01/21 -- Biden kicks off presidency with executive order orgy; Old bosses and new
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Hoppa till det första olästa meddelandet
Thomas L. Knapp
21 jan. 2021 08:17:092021-01-21
till Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 01/21/21
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Presented by the Liberty International
Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Biden kicks off presidency with executive order orgy
2) Uganda: Bobi Wine files arbitrary detention complaint at UN
3) Israel: Single Covid vaccine dose "less effective than we thought"
4) OR: Thugs attack demonstrators outside Portland gang lair
5) Thailand: Key opposition figure faces royal defamation charge
6) UK: Cannabis factory uncovered next door to Bank of England
7) IA: Pork exec gives $25k to Reynolds's campaign after company gets virus aid
8) New Zealand: Rocket Lab launches secretive communications satellite for OHB
9) Aldi becomes latest company to pay employees to take Covid-19 vaccine
10) Mali: Police use chemical weapons on anti-France protesters
11) Halted rocket test could stall NASA moon shot, redo possible
12) Laws are for the little people: DOJ will not charge Burr for insider trading after COVID-19 intelligence briefing
13) China: Regime hits Trump officials with sanctions on their way out
14) Israel: Seventeen arrested as police clash with ultra-Orthodox over lockdown violations
15) Calm at state capitols as Biden is sworn in
16) CA: Regime sets stage to use more contagious COVID-19 variants as excuse to extend authoritarian measures
17) WY: Cheney gets 2022 primary challenger after Trump impeachment vote
18) China: Billionaire Jack Ma Re-Emerges Following Disappearance Rumors
19) France: Struggling university students protest closures
20) SpaceX rocket launches on record eighth flight carrying 60 Starlink satellites, nails landing
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Old bosses and new
22) Government needs your compliance
23) Black Markets in COVID-19 Vaccines Were Inevitable Once Government Got Involved
24) On Inauguration Day, a good time to curb our presidentialism
25) Unity Means Not Dividing
26) The Case for Decentralizing Monetary Policy
27) Milking the Capitol Melee for All It's Worth
28) The Keystone Pipeline: A Never-ending Saga
29) Biden's Mask Mandate Retreat Is a Hopeful Sign
30) Richard Henry Lee: Remembering Fundamentals from the Federal Farmer
31) Quantum Vibe, 01/20/21
32) The Other Problem With A National Minimum Wage -- The National Part
33) It is a journalist's duty to question lockdown
34) We Don't Need to Do This To Ourselves
35) If You Miss Donald Trump, You'll Love Joe Biden
36) Why Governments Want More Centralization -- and Less Federalism
37) An Incompetent Authoritarian Is Still a Catastrophe
38) Why EFF Doesn't Support Bans On Private Use of Face Recognition
39) To Save America, Look at America as It Is
40) As Joe Biden Takes Over, Washington Is in Desperate Need of a Little Foreign Policy Humility
41) It's Time to March Home
42) Time preference -- and interest rate determination
43) The Dystopian Hellscape Of Online Learning
44) On left-wing hypocrisy surrounding violence in US
45) In requiem: the Democracy of the "United States of America."
46) Josh Hawley Isn't a Censorship Victim, he's a Free Speech Menace
47) America Is Speech
48) The No Education Association
49) Your Sigh Of Relief Is Grounded In Delusion
50) "Stimulus" Ain't Miracle Dust
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Free Talk Live, 01/20/21
52) Reason Interview: Carl Hart
53) Bloggingheads.tv, 01/20/21
54) Cato Daily Podcast, 01/20/21
55) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 01/20/21
56) Conflicts of Interest, episode 60
57) The Tatiana Show, episode 291
58) Electric Libertyland, episode 212
59) Free Man Beyond The Wall, episode 526
60) The Chris Spangle Show, 01/19/21
61) The Tom Woods Show, episode 1816
62) Commentary Podcast, 01/19/21
63) Cyberlaw Podcast, episode 345
64) FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast, 01/19/21
65) Part Of The Problem, 01/19/21
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Biden kicks off presidency with executive order orgy
Source: ABC 6 News
"President Joe Biden has signed a series of executive orders from the Oval Office hours after his inauguration. Biden wore a mask while seated behind the Resolute Desk with a stack of orders early Wednesday evening. He said there was 'no time to start like today.' Biden signed three orders on camera for reporters: first creating a mask mandate on federal properties, then an order to address underserved communities and create a standard of equality. The third order rejoins the Paris climate accord, fulfilling a campaign pledge. ... Biden also issued executive orders reversing some of former President Donald Trump's immigration policies, such as halting work on a U.S.-Mexico border wall and lifting a travel ban on people from several predominantly Muslim countries. ... There were more than a dozen more executive orders Biden is signing on his first day." (01/20/21)
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2) Uganda: Bobi Wine files arbitrary detention complaint at UN
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatar state media]
"Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine, who is under de facto house arrest by the military, has filed an arbitrary detention complaint to the United Nations. 'Nigerian human rights lawyer Femi Falana has filed this complaint on my behalf to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Arrest. We are challenging my continued illegal confinement by the Ugandan police and the military,' he tweeted on Wednesday. Bobi Wine's residence in Kampala has been surrounded by the army since Friday, a day after Uganda conducted presidential elections in which Bobi Wine competed against President Yoweri Museveni. Longtime president Museveni, 76, was [supposedly] re-elected with almost 59 percent of the vote, followed by 38-year-old Bobi Wine, with roughly 35 percent. ... The internet was shut down across the country shortly before the start of voting. It has since returned, though social media remains unavailable." (01/21/21)
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3) Israel: Single Covid vaccine dose "less effective than we thought"
