Greetings.

Issue CCXXIII of The Rational Argumentator is now complete at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue223/index223.html

Eight articles have been published:

Stimulating Anachronism, Stifling Innovation:
Art Carden
December 17, 2009
Unfortunately, writes Art Carden, progress in transportation won't proceed as rapidly as it otherwise would, because the federal government is tying up capital trying to prop up the gigantic and inefficient "Big Three" car companies that were in some ways the iconic firms of the mid-20th century. These resources are being wasted: they could be used more efficiently and more profitably, and therefore more effectively, by firms like Tesla that are producing the products of the 21st century.

I Wrote the Guide to Extend Rothbard:
Robert P. Murphy
December 17, 2009
With all of the comparisons between President Obama and FDR, and especially all of the "lessons" we are told about the Great Depression, fans of the free market need a single volume to get up to speed as well as to educate their interventionist friends. Dr. Robert Murphy has written such a book in the recently released The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Great Depression and the New Deal. The first question that springs to mind — and many potential readers have indeed emailed Dr. Murphy this — is to wonder, "What's in your book that's not in Rothbard's America's Great Depression?" Unfortunately, as great as Rothbard's book is, he ends with the Hoover administration. So Dr. Murphy extends the Austrian analysis to explain the failures of the New Deal.

What is Free Trade? (1918):
William Graham Sumner
December 17, 2009
There never would have been any such thing to fight for as free speech, free press, free worship, or free soil, if nobody had ever put restraints on men in those matters. We never should have heard of free trade, if no restrictions had ever been put on trade. If there had been any restrictions on the intercourse between the states of this Union, we should have heard of ceaseless agitation to get those restrictions removed. Since there are no restrictions allowed under the Constitution, we do not realize the fact that we are enjoying the blessings of complete liberty, where, if wise counsels had not prevailed at a critical moment, we should now have had a great mass of traditional and deep-rooted interferences to encounter. In this classic essay, William Graham Sumner illustrates the nature and benefits of genuine free trade and the harms of economic protectionism.

Mises as We Knew Him (1978):
Friedrich A. Hayek
December 17, 2009
Although without a doubt one of the most important economists of his generation, in a certain sense Ludwig von Mises remained an outsider in the academic world until the end of his unusually long scholarly career — certainly within the German-speaking world — but also during the last third of his life, when in the United States he raised a larger circle of students. Before this, his strong immediate influence had essentially been restricted to his Viennese Privatseminar, whose members for the most part only became attracted to him once they had completed their original studies. Friedrich Hayek recalls his own memories of the great Mises.

Obama Care and Faith Healing:
Edward Hudgins
December 17, 2009
Want an eye-opening perspective on those in Congress and the Obama administration who want the government to control America’s health care system? Then consider the motivations and mindsets of a group that would have been helped by a provision that was stripped from the House bill but that could find its way into the Senate bill.  The provision would require the government to use taxpayer funds to pay for faith healers. Dr. Edward Hudgins writes that it would be appropriate if Obama care supported faith healing. Both follow from the same thinking—or lack of it. But it would be appropriate for humans who want to live and be healthy to reject both false appeals to medical and public policy miracles!

Budget Expands Federal Government as Economy Contracts:
Ron Paul
December 17, 2009
In early April of 2009, the U. S. House passed another budget that increases federal power, raises taxes, and increases the national debt.  Rep. Ron Paul voted against it, and was pleased to see that not a single Republican representative voted for it.  Legislators often see bipartisanship as constructive, but Rep. Paul disagrees, especially where the destruction of our economy or our liberty is concerned.

End the War on Drugs:
Ron Paul
December 17, 2009
We have recently heard many shocking stories of brutal killings and ruthless violence related to drug cartels warring with Mexican and US officials.  It is approaching the fever pitch of a full blown crisis.  Unfortunately, the Obama administration is not likely to waste this opportunity to further expand government.  Hopefully, we can take a deep breath and look at history for the optimal way to deal with this dangerous situation, which is not unprecedented. Rep. Ron Paul reminds us that alcohol prohibition in the 1920s brought similar violence, gangs, lawlessness, corruption and brutality.

Fewer Taxes for Real Economic Stimulus:
Ron Paul
December 17, 2009
Taxes were the issue earlier this year as Americans struggled to make the April 15^th deadline to file their returns. It is a good time to contemplate the effects of big government and what it does to our country.  Rep. Ron Paul believes that the income tax is one of the most egregious encroachments on our liberties today.  It is a form of involuntary servitude, which was supposed to have been outlawed by the 13^th Amendment.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXXIII of The Rational Argumentator has been initiated at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue223/index223.html

Two new articles are available:

Politics
Why on Earth Do Canadians Love Waiting for Health Care?:
Bradley Doucet
December 16, 2009
As the U.S. Senate argues about how best to take over the American health care industry, it is worth taking a look at how government health insurance works in Canada, where Bradley Doucet lives. Judging from popular opinion, one would think Canadian health care was great. Yet these poll results are frankly surprising, because universal coverage in Canada comes at a high cost: long waiting lists.

Science
We Don't Need no Stinkin' Evidence!:
Paul Driessen
December 16, 2009
Paul Driessen details the many ways the “evidence” for catastrophic climate change has been manipulated, to drive the life-controlling, job-killing Copenhagen/cap-tax-and-trade agenda. It demonstrates the ways the “scientific” process has been based on false and falsified evidence – the kind that would get legal cases thrown out of court, and land the manipulators in jail. It underscores why we need to take another look at the science, before we allow the Congress, EPA, or UN to take another step toward controlling our energy in the name of preventing catastrophic climate change.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXXII of The Rational Argumentator is now complete at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue222/index222.html

Four articles have been published:

Baby, It's Cold Outside:
Alan Caruba
December 9, 2009
Alan Caruba writes that one of the great ironies of the Climate Change Conference taking place in Copenhagen is that its focus is on “global warming” at a time when Planet Earth has been in a cooling cycle for the past decade.

