07/12 -- Just laws, cop abuse, and the arrogance of Eric Garcetti; Shurat HaDin versus Facebook: Vexatious litigation as warfare
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Thomas L. Knapp
Jul 12, 2016, 6:39:58 AM7/12/16
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 07/12/2106
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Hague tribunal rules against China in South China Sea claim
2) UK: Cameron to resign Wednesday; May will become PM
3) Iraq: Suicide bombing in Baghdad Shiite district kills 11
4) Somalia: Al-Shabab attack on military base kills at least five
5) Syria: Rebels' bid to reopen Aleppo supply line foiled
6) MD: Five shot during vigil for slain Baltimore man
7) South Sudan: Kiir calls for ceasefire
8) NC: Pols keep public from seeing police camera videos
9) Honduras: Five police accused of drug conspiracy surrender to US
10) Black Lives Matter protestors arrested as agitations block major highways
11) Carter: More US troops to deploy to Iraq before Mosul offensive
12) ME: Wingnuts admit ballot measure is "first step to recriminalizing homosexuality"
13) SC: Megachurch fires founder over alcohol abuse, "posture toward marriage"
14) South Africa: Twins allegedly planned attacks on US Embassy, Jewish buildings
15) Flaw allows attackers to remotely tamper with BMW's in-car infotainment system
16) MI: Three killed, three injured in courthouse shooting
17) Soda maker's campaign drinks: Trump Tonic and Hillary Hooch
18) Report: 1,200 women assaulted on New Year's Eve in German cities
19) Relatives of Israel attack victims file frivolous suit against Facebook
20) Iran: Regime announces indictments for three dual nationals, foreigner
21) Ethiopia: Regime blocks social media ahead of exams
22) North Korea: Regime says it will treat US detainees under "wartime law"
23) Twitter reported forces tweet archiver PostGhost to shut down
24) US House votes to block civilian aircraft sales to Iran, threatening Boeing deal
25) Oil prices slide as US shale drillers adjust to lower prices
Today's Freedom Commentary:
26) Just laws, cop abuse, and the arrogance of Eric Garcetti
27) Shurat HaDin versus Facebook: Vexatious litigation as warfare
28) Transgender bathroom panic will help shape Republican Party platform
29) Do you believe being armed is a cultural norm or not?
30) Even when school choice works, critics call it a failure
31) Promesa for whom?
32) Consistency
33) Theft by government: Fines and code violations and environmental laws
34) Will Trump go Pence, or go rogue?
35) The Burr vs. Hamilton duel happened 212 years ago today
36) Designing economic solutions is fine but we want the chaotic serendipity of undirected markets too
37) Is belief in the moral parity thesis dangerous? (Probably not. But even if so, so what?)
38) May, Merkel, Clinton ... The year of female leaders?
39) Flynn's warped worldview
40) To live and die on Facebook
41) The Bob Zadek Show, 07/05/16
42) Trump created campaign on Leno and Letterman
43) The Ghostbusters Foley
44) Algal mess
45) A note on the police or -- "why I don't trust the police"
46) Not a better way
47) Don't stop the revolution: The Sanders movement after Orlando
48) 2016: The new 1969
49) Unintended consequences and the warfare state
50) Delinquency rates rising: Is a new crisis approaching?
