If you find the midden, sorry middle, boring - here are some suggestions for topics to dig into:
1) How and why the USA props up Israel, and also how and why the USA allow American Jews to fund Jewish settlers (esp. the illegal settlements violating the various accords and treaties).
2) Write a text on Trump's antics about Greenland, inclu…
If you find the midden, sorry middle, boring - here are some suggestions for topics to dig into:
1) How and why the USA props up Israel, and also how and why the USA allow American Jews to fund Jewish settlers (esp. the illegal settlements violating the various accords and treaties).
2) Write a text on Trump's antics about Greenland, including threatening Greenland and Denmark with military action, from a libertarian perspective.
3) Deliberate on why American youths chose - freely - TikTok over american alternatives, and how banning an app gels with libertarianism, free speech and freedom to business.
4) Abortion. IVF. Designer babies. Eugenics.
5) How (and if) freedom of and from religion conflicts with a child's inability to freely choose if raised in a religious family and local society (and why not include political ideologies too?).
6) Debate whether or not the USA should take control of Ukraine's farmland and REMs as per the securities Zelensky has given the USA in exchange for the aid-money.
7) Question why Trump is demanding - in direct contravention of treaties and promises - to retake the Panama Canal, using Trump's own words and arguments as the starting point.
8) Ask the question why South Africa before and after Apartheid are so very different (and as a bonus feature do the same with Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and Liberia).
9) Do a historical review of foreign aid from the Marshal Plan to present day, looking at what has worked as intended and what hasn't, and the potential "whys" of that.
10) Perform analysis why the USA does not act against the military dictatorship of Burma/Myanmar.
11) Discuss the feasibility of privatised police forces, private judiciaries and the like. How (if) could it be made to work well?
12) Present an expose of what happened when libertarians moved to a small Vermont town and put their ideology into practice.
You see, Gato, the middle is only boring if you refuse to take a stand or argue as if you're taking a stand even if only for argument's sake. Go for it - you only have (potentially paying) readers to lose. Write what is popular and gives hits and likes, or pick subjects your following might object to - kind of a litmus test for a writer, no?
Though I'm certainly irritable and acerbic enough by nature, that wasn't the intended tone here. Mildly sarcastic and provocative, rather - and also trying to point out the writer's dilemma, especially when the funding is voluntary:
Write what the current "followers" (I do not like that term, but it's the accepted one and I can only spit in the wind so much) lap up and pay you for, or write something they might find objectionable and risk losing a source of income.
And risk/chance getting followers you might not want to be associated with or take money from too, or get new ones that appreciate the diversity of thought and freedom of debate.
It certainly is tricky, and I don't think I would be able to wrangle it myself, not even if I cured my faiblesse for purple prose.
Perhaps I sound irritated or irritating (Swedish use the word "irriterande" for both) because I feel the ideas Gato often put forth needs challenging, preferably by himself, as that makes one a better thinker no matter what the idea in question is: the religion/bringing up kids f.e. is a perfect "Gordian knot" of an issue where ones ideals and principles get challenged since they will almost inevitably come into conflict.
And resolving conflicts is a good thing, I think.
(Thanks for pointing this out by the way - and for the compliments, my wife says I suck at being complimented - I think I'll struggle with tone for life, and it's no different if I'm writing in another language either; I rarely fail to come across as irritated and petulant.)
It's from an old Vox article I read once, about how libertarians tried "taking over" a town by moving there in numbers so they could influence how the town was run, and how it turned out.
Given that Vox is the source, and citing a book about the whole thing to boot, input and debate on the issue from people more in the know might be a worthwhile topic; Vox seems to me (not being American) as it is rather to the general Left of the political spectrum, and so does the book's author ('A Libertarian Walks Into A Bear'), so I claim no absolute knowledge of the whole thing.
I'm sure it is, the only info I have is that article and it seems biased, even if the problems it brings up are real.
That's why I put in my wish-list as a suggestion. O'course, if some other 'Stacker chooses to pick from the list or thinks some point there is good enough a start-off point, I'm all the happier - information wants to be free, right?
I am full libertarian and agree that each and everyone of these issues need dissecting. I was at the University of Cape Town for a year in 1978, and traveled to Rhodesia as well. I feel qualified to tackle those.
Perhaps Gato would be interested in a guest-piece by you? Can't speak for him, I'm just tossing "golden apples" about really.
Libertarianism in my experience, professional and personal, struggle with all issues that pertain to race & culture & religion, and has so far to my knowledge shied away from trying to resolve these (inasmuch an ideology can be said to actually do anything, rather than people doing stuff) and how a resolution can function without a state (in some form) acting as arbiter and peacekeeper.
The author is not only biased but also an idiot. Why not interview someone from the project instead of someone who wrote a book about it? Or maybe do both?
No, this servile neo-liberal wrote an attack piece about a political philosophy he knows nothing about. But hey, what did libertarians have to teach him in December of 2020?!
I can't fault your opinion - as a book-review it works fine (since the onus of truth is on the author of the book) but as an article reporting on something it does not.
And I feel a good move by Vox back then would have been to do exactly what you say. Talk to people who were there, locals and newcomers both. It's not that difficult in the present day.
If you find the midden, sorry middle, boring - here are some suggestions for topics to dig into:
1) How and why the USA props up Israel, and also how and why the USA allow American Jews to fund Jewish settlers (esp. the illegal settlements violating the various accords and treaties).
