Political Science

This sounds like a good idea to me: Oath of Presidential Transparency For Open, Transparent, and Accountable Government I, __________________________, candidate for President of the United States, pledge to the American Public that, if elected President of the United States, my administration will be fully and robustly committed to open, transparent, and accountable … [Read more...] about Towards a More Transparent Government

I think Rudy Giuliani may well be the most authoritarian of the mainstream presidential candidates. The man loves power too much. Here he is in a speech from 1994, before 9/11 made people forget what an ass he is: We look upon authority too often and focus over and over again, for 30 or 40 or 50 years, as if there is something wrong with authority. We see only the oppressive … [Read more...] about Rudy Giuliani Explains Freedom

Heh. … [Read more...] about Yeah, That Sounds Like McCain

I didn't watch the Republican debates, but it sounds like it went about how I'd expect, only worse. As a libertarian, I'm interested in seeing how well Ron Paul does. I don't agree with everything he stands for, but I like his minimalist approach to government. He's one of the few successful politicians who can hear about a new problem in the world and not immediately … [Read more...] about Ron Paul Fumbles the Ball for the Libertarian Team

I'm listening to the audiobook of George Lakoff's Whose Freedom?: The Battle Over America's Most Important Idea, in which he contrasts the progressive and conservative ideas of freedom. Lakoff repeats over and over again that progressive morality is built on empathy, whereas conservative morality is based on discipline. That formulation makes a certain amount of sense, but it … [Read more...] about Whose Freedom? Counting the Cost