51) A sound-science, free-market approach to GMO labeling
52) The no-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict
53) Our three languages of politics
54) The new immoral age
55) Free Talk Live, 07/10/16
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FREEDOM NEWS
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1) Hague tribunal rules against China in South China Sea claim
Source: The Star Online [Malaysia]
"In a landmark ruling on Tuesday, an arbitral tribunal concluded that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within its 'nine-dash line.' ... It said China had violated the Philippines' sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Ahead of the announcement, China's state-run Xinhua news agency said the 'law-abusing tribunal' had issued an 'ill-founded award.' China has refused to take part in the case, saying it involves a determination of who owns what in the South China Sea -- that is, sovereignty -- which falls under the purview of the International Court of Justice." (07/12/16)
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2) UK: Cameron to resign Wednesday; May will become PM
Source: CNN
"British Prime Minister David Cameron is to resign Wednesday, paving the way for Home Secretary Theresa May to take the reins. May was officially named Conservative Party leader and successor to Cameron "with immediate effect" Monday, said Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee, a collection of Conservative members of Parliament key to electing the party leader. She will replace Cameron on Wednesday evening." (07/11/16)
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3) Iraq: Suicide bombing in Baghdad Shiite district kills 11
Source: ABC News
"A suicide car bomb ripped through an outdoor market in a Shiite-dominated northeastern district of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people, officials said, as government forces deployed across much of the Iraqi capital in preparation for a major military parade later this week. ... No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but it bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State group." (07/12/16)
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4) Somalia: Al-Shabab attack on military base kills at least five
Source: United Press International
"Al-Shabab militants killed at least five Somali soldiers at a military base 25 miles from Mogadishu, the Somali capital, local government officials said Monday. An overnight raid on the facility in the village of Lanta Buuro began with an explosive-laden vehicle driven through the front gates, Ibraahim Aadan Najah, governor of Lower Shabelle province, said. Members of the al-Shabab entered the camp on foot, stole weapons and vehicles and later told Radio Andulus, a local broadcaster supportive of the militant group, it killed 30 Somali soldiers." (07/11/16)
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5) Syria: Rebels' bid to reopen Aleppo supply line foiled
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatar]
"Syrian regime forces have repelled a fierce assault by opposition fighters seeking to reopen their only supply route into Aleppo city, killing at least 29 rebels, a monitoring group said on Sunday. The offensive sought to push government forces back from Castello Road, which leads into the opposition-held eastern half of Aleppo city -- now effectively besieged by government troops." (07/11/16)
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6) MD: Five shot during vigil for slain Baltimore man
Source: New York Post
"Police say five people attending a candlelight vigil in for a man killed in west Baltimore were shot when a gunman opened fire on the crowd. Detective Donny Moses said in a phone interview that about 25 people had gathered about 6:30 p.m. Monday at Fulton and North avenues, where 24-year-old Jermaine Schofield was shot and killed early Sunday. ... All the injuries were described as non-life-threatening." (07/12/16)
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7) South Sudan: Kiir calls for ceasefire
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has ordered a ceasefire after days of intense fighting with former rebels in the capital, Juba, state TV says. More than 200 people are reported to have died in the clashes, involving heavy artillery, tanks and helicopters. The violence erupted with a shootout between forces loyal to President Kiir and first Vice-President Riek Machar. The UN Security Council had urged both sides to stop fighting, amid fears for the safety of millions of civilians." (07/11/16)
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8) NC: Pols keep public from seeing police camera videos
Source: WXII 12
"North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has signed a bill excluding police video recordings from being scrutinized as public records despite opposition from civil liberties groups, which say it will deepen divides in communities already reeling from the killings by police of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. McCrory on Monday signed the state's first law detailing who can view and obtain footage from body cameras and dashboard cameras. The law says the footage is neither public record nor a personnel record. It allows the video's subject or their representative to ask to view recordings." (07/11/16)
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9) Honduras: Five police accused of drug conspiracy surrender to US
Source: Jamestown Sun
"Five Honduran police accused of conspiring to smuggle drugs have surrendered to U.S. authorities and been extradited to the United States, authorities said on Monday. The policemen, who were charged in Manhattan federal court for planning to import cocaine into the United States, turned themselves in at Honduras' Palmerola military base following a request for their extradition last week, Honduran Security Minister Julian Pacheco said. They were flown to New York on a plane chartered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration." (07/11/16)
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10) Black Lives Matter protestors arrested as agitations block major highways
Source: Hawaii Telegraph
