05/24 -- Contagious community; So long as government exists, a ruling class is inevitable
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Thomas L. Knapp
May 23, 2012, 11:56:21 PM5/23/12
to Freedom News Daily
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Somalia: Rival gangs intensify fight to impose government
2) Obama, Bush testimony sought in 9/11 case at Gitmo
3) Iraq: Eight killed
4) Afghanistan: Occupation troop killed
5) Pakistan: Four killed in US terror attack
6) Tunisia sets terms for extradition of ex-Libyan PM
7) Eager Egyptians hold landmark presidential vote
8) Russia test-fires missile amid tensions over NATO defense shield
announcement
9) Iran holds military maneuvers
10) NC: Store owner kills robbery suspects
11) MD: 911 dispatcher nods off during emergency call
12) CO: Referendum on undocumented driver's licenses moves forward
13) Report: Army more selective on recruits, re-enlistments
14) Pakistan: Doctor who helped find bin Laden jailed
15) Study: Simple scope exam cuts colon cancer deaths
16) Investors sue Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, others over Facebook
IPO
17) CA: Silicon Valley exec charged in Lego bar code scam
18) Russia: Protesters risk huge fines under new bill
19) Census bureaucrats: We undercount blacks, Hispanics and kids
20) US envoy to Afghanistan to step down, cites ill health
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Contagious community
22) So long as government exists, a ruling class is inevitable
23) Revisiting the responsibility of business managers
24) Lies: Lifeblood of politics
25) A tsunami of bad economics
26) Thirty-first President of the United States
27) How smokers' rights are being vapourised
28) Being there
29) All the states that "hate you"
30) Egypt's presidential election experiment
31) American workers: Shackled to labor law
32) The case against tax breaks for private equity
33) Who will save the middle class?
34) Charting fun with Krugman
35) History repeats itself in Honduran drug-war killings
36) But it's only for the terrorists
37) Freedom of speech does not grant you freedom from consquences
38) WH leaks for propaganda film
39) Chicago: America's repression capital
40) Torture and the CIA
41) Afghanistan's corruption breeds failure
42) Dalai Oliver
43) Judging the judge in Virginia
44) Oh, but it's just a petty violation of liberty
45) The freedom to disown
46) Cybersecurity: Your pressure is working
47) Interventionism and the elites
48) Is that a spy in your pocket?
49) Mr. Smoot vs. the Smart Meter, episode 3
50) "To alter or abolish"
Today's Freedom Audio and Video:
51) Free Talk Live, 05/22/12
52) The autism-vaccination connection
53) Joel Stein on his "stupid quest for masculinity"
54) Cato Daily Podcast, 05/21/12
55) Freedomain Radio #2138
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FREEDOM NEWS
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1) Somalia: Rival gangs intensify fight to impose government
Source: Globe and Mail [Canada]
"African Union and Somali government troops stepped up their assault
on al Shabaab militants in the capital's northern outskirts on
Wednesday, forcing hundreds of families to flee their makeshift homes
and head for the city centre. The AU force, which already controls
most of the capital, is trying to advance through the Afgoye corridor,
once a rural area northwest of Mogadishu but now home to hundreds of
thousands of Somalis uprooted from their homes." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/LD8OHI
-----
2) Obama, Bush testimony sought in 9/11 case at Gitmo
Source: Biloxi Sun Herald
"Defense lawyers in the Sept. 11 case at Guantanamo are seeking the
testimony of former President George W. Bush and President Barack
Obama in a motion to dismiss charges, according to a legal motion
released Wednesday. Lawyers for three of the five defendants charged
with planning and helping carry out the attacks say the charges should
be dismissed because Bush, Obama and other top officials have made
many statements that could influence potential jurors in their
eventual trial before a special tribunal known as a military
commission, according to the motion." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/6ok3ghw
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3) Iraq: Eight killed
Source: Agence France-Presse
"Three people were killed and 14 wounded in a shooting and three
roadside bombings in Baquba .... a roadside bomb exploded near a bus
carrying Lebanese Shiite pilgrims near Ramadi, capital of Anbar, a
Sunni Arab province west of Baghdad, killing three and wounding 10
others .... Two policemen were killed and five wounded in attacks in
the northern oil hub of Kirkuk .... Unknown gunmen attacked the house
of a high-ranking police officer, killing a police guard ... one
policeman was killed and two wounded by a magnetic 'sticky bomb' on
their vehicle ..." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/JTpCd5
-----
4) Afghanistan: Occupation troop killed
Source: Khaama Press [Afghanistan]
"A NATO service member was killed following an explosion in southern
regions of the country on Wednesday. ... The exact location of the
incident and nationality of the deceased soldier was not disclosed by
coalition security forces officials." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/JTf39R
-----
5) Pakistan: Four killed in US terror attack
Source: Voice of America [US state media]
"Pakistani intelligence officials say a U.S. drone strike has killed
four suspected militants in northwest Pakistan. The officials say two
missiles hit a compound Wednesday near Miranshah, in the tribal belt
near the Afghan border." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/LD4Fnf
-----
6) Tunisia sets terms for extradition of ex-Libyan PM
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"Libya's former prime minister will only be extradited to his country
if his life isn't in danger there and he can be guaranteed a fair
trial, Tunisia's presidential spokesman said Wednesday. The statement
to the state news agency tempers Tuesday's surprise announcement that
former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's last prime minister, Al-
Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi, would be sent back to Libya to stand trial,
despite the reservations of human rights organizations." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/7so5pfe
-----
7) Eager Egyptians hold landmark presidential vote
Source: Juneau Empire
"After a lifetime of being told who will rule them, Egyptians dove
enthusiastically into the uncertainty of the Arab world's first
competitive presidential race Wednesday, wrestling with a polarizing
choice between secularists rooted in Hosni Mubarak's old autocracy and
Islamists hoping to infuse the state with religion." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/72m2n7n
-----
8) Russia test-fires missile amid tensions over NATO defense shield
announcement
Source: CNN
"Russia test-fired a ballistic missile Wednesday, a move that comes
amid tensions about a recent NATO announcement that it placed an
interim missile defense shield in Europe. The intercontinental missile
was launched Wednesday morning from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in
northwestern Russia, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency
reported." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/6pvd4qd
-----
9) Iran holds military maneuvers
Source: El Paso Times
"Iran's official news agency says Iran's military has wound up a one-
day exercise in the center of the country. The Wednesday report by
IRNA says Gen. Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, commander of Iran's ground
forces, described the aim of the exercise as showing Iran's readiness
to confront 'global arrogance,' a reference to the United States, as
well as improving the capabilities of the forces." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/7axvj8b
-----
10) NC: Store owner kills robbery suspects
Source: WAVY News
"Two suspects have been shot and killed after an attempted robbery at
a store in Gates County, according to officials. Webb said two men
wearing bandanas on their faces and armed with guns tried to rob the
store's owner, who is in his 60s. The suspects reportedly kicked,
punched and beat the owner. When the owner fell to the ground, he was
able to grab a gun and shot blindly over his shoulder, hitting one
suspect, Webb said. When the owner got up, he shot the second
suspect. ... Both died at the scene." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/6rfeeph
-----
11) MD: 911 dispatcher nods off during emergency call
Source: The Raw Story
"A woman in Montgomery County, Maryland called for help when her
husband had difficulty breathing and started turning blue. According
to CNN, minutes into the call, the dispatcher on duty fell asleep and
began to snore. Moments later, a second dispatcher took up the call,
but became confused by the sound of the other man's snoring. ...
