Thursday, January 19, 2006

History of the Libertarian Movement


If you don't know the history of the modern Libertarian movement in the United States and Canada then you need to read this.

Brad Spangler has done a great service in finding this lost treatise by Edmontonian Samuel Edward Konkin III (aka SEK3). SEK3 was one of the founders of modern day Left Libertarianism as well as being an avid Sci-Fi afficinado.

It is the history of the modern day Libertarian movement and its relationship to the New Left. Or as the saying goes this is not your daddies Republican or Conservative or even Social Credit party. Nope. This libertarianism is the unkown ideal, apologies to Ayn Rand.

Once you have read it you will understand why I laugh everytime Monte Solberg calls himself a Libertarian.


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Kevin Carson Replies

Keven Carson of Mutualist Blog has responded to my article; State-less Socialism.He gives a spirited defense of Indiviudalist Anarchism, Libertarianism, based on Benjamin Tucker, and in opposition to the Labour Theory of Value. Read it here. Thanks for the thoughtful comments Kevin, I am working on a reply.


Also see:

Libertarian Labour

A NEW AMERICAN REVOLUTION

It's the Labour Theory of Value, stupid

Libertarian Dialectics


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Calgary Herald Remembers R.B. Bennet

In their editorial endorsing Harpers Conservatives, no surprise there, the Calgary Herald says;

The Calgary Herald is a conservative newspaper in a vibrant, entrepreneurial city, now on the verge of giving Canada a Calgary prime minister for the first time in 71 years, since R.B. Bennett (1930-35).

Bennett was one of Canada's most despised PM's. As he had the unfortunate luck to be PM during the Depression. The Government created releif camps for the unemployed, which were operated by the Military. They were Internment camps, Concentration camps by any other name.

Reform was in the air in the West, left wing reform the CCF had published the Regina Manifesto and was running Federally for the first time.

The Communist party organized Hunger Marches, unemployed unions, and demands for Unemployment Insurance, and welfare! These protests were brutally surpressed by provincial governments at the behest of the Bennett government. Which ended up with the On To Ottawa Trek. Which ended in Regina with the death of two workers and thousands of Canadians injured.

See: Conservative Governments Kill Workers

During the depression farmers who lost it froced the Government to create the Canadian Wheat Board to put a halt to the open market trading which had bankrupted them. Without gas for their vehicles they ended up having cars pulled by horses. This was known as the Bennett buggy.

Derisively named after prime minister R B Bennett, Bennett Buggies,

automobiles pulled by horses, were used by farmers too impoverished to purchase gasoline.

Prime Minister R.B. Bennett
R.B. Bennett R.B. Bennett (1870-1947) was born in New Brunswick, Conservative federal member for Calgary in 1912, justice minister in 1921, finance minister in 1926, and Prime Minister, 1930-1935.

By 1933, the Depression was at its worst and Bennett's government appeared indecisive and ineffectual. He became the butt of jokes such as "Bennett buggies," cars pulled by horses or oxen because the owners could no longer afford gasoline. Dissension was widespread throughout the party and Cabinet due to Bennett's inability to delegate authority. He held the portfolios for finance and for external affairs, and his failure to consult with Cabinet angered his ministers. One in particular, Henry Stevens, openly rebelled. His insistence that the Conservatives adopt a radical platform of political and social reform caused a rift in the party. Stevens eventually resigned and formed a new, but short-lived political entity, the Reconstruction party. Influenced by American President Roosevelt's "New Deal," Bennett proposed a new platform of government policy in 1935, announced to the nation in a series of radio broadcasts. Abandoning his previous policies, Bennett advocated minimum wage, health and unemployment insurance, government regulation of banking and trade, and other social reforms. But it was too late; Bennett and his party were too closely associated with the hardships of the Depression.

Yep this sure is something we want to remember. Thanks Calgary Herald for reminding us of what a success the last Conservative PM from Calgary was.

The evolution of Stephen Harper and his party

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Canada's New Finance Minister?


The roaring and booming of the Canadian dollar is because we apparently have a new Finance Minister or perhaps the government replaced Bank of Canada President David Dodge and didn't tell anyone. This gives new meaning to Petro-Dollar.

Canada's Dollar Gains by Most in a Week After Bin Laden Tape

Jan. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Canada's dollar rallied by the most in a week as the U.S. dollar fell after a man identified as al- Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden warned of more attacks against the U.S. in an audiotape broadcast by al-Jazeera television.

