Life, Love, and Liberty

My wit escapes me right now, so the category titles won’t be too exciting.

Warfare State

Making the World Safe for Hope by Brendan O’Neil

Will Obama be more pro-war than Bush? One author thinks so.

Blowback of Iran War Likely to Be ‘Terrible’ by Charles Davis

A Letter to Barrack Obama
Where’s the Change, Barrack? by Uzma Aslam Khan

How to Destroy a Country in Five Years
Iraq’s Blood Sodden Anniversaries by Patrick Cockburn

What Has Been Learned After Five Years? by Anthony Gregory

Crushing the Ants
Admiral Fallon and His Empire by Chris Floyd

How Israeli Troops Invade Homes in Gaza, Brutalize, Smash, and Steal by Ed O’Loughlin

Miscellaneous

How not to die, every single day
Drugs in the water, chemicals in your underwear, fresh sins against a burned-out God. Salud! by Mark Morford

The Breakup With My Lover by B.R. Merrick

Your Onion Fix

U.S. Not Planning to Attack Iran, Says U.S. Iran War Czar by The Onion

Erotic Dreams

Naked Chicks with Post-It Notes

The Erotic Appeal of the Man Who Does Dishes by William Dean

Becoming an Expert with Babeland by Gwen Masters

What You Didn’t Do by Annika Jones

I have two digests to post. I’ll be putting number 45 on here tomorrow.

Well, I’ve had a rough time lately, but I am resuming digests now.

Enjoy!

The Lost Kristol Tapes by Tom Engelhardt and Jonathan Schwartz

“Patriotic Grace” in Support of War is No Virtue by Sheldon Richman

A Question of When Not If
Why Baghdad Will Explode Again by Patrick Cockburn

The Myth of the “Surge” by Nir Rosen

People are saying the surge is a “success”, but this independent journalist says otherwise.

Randy Barnett’s Wrong-Headed Defense of the Iraq War by Jacob Hornberger

Strange Fruit: America’s Gulag and the “Good War” by Chris Floyd

Blowback from the GOP’s holy war by Juan Cole

Republicans Are the Health of the State by Anthony Gregory

Anthony Gregory updates the classic “War is the health of the state” line!

Sexuality for the Masses

Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America’s Soul
Reviewed by Gwen Masters

Doing It Yourself — a Short Handbook for Guys by Jaie Helier

If you’re looking to have a satisfying session of self-love, then you should check this guide out!

Pornsaint Ashlynn Brooke by pornopapa

I Come in Peace by M. J. Woo

The Strange Credibility of Polyamory by Pepper Mint

I currently practice polyamory (i.e. I have the freedom to be involved in as many romantic-sexual relationships as I feel comfortable with), and I find it to be a very worthwhile lifestyle. I am only really deeply in love with one person right now, but that could change. I don’t really think I’d have the energy or time for another deep romance right now though.

Dolphin Sex by Comrade Cripple

Yeah, you read the above right

End the American Empire!

Red in Tooth and Claw: American Terror, Then and Now by Chris Floyd

Chris Floyd recounts the CIA’s legacy of atrocity.

A Bogus Libertarian Defense of War by Sheldon Richman

Remembering America’s Forgotten Vietnamese Victims by Nick Turse and Tom Engelhardt

The Empire That Must Be Obeyed
What Gives the US the Right to Claim a Moral Monopoly Over the World? by Paul Craig Roberts

McCain and the Militarist Mentality
His electoral comeback is an ill omen by Justin Raimondo

Under Curfew, This Is No Life by Ahmed Ali and Dahr Jamail

Pathetic Arguments for Foreign Intervention by Sheldon Richman

Economics for the People

Capitalism V. The Free Market by Wendy Mcelroy

Anarchy vs Limited Government

In which I fail to be Reassured by Charles Johnson (Rad Geek)

Charles Johnson points out that evasion of unjust government laws — in some cases — has been more successful than lobbying efforts that aim to get the laws off the books.

Objectivism and the State: An Open Letter to Ayn Rand by Roy Childs

This is Roy Child’s classic attempt to convert Ayn Rand to libertarian anarchism. I’ve pondered trying to write a piece that argues for mutualist anarchism on the basis of Rand’s defense of ethical egoism. I currently consider myself to be an advocate of egoism, and I find Rand’s defense of selfishness (properly defined) to be wonderfully life affirming.

The Next American Electoral Spectacle

The Danse Macabre of US Style Democracy by John Pilger

The Era of Dynastic Politics, Where Nothing Ever Changes
President Hilary by Paul Craig Roberts

Is Liberalism Fascistic?

