Freedom Four

A Friday Hodgepodge

First, as noted last week, today's post is the first of a new series, which features a selection of four recent or interesting pieces of commentary in mainstream outlets by fellow Objectivists.

Second, I'm taking Monday off from blogging, and will likely also post on X less frequently over the long weekend.

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1. "Trump Resembles These South American Authoritarians," by Augustina Vergara Cid (Orange County Register):

To nationalists, the problem isn't that their policies are anti-freedom and cause untold harm to individuals -- it's the reporting on that fact because it harms their agenda. Enter censorship, intimidation of the media and meddling with statistics to make people think their ideas work and are moral.

America was founded on the opposite ideal to nationalism. American founders recognized individual freedom's supremacy over any collective goal, established that government exists to serve the individual (not the other way around), and enshrined individual rights.

Many would cast the Kirchners as anti-freedom, and Trump as pro-freedom. But this is a false alternative. Their nationalistic ideology makes them both enemies of freedom.

600 words/2 minutes

2. "Ayn Rand Knew Free Trade and National Security Were Allies," by Ben Bayer (Orange County Register):

Recent lawsuits challenging the tariffs have reasonably objected that trade deficits and fentanyl don't count as real national security emergencies. But the United States does face significant national security challenges (if not via deficits and drugs) from China and other foreign powers. So critics of the new tariffs need clarity about the proper role of trade policy in protecting national security.

They can find it in the ideas of a thinker who understood the harmony between free trade and a strong national defense: Ayn Rand.

"The essence of capitalism's foreign policy," wrote Rand in 1964, "is free trade -- i.e., the abolition of trade barriers, of protective tariffs, of special privileges -- the opening of the world's trade routes to free international exchange and competition among the private citizens of all countries dealing directly with one another."

900 words/3 minutes

3. "Should You Be Worried if Your Doctor Uses ChatGPT?," by Paul Hsieh (Forbes):

In many ways, this is comparable to how AIs in driverless cars perform comparably to human drivers. Driverless Waymo taxicabs in selected cities like Los Angeles perform as safely (or better) than human drivers in appropriately restricted settings. Tesla owners who use the self-driving mode can rely on the AI to drive safely most of the time, although they still have to be prepared to take control of the wheel in an emergency. Robot cars are not yet ready to replace human drivers in all settings (such as icy Colorado mountain highways in wintertime), but they continue to improve rapidly.

Similarly, we may soon reach the point that a physician who does not use an AI consultant to double-check his diagnoses will be considered practicing below the standard of care. We are not there yet, but I can see that coming in the next few years.

600 words/2 minutes

4. "The Profit Motive Itself Makes the Best Case Against the FDA," by Gus Van Horn (RealClear Markets):

Why is someone, who sues vaccine makers and has no medical or scientific background or experience, in charge of what vaccines are available and what health insurers can or can not cover?

We know the short answer: Donald Trump wanted to reward Kennedy's support for his presidential campaign more than he cared about the health of his voters -- and nearly every Republican Senator (including four M.D.s !) went along with it.

But this dumpster fire would be impossible if the government weren't running the biomedical sector of the economy, rather than just protecting our freedom like they are supposed to.

Contrary to the notion that we need a government to ensure safe and effective drugs, there is ample evidence that the profit motive is necessary and sufficient for this purpose .

750 words/3 minutes

-- CAV

Updates

9-3-25: Corrected spelling of Ben Bayer.