Results tagged “Conscience of a Libertarian” from Eric Sundwall.com

Some critics of Wayne Root cite his constant insistence on tax cuts rather than spending cuts as a critical flaw in his approach. While this chapter certainly refutes such claims, the idea of constitutional impoundment offers little succor to anyone who may have observed the behavior of the United States government in the last seventy years.

Root's premise is that as President he'll just not spend the money that Congress has appropriated for various items he deems unconstitutional. Barring any realistic chance of Root actually getting elected POTUS, he seems to lack a fundamental understanding of process and politics. Anyone watching the recent Ken Burns or Micheal Moore documentaries will find an almost slavish devotion to the idea that democracy can equalize economic differences in society. Utilizing FDR all the way.

Evoking Nixon's 'Silent Majority' to inspire a tax payer's union might have worked if Root anticipated the Tea Party protests that have popped up in the last six months. It's clear that Root didn't have a clue about this spontaneous uprising during what was likely the final revisions of the book. In fact, he claims that these noble wealth makers (which include 'married-with-children' folks as opposed to those dual income no children types) are simply too occupied with their own success. " We don't waste our time marching, complaining, or protesting (p.155)."

Of course, come last July 4th when the Tea Party protests were in full bloom we find Wayne taking the stage just prior to neo-con lapdog Michele Malkin at a very large protest in Dallas. No true politician can turn down an adoring crowd, even the anti-politician. This chapter seems like a lame filler before the solution section and it shows again with the strained, invented acronyms and automatic claims of socialism attributed to Obama. Once again the nature of taxation isn't approached so much as the levels thereof. No mention of the wars that got us into the mess, only the upcoming vilification of the 'rich' (p.155) by Obama.

With the exception of the obviously inspired chapter title, I actually found myself identifying with this chapter in a moment of weakness. As someone who has lived in the extended shadow of New York's Capital Region (and the other side of the River) hardly a day goes by without the reminder that those who work for the state are made men, or women as the case may be and the saying goes. Big fat pensions, sick and vacation time, the contrast to my own entrepreneurial existence, often present a stark contrast in philosophy and life style.

Like Wayne, I have also worked on holidays, extended after hours and sometimes even sick. I recall spending the last days in a business location dismantling the operation with a head cold that would have sidelined a state worker for a week. I was so happy to be free of the local bureaucracy's control after years of struggle, it was almost a joy. The extra lawn mowing in the summer, fixing the heating and air conditioning units in the facility are experiences that I imagine Root doesn't actually do, but the persistence and struggle is common amongst the self-employed and business owners.

I guess my only real question about this chapter would be that if Root had until May of 2009 to edit his book, why would he still make the claim that the Big 3 automakers all sought bailouts. I was under the impression that Ford did not. The reason why this is important is because the central claim that Root is making is that unions crippled these automakers and made them go bankrupt. If Ford didn't go bankrupt then there is plenty of room to dispute the notion that unions were the key point of failure.

The other dubious claim in this chapter is that the bailout money would be better spent on "small businesses struggling to survive (p.130)". It's not at all certain that such bailouts would be fundamentally better and certainly the synonymous claim to "Get government out of the way (p.129)" doesn't follow. While having no fundamental problem with the idea that small businesses contribute a lot to the free market, suggesting that the opportunity cost of bailing out large corporations in favor of those small businesses is not a real market solution. While he's on track with the notion of business failure as healthy by-products of the free market, to simultaneously suggest that one group deserves it rather than the other is schizophrenic at best. Seeing that Dr. Lynch made it to the margins of p.132 with a 'good' also finding the notion of attempting to find the next Apple or Microsoft through government funding as acceptable, I'm beginning to wonder who understands true free markets anymore.

The final message about bailouts is understood, but do we have to get there via a faulty route ?

Beyond the admission of an imaginary friend, a swell wife and the tired shtick of the last campaign (SOB - son of a butcher, small businessman, homeschooler, fellow Columbia graduate of Obama, heroes Reagan & Goldwater yadda yadda) WR should not couple playing with his boys as a testosterone fest, wholesome rough housing would have done sufficiently thank you. Seems crass and vulgar on some level. Unfortunately even us reluctant critics are rendered helpless by WR's thanks at the end of the intro, thus he psychologically insulates himself from any rebuff whatsoever. We're all just creativity bashers and do nothing naysayers who make him the better, relentless champion of freedom. The Peter O'Toole character in the Pixar movie, Ratatouille, hits that head on the critic nail in a much grander and illustrative manner . Us wingnut critics only fuel this great monumental passion for less gubmint and lower taxes. Sigh.

Sound familiar ? The latter's irritant effect in the first chapter as a device after each hagiographic rehash of the aforementioned AuH2O mercifully ends as one quickens the pace about reading how big gubmint has become not only since Obama took office, but even GWB himself now a fair victim on history's shelf. That the education and agricultural departments are expanded without Constitutional regard comes as a shock is only slightly less deafening as the omission of gubmint growth under Reagan is never seriously considered by WR . . . the classic libertarian take about the Cold War and the loss of the Old Right to the likes of Buckley and Goldwater isn't even on Root's intellectual radar. One wonders if he'll mention the unconstitutionality of foreign interventions since Korea. Nope, just that we defend rich nations. At least there's nothing smacking of Bill Kristol or Charles Krauthammer hubris with regard to empire and duty. The Islamo fascist language has quickly been purged from WR's bag of sales tricks since pursuing the LP nomination for prez.

Came home last night and watched 'Weeds' on NetFlix rather than waste the last fuzzy hour of the day approaching W.A.R's latest. Dr. Lynch handed over his complimentary book to academia with pure scoff. A hardcore Misean, his patience was little to thin for the experience on a sustained level. He returned a borrowed Sartwell's latest with great praise and longingly handed back the Ethics of Liberty.

So many ways to proceed without even cracking the cover . . .

Version 1: Well, a lot of the cool kids in the LP are anarchists and smoke pot, so a guy in a suit making bad jokes about his butcher dad won't cut it with them no matter how many times he's on Fox.

V2: I have a lot in common with Wayne, he's from New York, I'm from upstate. His dad was in the Conservative Party and mine was too. My first car was a Granada and his a bitchin Camaro . . .

V3: When old Wayne yelled 'Bang' at the convention on CSPAN, I wished that I wasn't wearing kneepads and ripping my kitchen floor out that memorial day weekned . . . I could have been there and helped out . . . maybe.

Guess I'll pop it open now . . . shaking head, wondering if the secret cabal will be enough to save the spirit of liberty. I heard they already jumped the shark according to one of the know it alls from California . . .