Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts

Aug 3, 2025

Ralph Raico on self delusion of the masses

Machiavelli contends that mass of people prefer appearance to reality.  They prefer their fantasy to what actually exists.  If they knew what politics really was, they wouldn't have a good night's sleep for the rest of their lives.

~ Ralph Raico, The Struggle For Liberty: A Libertarian History of Political Thought, p. 258

The Struggle for Liberty: A Libertarian ...
2025

  

Feb 23, 2025

Porter Collins on the shift right in world politics

Trump is a walking volatility machine.  He is driving Democrats and the Democratic Party insane.  It's in complete disarray at this point...  Look at all the big donors.  All the big donors switched sides immediately.  Elon [Musk], who was Mr. green, Mr. ESG, now he's a hard core right-wing guy.  Tim Cook, Mr. DEI himself, was front row at the inauguration.

And so not only have the politics swung, but the money has swung.  Always follow the money.  The money [has] gone all-in on the Republicans: Facebook, Dana White, all this stuff.  The rest of the world's kind of moving right, too.  A lot of Latin American politics, European politics, all moving to the right.

~ Porter Collins, co-founder, Seawolf Capital, interview with Danny Moses, On The Tape, February 12, 2025



Oct 25, 2024

Kevin Duffy on writing about politically sensitive topics

I realize taking on politically sensitive topics like Covid, wokeness, China and the Israel-Palestine conflict risks turning away subscribers, but it is a risk I’m willing to take. The last thing the world needs is another conventional, politically-neutered investment letter.

~ Kevin Duffy, "Mailbag," The Coffee Can Portfolio, p. 22, October 22, 2024

2024


Oct 10, 2024

Kevin Duffy on the Left and Right

Both sides engage in different forms of tribalism.  The Left is at war with the rich.  The Right is at war with various boogeymen around the world.  Left and Right are at war with each other. 

The state absolutely THRIVES on tribalism.  It's like oxygen.  "War is the health of the state." 

~ Kevin Duffy, tweet, October 9, 2024







Jul 19, 2024

Frank Zappa on politics and foreign policy

Politics is the entertainment division of the military industrial complex.

~ Frank Zappa



May 16, 2024

Tom DiLorenzo on the Seven Deadly Sins of politics

All politicians everywhere, including Israel, are showcases of the Seven Deadly Sins.  Self-pride trumps humility for starters.  What member of Congress is not an egomaniac?  Envy poisons the heart of every proponent of “income redistribution” schemes, the cornerstone of welfarism everywhere. 

Wrath is what one experiences whenever one opposes the state.  Ask all the doctors who had their medical licenses cancelled after questioning the covid “vaccines.”  Even Tucker Carlson was smeared as a “Russian asset” for opposing the American financing of Ukraine in its war with Russia. 

Sloth has always been associated with government bureaucracy.  No one likes being called a “bureaucrat.”  Then of course there is greed.  Greed for power and money animates national and state capitals everywhere.  No institutions anywhere are more greedy for money than public employee unions, for example or the thousands of other “special-interest groups” that scheme endlessly to rob the treasury.

Gluttony is on display everywhere as well with the ostentatious lifestyles and conspicuous wealth of ruling classes.  Nor are politicians unfamiliar with the sin of lust, especially the lust for power over others, dubbed by Judge Andrew Napolitano as “libido dominande” or “lust to dominate.”

~ Tom DiLorenzo, "Christian Worship of the False Gold of Politics," LewRockwell.com, May 16, 2024



Jul 31, 2023

Groucho Marx on politics

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.

~ Groucho Marx

(As quoted by Steve Berger in Mises University speech, "An Austrian Analysis of Covid Vaccines," 4:25 mark, July 27, 2023.)



Feb 2, 2023

Henry Adams on politics

Politics, as a practice, whatever its professions, has always been the systematic organization of hatreds. 

