WeblogBahamas.com

The impact of chauffeurs of politicians in The Bahamas

I've been conducting an informal study on the impact of chauffeurs on our politicians here in The Bahamas and the results are quite profound.

When in Opposition, MP's speak as if they are really concerned about sorting things out with the Government.

The Bahamas and Racism

I've been having a discussion of sorts with a gentleman at this post... over at The Nassau Institute.

The gist of his argument is the white people put a system in place that has protected them and their money making ever since. In addition, it seems the system was designed to keep the black Bahamian disadvantaged and our imperial educational system teaches inferiority.

Of course the UBP, and more specifically Sir Roland Symonette is cast as a villain and the PLP, in the form of Sir Lynden Pindling is cast as the saint.

Lessons in Freedom: Adoration of Government Regulation

We are delighted to present Lessons in Freedom, essays by Dr. Tibor Machan, for your pleasure.

Dr. Machan holds the R. C. Hoiles Chair in Business Ethics & Free Enterprise at Chapman University's Argyros School of B&E and is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution (Stanford University, CA). (www.Tibormachan.com)

Adoration of Government Regulation

by Tibor R. Machan

On a recent Monday I went to hear a talk by Professor James K. Galbraith, author of the free market basing book, Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too. The talk repeated what so many modern liberals have been saying about the current financial fiasco, namely, that it’s all due to the free market, to the late Milton Friedman’s influence, and that deregulation is mostly to blame. 

This is not especially novel, given that nearly everything wrong with America is blamed by such modern liberals on, well, the absence of sufficient modern liberalism in the country’s governance.  Why not? Champions of the free market make similar claims when trouble arises—modern liberalism is to blame.  And I am often among the latter group. I admit—I am much more favorably disposed toward the principles of a fully free society than toward those of a mixed economy (or even fiercer government involvement in the economy).

Join your not so humble blogger on More 94 FM

Tune in to More FM (94.9) from 10:00am to 12:00pm on Thursday, October 30, 2008 to hear your not so humble blogger and Dick Coulson with host Ortland Bodie.

Bahamas MP allegedly involved in growing scandal?

Reports are the Opposition Party (PLP) "is struggling to contain the growing scandal surrounding one of its sitting MP's amid fears that police may press charges against the politician in the near future".

If the reports are true, one wonders why the PLP would want to "contain the growing scandal"? If there is doubt about the integrity of the MP's actions, the PLP should be reporting him to the Police. The party should be bigger than the scandal if they are really concerned about the future of this little nation.

Most of our politicians are lawyers, so they should be able to determine at a glance if one of their members is found wanting, and they should distance themselves from that person. Not close ranks as if nothing has been done.

But, as is the case so often with political scandals, cover ups become the order of the day, leading to the further moral decline of the culture in The Bahamas.

Lessons in Freedom: Greenspan versus Rand on Self-Interest

We are delighted to present Lessons in Freedom, essays by Dr. Tibor Machan, for your pleasure.

Dr. Machan holds the R. C. Hoiles Chair in Business Ethics & Free Enterprise at Chapman University's Argyros School of B&E and is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution (Stanford University, CA). (www.Tibormachan.com)

Greenspan versus Rand on Self-Interest

by Tibor R. Machan

Nearly every time Alan Greenspan is written about in the media, his early association with Ayn Rand is remarked upon. The impression is often left that Greenspan holds the same views as Rand did, especially about the ethics of egoism or selfishness.

Some will no doubt remember that Ayn Rand wrote a little book, The Virtue of Selfishness, A New Concept of Egoism, in which she defended the idea that everyone has a moral responsibility to strive to live successfully, to achieve happiness in life. This does include one’s economic flourishing but is by no means confined to it. Indeed, one interpretation of Randian egoism is that everyone must first discover what would make him or her happy and then seek to attain that goal.

In Memory of Franklyn Butler a Great Bahamian

Click here... for a web site in Memory of Franklyn Butler.

David Boaz on Hillary, Obama and McCain

Buy The Politics of Freedom here...

Jeff Black - Song of the week - October 27, 2008 - King of the world

I'm not sure when I came across Jeff Black and his Birmingham Road CD, but I'm sure glad I did.

Hope you like King of the World below.

Don't forget to visit his web site by clicking here...

Check out this neat link... to Jeff Black Radio as well.

Lessons in Freedom: Welfare "Rights"

We are delighted to present Lessons in Freedom, essays by Dr. Tibor Machan, for your pleasure.

Dr. Machan holds the R. C. Hoiles Chair in Business Ethics & Free Enterprise at Chapman University's Argyros School of B&E and is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution (Stanford University, CA). (www.Tibormachan.com)

Another Problem with Welfare Rights

by Tibor R. Machan

A welfare or positive right, so called, is something that can only be protected by coercing others to provide it. Consider the right to health care. This supposed right can only be honored by making health care professionals provide services for those who have need for it.

In contrast, a negative right, such as the right to one’s life, may be respected and protected without making anyone do anything. To respect a negative right one need do nothing at all, merely abstain from doing something, like killing or assaulting or robbing someone. Respecting negative rights is what happens when there is peace among people, when none is intruding upon others.