I've been looking around for a British politician that shares the same\similar views as Ron Paul. So far no luck.
Anyone know any?
None to my knowledge. There's a few who are quite good on "civil liberties", such as Norman Baker, but no-one with a hardcore liberty platform. Even the Libertarian Party in the UK, yes it does actually exist, is a horribly wet organisation. The most well known voice for liberty in the UK is Sean Gabb, the Director, I think, of the Libertarian Alliance. Fortunately he knows Austrian economics so kind of understands the present situation though I'm not sure where he stands on 100% reserves. We need a standard bearer fo AE in the Uk or in the immortal words of Frazer in Dad's Army, "We're all doomed".
The atoms tell the atoms so, for I never was or will but atoms forevermore be.
Yours sincerely,
Physiocrat
The Libertarian Party in the U.K. is appaling, it's best to be avoided.
The British are far too keen on government for a Ron Paul type to succeed, I can't wait to get out of this hellhole.
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows"
Bob Dylan
GilesStratton:The British are far too keen on government for a Ron Paul type to succeed, I can't wait to get out of this hellhole.
Where do you intend to go? I've been thinking of alternatives to Europe as well, but it's either tyranny or poor living conditions. Rural Montana, maybe, but I'm not that good a farmer.
There is a lot more capitalism in Asia than there is in Montana. I'm thinking Asia or Africa.
Sphairon: GilesStratton:The British are far too keen on government for a Ron Paul type to succeed, I can't wait to get out of this hellhole. Where do you intend to go? I've been thinking of alternatives to Europe as well, but it's either tyranny or poor living conditions. Rural Montana, maybe, but I'm not that good a farmer.
Well, I don't live in the U.K. just study here. But as for leaving Europe, not likely. Despite all it's flaws, I'm a big fan of Europe, at least where I've lived (with the exception of the U.K.).
Become a cattle rancher.
I'm sorry to say it, but if the libertarian revolution doesn't happen in the States I don't think it'll happen anywhere. I'm in Ireland and we've been the first ccountry in the European Monetary Union to start to nationalise the banks. Its looking really bad here. Socialism has completely won the hearts of the people and I'm convinced its not going to be stopped. The only positive note is that nobody trusts the politicians.
As far as I know there may be less than five Austrians in all of Ireland, all of whom are my friends. The United States is our only hope. Otherwise, I'm moving to the increasingly less regulated China.
http://irishliberty.wordpress.com/
I'm doing my best to spread the good word though! Its all about the division of labour.
Retrolives:As far as I know there may be less than five Austrians in all of Ireland, all of whom are my friends.
You need to hook up with the Irish anti-EU forces. Those are substantial. Expand your tent and recruit.
GilesStratton: The Libertarian Party in the U.K. is appaling, it's best to be avoided. The British are far too keen on government for a Ron Paul type to succeed, I can't wait to get out of this hellhole.
And there was thinking you were a redneck in the South!
I have to concur about our libertarian party, and the libertarian alliance etc.
Although when it comes to political liberties we have a number of allies on the left who for some reason think that we can have political freedom without economic freedom...
The difference between libertarianism and socialism is that libertarians will tolerate the existence of a socialist community, but socialists can't tolerate a libertarian community.
its pretty depressing there's not one strong figure speaking out for free markets. Every major party has supported bailouts in some form or another :(
Sigh, I go to college of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, there are Marxists a plenty here. Its enough to make one loose all faith in humanity.
Abstract liberty, like other mere abstractions, is not to be found.
- Edmund Burke
Found one. He's fairly close-ish. And I'd say, by far the closet? Anyway, he's done MASSIVE work against the Lisbon Treaty.
Nigel Farage
British politician, and leader of the eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence Party. He is also a member of the European Parliament for South East England. He co-chairs the European Parliament's Eurosceptic Independence and Democracy group.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=farage
Conza88: Nigel Farage British politician, and leader of the eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence Party. He is also a member of the European Parliament for South East England. He co-chairs the European Parliament's Eurosceptic Independence and Democracy group.
Seconded.
Lol that guy gave a big 'fuck you' to the Prince. That is awesome.