Source: The Guardian [UK]
"Israel's coronavirus tsar has warned that a single dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine may be providing less protection than originally hoped, as the country reported a record 10,000 new Covid infections on Monday. In remarks reported by Army Radio, Nachman Ash said a single dose appeared 'less effective than we had thought,' and also lower than Pfizer had suggested. By contrast, those who had received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine had a six- to 12-fold increase in antibodies .... Questions over the effectiveness of the vaccine were raised amid reports that thousands of Israelis were still becoming sick after receiving the vaccine, although the public health services head, Sharon Alroy-Preis, said that in most cases this was because the individuals had not built up sufficient antibodies after being inoculated before being exposed to the virus." (01/20/21)
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4) OR: Thugs attack demonstrators outside Portland gang lair
Source: Fox 12 Oregon
"Federal officers clashed with demonstrators in south Portland Wednesday night after police declared an unlawful assembly. A group of around 100 people started gathering at Caruthers Park around 8 p.m. which is near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. The group made its way into the street, and around 9:30 p.m. Portland Police declared an unlawful assembly. Federal officers used flash bangs and tear gas to disperse the crowd. There was no damage to the building, or any reported injuries." (01/20/21)
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5) Thailand: Key opposition figure faces royal defamation charge
Source: France 24 [French state media]
"A Thai billionaire opposition figure was accused Wednesday of defaming the monarchy, a day after a court sentenced a former civil servant to more than 40 years in jail for lese majeste crimes. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, founder of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, was accused of contravening Thailand's strict royal defamation laws by posting a video Monday criticising the government's vaccine strategy. In the video he raised questions about whether Thailand's vaccination campaign is too reliant on Siam BioScience, which is owned by the Crown Property Bureau -- a body that manages the royal family's multi-billion-dollar fortune. His video drew the ire of Thailand's Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, which on Wednesday filed a royal defamation complaint against him." (01/20/21)
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6) UK: Cannabis factory uncovered next door to Bank of England
Source: Evening Standard [UK]
"Police have raided a 'significant' cannabis factory which had been set up next door to the Bank of England. City of London Police revealed details of the January 14 raid on Wednesday, saying 826 class B drug plants had been found. The force said a 'strong smell of cannabis' was reported the previous day, leading to a raid on the premises in Throgmorton Street. The private road was named after one of Elizabeth I's chief bankers, Nicholas Throgmorton, and was formerly the home of the London Stock Exchange. The short road starts at the northeast corner of the iconic Bank of England building, and is also a short walk from City of London magistrates court." (01/20/21)
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7) IA: Pork exec gives $25k to Reynolds's campaign after company gets virus aid
Source: ABC News
"An owner of a large pork production company that disproportionately benefited from an Iowa coronavirus aid program recently donated $25,000 to Gov. Kim Reynolds' campaign, a new disclosure report shows. Mary Ann Christensen, board member of Christensen Farms and part of the family that owns the company, made the donation Dec. 29, according to the filing made public Tuesday. It was among the largest campaign donations that Reynolds received in 2020 and far more than the $1,000 that Christensen gave the governor in 2017. Christensen Farms received $1.86 million through the Iowa Disposal Assistance Program, 72% of the pandemic aid awarded in its first rounds, an Associated Press review found. The program, announced by Reynolds last spring, reimbursed farmers for costs related to hogs they euthanized after COVID-19 disrupted their supply chain." (01/20/21)
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8) New Zealand: Rocket Lab launches secretive communications satellite for OHB
Source: SpaceNews
"Rocket Lab successfully launched a communications satellite for German company OHB Group Jan. 20 in the first Electron mission of the year. The Electron lifted off from the company's Launch Complex 1 at Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, at 2:26 a.m. Eastern after a brief delay because of gusty winds. ... Electron released the sole satellite on the mission, GMS-T, 70 minutes after liftoff. 'Perfect orbit, payload deployed. Hello 2021!' tweeted Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab. The payload for this mission has been shrouded in secrecy since Rocket Lab announced the planned launch Jan. 5. The name of the satellite itself was not disclosed by OHB until after liftoff, and a press kit for the mission did not include the satellite's mass or orbital altitude, stating only that it was going into an orbit at an inclination of 90 degrees." (01/20/21)
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9) Aldi becomes latest company to pay employees to take Covid-19 vaccine
Source: NBC News
"Aldi became the latest company to offer its employees a payment incentive to get the Covid-19 vaccine. In a press release Tuesday, the grocery chain said it would provide hourly workers with two hours of pay for each dose they receive, totaling up to four hours. They will also work with salaried employees who want to receive the vaccine. ... In addition, Aldi said it will cover any costs associated with the administration of the shot and is exploring the possibility of on-site vaccination clinics at its warehouse and office locations to make it easier for workers to get the vaccine." (01/20/21)
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10) Mali: Police use chemical weapons on anti-France protesters
