Who Has Good Civil Liberties and Constitutional Law Programs?

[Hank Rearden]

More mysterious than how many people admire Rand's philosophy is how horrified some people are (like Andrew) of her even being mentioned.  There is something about her ideas that they fear.  I'm with Lindbergh--what's wrong about valuing human creativity and the individual spirit?  That's what the thrust of her philosophy is all about.  It has just never seemed that controversial to me. 

I'm all for creativity and the individual spirit.  That's not my problem with her at all.

What is your problem with her then?  You've never made it clear.  You just take pot shots whenever you get a chance. 

[thedudebro]

What is your problem with her then?  You've never made it clear.  You just take pot shots whenever you get a chance. 

Assuming a zero sum game, for starters.

explain. using cool economic terms doesn't mean *&^% unless you can explain why you believe as you do.

[thedudebro]

I'm interested in Civil Liberties and Constitutional Law (so basically I'm in love with the Bill of Rights).  Does anyone know of any schools that have a special focus in this area?  And does it really matter which school you go to if you have a particular style of law in mind? 

hippy bleeding heart liberal. the bill of rights was designed by the mob of lesser humans in order to keep the strong and powerful aristocratic few from enjoying their manifest destiny, and will one day be destroyed through the actions of heroes.

You're confused.

The BOR was designed as a check on the tyranny of the majority, and implicitly protects the superior individual from the masses.

You may, however, have a beef with the equal protection clause, or the Civil Rights Act.

Why would a superior individual need rights?

To protect him or her from the looting masses, a la Ayn Rand novels. 

Again though, in a war of all against all, what would happen? the strong individuals would destroy the weak individuals. it's only when the weak individuals collectivize themselves that they are able to overcome the stronger few, and it's only when individuals collectivize that law and right are established.

[thedudebro]

Again though, in a war of all against all, what would happen? the strong individuals would destroy the weak individuals. it's only when the weak individuals collectivize themselves that they are able to overcome the stronger few, and it's only when individuals collectivize that law and right are established.

But in such a world it's not necessarily the creative or the free spirited who win.  It's the biggest, the strongest, the one with the most guns or the one with the most control over others to make them wield guns.  This, I don't think, is Rand's vision or mine.  Is it yours?

Well isn't it the ones with the guns that have the most freedom? If I have the gun and you don't then doesn't that make me free to do what I want while you're dependent upon me not shooting you? And with my freedom I can be creative, and not restricted by right or law.

[Hank Rearden]

Again though, in a war of all against all, what would happen? the strong individuals would destroy the weak individuals. it's only when the weak individuals collectivize themselves that they are able to overcome the stronger few, and it's only when individuals collectivize that law and right are established.

I guess you'd call that irony then?  That individual rights can only be protected when collective steps are taken (usually by some government entity)?  

[thedudebro]

Again though, in a war of all against all, what would happen? the strong individuals would destroy the weak individuals. it's only when the weak individuals collectivize themselves that they are able to overcome the stronger few, and it's only when individuals collectivize that law and right are established.

I guess you'd call that irony then?  That individual rights can only be protected when collective steps are taken (usually by some government entity)?  

I suppose. The idea of "individual rights" is only recognizable in relation to a community. Who else but a community could ever establish rights? A man living alone on an island would not wake up oneday and say to himself that it'd be nice to be able to speak freely.