06/21 -- Israel: Lapid to become new PM ahead of fifth election in three years; Everything about the Assange extradition is rotten
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Thomas L. Knapp
Jun 21, 2022, 6:42:19 AM6/21/22
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 06/21/22
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Israel: Lapid to become new PM ahead of fifth election in three years
2) Biden says he will decide on federal gas tax holiday "by the end of the week"
3) UK: Barristers become latest group to vote for strike action as disruption looms
4) Cloudflare outage breaks large swathes of the Internet
5) US ban on imports from China's Xinjiang region takes effect
6) NASA identifies additional issues in fourth wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 1 rocket
7) Vatican: Resignation rumors as Pope Francis postpones trip, announces meeting of cardinals
8) Sudan: UAE companies to build Red Sea port in $6 billion investment package
9) IA: Libertarian gubernatorial candidate resumes active campaigning after BS arrest
10) Pakistan: Sharif appears in court in corruption case
11) MA: "Flash" star Ezra Miller hit with temporary protection order by family of 12-year-old
12) Brazil: Binance Suspends Transactions Blaming Central Bank Policy
13) US Regime Rejecting 90% of Afghans Seeking Asylum Under Humanitarian Program
14) Germany: Regime plans to fire up coal plants as Russians throttle gas supplies
15) Malawi: Chinese man held over racist videos
16) Japan: Court upholds marriage apartheid law
17) CA: Pols eye banning loitering for prostitution arrests
18) TX: GOP pushes for secession referendum
19) China: Regime claims to have intercepted ballistic missile in flight
20) Australia: Cowardly pol refuses to stand up for political prisoner Julian Assange
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Everything about the Assange extradition is rotten
22) The challenge of prosecuting Trump
23) What the Fall of Empires Tells Us About the Ukraine War
24) The Case for Expanding the Legal Definition of "Refugee"
25) Why It Matters That Fauci Got Covid-19
26) Slavery Didn't End
27) The case of Jeanine Anez
28) The Federal Republic of New Normal Germany
29) How Trump Saved (and Changed) the GOP
30) In Which I Agree with Mitt Romney
31) It's a Gas, Gas, Gas
32) "They Took Our Guns": A Perspective From Down Under
33) Why Do Tens of Millions in US Support an Economic System That Doesn't Benefit Them?
34) The Problem With Those Jimmy Carter-Joe Biden Comparisons
35) Himalayan Rivers Will Survive Glacial Retreat
36) Are Cryptoassets The Great Scam?
37) Biden and Oil: Destroy America in Order to Save It
38) Self-Defense Is Sexy
39) What Happens If Ukraine Fatigue Sets In?
40) The Bank Of England's Fatal Conceit
41) The Guardian Churns Out Embarrassingly Awful Empire Propaganda
42) Despite What Pundits Claim, Most Elections Don't Tell Us Much of Anything About America
43) Quantum Vibe, 06/20/22
44) Ukrainian FM expresses his country's needs, but they aren't necessarily ours
45) The Controlled Demolition Of America
46) January 6 Was Not A Coup
47) California's budget is a scam
48) All the king's horses, and all the king's men -- The Genoa Conference and the Gold Standard
49) What "Dobbs" Means for Women's Equality
50) The opium pages
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Reason Roundtable, 06/20/22
52) Free Talk Live, 06/20/22
53) Conflicts of Interest, episode 291
54) Hubwonk 360, 06/20/22
55) EconTalk, 06/20/22
56) Commentary Podcast, 06/20/22
57) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 06/20/22
58) Reason Interview: Dave Smith
59) The Bryan Hyde Show, 06/20/22
60) Rising, 06/20/22
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Israel: Lapid to become new PM ahead of fifth election in three years
Source: Reuters
"Israeli lawmakers will vote to dissolve parliament, opening the way for the country's fifth election in three years, following weeks of pressure on Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's fragile ruling coalition. Bennett will step aside to be replaced by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, his partner in the unlikely coalition of opposites that ended former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's record 12-year rule 12 months ago. Lapid, a former journalist who heads the largest party in the coalition, will serve as interim prime minister until new elections can be held. A vote will be held in parliament next week, after which Lapid will take over the premiership, an official said." (06/20/22)
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/foreign-minister-lapid-become-israels-prime-minister-israel-radio-2022-06-20/
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2) Biden says he will decide on federal gas tax holiday "by the end of the week"
Source: USA Today
"President Joe Biden said Monday that he hopes to make a decision about a gas tax holiday by the end of the week, as the administration looks for ways to ease record fuel prices in a midterm election year. Biden said he is considering a pause on the federal gas tax, which some lawmakers in his party have pushed as a way to reduce prices at the pump for Americans. ... The gas tax adds 18.4 cents total per gallon of gasoline -- 18.3 cents in excise tax plus 0.1 cent in a storage fee. For diesel, it is 24.3 cents plus the 0.1 cent fee. The national average price for a gallon was $4.981 on Monday, according to AAA." (06/20/22)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/20/biden-federal-gas-tax-decision-end-week/7681782001/
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3) UK: Barristers become latest group to vote for strike action as disruption looms
Source: Sky News [UK]
