George Bailey, the good-guy banker in Frank Capra's classic Christmas film It's a Wonderful Life, was inspired by a real-life good-guy: A.P. Giannini, the man who invented banking for the ordinary person. Giannini's life story is one of entrepreneurial legend. In the late 1800s, when banks lent only to the rich, he saw an opportunity to extend banking services to the broader … [Read more...]
Holodomor Holocaust Remembered In Four Films
Holodomor ("to kill by starvation) is what Ukrainians call the period from 1932-1933, when Stalin created a forced famine to punish the Ukraine's resistance to socialist collectivization. Estimates vary as to how many Ukrainians died, ranging from three million to twelve million. This tragedy and crime are remembered on Holomodor Remembrance Day. Here are four films to honor … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving: a Celebration of Property Rights?!
Journalist John Stossel explains how Thanksgiving would have been (and nearly was) "Starvation Day," but for a change in policy from communal planting to...private property. [4 min/ Anti-socialism, Econ 101] Reason tells the the true story of how the introduction of property rights by Governor Bradford saved the Pilgrims. [3 min/ Anti-socialism, Econ 101] The … [Read more...]
Happy Veterans Day!
Freedom isn't free. Here's a sweet short film as thanks to the armed forces, who have held at bay those who would take our freedom from us. Happy Veterans Day! … [Read more...]
The Berlin Wall: Eight Films To Honor the Dead
The infamous Berlin Wall was socialism itself: concrete and razor wire in the name of humanity, guard towers and machine guns in the name of human progress. It's ostensible purpose was to protect vulnerable East Germans from invasion, but as a practical matter it was simply a way of preventing the slave populations of the USSR from escaping to the West. By the time it … [Read more...]
Daylight Saving: Libertarian Video Shorts
Daylight saving creates chaos among the populace. [2 min] Comedian Michael McIntyre jokes about daylight saving time. [1 min] A short segment from the John Oliver show mocks daylight saving time. [3 min] The standard opening to Perry Mason is finally explained as a daylight saving error. [1 min] Harvard School of Public Health experts … [Read more...]
Four Halloween Films For Libertarians
Happy Halloween! Nothing is scarier than unrestrained government, of course, so here are four Halloween films on the subject. Enjoy! Ghostbusters (1984) This popular classic tells the story of an entrepreneurial ghost-removal service -- Ghostbusters -- that runs into opposition from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other creatures of evil. It seems that … [Read more...]
If People Spoke Like Politicians
A humorous clip from the Australian TV channel Viceland, on the double-speak of politicians. … [Read more...]
Simpsons Kang And Kodos Mock Two-Party System
In this classic clip from The Simpsons, the predatory and malevolent aliens Kang and Kodos win the Republican and Democrat nominations for president. So, given that the US has a two-party system, they are the only choices available that are likely to win. After all, as libertarians have been cautioned many times, voting for a third party would be a "wasted vote." The … [Read more...]
Margaret Thatcher: Happy Angel Birthday!
Margaret Thatcher was born on October 13th, 1925. She did more to roll back the State than just about any other politician of the last century, both at home and abroad. She is celebrated in the excellent documentary Margaret: Death of a Revolutionary. “SHUT your eyes and think of Margaret Thatcher (twin-set, hair-do, hand bag, smells nice) and Fidel Castro (combat fatigues, … [Read more...]