Titled: What is Neolibertarianism?

What is Neolibertarianism? Frankly, it's a question we've been asking at the QandO weblog since we began popularizing it last year. Often, the idea of Libertarianism has reminded me of Justice Potter Stewart's thoughts about obscenity. "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it," he declared.

That was good enough for Justice Stewart perhaps, but he was only interpreting the Constitution. We, on the other hand, are beginning publication of a journal that we hope will begin defining the fundamental intellectual and philosophical underpinnings of Neolibertarianism. If you're going to do that, then you should probably have a clear understanding of what Neolibertarianism is.

Much of what follows will be a comparison between Neolibertarianism and the more traditional sort of libertarianism, which we call Paleolibertarianism. In the interest of brevity, I'll refer to adherents to the former as Neos and the latter as Paleos.

In a nutshell the philosophy of the Neos breaks down like this:

1. When given a public policy problem, the solution that maximizes personal liberty is the best choice.
2. The policy choice that offers the least amount of necessary government intervention or regulation is the best choice.
3. The policy choice that provides rational, market-based incentives is the best choice.

And Foreign Policy:

1. A policy of diplomacy that promotes consensual government and human rights and opposes dictatorship.
2. A policy of using US military force solely at the discretion of the US, but only in circumstances where American interests are directly affected.

The strategy is similar to that of the Republican Liberty Caucus, which is if you can't beat them, then join them and reform them. I like it. I also tend to agree with their take on the futility of the Libertarian Party's chances of success on the national stage. Read more about that here.

Titled: Election 2008: Liberal Dem 40% Conservative GOP 39%

Election 2008 will be a toss-up if Democrats nominate a liberal candidate and Republicans nominate a conservative. A Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 40% of Americans say they would vote for a liberal Democrat and 39% for a Conservative Republican.

The survey also found that if both parties nominate a moderate candidate, the Democrats have a 42% to 38% advantage. Obviously, events over the next three years could change these figures in either direction, but the survey generally shows an electorate that remains evenly split between the two parties.

I can only hope that this is how the election plays out but I, for one, am not holding my breath that the Republicans will actually nominate a real conservative. When was the last time that happened? Oh yea it was Ronald Reagan, who by the way, was only one of the most popular presidents in modern time. Why would Republicans want to repeat such success? It is so much safer to run with quasi conservatives like Bush, McCain and so many other RINOs that seem to populate the Republican party.

As a side note it would be interesting to see which way the moderate vote goes. I suppose it would have a lot to do with the individual candidates but I would love to see an election based solely on conservative vs liberal where the personalities are equally matched and the only thing that separates them is politics.

I am not sure if Zendo Deb meant to do this or not but she provides a great juxtaposition of how Britain and the U.S differ when it comes to self protection.

First we have Brits may get right to fight back followed by Oklahoma defends right to Keep and Bear Arms. In the first example the question is whether British citizens should be allowed to defend themselves against intruders. The fact that this question has to be debated at all is mind blowing enough. However when you consider that previous legislation was defeated because the Attorney General argued that burglars have rights also, you really have to question whether the end of Western Civilization has already begun. In the second example the Oklahoma legislature signed into law a bill that would prohibit cooperations from limiting an employee's right to self protection (in America). Maybe there is hope for Western Civilization after all.

Titled: Proposed ban on affirmative action incites fiesty debate

The proposed constitutional amendment would ban the use of race and gender in university admissions, government hiring and contracting. But the panel and an audience generally supportive of affirmative action failed to reach consensus about what has happened in other states where similar plans have been enacted, or what specific Michigan programs would be affected under MCRI.

Enough said. Oh I wish it were so.

But Frank Wu, dean of the Wayne State University Law School, said consideration of race in university admissions is necessary to compensate for lingering discrimination. Everyone wants our major institutions to reflect the diversity of our society, Wu said, but "it doesn't happen automatically."

How do you compensate lingering discrimination without additional discrimination?

Denise from the Ten Ring does a nice job of categorizing anti-gun people here. In part II, which can be found here she offers some suggestions in how to deal with arguments from each group.

A couple of really great posts I found via Say Uncle.