"Criminal barristers have become the latest group to vote for strike action as the government comes under intensifying pressure over pay demands. The Criminal Bar Association, which represents lawyers prosecuting and defending those accused of crimes in England and Wales, said members had backed a plan for 14 days of action between 27 June and 22 July. They join rail staff, teachers and civil servants in backing or considering industrial action over the coming months at a time when pay awards are lagging behind the four-decade high rate of inflation." (06/20/22)
https://news.sky.com/story/barristers-become-latest-group-to-vote-for-strike-action-as-disruption-looms-12637273
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4) Cloudflare outage breaks large swathes of the Internet
Source: The Verge
"Cloudflare experienced an outage on Tuesday morning, according to its status page. Cloudflare's technology powers numerous other sites and services across the internet, and the outage seemed to impact a range of different sites, including Discord, Shopify, Grindr, Fitbit, and Peleton, according to Downdetector. Reports of issues started at around 2:30AM ET. Cloudflare reported that it resolved the issue at 4:06AM ET. The issues were most problematic for users of Cloudflare's own DNS lookup service. Multiple Verge staff members found they were unable to access any websites at all during the outage as a result of using Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 DNS service." (06/21/22)
https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/21/23176519/cloudflare-outage-june-2022-discord-shopify-fitbit-peleton
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5) US ban on imports from China's Xinjiang region takes effect
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"Tough new US regulations on the import of goods from the Xinjiang region of China have come into effect. Under the rules, firms have to prove imports from the region are not produced using forced labour. US officials have said members of the minority Uyghur community in the region, who are predominantly Muslim, have been detained and made to work. China has repeatedly rejected accusations that it is holding Uyghurs in internment camps in Xinjiang. Several imports from the resource-rich region, including cotton and tomatoes, have already been banned from the US. The restrictions will be extended to all imports under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which took effect on Tuesday." (06/20/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61754796
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6) NASA identifies additional issues in fourth wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 1 rocket
Source: United Press International
"NASA's fourth attempt Monday to complete a practice launch day exercise for its uncrewed moon rocket Artemis 1 could be running into trouble after a small grass fire at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The wet dress rehearsal comes after three failed attempts in April, forcing contractors to fix hardware and update software on the spacecraft. NASA said Monday there are three new issues under evaluation, including a 'small grass fire' near the hydrogen flare stack at launch pad 39B, as well as a possible hydrogen leak in a quick disconnect on the SLS core stage. NASA needs a successful test to complete the data needed to set an official launch date, which could come later this summer." [editor's note: Why not just give up and use the Falcon Heavy? – TLK] (06/20/22)
https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2022/06/20/nasa-artemis-1-rocket-wet-dress-rehearsal-fourth-attempt/6711655749311/
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7) Vatican: Resignation rumors as Pope Francis postpones trip, announces meeting of cardinals
Source: Daily Mail [UK]
"Pope Francis has fuelled speculation that he could resign after postponing a trip to Africa and announcing an unusual meeting of cardinals. Hobbled by pain in his knee and forced to use a wheelchair in recent weeks, the 85-year-old pontiff postponed a July trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan last week. He also announced an unusual decision to hold a consistory to name new cardinals during a Vatican vacation month and arranged meetings to ensure his reforms stay intact. The extraordinary consistory will be held on August 27, a slow summer month at the Catholic headquarters, to create 21 new cardinals -- 16 of whom will be under the age of 80, thereby eligible to elect his successor in a future conclave. ... On August 28, Francis will then pay a visit to L'Aquila and the tomb of Celestine V -- the first pope to have resigned from the papacy, in the 13th century." (06/20/22)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10933635/Pope-sparks-resignation-rumours-postponing-Africa-trip-holding-unusual-cardinal-meeting.html
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8) Sudan: UAE companies to build Red Sea port in $6 billion investment package
Source: Reuters
"The United Arab Emirates will build a new Red Sea port in Sudan, as part of a $6 billion investment package, said DAL group chairman Osama Daoud Abdellatif, a partner in the deal which marks the first major foreign investment since the military took power in an October coup. Abdellatif said the package includes a free trade zone, a large agricultural project and an imminent $300 million deposit to Sudan's central bank. Western donors suspended billions in aid and investment to Sudan after the coup, plunging an economy that was already struggling into further turmoil and depriving the government of much needed foreign currency." (06/20/22)
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/exclusive-uae-build-red-sea-port-sudan-6-billion-investment-package-2022-06-20/