Finally, five and a half minutes into the call, the first dispatcher
[woke] up and [picked] up where he left off, asking the woman for her
address." [editor's note: New variation; dial 911 and ... ZZZ! - SAT]
(05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/6pezgx7
-----
12) CO: Referendum on undocumented driver's licenses moves forward
Source: Fox News
"A coalition of immigrants' defense organizations has launched a
campaign in favor of Initiative 52, which -- if approved in November
-- would give driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants in
Colorado. For Initiative 52 to be included on the ballot in November,
the campaign must collect slightly more than 86,000 signatures from
registered voters before Aug. 6. Driver's Licenses for All asks that
'all residents of Colorado, although they may not be able to prove
legal residence in the state, be able to obtain a driver's license or
an identity card,' if they fulfill certain conditions, said Jose
Sanchez, the press coordinator for the campaign." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/6m3fqfv
-----
13) Report: Army more selective on recruits, re-enlistments
Source: Arizona Republic
"In sharp contrast to the peak years of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars,
the Army last year took in no recruits with misconduct convictions or
drug or alcohol issues, according to internal documents obtained by
The Associated Press. And soldiers already serving on active duty now
must meet tougher standards to stay on for further tours in uniform.
The Army is also spending hundreds of thousands of dollars less in
bonuses to attract recruits or entice soldiers to remain." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/7lems9h
-----
14) Pakistan: Doctor who helped find bin Laden jailed
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"A Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA find Osama Bin Laden has been
jailed for at least 30 years, officials say. Shakil Afridi was charged
with treason and tried under the tribal justice system for running a
fake vaccination programme to gather information. The US state
department said there was 'no basis' for the charges, but declined to
make a specific comment on the doctor's sentence. Bin Laden was killed
by US forces in Abbottabad in May 2011." (05/23/12)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18175964
-----
15) Study: Simple scope exam cuts colon cancer deaths
Source: Arizona Republic
"A simple, cheaper exam of just the lower part of the bowel can cut
the risk of developing colon cancer or dying of the disease, a large
federal study has found. Many doctors recommend a more complete test
-- colonoscopy -- but many people refuse that costly, unpleasant exam.
The new study shows that the simpler test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, can
be a good option. Although it may seem similar to having a mammogram
on just one breast, experts say that even a partial bowel exam is
better than none." (05/22/12)
http://tinyurl.com/6t3j85g
-----
16) Investors sue Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, others over Facebook
IPO
Source: Bloomberg
"Morgan Stanley (MS), Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) and JPMorgan Chase
& Co. were sued along with other underwriters and Facebook Inc. (FB)
by investors who claimed they were misled in the purchase of the
social network firm's stock. The investors said the members of a
proposed class action, or group lawsuit have lost more than $2.5
billion since the initial public offering last week, according to a
complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court." (05/23/12)
http://bloom.bg/LDntCC
-----
17) CA: Silicon Valley exec charged in Lego bar code scam
Source: Globe and Mail [Canada]
"A Silicon Valley software executive put fake bar codes on Lego sets
at various Target stores, bought the toys at a steep discount, then
sold them online for thousands of dollars, authorities said. Thomas
Langenbach, 47, appeared in court Tuesday on four felony counts of
burglary that could net him up to five years in prison if convicted.
He did not enter a plea." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/KdrWrC
-----
18) Russia: Protesters risk huge fines under new bill
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"A bill which massively increases the size of fines for unapproved
rallies in Russia has begun its passage through parliament amid strong
protests. MPs from President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party
passed the bill in its first reading by a majority of 236 to 207 in
the State Duma. Rally organisers could face maximum fines of 1.5m
roubles (#30,000; $48,000), up from 50,000 roubles." (05/22/12)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18165051
-----
19) Census bureaucrats: We undercount blacks, Hispanics and kids
Source: USA Today
"The Census continued to miss blacks and Hispanics in 2010 despite
achieving what was probably the most accurate count in the nation's
history, according to Census analysis out Tuesday. The Census counted
36,000 too many people -- a slim 0.01% net national overcount. In the
previous Census in 2000, there was a 0.49% overcount." (05/22/12)
http://tinyurl.com/c4vr4dr
-----
20) US envoy to Afghanistan to step down, cites ill health
Source: MSNBC
"U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker confirmed on Tuesday that
he plans to step down this summer because of ill health, and sources
said he was held in high regard and was not pushed out. 'Today,
Ambassador Ryan Crocker confirmed to the Afghan Government, U.S.
Mission Afghanistan, and the ISAF community that he intends to depart
his post for health reasons in mid-summer,' State Department
spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, referring to the International
Security Assistance Force." (05/22/12)
http://tinyurl.com/c6j6p99
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HEALTH-OF-THE-STATE-O-METER, 05/24/12
Iraqi Deaths Due to US Invasion: 1,455,590
(source: justforeignpolicy.org/iraq)
US Deaths in Afghanistan: Bush 575, Obama 1310
(source: justforeignpolicy.org/obamavsbush)
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FREEDOM COMMENTARY
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21) Contagious community
Source: Acton Institute
by Jordan Ballor
"Last year's movie Contagion, which featured a star-studded ensemble
cast, was successful in large part because it portrayed in a concrete,
realistic, and believable way some of the deepest fears of human
beings. All of us recognize, to one extent or another, the precious
gift that life is, and we also recognize life's inherent fragility.
