A Stitch in Haste

If religious bigots really want to invoke libertarian arguments to legitimize their bigotry, then they better be prepared to be judged by real libertarians about the entire spectrum of libertarian issues.

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The Times' "Ethicist" channels George Costanza.

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A Stitch in Haste recommends the following report from the Congressional Research Service:
Federal Civil Rights Statutes: A Primer
Summary:
Under federal law, an array of civil rights statutes are available to protect individuals from discrimination. This report provides a brief summary of selected federal civil rights statutes, including the Civil Rights Act, the Equal Pay Act, the [...]

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While I was not surprised to learn that the online dating site eHarmony would eventually be compelled to cease its policy of not accepting gays as clients, I was surprised to learn that the compulsion would come from New Jersey:
Under terms of the settlement between Eric McKinley, a gay match-seeker from New Jersey, and eHarmony, [...]

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Interesting:
A state appeals court ruled Wednesday that a western Pennsylvania township violated constitutional protections in forcing a sexually oriented business to close on minor holidays such as Flag Day.
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The video and book store, Adultland XXX, faced the prospect of being shut down for a year because it conducted sales on Flag Day 2006. It previously [...]

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To review: There was a flash in the blogospheric pan a few months ago over a controversial book called Nudge, the authors of which (a law professor and an economics professor, both of some renown) insisted that "libertarian paternalism" is not an axiomatic oxymoron. I, along with almost every other libertarian commentator, was skeptical.
Through sheer [...]

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Anyone still pretending that China's authoritarians are committed to free-market principles?
Companies in two Chinese provinces, Shandong and Hubei, have been told they must seek official consent if they want to lay off more than 40 people. The order highlights the Chinese authorities' concern over mounting job losses.
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The Chinese authorities are keen to avoid social instability, [...]

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Another oblivious contribution from the increasingly silly New York Times "Ethicist" column. The question put to him:
I own a busy cafe-delicatessen with 25 employees. All the workers except two enjoy listening to background music from the radio while they work, as do I; those two say it irritates them, gives them headaches and makes it [...]

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Barney Frank calls for making Wall Street bonuses illegal:
"There should be a moratorium on bonuses," Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat, told reporters yesterday in Washington. "They have a negative incentive effect because they are the ones that say if you take a risk and it pays off you get a big bonus," and if it causes [...]

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Anyone remember Benny Stulwicz?
Benny was the affable, mildly retarded mailroom clerk in everyone's favorite dysfunctional law firm, McKenzie Brackman. Although Benny, brilliantly played by Larry Drake, was a secondary character, his disability was a productive font of story lines across many seasons of L.A. Law.
In one episode, Benny arrives at work wearing a turban. When [...]

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