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Question: Why is the adult entertainment industry the victim of constant attacks by nosey, interfering, condescending legislators? What possible motive could there be to make life difficult for those who sell sex? I am sick of hearing about the fundamental human rights of individuals being stomped over by people who ...

Bob Geldof’s approach to political issues contrasted with his stated ambitions regarding world poverty is the equivalent of putting chicken in a baking dish and expecting steak pie: misconceived. He expects to deal with a problem (poverty) using a certain key solution (socialism) and looks to that solution to straighten ...

I don’t normally do forwards…. or this kind of post. But, in a departure for me and for a cheap libertarian laugh: —————– In the year 2005, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in the United States, and said, “Once again, the earth has become wicked and ...

Today, if you are a TV License Fee payer, you should be feeling extremely pissed off. What did you get for your OBLIGATORY license fee today? The license fee that you pay under threat of jail for doing nothing other than watching television? The BBC: funded at gunpoint? (I love ...

1) Seems that the United States federal government are “stiffing” us again with spending of over $2,000,000,000.00 on viagra for the elderly and disabled. VIAGRA. Now that’s a ‘hard’ pill to swallow. 2) On energy policy – Monbiot had a piece (“Junk Science”) in the Guardian last week testifying to ...

Mr Mulgan, Your piece in today’s Guardian entitled “Anti-politics” was intriguing. Not because of the premise that prompted it, which was that “Modern electorates simply do not like governments” – I agree. What I found intriguing was that you call this “the bad news!” You go on to suggest that ...

On an Arizona highway this afternoon, I found myself driving close enough behind the beat-up Cadillac in front that I was able to see its brand new yellow bumper sticker. Are you familiar with those little symbols for ‘Man’ and ‘Woman’ that are used on the doors of public restrooms? ...

I have long contended that in the absence of the following principle – for brevity let’s call it Principle A – almost ANY act of government coercion and interference will be justified. And I have two examples which are demonstrable of that. Principle A is this: that the actions of ...

This post is simply an acknowledgement. I am a capitalist. I’m a student of capitalism – I enjoy capitalism and appreciate its results. And today is the 50th birthday of the single most important, most recognisable and most authentic example of the success of capitalism – a restaurant called McDonald’s. ...

Just over a year ago, I contributed as a consultation respondent to Stage One of the BBC Charter Review, demanding that the BBC be funded by private means instead of a forceful measure of law as it is today (see that contribution in the March 29, 2004 archives). In addition ...

On February 25th, 1990, Terri Schiavo collapsed at her Florida home from what doctors said was a potassium imbalance, possibly caused by her bulimia. Her brain did not receive oxygen for around five minutes and the effect of that deprivation caused severe brain damage. Doctors seem to have disagreed over ...

Richard Layard, author of “Happiness: Lessons from a New Science”, has written an article for The Times entitled “Be happy, pay more to the taxman”, an article of immediate interest to me. In it, Layard states that surveys in the United Kingdom and the United States reveal that, despite unparalleled ...

The US Supreme Court has rejected on Tuesday a constitutional challenge to an Alabama law that makes it a crime to sell sex toys. As reported by Reuters this morning, “The high court refused to hear an appeal by a group of individuals who regularly use sexual devices and by ...

The International Herald-Tribune today reports that: “…two activists convicted of libel in Britain for criticizing McDonald’s animal rights practices, environmental policies and the nutritional quality of its food did not get a fair trial and should be compensated by the British government, a European human rights court said Tuesday.” Here ...

People love freedom. Its a natural response of the human spirit to appreciate independence and autonomous rationality. They love it. Although sometimes they voluntarily curtail their own freedom for some idea of a greater good (such as religion), they love the fact that it is theirs to begin with. So ...

Geoff Huish, 26, was so convinced England would win Saturday’s rugby match he told fellow drinkers at a social club, “If Wales win I’ll cut my balls off,” the Daily Mirror reported on Tuesday. Friends at the club in Caerphilly, south Wales, thought he was joking. But after the game, ...

These bumbling, blubbering baffoons. Mercedes has, in a concession this past week, offered to make some of their premium range cars WITHOUT the standard leather seats…… WHY? Because, following protests by the German chapter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA researcher Edmund Haferbeck says, “When you consider ...

On March 1st last year, I wrote in this blog a post entitled, “Sex and the USA” (available in archives). In it, I expressed my anger with those in power in America for its “archaic, backward, revolting, coercive” attitudes to how we deal with and express human sexuality. To those ...

Bill Gates is going to give 95% of his wealth away to the third world. This is incredible charity, considering the sheer amount – about $46 billion. It is Charity with a capital ‘C’ – Gates has been top of the Forbes rich list for years. Contrary to the Guardian’s ...

Dear Mr Tomkins, You write: “TALK OF RIGHTS ONLY GETS US so far before it starts to get a bit incoherent. We all believe in the right to free speech, and we all believe in the right to freedom of religion. But if your religion involves holding certain things sacred ...