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9) IA: Libertarian gubernatorial candidate resumes active campaigning after BS arrest
Source: KCRG 9 News
"As Rick Stewart prepares for a trial in Washington, D.C. following his arrest, he's resuming active campaigning as he runs for Governor of Iowa as a Libertarian. Stewart paused his campaign on May 18th after he was arrested along with 18 other people during a protest at the Drug Enforcement Agency headquarters. He faces a trespassing charge. Stewart was protesting after the DEA denied a request by a friend of his to use the drug psilocybin. Doctors diagnosed the friend with stage 4 breast cancer. Stewart says under the 2018 Right To Try law, the prescription is legally allowed, but the DEA refuses to talk to the patient." (06/20/22)
https://www.kcrg.com/2022/06/20/libertarian-candidate-iowa-governor-resumes-active-campaigning-following-arrest/
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10) Pakistan: Sharif appears in court in corruption case
Source: Seattle Times
"Pakistan's newly elected Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif appeared in court on Monday in connection with an old corruption case and was granted exemption from further appearances in person in the hearings, his defense lawyer said. The case dating back four years is related to Sharif's alleged links to a multi-million dollar housing scam in the eastern city of Lahore, according to the attorney, Amjad Pervez. Pervez described the proceedings as a 'politically-motivated case,' adding that Sharif was implicated in the case falsely, by the government of his predecessor, Imran Khan." (06/20/22)
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/pakistani-prime-minister-appears-in-court-in-corruption-case/
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11) MA: "Flash" star Ezra Miller hit with temporary protection order by family of 12-year-old
Source: Fox News
"A Massachusetts court has approved a temporary protection order against 'Flash' star Ezra Miller, according to reports. The Greenfield District Court approved the order against Miller, 29, on Wednesday on behalf of the family of a 12-year-old, NBC News reported. The order 'was issued without advance notice because the Court determined that there is a substantial likelihood of immediate danger of harassment,' according to the petition obtained by the outlet. The mother of the 12-year-old, who spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity, claimed she grew concerned when Miller began to buy gifts for the child -- even after the gifts had been rejected. 'I kept wondering why Ezra was here. Like, don't you have Hollywood stuff to do? Don't you have movies coming out?' the mother told NBC News." (06/20/22)
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/flash-ezra-miller-temporary-protection-order-massachusetts
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12) Brazil: Binance Suspends Transactions Blaming Central Bank Policy
Source: NDTV [India]
"Binance crypto exchange has decided to suspend the withdrawals and deposits in the Brazilian currency of Reals in the southern American nation. At this moment, Binance has also suspended its partnership with the Brazilian government's payment system called Pix. In another deal suspension, Binance has terminated its contract with the local payment gateway called Capitual, for a year and eight months. This platform operated Binance's deposits and withdrawals via Pix. In a blog post, Binance has cited instability in facilitating transactions due to the financial policies released by the Central Bank of Brazil (BC)." (06/20/22)
https://gadgets360.com/cryptocurrency/news/binance-suspends-transactions-brazil-central-bank-policy-3083760
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13) US Regime Rejecting 90% of Afghans Seeking Asylum Under Humanitarian Program
Source: Fox News
"As a coalition of human rights groups on Monday implored the international community to do more to help Afghan refugees, new reporting revealed that the United States is rejecting the overwhelming majority of Afghans seeking to enter the country under a humanitarian program -- including relatives of those who aided the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of their country. ... While the U.S. has resettled more than 70,000 Afghans, many of whom aided its war effort against the Taliban, CBS News reports that more than 90% of the fully adjudicated applications for entry under the humanitarian parole mechanism have been denied." (06/20/22)
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/06/20/totally-unacceptable-us-rejecting-90-afghans-seeking-asylum-under-humanitarian
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14) Germany: Regime plans to fire up coal plants as Russians throttle gas supplies
Source: CNBC
"Germany has said the deteriorating gas market situation means Europe's largest economy must limit the use of natural gas for electricity production and burn more coal for a 'transitional period.' Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Sunday warned that the situation is going to be 'really tight in winter' without precautionary measures to prevent a supply shortage. ... Gazprom said last week that it had further limited supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. ... Gazprom cited a technical problem for the supply cut, saying the issue stemmed from the delayed return of equipment serviced by Germany's Siemens Energy in Canada. Habeck has rejected that claim, saying the move was politically motivated and designed to unsettle the region and ramp up gas prices." (06/20/22)
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/20/ukraine-war-germany-turns-to-coal-as-russia-throttles-gas-supplies.html