New Ideas for Roads:
Jeffrey Tucker
December 9, 2009
Is there nothing new in the world of libertarian ideas? There is plenty with Walter Block's remarkable new treatise on private roads, a 494-page book that will cause you to rethink the whole of the way modern transportation networks operate. It is bold, innovative, radical, compelling, and shows how free-market economic theory is the clarifying lens through which to see the failures of the state and to see the alternative that is consistent with human liberty. Jeffrey Tucker reviews Dr. Block's The Privatization of Roads & Highways, available via the Mises Institute.

No More Gifts, Please:
Jeffrey Tucker
December 9, 2009
Jeffrey Tucker writes that recessions make the world less wasteful and, in this sense, forge a framework for increased prosperity down the road. But some bad business practices have survived this downturn, and number one on Mr. Tucker's list is the practice of sending gifts to customers during the holiday season. Mr. Tucker simply cannot believe that this highly inefficient practice still goes on.

Why Some People Are Poorer (1972):
Henry Hazlitt
December 9, 2009
In this classic 1972 essay, economist Henry Hazlitt explores the question of why some people remain significantly poorer than others in advanced, Western societies. What can explain "pockets" of poverty and individual poverty in recent history?

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Three new articles have been published in Issue CCXXII of The Rational Argumentator:

Will the University Survive?:
Tim Swanson
December 8, 2009
Tim Swanson believes that a free market in degree granting, one liberated from political regulation and business myopia, is just around the corner. While Mr. Swanson does not believe that distance education and online courses are a perfect substitute for the intimacy of round-table discussions with high-caliber teachers, he thinks that universities will need to adjust to market incentives and new technological realities in order to survive.

The Bush-Obama War:
Chuck Baldwin
December 8, 2009
Now it's Barack Obama's war. After campaigning against "George Bush's War" in the Middle East, Obama has escalated that war. By transferring thousands of America's forces from Iraq to Afghanistan, and by sending an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, the liberal Democrat has demonstrated that his administration is not so different from that of his "conservative" Republican predecessor. Dr. Chuck Baldwin had predicted that this would happen.

Science or Nonscience?:
Clifford F. Thies
December 8, 2009
Hacked or possibly leaked emails appear to indicate that a lot of what passes for climate-change science is propaganda. Data appear to have been filtered, altered, or falsified, in order to deny the obvious: the earth is not continuing to warm up in accordance with climate change models; global temperature has been fluctuating for hundreds of thousands of years due to natural variation; and the earth is no warmer nowadays than it has been at several prior times in history.  The black mark earned by alarmists during the 1970s, for predicting continued global cooling, may be replicated for global-warming alarmists. Clifford Thies writes that the real tragedy, however, may be that — one day — scientists will cry wolf to a public that has learned to ignore them.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/

Greetings.

Issue CCXXII of The Rational Argumentator is now available at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue222/index222.html

Three new articles have been published:

Climategate: Melting the Chains of Tyranny:
Tom DeWeese
December 7, 2009
Rarely has a political movement with so much power collapsed so fast, certainly not since the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is astonishing that the mighty force of Climate Change has fallen so hard, so fast due to the revelations of the Climategate e-mail scandal. But, writes Tom DeWeese, it is a gift we must not waste. Now is the time for all lovers of freedom to rise up, throw the scoundrels out, throw off our “climate chains of tyranny,” and take back our American freedoms.

The Copenhagen Conference: Emission Impossible:
Michael Economides and Art Horn
December 7, 2009
Emission Impossible is what Obama’s preposterous pledge to “cut in emissions” in this week’s Copenhagen conference is shaping up to be. “Climategate” has shown the motivations of the advocates and alarmists are as political as most suspected. Michael Economides and Art Horn write that the science shows much different conclusions from those of the “consensus.”

Who Wants War?:
Ron Paul
December 7, 2009
If anyone still doubted that this administration’s foreign policy would bring any kind of change, this week’s debate on Afghanistan should remove all doubt.  Rep. Ron Paul writes that the President’s stated justifications for sending more troops to Afghanistan and escalating war amount to little more than recycling all the false reasons we began the conflict. It is so discouraging to see this coming from our new leadership, when the people were hoping for peace.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Two essays have been published in Issue CCXXI of The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/issue221/index221.html

Should the State Support the Arts? (1850):
Frederic Bastiat
December 7, 2009
Ought the state to support the arts? The classical liberal French economist Frederic Bastiat answers this question in the negative, drawing upon economic logic to refute the commonplace fallacies of his time. A free audio recording of this essay, read by Mr. Stolyarov, is available here.

