Liberty Fund has an Interactive Room Too Good Not to Share

AS POSTED ON GMU ECONOMICS SOCIETY BLOG

Most know Liberty Fund for their catalog of books and online library. Now how about a chance to tour their online interactive GOODRICH ROOM. The room's walls have different names throughout history that have helped lead the argument on Liberty. From the Amagi and Gilgamesh to the Declaration of Independence. Each historical figure opens a new tab with a small historical note and its importance for liberty.

If you knew about the catalog but did not know about the online library, then it is time to get acquainted. It is a large database of online materials and difficult to decide where to begin. Liberty Fund has made easier and given us a starting point, HERE. You can log on to create reading lists, share with others, and view other members lists. Can it get any better?

ENJOY!

Individual rights sold by a Vote

The nation appears to be fascinated with politics for the past month since it is the primaries...
It is almost like watching a sports game as the country splits itself to cheer for their favorite politician. They chant, they boo, and they donate money. I thought this was interesting, but then I thought of why we vote for someone.

We vote for someone to go to Washington D.C. and vote for us. Well then am I not handing my rights off to that person to vote for how they see fit? Would I lend my house or car to someone and get it returned to me in four years after they had used it as they saw fit? Of course, if they total my car I may never give it back to them, but who lends their car or house to someone they hardly know? It would be called irrational.

Well, I am thinking that it would be irrational to lend my rights out to someone else who does not share the same beliefs as me. Therefore, politician, you must be a practicing Catholic with free market ideals. You must have a passion for liberty and a hatred towards policies that do anything besides allow free movement of goods. Yes, this includes immigrants (they are a good; its called labor). You must wish to decrease the power of government, privatize roads & schools, and demolish welfare. You must love watching Rambo & Rocky movies and can discuss the economic brilliance of the two.

Is there no candidate that fits my criteria?
For Shame And They(the candidates) Expect Me To Pass Them My Rights

Rally against Sweatshops?

AS POSTED ON GMU ECON SOCIETY BLOG

The advertisements are all across the Fairfax campus at George Mason University. The Students for a Democratic Society,SDS, on campus are hosting an anti-sweatshop rally. Now I am not trying to create an Economics Society / Students for a Democratic Society feud here. In fact, I do support the end to the Iraq war (I won't speak for the Economics Society) which is a main cause the SDS oppose.
I am simply stating that sweatshops are good, and that the only problem is there are not enough of them. I know no member within the SDS would agree me (heck, if they did then why are they supporting a group hosting an event?), but give me a chance to let you know why they are good by linking you to this site. He does an excellent job of discussing why sweatshops are good.

Remember as a member of a society we want others to have the ability to find work. The discussion of wage is a discussion between the employer and the employee as it is an individual choice. As the Spanish Scholastics had pointed out

On the issue of the “just wage,” which has been the source of so much contention in Catholic circles over the past century, the Late Scholastics contended that a wage rate mutually agreed upon had to be just. According to Luis de Molina (1535–1600), an employer was “only obliged to pay [the laborer] the just wage for his services considering all the attendant circumstances, not what is sufficient for his sustenance and much less for the maintenance of his children and family.” Domingo de Soto (1494–1570) argued that “if they freely accepted this salary for their job, it must be just,” and held that “no injury is done to those who gave their consent.” His advice to unhappy employees was simple: “[I]f you do not want to serve for that salary, leave!”

Gratitude for the Mises Institute for the Review of the Chafuen's work on the Spanish Scholastics.

Rambo: A searching for faith in a hostile envorinment

Many know that I am a pretty large fan of many of Sylvester Stallone movies. The Rocky Balboa series, the Rambo series, heck, I even enjoyed Cliffhanger. There is no doubt in mind to how good his two large series that took place mostly through the 70's and 80's are. Rocky Balboa came out a year ago and proved to be a success even with all the criticisms brought up by Stallone's age.

That same criticism arose with Rambo this year, yet that is not the only thing that helped deteriorate the amount of people who wished to see the film. The trailer for Rambo is poorly done. In view of the trailer alone, one would expect to see only meaningless action scenes with a loose cannon of an individual who had the highest training in the art of war. Truth is far from the fact, Rambo lacks anything except 80 montages.