"Over 300 protestors have been arrested over the weekend during intense, sometimes violent, clashes over the recent killings of black men at the hands of the police. According to reports, around 50 protestors were detained by police in Baton Rouge on Sunday evening and in the wee hours of Monday morning, while another handful were arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, despite pleas for calm by authorities, senior officials and Valerie Castile, mother of victim Philando Castile." (07/11/16)
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11) Carter: More US troops to deploy to Iraq before Mosul offensive
Source: ABC News
"During a surprise trip to Baghdad, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that the U.S. will deploy another 560 troops to Iraq -- bringing the total U.S. troop levels authorized for the country to 4,647. The additional troops will deploy in the coming days and weeks and will provide infrastructure and logistical support to the Qarayyah airfield, about 40 kilometers south of Mosul. Earlier in the day, Carter said that U.S. and coalition forces will use the airfield, recently seized by Iraqi Security Forces, as a logistical hub in advance of the upcoming battle for ISIS-held city of Mosul." (07/11/16)
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12) ME: Wingnuts admit ballot measure is "first step to recriminalizing homosexuality"
Source: Raw Story
"A right-wing Christian activist group is pushing a ballot measure that would strip LGBT protections from the voter-approved Maine Human Rights Act, but they actually have another goal in mind. Michael Heath, former head of the Christian Civic League of Maine, is promoting an initiative to remove 'sexual orientation' from the measure passed 11 years ago by voters, but he admits his true aim is to legally ban homosexuality, reported WGME-TV 'There is conduct that ought to be punished, and Christianity teaches, has always taught and still does teach, that sodomy is such a behavior,' Heath said. Heath has formed a new group, 'Equal Rights, Not Special Rights,' to collect signatures in hopes of removing LGBT protections from state law." [editor's note: Come on, my homelanders; squash this nonsense in its cradle! - SAT] (07/11/16)
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13) SC: Megachurch fires founder over alcohol abuse, "posture toward marriage"
Source: USA Today
"NewSpring Church, one of the fastest growing churches in South Carolina and the nation, removed its senior pastor and founder over alcohol abuse and a series of 'unfortunate choices and decisions' on Sunday. Perry Noble, who founded NewSpring Church, is 'no longer qualified to serve as pastor' at the state's largest church, Executive Pastor Shane Duffey, said Sunday. The church, which has a weekly attendance of 30,000, and raked in more than $64 million in 2015 alone, has been led by Noble since he unofficially began holding Wednesday Bible Study in his Anderson apartment in 1998. Within six weeks of its inception, the crowd had grown to 150." [editor's note: Stand up for liberty & equality under the law = early retirement - SAT] [additional editor's note: The guy was fired for alleged heavy drinking and marital problems, not for "standing up for" anything - TLK] (07/11/16)
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14) South Africa: Twins allegedly planned attacks on US Embassy, Jewish buildings
Source: Reuters
"South African twins arrested over the weekend were planning attacks on the U.S. Embassy in the capital Pretoria as well as on buildings owned by Jewish people, police said on Monday. Four South Africans, including the twins, Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee Thulsie, faced charges in court ranging from conspiracy to firearms offences, the spokesman for the elite police unit Hawks, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, said. The four, arrested in Johannesburg on Sunday, will be detained in custody until July 19, when their case will be heard, Mulaudzi said." (07/11/16)
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15) Flaw allows attackers to remotely tamper with BMW's in-car infotainment system
Source: The Hacker News
"The Internet of things or connected devices are the next big concerns, as more Internet connectivity means more access points which mean more opportunities for hackers. When it comes to the threat to Internet of Things, Car Hacking is a hot topic. Since many automobiles companies are offering cars that run mostly on the drive-by-wire system, a majority of functions are electronically controlled, like instrument cluster, steering, brakes, and accelerator." (07/07/16)
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16) MI: Three killed, three injured in courthouse shooting
Source: CBS Detroit
"Three people have been killed, including two bailiffs, and as many as three others were injured in a shooting at the Berrien County courthouse in southwest Michigan. The third person killed was the gunman -- who is believed to have been making a court appearance. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey said one of his deputies was wounded in the incident. He was taken to Lakeland Regional Hospital where his condition was not immediately known. There are reports that two additional court employees were shot and are in stable condition." (07/11/16)
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17) Soda maker's campaign drinks: Trump Tonic and Hillary Hooch
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
"A Connecticut soft drink company is hoping to add a little pop to this year's presidential election by releasing two specialty sodas named for the presumptive nominees. Avery's Beverages, a 112-year-old soda maker in New Britain, is offering Trump Tonic and Hillary Hooch -- named, of course, for Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. It's the third straight presidential campaign that Avery's has offered candidate-based drinks. The company will also be conducting a highly unscientific straw poll to track the race." [editor's note: So now they need Johnson Juice ... and Stein (or is it Sanders?) Sauce - SAT]
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18) Report: 1,200 women assaulted on New Year's Eve in German cities
Source: USA Today
"More than 1,200 women were sexually assaulted in German cities on New Year's Eve, including more than 600 in Cologne and about 400 in Hamburg -- far more than initially reported, according to German news media. Authorities believe 2,000 men were involved in the assaults, and 120 suspects -- many of them foreigners -- have been identified, The Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported Sunday, based on a leaked police document." (07/11/16)
