Reason, egoism and capitalism. It is widely believed today that our moral, cultural, and political
alternatives are limited either to the ideas of the secular,
relativistic left—or to those of the religious, absolutist right—or to
some compromised mixture of the two. In other words, one’s ideas are
supposedly either extremely “liberal” or extremely ... MORE
Justice Department Budget Projects More Asset Forfeiture Seizure Revenue Despite Eric Holder's Puny Reforms
by Matt Sledge and Ryan J. Reilly. Attorney General Eric Holder last month announced reforms to asset
forfeitures, the controversial government practice of seizing property
associated with alleged illicit activity. But the new Justice Department
budget released this week projects the changes will barely cut into
federal seizures. ... MORE
Ronald Bailey: The Minimum Wage And Magical Thinking
Defying the law of demand never works. If
all other factors remain equal, the higher the price of a good, the
less people will demand it. That's the law
of demand, a fundamental idea in economics. And yet there is no
shortage of politicians, pundits, policy wonks, and members of the
public who insist that raising the price of labor will not have ... MORE
Could Rand Paul Spark a Libertarian Political Surge?
by David Boaz, CATO. Tens of millions of Americans are fiscally conservative, socially tolerant, and skeptical of American military intervention…. Whether or not Rand Paul wins the presidency, one result of his campaign will be to help those tens of millions of libertarian-leaning Americans to discover that their political attitudes have a name, which will make for a stronger and more influential political faction. ... MORE
Labels:
campaign,
election,
freedom,
GOP,
individual liberty,
libertarian,
politics,
Rand Paul,
Republican
Rob Manfred Says MLB Could Support Legalized Gambling
by David Brown. New commissioner Rob Manfred says he would be open to Major League
Baseball considering a new approach to legalized gambling. Echoing
statements that NBA commissioner Adam Silver made recently, Manfred told ESPN's Outside the Lines on Thursday that, "It's important for baseball to give fresh consideration to the ... MORE
Shearing The Sheep: Democrats Want To Spend Taxpayer Dollars To Study New Ways To Tax People Even More
by Pete Kasperowicz. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) this week introduced legislation that would give states federal grants to study the possibility of imposing a controversial new tax — one that would tax people for every mile they drive in their cars. Blumenauer’s Road Usage Charge Pilot Program Act is the latest effort to move away from a gas ... MORE
Paul Craig Roberts: The Police State Is Upon Us
You are in grave danger, and so are your children. Anyone paying attention knows that 9/11 has been used to create a police/warfare state. Years ago, NSA official William Binney warned Americans about the universal spying by the National Security Agency, to little effect. Recently, Edward Snowden proved the all-inclusive NSA spying by ... MORE
Labels:
authority,
CIA,
Edward Snowden,
government,
law enforcement,
NSA,
police,
police state,
spying
After Whistleblowers Expose Stunning Instances Of Abuse, Florida Prison Officials Crack Down . . . On Whistleblowers
by Mary Ellen Klaus and Julie Brown. The tyranny is always at odds with transparency. Two days after Florida legislators asked a series of probing questions of the top inspector at the Department of Corrections, the agency has banned inspectors from discussing any investigations, releasing any public records relating to agency probes, or even ... MORE
Labels:
authority,
bureaucracy,
government,
prisons,
punishment,
reform,
transparency,
whistleblowers
Matt Agorist: Shock Video Shows Cops Run Down Man With Cruiser, Severely Beat Him, Charge Him With Assault
Can we all agree these cops are racist? Surveillance cameras reveal the truth. Two Philly cops have been charged with the assault of a man after surveillance footage revealed the officers lied about the incident. The laundry list of charges that Officers Kevin Robinson and Sean McKnight are facing is lengthy: Aggravated Assault, Simple ... MORE
Labels:
abuse,
assault,
authority,
brutality,
force,
government,
police,
police state,
racism,
violence
Holding Data Hostage: The Perfect Internet Crime?