This movie is not for the light of heart. Rambo is bloody. Limbs fly, women are raped, and children are beaten. This is the world of Burma to which the movie introduces us to in a news commentary in the beginning with a remembrance of a cold feeling from fall 2007, the death of a Buddhist priest who was taking part of a peaceful protest.

Watch it, understand that government's are corruptible and that at times you will find yourself not wishing to get involved only to find there is no choice, something must be done. You have to find the faith within yourself to believe that nothing is impossible.
So the world doesn't have a Rambo, we have other heroes. We have seen Gandhi, Washington, Bolivar, to even Dr. King.

Rambo is a film about believing in something, having a reason to live, and having the faith that even if it is only you, you can make that stand to help make the world a better place. Let it be intellectually, spiritually, or physically but make sure you know how to stand for liberty by knowing what it is, why you want it, and what rights grant us such a grand gift to live.

Oh yes, click the title for a link to their interactive menu with information about the movie, the situation in Burma, and Rambo icon/wallpapers.

Why I became a Catholic: The Economic Principles That Led Me to Religion Part 1

Through my studies in economics, I have met many individuals who hold no faith towards religion. Some claim to be atheists while others agnostic, and yet I appear to be one of the limited few who turned to religion as my understanding of the science grew. The questions perhaps should be addressed why is it that I have turned to faith while others who study economics do not?

The Catholic faith believes that all of the citizens of the world are Catholics. (What religion would not see the world as its children?) Catholic, in fact, means universal therefore all men are called to go to Heaven by imitating Jesus, but this is only the tip of the faith which means I could not discuss all of it in one blog.
Economics is the study of individual's choices among a world of scarcity and the affects of their choices both intended and unintended. Think of a decision you made this morning of getting out of bed rather than staying in it. That is one extra person awake, breathing, eating, whatever other acts you may want to consider. That one extra person is breathing in that air that could have been for another, ate the food that could have gone for another, and even taking up an amount of space that could have been for another. Just one choice of getting out of bed has many side effects which would cause others to make decision likewise. If someone is in a spot you want to be in, you have a choice to make from asking them to move, paying them to move, or even moving to another spot themselves. Through actions individuals interact, and by cooperating with one another we reach our desired ends. Thus everyone in the world is tied to one another by the choices they make which affect the choices that others make.

The Catholic faith as it is universal sees the people within the Church to be the body of Christ and Jesus as the head. As the body, the people interact with one another each trying to imitate Christ and reach Heaven. Each making their own choices to reach heaven which affect others abilities to make choices and the Church tells Catholics to always look out for one another.
How fascinating that the world filled with individuals with different goals work together in such a constructive way for most individuals to actually achieve this goal. The world socially cooperates without any control mandating each individual how to do it. This symbolized to me the citizens of the world to be acting as a body, The Body of Christ.

Always begins with One; Is he the one?

I won't say much here. Former government employee wants to own a large dog. In fact, he owns two which are considered by the government of China to be owned illegally. Illegal because of their size. The court system has stopped his crusade this far, but as he tells it, he will continue according to the laws of China and take it to the Supreme Court.
This is a man determined to own his large dogs against a government who rules against ownership of not only large dogs but also more than one. This is not even going into the topic of internet censorship.
Good article. Good man.

For those who fought with the war cry "Freedom" President Lincoln was not one.

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON GMUECONSOCIETY.BLOGSPOT.COM
I am sure everyone has heard it by now since the outcry of
most Americans was an uproar at a statement by Ron Paul on President Lincoln.
Last year, the GMU Economics Society was fortunate to have a lecturer, Thomas DiLorenzo on this issue. Unfortunately we do not have any audio or video of the lecture, but I will link to support the argument as best as I can. I wish only to place some evidence to those looking to comprehend Ron Paul's statement. Not endorsing any politicians as the Econ Society, although the members may have full support for whomever they wish, but do wish to clarify a statement in which many Americans seem to be growing upset towards.

What is taught to children?

• That President Lincoln's nickname was Honest Abe, yet we understand that most politicians do lie. Why should we view him differently?
  The American Indians are led to believe so...
  
• Lincoln saved the Union therefore denying the South the right to secession, yet when Jefferson had installed an embargo on trade with the British the Northeastern states met in convention for secession led by U.S. Senator Timothy Pickering
• Note: Lincoln states he is against state secession in his first Inaugural Address:
  

  But if destruction of the Union by one or by a part only of the States be lawfully possible, the Union is less perfect than before the Constitution, having lost the vital element of perpetuity.

