Liberty Activists Call WKBK’s “Talkback” 2009-01-03

January 10, 2009 by Ian
Filed under: Audio, Economic Freedom, Issues

Radio Tower Liberty activists called WKBK’s Talkback last Saturday and discussed the bloated state, govt’s lack of incentive, so-called privatization, an abusive relationship, and health care.

The unfortunate fact is, the authoritarians are still the bulk of call load on this show. We could really use your help! Please join us in calling the program with a pro-liberty viewpoint. Get details and discuss on this Free Keene forum thread.

Download the MP3.

a_shldn

Isn't the debate between "private" vs "public" schools structured around a false dichotomy, since the foundation of the issue is that everyone is required to go to school? Shouldn't the question for liberty interested activists not be "the ability to choose how to school my children", but rather "whether or not my children should be schooled at all?"

I do agree however that the corruption concerning the privatization of government functions, doled out by the government in the form of government contracts, is not the same thing as the "privatization" being spoken about by liberty activists. Again, confusion in semantics dominates most of the discussion. It's almost akin to the leftist critics who rail against the "free market" policies of the various Republican administrations, when they are actually criticizing not the concepts of a "free market" but the policies such as NAFTA, appropriately called State Capitalism, that are sold to the American public under the term "Free Trade." It's confusing, because I think there is far more common ground there between all sorts of activists than is commonly allowed–and all because loaded terms with different definitions depending on who is using them.
http://blogofbile.com bile

I think those on the show should read Thomas Paine. As I recall he and others in the 1700's talked about government providing Social Security like features and healthcare. The public acts as if these topics of healthcare, minimum wages, insurance, etc. is new. It's not. That last caller should have pointed out that the Constitution is a document of enumerated powers and restrictions. If the Constitution doesn't say universal healthcare is OK… it's not. These damn government indoctrination camps teach people we have positive rights… perhaps even worse that the Constitution grants rights. Worse I say because that's what people will bring up usually. They tend to have an affinity to physical things and words on paper.

I love that people call up but too often they aren't prepared to argue with someone who is so biased. It reminds me of the Ron Paul people during anti-bailout rallies a few months ago. Their heart is in the right place but anyone with some level of education beyond theirs or who has biases that can't be combated get ripped apart by the most novice people. When people speak of educating people will get us more freedom… I think the target needs to be those who are already in our camp. It's the "um"s and "uh"s that kill us when arguing. It makes us look biased and misinformed. Sure the statist is likely moreso… but they are the majority and get a free pass.
Iain

I think that all the callers where a bit too Extreme and lost to the socialist teacher to most listeners…

They got you Ian by pulling you off topic and cutting you off before you could argue anything.
http://festersden.blogspot.com severin

The response to the first callers statement that the school administration had grown too large is that it is necessary because the principal has more government bureaucracy to deal with. So the reason we cannot eliminate government bureaucracy is because we need this additional bureaucracy in order to deal with more bureaucracy, crazy.

Whenever someone mentions “privatization” and then brings up Blackwater (and let’s face it that is what he was talking about) I will generally point out that over 90% of Blackwater’s contracts are with the government, and then pose this question back to the person making the allegation: “At what point does a private company cease to truly be private when they are entirely funded through the government?” in other words if I ran a “private” company and had one client, the government and my client told me exactly what to do and to whom, am I really an independent private firm or am I actually an arm of the government?