Democratic "Chicago Boys" recognize the value of lower corporate tax rates in principle. Goolsbee determined in a study that taxing Internet transactions could reduce sales by up to a third and stunt e-commerce significantly. Furman has called for lowering tax rates generally and broadening the tax base by limiting special exemptions, calling incentives to invest in tax-favored activities (as opposed to economically productive activities) perverse. In a July 24 interview with NPR, Furman rattled off an astonishing litany of potential budget savings, including ending some subsidies and overpayments to Medicare, banks that make student loans (!), and wealthy farmers.

On the other hand, these things are now de rigueur in any intelligent discussion of political economics today. Only the truly unlettered deny that confiscatory tax rates, complicated tax codes and protectionism are detrimental to a country's economic well-being.

One would hope such bright young minds would find their own voice and not serve as servile executors of viagrafied interest groups, from longshoremen to Lehman Brothers. Will they just go along with the most noxious proposals the Obama team brings to the table? One particularly ominous piece of legislation is the so-called Employee Free Choice Act, a labor-backed step towards coerced unionization on a national level that portends to do away with secret ballots at the workplace.

The Pelsoi/Reid Congress are already clamoring for billions in new spending, as if current levels weren't bilious enough. With an Obama presidency, expect every imaginable Democrat constituency (and then some) to have their eager hands out; after all, Barack Obama has presented himself as all things to all people, people with not all that much in common.

Given their Keynesian roots, and looking at the rest of their policy proposals, it could be argued that these guys are not truly free marketeers, but pragmatic corporatists and utilitarians hired to keep Wall Street and tax-eaters happy (these days it seems those two are converging). Furman was groomed by high-powered Democratic pro-business luminaries such as Robert Rubin and Joe Stiglitz, who successfully steered Bill Clinton towards deficit reduction while only marginally increasing top tax rates.

Goolsbee cheer-led subprime lending in his March 2007 NYT column "‘Irresponsible’ Mortgages Have Opened Doors to Many of the Excluded", pooh-poohing predictions of economic bust. This seems to make clear under what kind of paradigm the Obama economic team operates; we know how well Wall Street lenders love the easy credit gravy train. As Justin Raimondo documented, Obama's campaign has received huge support from Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs and other top execs of the nation's financial giants, all beneficiaries of the shameful bailout scheme.

Jason Furman himself comes from an entrenched Democratic Party establishment background. Furman's mother, Gail, a Manhattan child psychologist, is the matriarch of the Furman Foundation, a fund that deals cash to Soros-backed groups like the Tides Center, People for the American Way, left-leaning NGOs, and Media Matters, David Brock's left-wing journalist team. Conspiracy nuts will love the fact that the Furmans have bestowed thousands to the Council on Foreign Relations on an annual basis. Furman grants mirror those of Soros and Herb and Marion Sandler, the controversial pair implicated as major players in the subprime lending debacle and Wachovia collapse. Furman herself is an effusive donor to the DNC and Democratic candidates across the country. There is little doubt she'll grab Jason by the ear and have him march her in to the Oval Office so she can have her say with Barack. If momma ain't happy, ain't no one happy.

Those of us who tend to favor markets and choice over state domination hope these centrist advisors will keep Obama from embarking on too many asinine shenanigans if he is elected. They would serve him well to mute the traditional Democrat constituencies, whose scoreboard lights up with every new tax, regulation and Federal bureaucracy. In the 1990s, a reinvigorated GOP Congress helped contain the Clinton Administration's more ambitious targets, and as a result it left a relatively fiscally conservative record. Obama's market-friendly centrists may try to bring a level of reasonableness to a potential Obama administration, but with Democratic trifecta in place, we can only doubt this.

Tom Walls is a travel consultant and translator in Lake Worth, Fla. He has a long history of activism in libertarian organizations, from the National Libertarian Party to the RLC. He supported Ron Paul in the GOP primaries and is voting for Bob Barr in the general election.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

What is to be done? A message from Phil Blumel

From: Phil Blumel, Palm Beach Ron Paul meetup coordinator

Friends,

We are running in a GOP primary and have to reach GOP voters. It is helpful, and easy, to have sign-waving events on busy street corners -- and they are worth doing! -- but they are not enough, as a minority of the people who pass in cars are NOT going to be voting in the primary.

The most influential primary voters attend local GOP meetings and/or belong to their county Republican Executive Committee and, of course, 100% of the people at such meetings are both interested in the election and will be voting in the primary. We need to be a recognized and respectable part of the Republican Party if we are to win a Republican primary. If we act like a marginal third party, we will get the vote total of a marginal third party.

Here are my specific recommendations in this regard:

1) Register Republican right now if you are not already.

2) Bring change of registration forms to every planning Meetup. We always get new GOP voters in the South Florida Meetups when we do this.

3) Encourage the more presentable Meetup folks (you know what I mean) to join their local GOP clubs and attend meetings and socials wearing a Ron Paul lapel pin and armed with some Ron literature. Go to the meeting, participate, get to know people.