This shared human understanding is one of the things that makes
disaster stories -- films in particular -- so popular." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/85e53pq
-----
22) So long as government exists, a ruling class is inevitable
Source: Center for a Stateless Society
by Kevin Carson
"In essence, it's the cyclical phenomenon described by Orwell's
fictional 'Emanuel Goldstein': The high and middle eternally jockeying
for power over the low, with the middle in each revolution enlisting
the help of the low long enough to oust the old ruling class and set
themselves up as the new one. Since the rise of the state as an
instrument of economic exploitation on behalf of a ruling class, there
have been endless attempts to achieve justice through revolutionary
seizure of the state -- each one ending in failure and
disillusionment." (05/23/12)
http://c4ss.org/content/10425
-----
23) Revisiting the responsibility of business managers
Source: A Passion for Liberty
by Tibor R. Machan
"People buy stocks, shares in a firm, mainly so as to delegate to the
officers the job of securing for them economic prosperity. What else
did all the folks who purchased the IPOs of Facebook want? (There is,
of course, much more to living a successful human life than this but
this is certainly not a negligible part of it -- why all the fuss
about poverty then?) Shareholders look to management for expertise
with finances, etc. and those who take such a job promise shareholders
this service." (05/22/12)
http://bit.ly/LD3KDi
-----
24) Lies: Lifeblood of politics
Source: Orange County Register
by Thomas Sowell
"The fact that so many successful politicians are such shameless liars
is not only a reflection on them, it is also a reflection on us. When
the people want the impossible, only liars can satisfy them, and only
in the short run. The current outbreaks of riots in Europe show what
happens when the truth catches up with both the politicians and the
people in the long run. Among the biggest lies of the welfare states
on both sides of the Atlantic is the notion that the government can
supply the people with things they want but cannot afford. Since the
government gets its resources from the people, if the people as a
whole cannot afford something, neither can the government." (05/22/12)
http://tinyurl.com/7nxhe3m
-----
25) A tsunami of bad economics
Source: Competitive Enterprise Institute
by Ryan Young
"The broken Krugman fallacy. Japan was hit by a tsunami last year on
March 11. That's not news, but the reaction of some economists sure
is. Just imagine looking up at a hundred-foot tall column of water
rushing towards you at highway speed. This was the last thing some
people ever saw. According to official estimates, that wave killed
more than 15,000 people and injured nearly 27,000 more. What's the
upside to this natural disaster?" (05/23/12)
http://cei.org/op-eds-articles/tsunami-bad-economics
-----
26) Thirty-first President of the United States
Source: Liberty For All
by staff
"Hoover (August 10, 1874-October 20, 1964) was the 31st President of
the United States (1929-33). Hoover was originally a professional
mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce
in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he
promoted partnerships between government and business under the rubric
'economic modernization'. In the presidential election of 1928, Hoover
easily won the Republican nomination, despite having no previous
elected-office experience." (05/23/12)
http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=7640
-----
27) How smokers' rights are being vapourised
Source: Spiked
by Jason Walsh
"The anti-smoking lobby has now targeted electronic cigarettes in
order to crack down even on the 'notion' of smoking." (05/23/12)
http://www.spiked-online.com/site/article/12473/
-----
28) Being there
Source: CounterPunch
by Missy Beattie
"Do protests and marches accomplish anything? Should I go? These
questions collided in my head. One friend advised against. Another
said I should. My children phoned, 'If you do, be careful.' I knew. I
just knew. I knew I would be in Chicago." (05/23/12)
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/05/23/being-there/
-----
29) All the states that "hate you"
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
by Mark Morford
"Perhaps 'hate' is too strong a word. Perhaps it is too strong a word
because, let's admit, a great many people living within the confines
of the nation's sort of sour, sort of aggressively uptight, anti-
everything flyover states -- AKA Kansas, Arizona, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, South and
apparently most of North Carolina, not to mention swaths of Texas the
size of Texas -- they do not actually hate you, per se. Of course they
don't. Nor do they hate gays, or women, or immigrants, or liberals, or
Muslims, or Jews, or Obama, or ... It just seems like they
do." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/745nsvk
-----
30) Egypt's presidential election experiment
Source: The Nation
by Sharif Abdel Kouddous
"Egypt is gripped by election fever. A frenetic mix of excitement and
anxiety has taken over the country on the eve of its first-ever
competitive presidential poll fifteen months after thirty-year
autocrat Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office in a popular uprising.
Scuffed campaign posters plaster neighborhoods across the capital,
clinging to everything from walls to lamp posts to car
windows." (05/22/12)
http://tinyurl.com/83chycy
-----
31) American workers: Shackled to labor law
Source: In These Times
by Josh Eidelson
"Republicans hate the National Labor Relations Board. But they're not
the only ones. In speeches to workers and testimony in Congress in the
'80s and '90s, then-AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland repeatedly
declared that union members would be better served by 'the law of the
jungle.' Some union presidents agreed, including Richard Trumka, who
now heads the AFL-CIO. ... In other words, it's not just Mitt Romney
who argues the National Labor Relations Board -- which interprets and
enforces labor law -- does more harm than good." [editor's note: Hell,
us libertarians (from both ends of the alleged "spectrum") have been
saying this (perhaps for varying reasons) for decades! - SAT]
(05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/79ro2xh
-----
32) The case against tax breaks for private equity
Source: Our Future
by Jeff Madrick
"I wanted to wait a few days before commenting on Newark Mayor Cory
Booker's spontaneous criticism of Barack Obama for picking on Mitt
Romney's experience at Bain Capital. Booker doesn't know much of
anything about private equity, but many financial services donors have
his ear. He took in nearly half a million dollars in campaign
donations from the industry over the last nine months, and he frankly
sounded like its mouthpiece." [editor's note: Don't raise their taxes;
DO end the subsidies on the other end of the scale - SAT] (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/7s6d3k9
-----
33) Who will save the middle class?
Source: The American Prospect
by Jeff Faux
"In the eyes of most of the world and in our own, to be an American is
to be an optimist -- entrepreneurial, positive-thinking, and future-
oriented. It is not surprising, then, that our politics has not come
to grips with the question of national decline. Yes, our governing
elites have long debated America's power in the world and whether it's
eroding. But about the future of Americans, as opposed to the future
of the geopolitical hegemon, America, our most important politicians
and pundits have much less to say." [editor's note: Save, schmave ...
Just get the hell out of the way! - SAT] (05/23/12)
http://prospect.org/article/who-will-step-and-save-middle-class
-----
34) Charting fun with Krugman
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Robert P. Murphy
"In a few recent blog posts, Paul Krugman used bar graphs and tables
to (allegedly) prove the superiority of his views over those of the
Austrians. Yet, as I'll show in this article, I can use Krugman's own
data to demonstrate the exact opposite." (05/23/12)
http://mises.org/daily/6055/Charting-Fun-with-Krugman
-----
35) History repeats itself in Honduran drug-war killings
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G. Hornberger
"With Hondurans angrily demanding that the U.S. government withdraw
its drug-war personnel from the country, we shouldn't forget that this
isn't the first time that U.S. drug officials have participated in the
drug-war killing of innocent people. Almost 11 years ago, the CIA
helped Peruvian drug-war personnel kill a 35-year-old missionary named
Veronica Bowers and her 7-month-old baby Charity as they were flying
in a small Cessna from Brazil to Peru with their husband and
father." (05/23/12)
http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2012-05-23.asp
-----
36) But it's only for the terrorists
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by Mike Maharrey
"Supporters of detention provisions written into the NDAA continue to
perpetuate this myth that no 'non-terrorist' could ever possibly find
himself held indefinitely until the end of hostilities. In essence,
they claim, 'If the government says you're a terrorist, by God you
must be a terrorist.'" (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/d8a6tkw
-----
37) Freedom of speech does not grant you freedom from consquences
Source: Campaign For Liberty
by Sarah Harvard
"No one can deny the right to freedom of speech, right? Well, that's
not the case for a North Carolina high school student. Senior Hunter
Rogers has gotten into a bit of a stir with his teacher after she had
suggested that Rogers could be arrested for criticizing Pres. Obama.
The argument became a tangent off of a classroom discussion on a
Washington Post article releasing a story of Mitt Romney allegedly
bullying a fellow student while in high school." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/83csk4b
-----
38) WH leaks for propaganda film
Source: Salon
by Glenn Greenwald
"As is now well documented, the Obama administration has waged an
unprecedented war on whistleblowers, prosecuting more of them under
espionage statutes than all prior administrations combined: twice as
many as all prior administrations combined, in fact. ... But there's
one type of leak of classified information that the White House not
only approves of but itself routinely exploits: the type that
glorifies the President for propagandistic ends." (05/23/12)
http://www.salon.com/2012/05/23/wh_leaks_for_propaganda_film/
-----
39) Chicago: America's repression capital
Source: Freedom's Phoenix
by Stephen Lendman
"Chicago's my home. I live north of the Chicago River. It's the
traditional North/South dividing line. I'm close to where protests
occurred on the Michigan Ave Bridge and nearby. Cops were everywhere.