Sustainability: An Assault on Economics:
Tyler A. Watts
December 7, 2009
The alarmist crusade, which underlies the sustainability movement, should rankle people with an economic understanding of the world. A basic tenet of economics is that markets are self-correcting and orderly; prices indicate resource constraints and guide people in economizing on their use. Prices change as underlying supply and demand conditions change, inducing appropriate adjustments in consumption and production patterns. Prices channel the profit motive — a natural aspect of the human condition — into productive and innovative activities. In short, prices work. Sustainists, writes Tyler Watts, are either ignorant or in denial of this basic lesson. Either way,  economists have their work cut out for them. A free audio recording of this essay, read by Mr. Stolyarov, is available here.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

A new video is available in Issue CCXXI of The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/issue221/index221.html

Refuting the "Lord, Liar, or Lunatic" Argument - Video:
G. Stolyarov II
December 6, 2009
Some Christians seek to convince non-believers in the divinity of Jesus Christ that either Christ was mad, a liar, or an actual god. Mr. Stolyarov refutes this common argument here.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

A new article has been published in Issue CCXXI of The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/issue221/index221.html

Homeland Security or Homeland Enslavement?:
Chuck Baldwin
December 6, 2009
For the last 8 years, the American people have been told they must sacrifice certain liberties in order that the federal government might protect them. And for the most part, the American people have been happy to accommodate this incessant intrusion into their personal liberties. They know the feds are monitoring their emails, personal phone conversations, and even their personal letters when received from overseas. They have sat silently as their banking institutions have monitored and reported virtually any and all financial transactions to the federal government. In today's super-security world, one cannot even cash a check without showing the bank teller his or her driver's license, which is recorded and made available to the feds. Dr. Chuck Baldwin argues that this is not real homeland security; it is homeland enslavement.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

A new article has been published in Issue CCXXI of The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/issue221/index221.html

Climategate: A Willful Ignorance:
Alan Caruba
December 5, 2009 
A week after the revelations of more than a thousand emails between the chief perpetrators of the science fraud that has since come to be called Climategate, an editor at The Economist could still write, “This newspaper believes that global warming is a serious threat, and that the world needs to take steps to try to avert it.” Could The Economist be so uninformed, misinformed, or willfully ignorant of the commonly known fact that, despite a rise in the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere, the Earth has been in a new, natural cooling cycle for a decade? Alan Caruba argues that willful ignorance continues to dominate the mindsets of those who advocate the existence of anthropogenic "climate change," despite the facts to the contrary. 

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

A new article has been published in Issue CCXXI of The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/issue221/index221.html

The Waste of Tax Dollars Never Ends: Items of Interest:
Tom DeWeese
December 4, 2009
The nation is collapsing under the federal deficit, and Washington can’t find a dime to cut from the budget. In the meantime, Tom DeWeese discusses some of the absurdities that your taxes to the federal government continue to pay for.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

A new articles has been published in Issue CCXXI of The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/issue221/index221.html

First You Laugh, Then You Cry:
Marita Noon
December 3, 2009
Marita Noon writes that America is currently in no position to lecture China on its shortcomings. U. S. politicians are borrowing Chinese money, but have no way to pay it back. In the current economy, China holds all the cards.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

A new article has been published in Issue CCXXI of The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/issue221/index221.html

Healthcare Freedom or Healthcare Bureaucracy?:
Ron Paul
December 2, 2009
The U.S. Preventive Task Force caused quite a stir recently when they revised their recommendations on the frequency and age for women to get mammograms.  Many have speculated on the timing for this government-funded report, with the Senate vote on health care looming, and cost estimates being watched closely.  Just the hint that the government would risk women’s health to cut costs is causing outrage on both sides of the aisle. Rep. Ron Paul, however, argues that such cost-cutting would become rampant if the healthcare bill currently before the Senate is passed.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXXI of The Rational Argumentator is now available at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue221/index221.html

Two new features have been published:

Compulsory Social Insurance (1922):
Ludwig von Mises
December 1, 2009
This essay by Ludwig von Mises is an excerpt from his 1922 book, Socialism. In it, the great economist critiques the concept of social insurance, which ultimately aimed at giving every citizen adequate care and the best medical treatment in sickness and adequate sustenance if he should become incapable of work through accident, sickness or old age, or if he should fail to find work on conditions he considered necessary. Mises argues that compulsory social insurance -- much like what is being proposed for health care today -- has the potentialto increase the prevalence of the perils being insured against.

Cleaning Out the Climate Science Cesspool:
Paul Driessen
November 30, 2009
Paul Driessen addresses the growing global warming scandal over emails, censorship, data manipulation, and fraud. Mr. Driessen explains why the stakes are so high and outlines actions that need to be taken to prevent further damage to scientific integrity, public policy, and the world economy – before we get locked into cap-tax-and-trade laws and a new global climate treaty.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXX of The Rational Argumentator is now complete at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue220/index220.html

A new video is available:

Commonly Misunderstood Concepts: Happiness - Video:
G. Stolyarov II
November 29, 2009
One of the most grievous errors made by most people in the Western world today can be found in the prevailing view of happiness as constant pleasure or euphoria. This vision of happiness is not only unattainable but destructive of genuine happiness. Mr. Stolyarov offers a much more realistic and satisfying understanding of happiness. This video is the companion to this essay.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Four new works have been published in Issue CCXX of The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/issue220/index220.html

Commonly Misunderstood Concepts: Employment - Video:
G. Stolyarov II
November 28, 2009
The mistaken identification of wealth with money results in yet another damaging fallacy: the idea that the only legitimate "employment" is work performed for somebody else in exchange for money. Mr. Stolyarov refutes this fallacy here. This video is the companion to this essay.

Involuntary Medical Servitude:
Maria Martins
November 28, 2009
Maria Martins, MD, believes that the very idea of government acting to control any aspect of the practice of medicine should ignite passionate resistance on the part of physicians everywhere. The new proposals to expand the role of government will deal a deathblow to a profession already under siege. Now is the time to accurately name what is being proposed and have the courage to stop it. It is difficult to believe that in the United States, a country founded on the principles of life and liberty, the outright subjugation of a profession by the government would even be considered.

The Middle East: Reporting on an Enigma:
Alan Caruba
November 28, 2009
When President Obama delivers a speech on why he is going to send more thousands of U.S. troops and spend more billions on the eight-year-old conflict in Afghanistan, Alan Caruba writes that it would be a good idea to better understand why so much of what is reported from the Middle East suffers a great disconnect from the truth.