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15) Malawi: Chinese man held over racist videos
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"A Chinese filmmaker wanted by Malawi as part of an investigation into allegations of racism and child exploitation has been arrested. Lu Ke was a Malawi resident when he was exposed by BBC Africa Eye, which reported he had used local children to film personalised greetings videos, some of which included racist content. These videos can be bought for up to $70 (£55) on Chinese social media and internet platforms. Lu Ke denied making derogatory videos. He said he made his videos in order to spread Chinese culture to the local community. In one of the videos seen by the BBC, a group of young children is made to chant (in Chinese) 'I'm a black monster. My IQ is low,' clearly unaware of what they are saying." (06/20/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61862619
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16) Japan: Court upholds marriage apartheid law
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatar state media]
"A court in Osaka has ruled that Japan's ban on same-sex marriage was not 'unconstitutional.' The ruling on Monday dealt a setback to LGBTQ rights activists in the only Group of Seven nation that does not allow people of the same gender [sic] to marry. Three same-sex couples -- two male and one female -- had filed the case in the Osaka district court, only the second to be heard on the issue in Japan. In addition to rejecting their claim that being unable to marry was unconstitutional, the court also threw out their demands for 1 million yen ($7,414) in damages for each couple." (06/20/22)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/20/japan-court-upholds-ban-on-same-sex-marriage
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17) CA: Pols eye banning loitering for prostitution arrests
Source: SFGate
"California lawmakers are finally sending to Gov. Gavin Newsom a hot potato of a bill that would bar police from making arrests on a charge of loitering for prostitution, nine months after the measure passed the Legislature, the author of the bill announced Monday. Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener and other supporters said arrests for loitering with the intent to engage in prostitution often rely on police officers' perceptions and disproportionately target transgender, [b]lack and Latino women. Critics see it as a further erosion of criminal penalties that tie the hands of police on quality-of-life issues like shoplifting and car burglaries. Greg Burt, a spokesman for the California Family Council, and other opponents fear it's part of an eventual effort to decriminalize prostitution." [editor's note: That last reads as if it's a bad thing! – TLK] (06/20/22)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/California-eyes-banning-loitering-for-17253823.php
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18) TX: GOP pushes for secession referendum
Source: Newsweek
"Texas Republicans are pushing for a referendum to decide whether the state should secede from the U.S. The demand for Texans to be allowed to vote on the issue in 2023 was one of many measures adopted in the Texas GOP's party platform following last week's state convention in Houston. ... the platform states that Texas Republicans want the state Legislature to pass a bill in its next session 'requiring a referendum in the 2023 general election for the people of Texas to determine whether or not the State of Texas should reassert its status as an independent nation.'" (06/20/22)
https://www.newsweek.com/texas-secede-us-2023-gop-pushes-referendum-1717254
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19) China: Regime claims to have intercepted ballistic missile in flight
Source: Fox News
"The Chinese military has successfully intercepted a ballistic missile in flight, China's Ministry of Defense claimed in a late Sunday statement. A Chinese statement clarified that the test was defensive in nature and was not intended as a threat to any nation, according to the Washington Times. The development comes as China is growing increasingly aggressive toward Taiwan, an independent island nation that China has long claimed as its own territory. China has sent numerous bomber and fighter-jet flights into Taiwan's air-defense zone in recent months. While the U.S. maintains friendly relations with Taiwan, it has not expressly vowed to intervene should China choose to invade the country." (06/20/22)
https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-claims-intercepted-ballistic-missile-flight
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20) Australia: Cowardly pol refuses to stand up for political prisoner Julian Assange
Source: ABC News
"Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday rejected calls for him to publicly demand the United States drop its prosecution of WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen Julian Assange. The Australian government has been under mounting pressure to intervene since the British government last week ordered Assange's extradition to the United States on spying charges. Assange's supporters and lawyers say his actions were protected by the U.S. Constitution. Albanese, who came to power at elections a month ago, declined to say whether he had spoken to President Joe Biden about the case." (06/20/22)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/australian-leader-refuses-publicly-intervene-assange-85502405
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Everything about the Assange extradition is rotten
Source: spiked
by Fraser Myers
