The Brutality of Slavery - Murray N. Rothbard - Mises Daily

The Brutality of Slavery - Murray N. Rothbard - Mises Daily: "Until the 1670s, the bulk of forced labor in Virginia was indentured service (largely white, but some Negro); Negro slavery was negligible. In 1683 there were 12,000 indentured servants in Virginia and only 3,000 slaves of a total population of 44,000. Masters generally preferred bondservants for two reasons. First, they could exploit the bondservants more ruthlessly because they did not own them permanently, as they did their slaves; on the other hand, the slaves were completely their owners’ capital and hence the masters were economically compelled to try to preserve the capital value of their human tools of production. Second, the bondservants, looking forward to their freedom, could be more productive laborers than the slaves, who were deprived of all hope for the future."

"It is estimated that seventy percent of all immigration in the colonies throughout the colonial era consisted of redemptioners [who bound themselves for four to seven years, in return for their passage money to America]."

"an English law in force in the mid-1660s banished to the colonies anyone convicted three times of attempting an unlawful meeting—a law aimed mostly at the Quakers"

"An act of 1670 banished to the colonies anyone with knowledge of illegal religious or political activity, who refused to turn informer for the government."

"One historical myth holds that since the slaves were their masters’ capital, the masters’ economic self-interest dictated kindly treatment of their property. But again, the masters always had to make sure that the property was really theirs, and for this, systematic brutality was needed to turn labor from natural into coerced channels for the benefit of the master. And, second, what of property that had outlived its usefulness? Of capital that no longer promised a return to the master? Of slaves too old or too ill to continue earning their masters a return? What sort of treatment did the economic self-interest of the master dictate for slaves who could no longer repay the costs of their subsistence?"

"And also from an early date, Negroes, in particular, were denied any right to bear arms."

"another decreed that conversion to Christianity would not set a slave free, a fact which violated a European tradition that only heathens, not Christians, might be reduced to slavery."

The Self-Congratulation of the "Public Servant" | Cato Institute

The Self-Congratulation of the "Public Servant" | Cato Institute: "First, private entrepreneurs cannot force anyone to do anything. They succeed only if they convince people that it is in the latter’s interest to part with their money. That means producing something that actually does make people’s lives better. Truth be told, every morning we should praise the people who created pharmaceuticals, airplanes, housing, cell phones, computers, automobiles, art, umbrellas, refrigeration, bicycles, iPods, medical devices, toys, cameras, ice cream, and much, much more. All have enriched our lives. None of these goods—at least as far as I am aware—were created by Pete Stark, much less any other politician.

Second, absent political intervention, markets ruthlessly hold entrepreneurs accountable. Competitors are constantly seeking to serve consumers better. The moment people believe that a new car, computer, cereal, musical group, drug, or most anything else is better, they will dump the old product. Consumer allegiance lasts only as long as people believe they are being served well. So the entrepreneur’s job is to figure out how best to serve customers.

Contrast that with the politician. First, they rely on coercion, not service—that is, money comes through taxation, backed by the threat of imprisonment."

Guns and Freedom | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute

Guns and Freedom | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: " countries with significantly higher gun ownership have greater political and civil liberties"

"Gun-owning societies also are notably less corrupt."

"nations where people own more firearms also tend to have greater economic liberty."

"decades ago “American civil rights workers were able to protect themselves from the Ku Klux Klan because so many civil rights workers had guns.” "

Activists worried as groups say downloadable and printable guns possible | Fox News

Activists worried as groups say downloadable and printable guns possible | Fox News: "Downloading a gun's design plans to your computer, building it on a three-dimensional printer and firing it minutes later. No background checks, no questions asked."

"there is nothing illegal about making many types of guns at home"

Louisiana stops sale of cheap milk at market | Fox News

Louisiana stops sale of cheap milk at market | Fox News: "Fresh Markets in Perkins Rowe was selling milk for $2.99 a gallon as part of a weekly promotion deal, but Louisiana requires that retailer markups be at least 6 percent above invoice and shipping costs"

The state isn't really helping the citizen in this case.

Long Live the Filibuster | Cato Institute

Long Live the Filibuster | Cato Institute: " The current threat of filibusters requires the majority party to move toward the center, satisfying more voters. In a polarized time, the filibuster tends to make Senate actions more representative of the nation as a whole."

Refusing to Disarm: Lexington and Concord - Murray N. Rothbard - Mises Daily

Refusing to Disarm: Lexington and Concord - Murray N. Rothbard - Mises Daily: " As in so many other “preventive” first strikes in history, Great Britain itself precipitated the one thing it wished most to avoid: a successful revolution. Interestingly enough, the Massachusetts radicals were at the same time rejecting hotheaded plans for a first strike by rebel forces, who would thus be throwing away the hard-forged unity of the American colonists."

105-year-old California woman 'relieved' to pass driver's test with flying colors | Fox News

105-year-old California woman 'relieved' to pass driver's test with flying colors | Fox News: "Babe Ruth was having the best season of his career when Edythe Kirchmaier took her first driving test."

The man who stopped the desert - CSMonitor.com

The man who stopped the desert - CSMonitor.com: "In 1980, Yacouba decided to fight the desert’s spread by reviving an ancient farming technique called zai, which led to forest growth and increased soil quality."