The Marbury v. Madison Mantra:
Timothy Baldwin
November 28, 2009
Timothy Baldwin writes that the arguments against the power of the States to arrest federal tyranny are as predictable as the sun coming up in the morning, and they are as philosophical in nature as the Declaration of Independence. One of the most commonly used arguments against such a State power is the United States Supreme Court (US S CT) dicta opinion in Marbury v. Madison in 1803, written by Chief Justice John Marshall. As Marshall himself admitted that the US is to be a country of "laws, not men," Mr. Baldwin argues that we must establish that Marshall's opinion does not equate to the "supreme law of the land" which the States and individuals are bound to obey. If our submission only requires that the US S CT speak, then we do not live as freemen, but as slaves.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Two new articles have been published in Issue CCXX of The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/issue220/index220.html

Battling Malaria in Uganda:
Fiona Kobusingye-Boynes
November 27, 2009
In this powerful new article, Uganda’s Fiona Kobusingye-Boynes writes about the unconscionable continuing barriers to malaria eradication in Africa. Ms. Kobusingye-Boynes urges even greater resolve in challenging environmental extremists and campaigning for science-based, humanitarian policies for controlling and ending this killer disease.

The Inclination to Love Liberty:
Gary Galles
November 27, 2009
Dr. Gary Galles recently had a chance to read Louis Carabini's new book, Inclined to Liberty. In Dr. Galles's view, the book offered useful insight and inspiration. So, both in thanks and in hopes of getting more people to read this short book, Dr. Galles would like to share a few of its gems.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXX of The Rational Argumentator is now available at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue220/index220.html

Three new articles have been published:

Culture
Commonly Misunderstood Concepts: Employment:
G. Stolyarov II
November 26, 2009
The mistaken identification of wealth with money results in yet another damaging fallacy: the idea that the only legitimate "employment" is work performed for somebody else in exchange for money. Mr. Stolyarov refutes this fallacy here.

Commonly Misunderstood Concepts: Happiness:
G. Stolyarov II
November 26, 2009
One of the most grievous errors made by most people in the Western world today can be found in the prevailing view of happiness as constant pleasure or euphoria. This vision of happiness is not only unattainable but destructive of genuine happiness. Mr. Stolyarov offers a much more realistic and satisfying understanding of happiness.

Politics
Global Warming Fraud: Somebody Needs to Go to Jail:
Alan Caruba
November 26, 2009
According to Alan Caruba, he revelations that scientists at the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit (CRU) doctored the data supporting the global warming claims of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) means that everything attributed to or based upon “global warming” is invalid. The Climategate incident should be an impetus for dismantling all aspects of the anthropogenic global warming fraud.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXIX of The Rational Argumentator is now complete at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue219/index219.html

Two new articles are available:

Dispelling Popular Great Depression Myths: Robert Murphy's The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Great Depression and the New Deal:
G. Stolyarov II
November 25, 2009
Robert P. Murphy's The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Great Depression and the New Deal debunks the myth of the Great Depression being caused by laissez-faire capitalism - and being solved by either the New Deal, World War II, or both. Mr. Stolyarov reviews this insightful work, which has the potential of coveying accurate understandings of economics and history to large segments of the general public.

DeLong's Stimulus Accounting: A Deconstruction:
Robert P. Murphy
November 25, 2009
UC Berkeley Keynesian economist Brad DeLong recently defended the stimulus plan and actually one-upped the Obama official who was defending the numbers. Yet as Dr. Robert Murphy shows, DeLong himself pulls figures out of the air to justify the program. The whole affair serves to remind the public that conventional macroeconomics is an art, not a science — and a heavily politicized art to boot.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

A new article has been published in Issue CCXIX of The Rational Argumentator:
http://rationalargumentator.com/issue219/index219.html

Horava Gravity Theory Overturns Einsteinian Spacetime and Vindicates Aspects of A Rational Cosmology:
G. Stolyarov II
November 24, 2009
Mainstream physics is in the midst of a welcome development, as a new theory by Petr Hořava has posed a serious challenge to Einstein’s general relativity model. Einstein posited an equivalence in kind between time and space and rejected the Newtonian view of time as absolute. In A Rational Cosmology, particularly in Chapter IV, Mr. Stolyarov showed that this view is logically impossible and that the absolutism of time is required for the concept of time to be meaningful. Hořava's quantum gravity theory vindicates many of Mr. Stolyarov's insights, which were derived from ubiquitous observation and logical reasoning.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Five new features have been published in Issue CCXIX of The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/issue219/index219.html

The Run, Op. 64:
G. Stolyarov II
November 23, 2009
This composition for two harpsichords is quite modern in its structure and harmonies, but manages to remain free of dissonance and maintain a melodic dynamism. The piece conveys rapid motion – as in a fast run – as well as a sense of exertion and onward momentum. It intensifies toward the end and reaches a sudden, rapid conclusion – as a runner might do upon completing a predetermined distance. All the notes of this piece are either sixteenth notes or thirty-second notes, making it quite difficult for a human musician to perform. As such, it is another example of Mr. Stolyarov’s genre of superclassical music – composed using traditional harmonies but in tempos and instrumental arrangements that only a computer is likely to be able to execute. Length: 2:03.

Climategate! The Global Warming Meltdown:
Alan Caruba
November 23, 2009
Around November 20, some enterprising individual hacked into the computers of the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit (CRU), making off with thousands of emails and documents that demonstrate the level of collusion and deception being practiced by its scientists. Alan Caruba writes that the result was a climate hoax expose that some are calling the revelations a “little blue dress,” while others are comparing it to the Pentagon Papers. It has also been dubbed “Climategate.”