Conza88: Found one. He's fairly close-ish. And I'd say, by far the closet? Anyway, he's done MASSIVE work against the Lisbon Treaty. Nigel Farage British politician, and leader of the eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence Party. He is also a member of the European Parliament for South East England. He co-chairs the European Parliament's Eurosceptic Independence and Democracy group. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=farage
I used to be a UKIP member and they're useless. They're united in one thing only- leaving the EU. It's a melting pot of old school nationalist socialists, lots of disaffected conservatives and a few libertarians. Further Nigel Farage is an ego monkey who's gone native know he's an MEP. He's a great debater and says some bang on things put he doesn't himself practice it.
On the plus side he does smoke a pipe.
Physiocrat: On the plus side he does smoke a pipe.
I'm sold. I wish our leaders in the US were fellow pipe smokers.
EDIT: Idk a whole lot about political parties in the UK, but from what I do know if I had to choose one it would probably be the UKIP. That or the Scottish Independence Party just for the fact that Sean Connery and William Wallace would want it that way.
Britain is a mess. The incoming ID-cards-for-all idea is just mad. That'll be the final step towards completing the police state. Already they've got council staff using CCTV to perv into woman's bedrooms... Numerous local councils admitting to use anti-terrorist legislation to snoop on residents who do not recycle properly... Plans to force mobile phone buyers to supply passports at the point of sale... The list goes on.
Socialism is so ingrained here; inefficient bureaucracy is their way of life. It's sickening.
It's a pity there isn't a viable libertarian figure to look to in this country. Instead people are turning to the fascistic whites-only British National Party for something different. When you combine that with the bizarre asylum policies that lead to known terrorists finding haven in Britain, you have to wonder where this country is headed.
Lucky for me, I'm due back home to the 3rd freest economy in the world in June. I think I'll leave my copy of 'The Road to Serfdom' on the tube on my way out.
Bad news: you have to be the Ron Paul of Britain.
Failing that you can always try to convince a tiny community into becoming a free microstate, or buy up some remote land and declare it independent.
The fallacies of intellectual communism, a compilation - On the nature of power
a platonic charisma: Britain is a mess. The incoming ID-cards-for-all idea is just mad. That'll be the final step towards completing the police state. Already they've got council staff using CCTV to perv into woman's bedrooms... Numerous local councils admitting to use anti-terrorist legislation to snoop on residents who do not recycle properly... Plans to force mobile phone buyers to supply passports at the point of sale... The list goes on. Socialism is so ingrained here; inefficient bureaucracy is their way of life. It's sickening. It's a pity there isn't a viable libertarian figure to look to in this country. Instead people are turning to the fascistic whites-only British National Party for something different. When you combine that with the bizarre asylum policies that lead to known terrorists finding haven in Britain, you have to wonder where this country is headed. Lucky for me, I'm due back home to the 3rd freest economy in the world in June. I think I'll leave my copy of 'The Road to Serfdom' on the tube on my way out.
Ha, I stayed there for a couple months, and I have to say that NZ is a nice place (to bad so many things are socialized).
Luis Buenaventura:Ha, I stayed there for a couple months, and I have to say that NZ is a nice place (to bad so many things are socialized).
Indeed, NZ is a very nice place. I was there for a few years. But they are socialists just like Canadians are socialists. The advantage in a place as small as NZ though, is that it is tiny enough for agorism to have some effect, and for people to avoid the massive urban police state experiments of Europe and North America.
And if you're a minarchist, infinitely easier to become involved and relevant in local politics.
Thedesolateone: And there was thinking you were a redneck in the South!
As a proud redneck and Southerner, I resent that if meant in bad taste!
In all seriousness, liberty seems to be fairly non-existant in Europe, all but the most tiny countries (Liechtenstien, Switzerland, Monaco, etc). Say what you will about the US's evil foreign policy and general statism, but most Americans have liberty in their blood. If Obama announced convescation of firearms, he would have a revolution on his hands. In Europe they quietly handed them over (Ireland in the 70s, UK in the 90s), much to my dismay.
sicsempertyrannis: Thedesolateone: And there was thinking you were a redneck in the South! As a proud redneck and Southerner, I resent that if meant in bad taste!