  It follows from these views that no State upon its own mere motion can lawfully get out of the Union; that resolves and ordinances to that effect are legally void, and that acts of violence within any State or States against the authority of the United States are insurrectionary or revolutionary, according to circumstances.

• Lincoln had abolished slavery, yet in his first Inaugural Address he states:
  

  I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.

I leave it to you to decide if Lincoln was as good as we were taught he was, or if he is just another politician that lies, cheats, and steals.
I end with a link to a blog by Mister Snitch! Who does a great job of linking to valid sources to go with his argument on the bad press for Lincoln.

Saving the Environment: No need for government

If you did not know, today the U.S. government had passed their energy bill. This is supposed to jumpstart the use from petroleum fuel to bio-friendly fuels. Thank you government for all your hard work in passing a bill that is useless except to halt the choices of your own citizens.

PETA's efforts have failed in halting the amount of middle class citizens from buying chicken from KFC; should the U.S. government get involved in order to promote the practice of fast food chicken services? If your answer is no, then what is the difference between the government passing a law with chickens to passing a law with fuels.

There have always been alternatives to oil. We may not use these alternatives, but the reason is that it is too costly. The same reason why PETA's effort fail with KFC. Their chicken is cheap and to go to PETA friendly substitute is more costly. If their celebrity friends such as Paul McCartney and Pamela Anderson would pay me the difference I would happily stop eating at KFC; THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES IN ANY MANNER. Notice that Pam nor Paul HAVE NOT given money to me or anyone else to stop eating only raised their voice in a cheap protest that hardly costs them.

The new law makes it costlier to maintain of life that we have; the cheaper one and replaces it with the more costly. Is this the work of business lobbying allowing for government rules to go in favor? It appears so since we know through Ludwig von Mises that

[r]estrictive action on the other hand is always advantageous for the privileged group and disadvantageous for those whom it excludes from the market. It always raises the price per unit and therefore the total net proceeds of the privileged group. The losses of the excluded group are not taken into account by the privileged group.

From this we can judge that the government must be giving the blessing to one at the cost of the others. Thank you government.

Why do we have alternatives? Naturally, businesses want to make money and are always searching for the best method; at least, this is the popular stereotype. Thus there must have been alternatives although not cheap alternatives since no one was using them. This law allows for the more expensive alternatives to be cheaper only because their is a law made up by certain individuals to solve a problem that they define.
No, there is no need for such laws. This is just a disgrace and an abuse of power.

Note: this does not necessarily mean that the government is hurting one business at the cost of the others such as in oil giants. Rather, it may be the case that they all agreed to this law as it keeps each in line to searching for alternatives away from foreign oils. This would mean that the cost was transferred to the average citizen who must now PAY more for his fuel. Bio-friendly fuels were coming. It was inevitable, but the law is a disgrace. Atlas Shrugged could be rewritten with Hank Rearden as the bad guy, with his Rearden Steel benefiting from the government law that benefit the few at the cost of the Many.

Shame, Shame on you U.S. Government for increasing the costs to the many rather than having the product improved to be better suited for us all. Shame.

I did not discuss the issues with lightbulbs or most of the energy, but I think the broad case here makes its case in each argument.

Tyranny of the Majority in the New Testament

We saw it best on The Passion of the Christ. The masses cried out for crucifixion. "Crucify him" the answer shouted in unison when asked by Pilate on what they wanted him to do. It is the same words recited every Easter at a Roman Catholic mass and yet many Christians still believe in majority rule, at least it appears so through what I have seen.

The tyranny of the majority is not a new concept. John Stuart Mill and Alexis de Tocqueville were only two of many who had spoken on the topic. Christians had read of this tyranny since the Church began. There it was written, spoken, even viewed (as in the Passion) for us to see, the Crucifixion of Christ. The masses had called for it. They threatened and Pilate to complete his duty as governor completed what the masses demanded in order to keep his own position. What else do we expect of a politician? To do the right thing and not kill an innocent man? It was either crucify an innocent man or have a mob on his hands which would cause him to lose face in Rome. Naturally, we would expect the politician to choose his own selfish needs and condemn an innocent man to his death.
Is the innocent's death the fault of the politician or the fault of the tyranny of the masses? Perhaps it is both, but the event has passed and the innocent man had died only to be born again. Thanks to the murderous mob that persuaded a Roman governor to crucify an innocent man. A man heralded by many today as the savior. Even through evil, Good arises.