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19) Relatives of Israel attack victims file frivolous suit against Facebook
Source: Express Tribune [Pakistan]
"A group of Israelis and Americans bereaved in Palestinian attacks said on Monday they would seek $1 billion in damages from Facebook Inc for alleged complicity, as part of a suit filed in the United States against the social media giant. The plaintiffs, relatives of four Israeli-US dual nationals and one visiting US citizen who died in attacks in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem or the occupied West Bank between 2014 and 2016, accused Facebook of helping Hamas militants operate. ... The private legal initiative follows censure from Israel's security minister over what he deemed the firm's reluctance to help track potential Palestinian militants and curb incitement to violence. In response, Facebook defended its regulations against online abuse." (07/11/16)
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20) Iran: Regime announces indictments for three dual nationals, foreigner
Source: Morganton News Herald
"Iran announced on Monday that three dual nationals and a foreigner held in the country have been indicted on unknown charges, part of a series of detentions in the wake of last year's nuclear deal with world powers. The four, who have ties to Britain, Canada and the United States, all are believed to have been detained by hard-liners in Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The reasons for their arrests remain unclear, though the husband of one of them says his family was told by the Guard that she would be released if the British government agreed to their demands." (07/11/16)
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21) Ethiopia: Regime blocks social media ahead of exams
Source: Economic Times [India]
"Ethiopia has blocked social media sites for the next few days, after questions from end-of-year exams were posted online last month, sparking a national scandal and leading to their annulment. A government spokesman said the ban was aimed at stopping students taking university entrance exams this week from being 'distracted.' Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Viber have been inaccessible in the Horn of Africa nation since Saturday morning. ... Ethiopia is one of the first African countries to censor the internet, beginning in 2006 with opposition blogs, according to experts." (07/11/16)
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22) North Korea: Regime says it will treat US detainees under "wartime law"
Source: Reuters
"North Korea said on Monday it has told the United States it will sever the only channel of communication between them, at the United Nations in New York, after Washington blacklisted leader Kim Jong Un last week for human rights abuses. All matters related to the United States, including the handling of American citizens detained by Pyongyang, will be conducted under its 'wartime law,' the North's official KCNA news agency said. The move is the latest escalation of tension with the isolated country, which earlier on Monday threatened a 'physical response' after the United States and South Korea said they would deploy the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea." (07/11/16)
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23) Twitter reported forces tweet archiver PostGhost to shut down
Source: NDTV [India]
"PostGhost -- a nascent website that kept copies of deleted tweets sent by verified users -- has decided to shut operations after micro-blogging site Twitter sent the start-up a notice. PostGhost kept copies of tweets sent by verified users with more than 10,000 followers, the Verge reported on Monday. Twitter sent a notice to PostGhost that recording deleted tweets was a violation of the service's terms. PostGhost agreed to shut down, with a detailed note to Twitter that such users are 'public figures' that should have their tweets recorded." [editor's note: It's amazing how far Twitter will go to make its service less useful. Sometimes I wonder if it's a Max Bialystock production - TLK] (07/11/16)
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24) US House votes to block civilian aircraft sales to Iran, threatening Boeing deal
Source: Antiwar.com
"In a move that threatens to cost major US airplane manufacturer Boeing $25 billion, the House of Representatives has tacked an amendment on to their latest spending bill which would ban all civilian aircraft sales to Iran under any circumstances. ... This would not only block Boeing's $25 billion sales, but European maker Airbus, whose planes include some American-made parts and subsequently need a US OFAC license as well. In effect, this would forbid Iran from buying any planes for their effort to modernize a dangerously outdated civilian fleet." [editor's note: Boeing should start putting a clause in its aircraft sales contracts requiring airlines to check a blacklist and deny boarding of Boeing-made aircraft to congresscritters who support bills like this - TLK] (07/10/16)
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25) Oil prices slide as US shale drillers adjust to lower prices
Source: OffshoreTechnology.com
"Oil prices have dropped due to signs that shale drillers in the US have adjusted because of lower fuel rates and renewed indications of Asian economic weaknesses. Brent crude was down 38 cents and traded at $46.38 per barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 46 cents at $44.95 a barrel, Reuters reported. The official selling price of Iran's light grade for Asia has been set by the country at $0.45 above the Oman/Dubai average for next month, which represents a fall of 40 cents in the month." (07/11/16)
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FREEDOM COMMENTARY
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26) Just laws, cop abuse, and the arrogance of Eric Garcetti
Source: Independent Country
by James Leroy Wilson