Haha
Well, I do have to say that I love the idea of southerners, as expressed in films, literature etc, but some of them do come across as intolerant, ignorant, traditionalists.
But it was a joke :)
You're right though - most people here don't care so much about liberty. Indeed most everyone I know is a "social democrat"
Maybe close on national sovereignty, but I just Youtube'd him, and watched the first video of his that came up, in which he began criticising the European Central Bank for not lowering interest rates like all the other central banks of the world. Erm...
"Anticapitalist theories share in common an inability to take human nature as it is. Rather than analyzing man as a complex creature, anticapitalist theories tend to focus on what the theorist wishes man to be." - Isaac Morehouse
Freiheit: Maybe close on national sovereignty, but I just Youtube'd him, and watched the first video of his that came up, in which he began criticising the European Central Bank for not lowering interest rates like all the other central banks of the world. Erm...
Ermm.... hence the "ish" look we're talking UK here, the fact that he is the "best" says a lot, alright?
For the country which was at the forefront of the liberal revolution, it is a sad shadow of the place it used to be. People just blindly accept the ID cards, the smoking ban, the endless fake charities used to produce recommendations to government, the end of freedom of speech .. the literal march to a police state.
If ever there was a vivid illustration of Hoppe's theory that democracy leads to socialism, the state that occupies part of the British Isles is it. It's a depressing place to live in.
Base model cars of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but quarter-mile races.
FreedomIsYellow: For the country which was at the forefront of the liberal revolution, it is a sad shadow of the place it used to be. People just blindly accept the ID cards, the smoking ban, the endless fake charities used to produce recommendations to government, the end of freedom of speech .. the literal march to a police state. If ever there was a vivid illustration of Hoppe's theory that democracy leads to socialism, the state that occupies part of the British Isles is it. It's a depressing place to live in.
Funny that every time I argue that democracy cannot work, people bring up Margaret Thatcher as a counterexample. Much good she did.
No doubt that Thatcher was good economically (though she didn't do anything about hard currency). She helped reverse some of the horrendous damage of previous Labour governments. She also gave the country a shove towards the police state, however.
FreedomIsYellow:No doubt that Thatcher was good economically (though she didn't do anything about hard currency). She helped reverse some of the horrendous damage of previous Labour governments. She also gave the country a shove towards the police state, however.
The classic difference between the rhetoric of conservatives and their actual actions. In fact, Thatcher once stated "This is what I believe in" in respect to F.A. Hayek's The Constitution of Liberty.
sicsempertyrannis: but most Americans have liberty in their blood.
No they don't, perhaps they have what Big Brother might call "liberty" in their bloods but that's about it, in terms of action they're no different to Europeans.
As for Switzerland, the Swiss are far more liberty orientated than anybody else I've seen. Also, Americans adore the state and politics in way that nobody can imagine in Europe. You'd never see an Obama like character anywehre in Europe.
GilesStratton:You'd never see an Obama like character anywehre in Europe.
I watched a video of the french mass protesting for their saviour Sarkosy to do more to save the economy.
People are idiots everywhere, but yeah, many Americans are obsessed with the Founding Father mythology. I had some guy tell me the other day that Franklin fought the British and Lincoln was a Founding Father. The guys who get fanatical about Colonial Scrip are too much too.
GilesStratton: You'd never see an Obama like character anywehre in Europe.
You'd never see an Obama like character anywehre in Europe.
How about Princess Tony aka Anthony (Tony) Charles Linton Blair.
I expect the BNP and UKIP will become a lot more popular over the next few years with the recession/depression. I asked on another forum for Ron Paul of the UK and people said the UKIP and BNP were those yet there views are very contradictory.
Isle of man, no corporate taxes, low income tax, no speed limit. "Freedom to flourish"
Physiocrat:How about Princess Tony aka Anthony (Tony) Charles Linton Blair.
What about him? Nobody expected him to cure AIDS, cancer and poverty in a year as people do with Obama.
Marko: There is Obamamania in Europe too.
Unfortunately yes, but that sort of thing doesn't happen in Europe, Obamamania started in the U.S.A.