Tools of the trade (Taken by Travis Wheeler)
I was asked to talk about this awhile ago, so here we go. This is only going to be about male circumcision, as female circumcision is not practiced in Judaism.
Circumcision is a major symbol of Judaism, just like avoiding pork (despite the fact that shrimp and rabbits are also not kosher). Indeed, in ancient times when Jews came into contact with Greeks and Romans, it was used as a sign to determine who was Jewish. Circumcision became more popular in the West in the 1900s, especially in the United States, and notably, Korea. Additionally, it is very common in religious countries, such as most of the Muslim world, Israel, Central Africa, and the Philippines. Australia also appears to have had a flirtation with the practice in the mid to late 20th century, but it is declining heavily. There is a divergence in when the procedure is performed. In the United States, Israel, and possibly Korea, it is performed at or near birth. In most other religious contexts, it is performed around puberty, where it can be more controversial and painful (explicit video).
As I begin to promote PorcFest, I have received some concerns about antisemitic incidents in the past. Claims of slashed tires, epithets thrown, and a climate of fear have dissuaded a few Jews from considering attending the great festival. Naturally, since I am planning open events and a visible tent, it was important to investigate these claims. When I went last year, I experienced nothing but friendliness. Contrary to even claims by the media, I never smelled “odors of marijuana”, let alone (ooga booga) ANTISEMITISM. In fairness, I wasnt visibly Jewish, but there are a number of known Jews there.
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders, an apostate Jew and Independent US Senator from Vermont, recently announced that he would be running for president in 2016 as a Democrat. Sanders has long caucused with the Democrats, despite not running as one. Complementing that, the Democrats dont run candidates against him in Vermont. Sanders does not really expect to win, but as a titan of the far-left, he hopes to give frontrunner Hillary Clinton some things to think about.
Whatever principle guides you as a libertarian, whether the non-aggression, the silver rule, or some other general pronouncement, its pretty much always an absolutist position. Exceptions are not allowed. Thinking about immigration and open borders (something I only began to support, not after becoming a libertarian, but after also having a horrifying experience while reentering the United States), Ive wondered if libertarianism is so pure it could lead to its own demise.
The Non-Aggression Principle, or NAP, is one of the key phrases in libertarianism. It is “an ethical stance which asserts that aggression is inherently illegitimate.” Most libertarians in the general movement are aware of the principle and either explicitly abide by it, or implicitly do. The principle has been criticized from various angles over the years. For example, does it apply to a fetus? to a nonhuman animal? And what if you see someone tipping over a train platform, can you grab them and pull them back? You have aggressed against them, but it was to prevent harm from coming to them.
Mercury dimes
Every now and then, but not as often as I should, I implore followers to “Buy Silver!” This may seem a bit nuts in general, and also has to compete with bitcoin, othercoins, and gold in just libertarianland, let alone the rest of the world. Personally, I think that inflation is the absolute most important issue facing the world, and this should be the biggest concern for libertarians (despite my support for pluralism). Yes, more important than the drug war and the police state. The reason being is that solving inflation solves almost everything else. By not diluting the currency, the economy will be much stronger and people will find they need less authoritarianism, less escapes from reality, and less income from immoral and degenerate sources. A secure currency is the heart of the economy. Would you fill your engine or machine with cheap, diluted oil?
Well, the exit polls are in and there are a few surprises for sure. I have put them into a table for easy reading, along with the final prediction from Knesset Jeremy (KJ), who does an average of the polls, along with some sort of proprietary modelling to adjust for momentum. Finally, I averaged the three exit polls (Channels 1, 2, 10), which we can consider my calculated “prediction” (AVG). The actual results will shift a bit in the coming week or so as absentee ballots are tabulated.
Jewish Libertarians:
Walter Block
Frank Chodorov
Moshe Feiglin
David Friedman
Patri Friedman
Glenn Greenwald
Henry Hazlitt (by mother)
Steve Horwitz
Israel Kirzner
Adam Kokesh
Ilana Mercer
Ludwig von Mises
Tonie Nathan
Murray Rothbard
Murray Sabrin
Irwin Schiff
Peter Schiff
Charlie Shrem
John Stossel
Aaron Swartz (הי״ד, זק״ל)
Eugene Volokh
Quasilibertarians:
Milton Friedman (libertarian conservative)
Ayn Rand (objectivist)
This is my third time going to ISFLC (13-15 February 2015), and it was even better than last year. All the criticisms of SFL and its mentality aside, it is one of largest libertarian gatherings in the world, rivaling the Free State Projects PorcFest. Its largely an academic gathering, but anyone can attend. Well-known and lesser known libertarian organizations from CATO to the aforementioned to the Property and Environment Research Center sponsored booths and talks at the event. Leading speakers included a skype-in by Edward Snowden, a joint panel featuring Judge Napolitano and Ron Paul, Congressmen Jones, Amash, and Massie, and former Mexican president Vicente Fox, among others.
