Eric Sundwall

Damn Those Speculators !

2008-06-26T17:56:03Z

Congresswoman Gillibrand is baffled that someone would tell her that high oil prices aren't caused by the evil speculators. Of course do-gooder lawyers would always reach for the regulatory button when confronted with any problem. It's their job after all. Bob Murphy has a great article about this over at the Mises site. Murphy's point ? The crucial point to remember is that there is nothing magical about government officials. There is no intrinsic reason to expect them to better forecast future disruptions in oil imports. I know this rings hollow for all those afflicted with governmentis, but the idea that the strategic reserve (and even the Federal Reserve) is something that the government can control or eliminate will simply never be on the table for these types.

Paying the Piper

2008-04-14T20:21:52Z

At the end of what would be my failed attempt to get on the ballot in the 2006 campaign, the LPNY Senatorial candidate, Jeff Russell and I crashed a MoveOn.org event. The purpose and the tone of the event was a criticism of the war on Iraq and a display of the opportunity cost for the district if the tax dollars stayed at home. While we were there to criticize Hillary Clinton and John Sweeney for their support of the war , there were a couple cat calls in regard to the current Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand. She obviously had not taken a strong enough position against the war and the leftists and brave progressives were taking her to task about it. While its not very puzzling strategically to see why the Gillibrand campaign avoided this event, it remains equally dubious that the current mailer her five offices has mailed out amounts to fiddling with the tax code in light of the major crisis that Empire has driven. While it stresses property tax relief, one has to wonder whether the current CongressCritter would have been suited for the Assembly or State Senate instead of waddling around under the auspices of the nation's Capitol. It was a question many asked of me as I was running. My answer was always . . 'the war, the war'. If you're still with with me on this post, which have been rare and infrequent here, here's an in depth criticism of the whole approach. Of course I saved the top shelf stuff for the real blog. This hardly seemed like worthwhile there, but it was something that had to be said in case there are a few willing donors to pop a few grand off a piece for another insurgent effort that dealt with the war and the trillions of dollars of unfunded mandates that our children and grandchildren are stuck with . . . . ]]> Word of Life. Of course the other Gillibrand blind spot is that even though you depict these moderate homes on your brochure and describe the district as 'upstate', the millionaires created by sky rocketing prices and subsequent assessments to neighbors is never addressed. Even if the poor old seniors enjoy a marginal difference on the low taxes that must be associated with their fixed incomes and star programs, if their houses double in value every ten years there outta here soon anyway. I have to wonder how the smug progressives I met up at the Health Care forum in Saratoga are reeling from the obvious treachery that the Gillibrand camp engaged in when promising to end the war. Or was that just what the Times Union fabricated as her position in the final days before (or was it after ?) the Sweeney fall ?

Capital Outsider Website

2007-09-17T01:51:18Z

Please visit http://capitaloutsider.org

Capital Outsider: Warren Redlich

2007-09-10T16:13:22Z

Warren Redlich was our first official guest on Capital Outsider this past week. Special thanks to Warren for this appearance and the help he gave that 'libertarian' candidate last year.

Capital Outsider

2007-07-31T15:24:21Z

Former and current State Chairman of the LPNY, Bill McMillen & Jeff Russell are featured on a new public policy program called Capital Outsider. Here's some clips from our pilot program. Bill ran for Senate in 1998 and Jeff last year against Hillary. We hope to refine our skills, presentation and line up new and exciting guests in the months to come. Thanks to Schenectady Public Access for allowing us to start this exciting project.

Papa Joe & the Rich Kid too . . .

2007-07-07T17:48:10Z

When we were collecting signatures last summer during the 'Last Stand' parade in Stillwater, Uncle Joe came prancing down the street on a white horse, with a red shirt and a cowboy hat. I was impressed a 70+ year old coot could even manage it. Now we hear about the constant threat to his life and a tail the great Eliot may have put on him. Yawn. Go away. The whole rich kid who went to Harvard Law and had his daddy finance his campaigns never impressed me either. Chiding elites and progressives (a few newspapers and bloggers too) think he's the best thing since sliced bread. I always fail to see why. He's really a better thug than a politician. Wake up folks. Throw the bums out.

