Alarming News: I like Morgan Freeberg. A lot.
American Digest: And I like this from "The Blog That Nobody Reads", because it is -- mostly -- about me. What can I say? I'm on an ego trip today. It won't last.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: We were following a trackback and thinking "hmmm... this is a bloody excellent post!", and then we realized that it was just part III of, well, three...Damn. I wish I'd written those.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: ...I just remembered that I found a new blog a short while ago, House of Eratosthenes, that I really like. I like his common sense approach and his curiosity when it comes to why people believe what they believe rather than just what they believe.
Brutally Honest: Morgan Freeberg is brilliant.
Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Morgan Freeberg at House of Eratosthenes (pftthats a mouthful) honors big boned women in skimpy clothing. The picture there is priceless--keep scrolling down.
Exile in Portales: Via Gerard: Morgan Freeberg, a guy with a lot to say. And he speaks The Truth...and it's fascinating stuff. Worth a read, or three. Or six.
Just Muttering: Two nice pieces at House of Eratosthenes, one about a perhaps unintended effect of the Enron mess, and one on the Gore-y environ-movie.
Mein Blogovault: Make "the Blog that No One Reads" one of your daily reads.
The Virginian: I know this post will offend some people, but the author makes some good points.
Poetic Justice: Cletus! Ah gots a laiv one fer yew...
Stossel’s excellent rant
This was John Stossel’s closing monologue at the end of last night’s program on government bullying.
There are only two ways to do things in life: voluntary, or forced.
Voluntary’s best, and it’s most of life. It’s how we pick our friends, our religion, career, hobbies, and so on. It gives individuals freedom and flexibility. It leads to constant improvement because when your choices are voluntary, if you want people to attend your school, or baseball game or fly your airline you have to please your customers.
But government doesn’t have to please anybody. Government gets to use force. OK, they have to please us because we can make some changes every four or eight years when we vote, but they’re usually minor changes. The permanent bureaucracy doesn’t change. It. Just. Grows, and exerts more force.
Now – we need some force, we need government to keep the peace; keep people from killing us. Or stealing from us. But why do they get to decide what the rules of baseball should be?
It’s telling that Senator McCain had trouble making [the point that it’s part of the business of Congress to regulate baseball rules concerning steroid use] … there’s no good reason Congress should be involved. They’re just sanctimonious and they want to get their faces on TV. And the public and media encouraged them. America’s constant refrain that “there oughta be a law” invites politicians to bully their way into parts of life where they have no business.
Government shouldn’t dictate to airlines what they can charge, and why should government tell students [..] that you MAY NOT work as an intern for me? You’re not slaves. If you don’t like working for free, quit. Do something else. Why do the politicians arrogantly assume they have the right to interfere with our right to make a contract?
And it’s not like the government’s bullying has such a great track record. The Interstate Commerce Commission used to control all of the airline prices. And the system was awful. Thank goodness Jimmy Carter got rid of it.
Now the government orders you to send your child to this or that school. But then they do a lousy job teaching them.
In fact, I can’t think of anything government does better than the private sector. Can you? Can you name one thing that Government does more efficiently than private companies?
I’ll give you $100 if you can.
The military and things that Government, only government does, don’t count. I’m talking about anything where there’s competition. Are government bullies ever better? I don’t think so. I’ve never had to pay this bet. I’ve offered it for many years.
Who do these politicians think they are? They fail and fail, make life worse and run up horrible debt and then they say they want more power? What hubris!
[..]
Remember, only two ways to do things. Voluntary, or forced. Voluntary’s better. The Founders understood that, and that’s why here in the Declaration and the Constitution they write so much about limiting government’s power. They understood the danger of big government and the bullies it breeds.
It’s time to say “politicians, you’ve gone too far. Let us lead our own lives. That’s the freedom we deserve.”
– John Stossel
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You can picture me pausing and rewinding and pausing as I transcribed this whole thing… because that’s the way I did it. 🙂
- philmon | 05/10/2010 @ 14:17