The Canadian currency was among seven major currencies benefiting from the sell-off of the U.S. dollar. Some traders and investors said the currency's drop to a two-month low earlier today was unwarranted given prospects for growth in the world's eighth-largest economy.

``The rise of the Canadian dollar is partly driven by the short-term selling pressure of the U.S. dollar after the tape came out,'' said George Davis, chief foreign exchange technical analyst at RBC Capital Markets in Toronto.

The speaker in the tape warned of more al-Qaeda attacks, while offering a ``long-term truce'' linked to the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and Afghanistan.

A tip o the blog to Dust My Broom

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Alberta All A Buzz

Here is some of the reaction in the Edmonton Sun today about Buzz putting down Alberta.

Buzz bids to Bloc Harper

EDITORIAL: Grits get Buzzed

Martin gets Buzzed

Reaction was more muted in the other paper; the Edmonton Journal. Muted is not strong enough it was virtually comatose. Slept through the whole thing and published a pre-writtten essay on electoral reform as its editorial.

While the Calgary papers; the Herald and Sun ran wire stories. The Calgary Sun at least made it the front page story. Though it was still the wire story. Calgary is of course Tory Blue.

But in Edmonton we have two seats that were Liberal. Note the past tense.

Wonder what that other Liberal labour leader and pal of Buzz's,
Dan MacLennan Presidentof the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) will have to say about this.

Sounds like he needs to give his pal Buzz a reality check.

The Envelope Please

Say did anyone know about this new award? Apparently PC Canada, no not Progressive Conservative silly, Personal Computing, has judged the election websites and blogs and found them not wanting. Election 2006: Forget the best platform, who has the best blog, website?

And the winner? Two out of Two best website and blog goes to......the BQ!

Runner ups the Green Party and Conservatives. No mention of the NDP or Liberal election websites. Do I detect a corporate bias here?

Then they go and say this, which I still can't make heads or tails of. No matter how much I scratch the old puzzler.

Most Puzzling Feature on any Website Award
The Blog
Lowdown: It's not that we don't love the mud slinging. And it's not that
we don't like blogs (perhaps one of the most democratic mediums of expression
developed in the last century). But, simply put, we fail to understand the
wisdom of putting together a whole campaign based on scientific marketing
studies and craftily spun information, only to have it ruined by someone who
wants to compare Jack Layton or Olivia Chow to a dog (various Liberals), or
secede from Canada if they don't win this election (see: Alberta Conservative
campaign manager Gordon Stamp). For our money, save the rants for the House of
Commons and leave the blogs for people who want to complain about broken
election promises.
Huh? Neither of these Blogs was on any official web site. And Gordon Stamps comments were on a Web Forum page. This comment makes no sense. But then they gave best Web site in English to the Conservatives and that makes no sense either.

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Layton Rallies Edmonton Strathcona

Its come down to this what I have been saying all along you doubting Thomases. Edmonton Strathcona A Horse Race

Like my pal Jan from the Carpenters union who emailed me to say; "You cannot be serious,". Yep I am.

And it appears the NDP War Room has finally got the message too. So Jack whipped into Edmonton last night to push the vote.

Edmonton-Strathcona ripe for NDP's 2nd-ever Alberta win, Layton predicts

EDMONTON - NDP leader Jack Layton addressed a raucous crowd in Edmonton-Strathcona on Wednesday night, predicting a win for local candidate Linda Duncan.


Make a statement, Layton urges city
NDP Leader Jack Layton rallied supporters last night behind the candidate he hopes will prevent a Tory-blue sweep of Alberta in Monday's election.

"As the old song says, 'Something is happening here.' Because on Jan. 23 Linda Duncan and the NDP and the working people of Edmonton-Strathcona are going to make a statement," Layton told the boisterous crowd packed into Bonnie Doon Hall, 9240 93 St.

"Canada is going to learn that Alberta is not all conservative and the Conservatives will learn that they can't take Albertans for granted."

NDP polling shows Duncan, the party's Edmonton-Strathcona candidate, in a strong two-way race with Conservative incumbent Rahim Jaffer.

Jaffer told the Sun he doesn't think NDP support has surged to the levels that party may expect.

In explaining what might be perceived nationally as an unusual pool of NDP support, Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan likened Alberta New Democrats to the crocus, a flower that "grows in the most inhospitable place in the most inhospitable time."

Layton appealed to disgruntled Liberal voters and supporters of the former Progressive Conservative party, taking aim at both the Liberals and Conservatives.

