1273: Walter Block – Libertarianism is Neither Left nor Right

Libertarianism is neither of the left nor of the right. It is unique. It is sui generis. It is apart from left and right. The left-right political spectrum simply has no room for libertarianism. Think of an equilateral triangle, with libertarianism at one corner, the left at a second corner and the right at the third corner. We are equally distant from both of those misbegotten political economic philosophies. No, better yet, think in terms of an isosceles triangle, with us at the top and the two of them at the bottom, indicating they have more in common with each other than with us. —Walter BlockDownload Print Quality (7680×4020) 626KB  |  Normal Quality (3840×2010) 570KB
Libertarianism is neither of the left nor of the right. It is unique. It is sui generis. It is apart from left and right. The left-right political spectrum simply has no room for libertarianism. Think of an equilateral triangle, with libertarianism at one corner, the left at a second corner and the right at the third corner. We are equally distant from both of those misbegotten political economic philosophies. No, better yet, think in terms of an isosceles triangle, with us at the top and the two of them at the bottom, indicating they have more in common with each other than with us. —Walter BlockDownload Print Quality (6144×7680) 728KB  |  Normal Quality (3072×3840) 730KB

Libertarianism is neither of the left nor of the right. It is unique. It is sui generis. It is apart from left and right. The left-right political spectrum simply has no room for libertarianism. Think of an equilateral triangle, with libertarianism at one corner, the left at a second corner and the right at the third corner. We are equally distant from both of those misbegotten political economic philosophies. No, better yet, think in terms of an isosceles triangle, with us at the top and the two of them at the bottom, indicating they have more in common with each other than with us. —Walter Block

1199: Walter Williams – Tariff Victims are Invisible

Tariff policy beneficiaries are always visible, but its victims are mostly invisible. Politicians love this. The reason is simple: The beneficiaries know for whom to cast their ballots, and the victims don't know whom to blame for their calamity. —Walter WilliamsDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 8.01MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 355KB
Tariff policy beneficiaries are always visible, but its victims are mostly invisible. Politicians love this. The reason is simple: The beneficiaries know for whom to cast their ballots, and the victims don't know whom to blame for their calamity. —Walter WilliamsDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 10.61MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 472KB

Tariff policy beneficiaries are always visible, but its victims are mostly invisible. Politicians love this. The reason is simple: The beneficiaries know for whom to cast their ballots, and the victims don’t know whom to blame for their calamity. —Walter Williams

1198: Steven Clyde – Their Next Bid for Re-Election

The point of no return, they [politicians] claim, will soon dawn on us unless politicians are granted unlimited power to meddle in the affairs of the citizenry. It just so happens that this needs to occur prior to, but no later than, their next bid for re-election. —Steven ClydeDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 3.10MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 196KB
The point of no return, they [politicians] claim, will soon dawn on us unless politicians are granted unlimited power to meddle in the affairs of the citizenry. It just so happens that this needs to occur prior to, but no later than, their next bid for re-election. —Steven ClydeDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 4.49MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 261KB

The point of no return, they [politicians] claim, will soon dawn on us unless politicians are granted unlimited power to meddle in the affairs of the citizenry. It just so happens that this needs to occur prior to, but no later than, their next bid for re-election. —Steven Clyde

1194: Hanlon’s Razor – Adequately Explained by Stupidity

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. —Hanlon's RazorDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 3.89MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 226KB
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. —Hanlon's RazorDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 5.52MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 311KB

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. —Hanlon’s Razor

1190: Joshua Smith – Show Them that Our Policies will Enrich Their Lives

There are two things that bring people to the ballot box. Hope and Change. We've got to get in the face of the public and show them that our policies will enrich their lives. —Joshua SmithDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 4.59MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 227KB
There are two things that bring people to the ballot box. Hope and Change. We've got to get in the face of the public and show them that our policies will enrich their lives. —Joshua SmithDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 6.57MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 310KB