"Everything about the Assange extradition is rotten. The US is pursuing a politically motivated vendetta against Assange -- and yet the protections that are supposed to exist in UK law, which ban extradition to the US for 'political purposes,' seem to have fallen by the wayside. Worse still, Assange is essentially being indicted for the crime of journalism. That is, publishing information that is true and accurate and which the authorities do not want in the public domain. Don't just take my word for it -- this was the assessment of the US government in the aftermath of Assange's most infamous leaks. ... Assange's extradition has exposed the hollowness of liberal-elite platitudes about press freedom. It has shown the Biden administration to be no more liberal than its Trumpist predecessor. And it has undercut the pompous claims of mainstream-media journalists." (06/20/22)
https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/06/20/everything-about-the-assange-extradition-is-rotten/
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22) The challenge of prosecuting Trump
Source: The Hill
by James D Zirin
"The Department of Justice is reportedly afraid of the political unrest that might flow from a Trump indictment or a possible Trump acquittal. That's the risk Attorney General Garland must take to vindicate the rule of law and preserve our democracy. While he says he will follow the law and the facts, Garland seems to be guided by neither. Trump's participation in the Jan. 6 conspiracy seems easy to prove in a court of law, particularly before a D.C. jury. The problem is the banana republic argument. We are not a country that indicts its former rulers. If Trump beats the rap, as he did in New York, it will be because no one has the fortitude to take him on. And, if this is so, we truly are a banana republic." (06/20/22)
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/3529814-the-challenge-of-prosecuting-trump/
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23) What the Fall of Empires Tells Us About the Ukraine War
Source: Foreign Policy
by Anatol Lieven
"The Soviet Union is commonly described in the West as the 'Soviet empire' -- or even 'Russian empire' -- and in key respects this was indeed the case. During the Cold War, Moscow occupied and controlled a collection of states along its periphery, and the historical record of Russia's expansion through conquest and colonization is abundantly clear. But in neither journalism nor academia has this led to what should have been a logical conclusion when it comes to understanding conflicts in the former Soviet space: Namely, to place these conflicts into the wider context of what happens when empires fall. This lack of interest seems odd, given the Western liberal intelligentsia's deep concern with imperialism and its critiques." (06/20/22)
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/06/20/russia-ukraine-war-putin-empire-imperialism-colonialism-conquest-collapse/
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24) The Case for Expanding the Legal Definition of "Refugee"
Source: The Volokh Conspiracy
by Ilya Somin
"The narrow definition allows governments to expel numerous migrants fleeing violence, terrorism, forced labor, and other severe oppression." (06/20/22)
https://reason.com/volokh/2022/06/20/the-case-for-expanding-the-legal-definition-of-refugee/
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25) Why It Matters That Fauci Got Covid-19
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jon Miltimore
"A careful look at Dr. Fauci reveals that humility is not one of his stronger attributes, and his actions show the fatal conceit that Hayek warned against infects public health officials as well as economic planners. Despite all his efforts, Fauci was no more successful in avoiding the plague than Prince Prospero. But his mad, arrogant effort to extinguish the virus through force is a tale worthy of its own parable." (06/20/22)
https://fee.org/articles/why-it-matters-that-fauci-got-covid-19/
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26) Slavery Didn't End
Source: A Geek With Guns
by Christopher Burg
"The Emancipation Proclamation didn't end slavery in the United States (and the anti-slavery laws and Thirteenth Amendment that followed), it changed the rules of slavery. Prior to the Emancipation Proclamation people of African descent could be owned by private individuals in specific states. While the Emancipation Proclamation prohibited that practice, it didn't prevent all forms of slavery. In the post Emancipation Proclamation United States whether one can be a slave is no longer determined by skin color and whether one can own slaves is no longer determined by the state in which they reside. Instead whether one can be a slave is determined by criminality and the only legal slave owners are the federal and state governments and their contractors." (06/20/22)
https://blog.christopherburg.com/2022/06/20/slavery-didnt-end/
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27) The case of Jeanine Anez
Source: Independent Institute
by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
"If Jeanine Anez, the former president of Bolivia, were a woman of the left, she would be a 'cause celebre' by now. Because she is a Christian and a conservative (with some of whose ideas, I hasten to add, I do not agree), her recent ten-year prison sentence at the hands of an increasingly dictatorial government led by Luis Arce -- a stooge of former president Evo Morales, a close ally of Cuba and Nicaragua -- has given rise to less international furor than it should. She is a political prisoner and the case against her (she is accused of having grabbed power illegally in 2019) is grotesque by any standards. Here are the facts." (06/20/22)
https://blog.independent.org/2022/06/20/jeanine-anez/
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28) The Federal Republic of New Normal Germany
Source: Consent Factory, Inc.
