Ancapistan Being Libertarian So, given that Pandora's black and yellow box has been subtly opened by Lauren Southern on her Facebook page, and has been unleashed through Stefan Molyneux, one can deduct that those in the mainstream libertarian and political culture are being ... |
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Ancapistan - Being Libertarian
I had the pleasure of hosting British financier James Arnold at our presidential Inauguration. Mr. Arnold, a keen observer of American politics, has been rightly concerned for the last several years about the chill in our two nation's Special Relationship.
After enjoying the inauguration and our nation's peaceful transfer of power, we attempted to make our way to a parade viewing party on Pennsylvania Avenue. What should have been a painless trip across town quickly became a prime example of how unhinged the far left has become. Along the way we witnessed smashed cars, broken windows, a fire, and were called names and threatened simply because of how we were dressed; so much for tolerance and acceptance.
After arriving at the parade, we had the pleasure of running into former Massachusetts Republican Governor William Weld. Governor Weld, much like current Governor Charlie Baker, was extremely effective and amazingly popular in deep blue Massachusetts. However, Governor Weld is best know today as the well-informed half of the Johnson-Weld presidential ticket. He was the one who actually knew what Aleppo was.
In our conversation, Governor Weld brought up a fascinating point, a point that has been largely overlooked in the reams of post election analysis. Governor Weld said that Johnson-Weld internal polling showed that 75 percent of their voters would have voted for Donald Trump had they not been in the race. The Libertarian ticket received nearly 4.5 million total votes in the election. It makes logical sense that three fourths of these voters, drawn to a ticket of former, successful two-term Republican Governors, would be more attracted to limited government advocates promising change from the last eight years. In addition, they saw absolutely no appetite amongst their limited government voters to support the Clinton-Kaine ticket.
In short, if the Johnson-Weld ticket had not run, Donald Trump would have won the popular vote. Given the Green Party's anemic showing and its great reluctance to support Hillary Clinton under any circumstance, it is very likely Donald Trump would have still won the popular vote even if the Green Party failed to field a candidate. In addition, Mr. Trump would have rolled up an even larger Electoral College margin, as the additional votes would have likely flipped New Hampshire, Maine, and Minnesota to his column.
No one can describe Governor Weld as an apologist for Mr. Trump. Just as no one can question Weld's political acumen and integrity. Mr. Arnold and I walked away impressed that the good governor had made an extremely strong case for his argument and that we had just been told an unreported gem from the 2016 election.
These will be difficult facts to grapple with for people whose solution to losing an election is to riot and to attempt to intimidate. Given the events of the last couple weeks, I suspect there will be more ridiculous hats, vulgar signs, and vandalism. Undoubtedly, swing voters and Blue Collar Democrats (Joe Biden Democrats) who gave President Trump their vote this election were disgusted by the far left's childish tantrum. If this continues, it is likely that an even larger cross-section of American voters will be willing to put the Democratic Party in another four-year "timeout" come 2020.
Tom Ross is a former chairman of the Delaware State Republican Party.
If you would like to write an op-ed for the Washington Examiner, please read our guidelines on submissions.
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Libertarian ticket cost Trump the popular vote - Washington Examiner
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Free the Cuban Libertarian Activists! - The Libertarian Republic
The Peoples Bank of China has decided to wait two to three years before regulating bitcoin following their meeting with major bitcoin exchanges within the country.
After a widely-reported meeting of which the contents remained mostly a mystery the Peoples Bank of China met with BTCC (Bitcoin China), OkCoin, and Huobi. The main takeaway from this meeting was that the PBOC urged the three bitcoin exchanges to undergoand maintain self-examination in terms of monitoring bitcoin price changes.
Money laundering was the only topic mentioned publicly before the meeting took place. Bloomberg reports that regulators were concerned about money laundering and how widelybitcoin is being used as a safeguardagainst the depreciating Yuan.
The potential of bitcoin regulation in two to three years by the PBOC could have a devastating impact on the values of bitcoin, as a large portion of bitcoin is mined in China. Bitcoin has miraculously evaded government regulation by any country around the globe thus far.
According to Bloomberg, BTTC has also halted the withdrawal of bitcoin for 72 hours by way of a necessary review period, while OkCoin and Huobi suspended them both completely for 72 hours.
In reaction to the news of regulatory talks and withdrawal suspensions, bitcoin price fell 7%.
Smaller bitcoin trading outlets in China have all imposed trading fees as a result of the meeting, according to CoinDesk.BTC Trade, BTC100,CHBTC, Dahonghuo,Yuanbao and BitBaysall took part in this implementation. Yuanbao and BitBays both cited regulatory concerns when justifying the trading fees, while BTC Trade stated that it did so in order to curb speculation [and] to prevent price speculation.