Weakness of Enlisted Leadership (USMC) [long post]

It is the Non-Commissioned Officers(NCO) which are the backbone of the military.
When Marine officers and Staff Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCO) were all killed during the Battle of Chapultepec, it was the NCOs who led the charge getting the Marines to the Halls of Montezuma. It is the NCO who carries out the orders and makes sure that the Marines are capable of completing their mission. Yet how are these NCO's chosen; how are they promoted through the enlisted to move up in rank?

The U.S. Marines pride themselves in their physical attributions that stand out above the other branches of the United States military, but a major flaw within the Marines is their promotion system to become a NCO.

I will save you the trouble of reading the whole thing. I conclude that the promotion system promotes people who do not have leadership skills which does not ready the Marines for battle, but in fact depreciates the Marines ability to do their best.

The Marines are promoted through a point system. This is the Marine way of knowing when a Lance Corporal (LCPL) is ready to be promoted to Corporal. This is the method of creating a leader for the troops who is able to make a decision through tough times.
Naturally, we must assume that the points must be given by certain accomplishments which are:

• Physical Fitness Test
• Proficiency and Conduct Marks
• Self Educated Bonus [Marine Corp Insititute (MCI's), College Classes, Etc]
• Time in Grade as a LCPL, Time in Service
• Rifle Marksman Score
• Recruitment Bonuses
• Drill Instructor, Recruiter, Marine Security Guard

The Command then has the duty of assigning a score to be met for different jobs or Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) due to the amount of enlisted in each rank.
The point system does not promote due to a Marine's leadership skills or for a Marine's productivity.

Throughout the private sector, individuals receive in an increase in their wage according to their productivity. Yet in the military, marines only receive a wage increase according to their grade, and wage level determined by time in service. At times, the government may increase the Marine's wages.

In the Marines, there is no incentive for a Marine to be a leader. To be promoted they want an individual who is fit. Physical Fitness does not dictate strong leadership otherwise why not have the Strongest Man as our President. Even in sports, the coaches lead while the individuals who are stronger physically are the players following the coaches instruction.
Rifle Marksmanship has a strong attachment to the Marines as Marines are first Riflemen, yet if a Marine has the best shot, wouldn't we wish to have him to where he is most useful; firing his weapon? A great shot does not dictate strong leadership skills.
Proficiency and Conduct marks are the closest that the military constructed to annotate a Marines productivity yet these Pros and Con marks are dictated by the NCO's above the Marines. Therefore the Marine's productivity is accountable to the perception of the NCO's above him, there is no system provided to show the impact of the Marine. This an important problem since it allows the NCO's to promote friends or Marines they like more than others easier without any penalty of not promoting the Marine who deserves it.
Recruitment points, well, this speaks for itself. Does an individual who can bring more individuals into the service prove he has the leadership skills needed to make decisions during a period of high stress?

What does this tell us? That the backbone of the Marine Corp is filled with many individuals who do not have the capability to lead the junior Marines through tough times. This is not to say that there are not great NCOs serving now in the Marine Corp, but rather the amount of poor NCO's is vastly greater than great NCOs.

A quick look for proof, while serving in Iraq I was a Corporal under a Sergeant. The desert allows one to see the weather coming from miles away. The Sergeant who was promoted meritoriously, meaning given rank for certain accomplishments (in this case, driving a Colonel and barracks manager), wanted to keep the sides of a tent rolled up rather than down during a sandstorm allowing for the Marines living in the tent to have their positions (weapons included) filled with sand. The Sergeant gives a great demonstration of the poor leadership skills of a Non Commissioned Officer who does not have the leadership capabilities to accomplish the mission under stress. Get back to driving Miss Daisy, Sergeant.

Control: Is it ever achieved?

Recently, I have entered into a debate with many individuals over the topic of control.

Control defined in Dictionary.com as "to exercise restraint or direction over; dominate; command."

