I don't like smoking. They smell, they make you sound like a wheezy old man and they aren't good for a lot of us.
I have asthma so I really would rather not be in a smoky room. I begged my mum and dad to stop (which they did).
So you'd think I would be all for banning them in pubs. Wrong!
I don't like many things, but unless you try to force them on me, why should I care if others want to do it? If you believe in freedom, then you should be happy with the concept that others do things you don't like, as long as they don't hurt others.
"But..but..but, smoking does hurt others Matt. Passive smoking is evil and it makes my cloths smell. You should be happy to see them banned!"
In truly public places (IE public owned transport, buildings etc), then yes I agree. Democracy should decide what collectively people want in these kind of places. If that means bans then fair enough.
Also, if private businesses want to ban smoking in their buildings or transport, then fine too. It is their property, so they should be able to decide what is good or not in them. If they have any sense they will try to accommodated as many people as they can. Companies will want to be able to select from high quality staff, not just the ones who will put up with things out of desperation. Pubs etc, should want smoking and non smoking business alike. They should be the ones to decide, if you believe in freedom.
What isn't freedom, is forcing pubs to ban smoking. That simply destroys the concept of freedom, not only for the smokers who are treated like lepers, but more importantly the business owner who has this choice ripped away from him/her.
Smokers have been treated shabbily for many years now. They are fleeced with ultra high taxation, that more than pays for any health issues they MAY have later. The fact that smokers die earlier, means they save the country huge amounts in pension payments anyway!
If we tolerate this for smokers, should be be surprised that motorists, drinkers and any other number of people will be attacked next. It's time we told the government to get out of our lives. No one is forced to go into a smoky pub. That is the individuals personal call. Thus banning smoking in pubs is a disgrace. When are people going to stop being so selfish and expecting the world to provide conditions suitable to their own fascist desires?
Saturday, 8 March 2008
What is the point of ID cards?
ID cards seem to be a constant desire of authortarian governments around the world. What exactly is the point of them?
It seems to me that they acheive very little for well meaning governments, but are disasterous in the hands of tyrants.
Criminals don't play by the rules, so they either avoid systems that require ID cards, find loopholes to exploit or even use the systems to commit crime themselves. In the end these systems only ever end up making normal, law abiding people's lives more difficult, at massive expense to the taxpayer.
If you believe in freedom, then you have to be against these tools of tyranny.
It seems to me that they acheive very little for well meaning governments, but are disasterous in the hands of tyrants.
Criminals don't play by the rules, so they either avoid systems that require ID cards, find loopholes to exploit or even use the systems to commit crime themselves. In the end these systems only ever end up making normal, law abiding people's lives more difficult, at massive expense to the taxpayer.
If you believe in freedom, then you have to be against these tools of tyranny.
Is theft O.K. sometimes?
If you believe in taxation, then you are in the yes camp.
It doesn't matter how good your intentions are for taxation. The bottom line, is you are taking money from people, by force if necessary, that they may not want to give you. They may not agree with your ideas of what it should be spent on. It is theft and from that foundation, you can fully expect a dysfunctional and criminal society.
I believe if people are allowed to keep the fruits of their labour, they will generally spend it much better than government ever could. They will create true free markets, where efficiency and quality win out. They will have more money to spend too and will be more likely to want to help their fellow man.
Britain and much of the world has gone horribly wrong. Until we sort out the foundations, we will never have a truly free and fair society.
It doesn't matter how good your intentions are for taxation. The bottom line, is you are taking money from people, by force if necessary, that they may not want to give you. They may not agree with your ideas of what it should be spent on. It is theft and from that foundation, you can fully expect a dysfunctional and criminal society.
I believe if people are allowed to keep the fruits of their labour, they will generally spend it much better than government ever could. They will create true free markets, where efficiency and quality win out. They will have more money to spend too and will be more likely to want to help their fellow man.
Britain and much of the world has gone horribly wrong. Until we sort out the foundations, we will never have a truly free and fair society.
Thursday, 6 March 2008
UK Libertarian Party condemns ID card “soft sell”.
News Release
The UK Libertarian Party today condemned the Labour government's proposals to introduce ID cards through a “soft sell”.
Party Leader, Patrick Vessey, said, “Both ID cards and the accompanying database fundamentally change the relationship between individuals and the state.
“The Libertarian Party is utterly opposed to this cataloguing of the people of Britain.
“In a truly free society, and provided that they harm nobody else by doing so, every person should be able to go where they like, and call themselves what they like, without having to beg permission of anyone else.
“Instead, the Labour government feels justified in tagging and labelling us as though we were mere livestock—bovine automata to be herded and tracked at our masters' convenience.”
The Libertarian Party was launched on 1st January 2008 and launched their first policy—a pledge to scrap personal income tax entirely—on 3rd March. It was the first policy to emerge from the new party's discussions, and forms part of a radical manifesto to be released, in full, later in the year.
Notes for editors
The Libertarian Party was founded on 21 November 2007 and officially launched on 1 January 2008. The party's website can be found here.
Further details of their radical Income Tax proposals can be found here.
Libertarianism is a political philosophy based on support for individual liberty.
Libertarianism is a broad church, but the UK Libertarian Party is broadly minarchist in outlook.
The UK Libertarian Party today condemned the Labour government's proposals to introduce ID cards through a “soft sell”.
Party Leader, Patrick Vessey, said, “Both ID cards and the accompanying database fundamentally change the relationship between individuals and the state.
“The Libertarian Party is utterly opposed to this cataloguing of the people of Britain.
“In a truly free society, and provided that they harm nobody else by doing so, every person should be able to go where they like, and call themselves what they like, without having to beg permission of anyone else.
“Instead, the Labour government feels justified in tagging and labelling us as though we were mere livestock—bovine automata to be herded and tracked at our masters' convenience.”
The Libertarian Party was launched on 1st January 2008 and launched their first policy—a pledge to scrap personal income tax entirely—on 3rd March. It was the first policy to emerge from the new party's discussions, and forms part of a radical manifesto to be released, in full, later in the year.
Notes for editors
The Libertarian Party was founded on 21 November 2007 and officially launched on 1 January 2008. The party's website can be found here.
Further details of their radical Income Tax proposals can be found here.
Libertarianism is a political philosophy based on support for individual liberty.
Libertarianism is a broad church, but the UK Libertarian Party is broadly minarchist in outlook.
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Libertarian Party start rolling out manifesto
Manifesto
Starting off with the abolishment of income tax, that temporary tax that became permanent and is ruining this country each day it stays in place.
Other parties wouldn't ever dare propose this, as it means the end of big government and a return to freedom.
Starting off with the abolishment of income tax, that temporary tax that became permanent and is ruining this country each day it stays in place.
Abolishing Income Tax
Income Tax, like much of the badly thought out legislation brought forward by modern day governments, was initially "sold" to the public as a temporary tax, something that was needed simply to deal with a specific pressing problem—the financing of the Napoleonic Wars.
However, as governments over the years became accustomed to having the tax provide a useful revenue stream, all pretence at hypothecation vanished—the Income Tax became a part of our daily lives, which most people now accept unthinkingly.
Other parties wouldn't ever dare propose this, as it means the end of big government and a return to freedom.
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