by CJ Hopkins
"So, the government of New Normal Germany is contemplating forcing everyone to wear medical-looking masks in public from October to Easter on a permanent basis. ... let me try to be more precise, as I don't want to be arrested for 'spreading disinformation' or 'delegitimizing the state.' Germany is not dispensing with the semblance of democracy. No, the German constitution will remain in effect. It's just that the revised Infection Protection Act -- like the 'Enabling Act of 1933,' which granted the Nazi government the authority to issue any edicts it wanted under the guise of 'remedying the distress of the people' -- will grant the New Normal German government the authority to continue to supersede the constitution and issue whatever edicts it wants under the guise of 'protecting the public health' ..." (06/20/22)
https://consentfactory.org/2022/06/20/the-federal-republic-of-new-normal-germany/
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29) How Trump Saved (and Changed) the GOP
Source: The American Spectator
by Dov Fischer
"I used to love reading George Will. In the Days of Clinton and Obama, Will was solidly conservative. His writing remains brilliant, witty, erudite. He knows a woman does not wear white after Labor Day and that a fish fork and salad fork each plays its own role. He is clever. I also used to love reading other more conservative writers at the Washington Post and New York Times. If I were old enough, I would have voted for Ike and Nixon in 1952–1960. I definitely would have voted for Goldwater in '64 because in my heart I knew he was right. I was too young to vote for Nixon in 1968, but Nixon was the one for me when I voted for him in 1972 against McGovern. I voted for Ford in 1976, but Carter the Peanut Farmer won. Then I voted for Reagan in 1980 and 1984, for a new morning in America." (06/20/22)
https://spectator.org/how-donald-trump-saved-the-gop/
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30) In Which I Agree with Mitt Romney
Source: KN@PPSTER
by Thomas L Knapp
"When I say that corporations are people, I'm not doing the 'corporate personhood' thing. A corporation is not a person. It is a group of people who jointly own a business. And those people should be treated exactly the same as other people. Same free speech rights, same tax demands (if any -- but of course there shouldn't be any), etc. ... I don't think that law and governance should discriminate against corporations or their owners. I think it should simply not subsidize corporations and their owners by creating a special class of business that, solely due to those subsidies, is relieved of market risks." (06/20/22)
http://knappster.blogspot.com/2022/06/in-which-i-agree-with-mitt-romney.html
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31) It's a Gas, Gas, Gas
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
"'Senior White House aides are exploring new ideas to respond to high gas prices,' informs The Washington Post, 'desperate to show that the administration is trying to address voter frustration about rising costs at the pump.' Not 'desperate' to lower gas prices, mind you -- which have hit $5 a gallon, a double-digit increase from last month -- but to 'address' the resulting 'voter frustration' from high prices. After all, there's an election in November. Suddenly, this crisis could affect important people in Washington!" (06/20/22)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2022/06/20/its-a-gas/
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32) "They Took Our Guns": A Perspective From Down Under
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Kym Robinson
"Australia has had some terrible mass murders involving firearms, especially semi-automatic rifles. The government's reaction was to 'buy' semi-automatics and shotguns, denying citizens the right to own except with stringent conditions. Since then stranger-related gun murders have decreased in Australia. In the minds of many Australians, a solution was found. As far as they're concerned, the age of the mass killer with a semi-automatic rifle is over. The idea that Australia has disarmed its citizens is a myth. An estimated 868,000 Australians hold a firearm licence." (06/20/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/they-took-our-guns-a-perspective-from-down-under/
-----
33) Why Do Tens of Millions in US Support an Economic System That Doesn't Benefit Them?