In partial lockdown, my building was affected. Some residents felt
unsafe to go out. With well-armed police in riot-gear, knowledgeable
Chicagoans know the risks of getting in harm's way. Anyone can be
targeted for any reason. Cops are notoriously brutal. They have carte
blanche authority to operate with impunity. They take full
advantage." (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/LDmKkV
-----
40) Torture and the CIA
Source: The American Conservative
by Philip Giraldi
"Hard Measures: How Aggressive CIA Actions After 9/11 Saved American
Lives is largely a defense of [author Jose] Rodriguez's role in the
CIA's use of torture on suspected terrorists in the aftermath of 9/11.
Rodriguez argues that what he describes as 'enhanced interrogation
techniques' were necessary to obtain information on terrorist
activities. His employment of the euphemism underscores his argument
that these procedures were found to be legal by Bush administration
lawyers and that they do not constitute torture, which is a war
crime." (05/23/12)
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/torture-and-the-cia/
-----
41) Afghanistan's corruption breeds failure
Source: Cato Institute
by Malou Innocent and Danny Markus
"Corruption in Afghanistan extends beyond petty bribery and kickbacks,
so much that too many Karzai power brokers gain much from war and will
lose from peace. Corruption is everywhere, from the central government
to development and security contracting. Speak out against corruption
too strongly, however, and you may find yourself prohibited from
entering the country." (05/22/12)
http://bit.ly/LDcbhL
-----
42) Dalai Oliver
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Jan Boucek
"At a press conference on the occasion of his receipt of the Templeton
prize, the Dalai Lama blamed last summer's riots on young people
'being brought up to believe that life was just easy. Life is not
easy. If you take for granted that life will be easy, then anger
develops, frustration and riots.' Indeed. Politicians spend a lot of
time promising to make life easy, alleviate risk and absolve
individuals from the consequences of their behaviour." (05/23/12)
http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/media-culture/dalai-oliver
-----
43) Judging the judge in Virginia
Source: Authority!
by Timothy J Taylor
"Republican Virginia state delegate Robert Marshall insists that
sodomy is not a civil right. That's why he says he's fighting to block
an 'extremely qualified' Virginia prosecutor who happens to be gay
from becoming a judge of the General District Court in Richmond. But
he claims his opposition has nothing to do with the man's sexual
orientation. He's only concerned about 'bias' in cases between 'a
homosexual and heterosexual.'" (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/LD9LQm
-----
44) Oh, but it's just a petty violation of liberty
Source: Bleeding Heart Libertarians
by Jason Brennan
"Prima facie, we should assume compulsory voting is wrong until shown
otherwise. Compulsory voting is, after all, compulsory. When a
government proposes to force people to do something, this is presumed
wrong and unjust until shown otherwise. In response to this point, I
keep encountering the following objection: Sure, compulsory voting
violates citizens' liberty. However, it's only a petty or trivial
violation." (05/22/12)
http://bit.ly/LD6ArL
-----
45) The freedom to disown
Source: EconLog
by Bryan Caplan
"Despite everything I've said, though, almost everyone also has one
very libertarian intuition on this subject. Namely: People have a
right to disown. Passing a law saying, 'You have to stay in touch with
your parents' or 'You can't disinherit your kids' just seems
tyrannical. And the reason isn't that such laws would be hard to
enforce. What could be easier than regulating bequests, or giving
grandparents the right to sue their kids for visitation with their
grandkids? The reason, rather, is that disowning is not 'coercive' in
a morally relevant sense." (05/23/12)
http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2012/05/the_freedom_to.html
-----
46) Cybersecurity: Your pressure is working
Source: Downsize DC
by James Wilson
"The Senate had planned to pass a cybsersecurity bill this month.
Instead, they put it off until June at least. They can't agree on what
should be in the bill. YOU played a role in this. With your calls and
letters, YOU protested privacy invasions and onerous regulations. We
must keep up the pressure." (05/22/12)
http://www.downsizedc.org/blog/cybersecurity-your-pressure-is-working
-----
47) Interventionism and the elites
Source: Antiwar.com
by Justin Raimondo
"The great gulf between the American public and the elites when it
comes to foreign policy is a constant source of irritation for the
latter. The mandarins of the foreign policy establishment have long
bemoaned the 'isolationism' of the American people. It's the natural
inclination of a free people to leave others alone, and the Founders
exemplified this sentiment when they decried the impulse to 'go abroad
in search of monsters to destroy.'" (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/LD1qMp
-----
48) Is that a spy in your pocket?
Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum
"How warrantless cellphone tracking threatens your
privacy." (05/23/12)
http://reason.com/archives/2012/05/23/is-that-a-spy-in-your-pocket
-----
49) Mr. Smoot vs. the Smart Meter, episode 3
Source: Dallas Libertarian Examiner
by Garry Reed
"Smart Meter Installer Number Three rang the bell and knocked
vigorously on Mr. Smoot's front door at 8:15 on Monday morning, May
21, 2012. He, like Installer One and Installer Two, announced his
intention to connect a digital electric meter to Smoot's Ft. Worth
home." (05/22/12)
http://exm.nr/LCX73K
-----
50) "To alter or abolish"
Source: LewRockwell.com
by Roger Young
"What makes government, government? What gives this institution,
created long before I was born, the power and legitimacy to rule my
life? Some would say if I object to or reject the legitimacy of any
government's rule over my life, I have the power to alter or abolish
it. Do I have that power individually?" (05/23/12)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/young-r8.1.1.html
------------------------------------------------------------------
FREEDOM AUDIO & VIDEO
------------------------------------------------------------------
51) Free Talk Live, 05/22/12
Source: Free Talk Live
"Arbitrary Police Orders :: Biden Visits Keene :: NATO Police State
Chicago :: Oath Keepers :: More NATO News -- Livestreamers Intimidated
by Cops :: Were the Molotov guys set up? :: Lying to be Official
Policy :: Contradictory Bumper Stickers :: Obama Hypocrite :: The
State is a Religion :: Activist Critique :: Stockholm Syndrome :: So-
called Illegals Coming Out :: Mark Interviews the CEO of Blueseed.co,
Max Marty." [MP3] (05/22/12)
http://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/ftl2012-05-22/download
-----
52) The autism-vaccination connection
Source: The Lew Rockwell Show
"Andrew Wakefield, MD, talks to Lew about how parents are beating Big
Pharma-State lies." [Flash audio or MP3] (05/22/12)
http://bit.ly/LDsBGT
-----
53) Joel Stein on his "stupid quest for masculinity"
Source: Hit & Run
"Stein sat down with Reason's Tim Cavanaugh to discuss Man Made, for
which he embarked on a journey to become more manly so that he can
properly raise his newborn son. In writing the book, Stein hunted for
the first time, became a day trader, endured Army boot camp, and
wrestled Randy Couture." [Flash video] (05/22/12)
http://bit.ly/LDsds5
-----
54) Cato Daily Podcast, 05/21/12
Source: Cato Institute
"Liberate public broadcasting: Defund it," featuring Trevor Burrus.
