At its base, this blog is a place for me to rant. Topics will mostly be economics and philosophy, with some history, politics, and probably a fair bit of mathematics thrown in for good measure. My economics are radically free market, philosophy rationalist, and politics a mix of conservatism and libertarianism. What precisely I mean by those things and how they interrelate will be my major focus.
At this point, it might be advisable to say something about my influences. My main inspiration on all subjects is Hans-Hermann Hoppe. This is not to say, of course, that I agree with Hoppe on everything, but I certainly think he is one of the greatest philosophers and economists of all time.
Other economists I draw from include Murray Rothbard, Ludwig von Mises, and Thomas Sowell. There are plenty of others I like very much, but these are three of the main ones. Additionally, I'm a great fan of Joseph Schumpeter, so much so that I put him in the same class of excellence as Mises and Rothbard.
In philosophy, I have a good deal more research to do, but I have picked out a few favorites: Plato, Kant, and, of course, Hoppe. Frank Van Dun's work has also helped clarify legal philosophy for me.
When it comes to politics, however, my influences are a good deal more varied. My journey has been long and winding: from budding socialist to neoconservative to libertarian to anarcho-capitalist. I've listened to and have some--not necessarily much--appreciation for Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. Actual intellectuals that have shaped my thoughts include Thomas Woods and Kevin Gutzman among the living, and John C. Calhoun, Erik von Keuhnelt-Leddihn, and Murray Rothbard among the deceased.
I should probably also mention that while I am firmly a libertarian today, I still remember my time as a necon and thus cognitive dissonance blunts some of my criticisms of people and decisions I previously lauded. If I ever seem to be conspicuously avoiding a subject related to neoconservatism in the past 10 years, that is a fair guess as to why.
Now, what is this blog not? It is not a forum for debating the idea of objective truth discoverable by Reason. This is not to say that discussion is not worth having, but simply that it should be done elsewhere.
This is also not a place for mere bad-mouthing of people and ideas. While many negative things about many people and ideas will be said, everything said should be justified. Justification is very important here.
Finally, while I am a fervent supporter of anarchy, I am of the private property-based variety, not the do-whatever-you-want variety. This blog is a dictatorship under the authority of me and only me. All who comment here do so at my sufferance. Be polite and informative, or I will kick you off.
I hope you enjoy what I write and spread this among your friends, and perhaps even your enemies.
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