Source: Reuters
"Malian security forces used tear gas on Wednesday to disperse an unsanctioned protest in the capital Bamako against France's military presence in the country, one of the rally's organisers said. France has more than 5,100 military personnel based in Mali and the West African Sahel region to help counter militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, an involvement that is facing increased opposition at home and in Mali. Malian authorities, who have denounced those opposed to the French military presence, deployed police in riot gear to block around 1,000 protesters from gathering in Bamako's Independence Square, said organiser Adama Diarra." (01/20/21)
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11) Halted rocket test could stall NASA moon shot, redo possible
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
"NASA is considering a second firing of its moon rocket engines after a critical test came up short over the weekend, a move that could bump the first flight in the Artemis lunar-landing program into next year. The space agency had aimed to launch its new Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket and an empty Orion capsule by the end of this year, with the capsule flying to the moon and back as a prelude to crew missions. But that date could be in jeopardy following Saturday's aborted test. 'We have a shot at flying it this year, but we need to get through this next step,' said Kathy Lueders, head of NASA's human spaceflight office." (01/20/20)
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12) Laws are for the little people: DOJ will not charge Burr for insider trading after COVID-19 intelligence briefing
Source: CNBC
"The Justice Department will not criminally charge Sen. Richard Burr in connection with stock trades that the North Carolina Republican executed on the heels of being briefed about Covid-19 last year, shortly before the coronavirus pandemic rocked the U.S. economy. The probe of Burr had included the highly unsusual seizure of his cell phone by the FBI in May, and led to his stepping aside as chairman of the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee that same month. ... Burr was one of several senators who raised eyebrows from stock trades made in their accounts that came after they received information that warned of the potential effects of Covid, but before the pandemic began spreading rapidly." (01/20/21)
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13) China: Regime hits Trump officials with sanctions on their way out
Source: US News & World Report
"China imposed sanctions on nearly 30 former Trump administration officials moments after they left office on Wednesday. In a statement released just minutes after President Joe Biden was inaugurated, Beijing slapped travel bans and business restrictions on Trump's secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, national security adviser Robert O'Brien and U.N. ambassador, Kelly Craft. Others covered by the sanctions include Trump's economic adviser Peter Navarro; his top diplomat for Asia, David Stilwell; health and human services secretary, Alex Azar; along with former national security adviser John Bolton and strategist Stephen Bannon. The sanctions are largely symbolic but underscore Beijing's antipathy toward a U.S. administration it regarded as hostile." (01/20/20)
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14) Israel: Seventeen arrested as police clash with ultra-Orthodox over lockdown violations
Source: The Times of Israel [Israel]
"At least 17 people were said arrested Wednesday as police worked to enforce a national lockdown in a Jerusalem neighborhood where a school was found to be operating in violation of the closure. ... One police officer was injured in the head from a stone thrown in his direction. ... Police clashed with protesters in the streets outside the building and brought in a water cannon truck to disperse the crowds. Inside the building, dozens of students were continuing to study despite the mandated shutdown of the country's entire education system, excluding special education. Police were able to clear the building of students and close the doors, Hebrew media reported. After police left the scene, the students and teachers danced in the streets and made plans to return later, the Walla website reported." (01/20/21)
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15) Calm at state capitols as Biden is sworn in
Source: Cleveland.com
"Calm prevailed outside heavily fortified state capitol buildings across the U.S. as Joe Biden was sworn in as president. The FBI had warned of the possibility for armed demonstrations leading up to the inauguration after President Donald Trump repeatedly and falsely claimed the election was stolen from him. Fewer than a half-dozen demonstrators showed up outside the capitols in Concord, New Hampshire, and Lansing, Michigan. A lone protester wearing a 'Make America Great Again' hat stood outside a chain-link fence surrounding the California Capitol in Sacramento, as dozens of police officers and National Guard troops guarded every entrance." (01/20/20)
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16) CA: Regime sets stage to use more contagious COVID-19 variants as excuse to extend authoritarian measures
Source: Los Angeles Times
"Confirmed coronavirus cases in California surged past the 3 million mark Tuesday at a moment of growing optimism that the outbreak might finally be leveling off, even as officials noted some alarming factors that could complicate projections. Cases continued to flatten across California -- including in hard-hit Los Angeles County -- after two months of record-setting surges. COVID-19 hospitalizations have also flattened and started to decline slightly, giving some desperately needed breathing room to medical facilities still overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. ... But despite these positive developments, officials are expressing growing concerns about new and potentially more contagious variants of the coronavirus that have been detected in California and beyond." (01/20/21)
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17) WY: Cheney gets 2022 primary challenger after Trump impeachment vote