[Flash audio or MP3] (05/21/12)
http://bit.ly/LDrQxN
-----
55) Freedomain Radio #2138
Source: Freedomain Radio
"Redmond Weisenberger of Mises Canada discusses the Quebec student
riots with Stefan Molyneux, host of Freedomain Radio." [MP3]
(05/02/12)
http://bit.ly/LDrffo
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Somalia: Rival gangs intensify fight to impose government
2) Obama, Bush testimony sought in 9/11 case at Gitmo
3) Iraq: Eight killed
4) Afghanistan: Occupation troop killed
5) Pakistan: Four killed in US terror attack
6) Tunisia sets terms for extradition of ex-Libyan PM
7) Eager Egyptians hold landmark presidential vote
8) Russia test-fires missile amid tensions over NATO defense shield
announcement
9) Iran holds military maneuvers
10) NC: Store owner kills robbery suspects
11) MD: 911 dispatcher nods off during emergency call
12) CO: Referendum on undocumented driver's licenses moves forward
13) Report: Army more selective on recruits, re-enlistments
14) Pakistan: Doctor who helped find bin Laden jailed
15) Study: Simple scope exam cuts colon cancer deaths
16) Investors sue Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, others over Facebook
IPO
17) CA: Silicon Valley exec charged in Lego bar code scam
18) Russia: Protesters risk huge fines under new bill
19) Census bureaucrats: We undercount blacks, Hispanics and kids
20) US envoy to Afghanistan to step down, cites ill health
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Contagious community
22) So long as government exists, a ruling class is inevitable
23) Revisiting the responsibility of business managers
24) Lies: Lifeblood of politics
25) A tsunami of bad economics
26) Thirty-first President of the United States
27) How smokers' rights are being vapourised
28) Being there
29) All the states that "hate you"
30) Egypt's presidential election experiment
31) American workers: Shackled to labor law
32) The case against tax breaks for private equity
33) Who will save the middle class?
34) Charting fun with Krugman
35) History repeats itself in Honduran drug-war killings
36) But it's only for the terrorists
37) Freedom of speech does not grant you freedom from consquences
38) WH leaks for propaganda film
39) Chicago: America's repression capital
40) Torture and the CIA
41) Afghanistan's corruption breeds failure
42) Dalai Oliver
43) Judging the judge in Virginia
44) Oh, but it's just a petty violation of liberty
45) The freedom to disown
46) Cybersecurity: Your pressure is working
47) Interventionism and the elites
48) Is that a spy in your pocket?
49) Mr. Smoot vs. the Smart Meter, episode 3
50) "To alter or abolish"
Today's Freedom Audio and Video:
51) Free Talk Live, 05/22/12
52) The autism-vaccination connection
53) Joel Stein on his "stupid quest for masculinity"
54) Cato Daily Podcast, 05/21/12
55) Freedomain Radio #2138
------------------------------------------------------------------
FREEDOM NEWS
------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Somalia: Rival gangs intensify fight to impose government
Source: Globe and Mail [Canada]
"African Union and Somali government troops stepped up their assault
on al Shabaab militants in the capital's northern outskirts on
Wednesday, forcing hundreds of families to flee their makeshift homes
and head for the city centre. The AU force, which already controls
most of the capital, is trying to advance through the Afgoye corridor,
once a rural area northwest of Mogadishu but now home to hundreds of
thousands of Somalis uprooted from their homes." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/LD8OHI
-----
2) Obama, Bush testimony sought in 9/11 case at Gitmo
Source: Biloxi Sun Herald
"Defense lawyers in the Sept. 11 case at Guantanamo are seeking the
testimony of former President George W. Bush and President Barack
Obama in a motion to dismiss charges, according to a legal motion
released Wednesday. Lawyers for three of the five defendants charged
with planning and helping carry out the attacks say the charges should
be dismissed because Bush, Obama and other top officials have made
many statements that could influence potential jurors in their
eventual trial before a special tribunal known as a military
commission, according to the motion." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/6ok3ghw
-----
3) Iraq: Eight killed
Source: Agence France-Presse
"Three people were killed and 14 wounded in a shooting and three
roadside bombings in Baquba .... a roadside bomb exploded near a bus
carrying Lebanese Shiite pilgrims near Ramadi, capital of Anbar, a
Sunni Arab province west of Baghdad, killing three and wounding 10
others .... Two policemen were killed and five wounded in attacks in
the northern oil hub of Kirkuk .... Unknown gunmen attacked the house
of a high-ranking police officer, killing a police guard ... one
policeman was killed and two wounded by a magnetic 'sticky bomb' on
their vehicle ..." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/JTpCd5
-----
4) Afghanistan: Occupation troop killed
Source: Khaama Press [Afghanistan]
"A NATO service member was killed following an explosion in southern
regions of the country on Wednesday. ... The exact location of the
incident and nationality of the deceased soldier was not disclosed by
coalition security forces officials." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/JTf39R
-----
5) Pakistan: Four killed in US terror attack
Source: Voice of America [US state media]
"Pakistani intelligence officials say a U.S. drone strike has killed
four suspected militants in northwest Pakistan. The officials say two
missiles hit a compound Wednesday near Miranshah, in the tribal belt
near the Afghan border." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/LD4Fnf
-----
6) Tunisia sets terms for extradition of ex-Libyan PM
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"Libya's former prime minister will only be extradited to his country
if his life isn't in danger there and he can be guaranteed a fair
trial, Tunisia's presidential spokesman said Wednesday. The statement
to the state news agency tempers Tuesday's surprise announcement that
former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's last prime minister, Al-
Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi, would be sent back to Libya to stand trial,
despite the reservations of human rights organizations." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/7so5pfe
-----
7) Eager Egyptians hold landmark presidential vote
Source: Juneau Empire
"After a lifetime of being told who will rule them, Egyptians dove
enthusiastically into the uncertainty of the Arab world's first
competitive presidential race Wednesday, wrestling with a polarizing
choice between secularists rooted in Hosni Mubarak's old autocracy and
Islamists hoping to infuse the state with religion." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/72m2n7n
-----
8) Russia test-fires missile amid tensions over NATO defense shield
announcement
Source: CNN
"Russia test-fired a ballistic missile Wednesday, a move that comes
amid tensions about a recent NATO announcement that it placed an
interim missile defense shield in Europe. The intercontinental missile
was launched Wednesday morning from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in
northwestern Russia, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency
reported." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/6pvd4qd
-----
9) Iran holds military maneuvers
Source: El Paso Times
"Iran's official news agency says Iran's military has wound up a one-
day exercise in the center of the country. The Wednesday report by
IRNA says Gen. Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, commander of Iran's ground
forces, described the aim of the exercise as showing Iran's readiness
to confront 'global arrogance,' a reference to the United States, as
well as improving the capabilities of the forces." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/7axvj8b
-----
10) NC: Store owner kills robbery suspects
Source: WAVY News
"Two suspects have been shot and killed after an attempted robbery at
a store in Gates County, according to officials. Webb said two men
wearing bandanas on their faces and armed with guns tried to rob the
store's owner, who is in his 60s. The suspects reportedly kicked,
punched and beat the owner. When the owner fell to the ground, he was
able to grab a gun and shot blindly over his shoulder, hitting one
suspect, Webb said. When the owner got up, he shot the second
suspect. ... Both died at the scene." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/6rfeeph
-----
11) MD: 911 dispatcher nods off during emergency call
Source: The Raw Story
"A woman in Montgomery County, Maryland called for help when her
husband had difficulty breathing and started turning blue. According
to CNN, minutes into the call, the dispatcher on duty fell asleep and
began to snore. Moments later, a second dispatcher took up the call,
but became confused by the sound of the other man's snoring. ...
