Tag Archives: economic rights

Put People First? – Part 1: Your Results May Vary

Signs with the slogan Put People First are common in Vermont, especially in election years. The signs give one a hazy sense of advocating for the little guy struggling against some faceless corporation. Such slogans are vague and undefined and few people take the time to try to understand their exact meaning. To clarify their meaning, we must look at the issues that the organizations that post the signs stand for.

Organizations that put up these signs are often advocates of “economic read more

Money in Politics, Part 2: Who is Selling What to Whom and Why?

money in politics

Image found at http://adamfriedman.org/

As was pointed out in part 1, spending money on the spread of ideas is not a problem as long as force is not being used to promote or restrict them. On the other hand, using money to obtain some quid-pro-quo is potentially an issue, but likely not for the reason usually given. I include in this category not only spending on elections read more

Bad Ends and Immoral Means – Part 2

 Part 1

Before getting started, I need to define two terms which are often used inappropriately:

Morality is a code of values to guide man’s choices and actions, determined by the standard of that which is proper to man—in order to achieve, maintain, fulfill and enjoy his ultimate value which is his own life.

Rights are a moral principle defining and sanctioning a man’s freedom of action in a social context. In other words, what must a man be left free to do to survive as a man in society read more

Bad Ends and Immoral Means – Part 1

In January Vermont legislators, including at least one Republican, introduced a bill of “economic rights” which  includes provisions for raising the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour and compelling businesses to provide a minimum of 1 hour of paid personal time per 30 hours worked. The purported goal of the bill is to provide people with more money, thereby stimulating read more