Source: Fox News
"Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., one of the top Republicans in the House of Representatives, has a primary challenger for the 2022 election after voting to impeach President Donald Trump. Wyoming state Sen. Anthony Bouchard threw his hat in the ring, according to a statement of candidacy filed Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission. Bouchard has represented District 6 of Wyoming since 2017, according to Ballotpedia. 'I expect Never Trumpers to do this stuff. But Cheney should be run out of town, and back to Virginia for joining the blame game!' Bouchard wrote on Facebook in January after Cheney's impeachment vote." (01/20/20)
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18) China: Billionaire Jack Ma Re-Emerges Following Disappearance Rumors
Source: Newsweek
"Alibaba stock prices rose sharply on Wednesday after Chinese billionaire Jack Ma re-emerged for the first time in three months, following speculation he had fallen afoul of and been 'disappeared' by the government. Ma appeared on a teleconference call with more than 100 teachers from rural China as part of his foundation's annual award ceremony to honor educators in the countryside, according to a report by Zhejiang Online, a news portal operated by the government of Ma's native Zhejiang province in east China. ... Media speculation about Ma's failure to appear in public since October was seemingly not lost on officials in Zhejiang. The provincial news website referenced Ma's 'disappearance' and subsequent public appearance for the first time in many weeks. However, neither Ma nor the report shared further details about the businessman's recent agenda." (01/20/21)
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19) France: Struggling university students protest closures
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
"French university students protested Wednesday on Paris' Left Bank to demand to be allowed back to class, and to call attention to suicides and financial troubles among students cut off from friends, professors and job opportunities amid the pandemic. Carrying a banner reading 'We Will Not Be the Sacrificed Generation', hundreds of students gathered to march on the Education Ministry, seeking government help for those struggling. Other student protests were planned Wednesday elsewhere in France. The government ordered all universities closed in October to stem resurgent virus infections, after a similar closure in the spring set many students back academically and socially." (01/20/20)
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20) SpaceX rocket launches on record eighth flight carrying 60 Starlink satellites, nails landing
Source: Space.com
"A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched on a record 8th flight to send a new fleet of the company's Starlink internet satellites into orbit on Wednesday (Jan.20) and then nailed a landing at sea. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the historic Pad 39A here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 8:02 a.m. EDT (1202 GMT) carrying 60 new Starlink satellites for SpaceX's growing constellation in orbit. The launch came after two days of delay due to poor weather in the recovery zone and the need for extra pre-flight checks. Approximately 9 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth, landing on one of SpaceX's drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean in a smooth touchdown." (01/20/21)
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Old bosses and new
Source: Flawed Jewel
by Scott Halleck
"Much as Obama had 3 1/2 good things in his 8 years (rapprochement with Iran and Cuba, having the DOJ prosecute corrupt cops, and being around when the Supreme Court handed down Obergefell), Trump had, by my reckoning, 1 and 2 small fractions good things. The tax code is slightly simpler for a lot of people. There was a bit of rapprochement with North Korea. And, though it probably pained him to tell the truth about something as much as it pains me to admit it, Trump was more or less right when he said he started no new wars. This makes him the first US president since Warren G. Harding not to do so-and before that it was Grover Cleveland. And the fact that this is actually a major, not-in-a-century accomplishment says a lot about just how far we've fallen." (01/20/21)
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22) Government needs your compliance
Source: Eastern New Mexico News
by Kent McManigal
"It's probably too late to scale back the power of the presidency, or the power various unaccountable agents hold over the presidency. I'd like to see someone try, though. You can still choose how much power over your life presidents and those who pull the presidents' strings have. They need your compliance. Without it, they are mostly powerless. Sure, they can throw dangerous political tantrums, but that's more a sign of their weakness -- physical and ethical -- than anything. Do your best to stay out of their way as they thrash around in frustration and you'll still be standing after they've self-destructed." (01/20/21)
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23) Black Markets in COVID-19 Vaccines Were Inevitable Once Government Got Involved
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
"In the U.S., a botched and politicized COVID-19 vaccine distribution process seems to be fueling a black market in vaccines. Anyone with knowledge of their fellow humans could have seen this coming. Limited supplies and controlled distribution of a product in high demand incentivize people to jump the line, or to make money by offering to help others do so. ... Markets move in to make up for the failures of government-controlled systems and their artificial restrictions on supply. But they work at their best when allowed to operate openly and aboveboard, not in the shadows. By trying to keep prices out of vaccine distribution, officials hobbled the system for getting shots into people's arms. They also guaranteed that price would get involved anyway, but with a host of unfortunate complications." (01/20/21)
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24) On Inauguration Day, a good time to curb our presidentialism
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Andrew J Bacevich