Finally, five and a half minutes into the call, the first dispatcher
[woke] up and [picked] up where he left off, asking the woman for her
address." [editor's note: New variation; dial 911 and ... ZZZ! - SAT]
(05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/6pezgx7
-----
12) CO: Referendum on undocumented driver's licenses moves forward
Source: Fox News
"A coalition of immigrants' defense organizations has launched a
campaign in favor of Initiative 52, which -- if approved in November
-- would give driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants in
Colorado. For Initiative 52 to be included on the ballot in November,
the campaign must collect slightly more than 86,000 signatures from
registered voters before Aug. 6. Driver's Licenses for All asks that
'all residents of Colorado, although they may not be able to prove
legal residence in the state, be able to obtain a driver's license or
an identity card,' if they fulfill certain conditions, said Jose
Sanchez, the press coordinator for the campaign." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/6m3fqfv
-----
13) Report: Army more selective on recruits, re-enlistments
Source: Arizona Republic
"In sharp contrast to the peak years of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars,
the Army last year took in no recruits with misconduct convictions or
drug or alcohol issues, according to internal documents obtained by
The Associated Press. And soldiers already serving on active duty now
must meet tougher standards to stay on for further tours in uniform.
The Army is also spending hundreds of thousands of dollars less in
bonuses to attract recruits or entice soldiers to remain." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/7lems9h
-----
14) Pakistan: Doctor who helped find bin Laden jailed
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"A Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA find Osama Bin Laden has been
jailed for at least 30 years, officials say. Shakil Afridi was charged
with treason and tried under the tribal justice system for running a
fake vaccination programme to gather information. The US state
department said there was 'no basis' for the charges, but declined to
make a specific comment on the doctor's sentence. Bin Laden was killed
by US forces in Abbottabad in May 2011." (05/23/12)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18175964
-----
15) Study: Simple scope exam cuts colon cancer deaths
Source: Arizona Republic
"A simple, cheaper exam of just the lower part of the bowel can cut
the risk of developing colon cancer or dying of the disease, a large
federal study has found. Many doctors recommend a more complete test
-- colonoscopy -- but many people refuse that costly, unpleasant exam.
The new study shows that the simpler test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, can
be a good option. Although it may seem similar to having a mammogram
on just one breast, experts say that even a partial bowel exam is
better than none." (05/22/12)
http://tinyurl.com/6t3j85g
-----
16) Investors sue Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, others over Facebook
IPO
Source: Bloomberg
"Morgan Stanley (MS), Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) and JPMorgan Chase
& Co. were sued along with other underwriters and Facebook Inc. (FB)
by investors who claimed they were misled in the purchase of the
social network firm's stock. The investors said the members of a
proposed class action, or group lawsuit have lost more than $2.5
billion since the initial public offering last week, according to a
complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court." (05/23/12)
http://bloom.bg/LDntCC
-----
17) CA: Silicon Valley exec charged in Lego bar code scam
Source: Globe and Mail [Canada]
"A Silicon Valley software executive put fake bar codes on Lego sets
at various Target stores, bought the toys at a steep discount, then
sold them online for thousands of dollars, authorities said. Thomas
Langenbach, 47, appeared in court Tuesday on four felony counts of
burglary that could net him up to five years in prison if convicted.
He did not enter a plea." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/KdrWrC
-----
18) Russia: Protesters risk huge fines under new bill
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"A bill which massively increases the size of fines for unapproved
rallies in Russia has begun its passage through parliament amid strong
protests. MPs from President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party
passed the bill in its first reading by a majority of 236 to 207 in
the State Duma. Rally organisers could face maximum fines of 1.5m
roubles (#30,000; $48,000), up from 50,000 roubles." (05/22/12)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18165051
-----
19) Census bureaucrats: We undercount blacks, Hispanics and kids
Source: USA Today
"The Census continued to miss blacks and Hispanics in 2010 despite
achieving what was probably the most accurate count in the nation's
history, according to Census analysis out Tuesday. The Census counted
36,000 too many people -- a slim 0.01% net national overcount. In the
previous Census in 2000, there was a 0.49% overcount." (05/22/12)
http://tinyurl.com/c4vr4dr
-----
20) US envoy to Afghanistan to step down, cites ill health
Source: MSNBC
"U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker confirmed on Tuesday that
he plans to step down this summer because of ill health, and sources
said he was held in high regard and was not pushed out. 'Today,
Ambassador Ryan Crocker confirmed to the Afghan Government, U.S.
Mission Afghanistan, and the ISAF community that he intends to depart
his post for health reasons in mid-summer,' State Department
spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, referring to the International
Security Assistance Force." (05/22/12)
http://tinyurl.com/c6j6p99
------------------------------------------------------------------
HEALTH-OF-THE-STATE-O-METER, 05/24/12
Iraqi Deaths Due to US Invasion: 1,455,590
(source: justforeignpolicy.org/iraq)
US Deaths in Afghanistan: Bush 575, Obama 1310
(source: justforeignpolicy.org/obamavsbush)
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
FREEDOM COMMENTARY
------------------------------------------------------------------
21) Contagious community
Source: Acton Institute
by Jordan Ballor
"Last year's movie Contagion, which featured a star-studded ensemble
cast, was successful in large part because it portrayed in a concrete,
realistic, and believable way some of the deepest fears of human
beings. All of us recognize, to one extent or another, the precious
gift that life is, and we also recognize life's inherent fragility.