Audit the Fed Attached as an Amendment:
Ron Paul
November 23, 2009
Rep. Ron Paul was pleased last week when he and his supporters won a vote in the Financial Services Committee to include language from the Audit the Fed bill HR 1207 in the upcoming financial regulatory reform bill.  As it stands now, if HR 3996 passes, because of this action, the Federal Reserve’s entire balance sheet will be opened up to a GAO audit.  We will at last have a chance to find out what happened to the trillions of dollars the Fed has been giving out.

Give Thanks for Energy:
Marita Noon
November 23, 2009
Marita Noon discusses all of the various sources of energy needed create the "old-fashioned" Thanksgiving that so many of us picture when we think of the nationwide holiday. There is a lot to be thankful for in the realm of human technologies that enable us to inexpensively and efficiently harness this energy.

The Great Depression of the 14th Century (1995):
Murray N. Rothbard
November 23, 2009
Focus on the devastation caused by outbreaks of the Black Death in the mid-14th century is partially correct, but superficial, writes Murray Rothbard, for these outbreaks were themselves partly caused by an economic breakdown and fall in living standards which began earlier in the century. The causes of the great depression of western Europe can be summed up in one stark phrase: the newly imposed domination of the State. This essay by Rothbard reveals how burdensome taxes and wars triggered economic decline that lasted for a century and a half during the Late Middle Ages.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXIX of The Rational Argumentator has been initiated at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue219/index219.html

Two new features are available:

Politics
The Global Carbon Footprint Scam:
Alan Caruba
November 22, 2009
Alan Caruba never ceases to marvel at the environmental alarmists who create one “crisis” after another using wretchedly bad “science” to support their scams. On Tuesday, November 24, the Global Footprint Network is going to “release new data on the Ecological Footprint of 100 nations and humanity as a whole, and the current ledgers are sobering.” Mr. Caruba believes that the “carbon footprint”, along with “global warming”, should be consigned to the dustbin of failed and false economic and schemes known as socialism and communism. They are synonymous with suffering and death.

Videos
Operation Health Freedom - Video:
Ron Paul
November 22, 2009
In this final installment of the Campaign for Liberty’s Operation Health Freedom video series, Congressman Ron Paul talks about the need for less government in health care and mentions reforming the tax code to give us back more of our hard-earned dollars so we can pursue a much wider variety of health care options.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXVIII of The Rational Argumentator is now complete at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue218/index218.html

Four new features are available:

Commonly Misunderstood Concepts: Wealth - Video:
G. Stolyarov II
November 21, 2009
Many of the economic and personal fallacies of our time arise from the mistaken belief that wealth and money are identical. In fact, writes Mr. Stolyarov, while money is in many cases an important gateway to wealth, it does not even approach describing what wealth truly is. This video is the companion to this essay.

Why on Earth Do Unions Oppose Education Reform?:
Bradley Doucet
November 21, 2009
In sharp distinction to the way he dealt with the banks and car companies, when it comes to schools, Barack Obama wants to reward success instead of rewarding failure. The central pillar of the plan he and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan have come up with is the “Race to the Top” awards. To win a share of $4.3 billion in federal grant money, state governments will actually have to compete with one another. They will have to show that they are “committed to real change,” that they are willing to hold themselves “more accountable,” and that they have a “strong plan” to improve education. But this plan is strongly opposed by teachers' unions. Bradley Doucet comments on why this opposition must be overcome in order to achieve an educational system that no longer puts the children second to union members' interests to work less and not be evaluated on the basis of their performance.

An Alarmist Modeler's History of Climate Change:
Paul Driessen
November 21, 2009
If carbon dioxide is the primary cause of global warming, it must have played that role throughout history. The challenge is to discover the sources of that carbon dioxide climate villain in the past. This satirical brief summary of key events by Paul Driessen is intended to aid in that quest, and explain how the Gore-Hansen thesis worked through the ages.

Reducing Humans to Carbon Ash:
Edward Hudgins
November 21, 2009
The latest morally monstrous proposal out of the environmentalist cult comes from Lord Smith of Finsbury. He suggests that each British citizen be given a government “carbon allowance.” Dr. Edward Hudgins writes that the appallingly anti-human nature of this proposal is only surpassed by the appalling ignorance and intellectual laziness of a public that is not appalled by the fact that their politicians are literally leading them to suicide.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXVIII of The Rational Argumentator has been updated at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue218/index218.html

Three new articles are available:

Economists Can Be Hilarious:
Robert P. Murphy
November 20, 2009
Given economists' dismal reputation as far as humor is concerned, Robert Murphy is happy to report that some economists' recent defenses of the efficient-markets hypothesis are laugh-out-loud funny. Outside Cirque du Soleil, you will not see such contortions as when these economists try to defend their theory from either refutation or triviality.

Get Out of Our House (GOOOH): A Disinfectant on Congress?:
Tom DeWeese
November 20, 2009
Tom DeWeese recently came across a bold yet simple plan to replace all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives – and do it as early as 2010. It’s called GOOOH, or Get Out Of Our House, and is a non-partisan national movement that is rapidly gaining momentum. It could very well be the solution to address the disarray in Washington. Mr. DeWeese explains.

