Tony Sampognaro's Columns

A Half-Baked Solution for the Federal Deficit

"Bake sales are the stalwart of churches, school bands, and Boy Scout troops that are a little short of cash. Honoring this venerable tradition, I have come up with two related proposals, either of which will solve the problem of how to fully fund the 2009 budget without running a deficit."  Column by Tony Sampognaro.

Rationality, Freedom and Subjectivism

"Many of us may think that the external constraints placed on us by government are the main (or perhaps the only) obstacle that stands in the way of our liberty. To the contrary, the most brutal gulags, the most oppressive taxes, and the most insufferable degradations are perpetrated not by some external government, but by our own minds against ourselves. The suffering that people bestow on others arises directly from the suffering that they inflict upon themselves. This goes a long way to explain why humanity is still shackled to government."  Column by Tony Sampognaro.

Academic Libertarians vs. Real People

"Let's not kid ourselves. The repudiation of the State's legitimacy is an enormous paradigm shift for anyone to make. For the average statist, it's a tremendous body-blow to the ego, even when the realization takes place over a long period of time. Most people simply won’t take that much damage to their psyche voluntarily. It’s much easier to stick to the well-worn path of statism instead."  Column by Tony Sampognaro.

Why Support the State?  A Foray into the Psychology of Statism

"No matter what one’s personality type may be, there is always a way to rationalize the State. It seems that its many tentacles have crept into every facet of life, allowing everyone their own particular justification for its existence."  Column by new Root Striker Tony Sampognaro.