Lee McCracken's Columns
"The
price of liberty is relinquishing the desire to control others. How can I expect
my freedom to be respected if I don’t respect yours? This applies to groups as
well as individuals. Folks in
But only two. Column by Lee McCracken.
"It may be one of history’s little ironies that the administration of George W. Bush—lambasted by its critics as 'extremist,' 'right-wing,' and 'ultra-conservative'—appears hell-bent on destroying whatever remains of traditional conservatism." Column by Lee McCracken.
Therapy Culture and Counterculture
"The phrase 'the management of emotion' nicely captures much of what the modern state is all about. After all, rule by brute force is costly and inconvenient. Manipulating people’s emotions is a way to rule and maintain tranquility at the same time. But it is horrifying in its implications—the state’s sovereignty reaches into your very soul." Column by Lee McCracken.
"Remember
what we’re being asked to do in supporting a war. We’re being asked
to authorize people to kill and maim on our behalf. And yet, in doing
so, we chronically ask for only the flimsiest of rationales."
Column by Lee McCracken.
Rick Santorum and the Myth of a Morally Neutral Government
"Whenever government enacts any policy, it is making a moral judgment. That is, it is making a judgment about what is good and what is evil, what should be pursued or encouraged, and what should be avoided or punished." Column by Lee McCracken.
"The marketplace, as a sphere of life independent form politics, is where people come together to exchange goods and services in a mutually beneficial way. And they usually do this without regard for the political beliefs of those they trade with. This is why, as the philosopher Voltaire saw, the market is a great mechanism for creating tolerance." Column by Lee McCracken.
Sovereignty, Exit Rights and Libertarianism
"The
right of exit, like the right of revolution, is one of the ultimate safeguards
against the abuse of power. The erosion of national sovereignty in favor of
supra-national entities threatens the very existence of this right.
Will Tax Cuts Shrink Government?
"The bloated Federal Leviathan needs to be exposed for the monstrosity it is. Only when people recognize the modern State as a parasite that weakens individuals, hobbles enterprise, undermines communities, and spreads destruction abroad will they be convinced of the need to drastically reduce its scope." Column by Lee McCracken.
Intervention and the Antiwar Left
"The quasi-pacifist Left of today still seems to harbor many of these impulses to remake the world. The fact that much of it is queasy about the use of military force doesn’t do much to check the warmongering of those with less restraint. Once you concede that justice is on the side of intervention, you’ll have a hard time objecting when the hawks point out that diplomacy has failed and war is the only remaining option. Accept Donald Rumsfeld’s ends and you’ll soon find yourself accepting his means." Column by Lee McCracken.
Remaking the World in Our Image: Interventionist Globalism vs. Libertarian Localism
"...the folly of trying to remake the world in our image will inevitably result in the further erosion of liberties here at home. The link between local freedom and self-determination at home and non-intervention abroad should be clear from the massive leaps in state socialism and control that always accompany war. Such crusades are usually led by those Thomas Sowell has called 'the anointed'--those who believe in the absolute superiority of their own social vision and their right (and duty) to impose it on others." Column by Lee McCracken.
The Totalitarian Dream of a World Without Risk
"The problem is that avoidance of all risk operates almost subconsciously as a hidden assumption in so many different aspects of government policy. After all, who could object to making the world just a little bit safer? And taken individually, these restrictions in the name of safety often don’t seem too objectionable. The cumulative danger, though, is a kind of 'creeping' totalitarianism that will suffocate us like a heavy blanket rather than a jackboot in the face." Column by Lee McCracken.
Wanting to Rule, Wanting to Be Loved
"The use of force in our relationships with other nations when it isn’t strictly necessary for our own defense is bound to create resentment and fear. Force is the primary language of politics. Therefore, political intervention around the world is a dangerous game that is bound to threaten not only our safety, but also the liberty that should be our glory. You can’t rule and expect to be loved at the same time." Column by Lee McCracken.
The Anti-Statist's Chicken and Egg Problem
"I think the insights of Nisbet, de Jasay and others help to show why the political model of change is ultimately doomed to failure. As long as people are convinced that the state is the only game in town, no one will be able to convince them to vote for its abolition. They need to be shown how important things can get done in society without 'resorting to politics,' as de Jasay puts it." Column by Lee McCracken.
"What
the necons and 'neolibs' seem to be saying is that, while Hayek may be right
that economic central planning is a
mistake, it’s not only possible, but imperative, that we engage in a kind of geopolitical
central planning! Government planners might not be able to know how many shoes
to produce or how much steel needs to be shipped to
"A government service has been privatized only when the government ends its coercively enforced monopoly on the provision of that service. For this to happen, two conditions must be met: The market in that service must be opened up to competition, and people must be able to opt out of the service altogether." Column by Lee McCracken.
We're Already at War with Iraq
"The agents of the state, we can assume, will always be the last to suffer under any sanctions regime. Judging by these criteria, economic sanctions may well be worse than conventional warfare. Just because there aren’t bombs bursting in the air and infantry storming ridges doesn’t mean that real war isn’t being waged." Column by Lee McCracken.
Cutting the Gordian Knot of Religious Conflict
"Only when society is thoroughly 'de-politicized' will people be free to reflect their beliefs in their common life. In other words, rather than fight over whose beliefs (secular or religious) will be foisted on everyone by the Federal Leviathan, Godless and God-fearing Americans should work together to get the government out of our lives." Column by new Root Striker Lee McCracken.