Titled: Michigan's threat from concealed weapons

If you plan a trip to Michigan, you may want to check your life insurance policy, update your will and don your body armor. Come Sunday, unless the state supreme court intervenes, it will start letting residents get permits to carry concealed weapons. Gun-control advocates are braced for the worst.

"I can guarantee you that I've honked my last horn at an intersection in Michigan," former prosecutor L. Brooks Patterson told the Tribune's Tim Jones. A disgusted Oakland County official threatened to put up billboards saying "Welcome to Dodge City." Police groups say their members will be in jeopardy from "more guns in more and more locations."

Of course Michigan is already a risky place to honk your horn. Its homicide rate has long been well above the national average. Detroit currently places third in the ongoing competition to be the murder capital of the United
States. And things can only get much worse if lots of Michiganders take to packing heat, right?

It's a little dated but makes a great point anyway. You have to read the whole thing because the teaser is a bait and switch for anti-gun propaganda. It was written just prior to the time the "Shall Issue" law went into effect in Michigan. Four years later it hasn't gotten more danerous. In fact the statistics show something quite dfferent.

I am not saying that one is related to the other but those are the numbers. You can see the numbers yourself on the pdf file that the State of Michigan compiled them on.

Well after procrastinating for the last eight months I am going to, in a matter of speaking, bite the bullet and apply for my CPL. I took the course back in October of 2004 but just haven't got around to applying for the license. Anyway I'm starting the paperwork now. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Memorial Day Three Rivers, MI. May 30th 2005

Veterans, Thank you.

Everything you wanted to know about Michigan's CPL but didn't know where to ask.

Michigan House Bill 4694

(Authorize concealed pistol for certain state employees): Introduced by Rep. Leon Drolet on April 28, 2005, to allow state workers with concealed pistol permits (CPLs) to carry a concealed firearm when doing off-site inspections on private property as part of their duties. Under current law, CPL holders doing inspections for the state (such as Family Independence Agency workers making home visits) are not permitted to carry while on duty.

Text on the bill can be read here.

For immediate release

Michigan residents with CCW permits now will no longer have to worry about their permit lapsing during renewal process and will be able to carry their spouse's registered weapon under legislation introduced by Rep. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge.

Under current law, if the board does not decide on renewal or rejection prior to the expiration of the CCW, the permit holder can no longer use the permit until renewed. Jones' measure would extend the existing permit until the board issues or denies the renewal.

"Renewal applicants are law-abiding people. If they were going to commit a crime, they wouldn't be applying for a renewal," Jones said. "This decreases the amount of bureaucratic red tape and worry placed on residents when renewing a concealed weapons permit."

Jones is also introducing legislation to allow permit holders to carry a weapon registered to their spouse.

"Rather than make a husband and wife buy another gun, we let the CCW holder carry their spouse's," Jones said. "This is just plain common sense and makes the CCW permit more user-friendly to the good law-abiding residents of Michigan".

Text and Analysis:
House Bill 4642 (2005)
House Bill 4643 (2005)

Link and text via the MCRGO.

Rep. Ronald Paul from Texas has introduced H.R. 1703 to restore the second amendment rights of all Americans. The text of the bill can be found here.

Some firearm legislation that is currently being considered in the Michigan House.

House Bill 4650 (Expand "strawman" firearms purchase ban): Introduced by Rep. LaMar Lemmons III on April 21, 2005, to explicitly define as a crime purchasing or attempting to purchase a firearm with the intent of furnishing the firearm to a minor or any other individual prohibited from having a firearm, and establish penalties. Note: "Straw-man" gun purchases in which the buyer of record is actually acquiring the firearm for another are already prohibited. This bill adds provisions regarding minors and ineligible buyers. Details and Comments here.

House Bill 4651 (Expand "strawman" firearms purchase): Introduced by Rep. LaMar Lemmons III on April 21, 2005, to provide sentencing guidelines for the crime defined by House Bill 4650 of purchasing a firearm with the intent of furnishing it to a minor. Details and Comments here.

House Bill 4653 (Require pistol sale registration): Introduced by Rep. LaMar Lemmons III on April 21, 2005, to require sellers to register pistol sales with the state police. Details and Comments here.