"Presidentialism is the Big Lie of American politics. It is a far bigger lie than all the middling lies that Donald Trump told over the course of his four years in the White House. Every time I hear a U.S. president referred to as 'the most powerful man in the world,' I am reminded of that lie. After Biden is inaugurated today, let's ask Mitch McConnell if our new president is the most powerful man in the world. Or we might pose the same question to Xi Jinping or Jeff Bezos or -- heck, why not -- Pope Francis. The last days of the Trump presidency should suffice to refute the Big Lie. The supposedly most powerful man in the world attempted to overturn the results of the November 2020 election and failed." (01/20/21)
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25) Unity Means Not Dividing
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
"Today, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., the former Vice-President and longtime U.S. Senator from Delaware will become the 46th president of these United States. Speaking of being united, or getting united, that's something the 78-year-old Biden, with 43-years of Washington experience, wants to work on. Good luck. Let me offer some advice: Recognize when the country is already united, then play into it by advancing policies supported by overwhelming majorities. Term limits come to my mind, as does another issue, popular left to right: criminal justice reform." (01/20/21)
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26) The Case for Decentralizing Monetary Policy
Source: American Institute for Economic Research
by Ethan Yang
"Money for much of history has been something closely regulated by the state and today that trend has been steadily increasing. Whether it's commodity standards like gold or today's fiat currency, which the government can issue at will, the state has always had a close eye on the money supply. This is rather curious because we should know by now that the market tends to manage things far better than the state. Just look at grocery stores in the United States and grocery stores in a communist country like North Korea or Cuba. Of course, this isn't an argument to privatize everything and anything but it should be reasonably understood that decentralized decision-making tends to work for most things and money should fall into that category." (01/20/21)
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27) Milking the Capitol Melee for All It's Worth
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
"Not surprisingly, leftists [sic] are milking the January 6 Capitol melee for all its worth. There is a simple reason for that: they wish to use it to introduce a new wave of domestic tyranny into America, just as Republicans did after the 9/11 attacks. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they start referring to the melee as simply 1/6. That's why they continue to describe the melee as an insurrection, revolution, rebellion, sedition, terrorism, invasion, and a grave attempt to destroy our democratic system and overthrow the government." (01/20/21)
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28) The Keystone Pipeline: A Never-ending Saga
Source: Niskanen Center
by Philip K Verleger
"The Keystone XL pipeline was never a good idea. Given the threat of global warming, it looks worse today than ever." (01/20/21)
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29) Biden's Mask Mandate Retreat Is a Hopeful Sign
Source: Town Hall
by Jacob Sullum
"'If I'm your president,' Joe Biden promised at the Democratic National Convention last summer, 'on day one we'll have a national mask mandate.' Now that Biden is the president, his policy has changed from a general requirement to an executive order that applies only on federal property and interstate transportation. While supporters of a nationwide face mask mandate to combat COVID-19 may be disappointed, constitutionalists should be pleased. The switch is a hopeful sign that Biden acknowledges limits to presidential power, even during a public health emergency." (01/20/20)
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30) Richard Henry Lee: Remembering Fundamentals from the Federal Farmer
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Gary M Galles
"A good example of someone in the 'important but overlooked' category is Richard Henry Lee, whose birthday is January 20." (01/20/21)
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31) Quantum Vibe, 01/20/21
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (01/20/21)
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32) The Other Problem With A National Minimum Wage -- The National Part
Source: Coyote Blog
by Warren Meyer
"Cost of living in Hawaii is more than 2x that of Mississippi. CA and NY are not far behind. A minimum wage that might comfortably be accommodated in San Francisco (and note even there the rise to $15 was ending service jobs in that city long before COVID), would be an economic disaster for rural Alabama. I don't tend to think primarily along racial lines as seems to be the case on the Left today, but basically this is a policy driven by rich white tech guys in San Francisco that is going to devastate the employment prospects of rural blacks. Whatever one's misgivings about minimum wages, it is certainly true that allowing states to take the lead on setting minimum wages (counties would make even more sense) makes a lot more sense that trying to take action at the national level." (01/20/21)
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33) It is a journalist's duty to question lockdown
Source: spiked
by Emily Hill
"So the logic of the latest lockdown is frying my goddamn mind. On a list of conundrums I can't solve, 'If a woman sits alone on a bench can she transmit a virus she probably doesn't have?' is now up there with, 'If a tree falls in the middle of a forest, and there's no one around, does it still make a sound?' Given three police officers were filmed arresting a woman in Bournemouth for sitting on a bench alone, they clearly thought they knew the answer. On initial inspection, there appeared to be two ways to interpret the footage. Either they had her bang to rights for a lockdown violation, or they were violating her human rights. However, since then, heroic feats of journalism have been performed -- 'Woman, 50, 'arrested for sitting on bench' is Covid conspiracy theorist.'" (01/20/21)