Rabble in Arms

2007-07-07T13:46:15Z

Libertarian bloggers and activists like Dr. Carl Milstead and Timothy West take every opportunity to villify any LP candidate advocating the abolishment of the Federal Reserve, IRS or the return of the gold standard. They claim these aren't mainstream issues that the average voter can accept or identify with. 'Goldbugs' they are called. Yet we have a GOP candidate whose net and grassroots popularity doesn't seem to be suffering at all with this message. If I'm correct, both Milstead and West are basically supporting Paul as an anti-Libertarian model for success. These are definitely insular discussions and assumptions. I hope to get to a couple Ron Paul 'meetups' in order to assess the feeling of these passionate supporters. My guess is that any admission to LP affiliation will be grudgingly accepted and that focus will be re-oriented to practical efforts for the Paul campaign. My one hope is that the spirit and enthusiasm I see on these videos and blogs might be given a friendly home when the invariable disappointed sets in that Rudy or Romney will be the nominee. I can remember the pride and Spirit of '76 as a kid back in the seventies. It's a shame that average folks who want freedom from government can't see third party politics as a practical thing. Most middle class conservative individuals can't be persuaded to see third party politics as anything but a waste of time. Despite horrendous taxation policies and practices, they take their chances and democracy really watered down.

Another Unreasonable Man: Alan Chartock

2007-07-06T16:54:21Z

Tuesday morning I caught a stint on WAMC about Patriotism and Dr. Cahrtock was a guest. While people called in with their conception and definitions of Patriotism, an otherwise innocuous show on July 3rd, Chartock and some callers took the opportunity to bash non-voters. The idea being that unless you have indeed voted, any thought or protest in regard to government was illegitimate. Thus blaming any aspect of government and democracy for our ills requires one to vote. While it's obvious that this doctor of communications and politics is not familiar with the concept of consent withdrawn and its electoral relationship to voters, the underlying theme for Alan on frequent occasions is that even voting third party is wrong when someone as evil and wrong as Bush can assume power and drag us into conflicts like Iraq. In many ways I opted out of voting for Harry Browne a second time for Ralph Nader precisely because of this elitist tripe that is peddled at every opportunity by charlatans like Chartock. ]]> Eric Alterman's of the Nation magazine. It's a disgruntled anger that the stakes are just too high to risk the likes of our neo-con brethren of deceit and greed in power. As a libertarian no power is justified in the course of promoting the 'good' at the point of a gun. It's all bad and unreasonable. Yet folks like Chartock and Alterman deny the reality of states like NY where your vote is almost always wasted on anybody but a Democrat for POTUS (Reagan in 1984 being the most recent exception). So voting your conscience should be acceptable in these conditions to them, one would hope. Despite the fact that ALL the third party candidates in 2000 in Florida could have made the 537 vote difference in the election, all blame is placed on the man who brought happiness to 'progressives' in the form of clean air, safe cars and other countless causes for the regulators of evil corporations. The fact that two parties have a monopoly (or duoploy as Nader describes it) is of little concern to someone like Alan who draws all belief and ideology into a neat box and ascribes only donkeys as the mystical carrier of magic political elixir. As one who has always fought from without the walls of power, I will continue to hurl spitballs at Fortress Statist.

FDR & FUD

2007-07-02T20:57:26Z

As I listened to Fred Dicker ( advertised as; State politics with an unbiased voice. Fred gives a thorough and unbiased look into the world of New York politics each weekday morning) gush about FDR on WROW, I'm glad historians like Ralph Raico have put some pen to paper about some of the qualities of history and FDR that Fred ignores. Apparently 'ol FDR is being invoked by the broadcasters hall of fame in order to shore up some of the funds necessary to complete their tax payer funded multi-million dollar HQ. Despite having grandparents who lived in the Depression, we never had the resounding statist lessons of FDR or JFK foisted into our impressionable little heads. In fact my one grandfather always called JFK's dad a rum runner and my grandmother always cackled that my generation would never see a dime of Social Security. I'm hoping to send my checks back if I ever reach that age ( 67 now?). Of particular note is FDR's role in Latin America and his role in the Newport RI naval investigations.

