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Friday, 2011 August 19, 13:18 — politics

qotd

Penn Jillette: I don’t know, so I’m an atheist libertarian

Democracy without respect for individual rights sucks. It’s just ganging up against the weird kid, and I’m always the weird kid.

Wednesday, 2011 March 30, 22:20 — constitution

but of course you all thought of that immediately

Reading some neglected mail from 2007, I happen to see a quotation from Prof Paz’s speech in The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress:

“You might even consider installing the candidates who receive the least number of votes; unpopular men may be just the sort to save you from a new tyranny. Don’t reject the idea merely because it seems preposterous–think about it! In past history popularly elected governments have been no better and sometimes far worse than overt tyrannies.”

Of course, if everyone knows this is the rule, the candidate elected will not be the least popular but the least unpopular, the one who inspires the fewest voters to say “anyone else!”.

But this gives an inappropriate advantage to unknowns. There ought to be a qualifying round of positive voting before the negative vote.

Approval voting takes care of both phases at once, meseems.

Friday, 2011 March 25, 10:46 — politics

fair exchange

I have a recurring daydream that a cop asks permission to search my car and I say: “Fine, if I get to search yours.”

Or: “Okay, provided that you do so in the nude. Nothing to hide, right?”

Or: “If you’ll sign this contract accepting personal liability for any damage to my property, and agreeing to pay me $120/hour for my inconvenience. Oh, and I’ll just check your pockets for contraband first.”

Gotta wonder what would happen.

Thursday, 2011 February 3, 08:47 — language, politics, religion

try this analogy on for size

An anarchist who uses the Internet is as hypocritical as a Protestant who uses the Latin alphabet. ( . . more . . )

Wednesday, 2011 January 12, 16:02 — politics

one difference between a loony loner and a policeman

When some solitary nut shoots a little girl by mistake, he doesn’t have an Internal Affairs Department to certify that he followed all procedures correctly.

Monday, 2010 December 6, 00:40 — constitution, merch

all the politics I need

I designed a bumper sticker, which is not acutely relevant just now — but I wanted to get it done ahead of the rush.

Sunday, 2010 November 28, 18:30 — politics

let’s not exaggerate

It’s tempting to say that the jail sentence of Alan Shadrake confirms his allegation, but no; it doesn’t show that Singapore’s judiciary is corrupt, merely that the Republic of Singapore is a coward.

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