Galileo Silenced Again:
Willie Soon and David R. Legates
November 20, 2009
This commentary by scientists Willie Soon and David Legates underscores the sad state of affairs within even our most venerable scientific organizations, such as the American Geophysical Union, when it comes to alleged manmade catastrophic global warming. Their all-too-frequent reaction is to be to censor, intimidate, and silence any voices that rise to question claims by Al Gore, the UN IPCC, and others who are using this issue to raise revenue and restructure the world’s energy and economic systems.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

A new article has been published today in Issue CCXVIII of The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/issue218/index218.html

If You Believe in Intellectual Property, How Do You Teach Others?:
Jeffrey Tucker
November 18, 2009
Some Harvard professors are taking very seriously their "intellectual property rights" and have claimed copyright to the ideas that they spread in their classrooms. What prompted this was a website in which students posted their notes to help other students. Jeffrey Tucker sees this as a prime illustration of the inherent illogic of intellectual property. If enforced consistently, the idea that ideas can be property would prevent all meaningful learning and retention of information. Mr. Tucker argues that rigorous enforcement of intellectual property was one of the main causes of the bitter frustration Ayn Rand experienced later in her life and the downfall of Rand's early Objectivist movement.

Greetings.

Issue CCXVIII of The Rational Argumentator has been initiated at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue218/index218.html

Two new articles are available:

Commonly Misunderstood Concepts: Wealth:
G. Stolyarov II
November 16, 2009
Many of the economic and personal fallacies of our time arise from the mistaken belief that wealth and money are identical. In fact, writes Mr. Stolyarov, while money is in many cases an important gateway to wealth, it does not even approach describing what wealth truly is.

Competition With the Federal Government?:
Ron Paul
November 17, 2009
Last Saturday many concerned Americans watched in horror as the House passed the healthcare reform bill.  If this bill makes it through the Senate, it would massively overhaul the way healthcare is delivered in this country.  Today, obviously, we don’t have a perfect system, but Rep. Ron Paul argues that this legislation takes all the mistakes we are making with healthcare and makes them worse.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXVII of The Rational Argumentator has been published at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue217/index217.html

Ten new features are available:

Economics
The Candlemakers' Petition (1845):
Frederic Bastiat
November 15, 2009
This classic satire by French economist and free-market advocate Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) illustrates the follies of protectionism via a petition of the makers of artificial light for government barriers against their major competitor: the sun. A free audio recording of this essay in mp3 format, read by Mr. Stolyarov, is available here.

Krugman's Magic Solution to Budgetary Woes:
Robert P. Murphy
November 15, 2009
Long-time readers know that Robert Murphy is second only to Bill Anderson in his constant criticism of Paul Krugman. Indeed, he quite recently defended the gold standard from Krugman's ridicule. Given this context, Dr. Murphy is very surprised to confess that Krugman has convinced him of the virtues of currency debasement. As he was reading his blog post on the tragic fate of Ecuador, Dr. Murphy applied Krugman's lessons to his personal life, and suddenly everything became clear. In a flash, all of his household's financial stresses were solved. Please allow Dr. Murphy to share Krugman's tale — and his own personal salvation — so that you too may be freed from the bondage of creditors and scarcity.

Healthcare Reform is Economic Malpractice:
Ron Paul
November 15, 2009
As Washington continues debating healthcare reform, the rest of the country is primarily concerned about jobs and the economy.  It is still uncertain what policies will be implemented, but Rep. Ron Paul is certain about one thing:  It will only further devastate our economy and our dollar.

A Man-Made Financial Disaster:
Alan Caruba
November 15, 2009
Alan Caruba writes that there is a determined effort under way to undermine the free-market capitalist system that made America the greatest economic and military power in the world. Both the White House and the Democrat-controlled Congress are parties to it. The financial crisis of late 2008 and the ensuing recession were products of ill-conceived policies.

Tackling Discrimination and Risk Management in the European Union: Why We Must Not Repeat the U. S. Subprime Mortgage Mistake!:
Molinari Economic Institute
November 15, 2009
A new study from the Institut économique Molinari (IEM) says the European Union’s program of “tackling discrimination” presents many perverse effects that prevent effective risk management in society. The highly ambitious European agenda in this area will have an especially harmful impact on the insurance sector, penalising insurers and policyholders alike. Read this IEM press release to find out more.

Illiberal Belief #26: Life is a Zero-Sum Game:
Bradley Doucet
November 15, 2009
One underlying belief Bradley Doucet encounters quite often in one form or another is the notion that life is a zero-sum game—more specifically, that there is a fixed amount of wealth in the world, and for one person to gain, another must necessarily lose. Mr. Doucet discusses and refutes the zero-sum fallacy in this essay.

Ethics
Illiberal Belief #27: Guilty Until Proven Innocent:
Bradley Doucet
November 15, 2009
It is a commonly understood mark of an illiberal regime that it metes out punishment without trial, or with a show trial to rubber-stamp a predetermined verdict of guilt. We expect this kind of behaviour only from the tinpot dictators of backward nations. When a modern power like the United States holds people without conclusive evidence for years in a prison on foreign soil in the name of fighting terrorism, we rightly decry it as behaviour unbecoming a constitutional republic. Bradley Doucet explores some other ways in which the illiberal belief of "guilty until proven innocent" manifests itself in contemporary society. Mr. Doucet recommends some essential habits of thought for avoiding the application of this belief in one's own life and conclusions.

Politics
All Pain, No Gain:
Paul Driessen
November 15, 2009
Paul Driessen explains how cap-tax-and-trade will inflict monumental pain on American businesses and families… for virtually zero environmental gain.

Al Gore: Junk Science Huckster:
Paul Driessen
November 15, 2009
Paul Driessen chronicles the many ways in which the “prince of global warming” has deliberately mislead Congress and the American people.

Barack Obama's Suicide Mission to Copenhagen:
Tom DeWeese
November 15, 2009
Will Barack Obama sign the Copenhagen Climate Change Treaty? Tom DeWeese believes that one thing is very clear. If Barack Obama signs the Copenhagen Climate Change Treaty, he will be committing national suicide. 