Kirsten's Keynsian Kool-aid

2007-06-22T14:19:44Z

Congresswoman Gillibrand has suddenly seen the light with regard to fiscal responsibility. Apparently our freshman Congress person feels like proposing a balanced budget amendment as part of her valuable time in the Washington. While Kirsten may pay lip service to the obvious problems of a 9 trillion dollar debt, little examination is placed on the area of unfunded future mandates (that tune runs over 50 trillion by some conservative estimates). On the campaign trail last year she was touting an Apollo like project for alternative Energy and promising a host of provisions for health care etc. So far she's supported subsidized agri-business (dairy compact) and wage price controls (minimum wage) and there's probably no end to the goodies list her progressive supporters demand on a daily basis. Aside from the general economic theories of debt (see after the jump), one can easily point to another 120 billion wasted in Iraq as part of an effort to placate conservative voters in the district. Will there be any future candidate willing to support lower spending, rather than a convoluted constitutional process ? Unless yours truly considers another bid (that post coming soon) it's doubtful the GOP will field such a candidate. After all, Sandy Treadwell is all about other people's money too. ]]> neat end around on the likes of Keynes while he himself was at the London School of Economics. Needless to say like most things American, our sense of personality and either/or impressions of life don't give us adequate measure of potential alternative ways or thought. I doubt Kirsten's Ivy League education or professional life as a parasite would give her much insight on these other ideas.

Do Progressives Get It ?

2007-06-12T03:27:04Z

Some do. They can appreciate the lacuna between a group that fights a false war and those who call for it's end. When Dr. Paul called out Rudy with principle and reason in the second GOP debate, he remained just as consistent in the third by declaring the doctrine of preemptive war unjust and immoral. As his popularity snowballs in what was the sole province of progressive netroots activism , that group (and others) is now reacting against the libertarian movement in general. While I have few doubts of the libertarian's position (especially the economic ones) and it's ultimate verity, especially in relation to "Progressivism", it's worthy to note that they are indeed reacting where once they may have been conveniently ignored or dismissed as unrealistical, extremist, the Paul candidacy. Some don't get it. They have been hardened by the vitriolic rancor of bi-partisan rule and engage in tactics which seek to vilify and discredit the person rather than the ideas. While it may be possible to review the legislative record of an individual over the years and cherry pick issues that fit into an indignant diary or YouTube post with little regard to the possible reasons or justification. Perhaps us third and fourth tier commentators have little influence on the process which ultimately favors celebrity, money and false hype. There is a realistic eye to be cast on the online fussing about the Paul campaign. One wonders if Kent Snyder has the acumen to grow and develop the effort like Joe Trippi did for the other unknown doctor who rocked the Net in the last POTUS race, polls and plain old regular]]> Savvy progressives ought to realize that Dennis Kucinich is not capable of lighting the fires of the netroots any time soon. They may embrace the message and can defend their positions far more eloquently than the pick-up driving guy who thinks his jobs are going overseas. But that guy who Dean identified with the Confederate Flag evoking Reverend Sharpton's ire last go, is not about to flip for losing his guns to a geeky ex-mayor of Cleveland with really tall women at his side who is a Vegan. Dr. Paul's been married for close to or perhaps more than fifty years. He's delivered over 4,000 babies. What life long lawyer or person of serious ambition can claim so noble of a purpose in life and direct and real results. It is life and death stuff folks, it really is. I wish Dr. Paul would open up and advocate an open border in a free society. Fort America will not last as the poles of power changes to these growing communities. Even amongst progressives the old domineering white guy, the King, still is the basis and roots of modern law and power. They've played the game on the fringes far better than the libertarian movement is capable. They had Clinton for eight years and reveled as the Age of Aquarius had come into its own. Perhaps Obama is the man for ours, he seems to enjoy great numbers. If he's truly anti-war (which I would suspect as he hires the Holbrooke crowd for foreign affairs, he'd soon be in Darfur under the proviso of the forgotten Dean Doctrine delivered before our 'ol buddy popped up from a spider hole near his old stomping grounds . . ) the peaceniks on the left will fall in line or break away with Nader again. Truthfully I think it's just a matter of the progressives not understanding the zeitgeist of the Old Right as justifiably non-interventionist, rather than the curse of isolationism hurled back in disdain and obvious folly. They want a set of ignorant knuckleheads like the GOP has been for quite some time now. There is a quiet, persistent truth to what libertarians are saying. Some do it very well and will handle their own arguments very well. Other may be petulant and repugnant in their adolescent humors. Rothbard ( I know you LRC people caught me) realized that the war was the crux of the political issues. While he produced an axiomatic truth/logic which was impractical in political terms, ultimately the ethos that all violence is wrong for political means or ends, is the answer. It's a Jesus thing too. temporarily allying yourself with those to whom that value of war is most distasteful, we can stop it. After that we'll talk about the welfare state and the free market. But don't treat us as rubes or johnny-come late lies. There's still a lot of Gen-X'rs going to the forty ranges real soon. We've seen and done a lot. Respect those who chose choice . . . all choice. Libertarians do it voluntarily if you will . . . As a small and big L libertarian, I do find myself rooting for and defending him on classic libertarian precepts and issues. While Dr. Phillies is reticent to abolish the Federal Reserve and has a similar position as Paul's with regard to immigration, I would gladly cast mine own ballot in Party's name, but for and all for the historical need. The need to hold tight as a Party. They may gleam and call us any number of things. 'They' being inside and out. But if the LP wannabe candidates out there for Congress were at any hope, they would be forming committees in vulnerable districts and preparing for a different type of conflict. Sharpen up your Austrian blades and be prepared to defend those who choose agorism, shrug if they know a lot of Rothbard too. Or just lighten up and pick a few good issues and get those signatures. Either take advantage of the new dialog and press for advantages. I'll be happily catcalling from the streets as the big leaguers play. As long as the majority captures the district, successful factions will be either/or for eternity. They will succeed with money, attract the talent and the people. They will win and live again to fight the next day. But if libertarians and progressives cannot unite under the banner of civil liberties and fair representation, if we cannot call for the end of shooting wars and drug wars, if we can not openly and consistently call for truth and fairness in debate and rule of law . . . who than but an occasional candidate like Paul will excite and cast aside indifference to press for greater justice in the world ? Find your clippings in old newsletters and dig through the Congressional Record, but listen to the people who are not Ron Paul, who want change and a restoration of America they remember or have never felt. It's about regular people trying to waylay the big corporatism of the process. Let this side try, lend a hand if you can, get over the vapid vagaries of your own ideological vanity. With any luck the Free State Project makes a go of it and helps deliver a Primary blow in New Hampshire. Otherwise follow what's left of the season up till May and watch the fascinating LP process unfold. After that it's just a coronation of the Donkey and Elephants, paid for by you, the American Taxpayer. Enjoy your summer, next year's won't matter.