2) Write a text on Trump's antics about Greenland, including threatening Greenland and Denmark with military action, from a libertarian perspective.
3) Deliberate on why American youths chose - freely - TikTok over american alternatives, and how banning an app gels with libertarianism, free speech and freedom to business.
4) Abortion. IVF. Designer babies. Eugenics.
5) How (and if) freedom of and from religion conflicts with a child's inability to freely choose if raised in a religious family and local society (and why not include political ideologies too?).
6) Debate whether or not the USA should take control of Ukraine's farmland and REMs as per the securities Zelensky has given the USA in exchange for the aid-money.
7) Question why Trump is demanding - in direct contravention of treaties and promises - to retake the Panama Canal, using Trump's own words and arguments as the starting point.
8) Ask the question why South Africa before and after Apartheid are so very different (and as a bonus feature do the same with Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and Liberia).
9) Do a historical review of foreign aid from the Marshal Plan to present day, looking at what has worked as intended and what hasn't, and the potential "whys" of that.
10) Perform analysis why the USA does not act against the military dictatorship of Burma/Myanmar.
11) Discuss the feasibility of privatised police forces, private judiciaries and the like. How (if) could it be made to work well?
12) Present an expose of what happened when libertarians moved to a small Vermont town and put their ideology into practice.
You see, Gato, the middle is only boring if you refuse to take a stand or argue as if you're taking a stand even if only for argument's sake. Go for it - you only have (potentially paying) readers to lose. Write what is popular and gives hits and likes, or pick subjects your following might object to - kind of a litmus test for a writer, no?
Rikard, you seem to have given Gato a list of things that are important and worth writing about.
I am a little confused by your somewhat irritated tone.
I read many of your comments across different substacks. I appreciate your input.
Though I'm certainly irritable and acerbic enough by nature, that wasn't the intended tone here. Mildly sarcastic and provocative, rather - and also trying to point out the writer's dilemma, especially when the funding is voluntary:
Write what the current "followers" (I do not like that term, but it's the accepted one and I can only spit in the wind so much) lap up and pay you for, or write something they might find objectionable and risk losing a source of income.
And risk/chance getting followers you might not want to be associated with or take money from too, or get new ones that appreciate the diversity of thought and freedom of debate.
It certainly is tricky, and I don't think I would be able to wrangle it myself, not even if I cured my faiblesse for purple prose.
Perhaps I sound irritated or irritating (Swedish use the word "irriterande" for both) because I feel the ideas Gato often put forth needs challenging, preferably by himself, as that makes one a better thinker no matter what the idea in question is: the religion/bringing up kids f.e. is a perfect "Gordian knot" of an issue where ones ideals and principles get challenged since they will almost inevitably come into conflict.
And resolving conflicts is a good thing, I think.
(Thanks for pointing this out by the way - and for the compliments, my wife says I suck at being complimented - I think I'll struggle with tone for life, and it's no different if I'm writing in another language either; I rarely fail to come across as irritated and petulant.)
Whats this about a town in Vermont?
Sorry, my bad memory. New Hampshire, not Vermont.
It's from an old Vox article I read once, about how libertarians tried "taking over" a town by moving there in numbers so they could influence how the town was run, and how it turned out.
Given that Vox is the source, and citing a book about the whole thing to boot, input and debate on the issue from people more in the know might be a worthwhile topic; Vox seems to me (not being American) as it is rather to the general Left of the political spectrum, and so does the book's author ('A Libertarian Walks Into A Bear'), so I claim no absolute knowledge of the whole thing.
Egads, forgot the link to Vox:
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/21534416/free-state-project-new-hampshire-libertarians-matthew-hongoltz-hetling
I read that. I amused myself by substituting "Muslims" or "Islam" for Libertarians and Libertarianism. Still not sold.
The Free State Project is ongoing.
I'm sure it is, the only info I have is that article and it seems biased, even if the problems it brings up are real.
That's why I put in my wish-list as a suggestion. O'course, if some other 'Stacker chooses to pick from the list or thinks some point there is good enough a start-off point, I'm all the happier - information wants to be free, right?
I am full libertarian and agree that each and everyone of these issues need dissecting. I was at the University of Cape Town for a year in 1978, and traveled to Rhodesia as well. I feel qualified to tackle those.
Perhaps Gato would be interested in a guest-piece by you? Can't speak for him, I'm just tossing "golden apples" about really.
Libertarianism in my experience, professional and personal, struggle with all issues that pertain to race & culture & religion, and has so far to my knowledge shied away from trying to resolve these (inasmuch an ideology can be said to actually do anything, rather than people doing stuff) and how a resolution can function without a state (in some form) acting as arbiter and peacekeeper.
The author is not only biased but also an idiot. Why not interview someone from the project instead of someone who wrote a book about it? Or maybe do both?
No, this servile neo-liberal wrote an attack piece about a political philosophy he knows nothing about. But hey, what did libertarians have to teach him in December of 2020?!
I can't fault your opinion - as a book-review it works fine (since the onus of truth is on the author of the book) but as an article reporting on something it does not.
And I feel a good move by Vox back then would have been to do exactly what you say. Talk to people who were there, locals and newcomers both. It's not that difficult in the present day.