Not only does government announcement of likely future regulation hurt business in general, but closed-door meetings and public discussion of the possibility of regulations taking place has been particularly devastating for the price of bitcoin.
Photo Credit: ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images
This post was written by Nicholas Amato.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.
Nicholas Amato is the News Editor at Being Libertarian. Hes an undergraduate student at San Jose State University, majoring in political science and minoring in journalism.
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BTCC Chief: 2-3 Years Before China Regulates Bitcoin - Being Libertarian
A third day of Medicaid hearings that drew crowds to the Legislature this week saw opponents of expanding the program warn of potential harm to state finances and citizens health care choices.
A senior fellow from the Washington, D.C.-based Cato Institute, the vice president of the Kansas Policy Institute and the head of Kansas health department were among those who cautioned against seeing Medicaid expansion as a panacea for health care problems or said growing the program in other states had led to negative, often unanticipated effects.
Weve heard testimony that Medicaid expansion would be budget neutral, said health secretary Susan Mosier. Theres no cost-benefit to the state. In fact, theres additional cost.
KDHE health secretary Susan Mosier speaks Thursday.
She and five others who addressed the panel faced questions from lawmakers who sounded skeptical, seeking details about or openly challenging the sources and methodology of the studies and figures they cited.
Kansas is one of 19 states that havent expanded Medicaid coverage. Expansion was one of the tools included in the Affordable Care Act. The bill before the House health committee would offer Medicaid to more low-income Kansans.
Opponents and proponents are unable to agree on fundamental implications of the program, from what it would cost to whether it would benefit the economy, improve health care and shore up financially struggling hospitals.
Gov. Sam Brownback says the plan would be bad for Kansas with a price tag of more than $100 million over the next two years alone, among other disadvantages.
Proponents, meanwhile, tout a variety of savings and question the states calculations. At least one lawmaker, Susan Concannon, R-Beloit, sought further clarification of the states cost estimates and whether it had accurately factored in anticipated savings to the state. Health department officials said they would send lawmakers detailed figures.
The Kansas Hospital Association is raising similar concerns, saying assumptions the state published for the bill appear to lead to a conclusion of about $78.5 million for two years instead of about $111 million. Additionally, the association believes increased revenue from HMOs in conjunction with expansion would lead to an overall state savings.
Proponents testified Wednesday, with a few hundred turning out for a rally and hearing and the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas advocacy group providing lawmakers binders full of supportive statements from physicians, residents, cities and chambers of commerce across the state.
Thursdays opposition testimony included warnings that Kansas could end up with far more people on Medicaid than expected including people who are already eligible for Medicaid but arent enrolled.
It tends to be that as you expand the program, said Michael Tanner, of the free-market think tank Cato, because of the outreach thats going on with the expansion, as well as the associated publicity of it, that these people who are eligible but not enrolled today, enroll.
Michael Tanner, of think tank Cato, speaks Thursday.
Gregg Pfister, of the Florida-based Foundation for Government Accountability, said the expansion would extend coverage to able-bodied adults for whom there is an easy solution jobs.
This is not assistance for someones elderly grandmother whos struggling to live. This money doesnt go toward the developmentally or physically disabled, he said. These adults dont have disabilities. Most of them are without children and dont work a full-time, year-round job.
Greg Pfister, of Foundation for Government Accountability, speaks Thursday.
Opponents of expanding Medicaid also questioned the stability of federal aid for Medicaid expansion and noted the uncertain future of the ACA, which President Donald Trump has indicated he will do away with.
Theres no reason to expect that the federal government will continue to keep its funding promise in perpetuity, said Melissa Fausz, a Virginia-based policy analyst for Americans for Prosperity. Theres plenty of precedent for the federal government failing to live up to the funding promises made to the state.
Melissa Fausz, of Americans for Prosperity, speaks Thursday.
Fausz admonished against seeing money from D.C. as simply tax dollars that rightfully belong to Kansas, calling it instead federal deficit spending.
Opponents have also expressed concern that Medicaid expansion would lead to worse health care access for people with disabilities, who would find themselves vying for services amid an influx of new enrollees.
Brownback warned this week that expansion moves able-bodied adults to the front of the line, ahead of truly vulnerable Kansans.
Mike Oxford, executive director of policy at Topeka Independent Living, rejected that assessment and cautioned against labeling people with disabilities as vulnerable.
I just dont see the issue affecting access to services or the amount of services, he said, arguing that those problems already exist and stem from other factors.
The Disability Rights Center of Kansas also supports Medicaid expansion. It argues that many Kansans with disabilities are uninsured and currently ineligible for Medicaid. It also says personal care attendants could gain coverage, making it easier to recruit employees to a workforce with a shortage.
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Libertarian think tanks, Kansas health secretary testify against expanding Medicaid - Topeka Capital Journal