You don't need to be pushy or dogmatic, as this will be resented. Have you ever been active in a charity and some realtor or other salesperson joins trying to network to generate business and it is clear they don't really care about the charity? They do not succeed in generating business that way; this kind of networking only works when the realtor is *genuinely* interested in the goals of the charity. Watch how the Rudy and Mitt folks are working the crowd and learn from them. Because of the pin, discussions about Ron will spring up. But even when they don't, these important primary voters will recognize intraparty support and we will earn respect. The key to networking is to make genuine connections with people, not to harangue or give speeches. It requires attending meetings regularly and establishing real relationships.

4) Join the Republican Liberty Caucus network (www.rlc.org). Ron was chair of the RLC in the 1990s and this is the existing libertarian network in the GOP. This will help you locate fellow travelers in the GOP. You are not alone!

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

May 25: Ron Paul on Bill Maher's Real Time on HBO

After his big splash in the GOP debates, Bill Maher has declared Ron Paul "my new hero." Ron Paul will be on Maher's show once again on Friday, May 25, this time with libertarian humorist P.J. O'Rourke and actor Ben Affleck.

On Ron's first appearance on Maher's show, Maher was somewhat dismissive of him and even disrespectful. Apparently he has changed his opinion, and is offering him as an example for other politicians to follow (click here to see Maher haranguing establishment sop Chris Dodd while throwing Ron's name out there).

Thursday, May 10, 2007

2nd GOP Presidential Debate: Tuesday, May 15 - 9:00 PM EST

From the SC GOP website:

The 2007 First-In-The-South Republican Party Presidential Candidates Debate will be televised live by FOX News Channel at 9:00 PM from the University of South Carolina’s Koger Center for the Arts on Tuesday, May 15, 2007. FOX News Channel Washington Managing Editor Brit Hume will moderate the debate and FOX News Sunday Anchor Chris Wallace and White House Correspondent Wendell Goler will ask questions of the candidates.

You can submit questions here:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271356,00.html

Friday, May 4, 2007

Ron Paul wins MSNBC post-debate poll

Last night, MSNBC held the first GOP presidential debates at the Reagan Library in California. Ron Paul was the most surprising and refreshing of the candidates. We're not just saying that because we're big supporters here at electronpaul.blogpsot.com ... it is because he clearly seperated himself from the others by staking out firm, principled positions. When he came out squarely against any kind of national ID card, the others who endorsed it (Giuliani, Romney, et cetera) then backtracked and said they only wanted it for aliens. His staking out of the libertarian quadrant is already having an effect on the others. Chris Matthews used the word libertarian twice and linked Ron Paul to the "Barry Goldwater wing" of the GOP. It's nice to see him finally get some respect from these guys.

As of now, Ron Paul leads in the MSNBC interactive poll - 32% positive, ahead of all the others. And Ron has the lowest negatives - 29% as opposed to Huckabee's 37%. If you toggle the before/after ratings, you'll see Ron had the biggest increase.

This is very encouraging - and nothing short of amazing. Put Ron in front of larger audiences, and he wins them over.

Saturday, March 31, 2007

A message from Ron Paul's District Political Director

First and foremost, the goals that we hope to accomplish are:

Bringing the message that liberty can be reestablished in American only by respecting the rule of law, the U. S. Constitution.

Saving America from bankruptcy, world war and a continued fascist regime by getting Ron Paul elected President.

What you can do:

Republicans need to get involved in the party. Become voting delegates at your precinct, county and state conventions. Support Ron Paul at all these events. Ask them to invite Ron Paul to speak at their state conventions! (1-800-RON-PAUL)

Republicans need to call the county chairs, executive committee and state chairmen of your individual state. Ask that they support and endorse Ron Paul. Tell them that it is imperative at this time in history that we have someone who in incorruptible and a true conservative because this country is going bankrupt - financially and morally.

Those of you who are not Republicans, hold your nose and take the plunge as Ron Paul is running in the Republican primary and believe it or not, most grassroots Republicans believe in limited government and want someone to believe in Ron Paul is that Republican.

Write letters to the editors of newspapers about supporting Ron Paul for President.

Continue to hammer talk show blogs and email commentary promoting Ron Paul for President. (you have done a great job at this) Ask them to invite Ron Paul onto their station. Tell them to call 1-800-RON-PAUL. Promote him and the issues of liberty and the U.S. Constitution.

Ron Paul has to win Republican primaries before he can get to the next step - the general election, so we need you to work in Republican circles to get that done.

Thanks so much. You don't know how much we love you as supporters. If it weren't for you holding back the tide of big government by supporting Ron Paul in all of his endeavors, we would have little hope for freedom.

So, because of you, there is....Hope for America!

Penny Langford-Freeman
District Political Director/Scheduler
Congressman Ron Paul
"The Taxpayers' Best Friend"
District 14, Tex.
1-800-RON-PAUL
837 W. Plantation Dr.
Clute, Tex. 77531

Friday, March 30, 2007

Ron Paul on HBO TONIGHT with Bill Maher

Tonight, Ron Paul will be on HBO's REAL TIME with Bill Maher at 11 PM EST. Also appearing on the show will be D.L. Hughley, Michael Smerconish, Catherine Crier and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. This ought to be a humdinger.

http://www.hbo.com/billmaher