The Hope of Affordable Housing – A Modern Fairy Tale

The Hope of Affordable Housing – A Modern Fairy Tale

A Modern Fairy Tale

“I’ve got good news and bad news,” says the politician behind the podium – live on tv – sweat dripping from his brow…

“Here’s the bad news – ”

A moment of gravity descends the Nation as they await the words that follow…

“The value of your houses are going to fall – dramatically. Maybe by 50, 60 per cent – Maybe less, maybe more – I can’t exactly say by how much, but they’re going to fall, and they are going to fall badly. …

Read More »

We Shouldn’t Even Need a Basic Income to Meet Everyones Needs!

We Shouldn’t Even Need a Basic Income to Meet Everyones Needs!

Over the past couple of years the popularity of the proposal for a basic income, paid to everyone in the country regardless of their income and occupation (or lack of one) has become increasingly popular. For people on lower incomes it would be in the form of a “negative income tax”; for people on higher incomes it would take the form of a tax deduction; and for people in between they would get a graded combination of both.

It’s easy to see the appeal.

It would make sure that …

Read More »

The Collapse of Venezuela

The Collapse of Venezuela

The collapse of socialism in Venezuela is significant although I doubt it will change the hearts and minds of the left here at home as we are subjected to the usual litany of excuses: “western imperialism,” “oil prices,” “trade sanctions,” and most predictably: “That wasn’t real socialism…”

Whenever and wherever socialism invariably collapses, bad governments are blamed, bad politicians, or nasty dictators…

Hugo Chavez was different. He was not a savage dictator. He really believed in socialism and tried to do everything within his power for his people.

He still …

Read More »

Why Scottish Libertarians Matter

Why Scottish Libertarians Matter

Ain’t it great to have a choice?

So who will it be at the ballot box this year? One of the big-government liberals on the left, or one of the big-government conservatives on the right? The liberals want to be your mammy. The Conservatives what to be your daddy. Is there anyone who wants to treat you like an adult?

Enter The Scottish Libertarian Party who will be standing 4 candidates in The Scottish Elections this year.

We are against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and adventurism …

Read More »

Why Mechanisation Does Not Cause Unemployment…

Why Mechanisation Does Not Cause Unemployment…

While nominally the adoption of machines can result in job losses; across the economy itself mechanisation does not cause unemployment but in fact frees people up to do more productive work and provides a breadth of benefits that improve the living standards of everyone.

Mechanisation has often been misconstrued to provoke unemployment but this is a fallacy that has been slain time and time again by economists. If it were true, then surely by this point in technical advancement there would hardly be a job left …

Read More »

A Humble Foreign Policy Does Not Mean Military Weakness

A Humble Foreign Policy Does Not Mean Military Weakness

Ministry of Defence has been synonymous with Ministry of War in recent decades, but the reality is that elevating the capacity to wage war abroad does not provide security at home.

It is a military fact that you don’t need parity in weapons with an aggressor to repel an invasion. Just look at the fiscal nightmare our excursions in Iraq and Afghanistan have wrought upon us by far poorer nations with far poorer military capacities than our own.

Security is the ability of a nation to defend …

Read More »

More Government Spending Will Not Create Jobs

More Government Spending Will Not Create Jobs

From time to time, a politician or activist will get up and attest that some great project of national spending (such as a full repair job on our countries infrastructure) will drag us out of recession, and solve all our economic woes by “creating jobs.” Promptly he or she will be heralded as a champion of the people, talking sense against an establishment that just won’t seem to listen.

Suppose the country’s poor infrastructure is really ailing; no right-minded person would object to it being restored, but …

Read More »

Capitalism Yes! Conservatism NO!

Capitalism Yes! Conservatism NO!

Free Markets have taken on a bad rap in Scotland where capitalism is about as popular as a beef burger at vegan potluck, but that is only because our public perception of capitalism has largely been handed to us by the Tories – a corporatist party who have never in our lifetimes made the moral or utilitarian case for capitalism.

The fact is The Conservatives have never really been for free markets. Even The Thatcher Administration massively increased the size of the state, particularly when it …

Read More »

Living Wage : The Road to Hell… is paved with good intentions.

Living Wage : The Road to Hell… is paved with good intentions.

Why The Scottish Libertarian Party are not endorsing The Living Wage

Often people are incredulous as to why anyone would oppose the living wage. It seems to make sense, right? A fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay?

Why would The Scottish Libertarian Party choose not to endorse this law? Why would any Libertarian – someone who believes in personal freedom – oppose that?

Actually there are some fairly nuanced and well considered reasons for opposing the living wage that may surprise you – here are five …

Read More »

5 Reasons to vote Libertarian in the Leith Walk by-election

5 Reasons to vote Libertarian in the Leith Walk by-election

5 Reasons to vote Libertarian in the Leith by-election

By Antony Sammeroff

 

Reduce government waste

Government programs are notoriously wasteful, but currently our nation is divided between left wingers who want absolutely no cuts to government spending, and conservatives who want to abruptly pull the rug out from underneath the most vulnerable people in our society rather than targeting corporate welfare, immoral wars, wasteful military spending, and big government bureaucracy. The Libertarian Party will work to oppose wasteful spending and reduce the tax burden on regular individuals …

Read More »