Goldberg’s Trivial Pursuit by Austin T. Bramwell

The above is an interesting review of Jonah Goldberg’s book that attempts to link liberalism with fascism. I actually believe that certain policies promoted by particular left-liberals today are supported by fascist philosophical premises, but the review doesn’t indicate that the book makes a good argument for this. I also don’t really care for the politics of Jonah Goldberg. He is published in the odious National Review.

Libertarian Tag by Roderick Long

The ‘Good War’ Is a Bad War by John Pilger

Libertarian Foreign Policy in the Hobbesian Crosshairs: A Reply to Bret Stephens by Robert Higgs

Ground Zero: On the Front Lines of a War Crime by Chris Floyd

An Imperialist Comedy by Chalmers Johnson

Friends Who Fuck by Marianne

Wow! I forgot I had this digest to archive on here.

Enjoy!

Are Conservatives (Undocumented) Aliens? by Jacob Hornberger

The Wages of Intervention
Kurds snub Condi — that’s what we get for our billions and the sacrifices of our soldiers by Justin Raimondo

Nothing Can Morally Justify the Invasion of Iraq by Jacob Hornberger

A Violent Cartography
Bomb After Bomb by Howard Zinn

Christmas in Diyala, the War Party’s ‘Model’ Province by Justin Raimondo

Ron Paul Is Not a Racist by Scott Horton

Why Male Feminists (some anyway) completely suck by Renegade Evolution

Lesbian Phone Sex is FUN(NY) by akiss2desire

Ron Paul: Slings and Arrows, Left and Right
The Trots and the Neo-Trots gang up on Ron by Justin Raimondo

Shadow Warriors: Paying to Keep Playing in Iraq by Chris Floyd

Iran’s Phantom Nukes by Sheldon Richman

Will Liberty Succumb to Federalist Society Ideology by Paul Craig Roberts

On the Torturable and the Untorturable by Tom Engelhardt

“Mr.Speaker, Peace is Always Superior to War” by Anthony Gregory

47 gifts for savvy perverts
Need something a bit more, you know, sexy and subversive this Holiday? Here
you go by Mark Morford

*NONE OF THE ABOVE*
*What IQ doesn’t tell you about race.* by Malcolm Gladwell

I am afraid to report that there isn’t much to provide in the way of links this week. I’ve decided to go ahead with a digest anyway though.

Benjamin Ricketson Tucker, Part 1 by Wendy McElroy

Benjamin Ricketson Tucker, Part 2 by the same author.

Danger Is My Middle Name — And So Is Yours by Glen Allport

Guns Reduce Accidents and Other Fascinating Facts and Figures To Amaze Your Friends by Greg Perry

Lies Upon Lies
When Will Bush Come Clean? by Paul Craig Roberts

Homeschooling and the Myth of Socialization by Manfred B. Zysk

The Conservative Welfare State by Anthony Gregory

Concerning Libertarianism and Anarchism

Anarchist Forum Statism by Per Bylund

Ron Paul: A Complete Disaster for Libertarianism by Brad Spangler

Death, Destruction, and All That Bloody Stuff

Conservative Revisionists and Hiroshima by Leo Maley III and Uday Mohan

Praise the Lord and Pass the Ethnic Cleansing by Chris Floyd

How to Control the Story, Pentagon Style by Dahr Jamail and Tom Engelhardt

The Myths of Military Progress by Ron Jacobs

Why Ron Paul is Right About Terrorism: A Letter to the GOP Base by David T.Beito and Scott Horton

Road to Empire
An illegal treaty with Iraq seals our fate by Justin Raimondo

Iraq 3.0 by Sheldon Richman

Cultural Reform Needed

Amp Up Your Girlishness by Roderick Long

Risk of Physical, Financial, and Other Types of Punishment

The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act by Phillip Giraldi

The Myth of a Risk-Free Life by Tibor Machan

School of Shock: inside the taxpayer funded programs that treat kids like enemy combatants by Jennifer Gonnerman

Meet the Only Two Candidates Worse Than Bush and Cheney
Rudy or Hillary: Pick Your Poison by Paul Craig Roberts

Sexing It Up

Am I A Sex Addict? Are You? by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Alt.Porn.Net

Back to War

McCain’s Mangled Metaphor
Has the Third Reich reappeared in the Middle East? by Justin Raimondo

Economic Issues

Sprachkritik: “Privatization” by Charles Johnson

Socialism vs Regulation by James Leroy Wilson

Hubris Can Be a Dangerous Thing

Hilary Clinton and the Dangers of Hubris
Are the democrats set to give us another imperial president? by Steve Chapman