Source: Common Dreams
by Mike Lofgren
"For nearly two centuries, literature from Marx and Dickens to Thomas Picketty and Barbara Ehrenreich has dissected and denounced the machinations of the greedy rich. Turn their pockets inside out, make them pay their fair share, and a more just society might be possible. That sentiment is not wrong. If someone like Elon Musk has a higher net worth than the gross domestic product of a country like Ukraine, with over 40 million people, something is out of whack. But what if the analysis is incomplete? Suppose there is more collusion with the rich and the powerful, and not just from their public relations people, lawyers, and financial advisers, but from tens of millions of people who derive no benefit?" (06/20/22)
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/06/20/why-do-tens-millions-us-support-economic-system-doesnt-benefit-them
-----
34) The Problem With Those Jimmy Carter-Joe Biden Comparisons
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jon Miltimore
"As summer approaches and midterm elections loom, it's hard to imagine a worse climate for President Joe Biden. The average price of gasoline is creeping toward $5 a gallon, inflation is at 40-year highs, and stocks are red, with the Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq down 9.8 percent, 14 percent, and 23 percent year-to-date, respectively. While there are no 1970s-style gas lines yet -- the result of price controls passed by President Richard Nixon -- the gloomy environment is drawing comparisons to the Jimmy Carter era, a period associated with economic turmoil and malaise. ... The similarities between the Biden and Carter presidencies are clear. However, there are also notable differences, and a closer look at the Carter presidency shows Biden has not yet earned the comparison." (06/20/22)
https://fee.org/articles/the-problem-with-those-jimmy-carter-joe-biden-comparisons/
-----
35) Himalayan Rivers Will Survive Glacial Retreat
Source: Cato Institute
by Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar and Vijay K Raina
"Activists have warned that global warming will rapidly melt the Himalayan glaciers feeding the major river basins of the Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra, creating vast deserts, economic devastation, and, worst of all, wars over scarce water in the Indian subcontinent. ... To investigate the potential impact of glacial retreat, the Indian government commissioned a report by the co‐author of this piece, glaciologist Vijay Kumar Raina, a former deputy director‐general of the Geological Survey of India. Raina's report showed that though the Himalayan glaciers had been retreating since the end of the last ice age, glacial retreat had decelerated, not accelerated, in recent decades." (06/20/22)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/himalayan-rivers-will-survive-glacial-retreat
-----
36) Are Cryptoassets The Great Scam?
Source: American Institute for Economic Research
by Gerald P Dwyer
"At the New York Times, Paul Krugman writes that cryptoassets are a 'Great Scam,' with all cryptoassets worthless. He even suggests that blockchains are 'part of the hype. 'I remember the housing bubble and the subprime crisis,' Krugman writes. 'And if you ask me, it looks as if we've gone from the Big Short to the Big Scam.' Perhaps. If all Krugman were arguing is that investors should be very careful, then his remarks would be a bit overwrought but otherwise unexceptional. The comparison to the 'Big Short' and the Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 suggests something else though." (06/20/22)
https://www.aier.org/article/are-cryptoassets-the-great-scam/
-----
37) Biden and Oil: Destroy America in Order to Save It
Source: American Greatness
by Victor Davis Hanson
"Try to follow the Joe Biden energy plan of frantically trying to get his hands on more of something that his own party despises. During the Democratic primaries, Biden ran on the premise that he would end all fossil fuels during his tenure. In 2019-2020 that bluster seemed easy demagoguery at a time of near-record low gas and diesel prices. The American people shrugged at such utopianism since they often were filling up their cars for less than $50. Biden's video clips from the primary campaign now seem surreal, as he tried to out-green Bernie Sanders in boasting about what has now become his own self-created energy disaster." (06/20/22)
https://amgreatness.com/2022/06/19/biden-and-oil-destroy-america-in-order-to-save-it/
-----
38) Self-Defense Is Sexy
Source: Reason
by Matt Welch
"Try as President Ronald Reagan might, American kids of the 1980s were more likely to identify with the Wolverines of Red Dawn than the Contras of Nicaragua. I refused to register with the Selective Service out of fear of being drafted to enforce the Reagan Doctrine. But if the Russkies somehow took California? All Molotov cocktails, all the time. In April, pictures of Ukrainian tanks bearing the graffiti 'Wolverines' began circulating online. The built-in sexiness of defense contains lessons far beyond foreign policy. In America, social change often comes after a politician or government goes too heavily on offense against individuals wishing merely to stand their ground and assert their rights. Bull Connor's fire hoses and George Wallace's billy clubs helped tilt public opinion toward brave civil rights protesters." (for publication 07/22)
https://reason.com/2022/06/20/self-defense-is-sexy/
-----
39) What Happens If Ukraine Fatigue Sets In?
