The blogosphere is ablaze with discussions of redistribution: who redistributes to who, how much redistribution is happening, and so on. As it is, the discussion is not particularly lopsided. The right-wing can claim we are redistributing to poor folks because of government programs. The left-wing can claim we are redistributing to rich folks because of… Continue reading There is no such thing as redistribution
Author: Matt Bruenig
Robert Nozick, paternalist hater of liberty
As I mentioned in the previous post, the basic problem with procedural accounts of property rights is first ownership. There is simply no way to get around the fact that when the first owner asserts himself, every other person in the world is dealt a blow. They can no longer access a piece of a… Continue reading Robert Nozick, paternalist hater of liberty
Failed philosophies of property rights
I know more about liberal theories of property rights than I do any other philosophical subject. I am not sure why, but I was fascinated by procedural accounts of the origination of property rights for a multi-year long span of time, during which I read just about every canonical text in the debate. Much to… Continue reading Failed philosophies of property rights
The hidden gem in Romney’s disaster speech
The press is having a field day with a secretly taped video of Mitt Romney speaking to high-level donors to his campaign. In the most notable part of the video, Romney blasts half of the country that he is oddly running to represent: There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the… Continue reading The hidden gem in Romney’s disaster speech
Another serious problem with Rahm’s lawsuit
So apparently Rahm Emanuel is suing to enjoin the Chicago Teachers Union strike. The court injunction is a long-standing enemy of organized labor; so who knows what will actually come of it. Dylan Matthews took a stab at figuring out whether Rahm had a case. Matthews quotes from the IL state statute governing educational employees:… Continue reading Another serious problem with Rahm’s lawsuit