Where ‘we the people’ are the enemy. “If you don’t want to get shot, tased, pepper-sprayed, struck with a baton or thrown to the ground, just do what I tell you.”—Sunil Dutta, an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department for 17 years. Life in the American police state is an endless series of don’ts delivered at the end of a loaded gun: ... MOREJohn W. Whitehead: Turning America Into a War Zone
Where ‘we the people’ are the enemy. “If you don’t want to get shot, tased, pepper-sprayed, struck with a baton or thrown to the ground, just do what I tell you.”—Sunil Dutta, an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department for 17 years. Life in the American police state is an endless series of don’ts delivered at the end of a loaded gun: ... MOREMost Want to Criminalize Pre-Teens Playing Unsupervised
by Lenore Skenazy. A whopping 68 percent of Americans think there should be a law that prohibits kids 9 and under from playing at the park unsupervised, despite the fact that most of them no doubt grew up doing just that. What's more: 43 percent feel the same way about 12-year-olds. They would like to criminalize all pre-teenagers playing outside ... MOREHeather Digby Parton: Militarized Cops’ Scary New Toys
The ugly next frontier in “crowd control. Now that the sight of American police decked out as if they are replaying the events of Blackhawk Down has alerted the American public to the militarization of our police agencies, perhaps they will finally be receptive to the warnings that some of us have been making for years about the next ... MORE
Ludwig von Mises: Inspiring Think Tanks Across The Globe
by Alejandro Chafuen. The free enterprise system within a rule of law is the best engine for
prosperity. Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) is recognized by many as its
greatest advocate. His name was largely ignored for decades, today, however, more than 20 think tanks around the world are named after him. No other famous economist comes close. ... MOREWill This Burger Bot Smash America's Fast Food Jobs?
by Tyler Wells Lynch. The fruits of a high minimum wage. “Anything you can do I can do better. I can do anything better than you.” Forget Annie Oakley. That refrain may best apply to the robots that are gradually taking our jobs. The latest workers on the chopping block? Fast food line cooks. A San Francisco startup called Momentum Machines ... MOREThe Dark Side Of California's Cell Phone “Kill Switch” Bill
by Jake Laperruque. This week the California legislature passed a bill that requires all smartphones to include a “kill switch” that can remotely render the device inoperable. Although created to deter smartphone theft, this kill switch mandate could actually become a nefarious tool co-opted by government to suppress protests. ... MOREEvan Selinger: Why A Philosopher Teaches Privacy
Few things matter as much as philosophy. Next week, the new term begins and I’ll be teaching an undergraduate philosophy course called, “Technology, Privacy, and the Law.” The first order of business will be to explain why thinking critically about privacy—determining what it is, deciding when it should be protected, and pinpointing how it ... MOREJacob Sullum: Must Conservatives Be Cop Lovers?
Rand Paul challenges his fellow Republicans. Running for the U.S. Senate in 2010, Rand Paul became known as that crazy right-winger who expressed reservations about the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But in the last two years, the Kentucky Republican has emerged as his party's most passionate voice on criminal justice reform, explicitly ... MORE
A Strategy To Preserve Liberty: Serve On A Jury
by Dave Benner. I have often heard friends and acquaintances complain when they are called to jury duty. It is easy to understand the common gripes made in response to this mandate. As a result of the obligation, people are often displaced from their jobs and other pursuits, often for long hours and for little compensation. What if a jury ... MORE'If You Don’t Want To Get Shot...Just Do What I Tell You.'
J.C. Tucille. To be owned by the man. "If you don't want to get shot, tased, pepper-sprayed, struck with a baton or thrown to the ground," warns Officer Sunil Dutta of the Los Angeles Police Department, "just do what I tell you." The thing is, Officer Dutta (pictured) is also an Adjunct Professor of Homeland Security and Criminal Justice at ... MOREFederal Lawsuit Highlights Powerful Civil Forfeiture Tool
by Christine M. Prokopick and Erin C. Dougherty. In a federal complaint filed on Monday, three Philadelphia homeowners whose homes have been targeted for state civil forfeiture have sued the city of Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter, the Philadelphia Police Department, District Attorney Seth Williams, and the Philadelphia District ... MOREJohn Stossel: Policing A Riot
Previews of coming attractions. Libertarians warned for years that government is force, that government always grows and that America's police have become too much like an occupying army. We get accused of being paranoid, but we look less paranoid after heavily armed police in Ferguson, Missouri, tear gassed peaceful protesters, ... MORE
Jury Has Long History Of Righting Wrong Laws
by Frank Parlato. Below is something that is not taught in public schools. It is history nonetheless and easy enough for anyone who is interested to verify. Jury ended the power of kings. In 1215, when the Barons of England compelled King John to sign the Magna Carta, trial by jury was established. The King now had to seek permission ... MOREIs Crony-Hiring At The Core Of The VA Scandal?
