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A Capitalist America

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NIJamesHughes

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I'm am compiling a list of laws and government actions that will need to be repealed before America can achieve a full capitalist political system.

I understand that the process of repeals will take time and will have to be on a law by law basis, but at the end, the goal, what things, exactly, will we have done away with in our government.

Some basics:

The Anti-Trust laws

The New Deal

The Patriot Act

Medicare

Social Security

Welfare

Income Tax

Secondly, what will have to be added?

Separation of state and economics

private property as a fundamental right

article in the Con. spesifically limiting the gov to army, police and civil courts

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In the last chapter of Capitalism by George Reisman called "Toward the Establishment of Laissez-faire Capitalism", a full program for achieving laissez-faire capitalism has actually been outlined. It includes plans for repealing all improper laws and regulations; abolishing the welfare state; privatizing public roads, parks, schools, Western lands, etc.;separating religion, science and the arts from government, so you might want to get some ideas from that chapter. The book is available for free in PDF format at capitalism.net.

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You mean a democratic laissez-faire capitalist society?  There's no such thing as a 'capitalist political system' since capitalism is an economic system.  I sympathize with you though, that's one hell of a project. :o

Well, broadly speaking, "capitalism" encompasses both the political and the economic system. A more strict term for the economic system of a capitalist society is "the free market economy".

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You have not mentioned abolishing victimless crime laws, at all levels of government. Examples include laws -- applied to adults -- banning or controlling the sale of alcohol, street drugs, sex, and certain weapons.

One way to partly deflate terrorist networks in some parts of the world is to decriminalize the production, manufacture and distribution of street drugs.

I despise the people who use such drugs, but adults have a right to do so as long as they are peaceful and honest in their dealings with others.

P. S. -- I have not read the Patriot Act. What does it contain, in detail please, that you would abolish in war time?

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You have not mentioned abolishing victimless crime laws, at all levels of government. Examples include laws -- applied to adults -- banning or controlling the sale of alcohol, street drugs, sex, and certain weapons.

One way to partly deflate terrorist networks in some parts of the world is to decriminalize the production, manufacture and distribution of street drugs.

I despise the people who use such drugs, but adults have a right to do so as long as they are peaceful and honest in their dealings with others.

P. S. -- I have not read the Patriot Act. What does it contain, in detail please, that you would abolish in war time?

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/01/26/patriot.act.ap/

The right to secret searchs and seizures of weapons. The right to monitor library records and internet cookies.. more at aclu.com

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I'm am compiling a list of laws and government actions that will need to be repealed before America can achieve a full capitalist political system.

In addition to the victimless-crime laws I mentioned earlier, I would also add all the interventionist laws at the state, country, and city levels of government.

Examples are building codes, rent controls, zoning laws, and "workplace" regulations barring discrimination on the basis of politcally incorrect criteria.

And we shouldn't overlook the obvious: Governmental institutions that themselves aren't restrictive laws but should be abolished as not being an essential function of government. Examples in the U. S. are subsidized or protected postal service and passenger rail service, "public" education, "public" transporation, and stadiums for sports events.

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In addition to the victimless-crime laws I mentioned earlier, I would also add all the interventionist laws at the state, country, and city levels of government.

Examples are building codes, rent controls, zoning laws, and "workplace" regulations barring discrimination on the basis of politcally incorrect criteria.

And we shouldn't overlook the obvious: Governmental institutions that themselves aren't restrictive laws but should be abolished as not being an essential function of government. Examples in the U. S. are subsidized or protected postal service and passenger rail service, "public" education, "public" transporation, and stadiums for sports events.

If you don't mind, give some concrete examples.

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In the last chapter of Capitalism by George Reisman called "Toward the Establishment of Laissez-faire Capitalism", a full program for achieving laissez-faire capitalism has actually been outlined.  It includes plans for repealing all improper laws and regulations; abolishing the welfare state; privatizing public roads, parks, schools, Western lands, etc.;separating religion, science and the arts from government, so you might want to get some ideas from that chapter.  The book is available for free in PDF format at capitalism.net.

Are you sure that the E-book is still there? For some reason I can't view it. Adobe doesn't even open when i click it. It shows the picture symbol (the colored shapes) the the broken picture symbol X.

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If you don't mind, give some concrete examples.

Of what?

Where do you live? In the United States? Are you not aware of any statist laws or institutions in your area at the city, county or state level?

For example, in your city, can you buy and sell liquor at any hour of the day? (here, state liquor control commission)

Can you build a business in a residential neighborhood? (here, city zoning)

Can you cut down a big tree in your own yard without a permit? (here, city forester's bureau)

Where I live, the answer is "no" to all of the above.

Suggestion: Get a copy of the budget for your city, county, or state. Look at the various departments. Ask yourself how many of those would survive a capitalist revolution. Here in Portland, about 75% of the city budget could be cut immediately if the voters supported capitalism.

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Are you sure that the E-book is still there? For some reason I can't view it. Adobe doesn't even open when i click it. It shows the picture symbol (the colored shapes) the the broken picture symbol X.

Just right click on the large picture of the front cover of the book in the center of the page and download the PDF. I'm not sure why you can't download it--I just checked it a few seconds ago and it was fine.

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My top priorities outside taxes have always been eliminating the FDA, FCC and DEA. I am continually effected by FDA scheduling of natural health supplements. The FDA dosn't even need legitimate proof of a substance being harmful anymore, they can ban any natural supplement on the basis of a single anecdotal report. I am in close contact with many people who's businesses have been destroyed by the scheduling of supplements, and health has been hurt by regulating access.