This shared human understanding is one of the things that makes
disaster stories -- films in particular -- so popular." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/85e53pq
-----
22) So long as government exists, a ruling class is inevitable
Source: Center for a Stateless Society
by Kevin Carson
"In essence, it's the cyclical phenomenon described by Orwell's
fictional 'Emanuel Goldstein': The high and middle eternally jockeying
for power over the low, with the middle in each revolution enlisting
the help of the low long enough to oust the old ruling class and set
themselves up as the new one. Since the rise of the state as an
instrument of economic exploitation on behalf of a ruling class, there
have been endless attempts to achieve justice through revolutionary
seizure of the state -- each one ending in failure and
disillusionment." (05/23/12)
http://c4ss.org/content/10425
-----
23) Revisiting the responsibility of business managers
Source: A Passion for Liberty
by Tibor R. Machan
"People buy stocks, shares in a firm, mainly so as to delegate to the
officers the job of securing for them economic prosperity. What else
did all the folks who purchased the IPOs of Facebook want? (There is,
of course, much more to living a successful human life than this but
this is certainly not a negligible part of it -- why all the fuss
about poverty then?) Shareholders look to management for expertise
with finances, etc. and those who take such a job promise shareholders
this service." (05/22/12)
http://bit.ly/LD3KDi
-----
24) Lies: Lifeblood of politics
Source: Orange County Register
by Thomas Sowell
"The fact that so many successful politicians are such shameless liars
is not only a reflection on them, it is also a reflection on us. When
the people want the impossible, only liars can satisfy them, and only
in the short run. The current outbreaks of riots in Europe show what
happens when the truth catches up with both the politicians and the
people in the long run. Among the biggest lies of the welfare states
on both sides of the Atlantic is the notion that the government can
supply the people with things they want but cannot afford. Since the
government gets its resources from the people, if the people as a
whole cannot afford something, neither can the government." (05/22/12)
http://tinyurl.com/7nxhe3m
-----
25) A tsunami of bad economics
Source: Competitive Enterprise Institute
by Ryan Young
"The broken Krugman fallacy. Japan was hit by a tsunami last year on
March 11. That's not news, but the reaction of some economists sure
is. Just imagine looking up at a hundred-foot tall column of water
rushing towards you at highway speed. This was the last thing some
people ever saw. According to official estimates, that wave killed
more than 15,000 people and injured nearly 27,000 more. What's the
upside to this natural disaster?" (05/23/12)
http://cei.org/op-eds-articles/tsunami-bad-economics
-----
26) Thirty-first President of the United States
Source: Liberty For All
by staff
"Hoover (August 10, 1874-October 20, 1964) was the 31st President of
the United States (1929-33). Hoover was originally a professional
mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce
in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he
promoted partnerships between government and business under the rubric
'economic modernization'. In the presidential election of 1928, Hoover
easily won the Republican nomination, despite having no previous
elected-office experience." (05/23/12)
http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=7640
-----
27) How smokers' rights are being vapourised
Source: Spiked
by Jason Walsh
"The anti-smoking lobby has now targeted electronic cigarettes in
order to crack down even on the 'notion' of smoking." (05/23/12)
http://www.spiked-online.com/site/article/12473/
-----
28) Being there
Source: CounterPunch
by Missy Beattie
"Do protests and marches accomplish anything? Should I go? These
questions collided in my head. One friend advised against. Another
said I should. My children phoned, 'If you do, be careful.' I knew. I
just knew. I knew I would be in Chicago." (05/23/12)
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/05/23/being-there/
-----
29) All the states that "hate you"
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
by Mark Morford
"Perhaps 'hate' is too strong a word. Perhaps it is too strong a word
because, let's admit, a great many people living within the confines
of the nation's sort of sour, sort of aggressively uptight, anti-
everything flyover states -- AKA Kansas, Arizona, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, South and
apparently most of North Carolina, not to mention swaths of Texas the
size of Texas -- they do not actually hate you, per se. Of course they
don't. Nor do they hate gays, or women, or immigrants, or liberals, or
Muslims, or Jews, or Obama, or ... It just seems like they
do." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/745nsvk
-----
30) Egypt's presidential election experiment
Source: The Nation
by Sharif Abdel Kouddous
"Egypt is gripped by election fever. A frenetic mix of excitement and
anxiety has taken over the country on the eve of its first-ever
competitive presidential poll fifteen months after thirty-year
autocrat Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office in a popular uprising.
Scuffed campaign posters plaster neighborhoods across the capital,
clinging to everything from walls to lamp posts to car
windows." (05/22/12)
http://tinyurl.com/83chycy
-----
31) American workers: Shackled to labor law
Source: In These Times
by Josh Eidelson
"Republicans hate the National Labor Relations Board. But they're not
the only ones. In speeches to workers and testimony in Congress in the
'80s and '90s, then-AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland repeatedly
declared that union members would be better served by 'the law of the
jungle.' Some union presidents agreed, including Richard Trumka, who
now heads the AFL-CIO. ... In other words, it's not just Mitt Romney
who argues the National Labor Relations Board -- which interprets and
enforces labor law -- does more harm than good." [editor's note: Hell,
us libertarians (from both ends of the alleged "spectrum") have been
saying this (perhaps for varying reasons) for decades! - SAT]
(05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/79ro2xh
-----
32) The case against tax breaks for private equity
Source: Our Future
by Jeff Madrick
"I wanted to wait a few days before commenting on Newark Mayor Cory
Booker's spontaneous criticism of Barack Obama for picking on Mitt
Romney's experience at Bain Capital. Booker doesn't know much of
anything about private equity, but many financial services donors have
his ear. He took in nearly half a million dollars in campaign
donations from the industry over the last nine months, and he frankly
sounded like its mouthpiece." [editor's note: Don't raise their taxes;
DO end the subsidies on the other end of the scale - SAT] (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/7s6d3k9
-----
33) Who will save the middle class?
Source: The American Prospect
by Jeff Faux
"In the eyes of most of the world and in our own, to be an American is
to be an optimist -- entrepreneurial, positive-thinking, and future-
oriented. It is not surprising, then, that our politics has not come
to grips with the question of national decline. Yes, our governing
elites have long debated America's power in the world and whether it's
eroding. But about the future of Americans, as opposed to the future
of the geopolitical hegemon, America, our most important politicians
and pundits have much less to say." [editor's note: Save, schmave ...
Just get the hell out of the way! - SAT] (05/23/12)
http://prospect.org/article/who-will-step-and-save-middle-class
-----
34) Charting fun with Krugman
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Robert P. Murphy
"In a few recent blog posts, Paul Krugman used bar graphs and tables
to (allegedly) prove the superiority of his views over those of the
Austrians. Yet, as I'll show in this article, I can use Krugman's own
data to demonstrate the exact opposite." (05/23/12)
http://mises.org/daily/6055/Charting-Fun-with-Krugman
-----
35) History repeats itself in Honduran drug-war killings
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G. Hornberger
"With Hondurans angrily demanding that the U.S. government withdraw
its drug-war personnel from the country, we shouldn't forget that this
isn't the first time that U.S. drug officials have participated in the
drug-war killing of innocent people. Almost 11 years ago, the CIA
helped Peruvian drug-war personnel kill a 35-year-old missionary named
Veronica Bowers and her 7-month-old baby Charity as they were flying
in a small Cessna from Brazil to Peru with their husband and
father." (05/23/12)
http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2012-05-23.asp
-----
36) But it's only for the terrorists
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by Mike Maharrey
"Supporters of detention provisions written into the NDAA continue to
perpetuate this myth that no 'non-terrorist' could ever possibly find
himself held indefinitely until the end of hostilities. In essence,
they claim, 'If the government says you're a terrorist, by God you
must be a terrorist.'" (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/d8a6tkw
-----
37) Freedom of speech does not grant you freedom from consquences
Source: Campaign For Liberty
by Sarah Harvard
"No one can deny the right to freedom of speech, right? Well, that's
not the case for a North Carolina high school student. Senior Hunter
Rogers has gotten into a bit of a stir with his teacher after she had
suggested that Rogers could be arrested for criticizing Pres. Obama.
The argument became a tangent off of a classroom discussion on a
Washington Post article releasing a story of Mitt Romney allegedly
bullying a fellow student while in high school." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/83csk4b
-----
38) WH leaks for propaganda film
Source: Salon
by Glenn Greenwald
"As is now well documented, the Obama administration has waged an
unprecedented war on whistleblowers, prosecuting more of them under
espionage statutes than all prior administrations combined: twice as
many as all prior administrations combined, in fact. ... But there's
one type of leak of classified information that the White House not
only approves of but itself routinely exploits: the type that
glorifies the President for propagandistic ends." (05/23/12)
http://www.salon.com/2012/05/23/wh_leaks_for_propaganda_film/
-----
39) Chicago: America's repression capital
Source: Freedom's Phoenix
by Stephen Lendman
"Chicago's my home. I live north of the Chicago River. It's the
traditional North/South dividing line. I'm close to where protests
occurred on the Michigan Ave Bridge and nearby. Cops were everywhere.
