Dear Walter:
I was caught up with PorcFest preparations. Incidentally, you got a little light ribbing at the PorcFest Roast. I guess there’s a video floating around titled, “Walter Block Defends Eating Babies.” Have you come across it? Anyway, here’s some questions.
1) Where do you weigh in on the objection from some Austrian-Economists that Bitcoin violates Mises’ regression theorem?
2) The liberty movement is called by some, “The Lovelution.” What do you think makes a good definition for “Love,” libertarian or otherwise?
3) Are you a Rand Paul guy? Why or why not?
4) For those who agree that the topics covered in “Defending the Undefendable” are not acts of aggression, do you think it is unprincipled to still be personally offended by those actions? What role, if any, do you think offense should play in a free society?”
5) What are your thoughts on the recent increase of #BlackLivesMatter type protests, and police militarization generally?
6) Do you think “libertine” trends, such as recreational drug use, or sexual promiscuity help or harm the mission of liberty activism?
7) What are your thoughts on the often misrepresented gender pay gap statistics?
8) Of all the potential 2016 presidential candidates who do you think would be worst, and why?
9) Which logical fallacy are you most frustrated by?
10) Do you think budding self-help culture, such as peaceful parenting, or non violent communication, that’s developed in the liberty movement is a useful addition, or a distraction?
For my answers to these questions, go to the next page.
Thanks to you for alerting me to “Walter Block Defends Eating Babies.” I have now seen it. It is very funny. But, I’m sure it is just a spoof since I never supported any such thing. The whole idea is of course grotesque.
1) Where do you weigh in on the objection from some Austrian-Economists that Bitcoin violates Mises’ regression theorem?
I deny Bitcoin violates Mises’ regression theorem:
Davidson, Laura and Walter E. Block. Forthcoming, 2015. “Bitcoin, the Regression Theorem, and the Emergence of a New Medium of Exchange.” Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics; Vol. 18, No. 3, October.
2) The liberty movement is called by some, “The Lovelution.” What do you think makes a good definition for “Love,” libertarian or otherwise?
I think this was a great publicity device for the Ron Paul campaigns. But, the essence of libertarianism is the non-aggression principle (NAP). There’s room in our big tent for hate, too, as long as the hater does not violation the NAP
3) Are you a Rand Paul guy? Why or why not?
Yes. Because I think he is the most libertarian of all the people now running for office.
4) For those who agree that the topics covered in “Defending the Undefendable” are not acts of aggression, do you think it is unprincipled to still be personally offended by those actions? What role, if any, do you think offense should play in a free society?”
I only defend these characters in the sense their actions should be legal. But, many of them are offensive, even despicable. In the free society, people would be free to be offended by behavior they do not like. The only requirement is that they obey the NAP.
5) What are your thoughts on the recent increase of #BlackLivesMatter type protests, and police militarization generally?
All lives matter, not just black ones. I have no objection to police militarization per se. If private police want to be militarized, God bless them say I. I oppose government police, since I am an anarcho-capitalist, and think all statism is evil. When government police stop a rape or murder, or any other real crime with a victim, though, part of me applauds them. On the other hand, when they harass or arrest victimless criminals (consensual acts concerning drugs, sex, markets in used body parts), then I am appalled by them.
6) Do you think “libertine” trends, such as recreational drug use, or sexual promiscuity help or harm the mission of liberty activism?
Probably harm, but I am not sure. This is an empirical issue, not one of principle. As long as people do not violate the NAP, they are acting compatibly with libertarianism.
7) What are your thoughts on the often misrepresented gender pay gap statistics?
Those statistics are misleading. There is no pay gap worthy of the name:
Block, Walter E. 1998. “Compromising the Uncompromisable: Discrimination,” American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Vol. 57, No. 2, April, 1998, pp. 223-237;
Block, Walter E. 1992. “Discrimination: An Interdisciplinary Analysis,” The Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 11, pp. 241-254
Block, Walter E. 2014. “The Cost of Being female: Rejoinder to Sayers.” Review of Social and Economic Issues, Vol. 1, No. 1, Summer, pp. 37-69;
Block, Walter E. and Walter E. Williams. 1981. “Male-Female Earnings Differentials: A Critical Reappraisal,” The Journal of Labor Research, Vol. II, No. 2, Fall, pp. 385-388;
8) Of all the potential 2016 presidential candidates who do you think would be worst, and why?
In my view, foreign policy is more important than economic policy, since as Higgs, Raico, DiLorenzo, Rothbard, Gordon and others have demonstrated, the former tends to guide the latter. So, who is bad on foreign policy? Who are the warmongers? Well, Hilary on the Democratic side, and all the neo-cons on the Republican. Who are the best, e.g. the least war-mongering? Bernie Sanders, Democrat, and Rand Paul, Republican. Both want to intervene with Israel, but at least support fewer U.S. imperialistic wars elsewhere on the planet.
9) Which logical fallacy are you most frustrated by?
People who do not understand the message of this book:
Hazlitt, Henry. 2008 [1946]. Economics in One Lesson. Auburn, AL: Mises Institute
10) Do you think budding self-help culture, such as peaceful parenting, or non violent communication, that’s developed in the liberty movement is a useful addition, or a distraction?
I’m not sure. If self-help means do it yourself, it is a violation of specialization and the division of labor. It is no violation of the NAP, but the economist in me is appalled by this. I don’t understand what “violent communication” is.
2:37 pm on July 9, 2015