I think one of everyone's top goals should be the elimination of the FCC, because free speech is paramount in fighting a political and intellectual battle. Having an institution that regulates speech is dangerous simply because it can silence any opinion based on the popular moral status of the time.

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  • 9 months later...

It is apparent that George Bush and the Neo-cons presently in power in Washington have built an ever expanding government. This is quite contrary to Objectivist ideals of small government.

Demecrats do not offer a better solution, so how can Objectivists work to achieve a government which truly lets the individual be an individual?

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I have heard no less than Andrew Berstein himself say that the Patriot Act was an appropriate response to 9/11. I asked him, during a Q&A session, what his thoughts were on the Patriot Act and he said that he wasn't very familiar it but, from what he knew, it seemed appropriate. Perhaps David will remember more about his response, because I know he was there at the same speech.

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Demecrats do not offer a better solution, so how can Objectivists work to achieve a government which truly lets the individual be an individual?

I caution you not to mistake this as a political battle. Ultimately, it's a cultural one, which means the key task is to make clear an alternative to the subjectivism in universities and the intrinsicism in churches. Those are the main battle grounds, not ballot boxes. If we can win in those places, the difficulty of moving pro-capitalist candidates through the Republican party will be trivial.

From the About ARI page, here's their strategy for "launching this cultural renaissance":

(1) Train the "New Intellectuals" of the future by providing intensive instruction on Ayn Rand's philosophy—Objectivism.

(2) Promote Ayn Rand's philosophy in colleges and universities and introduce Ayn Rand to young people by stimulating interest in her novels among high school students.

(3) Promote Ayn Rand's ideas to the general public via mass media.

(4) Maintain a professional outreach program for business executives.

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  • 2 weeks later...
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/01/26/patriot.act.ap/

The right to secret searchs and seizures of weapons. The right to monitor library records and internet cookies.. more at aclu.com

The portion of the Patriot Act referred to in the CNN article seems ridiculously vague. I can understand why it was struck down.

However, I don't understand why people are so upset that the government has the power to collect personal information like library records and internet cookies. Of course, such powers should be subject to judicial review and applied only in cases where the person being investigated is legitimately suspected of criminal activity. It would seem to me that such information could be useful in prosecuting terrorists and preventing terrorist activities. If the FBI is surveilling a terrorist cell, I'd like them to be able to determine what kind of information the terrorists are finding at the library and on the internet.

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If we can win in those places, the difficulty of moving pro-capitalist candidates through the Republican party will be trivial.

Are you saying you support the Republican party as a channel for Objectivist-oriented political change? If so, what do you think about the state of the GOP right now?

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Are you saying you support the Republican party as a channel for Objectivist-oriented political change?  If so, what do you think about the state of the GOP right now?

The current state of the party is terrible, but what would you expect given the ideas dominating our culture? They, like the Democrats, will only win elections to the extent that they reflect the beliefs of a large section of America. So if ARI can successfullly provide the catalyst for cultural change, the parties will change accordingly.

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I caution you not to mistake this as a political battle. Ultimately, it's a cultural one, which means the key task is to make clear an alternative to the subjectivism in universities and the intrinsicism in churches. Those are the main battle grounds, not ballot boxes. If we can win in those places, the difficulty of moving pro-capitalist candidates through the Republican party will be trivial.

From the About ARI page, here's their strategy for "launching this cultural renaissance":

(1) Train the "New Intellectuals" of the future by providing intensive instruction on Ayn Rand's philosophy—Objectivism.

(2) Promote Ayn Rand's philosophy in colleges and universities and introduce Ayn Rand to young people by stimulating interest in her novels among high school students.

(3) Promote Ayn Rand's ideas to the general public via mass media.

(4) Maintain a professional outreach program for business executives.

Before one starts outlining specific steps to be taken to institute freedom, isn't it necessary to develop a strategy for establishing a legal framework that will withstand the pressure to expand the size and power of government? The present Constitution did that pretty well until the 1930s, although Lysander Spooner saw the dangerous trend in the 1800s. How can the democratic process be restricted to the legitimate powers of a minimalist state when everyone these days wants something from government? I agree that a cultural transformation is necessary but some effective scheme for restraining out-of-control democracy is critical.

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I agree that a cultural transformation is necessary but some effective scheme for restraining out-of-control democracy is critical.

I think the position of ARI is that once cultural transformation is undergone, the legal aspects for retaining it will come with ease. That's why Objectivists are more concerned with changing the cultural outlook of America and the world, not rewriting the U.S. Constitution (at the moment) and such. However, I know there has been some attempt to rewrite the Constitution by members of the forum; it's an intriguing problem and I'm sure you can find it if you search.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The current state of the party is terrible, but what would you expect given the ideas dominating our culture? They, like the Democrats, will only win elections to the extent that they reflect the beliefs of a large section of America. So if ARI can successfullly provide the catalyst for cultural change, the parties will change accordingly.

Not to sound like a 'doubting Thomas' here, but it seems like we are fighting a losing battle. There was a brief renaissance during the late 1960s, but now the world at-large seems to be headed headlong into an Altruistic orgy of self-destructive national policy, cultural disintigration and general confusion.

I am frankly quite worried about the future, both near and distant.

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I share your worries, but it's easy to be pessimistic. The only way to make consistent progress toward a more capitalist America is to change the way people think. When it comes to these kinds of issues, the collectivists have done a tremendous job of clouding minds through the public education system.

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