Below The Beltway

I believe in the free speech that liberals used to believe in, the economic freedom that conservatives used to believe in, and the personal freedom that America used to believe in.

Archive for October, 2009

Quote Of The Day

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, October 26th, 2009. Filed under Individual Liberty, Politics

Genuine rights – such as freedom of speech – are not commodities to be purchased; nor does their existence require the on-going application of human labor and other resources to ensure that they are adequately supplied.
Genuine rights are negative, in the sense that they demand only that each of us refrains from harassing others. [...]

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President John Adams In 1816: Christianity Is “The Most Bloody Religion That Ever Existed”

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, October 26th, 2009. Filed under History, Politics, Religion

Just yet more evidence that the “American as a Christian nation” myth is, in fact, a myth:
I do declare that I can write Greek better than you do, though I cannot say, so well as you can if you will. I can make nothing but pothooks and trammels of the frontispiece of your amiable letter [...]

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The Post Where I Claim Partial Victory In My 2009 Baseball Predictions

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, October 26th, 2009. Filed under Baseball, New York Yankees, Sports

Back in April, I made this prediction:
World Series: Yankees v. Phillies
Of course, while getting that right, I ended up being wrong about the order of finish in the AL East, who would actually win the AL Central, the winner of the AL Wild Card, the order of finish in the NL East, who would actually [...]

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Libertarian Party Founder: Sarah Palin Is A Populist Shill, Glenn Beck Is A Wanna-Be

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, October 26th, 2009. Filed under Glenn Beck, Libertarians, Political Parties, Politicos & Pundits, Politics, Sarah Palin

David Nolan explains why neither Sarah Palin nor Glenn Beck are friends of liberty:

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Peter Schiff Issues A Red Alert About The Dollar

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, October 26th, 2009. Filed under Credit Crisis, Economics, Peter Schiff, Politicos & Pundits, Politics

Given the fact that Peter Schiff was one of the few analysts out there who was the 2008 economic crisis coming two years ahead of time, this is well worth listening to:

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Florida Judge Orders Runaway Muslim Teen Convert Returned To Ohio

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, October 26th, 2009. Filed under In The News, Islam, Religion

Back in August, an Ohio teenager named Rifqa Bary ran away form her Columbus, Ohio area home claiming that she feared for her life because she believed her Muslim family would kill her for converting to Christianity. Within a month, it became clear, though, that there was little evidence supporting her alleged fears, and [...]

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Newt Gingrich Hints At 2012 Presidential Run

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, October 26th, 2009. Filed under 2012 Election, Elections, Newt Gingrich, Political Parties, Politicos & Pundits, Politics, Republicans

Once again, Newt Gingrich is hinting at a run for the Republican nomination for President:
Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker and perennial big thinker in the Republican party, said this morning that he will likely run for president in 2012 if he and his wife, Callista, assess the field of candidates in 2011 and feel [...]

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Yankees Beat Angels, Win 40th American League Pennant

by Doug Mataconis @ Monday, October 26th, 2009. Filed under Baseball, New York Yankees, Sports

For the 40th time since 1903, the New York Yankees are headed to the World Series:
After a six-year wait, Derek Jeter and the Yankees are back in the World Series, vanquishing the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday night, 5-2, to win the American League Championship Series, four games to two.
It is the 40th pennant for [...]

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