"It's time that the Liberals spend some time in that penalty box," he said. "Should it be two years for misbehaviour or five years for interference with good government?"

And the U of A student newspaper the Gateway has run a full page interview with Linda Duncan. NDP candidate Linda Duncan stresses federal reform Gateway.ualberta.ca

Jaffer claims he is picking up Liberal voters.Jaffer says he is reaching out to disaffected Liberal supporters. Must be the ones that support the 'culture of entilgment' something Rahim is very familar with. The Hill Times named him the laziest MP He thinks he is entitled to our votes for doing nothing. Time to send him packing.

Martin made a strategic error the other day on his only visit to the city, when he tried to rally support in Edmonton Strathcona, it showed they are leaking support like a sieve.

He should have rallied the troops in Edmonton Millwoods Beaumont, where they may have a squeeker of a chance. But only because their candidate there is NDP lite.
Liberals Get Their Own Grewal

My Edmonton Strathcona Blog Articles


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The Silencing of Ralph

The Liberals have Buzz. And poor Harper has King Ralph.
Both shoot from the lip much to the detriment of all associated with them.
The Conservatives have put Klein under the Cone of Silence...will it last?

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Klein under wraps for 'six more sleeps,' aide promises

Some fear he'll once again shoot from the lip

EDMONTON - The fact that Albertans haven't seen hide nor hair of Premier Ralph Klein in the last days of the federal election campaign is no accident.

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Golden Globes

I think this gives new meaning to Golden Globes. I know it's a cheap shot but I couldn't resist. Though I still think Drew Barrymore looks better in this shot than she did on the Gloden Globe's Awards the other night.

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Party Leaders Pledge Support for Women's Rights

Will wonders never cease.

Of course given the history of the Liberals and Conservatives around the matter of woman's rights that this pledge isn't worth the paper it's written on.

And after all Harper all ready said he would renege on lesbian rights to get married. And he opposes a National Day Care program. So whats left for him to support?

Major Federal Party Leaders Pledge Support for Women's Human Rights

    OTTAWA, Jan. 18 /CNW Telbec/ - The Canadian Feminist Alliance for
International Action (FAFIA), a strategic alliance of women's and human rights
groups, is pleased to announce that all five major federal parties have
pledged their support to uphold women's human rights in Canada in the next
Parliament.
FAFIA gave party leaders until 12 p.m. E.S.T. today to respond to their
invitation to sign a statement regarding their plans to uphold Canada's
equality commitments to women.
Gilles Duceppe of the Bloc Québecois, Jack Layton of the New Democratic
Party, Jim Harris of the Green Party, Paul Martin of the Liberal Party, and
Stephen Harper of the Conservative Party all pledged their commitment. These
leaders have said that once elected, they will take immediate and concrete
measures to ensure that Canada fully upholds its equality commitments to
women. To view the letters from the leaders, visit http://www.fafia-
afai.org/abo/news/leaders_pledge.php.
Campaign pledges represent the first phase of FAFIA's year-long campaign
to promote Canada's full implementation of its commitments to women under
international human rights treaties.
In addition to seeking public support from federal party leaders, women
in communities across Canada have been urging local candidates to do the same,
to date obtaining more than 70 pledges. A list tracking candidates who sign
the pledge is available at: List of Candidates who have Signed the CEDAW Pledge
    This year marks the 25th anniversary of Canada's ratification of the most
comprehensive treaty on women's human rights: The U.N. Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Canada was
among the first countries to sign the treaty in 1980.
According to reviews conducted by the United Nations, Canada's
performance on its equality commitments is lagging. Women in Canada who work
full-time still earn, on average, 71% of what men earn. Poverty rates for
single mothers and women of colour remain very high. Aboriginal women continue
to confront many human rights abuses. Women also suffer from a lack of access
to employment insurance, civil legal aid, and front-line anti-violence
services.

Beware! Fundamentalist Conservatives at the Gates!
Callwood, Egan, Mallick, Morgentaler and Walker
warn against a Conservative majority

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Elsie Wayne plants a big one on her boy

Vote Marriage Canada announces fifty pro-marriage candidates
in the Prairie Provinces and the N.W.T.
Each candidate we endorse has taken a stand and given clear
indication of supporting marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman
in the next Parliament. Each Member of Parliament endorsed voted against Bill
C-38 and opposed the change in the legal definition of marriage in the last
Parliament. Each candidate we endorse has taken a stand and given clear
indication of supporting marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman
in the next Parliament."


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