The Eastern New Mexico News - Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Recently, I read a rant describing libertarianism in unlibertarian ways. This is normal. I’ve never seen a criticism of libertarianism that hit the mark. The point is usually that libertarians are...

Who would be desperate enough to eat a cake baked by someone who doesn’t want to bake it? Would you want a wedding cake someone was forced to bake — at gunpoint? Even if the gun is hidden at...

Politics might be an amusing hobby, but it is a horrible basis for a society. One should never confuse government with society. Society grows naturally from the voluntary interactions of people,...

There is one thing government could do that I will support. One thing I believe it needs to spend more time doing. It’s the one thing government can do best, the one thing government can do that... Full story

Droughts are a serious problem. They cause wildfires, dirt storms, crop failure, and they deplete the aquifer. Droughts are harmful and dangerous. Someone should do something! Why aren’t droughts...

President Trump has decided to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran Nuclear Agreement, and his critics are enjoying their opportunity to show concern. You can d...

How can anyone watch every form of government fail, over 5,000-plus years of history, and still have faith it can work if done right; if the right constitution is enacted; if the right people are...

How can anyone ever be disappointed in a president? It shows unrealistic expectations. Don’t people realize that getting to the top of the political heap takes a certain kind of person, and it’s...

Why have there been no libertarian countries? It’s a popular question from those skeptical of libertarianism. On the face of it, it seems a reasonable question. Until you understand what they’re...

Is Syria worth dying over? No. It would be a tragedy for you to die — or to kill — over Syria, North Korea, Russia, or any other country the U.S. government is trying to goad into war. Americans d... Full story

It’s a wonderful thing when someone decides to help the community. I might even join them if their efforts align with my values. I’m somewhat less thrilled when someone mistakes running for...

The middle of April is approaching fast; the time of the year when I hear a lot about taxes. Mention of taxes brings Robin Hood to my mind. I don’t think of him with the more recent spin that has...

Neglecting to understand which things are your business, and which are not, causes many problems. People spend too much time with their noses in places where they don’t belong while ignoring things...

How much do you respect self-destructive people? Do you honor those who engage in self-harm such as “cutting?” Do you celebrate those who burn up their mind and body by abusing drugs and alcohol?...

There are three topics which come up frequently in libertarian writings: guns, drugs, and national borders. The reason is those three areas are where the people of America seem willing to let...

How much is enough? When it turns out stronger anti-drug laws don’t prevent addiction or tragedies, how much are you willing to expand prohibition? How far are you willing to have armed government...

It’s time to take a hard look at America’s gun laws. In fact, it’s over a century past due. How many more innocent lives will be snuffed out before people demand change? Before they demand...

A defining trait of libertarians is our opposition to all slavery; we are abolitionists. Libertarians were among the loudest of the 19th Century’s voices against the enslavement of people of...

Space exploration thrills me. I’ve followed Apollo moon landings, Skylab, various Martian landers and rovers, Space Shuttle launches, and every other manned or robotic mission I could watch. So I go...

Laws can’t solve anything, and often destroy things that worked. Sometimes this is due to the unintended consequences of trying to stop something that might actually be harmful, but more often it...

I am not libertarian because I expect to get anything from it. Well, that’s not completely true. I should say I am not libertarian because I expect to get anything from you because of it. I don’t...

Like most people, I enjoy fiction; books, movies, and television programs. Fiction can be entertaining, educational, and inspiring as long as you don’t confuse it with reality. As a child I loved...

A great many people are upset because President Trump is claimed to have observed that many places around the world are, shall we say, “less than ideal.” Of course, being Donald Trump, he is claim...

When Ronald Reagan began his first successful run for president, I wasn’t quite old enough to vote. I liked what he said and I put a Reagan campaign sticker on my car. During his first term, I felt...

After almost a year of President Trump, half the country is in an absolute uproar over the ruination of America being caused by the man. Exactly like the other half of the country gnashed its teeth fo...