"[Los Angeles mayor Eric] Garcetti admits there will be some displacement with a minimum wage hike, but somehow thinks it's worth it. What will happen to the jobless? They'll likely get public assistance of various kinds. But also, the circumstances will encourage them to earn money in the unlicensed, untaxed shadow economy. ... that can lead to nosy neighbors calling the police, or police spotting and inquiring into 'suspicious' activity themselves. ... some of that police contact will get out of hand. Sometimes police will panic or become abusive. It's statistically likely the victims will disproportionately be racial minorities. And when an incident becomes a national headline, we'll again wonder how we can 'reform' police departments so they'll be less racist in practice. No doubt Eric Garcetti will have something reasonable and 'compassionate' to say. But it's the Garcettis of the world who are the fundamental problem." (07/11/16)
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27) Shurat HaDin versus Facebook: Vexatious litigation as warfare
Source: William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism
by Thomas L Knapp
"Facebook, [Shurat HaDin's] suit alleges, assists Hamas (in violation of the US Anti-Terrorism Act) in 'recruiting, radicalizing, and instructing terrorists, raising funds, creating fear and carrying out attacks.' The suit seeks to punish Facebook to the tune of $1 billion for failure to censor public communications of which the Israeli government disapproves. ... Shurat HaDin's lawsuits against Facebook ... are, in a word, 'lawfare': Asymmetric warfare carried out through abuse of legal and judicial systems to accomplish military aims." (07/11/16)
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28) Transgender bathroom panic will help shape Republican Party platform
Source: Reason
by Scott Shackford
"Delegates to the Republican National Convention will be spending the week hammering out the wording for the party's official platform. And the debate has gone into the toilet, purposefully. At hand among delegates in a platform subcommittee is whether the national party should oppose the current administration's efforts to mandate public schools accommodate transgender students in the bathroom and other gender-specific facilities. While there appears to be a push by some Republicans to get the party to ease off on LGBT social issues, they were unsuccessful in their effort to try to get them to stay out of this fight." (07/11/16)
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29) Do you believe being armed is a cultural norm or not?
Source: A Geek With Guns
by Christopher Burg
"Gun rights advocates usually argue that being armed isn't threatening in of itself. In fact they often scoff whenever an anti-gunners claims to be in fear for their lives when they see somebody who is armed. These gun rights advocates usually also argue that being armed should be a cultural norm. I agree with both sentiments. However, where I diverge from many supposed gun rights advocates is that my belief doesn't give an exception to anybody wearing a badge. Does somebody have grounds to be afraid for their life just because the see somebody else who is armed? If you don't believe they do then why should an officer be justified in fearing for their life just because they're interacting with somebody who is armed?" (07/11/16)
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30) Even when school choice works, critics call it a failure
Source: Independent Institute
by Vicki Alger
"Thomas Paine recommended vouchers to help parents afford private schools for their children more than 200 years ago. While most college students today use vouchers to attend public or private colleges and universities, the concept remains needlessly controversial when it comes to parents using them for their school-age children. For example, in a recent Washington Post article Emma Brown recently claimed school choice hasn't worked based on evidence from New York City, where students are no longer assigned to public high schools based on their zip codes." (07/11/16)
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31) Promesa for whom?
Source: The American Prospect
by Julio Lopez Varona
"President Barack Obama signed the bipartisan Puerto Rico bill into law just one day before a July 1 deadline for the island to make a $2 billion debt payment. Puerto Rico's government had said it would be unable to make yet another payment, just the latest in a string of defaults on the island's $70 billion in unpaid debts. The rescue package won strong bipartisan majorities on Capitol Hill, but the 3.5 million U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico have little reason to celebrate. That's because at its core, PROMESA (officially the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act) is more focused on ensuring that the wealthy bondholders get paid than it is on addressing the island's soaring poverty and unemployment, which stands at 14 percent." [editor's note: Why would "promise" be any less crony-corporatist than ... "hope" has been? - SAT] (07/11/16)
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32) Consistency
Source: Kent's "Hooligan Libertarian" Blog
by Kent McManigal
"It scares and confuses a LOT of people. They want you to make exceptions for those they worship. They want you to make exceptions for State policies and 'laws' they like. They want you to make exceptions for things they choose to not understand. They simply want and need exceptions to give room for some inconsistent positions. And, I try hard to not leave room for inconsistencies -- but I'm quite sure I'm not perfect. It won't gain you friends among these people to be consistent. I've known that for a long time." (07/11/16)
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33) Theft by government: Fines and code violations and environmental laws
Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton
"Whether it is conservation laws (water, especially) or environmental protection laws (illegal trash disposal, illegal drainage into storm drains, illegal septic tanks, etc.) or property maintenance laws like the above, they exist SUPPOSEDLY to make the communities look good. The excuse is that government is supposed to protect the health and safety of their people, a vast expansion of government that was once justified as protecting people from aggression. And never mind that the greatest threats that modern governments see today to people's safety and health are the various people themselves. We MUST be protected from ourselves. But the PRACTICAL benefit to the boards and commissions and councils that pass these is MONEY, fines and fees." (07/11/16)
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34) Will Trump go Pence, or go rogue?
