Ask a Libertarian Lightning Round: NHL Team Names, Political Vomiting, Is It All Just a Game?

Welcome to Ask a Libertarian with Reason's Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch. They are the authors of the new book The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America.

Go to http://declaration2011.com to purchase, read reviews, find event dates, and more.

On June 15, 2011 Gillespie and Welch used short, rapid-fire videos to answer dozens of reader questions submitted via email, Twitter, Facebook, and Reason.com. In this episode, they answer the questions:

Serious Man:
"What should the new NHL team moving to Winnipeg (formerly Atlanta Thrashers) be named?"

Floridadoublue: 
"When does the political vomiting stop?"

Voros McCracken: 
"Matt, how do you feel about the death penalty, with regards to Dave Henderson?"

PokerGrump:
"Since Social Security is a failing pyramid scheme, why can't a congressman say so without getting grief?"

NYC Conservative (JG Altz): "Do you see any reason to be optimistic about the future of the United States?"

MCMoynihan via Twitter: 
"Is it all just a game?"

For the complete series, go to http://reason.com/archives/2011/06/10/ask-a-libertarian and Reason.tv's YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/reasontv

Produced by Meredith Bragg, Jim Epstein, Josh Swain, with help from Katie Hooks, Kyle Blaine and Jack Gillespie.

Comments

[Kristen]

Well, it's a jacket...I sense we're getting closer to The Jacket! The suspense is killing me!

[Joe M]

He's saving The Jacket for the finale.

[AlmightyJB]

The Jacket's agent and Reason.com are currently in fierce negociations concerning The Jacket's appearance in this series.

[Kristen]

In that case, I would think the appearance of a clearly inferior scab jacket would put a damper on the talks. Any word on whether The Jacket and/or its representatives have vacated the meeting in protest?

[AlmightyJB]

The Jacket can't be fooled by such an obvious ploy. That may have caused The Jackets demands to go up though.

[creech]

The "Winnipeg Blackjackets"???

[The "Winnipeg Indigenous"]

[AlmightyJB]

The Winnipeg O's

[Aresen]

The Winnipeg Thank-Zog-We-Found-A-Bunch-of-Canucks-Dumb-Enough-to-Take-This-Turkey-off-our-Hands.

[Aresen]

Either that, or the Winnipeg Bloodsuckers.

(Entirely appropriate as anyone who has gone outdoors in Winnipeg without a gallon of DEET can tell you.)

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Winnipeg Nordique Whalers. Their mascot can be a Coyote with a North Star branded to its hide.

[AlmightyJB]

Columbus already has an insect mascot. Kinda fitting considering their record.

[Pro Libertate]

The Russkies.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Do you think JAG two times a night on HDNet is just the right amount of hidef JAG or not enough?

[steve]

Can you have enough Catherine Bell, AYFKM?

[Ska]

FYI she's done a skinemax film (I'm sure you can easily google that info). She's all decked out in garters and shit too. TREI HAWT.

[Amakudari]

In the spirit of legendary names like Canadiens and Canucks, I submit "Canadians."

[ClubMedSux]

How about the Manitobans?

[Mike M.]

How about the I Hate Winnipegs?

[AlmightyJB]

How about I hate Canada?

[Ska]

That's Quebec's new team.

[AlmightyJB]

nice:)

[Episiarch]

The Winnipeg Eh's

[Episiarch]

Their mascot could be a tuque.

[ClubMedSux]

How about a can of Kokanee wearing a tuque?

[Episiarch]

That would work.

[Brett L]

Winnipeg Sugar Pucks?

[SugarFree]

Winnipeg Maple-Sucking Puck-Slappers.

[SugarFree]

Their mascot would be a Canadian hockey fan. Whoa! Meta!

[Pro Libertate]

Why not the Mounties? Or the Moose and Squirrels?

[Pro Libertate]

Wait. I have it. The Shatners.

[Brett L]

I have visions of some sort of Texas A&M football 12th man tradition mapped onto hockey. All the fans wear skates in case they get called down to play. Or fistfights in the stands.

[Pro Libertate]

Or maybe, as a change of pace, the Americans.

[Ha Sugar Pucks]

that's gotta be today's winner...Brett L, champ of the day...

[Brian C]

Winnipeg Short-timers since they won't be staying long.

Seriously, whose bright idea was it to move to a place with a metropolitan area population less than Akron and barely bigger than Stockton!? Are you kidding me? There's a reason the Jets left and that reason is there is simply no way a city as small as Winnipeg can support an NHL franchise.

Enjoy it while it lasts... Winnipegians... er, Winnipeggers... I dunno, whatever, anyway I give them five years max before they're looking to move again.

[James]

The Houston Tax Write-Offs?

Seriously, as many Canadian Nurses as there are living in Houston, how can that city NOT have an NHL team?

[PantsFan]

of course, Winnipeg has a population of 800k who are all passionate fans for hockey.
Whereas Atlanta had a hockey fanbase of 800.

[capitol l]

That's about the size of Pittsburgh and you can't get Pens tickets, unless you're a bazillionaire like Fist.

I think they have been sold out for four straight years.

[capitol l]

Just googled some shit.

Winnipeg has a larger city population but smaller metro pop.

Pens sell-out streak started at the end of the '06 season.

I'm sure that with the team going back to Winnipeg coupled with a new arena they should sell out for a few years at least. If they use their money wisely and consistently make the playoffs I don't see any reason why they couldn't stay permanently.

[Loonie]

Winnipeg Short-timers since they won't be staying long.

You're an idiot. They left ATLANTA fer crissakes. What the fuck else is there in Winnipeg? They have the market to themselves! They've sold more season tickets than Atlanta ever did. Hell, they sold more season tix than the NHL sold Center Ice packages in Atlanta. Fuck, they sold more season tix than Phoenix!

The reason the Jets left was the diluted Canadian dollar. Well, now we have Ben Bernanke so Canada is profitable by Comparison.

Really, the NHL is better off being a big fish in a small pond than a little fish in a giant lake filled with Asian carp.

[ClubMedSux]

As a Married... with Children fan, I think they should be called the WinniPeg Bundys.

[CE]

What should the new NHL team moving to Winnipeg (formerly Atlanta Thrashers) be named?

The Winnipeg Whippersnappers

"When does the political vomiting stop?"

When Ron Paul takes the oath of office in 2013.

Matt, how do you feel about the death penalty, with regards to Dave Henderson?

Ask Matt. I don't feel comfortable giving the state the power to kill, even though some people deserve it.

Since Social Security is a failing pyramid scheme, why can't a congressman say so without getting grief?

Because the people who were hoping to benefit from that pyramid scheme don't want to hear the truth.

Do you see any reason to be optimistic about the future of the United States?

Yes. A good number of people here still believe in freedom, and the number is growing every day. An even greater number of people want to get rich by giving other people what they want, so they will work really hard to make my life better.

Is it all just a game?

If you're not keeping score, you're probably falling behind.

[Invisible Finger]

I vote for Winnipeg Shermans.

The more shitting on Atlanta the better.

[capitol l]

I like that.

[scarpe Nike Store]

is good