That's certainly true and presumably the reason there was such a freakout when they said they wanted to strip back to only what's mandated.

It's because Congress also allocates funds to be spent and mandates functions to be fulfilled.

The reason people don't like freedom is because they don't want to pay the necessary price to own all the stuff they want to exert their control over.

If you don't want to see your neighbor naked, buy enough land so that you can't, build privacy fencing, make a deal with your neighbor, move, or just accept that you don't always get your way.

Generally, libertarians do consider it appropriate to be able to stop credible threats to one's person or property. So, I'd put this into "exercise aggression" no-no category.

I'm not sure exactly and I've never seen anyone tackle it philosophically, but it probably goes in that aggression category too. (How convenient is that?)

Minors are not considered competent to consent to contractual arrangements, so contrary to most libertarians preferences, this would have to be considered something like theft from the minor.

That's a little more than the courts did here. They allowed the layoffs to go forward because the executive order included language that directed the agencies to do them lawfully. There's still an understanding that the executive needs permission from congress to make significant changes.

That's my problem though. "Superior" is relative. Where is there more information about capital value than in the capital markets?

I think people are prone to mistaking this for perfect knowledge. I myself often presume an efficient markets situation when I'm trying to understand things, even though I know that current prices aren't exactly correct. However, that's because I don't know in which way they're wrong, which makes the current price the best guess at the truth.

Other than @optimism's point, I don't think it's the freedoms that are bad. It's bad people who do bad things.

Having the freedom to wear what you want (on private property where the owner...) is good, because the alternative is a dress code police invading private property and assaulting people for their clothing choices.

I saw someone posting the recent growth trajectory of the State Department. As fun as those layoffs are, they're but a drop in the bucket of Terror War bureaucratic bloat.

I missed what the point of comparison is. "Superior knowledge" to what?

Even markets that are distorted by fads will generally have dissenters and contrarians providing a partially corrective influence.

And, if literally everyone is wrong about something, then there's no point of better knowledge than the market anyway.

Great point, Blok. The government is bidding up all these materials and services, which is exacerbating the problem with housing affordability.

I don't know that I've ever seen anyone draw that connection before. It certainly doesn't come up regularly when people are looking for solutions to affordable housing.

They tend to be fairly concentrated in inexpensive areas with low crime and decent schools. Then, of course, around them you get lots of good restaurants and grocery store options.

I just panicked for a second that I had forgotten to get this week's pick in.

I meant specific neighborhoods within cities.

Send 'em over. My wife and I are always trying to figure out where the Asians are moving to when we search for houses.

Have you seen Les Mis?

Even the movie was pretty great. I remember everyone in the theater crying.

That'll be the next pivot.

"Mostly consensual activities"

That's it! 52nd state here we come.

Watch it. Or we'll start dreaming this dream for you too.

The answer is to remove any benefit of the doubt from anyone who's known to have spent time with him.

If mere association is as good as guilt, there will be some rich successful powerful people who want the truth to come out so they stop being treated like child rapists.

Actually, not that long ago, but I get that it isn't common. Certificates of need are one of the most preposterous policies.

I dream of a future where the Ruby family wakes up one morning breathing the free air of American liberty. It's very selfless of me.

It's a coin toss that I keep losing.