Debating Xenophobia & Socialized Medicine

2007-06-07T15:30:03Z

To be fair, Ron indicates that voting for the 'wall' was not his main concern and he highlights some of the underlying economic concerns which drives the issues. Even silly old Tommy Thompson acknowledges that after almost three whole debates, Republicans were not asked about health care. You would think that the only licensed physician on stage would be asked one of those questions. Or a guy who delivered 4,000 babies might have a valid concern about abortion. I'm guessing all the Dems might have a good launching point for mandatory government health care from Mitt Romney's legislation in Massachusetts. Only about 60,000 residents of the commonwealth will be able to opt of that plan. Barack, Edwards and Hillary are falling all over themselves to provide a healthcare solution while never acknowledging that the original HMO act and their own profession (lawyers) may be the real cause for spiraling medical costs. Forget the 'war' for the moment. While the alleviation of that cost might provide amble opportunity to replace funds for another, the reality is that immigration is only illegal because we say it is. Health care costs have risen because of liability and government mandates. The jobs people talk about are not something that is collectively owned by the people (yet) and therefore the average person has no say how a business hires or fires. The emotional appeal of universal health treatment to people raised on the dependency of government promises, directly correlates with the power of appropriation.

Rachel's Ray

2007-06-07T12:17:11Z

Libertarians are slightly more enthusiastic during this bout of presidential ho-hum. By this time next year it may just be the inevitable lock step to government subsidized conventions. Former 1988 LP presidential candidate Ron Paul is shaking up the field with his anti-war, pro free market and individual liberty message. While the LP will make do with a candidate good for our average half a million votes, there still seems to be some sort of Ron Paul base which may or may not affect the GOP primaries. Libertarian activist Rachel Mills is getting some high views on her YouTube site. Rachel gained some press back in 2003 for her participation in 'Ladies for Liberty', a sort of pinup calendar for libertarians. She's come out as a rather vocal and refreshing voice for liberty with these commentaries/skits. While I'll tow the LP line, especially in an overwhelmingly red state, it will be fun to watch passionate advocates like her succeed in the new medium. Check out her spoof with the Bard.

