some contrarian views, maybe?

a.k.a the manifesto of the evil regressive who attempted to make progress.

Here goes.

I support labor unions, business regulation and labor rights. 

I support a bigger minimum wage.

I support environmental and natural resource stewardship and, in general, stewardship of the commons (regardless of whether man-made climate change is real or not). Therefore, I support carbon and pollution taxes. I support sustainable development.

I support Obama (gasp!) and Kerry on foreign policy, and, oppose McCain, Graham and other hawks, on the former's' approach of using diplomacy and economic sanctions in dealing with Russia and Iran.

I support free public healthcare and education for the poorest of the poor.

!!!

Breathe. Let that sink in.

Do all of the above make me a commie, a peacenik or a green? No, it doesn't. For the record, I still remain, at heart, a true libertarian conservative and a Tea Partier, through and through.

All of the so-called progressive causes listed above are defensible from a libertarian and market-centric perspective.

The invisible hand of the market does not require a prop. I believe that public policy ideas and legislative deliberations are part of the market. In other words, the marketplace of goods and the marketplace of ideas form a complete whole. And, the market will sustain and bear exactly what it can -- i.e. all of the above causes can be legislated up to and exactly up to the point where it stops making economic sense.

And, it is exactly for this reason that I love the legislature -- and, esp. when it is grinds slowly, as it does in these times of "partisan gridlock". I support the legislature's right to enact laws supporting the above casues, or any other cause, for that matter. For the same reason, I oppose executive overreach and judicial activism, in failing to enforce existing laws or going beyond their Constitutional scope to wantonly overturn laws or to adjudicate where no relevant law exists.

Most of all, I strongly advocate drastically lessening the size and scope of government by starving the beast. I support increasing the efficiency of governmental agencies and reducing waste and redundancy and increasing transparency and public oversight. I do not believe that the 5th amendment applies to public (i.e. government) employees.

I suppose both the reduction of taxes across the board and the elimination of market-distorting special subsidies and corporate tax breaks -- the government must not pick winners and losers, period. I support the simplification of the tax code.

I oppose government intervention in the private health care and health insurance markets.

I believe in private property rights, a la John Locke (see also the Lockean proviso) -- the libertarian's answer to the tragedy of the commons and saving the Earth.

I support educational and school choice. I believe in parents' rights.

I support the demilitarization of domestic police, national guard and law enforcement -- domestic militarization and citizen disarmament is the first step towards the creation of a police state.

I believe that the government should not engage in warrantless domestic surveillance. I believe in dismantling the current surveillance state infrastructure.

I believe in ending the War on Drugs -- because it did not, and will not, work.

I believe in the reduction of the size of the military. I believe in the strengthening of trade, cultural, diplomatic and private philanthropic and humanitarian ties. I believe in the reduction of taxpayer-funded foreign aid across the board, and on making it contingent on American strategic interests. I believe in strengthening covert operations against strategic enemies. I oppose indefinite detention (and, extraordinary rendition) of American citizens, in all cases.

I support the 2nd amendment. I believe in the right and, indeed, in the responsibility of all citizens to be well-trained in using weapons. I believe in the necessity of having many well-armed, well-trained, voluntary militias.

I support the 4th amendment.

I support the 1st amendment. I support the gradual repeal of anti-discrimination, libel and Affirmative Action laws -- because I believe that, even here, as in most cases, the market is sufficient.

I support the 10th amendment.

In fact, I support the Constitution in its entirety.