by Tom Simonite. Every so often someone invents a new way of making money on the Internet that earns wild profits, attracts countless imitators, and reshapes what it means to be online. Unfortunately, such a shift took place last year in the world of online crime, with the establishment of sophisticated malicious software known as ransomware as a ... MORE
Sheldon Richman: America’s James Bond Complex
A license to kill? Today, American politicians of both major parties — conservatives, “moderates,” and so-called liberals alike — insist that the United States is an “exceptional,” even “indispensable” nation. In practice, this means that for the United States alone the rules are different. Particularly in international affairs, it — the ... MORE
Matt Agorist: Good Samaritan Saves Woman’s Life After Overpowering The Cop Who Was Trying to Kill Her
Protection from predators just his day job. Louis Mossey was driving down a county highway when the car in front of him unexpectedly swerved off the road and hit a tractor in a John Deer store parking lot. He had no idea what he was about to witness. When Mossey gets out of the vehicle to check on the wellbeing of the occupants in the ... MORE
Labels:
abuse,
assault,
brutality,
hypocrisy,
intolerance,
misconduct,
police,
public service,
violence
How Reality TV Is Teaching Us To Accept The Police State
by John W. Whitehead. Americans love their reality TV shows—the drama, the insults, the bullying, the callousness, the damaged relationships delivered through the lens of a surveillance camera—and there’s no shortage of such dehumanizing spectacles to be found on or off screen, whether it’s Cops, Real Housewives or the heavy-handed ... MORE
Labels:
brutality,
government,
law enforcement,
police,
police state,
reality,
surveillance,
television
Obama's Gift: ‘Amnesty Bonuses’ in Tax Code Mean Illegal Immigrants Will The Receive Earned Income Tax Credit
by Daniel Halper. President Barack Obama has promoted his recent executive action on immigration by arguing that he’s only deferring action – holding off on enforcement of the current immigration laws until an immigration reform he approves of passes Congress. But that's not really true; in fact there’s a way for illegal immigrants immediately to ... MORE
Labels:
benefits,
handouts,
illegal aliens,
immigration,
incentives,
Obama,
politics,
spending,
subsidies
Free Market Fills Your Tank; Government Empties It
by Patrick Everson. Surely you’ve heard the cliché, “You’ve got to break a few eggs to make an omelet.” It perfectly explains how many on the left side of the political spectrum can reconcile their latest policy conflict: Obamacare vs. low gas prices. To insure the 10 to 15 percent of the population who didn’t have medical coverage — including ... MORE
Labels:
capitalism,
choice,
consumer,
free enterprise,
free market,
ObamaCare,
regulation,
restrictions
Obama's Student Loan Debt Bailout Will Cost $22 Billion
by Robby Soave. Another swindle for taxpayers. President Obama's student loan debt forgiveness policies will add a whopping $21.8 billion to the national debt, according to figures in the latest budget proposal. And thanks to the magic of government accounting, the shortfall is automatic—Congress can't really do anything about it. With students and ... MORE
Labels:
bailout,
government,
handouts,
Obama,
politics,
student debt,
students,
subsidies,
vote-buying
Bill Bennett's Confusing Defense of Pot Prohibition
by Jacob Sullum. An old statist looks to defend the status quo. “With marijuana,” declare William J. Bennett and Robert A. White in Going to Pot,
their new prohibitionist screed, “we have inexplicably suspended all
the normal rules of reasoning and knowledge.” You can’t say they didn’t
warn us. The challenge for Bennett, a former drug czar and ... MORE
Labels:
ban,
cannabis,
drug war,
drugs,
government,
marijuana,
medical marijuana,
politics,
prohibition
Science 2.0: Educated, White Collar People Disavow Collectivism, Embrace Individualism Over Time
More education leads to individualism. Not a recent phenomenon. The American century was the result of a can-do attitude born in the 19th century. As prosperity began to increase, collectives, such as unions, became the norm, and they were endorsed by many educated elites - but they were still promoting individualism in doing so. That ... MORE
Brian Doherty: A Loss for Justice, Liberty, Safety & Peace
The persecution of Silk Road. The operation Ulbricht was found guilty of managing was one guaranteed to save lives, reduce real crime, and preserve liberty. As I
reported earlier today, Ross Ulbricht was found guilty of all
seven counts related to running the Silk Road website. The government baldly asserted—and the judge allowed the grossly ... MORE
Labels:
force,
free market,
government,
justice,
liberty,
morality,
peace,
regulation,
restrictions,
safety
How Markets Tell the Truth and Politics Tells Lies
by Gary M. Galles. Have you ever tried to work with people you couldn’t depend on to tell you the truth? It isn’t pretty. Without the ability to rely on what you’ve been told (or the assurance that you’ve been told everything relevant), effective cooperation at almost every margin of choice is reduced. That’s because the foundation on which ... MORE
Right & Left Unite To Oppose Civil Asset Forfeiture Abuse
by Holland Sentinel editorial board. When people as far apart on the political spectrum as Eric Holder and Rand Paul can agree that a federal program is out of control, you know something must be up. What the libertarian-leaning Republican senator from Kentucky and the famously liberal ally of President Obama are both concerned about is ... MORE
Police State America: TSA To Arrest Any Citizen Charged With Any Crime Trying To Come Or Leave The Country
Including taxes. The border is closing rapidly. First it was FATCA hunting Americans with
any assets overseas whatsoever. Now just two days after taking charge
of the committee chairing the House Homeland Security subcommittee
hearing, U.S. Rep. John Katko introduced two bills. He is looking to
effectively close the borders using terrorism as ... MORE
Labels:
airport,
arrest,
crime,
government,
Homeland Security,
police state,
prosecute,
terrorism,
TSA
NBC Miami: A Legal Way Around DUI Checkpoints?