New York's 'In-Valids'

2007-05-30T21:23:00Z

Lifetime legal dude, Eliot Spitzer, is trying to make the law now. After a career of enforcing it, we're now subject to the grand philosophy which guides its making now. The legislature is considering a bill which would make all convicted felons and those who have committed misdemeanors subject to forfeiture of their DNA. While this is being lauded by law enforcement and media editorials. This New Yorker in the individual freedom wilderness is saying enough is enough. The 1997 movie Gattaca told a story about a future and society that revolved around new eugenics. It's a frightful tale about a young man trying to buck a fixed system in order to achieve the dream of space travel. Like everything else in NY it often heralds a bigger picture for the world, witness seatbelt laws and trans-fat bans. If my potential or future civil disobedience is threatened with a test which could effect employment, life insurenace or any other price to just living in an unfree world, I hereby call for a Genetic Bill of Rights. ]]> sex offenders) is in play, there will be very little outcry from the public. A few civil and real libertarians will be ignored or shouted down. When law is simply the acceptance of stare decisis or the cavalcade of statutes that have pre-empted common law, power is the only rationale for any new law. While some scholar may pay adequate time to a perceived injustice in an obscure journal, our sensibilities as an average citiizen are simply deadened in a zone of indifference cultivated from a lifetime of fate acceptance. I should hope to someday be stopped for a seatbelt violation and refuse to pay the fine. One wonders with future incarceration looming whether a urine or hair sample will be guiltily foisted upon my suddenly less than sovereign shoulders. No one denies the efficacy of the science of DNA or the value of it as a tool in law enforcement. But when streakers and protesters become the victims of a monolithic correctional state we must take pause at the greater harm and not the immediate satisfaction of marginal needs or results. Like the main character in Gattaca I will defiantly push the envelop against the convenience of governing versus the absolute right to be left alone.

Kirsten Dunced 'Em

2007-05-29T21:01:12Z

Dunce -1577, from earlier Duns disciple "follower of John Duns Scotus" (c. 1265-1308), Scot. scholar of philosophy and theology supposed to have been born at Duns in Berwickshire. By 16c., humanist reaction against medieval theology singled him out as the type of the hairsplitting scholastic. It became a term of reproach to more conservative philosophical opponents c.1527, later extended to any dull-witted student. Aside from the recent announcement of Morris Guller to primary Representative Gillibrand in 2008, apparently the 'progressives' are a little tight about the recent vote to continue the occupation of Iraq despite efforts to deflect criticism by the devoted 'devtob'. Apparently Citizen Action, scheduled a BBQ with representative Gillibrand at Grafton State Park a few weeks ago and she had to face a disappointed group of MoveOn types just after the vote to continue funding. Apparently the good Congresswoman cited her placement on the Armed Services Committee and the possibility of a veto that would only cause the troops to suffer more. It seems that not enough Republicans take the Ron Paul stance of non-interventionist foreign policy and thus are to blame for her vote. It's hard to figure out the extent of their disappointment given the fact that as many as four other anti-war candidates stepped forward rather quickly once Gillibrand's tepid position on the 'war' was revealed after her official announcements early last year. ]]> Zachary Taylor crossed over the Rio Grande at the outset of the Mexican War in 1845 with very little prospect but for a long campaign past the border. Likewise the resolve of the Marines and Army once trapped at Chosin in Korea to make the best of a bad situation and persevere. It's highly unlikely that the average American soldier would be trapped in Iraq if Congress voted to bring them home. In fact, the phat Hallibuton contracts to make pizzas and do laundry for the soldiers probably wouldn't even be affected. Kirsten Gillibrand blinked. All the progressives duped by the likes of 'devtob' should be considering an anti-war candidate of their own. Unfortunately the psychology of the vote of lesser of two evils or a no money high principle candidate will never pan out for them. I took some limited satisfaction in last year's events with an email from a dedicated peace activist who emailed me after the election indicating they 'wrote' me in. Fortunately there are principled individuals willing to waste their vote so others don't have to waste their lives.