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXVI of The Rational Argumentator is now complete at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue216/index216.html

Four new features are available:

Ten Principles of Classical Liberalism:
G. Stolyarov II
November 8, 2009
Mr. Stolyarov was recently asked to attempt a formulation of ten crucial principles of classical liberalism, the worldview which animated the American Revolution, the European Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, and the libertarian revival of free-market thought in the mid-to-late twentieth century. Classical liberalism -- even when it is not explicitly espoused -- still has considerable residual influence on the political and economic institutions of the Western world and is having an increasing impact outside the West as well. This essay is the result of Mr. Stolyarov's efforts in concisely formulating some of the fundamental ideas of classical liberalism. The essay is the companion to this video.

Ten Principles of Classical Liberalism - Video:
G. Stolyarov II
November 8, 2009
Mr. Stolyarov was recently asked to attempt a formulation of ten crucial principles of classical liberalism, the worldview which animated the American Revolution, the European Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, and the libertarian revival of free-market thought in the mid-to-late twentieth century. Classical liberalism -- even when it is not explicitly espoused -- still has considerable residual influence on the political and economic institutions of the Western world and is having an increasing impact outside the West as well. This video is the result of Mr. Stolyarov's efforts in concisely formulating some of the fundamental ideas of classical liberalism. The video is the companion to this essay.

Energy ABCs: Playing Americans for Fools:
Alan Caruba
November 8, 2009
Alan Caruba has long harbored strong doubts about the knowledge that most Americans possess regarding the sources of energy they largely take for granted. We flip a switch, and the lights go on. We pull up to the gas pump and drive away. We use machines that are totally dependent on having enough electricity to power entire cities as well as rural communities. Since all successful economies depend on abundant, affordable energy, why is the Congress preparing to pass a cap-and-trade bill, renamed to suggest “clean energy” and “national security” has anything to do with a huge tax on the use of energy by all Americans?

Poor Choices Have Crippled America's Economy:
Marita Noon
November 8, 2009
With all the noise over health care and the recent elections, something huge has slid under the radar undetected: The Environmental Protection Agency has threatened to rescind a permit for a coal mining project that had been previously authorized, despite the fact that the company spent ten-years for a full environmental impact statement. Our economy is in a deep recession, and the nation is facing double digit unemployment. Yet some of our public officials insist upon making poor choices that are killing job creation and hurting our economy. Marita Noon explains the harms of some of these choices.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXVI of The Rational Argumentator has been initiated at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue216/index216.html

Six new articles are available:

Economics
Freaking Out Over Global Warming:
Robert P. Murphy
November 7, 2009
One of the ugliest battles in the blogosphere climate wars has involved the newly released Superfreakonomics, sequel to the best-selling Freakonomics. In their new book's final chapter, economist Steven Levitt and journalist Stephen Dubner set out to challenge the view that massively restricting carbon emissions is the only hope for averting planetwide catastrophe. Some of the most outspoken advocates for immediate "carbon legislation," such as Joe Romm and Paul Krugman, were appalled by the chapter. Dr. Robert Murphy analyzes this controversy and has criticisms for both sides. 

History
The Berlin Wall Then and Now:
Edward Hudgins
November 7, 2009
Two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall it is difficult for many young people—and older people who were confused to begin with—to appreciate that the moral philosophy on which the wall was built lives on and threatens us still. Dr. Edward Hudgins writes that those who value their lives and liberty must tear down that false philosophy lest new walls rise to separate us from our freedom.

Politics
Another State Introduces Firearms Freedom Act:
Chuck Baldwin
November 7, 2009
Two states have already passed their own Firearms Freedom Acts: Montana and Tennessee. And, along with Ohio -- the most recent state to introduce the act -- at least 7 other states have introduced similar bills. Those states are Alaska, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. Dr. Chuck Baldwin sees these acts as laudable steps taken by state governments to resist unjust encroachments of federal power.

Choosing Federalism, Choosing Freedom:
Timothy Baldwin
November 7, 2009
Timothy Baldwin writest that the US Constitution did not create a national government, but rather created a federal government whereby the states were coequal with the federal government in the exercise and defense of the powers granted to them by the people of each State. The founders and ratifiers of the Constitution expressly rejected the notion that the federal government has supreme sovereignty. Mr. Baldwin contemplates the possibilities for once again returning to a federalist system.

Federal Government Statistics and Lies:
Ron Paul
November 7, 2009
There has been a lot of talk in Washington recently about senior citizens, mostly about how various healthcare reform models would help or hurt them.  But, writes Rep. Ron Paul, there is another critical issue that has quietly devastated seniors financially over the last few decades. It concerns how the cost of living is calculated.  How does the administration justify not giving a cost of living increase to Social Security recipients this year? Economist John Williams of Shadow Government Statistics has estimated that if the original methodology of CPI had not changed, Social Security checks would be nearly double what they are today.  This represents a lot of money that politicians have been able to literally steal from seniors, to spend on their own wasteful programs. 

The Elections: A Turning Point, Swiftly Reached:
Alan Caruba
November 7, 2009
The November 3rd elections were a turning point, swiftly reached. The inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama was followed by Tea Parties around the nation that aggregated into the huge September 12 rally in Washington, D.C., and barely two months later, the election of Republican governors in Virginia and New Jersey. Alan Caruba's mind went back to Barry Goldwater’s acceptance speech at the Republican convention in 1964: “I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXV of The Rational Argumentator is now complete at http://rationalargumentator.com/issue215/index215.html

Four articles have been published:

Why on Earth Are Vampires So Hot?:
Bradley Doucet
October 31, 2009
Bradley Doucet writes that there is something a little strange about many people's fascination with vampires. As escapist fun goes, this fantasy is more than a little twisted. For all its sensuous allure, there would be serious drawbacks to living the bloody non-life of a vamp. In short, being a vampire would kinda suck. 