You may not want to roll down your window. DUI checkpoints are used by multiple South Florida law enforcement agencies to try to keep the streets clear of intoxicated drivers. But, a local attorney says there’s a legal way around the checkpoints for any driver, while prosecutors say not so fast. “Normally what they look for is: ... MORE
Labels:
checkpoints,
drunk driving,
DUI,
police state,
probable cause,
rights,
roadblocks,
suspicion
Keep Vaccine Choice—So Long as Families Pay Their Way
by J.D. Tuccille. A friend of mine who worked in pediatric private practice in the Washington, D.C. suburbs had a strict policy on vaccination: If you didn't vaccinate your children, you had to find another practice. He would try to persuade, he would give several warnings, but ultimately, those who didn't vaccinate had to find another provider. ... MORE
Labels:
children,
choice,
disease,
government,
health care,
incentives,
medical,
taxpayer,
vaccinations
Steve Chapman: Government Debt On The Road To Ruin
Promise today, figure out how to pay tomorrow. Americans are addicted to living beyond their means, at least when it comes to the functions of government. That's why the federal debt tripled over the past decade and under President Barack Obama's budget plan would keep growing indefinitely. Why not? If you don't have to pay for all ... MORE
Labels:
California,
debt,
deficit,
economics,
government,
Obama,
pension,
public employees,
spending
Bruce Fein: Ignoring America's True Greatness
Killing America's golden goose. The United States was founded on exceptional principles that we are ignoring at our peril. The Declaration of Independence explained that individual liberty was the center of our constitutional universe; and, that the United States was formed to protect the unalienable rights of citizens to life, liberty, and the pursuit ... MORE
Tim Mak: He’ll Rot For Pot: 55 Years For Weed
Koch brothers seek reform. A father of two was sentenced to 55 years in jail for selling pot. The Koch brothers want to help set him free and make him the face of their new campaign for criminal justice reform. Weldon Angelos could have hijacked a plane and spent less time in jail. But due to mandatory sentencing laws, the father of two was ... MORE
Police State Update: Did SWAT Burn A Man Alive?
from the Antelope Valley Times. A convicted felon, whose body was found after a SWAT team fired in tear gas into a Lancaster home, and a fire broke out, was publicly identified Saturday by the Coroner’s Office. The man was identified as Michael Leroy Soares, 35, of Lancaster, said Coroner’s Lt. David Smith. It was still not clear how he died, ... MORE
MIke Adams: President Obama Just Renewed the Drug War
Actions speak louder than words. The Obama Administration has officially renewed the War on Drugs. The Fiscal Year 2016 budget plan released earlier this week, shows, despite the illusion of the puppet show in the nation’s capital working to reform failed drug policies, the master is hell bent on spending more money than ever to protect America ... MORE
An Innocent Frequent Flyer Detained 23 Hours By TSA
by Ronnie Polaneczky. Apparently, working as a supervisor for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Philadelphia International Airport comes with a perk: You get to throw people in jail for no good reason and still keep your job. If that's not the case, why is Charles Kieser still employed by the TSA? Vanderklok, 57, is a Philly architect ... MORE
Labels:
abuse,
airport,
citizens,
government,
harassment,
search,
snooping,
transportation,
travel,
TSA
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