I do not believe we can ever achieve control. To me this is proven by action. If we were ever in control why would we act? By acting we would be changing the situation causing us to lose control. In acting, we are trying to get closer to being in control.

What do we want control in? Control of a situation, of our actions, of nature.
We can never have control of a situation since there are outside factors that influence our actions. Those outside factors cause us to act but do not allow us to have control on the outcomes of our actions. We can act causing an effect that was not perceived before the action was taken place therefore taking any control away from our actions as we caused an unwanted outcome.

There is no system in the world that can ever let us be in control. Socialism fails as it never obtains control, but socialism is not alone; No One can ever obtain control; except the Lord.

For this do we have religion, control is only obtained through our faith in God. Socialism was man's attempt at achieving Heaven on Earth. The attempt of a world full of control with no fears upon need, yet as control can never be obtained thanks to socialism's failure to many economic problems such as imitating the price and money system, we find that there is only one way to achieve control which is through faith.
To overcome sin we must pray for strength, for courage, for self control. It is through God's will that we are able to drive without an accident interfering in our desired end. Control can be achieved, but to achieve it you must have faith otherwise we are just blind with hands outstretched in hopes that we do not walk off a ledge. To say you have control is to believe that you are in control; belief is a matter of faith which is a gift from the Holy Spirit.
In the end, Man can not have control except through the Lord, our God

The Trinity of the Market Price

Have to love the end of a Sunday in the middle of football season.
Yes, Football, great weather, and papers to write for so many classes evolve into late nights... ok only until two because I my cost - benefit analysis tells me that sleep is greater than staying up to finish editing a paper.

The point, the Trinity of the Market found in Mises' Human Action.
Check it out page 338.

The pricing process is a social process. It is consummated by an interaction of all members of the society. All collaborate and cooperate, each in the particular role he has chosen for himself in the framework of the division of labor. Competing in cooperation and cooperating in competition all people are instrumental in bringing about the result, viz., the price structure of the market, the allocation of the factors of production to the various lines of want-satisfaction, and the determination of the share of each individual. These three events are not three different matters. They are only different aspects of one indivisible phenomenon which our analytical scrutiny separates into three parts. In the market process they are accomplished uno actu. Only people prepossessed by socialist leanings who cannot free themselves from longing glances at socialist methods speak of three different processes in dealing with the market phenomena: the determination of prices, the direction of productive efforts, and distribution.

Just as the Holy Trinity in the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. The pricing process is broken down only to allow our feeble minds to better understand it.

Incentives matter, even Birds think so

You can spend a lifetime discovering things on the internet. Luckily for me, it took me a short time while browsing through videos for good laughs on YouTube.




As always, life finds a way. Amazing what an incentive will cause someone or thing to do.
The birds wanting to crack nuts with ease and safety had devised an interesting system by using their surroundings

Yet we find other birds who find a better way to adapt with no need to inconvenience themselves with a high cost upon their lives. Everywhere and in everything we find incentives. The bird steals but does not think of it as stealing only for the fact that it has received food. For the birds there is only one incentive, to eat.

We are faced everyday with our own decisions to make facing incentives and it is our job to find the easiest way of obtaining what it is we want. Anything can be done... you just need the right incentives to do it.

Silly Bolivian; Why I stopped watching the Daily Show...

I flipped the channel to Comedy Central and found an interesting person being interviewed by Jon Stewart. None other than the Nationalist Bolivian President, Evo Morales.

It is easy to speak about life and caring for mankind, yet asking for government intervention is not the answer to salvation. The lower class look towards government to assist them with the complaints that society is holding them down and Evo is unlike any of the lower class. He dreams that government is the savior and empowered with his position as President has nationalized the gas industry, subsidized other industries, and believes in the end the money will end in the hands of the poor natives of Bolivia. This is not the first time it has been tried Evo get over yourself and learn to be a better farmer so that you can produce more food as PRODUCTION increases worker wages, not government subsidization.

Jon Stewart appeared to support Evo in his performance as President of Bolivia. Applauding and commenting that Evo had completed the promises he had made while campaigning within 8 months of his election; promises filled with the nationalization of Bolivia's resources.
Evo sat proud of his accomplishments even commenting on how much money was now in the hands of the government due to the nationalization of the gas industry. Of course there is an increase of money going to the government since it now owns most of the industry. What kind of idiot would have expected less?