Keep Your Self-Righteous Fingers Off My Processed Food:
Charlotte Allen
October 31, 2009
Just in time for the worst economic downturn since the Depression, here comes a new crop of social critics to inform us that we're actually spending too little for the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the furniture we sit on, and the gasoline that runs our automobiles. The latest cheerleader for higher prices is Ellen Ruppel Shell, a professor of science journalism at Boston University who has just published a book titled Cheap. It's not a guide to bargain-hunting. The theme of Shell's book, subtitled The High Cost of Discount Culture, is "America's dangerous liaison with Cheap." Charlotte Allen greatly disagrees with Shell's stance and argues that processed food and  inexpensive goods in general are a great benefit to individuals everywhere.

Production of Bads, Not Goods:
William R. Thomas
October 31, 2009
William Thomas answers the following question from a reader: "How is it inimical to one's self-interest to produce and sell an object that has a reliable market value but no or negative objective value (life-hindering)? An example would be producing and selling mind-inhibiting drugs with a high market price, ignoring potential problems with illegality." Mr. Thomas argues that it would indeed be immoral to produce a product that only serves to promote suffering and  vice, one’s own or those of others.

Every Day is Groundhog Day in the Middle East:
Alan Caruba
October 31, 2009
In the movie Groundhog Day, the main character wakes up day after day, trapped in the same events, desperately looking for a way out of that living nightmare. According to Alan Caruba, this is a very good metaphor for the Middle East.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/   

Greetings.

Issue CCXV of The Rational Argumentator has been initiated at http://rationalargumentator.com/index.html

Six new articles are now available:

Culture
Scared of Halloween:
Edward Hudgins
October 30, 2009
If you like to have fun on Halloween, fine. If not, if you think it's silly, fine as well. But, writes Edward Hudgins, it's sad that a jumble of competing superstitions and sensitivities is politicizing what was once a lark of a nice autumn night.

Economics
The Gold Standard and the Great Depression:
Robert P. Murphy
October 30, 2009
Paul Krugman has concentrated his fire recently on those "thumping their chests" over the falling dollar. He has particular scorn for those recommending a return to the gold standard. In Krugman's view, a simple look at the historical facts will show that it was a superstitious fetish for the yellow metal that prolonged the Great Depression. Fortunately, writes Dr. Robert Murphy, we can take a shortcut in the present article. Using Krugman's own graph, we can see that the case for abandoning gold — and devaluing currencies in the process — is not nearly as straightforward as he seems to think.

History
Mises.org in the Context of Publishing History:
Jeffrey Tucker
October 30, 2009
For only 500 years have books been copied by machines, after several millennia in which handwork was the only way to spread the written word. For only 150 years have books been available to all classes of society. Every innovation in publishing has meant greater distribution at ever-lower prices, culminating in today's print-on-demand methods and universal access. Digital methods have set the written word free as never before. Jeffrey Tucker discusses the history of publishing innovations and how the Ludwig von Mises Institute is rapidly spreading the ideas of liberty via its website.

Politics
Obama's Swine Flu Altruism:
Edward Hudgins
October 30, 2009
The morally ugly nature of actual altruism was on display when Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently declared that one in ten doses of the Swine Flu vaccine that were purchased with American taxpayer dollars will be given to other countries before there is enough vaccine to cover the health needs of Americans. She explained that “There’s an agreement (on a) ten percent donation that eleven nations have made.”  Once 40 million doses have been produced and distributed in the United States, then ten percent of what’s produced will be donated even as the U.S. government waits for the rest of the 250 million doses it ordered to treat 307 million Americans. Thus, writes Dr. Edward Hudgins, there might well be Americans who, thanks to the U.S. government, will not have access to the vaccine when they need it and could get sick or die.

Climate Change Treaty a Precursor to Global Government?:
Chuck Baldwin
October 30, 2009
Writing for World Net Daily, Dr. Jerome Corsi states, "A former science adviser to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher says the real purpose of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on Dec. 7-18 is to use global warming hype as a pretext to lay the foundation for a one-world government." Corsi quotes Lord Christopher Monckton as telling a Minnesota Free Market Institute audience at Bethel University in St. Paul, "Your president will sign it. Most of the Third World countries will sign it, because they think they're going to get money out of it. Most of the left-wing regimes from the European Union will rubber-stamp it. Virtually nobody won't sign it." Corsi quotes Monckton as also saying, "I read that treaty and what it says is this: that a world government is going to be created. The word 'government' actually appears as the first of three purposes of the new entity." Dr. Chuck Baldwin believes that these arguments accurately reflect the intentions and outcomes behind the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

REAL ID and the PASS Act: America's Growing Surveillance Society:
Sam Rohrer
October 30, 2009
Pennsylvania State Representative Sam Rohrer asks the following question: “Why is it that honest, law-abiding civilians are so worried about the federal government increasing its knowledge of citizens and their activities?” After all, if you’ve done nothing wrong, you’ve nothing to worry about, right? - WRONG! Under true justice, this statement would be fairly accurate, but it no longer is. Rep. Rohrer explains that a basic reason for this change is that the law enforcement and the terrorism-fighting community have wholeheartedly embraced a new and dangerous operating philosophy. Now the focus of the law enforcement community has changed to crime and terrorism prevention through the use of massive amounts of intelligence.

Sincerely,
Gennady Stolyarov II

Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com

Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html

Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html

Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html

Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html                           

Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/