There are two things that bring people to the ballot box. Hope and Change. We’ve got to get in the face of the public and show them that our policies will enrich their lives. —Joshua Smith

1174: Ayn Rand – Individual Rights are Not Subject to a Public Vote

A majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority. Individual Rights are not subject to a public vote. —Ayn RandDownload Print Quality (7680×4020) 740KB  |  Normal Quality (3840×2010) 343KB
A majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority. Individual Rights are not subject to a public vote. —Ayn RandDownload Print Quality (7148×7680) 1.10MB  |  Normal Quality (3574×3840) 815KB

A majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority. Individual Rights are not subject to a public vote. —Ayn Rand

1137: Caryn Ann Harlos – Don’t Sell Your Principles for Fickle Votes

There is something wrong with treating libertarian principles like a cheap whore to be sold for fickle votes. —Caryn Ann HarlosDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 2.04MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 181KB
There is something wrong with treating libertarian principles like a cheap whore to be sold for fickle votes. —Caryn Ann HarlosDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 2.55MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 221KB

There is something wrong with treating libertarian principles like a cheap whore to be sold for fickle votes. —Caryn Ann Harlos

1109: David Nolan – LP Founder on the Libertarian Party

We have unfortunately created a little class of mini bureaucrats who are more concerned with keeping their jobs and perpetuating the institution as an institution and raising money than they are with spreading the message. When we started out our goal was to spread the word, it was sort of evangelical, to spread the word of liberty out to the world at large and we had people like Murray Rothbard and John Hospers and many other distinguished thinkers of that era involved in the party. Now we’re down to the level of people who are I think for the most part well intended, but when compared to those men are several orders down the intellectual scale and they are absorbed with minutia they are concerned with budgets, they are afraid to say anything that might scare people, that might keep people from voting for us. So it’s become a very timid organization in the past 6 or 8 years. —David NolanDownload Print Quality (5426×7680) 411KB  |  Normal Quality (2713×3840) 199KB
We have unfortunately created a little class of mini bureaucrats who are more concerned with keeping their jobs and perpetuating the institution as an institution and raising money than they are with spreading the message. When we started out our goal was to spread the word, it was sort of evangelical, to spread the word of liberty out to the world at large and we had people like Murray Rothbard and John Hospers and many other distinguished thinkers of that era involved in the party. Now we’re down to the level of people who are I think for the most part well intended, but when compared to those men are several orders down the intellectual scale and they are absorbed with minutia they are concerned with budgets, they are afraid to say anything that might scare people, that might keep people from voting for us. So it’s become a very timid organization in the past 6 or 8 years. —David Nolan

1062: Adam Kokesh – Taxation is Theft

It is not right for one person to steal. It is not right for two people to steal. It is still not right for 51% of a voting population to vote for a representative who will hire a tax collector to steal for them. One of the great government lies is that theft can be moral when performed by enough people and called taxation. —Adam KokeshDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 1.62MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 196KB
It is not right for one person to steal. It is not right for two people to steal. It is still not right for 51% of a voting population to vote for a representative who will hire a tax collector to steal for them. One of the great government lies is that theft can be moral when performed by enough people and called taxation. —Adam KokeshDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 2.54MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 244KB
It is not right for one person to steal. It is not right for two people to steal. It is still not right for 51% of a voting population to vote for a representative who will hire a tax collector to steal for them. One of the great government lies is that theft can be moral when performed by enough people and called taxation. —Adam Kokesh

1021: Murray Rothbard – Voting Does Not Imply Voluntary Consent

In an environment of State coercion, voting does not imply voluntary consent. Indeed, if the State allows us a periodic choice of rulers, limited though that choice may be, it surely cannot be considered immoral to make use of that limited choice to try to reduce or get rid of State power. —Murray RothbardDownload Print Quality (2742×3840) 1.95MB  |  Normal Quality (1371×1920) 215KB