House Bill 4654 (Repeal "duty to retreat" in home self defense): Introduced by Rep. Tom Casperson on April 21, 2005, to establish in law that a person who uses deadly force for self defense in his or her home or contiguous private property need not first flee from a threatening attacker. Details and Comments here.

I am glad they are considering repealing the "duty to retreat." portion of the law. As far as I am concerned if someone is in my house to do harm to my family or me, my only duty is to protect my family. It is the attacker who has a duty. His duty is to get out of my house post haste, like his very life depended on it because it may.

Titled: Retooling CCW zones

Pack heat in your house of worship? Carry a concealed handgun to your child's teacher conference in a school or day-care center? What about a pistol in the hospital emergency room?

Since July 1, 2001, Michigan residents licensed to carry a concealed pistol have been prohibited from carrying it in these and several other pistol-free zones. Now, a Michigan lawmaker -- state Sen. Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt -- is conducting Senate Judiciary Committee hearings into revisions of the CCW law. One proposed change is to ease up these no-carry zones, possibly dropping some of them.

Gun-control advocates argue that licensed handgun bearers would provide security that does not exist under the present law. And they have a point.

In recent weeks a trio of unrelated attacks killed three people in an Atlanta, Ga., courtroom on March 11; seven in a Milwaukee, Wis., church on March 12; and eight at Red Lake High School in Minnesota on March 21. Would some of those people be alive today if someone had been armed and able to disable or obstruct the gunmen?

It's an interesting question. The article does a pretty good job of just presenting the information without pushing the reader one way or another. I really wish more of the main stream media would present news stories in this way.

For the record I believe I should be able to openly carry my firearm with me where ever I go.

But thats just me.

If any of you reading this Blog are from the Three Rivers, Michigan area I invite you join the Liberty1st Forum. And yes even if you are not from the Three Rivers area you are still welcome. We talk about much that doesn't have anything to do with Three Rivers politics. Check it out here.

In the mean time here are some pictures of various places in Three Rivers you might enjoy.

Titled: Stop Unjust Forfeiture of Motor Vehicles According to Speak Out Michigan there are bills that would force the police to return a vehicle of a car if the owner is not convicted of a crime. I am not sure how long they will keep this particular text up so I am going to post the whole thing. Afterword I will post a link to the bill's text.

Michigan law allows the police to confiscate a motor vehicle if they suspect that anyone used the vehicle for an illegal purpose. It doesn't matter whether the owner gave consent. It doesn't even matter whether someone stole the vehicle.

For example, if the police claim that they found any marijuana in your car, they can seize your car. How the marijuana got there doesn't matter. Maybe it fell out of the pocket of an auto mechanic, valet parking attendant, or auto thief. Or maybe the wind blew a miniscule amount of marijuana through an open window. The police can confiscate your car.

Although the government sometimes is required, and often is willing, to return the vehicle to an innocent owner, the owner must pay a large fee. In Wayne County the fee is $900.

Senate Bills 138-143 will help protect innocent owners from unjust forfeiture. These bills will require the government to return a motor vehicle, without any fee, if (A) the owner is not charged with a crime, civil infraction, or civil violation, or (B) the owner is charged with, but found not guilty of, a crime, civil infraction, or civil violation.

Please ask your state senator and state representative to support Senate Bills 138-143.

SpeakOutMichigan provides an easy way to send e-mail to them. It provides a prewritten letter, to which you can add personal comments. Type in your zip code and SpeakOutMichigan will identify your state legislators and send them the letter. It takes only a minute or two.

SpeakOutMichigan also provides an easy way to send e-mail to your friends, so that they can contact their state legislators. Again there is a prewritten letter.

Help protect yourself and other innocent owners from unjust forfeiture.

Support Senate Bills 138-143.

Here is the text of the bill(s).

Did you know there was a Museum of Left Wing Lunacy? Me neither. However we do now.

Also there is a Conservative Brotherhood, which bills themselves as a group of African American writers whose politics are on the right hand side of the political spectrum. Expanding the dialog beyond traditional boundaries, they seek to contribute to a greater understanding of African Americans and America itself through advocacy and commentary.

I can't remember how I found the first link but I found the second one via The Black Informant.