I Love The Onion

Lone Gunman Envied By Married Gunman

“Regrettable Misjudgments”: The Shocking Immortality of Our
Constricted Thought by Arthur Silber

No Remembrance, No Remorse for the Fallen of Iraq by John Pilger

Stop the Lies, Stop the Funding, Stop the Genocide: STOP IT! by Arthur Silber

Voucher or School Choice? by Sheldon Richman

Szasz, Vindicated by Max Raskin

The American Dictatorship Institute by Thomas J. DiLorenzo

The Goal is Freedom: Individualism, Collectivism, and Other Murky
Labels by Sheldon Richman

Wars to Watch Out For
2008 will bring us abundant crop of overseas crises by Justin Raimando

Rove New Newsweek columnist by The Onion

I don’t have very witty titles for my sections in this digest time, but I was feeling tired and not especially full of wit. I do have some good links though

War, War, and More War

The Fruitcake Trade by Charley Reese

“This is How They Really Feel”
They Met the Resistance in Iraqby Mike Ferner

This piece talks about a documentary that two journalists made about the armed resistance to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. They interviewed actual fighters and the documentary is basically the insurgents telling their stories without having their identities revealed for security reasons. I wasn’t too surprised that many — if not all — of the fighters described themselves as nationalists who felt oppressed or subjugated by the U.S. military presence. You can view a trailer for the documentary here . I have been following and criticizing the Iraq war during its entire duration, as well as protesting against it happening in the first place , so I am excited that investigative journalism has resulted in such an interesting sounding documentary.

Go Ahead On — Start WWIII by Gordon Prather

An attack on Iran by the U.S. could start a third world war with Russia and China backing the Iranian nation. I hope like I’ve never hoped before that I am not right, but I believe it very likely that martial law or some kind of extremely increased repression against the populace by the American government will commence after another terrorist attack on American soil. The attack on Iran could well be the trigger for it.

The Bureaucracy, the March, and the Warby Tom Engelhardt

Busy Bush Has Time to Run the World by Sheldon Richman

Iran, World War III, and the Madness of President George by Doug Bandow

Lots of Laughs

Political Scientists Discover New Form of Government by the The Onion

Cultural Reform - Women

Report on Detention/Abuse of Women in Iraqi Prison Camps by admin of the Feminist Peace Network

Horowitz’s Strange Summons
Conscripting Feminism into the War on Terror by Yifat Susskind

Your Weekly Dose of Economics

Capitalism Is Not Freedom, and Socialism Is Not Love by Glen Allport

The Dream That Was America — or — Moscow on the Potomac by Robert F. Hawes Jr.

Behold! The Bliss Watch List To hell with the FBI’s million-strong Terrorist Watch List. Here is your killer alternative by Mark Morford

One of the best Morford columns in recent times. I’ve been told that he actually registered the domain name blisswatchlist.com too. As some of you may know, Morford was one of my first political influences. He’s no left-libertarian anarchist in some respects, but he gets it right on some important issues. Like how an open hearted attitude towards sexuality is vitally necessary

The Goal Is Freedom: Virtue versus Legal Obligation by Sheldon Richman

Is it a virtuous and great moral act if you give because you’re forced to? As all such redistribution of wealth schemes based on taxation (i.e. money taken at the point of a “gun” because you go to jail if you don’t pay up) entail. One caveat I’d add is that I’m not in favor of dismantling state aid to the poorest elements of society before changing the fundamental context in which they exist. In other words: the first functions of the state to disappear should be the ones that serve to concentrate wealth and make it harder for non-privileged people to make ends meet.

In a stateless economic order, there will be much higher levels of overall wealth and it would be more widely dispersed. Another way of putting it is that the corporate domination and heavy concentration in the American economy is not a product of a genuine free market order.

See Kevin Carson’s article — available as a pamphlet from Red Lion Press — titled The Iron Fist Behind the Invisible Hand for more. And if you are interested in a study that has empirical data to support the contention of free market advocates that the market disperses power, then check out New Left historian Gabriel Kolko’s book titled The Triumph of Conservatism, which is a revisionist history of the Progressive Era that purports to show the dominant trend at the turn of the century was decentralization of economic power, and that the government regulation that came into existence during that era was designed to cartelize industry on behalf of big business interests. In other words: to make it easier for those dominant business interests to maintain their profits and market share in the face of growing competition.

Anyhow, I’ve said enough for now. Check out my website, Life, Love, and Liberty, for future posts on this issue.