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34) We Don't Need to Do This To Ourselves
Source: In These Times
by Hamilton Nolan
"Terrorism works. It works not because it is devastating by itself -- no single bombing, or burning, or storming of a government building by a flag-waving crowd is enough to destroy a society of millions of people. It works because of the way that we respond to it. Like a vaccine, it is a small provocation that provokes an enormous backlash. The response, which we inflict on ourselves, is the real damage. The shoe bomber didn't manage to blow up a single plane, but 20 years later, we are all still taking off our shoes at the airport. A presidential inauguration is a chance for America to show ourselves and the world what the American spirit is all about. And so we have filled our nation's capital with heavily armed soldiers." (01/20/20)
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35) If You Miss Donald Trump, You'll Love Joe Biden
Source: CounterPunch
by Ted Rall
"From mainstream left to mainstream right, the media deluge of Trump postmortems share the assumption that 45 represented a departure, deviation or innovation from the comportment and policies of previous American heads of state. True, he was the first man elected president without political or military experience. And as I have previously observed, Trump revolutionized campaigning by relying on social media instead of big travel budget and ad-libbing rather than repeating a pre-packaged stump speech. But there was nothing new about the way he governed. In policy, even with his vicious tone, Trump was a typical Republican president. ... Biden is no improvement. He's a continuation." (01/20/21)
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36) Why Governments Want More Centralization -- and Less Federalism
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Gary Galles
"Government inefficiency and redistribution beyond what citizens support (which often overlap, as inefficiency is often redistribution toward unionized government workers) is a ubiquitous source of burdens. But the more easily one can leave a jurisdiction, the smaller the net burden its government can impose without driving citizens away. It is generally less costly to leave an unattractive local government than a similarly repellant state, and less costly to leave a state than the country. Therefore, the more local the government involved, the smaller the net burdens it can successfully impose on citizens, and consequently, the less inefficiency and fewer unsupported policies it can finance. Unfortunately, our founders' federalism has become honored primarily in the breach. And attempts to evade the constraints it imposes can explain several current political realities." (01/20/21)
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37) An Incompetent Authoritarian Is Still a Catastrophe
Source: The Atlantic
by Adam Serwer
"Throughout the Trump era, some have argued that Trump's incompetence rendered his authoritarian aspirations inconsequential. 'Our weak, ranting, infected-by-Covid chief executive is not plotting a coup, because a term like 'plotting' implies capabilities that he conspicuously lacks,' wrote the New York Times columnist Ross Douthat in October, describing the president as a 'noisy weakling.' Douthat has since re-evaluated his position, but for a long time he was the most articulate proponent of the argument that Trump was not as dangerous as his opponents believed. Believing that Trump's departure proves his harmlessness is akin to arguing that getting shot in the leg is inconsequential because the wound will not kill you." (01/20/21)
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38) Why EFF Doesn't Support Bans On Private Use of Face Recognition
Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation
by Adam Schwartz & Nathan Sheard
"Government and private use of face recognition technology each present a wealth of concerns. Privacy, safety, and amplification of carceral bias are just some of the reasons why we must ban government use. But what about private use? It also can exacerbate injustice, including its use by police contractors, retail establishments, business improvement districts, and homeowners. Still, EFF does not support banning private use of the technology. Some users may choose to deploy it to lock their mobile devices or to demonstrate the hazards of the tech in government hands. So instead of a prohibition on private use, we support strict laws to ensure that each of us is empowered to choose if and by whom our faceprints may be collected. This requires mandating informed opt-in consent and data minimization, enforceable through a robust private right of action." (01/20/21)
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39) To Save America, Look at America as It Is
Source: The American Prospect
by Stanley B Greenberg
"[T]he polls in 2016 and 2020 missed Trump's ability to bring his base of white working class, evangelical, and rural voters into the electorate, to save white people from a changing America. Trump called Mexican immigrants 'murders and rapists,' sent signals to the KKK, and instituted the Muslim ban. His political mission was defined by 'good people on both sides,' closing the government to fund the border wall, and telling the Proud Boys to 'stand back and stand by.' ... But what the general elections reveal is that 40 percent of all Americans is fully part of an anti-establishment, God-first, racially resentful, anti-democratic bloc, who live in a right-wing media cocoon and adore Donald Trump." [editor's note: And so this twit repeats almost every one (he left out drinking bleach) of the context-dropped or misquoted media lies – SAT] (01/20/20)
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40) As Joe Biden Takes Over, Washington Is in Desperate Need of a Little Foreign Policy Humility
Source: Antiwar.com
by Doug Bandow
