What is “What is Liberalism?”

(written by lawrence krubner, however indented passages are often quotes). You can contact lawrence at: lawrence@krubner.com, or follow me on Twitter.

[Originally published on a weblog called “What Is Liberalism?”]

Written by Phillip Honenberger

Lawrence and I met face to face a few days ago. In an age where electro-communications are often most convenient, it is still refreshing to meet a person in person.

I wonder exactly how much of politics still has to do with bodies: the actions of bodies, the positioning of bodies, and so on.

It leads me to wonder further about the ontological status of the web-log. I spend most of my intellectual resources “off-line,” as it were. The blog is a rare after-thought. Of course I’m ashamed of it. Especially when Lawrence is (a) already extremely busy with his other projects (such as developing software for community media organizations (cf. Monkey Claus at http://www.monkeyclaus.org/) and (b) so already-aware of the relevant information, facts, texts and recently-blogged interpretations that I have hardly a chance of keeping up. Combine this with (c) his impressive appropriation of Hayek and it’s no wonder I tend to resign completely.

Lawrence, there is only one option left. You’re going to have to stop raising the bar so high that I can’t keep up. At least let a few typos ride once in a while, or something!

Laura is now added to the site! She’s just as super-human as Lawrence! She does things like develop lay-outs for (actually published) books about African Art! Given that I keep such good company, it is a mystery why I am still something of an ***hole.

Re: Cory Maye, I find this case especially significant. The man is a clearly innocent victim in a situation where the innocence of the victims is so readily challenged. This is about racism, certainly, but it is also about the situation of the American black urban ghetto and the organized crime that has arisen as a reaction to poverty, racism, and the war on drugs.

A glance at the homocide rate in the U.S. over the course of the 20th century is revealing on this issue. According to the data I saw, the rate of homocides per capita skyrocketed during two periods– during prohibition and since the initiation of the war on drugs.

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