~ Henry Brooks Adams, The Education of Henry Adams (1907), Chapter 1



Dec 31, 2022

Barbara Walters on politics

Politics ... is the hottest, most dangerous subject in the land.  It's not only a conversation-wrecker, it's a friendship-wrecker, a family-wrecker, a job-wrecker, a future-wrecker.

~ Barbara Walters



Dec 18, 2022

Michael Novogratz: "anti-crypto is really bad politics"

There are 50 million owners of crypto in America, probably 25 million really passionate single-issue voters.  And so Democratic politicians had a wakeup call.  It's shocking... how many politicians are reaching out to Galaxy, to me, say, "hey, can you educate us?"  They realize they need an opinion.  Being anti-crypto is really bad politics.

~ Michael Novogratz, "Investing in Crypto with Cathie Wood and Mike Novogratz," Crypto Bahamas, 6:15 mark, May 18, 2022



Aug 25, 2022

Sheldon Richman on money in politics

There is only one answer.  We must strip government of the power to dispense privileges to anyone.  If we can pull that off, the problem of money in politics will evaporate.

~ Sheldon Richman, "The Only Way to Get Money out of Politics," The Future of Freedom Foundation, January 28, 2010



Dec 20, 2021

Ernest Benn on politics

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy. 

~ Ernest Benn, British writer



Nov 6, 2021

Aaron Rodgers on politics

The right is gonna champion me, and the left is gonna cancel me.  And the whole time, I don’t give a shit about either of them.  Politics is a total sham.

~ Aaron Rodgers



Oct 27, 2021

Phil Duffy on politics

In politics one can't win by being a better version of the opposition.

~ Phil Duffy



Oct 11, 2021

Elon Musk on staying out of politics

In general, I believe government should rarely impose its will upon the people, and, when doing so, should aspire to maximize their cumulative happiness.  That said, I would prefer to stay out of politics.

~ Elon Musk, tweet, September 2, 2021





Sep 9, 2021

CatoTheYounger on politics and psychopaths

If your political economic system depends on virtuous leaders, you are doomed.  The absolute worst psychopaths are attracted to Politics/Gov, as a medium to practice and refine their skills.  A Psychopaths' skill set allows them to excel in politics.

~ CatoTheYounger @catoletters, tweet, September 9, 2021



Aug 11, 2021

George Carlin on politics

The word "bipartisan" usually means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out.

~ George Carlin



May 13, 2021

Plato on politics

If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools.

~ Plato



May 6, 2021

Visual Capitalist on U.S. generations and political power

Baby Boomers rank number one when it comes to Political Power. 

Boomers capture 47.4% of political influence. This generation accounts for 32% of all U.S. voters, and holds the majority of federal and state positions. For instance, 68% of U.S. senators are Baby Boomers. 

Political spending on election campaigns and lobbying predominantly comes from Boomers, too. When it comes to money spent on lobbying, we found that 60% of the top 20 spenders were from organizations led by Baby Boomers. 

In contrast, Millennials and Gen Zers barely make a splash in the political realm. That said, in the coming years, it’s estimated that the combined voting power of Millennials and Gen Z will see immense growth, rising from 32% of voters in 2020 up to 55% by 2036.

~ Carmen Ang, "Ranking U.S. Generations on Their Power and Influence Over Society," Visual Capitalist, May 6, 2021



Mar 30, 2021

Kevin Duffy: Do politics and friendship mix?

The quantity and quality of friendships will be limited by scarcity: our time, resources and emotional energy.  E.g. narcissists are high maintenance and crowd out other friendships.  Friendships grow deeper and stronger, moving up the ladder, or weaker and more superficial, sometimes to the point of falling off the ladder completely and being displaced by new friendships. 

For an activist libertarian (as opposed to a retreatist), deep relationships require a strong philosophical bond.  At times like today, where society is hurtling towards authoritarianism and "friends" are joining the crowd and revealing their true colors, friendships are being put to the test and in much greater flux.

~ Kevin Duffy, comment on The Tom Woods Show, March 30, 2021