"[M]ost U.S. policymakers appear to spend most of their time mistaking dreams for reality. They routinely instruct the world how to behave. Almost always the world simply ignores America's arrogant pretensions and proceeds on its way. That is especially the case for well-armed great powers such as Russia which view retention of power as a vital, even existential interest. Rather than admit his dismal record, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was active almost to the last-minute attempting to hamstring the incoming administration. One of America's least effective secretaries of state, he was playing a role akin to that of the Biblical Samson, seeking to bring down the entire temple on those who refused to do his will." (01/20/21)
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41) It's Time to March Home
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Jose Nino
"One becomes a hardened cynic when following U.S. foreign policy. Such pessimism is justified: looking at nearly two decades' worth of nation building abroad and a seemingly shatterproof consensus on foreign policy interventionism in DC $6 trillion and roughly seven thousand American lives later, America's foreign policy machine appears to be chugging along just fine. The election of Joe Biden as president may represent a partisan change in terms of who will be the face of the country. In terms of substance, however, it may not amount to much." (01/20/21)
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42) Time preference -- and interest rate determination
Source: Cobden Centre
by Dr. Frank Shostak
"A common conception is that the central bank is a key factor in the determination of interest rates. On this way of thinking the key role of the central bank is to make sure that the so-called economy is placed on a trajectory of stable economic growth and stable inflation. If for whatever reasons the economy appears to deviate from the specified trajectory then it is the responsibility of the central bank policy to ensure the economy remains on this path. This is attained so it is held, by means of influencing the short-term interest rate, in the US the federal funds rate. ... We suggest that it is individuals' time preferences rather than the central bank that holds the key in the interest rate determination process." (01/20/21)
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43) The Dystopian Hellscape Of Online Learning
Source: The American Conservative
by Will Collins
"In Look to Windward, a science fiction novel from the late Scottish author Iain M. Banks, perfectly clear video and audio can be instantaneously transmitted across vast interstellar distances, yet people still vie to be physically present at a concert. This is something to consider the next time your local school board assures you that the classroom experience can be recreated on Zoom. ... good intentions and heroic improvisatory efforts should not blind us to the shortcomings of online learning, shortcomings that are unlikely to be addressed by newer apps, better video quality, or more expensive tablets. The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare a fundamental truth about education: There is no replacement for the physical presence of an engaged teacher in the classroom." [editor's note: True, if the purpose is control and indoctrination. If the purpose is actual education, not necessarily – TLK] (01/20/21)
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44) On left-wing hypocrisy surrounding violence in US
Source: Fox News Forum
by Greg Gutfeld
"Here's the latest target for retribution by the foaming elites: patriotic Americans. This Democratic politician says we must be suspicious of the National Guard because they're dudes and stuff! REP. STEVE COHEN, D-TENN: 'The Guard is 90-some-odd percent, I believe, male. Only about 20 percent of white males voted for Biden ... They're probably not more than 25 percent of the people that are there protecting us who voted for Biden. The other 75 percent are in the class, the large class of folks, who might want to do something.' Probably racist, too. So where might this political vetting of the military lead? Will Republicans be court-marshalled [sic]? Or will Biden build an army within an army? Isn't this what they expected from Trump?" (01/19/20)
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45) In requiem: the Democracy of the "United States of America."
Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton
"With the end of the second decade of the 21st Century, democracy has died, and is replaced by a mobocracy which may swiftly transform into a tyranny. However oblivious and unwilling the observer, it is clearer than ever that government 'of the people, by the people, and for the people' does not exist. Proof? Election, impeachments, revenge, and more. Let's start with the election." (01/19/21)
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46) Josh Hawley Isn't a Censorship Victim, he's a Free Speech Menace
Source: Cato Institute
by Ilya Somin
"Simon & Schuster recently terminated its contract to publish Republican Sen. Josh Hawley's book, 'The Tyranny of Big Tech,' because of his role in promoting dubious objections to congressional certification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. Hawley responded by condemning the decision as 'a direct assault on the First Amendment.' ... Hawley's statement is not simply the result of ignorance. It is rooted in a broader worldview under which government should have vastly expanded power to control the private sector and thereby restrict constitutional rights. That vision is widespread on the right, among 'national conservatives.' But it also has close analogues on the left. Both variants are menaces to liberty." (01/19/21)
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47) America Is Speech
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
"In this frightening time marked by actual violence ... last week's very scariest news was this admission by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY): 'Several members of Congress, in some of my discussions, have brought up media literacy because that is a part of what happened here [the capitol attack] and we're going to have to figure out how we rein in our media environment so that you can't just spew disinformation and misinformation.' Two things immediately came to mind. First, AOC has herself 'shown a tendency to exaggerate or misstate basic facts,' as a year-old Washington Post report noted. ... Second, I recall taking President Trump to task in 2017 after he asked in a tweet: 'With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License?' 'The answer to his question is,' I wrote, 'never.'" (01/19/21)