by Michael Volpe. Bad hiring practices have led to a culture of cronyism that is as at the center of a burgeoning number of scandals at the Overton-Brooks Veteran Administration (VA) Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. Shea Wilkes, who blew the whistle on the secret waiting list in the mental health department, told The Daily ... MOREMap: How Much $100 Is Really Worth In Every State
by Niraj Chokshi. Not all Benjamins are created equal. For the first time ever, the federal government this year introduced a data series that compares price differences among states and metropolitan areas. Those estimates — regional price parities and real personal income — offer something simple and immensely useful for anyone considering ... MOREVICE NEWS: Study Says That Citizens Opposed To Growth Of Government Are A Greater Threat Than Al-Qaeda
by Maxwell Barna. Politicians see the people as their prime enemy. An al Qaeda splinter group has declared an Islamic State in portions of Iraq and Syria and threatened to "raise the flag of Allah in the White House." US intelligence agencies suspect that the Islamic State is determined to launch a major attack against Western targets, and South ... MORE
Walter E Williams: Your Tuition Pays For This
Campus nitwittery is no bargain. According to College Board, average tuition and fees for the 2013-14 school year totaled $30,094 at private colleges, $8,893 for in-state residents at public colleges and $22,203 for out-of-state residents. Many schools, such as Columbia University and George Washington University, charge yearly ... MOREThomas Sowell: Random Thoughts On The Passing Scene
Observations of a wise man. I don't know why we are spending our hard-earned money paying taxes to support a criminal justice system, when issues of guilt and innocence are being determined on television — and even punishment is being meted out by CNN's showing the home and address of the policeman accused in the Ferguson, Missouri ... MORE
The Drug War Means Never Having To Say You’re Sorry
by Radley Balko. Remember the story about the Georgia toddler whose chest was blown open by a flash grenade during a botched drug raid? Here’s an update: Habersham County officials say they do not plan to pay for the medical expenses of a toddler seriously injured during a police raid. Bounkham Phonesavah, affectionately known as “Baby Boo ... MORENY State Governor Candidate Arrested For Filming Police
by Brandon Turberville. Despite the Supreme Court having ruled that videotaping police is legal and protected by the 1st Amendment, citizens all across the country continue to be arrested, charged, and abused by police for doing so. Generally speaking, those videotaping and subsequently subjected to police harassment or brutality are ... MOREEric Holder Wants Gun Owners To Wear Tracking Bracelets
from the Chicago Sun-Times. How's this for gun control: Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department wants to explore gun tracking bracelets as part of a new form of gun control. While appearing in front of the House appropriations subcommittee on Friday, Holder focused on technological innovations. “I think that one of the ... MORE
Paying People To Vote Proposed In Los Angeles
by Thomas Lifson. Politicians worry the ignorant won't vote. Buying votes is illegal, yet the misnamed Los Angeles Ethics Commission is proposing to pay people to vote, in the form of lottery prizes. David Zahniser of the Los Angeles Times reports: Alarmed that fewer than one-fourth of voters are showing up for municipal elections, the Los ... MOREKeith Weiner: Oklahoma Moves Towards the Gold Standard
Sound money legislation. There is strong opposition to any proposal to end the Federal Reserve and move away from its paper dollar. The Fed has many ideological and, of course, crony supporters. So it’s interesting that there was little controversy in Oklahoma around removing one of the obstacles to the use of gold as money. Republican Mary ... MOREWoman Arrested For Cursing In Grocery Store
by Jacob Sullum. No fucking way! According to a witness, Danielle Wolf cursed at her two little girls last week because they were squeezing the bread at a Kroger supermarket in North Augusta, South Carolina. "Stop squishing the fucking bread," Wolf reportedly said. Wolf says she was talking not to her children but to her husband, who was ... MOREHave We Reached a Tipping Point in the Police State?
by John W. Whitehead. From Boston to Ferguson. The difference between what happened in Boston in the wake of the Boston Marathon explosion and what is happening now in Ferguson, Missouri, is not in the government’s response but in the community’s response. This is what happens when you ignore the warning signs. This is what ... MORECathy Reisenwitz: Why It's Time To Legalize Prostitution
There’s no good reason not to. A prostitute has a 45 percent to 75 percent chance of experiencing workplace violence at some point, according to recent research indicates, and a 32 percent to 55 percent likelihood that she or he was victimized the past year. Worker safety, along with concerns about exploitation and objectification, ... MORE
Civil Asset Forfeiture Looks Like A Criminal Enterprise
An editorial from Investor's Business Daily. Few Americans are probably aware that law enforcement authorities are free to seize their property even when they've done nothing wrong. But it's a growing racket that needs to be shut down now. In 2007, Jennifer Boatright and Ron Henderson were driving through Texas on annual trip to ... MORECosts Of Overzealous Pot Policing Vary From State To State
A Washington Post editorial. Skyrocketing incarceration rates for nonviolent drug offenders have come to symbolize the futility of the national “war on drugs.” Even the most ardent drug legalization opponents are beginning to view drug use through the lens of public health, rather than criminal justice. This shift in focus is ... MOREEliza Gray: E-Cigs Are Smokers’ Favorite Quitting Tool
No wonder big govt wants them regulated. Electronic cigarettes are a more popular tool for smokers trying to quit than nicotine gums and patches, according to a new study of consumer behavior from Kantar Media. As e-cigarettes have exploded from niche product to $2 billion-plus industry, big tobacco isn’t the only industry facing ... MORE130 Environmental Groups Call For An End To Capitalism
by Michael Bastach. No longer hiding from their socialist agenda. Environmentalists have declared that global warming can’t be stopped
without ending the “hegemonic capitalist system,” saying that
cap-and-trade systems and conservation efforts are “false solutions.” “The structural causes of climate change are linked to the current ... MORE
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