I am not impressed with Evo. I feel for my family still in Bolivia and hope that one day they can all become citizens of the United States; the nation in which Jon Stewart liked to say holds 'rigged' elections. Thanks Jon, we know that elections are flawed haven't you heard of the field of public choice?

Yes, I no longer watch the Daily Show. The show is not dull only to much to left for my own taste although the Colbert Report is incredibly fun to watch as it has broken wrists and water fights with billionaire guests. In the end it all goes back to the Bolivian. Silly Bolivian, government intervention takes away individual rights... to think he said that he knew about rights at the beginning of the interview.

Sunday Mass is for self prayer?

So perhaps I am misunderstanding the Catholic Church; I must be since all those who are not Catholic usually tell me that they do not have to be at Church to pray to God that they can pray wherever they like. As I understand it, that is the point. We should pray everywhere and anywhere not just behind the closed doors of the church. That is the point of being a Christian by loving God and living by his Word.

The next question I encounter is why then must we attend Sunday Mass?
We attend to receive Holy Communion, to listen to the scripture, to pray in unity as the children of God. Mass, from my perception, appears to be less of an individual prayer than a group prayer. We adore, love, and ask for forgiveness from the Lord before we receive him together as a group as the whole Church.
Immediately after receiving communion, many individuals enjoy being in the presence of the Lord. They kneel in silent reflection. I am beginning to believe when kneeling following the communion we should join the choir in song to help all celebrate in their communion. In this moment we are as a whole filled with the Lord and able to pray and glorify him more fully. This leaves for that moment of reflection to be a short enjoyment from when the Priest is purifying the vessels and sits down in his own reflection to when he stands for ending prayer. In fact, at the end of Mass is when the individual prayers should begin. I like to end it with a Prayer to St. Michael to combat the devil, but that is for the individual to decide....

The Market's Answer to Animal Cruelty

The media is calming down its firestorm that it reigned down upon Atlanta quarterback, Michael Vick. The government prosecution had taken him to court on charges taken a great amount of time before he pleaded guilty. Yet who responded first?

The police found evidence of dog fighting in Michael Vick's home. The prosecution at that point began. Throughout the summer the court system carried on with protesters outside calling for Vick's own blood to be spilled. Yes, this was it what all people want, the government response.

Yet is the government punishing Vick for his actions? He has to pay a fee, face court time, has a jail sentence. No, I do not see the government as a punishment at all. The government in its will to punish Vick is actually saving him from his punishment. Yes the view point of society is that the government announces punishment, yet I say who responded first?

By the time the uproar of disgust arose around Vick's actions, Nike had canceled their deal, Reebok had canceled their deal, and the NFL had declared him ineligible to play. The market had retaliated. Call for blood if you like but it was his own wants that would drive his pain. The want to keep his home, the want for luxury goods, the want for hanging out at a club; they all cost money. Money he would begin to lose and his lifestyle would decline. Would Reebok, Nike, any other business give him a deal? Perhaps, when the public calms, but would the public calm if Vick were among the living? Or would the public be more calm as Vick is housed in a jail cell where our tax dollars pay for him to live leaving him to spend none of his own funds. In the jail cell, Vick is no longer in the view of the public giving them the opportunity to remember why they dislike him. Would anyone buy his jersey again? Probably, but no where near the amount that had before.

Yes, it was the Market not the Government who had first responded. While the government took its time in prosecution waiting for a chance to prove guilt, the market did not care and reacted with a swift hand. Sometimes the market over reacts, but blessed is the market and it adjusts giving more in return for the pain it had caused. Market vs Government is a clean shutout, or in tennis term 6 - love. Love for minimal government perhaps...