Source: The New Republic
by Jeet Heer
"Donald Trump prides himself on keeping his legion of enemies off-balance with sheer unpredictability. That's certainly the tactic that's driven his process for choosing a running mate. The announcement is imminent, with the Republican National Convention opening July 18. The Washington Times reported on Sunday that it's a '95 percent' likelihood he's already settled on his least-interesting and most-reassuring choice, colorless Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who'll appear with him at a rally and fundraiser on Tuesday. But with his showman's flair, Trump is still publicly trotting out contenders (Chris Christie's turn comes on Monday in Virginia) and gleefully fueling speculation that he still might go fantastically rogue." (07/11/16)
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35) The Burr vs. Hamilton duel happened 212 years ago today
Source: The National Constitution Center
by staff
"Today marks the 212th anniversary of the deadly duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. What caused the sitting vice president to shoot and kill a Founding Father on the cliffs overlooking New York City? Historians are still arguing over the events in Weehawken, New Jersey, on July 11, 1804. The men became bitter enemies over political and personal issues, but a lot is still in dispute over the duel itself -- and why it had to happen. Here are some points to remember as you draw your own conclusions." (07/11/16)
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36) Designing economic solutions is fine but we want the chaotic serendipity of undirected markets too
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Tim Worstall
"A piece in the New York Times from a designer. Bemoaning the manner in which all those little start ups aren't using design in their process of trying to solve economic problems. Par for the course from a designer, that more people should use design. As with hydraulic engineers wanting to see the economy as a hydraulic project and so on -- we all view things through our own professional competences. She is also correct in part -- we would like to use conscious design at times in order to work out what to do about certain economic problems. No, this isn't the same as the idiot idea of trying to plan the whole economy." (07/11/16)
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37) Is belief in the moral parity thesis dangerous? (Probably not. But even if so, so what?)
Source: Bleeding Heart Libertarian
by Jason Brennan
"Suppose that I come to believe, stupidly, that taking caffeine is dangerous. I announce henceforth that I will lock any people I catch drinking coffee in my basement for 30 days as a punishment. I see you walking out of Starbucks and try to grab you. You fight back, and, in the struggle, injure or kill me. What you did was permissible self-defense. The 'Moral Parity Thesis' holds that nothing magic happens if the would-be kidnapper is a cop rather than a private civilian. *If* (and this a small if) drug prohibition laws are unjust and illegitimate (as they obviously are), then from a moral point of view, you may defend yourself from a cop trying to arrest in the same way you could defend yourself from me. Given that cops are armed and dangerous, it may not be strategic to do so, but morally, it's permissible."
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38) May, Merkel, Clinton ... The year of female leaders?
Source: Reuters
by Peter Apps
"It now seems extremely likely that by the middle of January 2017, three of the world's six largest economic powers will be led by women. Unless Donald Trump makes significant gains, the latest Reuters Ipsos poll still puts Hillary Clinton ahead of her Republican rival by 11 points in the race for the White House. German Chancellor Angela Merkel already has a strong case for being described as Europe's most powerful woman, with an open argument as to whether she has more or less global influence than Russia's Vladimir Putin. And as the Brexit fallout settled, it swiftly became clear that Britain's next prime minister would also be female. (It's worth noting that this PM would have run the fifth-largest global economy had not the collapse in sterling after the UK vote to leave the European Union pushed France into that place.)" (07/11/16)
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39) Flynn's warped worldview
Source: The American Conservative
by Daniel Larison
"Michael Flynn is a retired general and former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and he is currently being vetted by Trump's campaign as a possible running mate. ... Flynn recapitulates all of the errors of the hard-liners that used to rave about 'WWIV' and 'Islamofascism,' and he echoes the absurd theories espoused over the years by Rick Santorum and others like him. Just as Bush did with his harebrained 'axis of evil' claim, Flynn lumps together states and groups that have little or nothing to do with each other, and he thinks sworn enemies are working together as part of a fictional 'alliance' arrayed against us. To make matters worse, he believes this grab-bag of terrorists and third-rate dictatorships represents a 'formidable coalition' that is somehow winning a global war that isn't really being fought." (07/11/16)
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40) To live and die on Facebook
Source: The Atlantic
by Alex Wagner
