On November 14, 1918, Czechoslovakia became a republic.
Born on the same date 29 years later, American writer P. J. O’Rourke.
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P. J. O’Rourke
There is a heartfelt and near-universal refusal to understand the basic economic principles behind the creation of wealth.
P. J. O’Rourke, Eat the Rich: A Treatise on Economics (1998), p. 235.
“You start out not wanting to poison the outcome, and you end by poisoning your soul.” But there is a way out.
Click on over to Townhall.com, for one of the more interesting stories-behind-the-story of last week’s election upset. And then come back here, for more information and perspective:
- “Third-party voters played a key role in election results,” by Steve Benen, MSNBC, The MaddowBlog, 11/09/2016
- “Libertarian Vote Cost GOP Nine Congressional Races,” by Doug Mataconis, Outside the Beltway, November 17, 2012
- “Libertarians Nearly Cost Republicans the State Senate,” by Ari Armstrong, November 11, 2016
- “Libertarians Provided the Margin for Democrats in at Least Nine Elections,” by David Nir, Daily Kos, November 15, 2012
- “Ann Coulter: Idiots Who Vote Libertarian Will Cost the GOP the Senate,” by Caitlyn MacNeal, Talking Points Memo, September 18, 2014
- “Examining the Libertarian Vote in Depth,” by David Kirby and David Boaz, Cato Institute, December 11, 2006
- “Question 5 Fixes Flaw,” by Paul Jacob, Common Sense, October 20, 2016
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Asra Nomani
I don’t fear Donald Trump, and I don’t fear the policies he is talking about. What I fear is the extremist interpretation of Islam that is spilling blood on the streets of our world, from Orlando to Dhaka to Brussels.
Asra Nomani, CNN, November 11, 2016.
O, the Trump win was a thing to behold! Maybe you are like us here at Common Sense, and did not vote for the man. But you did not vote for Hillary Clinton, either.
So, are you to blame? Er, thank?
There were plenty of Jill Stein voters. And many more Gary Johnson voters — over four million, the largest return of any Libertarian Party candidate in the challenger party’s history.
At least one writer on the ostensible Left has argued that, had ALL of Stein voters “done their duty” and voted for Mrs. Clinton, and HALF of the Libertarian’s vote wised up and voted for the Anti-Trump possibility, Mrs. Clinton would have won. So, these folks blame minor party voters for a Clinton Loss . . . and its allegedly horrible flip side record, the surprising Trump Win.
Well, what do the Libertarians think of it?
As you can see: Not much. That is what. Here is Nicholas Sarwark, Libertarian Party chairperson, doubling down on what Gary Johnson said:
And they are right. How, exactly? Well, it is not just that Hillary/Tim voters took votes away from the Libertarians’ Gary/Bill ticket. It is also the case that, well, the responsible parties for Hillary Clinton losing are . . . Democratic Party voters!
Read the graph and weep, folks:
SO, WHY THE PRECIPITOUS DROP?
Could it be that Hillary Clinton was an awful candidate . . . even by leftist standards? And that is why so many Democrats could not even be bothered to go to the polls and vote for “their” sorry candidate?
The obvious answer is: Yes.
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Monarchy or Republic
On November 12, 1905, Norwegians established, by referendum, a monarchy — not a republic. Exactly 14 years later, to the day, Austria became a republic.
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Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk
The monopolist . . . never has unlimited control; he merely has the choice within the laws of price of different “economically possible” price levels. He can select that price at which the combination of profit for each article, and the number of articles to be sold at that price, are likely to promise the greatest total profit, but he cannot exert his “power” in any other way than in conformity with the laws of price, for it is his behavior that establishes the “price law,” namely the conditions of the amount offered at a given price level, but never can he counteract the laws of price.
Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk, “Control or Economic Law,” Zeitschrift für Volkswirtshaft, Sozialpolitik und Verwaltung, Volume XXIII (1914): 205–71; John Richard Mez, Ph.D., translator.
November 13 is World Kindness Day, which has been celebrated in various countries since 1998. It is not an official celebratory day of the U.S.A., or of the United Nations. But individuals are free to be kind this day . . . or any day, for that matter.
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The Kettering Hope
Maybe President-Elect Donald Trump can whip Washington into shape. We can hope. And help. Especially on congressional term limits.
But remember: local political fiefdoms can oppress as harshly as the Feds. So . . . who is whipping your town into shape?
Well, welcome to Kettering, Ohio.
Just months ago, Kettering’s powers-that-be placed a new charter amendment on the ballot to weaken term limits. And one citizen, Ron Alban, wasn’t amused. He and two other longtime residents formed Citizens for a Better Kettering (CBK), but not merely to fight the attack on term limits. They also petitioned five new reforms onto the city ballot.
I met this busy activist back in January, while he was working to place an ethics reform measure on the Ohio ballot — before being blocked by the state ballot board. In 2012, Ron had organized a petition drive to put a pay cut and council term limits on Kettering’s ballot. Both passed.
Ron’s CBK measures were: to protect citizen input at council meetings; to require greater transparency on city salaries; to hold elections for council vacancies; to strengthen citizens’ ability to enforce charter provisions; and banning the city council from proposing future charter amendments dealing with term limits, council pay and the citizen ballot initiative process.
On Tuesday, the anti-term limits charter amendment failed.
And all five reform amendments passed overwhelmingly.
Alban and CBK aren’t as media savvy as Mr. Trump, or as wealthy. But their incredible success is a bright beacon of hope.
Most cities in this country have a petition process whereby thoughtful, hardworking citizens can change their local world. Most of us can do what Citizens for a Better Kettering just did.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
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Eleven/Eleven/Eleven
On November 11, 1889, the State of Washington was admitted as the 42nd State of the United States.
In 1918, German officials signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car in the forest of Compiègne, France. The fighting officially ended at 11:00 a.m. — the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. The war officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919.
In 1921 on this date, U.S. President Warren G. Harding dedicated the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.