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48) The No Education Association
Source: Heartland Institute
by Larry Sand
"Clearly science, which should be the primary factor in the school reopening process, has been disregarded by the unions. A new peer-reviewed study from the American Academy of Pediatrics finds that transmission of COVID-19 in schools is 'extremely rare.' Also, a report from the CDC released just last week found that Covid-19 cases among younger children remained low in schools that restarted for in-person learning. And now, a group of Bay Area doctors have called for schools in California to reopen March 1st. With the availability of vaccines, you might think the unions would back off and embrace a full return to in-person instruction after teachers get inoculated, right? Well, no." (01/19/21)
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49) Your Sigh Of Relief Is Grounded In Delusion
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
"Ahh at long last America is returning to normality: the hub of a globe-spanning empire which rings the planet with military bases and destroys any nation which disobeys it while propagandizing the entire world into supporting its murderousness, without rude tweets. ... Biden's inauguration will be a huge relief for people who aren't actually affected by US government policy. ... Americans want to believe Trump was uniquely evil among recent presidents because they want to believe their government will become significantly less evil when he leaves. This is delusional and harmful. ... The only way to find Trump's presidency remarkably awful is to (A) greatly diminish the scale of Bush and Obama's crimes and (B) believe foreign lives don't matter." (01/20/20)
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50) "Stimulus" Ain't Miracle Dust
Source: Cafe Hayek
by Don Boudreaux
"Incoming Treasury secretary Janet Yellen and other left-of-center economists reason that government should borrow and spend even more than the unfathomable sums that have been borrowed and spent in 2020 .... Spending enormous amounts of borrowed funds is thought to be necessary to stimulate the economy out of its sluggishness. Yet the only condition under which this reasoning even begins to make as much as a small sliver of sense is one in which sluggishness is the exclusive result of consumers and businesses expecting that the present sluggishness will continue indefinitely into the future. Such 'stimulus' works by prodding consumers and businesses to act in accordance with the underlying reality of oceans of available idle resources that are able to be put to productive use if only their owners can be persuaded to put them to such uses. But the above condition doesn't apply today." (01/19/21)
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Free Talk Live, 01/20/21
Source: Free Talk Live
"Biden inauguration reflection :: Declaration of Independence :: Comparisons of grievances to today :: What age is the right age for people to transition? :: No obligation to protect :: The police are a standing army :: Trial by jury :: Hosts -- Mark, Aria." [Flash audio or MP3] (01/20/21)
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52) Reason Interview: Carl Hart
Source: Reason
"The Columbia neuroscientist talks frankly about using heroin responsibly and 'chasing liberty in the land of fear.'" [various formats] (01/20/21)
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53) Bloggingheads.tv, 01/20/21
Source: Bloggingheads.tv
"Entering the Biden Era | Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis [The DMZ]." [Flash video] (01/20/21)
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54) Cato Daily Podcast, 01/20/21
Source: Cato Institute
"Transitioning to Biden Administration Foreign Policy." [various formats] (01/20/21)
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55) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 01/20/21
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
"The Surreal Inauguration." [Flash video] (01/20/21)
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56) Conflicts of Interest, episode 60
Source: Libertarian Institute
"Connor Freeman joins Kyle Anzalone to talk about the Iran trap Trump has set for Biden." [various formats] (01/20/21)
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57) The Tatiana Show, episode 291
Source: The Tatiana Show
"Allan Stevo: Masks in One Lesson." [various formats] (01/20/21)
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58) Electric Libertyland, episode 212
Source: Lions of Liberty
"Getting Molested at 'Deprogramming' Camp." [various formats] (01/20/21)
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59) Free Man Beyond The Wall, episode 526
Source: Free Man Beyond The Wall
"Attacking the 'Cathedral' from the Debate 'Stage' w/ Shane Hazel." [various formats] (01/20/21)
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60) The Chris Spangle Show, 01/19/21
Source: We Are Libertarians
"Mikkel Thorup on Living Abroad and Financially Diversifying Outside of the Country." [various formats] (01/19/21)
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61) The Tom Woods Show, episode 1816
Source: The Tom Woods Show
"Is This Really the End of Trump and Trumpism?" [various formats] (01/19/21)
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62) Commentary Podcast, 01/19/21
Source: Commentary
"The Media Won't Quit Trump." [various formats] (01/19/21)
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63) Cyberlaw Podcast, episode 345
Source: The Volokh Conspiracy
"How COVID-Tracking Phone Apps Failed." [various formats] (01/19/21)
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64) FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast, 01/19/21
Source: FiveThirtyEight
"Did Trump Change The Rules Of Politics?" [various formats] (01/19/21)
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65) Part Of The Problem, 01/19/21
Source: GaS Digital Network
"The Final Days Of Donald Trump." [various formats] (01/19/21)
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