Unruly boys
Who will not grow up
Must be taken in hand
Unruly girls
Who will not settle down
They must be taken in hand

A crack on the head
Is what you get for not asking
And a crack on the head
Is what you get for asking

--The Smiths, "Barbarism Begins at Home"

When we talk about the state, we are really talking about authority, which is nothing more or less than the power that one person has over another. When children are young, each family operates as a kind of "mini state."

--Stefan Molyneux, "Man, Family and State"

The winter holidays provide opportunities not only for celebration, but to bond and renew commitments with family members.

Sadly, ‘tis also the season when existing conflicts between parents and children can become more pronounced, often preceding acts of domestic violence.

More and more libertarians are exploring the ideological implications of traditional parenting practices on existing institutions.

For example, what is the source of man’s authoritarian and inhumane treatment of his fellow man?

The warden says 'The exodus sold.'
If you want a way out...
Silver and gold, silver and gold.
-- U2, "Silver & Gold"

"Nothing restrains a central government like sound money."
-- Thomas DiLorenzo

News Item: U.S Mint bans melting pennies, nickels

The motivation for the melting and export ban of U.S. pennies and nickels is the reality that the market value for the coins' metal exceeds the faith-based denomination value stamped into them by the federal government. "In God We Trust," indeed.

Why is the federal government in the money business?

The approaching anniversary of Liberty for Utahns! inspires me to explain why I came up with the title for this blog that I did.

Doing so requires an exploration of some differences between both libertarianism and statism, and liberty and democracy.

If you glance at the upper-right section of the LPUtah's homepage, you will see a diamond-shaped graphic that contrasts not only left-liberals and right-conservatives, but libertarians and authoritarian-statists.

The position of these labels describes the degree of economic and personal freedom favored or disfavored by those who hold these political philosophies.

Many of us celebrate romance during the month of February. (And a quick survey of the work of some Libertarian romance novelists, such as Karen Kay and Lauren Royal, reminds me that I am woefully out of my depth on this subject.)

So, as Valentine's Day approaches, why not briefly explore the relationship between love and politics?

In the libertarian-themed movie Serenity, Captain Malcolm Reynolds' character ("Mal") is a hardened military veteran who seemingly lacks a moral compass. But in the closing scene of the movie, Mal shows that his heart also governs his actions when he speaks metaphorically to a member of his crew.

As a former employee of public relations agency Fleishman-Hillard, I am not unfamiliar with union-backed corporate campaigns ... especially those against Wal-Mart.

And because I love a bargain, I was a regular Wal-Mart shopper ... until recently.

So why did I change my shopping habits?

Was it Frontline's report "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?"