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Constans Augustus

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    Michigan
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    United States
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    High School Student

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  1. I'd like to debate one or two people on the matter. I'd like to take the side that the New Deal was a disaster that lengthened the Depression and impoverished millions of families. Any takers?
  2. I'm going to ask a few questions here (Note: I am not an anarcho-capitalist). 1. How do you ensure that a small government stays small? Checks and balances haven't exactly worked. 2. How can a government be voluntarily funded and still have the capital to maintain an army, courts & security forces? 3. Should the government provide basic public services like roads & sea walls? 4. When do people have the right to change their form of government (AKA: rebel)? Here's a bit from the Austrian Economics forum (Which I recommend you all join). The assumption is that defense companies will find it in their interests to cooperate and work together to enforce their policies.
  3. I always broke out laughing whenever Bono would cry out for more nets to combat Malaryia. Last I checked, we were no longer in the 19th century.
  4. I'm starting up a fantasy football league on Yahoo. I'm looking for pro football fans who are interested (I need 6 more). For those who don't know, fantasy football is just that: fantasy football. Participants each own their own team comprised of pro football players. Every week the teams are matched up and points are scored depending on how well each team's players do. Players are able to be traded, cut, etc. It really is fun. For a more in-depth description, see this article. If you are interested, please post here and I will PM you the details of how to enter the league. BTW, teams will be automatically picked.
  5. My state (Michigan) has a minimum wage of $6.50 an hour now. That's going up to $7.10 soon.
  6. Perhaps I wasn't clear. The axiom of human action is how people act. Whenever I do something, I do it in order to, subjectively, improve my situation. There is no rational thought required. When I walk, I do so because during that split second I valued taking a step greater than standing still. This leads to the law of marginal utility, supply and demand, etc. As you correctly pointed out, how people ought to to behave is indeed seperate from economics. The question anarchists ask is whether or not a government of any form can morally regulate what people do.
  7. I think Rothbard (A brilliant economist) put it best: Note how achieving a desired end does not require extensive thought or contemplation. If I get angry and punch a guy, I am doing so because, at that moment, I desired to see my fist in that guy's head more than any alternative. Afterwards, perhaps in the principle's office, I may regreat that decision, however that does not mean that it was not a purposeful action. The entire realm of Austrian Economics branches out from this axiom. Unfortunately, the axiom and subsequent implications have been twisted around to justify not only free market capitalism but anarcho-capitalism. For the thread, see this link.
  8. I have to disagree with you regarding his first statement. Every human action is an attempt by the actor to, in his subjective opinion, replace his current state of affairs with a better one. That, after all, is the fundamental axiom of human action. However, I also see problems with his other statements. Could you elaborate your reasoning as to why they are wrong?
  9. Donny With An A from the Austrian Economics forum wrote the following "proof" that there is no need for a government. I'd like to hear your reaction. 1) Humans act in order to substitute a better state of affairs for a worse one. 2) What constitutes a better state of affairs must be determined by each individual actor. 3) There is no objective way to compare ends in terms of worthiness. 4) If (1) and (2) and (3), then no actor can justify claiming their ends to be more worthy than the ends of another actor. A) Thus, no actor can justify claiming their ends to be more worthy than the ends of another actor. 5) Any action presupposes that the end it was designed to achieve is a worthy one. 6) It is impossible to know ex ante whether an action will obstruct another actor's pursuit of their ends. 7) If (5) and (6), then any action presupposes that the end for which it was designed is more worthy than any end that it might obstruct. B ) Thus, any action presupposes that the end for which it was designed is more worthy than any end that it might obstruct. 8) If (A) and (B ) then no action can be justified. C) Thus, no action can be justified. 9) The restriction of an action presupposes that the end for which it was designed is not worthy. 10) If (1) and (2) and (3) and (9), then no restriction can be justified. D) Thus, no restriction can be justified. 11) If (C ), then no circumstance that is the result of action(s) can be justified. E) Thus, no circumstance that is the result of action(s) can be justified. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________ A) No actor can justify claiming their ends to be more worthy than the ends of another actor. B ) Any action presupposes that the end for which it was designed is more worthy than any end that it might obstruct. C) No action can be justified. D) No restriction can be justified. E) No circumstance that is the result of action(s) can be justified.
  10. I second the GreedyCapitalist's recommendation of Robert's book. I read it this summer and it's amazing.
  11. I live in the west side, in Farmington Hills.
  12. I'd also like to point out that the United States constitution has inherent flaws that allows government to expand in scope and size. I made a nice long post about it here and proposed a solution.
  13. Hey, who needs DDT when we can put giant nets around African villages?
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