Why Transformers was better than 300

Yes, I said it. Transformers was better than 300. A little late to write this but lets have it, I am never on time as it is.
300, the movie about Thermopylae and the 300 Spartans. Disappointing as it lacked storyline as it was extremely predictable filled with sex scenes that were pointless. I'll give it to them for the scene at the Oracle, that is how the Oracle originally worked, but the marital sex was pointless as he was not turned on by her but to the mere fact he was a "free man". A "free man" who did not choose to be a fighter nor a Spartan. A "free man" who only had one choice throughout the movie, bow down to Xerxes or have to fight for his kingdom. Hey have to call it. When you have no choice towards your profession or lifestyle, it is not freedom. A shame for everyone to believe that only through the State can you achieve Freedom.
Transformers, corny throughout the movie, but more depth in the storyline than 300. Why did the car choose Sam should have been the question in the beginning? What is it the Decepticons are after should have been the next question. Of course, we should have been able to foretell what they were since the displayed it in the beginning of the movie with Sam. Yet the plot of Transformers had something that 300 lacked. Cooperation, innovation, and a better message.
Let us define the different versions of Freedom
In 300, Freedom is to live under the state you are used to.
In Transformers, Freedom is the ability to choose b/w life and death; between good or evil and not allowing others to make that decision for you.
How about Innovation?
300, Innovation was to fight at Thermopylae as to create a small pass where the 300 could hold off the entire Persian Army.
Transformers, the military overcame and adapted to the situation learning from each battle with the Decepticons of what they could do to cause harm to the giant robots; changing the battle area from one place to another to allow themselves a strategic advantage. Heck even the Decepticons overcame their disadvantages by shutting down the communications link throughout the world. This isn't to say that Xerxes never overcame anything, but according to the movie he had to wait until a crippled Spartan had leaked information about a pass so that he could attack the Spartans in a new fashion.
As for the message,
300 claimed that men died for a reason which would be Freedom thus encouraging all of Greece to unite to fight against the Persian Army.
Transformers completely took all the work 300 and worked it into 300's ending. Instead of their being death to cause people to unite, they found their was one cause that those with differences can unite for; Freedom.
Truth is the actual history of Thermopylae is a time when Greece unified itself to overcome the Persians. The true story was that like the movie Transformers. The most disciplined force of ancient times, the Spartans, with only a handful of themselves assembled with other Greeks and held the land battle. The Athenians, greatly outnumbered in the sea, led a sea attack against Persian ships to curtail them from sending reinforcements behind the land units on the pass.

Face it, 300 was disapointing, so they gave us Transformers.

Too long forgone

So I have been away for too long. I have been in seminars throughout the summer. Don't worry I will comment on each so that others may learn about each institution their summer seminar and whether it is worth the time or not.

My summer of seminars began with the History of Economics seminar at George Mason University followed by the History of Economics Society annual conference which was held at George Mason University this year. The summer ended with a weekend conference in Connecticut held by the Acton Institute. Over all, I spend most of my days in lectures arriving back to the room only to debate roommates and others who wished to express their views.

My experience and critiques of the seminars will be blogged on the GMU Economics Society blog which is beginning soon. Not that I am an expert, only wish to share the info to allow others the chance to attend these great events that promote economics, ethics, philosophy, politics, individual rights(which included separate from philosophy just to add emphasis), and even religion.

Can not be Pro-Life and Pro-War

So I slack on my blog entries. Luckily for me this is not a popular blog. Perhaps because my arguments have been said over and over again. I have never said anything new, only things I had read elsewhere.

But I am bothered. The religious are Pro-Life therefore against any action that takes away life. For this reason abortion is an important political issue which I completely understand, but for the same people who are against abortion yet support any type of war seems to be a contradiction. Can you support a war and be Pro-Life? Wars bring death, and war is promoted by those politicians who we vote for. As war is the decision of those elected officials it only makes sense for war to be a major political issue for the religious. Yet abortions, with laws or without are always at the hands of the woman in labor. If she is going to choose to have an abortion she will find a way, there is hardly anything law can do to prevent this. Yet, war which brings death is caused by the elected officials.

You can not be Pro-Life and Pro-War. If you support life then you support all life, you can not pick and choose between which lives you support.

History of Economics Society

On Friday evening, the History of Economic Society's annual conference kicked off with a lecture from Professor and Nobel Prize winner James Buchanan. For the past two days, the Johnson Center 3rd floor has been filled with economists from around the world, to meet, greet, discuss, or to seek feedback on topics they are interested in. From 8:30 in the morning until early evening, the economists sit in rooms usually filled with student groups. Books are sold at a reduced price where you can purchase the complete collection of Ricardo for $76 or the complete set of Buchanan for less than a $100.
If you ever get a chance to attend a conference for any economic society, my advice is to take it, even if you must pay a price to attend. This conference was worth its price Friday evening when we received the blessing of listening to James Buchanan.