"What leads a person to pick up a phone to record a moment of death -- possibly their own, more likely someone else's? To turn outwards, rather than inwards? The prevalence of videos like the one showing the death of Philando Castile (and those of Alton Sterling and Eric Garner and Tamir Rice and Walter Scott and Antonio Zambrano Montes, just to name a few) has raised distressing questions about America's criminal-justice system: its inequalities and bigotries, its possible crimes in the name of justice. But what does this impulse say about American society: Does choosing to publicly broadcast calamity mean that Americans are braver? More terrified? Both? In a way, broadcasting from a cellphone is a modern day version of waving the red flag, a public warning that something is very, very wrong." (07/11/16)
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41) The Bob Zadek Show, 07/05/16
Source: The Bob Zadek Show
"Mark Miller, an attorney with The Pacific Legal Foundation, represented Hawkes in front of the Supreme Court in what turned out to be a resounding victory for property owners everywhere. He joins Bob to discuss the 8-0 decision, reaffirming landowners' rights to immediate judicial review when issued a 'jurisdictional determination' by the Army Corp. In the past, such determinations have put property owners in an impossible situation -- having to choose between a costly, years-long permitting process with no guarantee of success, or giving up on their plans for the land's use altogether." [various formats] (07/10/16)
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42) Trump created campaign on Leno and Letterman
Source: USA Today
by Dave Berg
"No one has made more bonehead statements in this presidential run than Donald Trump. Political pundits sometimes attribute this to inexperience. They're wrong. Trump has been crafting his campaign since at least 1980, when Rona Barrett asked him whether he would ever seek the nation's top job. Why would a gossip columnist even pose such a question? Hmmm, I wonder whether Trump planted the idea? In 1988, he assured Oprah Winfrey that if he ever sought the presidency, he would probably win. Then in 1999, Trump formed a presidential exploratory committee on the Reform ticket. His first primary would be in California, where he made his pitch on Jay Leno's Tonight Show." (07/11/16)
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43) The Ghostbusters Foley
Source: The Libertarian Enterprise
by Sean Gangol
"Whatever hope I did have for the movie was dashed when I saw the now infamous trailer on YouTube. It turns out that I wasn't the only one felt this way. The trailer has gotten more thumbs down than any other movie trailer, including the recent Batman v Superman movie, which was almost universally hated by movie goers. What is really amusing is the way that Sony and their Social Justice allies have responded to the backlash. At first Sony tried to do damage control by deleting the negative messages in the comment section of the YouTube video. When that didn't work they deleted the comments that gave rational reasons for not liking the trailer and kept the comments that were blatantly sexist, so that they could paint their critics as misogynistic." (07/10/16)
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44) Algal mess
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
"Florida's inland waters are clogging up with algae. You can now see the 'algae bloom' from space. What's the big deal? Well, it stinks. 'The blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, contain toxins that are highly dangerous to humans,' explains Harry Sayer at the Orlando Weekly. 'Ingestion may cause nausea, vomiting, and liver failure.' No wonder, then, that the State of Florida is in alarm mode, preparing to spend millions of dollars to fight it. The problem is: fighting water plants is not easy." (07/11/16)
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45) A note on the police or -- "why I don't trust the police"
Source: Notes On Liberty
by Michelangelo Landgrave
"I come from a poor migrant family and was raised in Los Angeles'[s] Koreatown back in the 90s. The area has become more middle classed in recent years due to new development, but at the time it was a working class neighborhood populated largely by recent migrants and other minority groups. Unsurprisingly there was plenty of crime and the sound of police sirens and helicopters was common for me growing up. Despite this I don't think I ever held police in a high prestige. It is true that I often saw the police round up criminals, but I also saw them round up several innocents or perpetrators of 'victimless' crimes, mostly unlicensed merchants. ... Note that in my story there was no mention of police corruption. The police who harassed my family and neighbors might have been acting out of genuine belief that they were serving the public good. Their good intentions still had negative consequences for the neighborhood though." (07/10/16)
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46) Not a better way
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Laurence M Vance
"House Speaker Paul Ryan has come out with yet another one of his plans. As chairman of the House Budget Committee, he oversaw the release of numerous plans to reform the welfare state and strengthen the warfare state. His newest plan, A Better Way: Our Vision for a Competent America, is more of the same. Needless to say, it is not a better way." (07/11/16)
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47) Don't stop the revolution: The Sanders movement after Orlando
Source: Our Future
by Richard Eskow
"Bernie Sanders'[s] 'political revolution' scored some impressive wins this weekend at the Democratic Party Platform Committee meeting in Orlando, adding to its victories last month in St. Louis. ABC News called the resulting document 'exceptionally progressive.' Apparently Sanders had more leverage after the California primary than his critics were willing to admit. To be sure, there were also some losses -- most notably on getting the party on record opposing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. But this new movement has already had a major impact on American politics. It's likely to have even more in the months and years to come." [editor's note: Fascinating to watch a "progressive" pundit apologize for DNC "hypocrisy" - SAT] (07/11/16)