In partial lockdown, my building was affected. Some residents felt
unsafe to go out. With well-armed police in riot-gear, knowledgeable
Chicagoans know the risks of getting in harm's way. Anyone can be
targeted for any reason. Cops are notoriously brutal. They have carte
blanche authority to operate with impunity. They take full
advantage." (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/LDmKkV
-----
40) Torture and the CIA
Source: The American Conservative
by Philip Giraldi
"Hard Measures: How Aggressive CIA Actions After 9/11 Saved American
Lives is largely a defense of [author Jose] Rodriguez's role in the
CIA's use of torture on suspected terrorists in the aftermath of 9/11.
Rodriguez argues that what he describes as 'enhanced interrogation
techniques' were necessary to obtain information on terrorist
activities. His employment of the euphemism underscores his argument
that these procedures were found to be legal by Bush administration
lawyers and that they do not constitute torture, which is a war
crime." (05/23/12)
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/torture-and-the-cia/
-----
41) Afghanistan's corruption breeds failure
Source: Cato Institute
by Malou Innocent and Danny Markus
"Corruption in Afghanistan extends beyond petty bribery and kickbacks,
so much that too many Karzai power brokers gain much from war and will
lose from peace. Corruption is everywhere, from the central government
to development and security contracting. Speak out against corruption
too strongly, however, and you may find yourself prohibited from
entering the country." (05/22/12)
http://bit.ly/LDcbhL
-----
42) Dalai Oliver
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Jan Boucek
"At a press conference on the occasion of his receipt of the Templeton
prize, the Dalai Lama blamed last summer's riots on young people
'being brought up to believe that life was just easy. Life is not
easy. If you take for granted that life will be easy, then anger
develops, frustration and riots.' Indeed. Politicians spend a lot of
time promising to make life easy, alleviate risk and absolve
individuals from the consequences of their behaviour." (05/23/12)
http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/media-culture/dalai-oliver
-----
43) Judging the judge in Virginia
Source: Authority!
by Timothy J Taylor
"Republican Virginia state delegate Robert Marshall insists that
sodomy is not a civil right. That's why he says he's fighting to block
an 'extremely qualified' Virginia prosecutor who happens to be gay
from becoming a judge of the General District Court in Richmond. But
he claims his opposition has nothing to do with the man's sexual
orientation. He's only concerned about 'bias' in cases between 'a
homosexual and heterosexual.'" (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/LD9LQm
-----
44) Oh, but it's just a petty violation of liberty
Source: Bleeding Heart Libertarians
by Jason Brennan
"Prima facie, we should assume compulsory voting is wrong until shown
otherwise. Compulsory voting is, after all, compulsory. When a
government proposes to force people to do something, this is presumed
wrong and unjust until shown otherwise. In response to this point, I
keep encountering the following objection: Sure, compulsory voting
violates citizens' liberty. However, it's only a petty or trivial
violation." (05/22/12)
http://bit.ly/LD6ArL
-----
45) The freedom to disown
Source: EconLog
by Bryan Caplan
"Despite everything I've said, though, almost everyone also has one
very libertarian intuition on this subject. Namely: People have a
right to disown. Passing a law saying, 'You have to stay in touch with
your parents' or 'You can't disinherit your kids' just seems
tyrannical. And the reason isn't that such laws would be hard to
enforce. What could be easier than regulating bequests, or giving
grandparents the right to sue their kids for visitation with their
grandkids? The reason, rather, is that disowning is not 'coercive' in
a morally relevant sense." (05/23/12)
http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2012/05/the_freedom_to.html
-----
46) Cybersecurity: Your pressure is working
Source: Downsize DC
by James Wilson
"The Senate had planned to pass a cybsersecurity bill this month.
Instead, they put it off until June at least. They can't agree on what
should be in the bill. YOU played a role in this. With your calls and
letters, YOU protested privacy invasions and onerous regulations. We
must keep up the pressure." (05/22/12)
http://www.downsizedc.org/blog/cybersecurity-your-pressure-is-working
-----
47) Interventionism and the elites
Source: Antiwar.com
by Justin Raimondo
"The great gulf between the American public and the elites when it
comes to foreign policy is a constant source of irritation for the
latter. The mandarins of the foreign policy establishment have long
bemoaned the 'isolationism' of the American people. It's the natural
inclination of a free people to leave others alone, and the Founders
exemplified this sentiment when they decried the impulse to 'go abroad
in search of monsters to destroy.'" (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/LD1qMp
-----
48) Is that a spy in your pocket?
Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum
"How warrantless cellphone tracking threatens your
privacy." (05/23/12)
http://reason.com/archives/2012/05/23/is-that-a-spy-in-your-pocket
-----
49) Mr. Smoot vs. the Smart Meter, episode 3
Source: Dallas Libertarian Examiner
by Garry Reed
"Smart Meter Installer Number Three rang the bell and knocked
vigorously on Mr. Smoot's front door at 8:15 on Monday morning, May
21, 2012. He, like Installer One and Installer Two, announced his
intention to connect a digital electric meter to Smoot's Ft. Worth
home." (05/22/12)
http://exm.nr/LCX73K
-----
50) "To alter or abolish"
Source: LewRockwell.com
by Roger Young
"What makes government, government? What gives this institution,
created long before I was born, the power and legitimacy to rule my
life? Some would say if I object to or reject the legitimacy of any
government's rule over my life, I have the power to alter or abolish
it. Do I have that power individually?" (05/23/12)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/young-r8.1.1.html
------------------------------------------------------------------
FREEDOM AUDIO & VIDEO
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51) Free Talk Live, 05/22/12
Source: Free Talk Live
"Arbitrary Police Orders :: Biden Visits Keene :: NATO Police State
Chicago :: Oath Keepers :: More NATO News -- Livestreamers Intimidated
by Cops :: Were the Molotov guys set up? :: Lying to be Official
Policy :: Contradictory Bumper Stickers :: Obama Hypocrite :: The
State is a Religion :: Activist Critique :: Stockholm Syndrome :: So-
called Illegals Coming Out :: Mark Interviews the CEO of Blueseed.co,
Max Marty." [MP3] (05/22/12)
http://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/ftl2012-05-22/download
-----
52) The autism-vaccination connection
Source: The Lew Rockwell Show
"Andrew Wakefield, MD, talks to Lew about how parents are beating Big
Pharma-State lies." [Flash audio or MP3] (05/22/12)
http://bit.ly/LDsBGT
-----
53) Joel Stein on his "stupid quest for masculinity"
Source: Hit & Run
"Stein sat down with Reason's Tim Cavanaugh to discuss Man Made, for
which he embarked on a journey to become more manly so that he can
properly raise his newborn son. In writing the book, Stein hunted for
the first time, became a day trader, endured Army boot camp, and
wrestled Randy Couture." [Flash video] (05/22/12)
http://bit.ly/LDsds5
-----
54) Cato Daily Podcast, 05/21/12
Source: Cato Institute
"Liberate public broadcasting: Defund it," featuring Trevor Burrus.
[Flash audio or MP3] (05/21/12)
http://bit.ly/LDrQxN
-----
55) Freedomain Radio #2138
Source: Freedomain Radio
"Redmond Weisenberger of Mises Canada discusses the Quebec student
riots with Stefan Molyneux, host of Freedomain Radio." [MP3]
(05/02/12)
http://bit.ly/LDrffo
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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