Craig Murray on libertarianism

Craig Murray explains some basic principles of a libertarian.

Legislating on taste and personal morality is assumed. Authoritarianism is the default setting. The anti-foxhunters and anti-smokers have got the strength to impose their will, the anti-abortionists not, at least in the UK. But why do we have to seek to impose our will by force, not reason?

Why indeed? I have sometimes wondered at the kind of sick mind that would seek to criminalise the use of imperial measures, for example.

More on educational conscription

Fabian Tassano has provided the convincing that I needed to support his campaign against extension of the school leaving age. His point is that this is not, as I had erroneously thought, a string attached to an offer of public financial support, but applies to anyone whether they are self-supporting or not.

This is clearly wrong. I'm convinced.

On a similar subject, Instapundit does a podcast today with Dr Robert Epstein who advocates letting teenagers leave school when they want to - providing they can pass the exams. This strikes me as a much more sensible idea for the twenty first century.

Compulsory education

It's sometimes said that the nanny state and the welfare state are two sides of the same coin. Because the state, via the taxpayer, funds healthcare, it is said to be reasonable for government to dictate our diets and exercise regime.  A similar sort of argument applies to the government's plans to extend the school leaving age for those who have no job to go to, which have so irked Fabian Tassano.

Fabian seems absolutely clear on this issue - to his mind it is abhorrent and wrong for the state to dictate to people in this way. But to me the answer to the question of whether government should dictate school leaving ages is not an obvious one. If the taxpayer is to support these people, is it not right that they should also demand that the recipients of this largesse should actually do something useful with the money - like study?

Don't get me wrong - if I were running the country the taxpayer wouldn't be supporting these people at all. It's just to say that if I am forced to pay to feed someone who can't or won't support themselves, should I be fighting for their right to sit on their backsides doing nothing?

I don't mean to say that Fabian is wrong. Just that I need convincing that he's right. 

Free Born John

There's a really good post up at Free Born John at the moment. It ranges from sumptuary laws and the tragedy of the commons to immigration.

Read the whole thing. 

Posts on libertarianism

It's the same everywhere.

Amit Varma, top Indian libertarian blogger,  has a post up on his swanky new site about libertarianism in India.

[D]espite having gained political freedom 60 years ago, personal and economic freedoms are routinely denied in India. Even worse, there is no political party in the country that speaks up for freedom in all its forms.

One to subscribe to.