https://ourfuture.org/20160711/bernies-revolution-just-scored-some-big-wins-now-we-need-a-revolution
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48) 2016: The new 1969
Source: Free Press Publications
by Darryl W Perry
"There are many similarities between 1969 and today, with racial tension and a seemingly endless military conflict. Though unlike 1969, protests are primarily in opposition to what appears to be systemic racism within the so-called criminal justice system. Since May 1, 2013 police have killed over 3700 people with some of those deaths gaining more notoriety than others, most notably: Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray, Alton Sterling & Philando Castile." [text, Flash audio or MP3] (07/10/16)
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49) Unintended consequences and the warfare state
Source: CounterPunch
by Mel Gurtov
"'The danger is, as ever with these things, unintended consequences.' So wrote Prime Minister Tony Blair to President George W. Bush in 2002, as Bush prepared to invade Iraq. Blair's unstinting support of US policy, notwithstanding numerous unknowns and acknowledged large-scale obstacles, is more than a case of over-optimism or misplaced friendship. For as the Chilcot Commission has just concluded after a seven-year long investigation of British policy, bad judgment was multiplied by hubris, a deeply flawed decision-making process, and an unquestioned faith in the ability of military power to resolve political and economic problems." (07/11/16)
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50) Delinquency rates rising: Is a new crisis approaching?
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Olav Dirkmaat
"The delinquency rate on loans is key in understanding banking. It answers one question: what percentage of loans is overdue for payment? The delinquency rate is by far the most useful indicator for 'credit stress.' It seems, however, as if delinquency no longer counts. Few are paying attention to the quick and sudden rise of the delinquency rate. What does it tell us and is a new banking crisis imminent?" (07/11/16)
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51) A sound-science, free-market approach to GMO labeling
Source: Town Hall
by Jerry Rogers
"In a rare instance of common-sense bipartisanship, the U.S. Senate voted last week 63-30 to pass a biotech labeling bill (Roberts-Stabenow) that will protect consumers, advance free market principles, and support sound science. The legislation now heads over to the U.S. House of Representatives, which passed a voluntary GMO labeling bill last year. The House is under pressure to pass the measure before it leaves for the August recess, July 15." [editor's note: It has been difficult not to support labeling, since Monsanto has made it so clear they wanted to keep things secret - SAT] (07/11/16)
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52) The no-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict
Source: Antiwar.com
by Jeremy R Hammond
"There is a popular view that the Israel-Palestine conflict is inevitable, too complicated for a practical solution to ever be found, which leads to resignation that it will just persist forever. This view is mistaken. There is a solution, which is for international law to be applied. This is the outcome that Israel and the US have fought so aggressively to prevent under the 'peace process,' which is premised upon the rejection of the applicability of such treaties as the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions and, instead, elevates Israel's wants over Palestinians' rights." (07/11/16)
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53) Our three languages of politics
Source: La Bocca della Verita
by Gene Callahan
"Postmodern: This view is strongly represented today in identity politics. It seeks to unmask liberal claims about rights as being in reality merely tools of the powerful to oppress the weak. (Given its roots in Nietzsche, this view's predilection for siding with whatever groups in society are less powerful is rather curious, and hard to justify. And I don't mean that it is hard to justify concern for the oppressed: I mean that is hard to justify this in Nietzschean terms!)" (07/10/16)
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54) The new immoral age
Source: LewRockwell.com
by Dr. Rodrigue Tremblay
"We not only live in the computer and digital age, we also live in a profoundly immoral age, in which the use of violence against people has become easily justifiable, nearly routinely, either for religious, military or security reasons. Let us recall that the Twentieth Century was the most politically murderous period ever in history. It is estimated that political decisions, mostly made by psychopaths in various governments, resulted in the death of some 262 million people -- a democide or political mass murder, according to scholarly works by political scientist Rudolph J. Rummel. It remains to be seen if the Twenty-first Century will regress from this barbarism or exceed it." (07/11/16)
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55) Free Talk Live, 07/10/16
Source: Free Talk Live
"Artificial Intelligence and Emotions :: Sex Robots :: Robot Futures :: Opinions About Robot Rights Vary :: Beating Heart :: Consciousness :: Crazy Military Weapon :: Nuclear War :: Robots Making Robots :: Transhumanism :: Flat Earther :: Westworld :: Robot Control :: Superintelligent AI Fears." [Flash audio or MP3] (07/10/16)
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