Source: Antiwar.com
by Doug Bandow
"British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, under serious political fire at home, has been using Ukraine to play the glorious warrior-leader. Newly returned from a visit to Kyiv, he warned against 'Ukraine fatigue.' ... European governments continue to favor Ukraine, but 'fatigue' is a good description, especially for their peoples. Russia's unjust invasion of Ukraine spurred a burst of popular fervor behind Kyiv, but four months later other concerns now are crowding in. For instance, Americans are focused on raging inflation, product shortages, political divisions, and future uncertainties." (06/20/22)
https://original.antiwar.com/doug-bandow/2022/06/19/what-happens-if-ukraine-fatigue-sets-in/
-----
40) The Bank Of England's Fatal Conceit
Source: Cobden Centre
by Damien Phillips
"It's not been a great week for the Bank of England. The Bank's announcements that interest rates would be raised to 1.25 per cent (their highest level in 13 years), that they believe inflation will exceed 11 per cent this autumn (already at a 40-year high of 9 per cent), and that UK GDP would contract by 0.3 per cent this quarter, went down like a lead balloon. Criticism of the beleaguered bank has been building for several months now and its latest policy moves and forecasts prompted a fresh round of facepalming from commentators. The Bank has moved seamlessly from one PR and policy disaster to another." (06/20/22)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2022/06/the-bank-of-englands-fatal-conceit/
-----
41) The Guardian Churns Out Embarrassingly Awful Empire Propaganda
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
"The Guardian has put out a smear piece on critics of the imperial Syria narrative that reads like propaganda made by seven year-olds without adult supervision. The article was initially released under the headline 'Russia-backed network of Syria conspiracy theorists identified,' which was then hastily edited to 'Network of Syria conspiracy theorists identified,' because the article does not even make an attempt to argue that all of the so-called 'conspiracy theorists' it smears are backed by the Russian government. It claims only that the Russian government has at times cited and amplified information about Syria which is inconvenient for the US empire, which, you know, duh. Obviously it's going to do that." (06/19/22)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2022/06/19/the-guardian-churns-out-embarrassingly-awful-empire-propaganda/
-----
42) Despite What Pundits Claim, Most Elections Don't Tell Us Much of Anything About America
Source: The Intercept
by Jon Schwarz
"According to the current count, 55 percent of San Franciscans who voted chose to recall [Chesa] Boudin. But voter turnout was only about 46 percent, so just 25 percent San Francisco's voters actually went to the polls and cast a ballot to oust Boudin. Meanwhile, similar minorities of voters made the decisive choices in the other races, with the opposite ideological outcome. ... When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Joe Crowley in the 2018 Democratic primary in New York's 14th Congressional District in a shock upset and then took office, it was proclaimed as 'very likely a harbinger of a new American political reality.' But only 12 percent of registered Democrats showed up to vote in the primary, meaning that Ocasio-Cortez won it with under 7 percent of eligible voters. Then in the higher-turnout general election, she won with the support of about 29 percent of eligible voters." (06/20/22)
https://theintercept.com/2022/06/20/elections-media-chesa-boudin-america/
-----
43) Quantum Vibe, 06/20/22
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (06/20/22)
https://www.quantumvibe.com/strip?page=2350
-----
44) Ukrainian FM expresses his country's needs, but they aren't necessarily ours
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Anatol Lieven
"The sentiments expressed in the article for Foreign Affairs this week by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba are very understandable given the invasion, the destruction and the atrocities that Ukraine has suffered -- but they must not become the basis for Western strategy. Fury, however righteous, is not a good shaper of policy. Moreover, unlike Ukrainians, U.S. and Western officials and analysts are not themselves under fire or threat. They have therefore no excuse for allowing their judgment to be clouded by emotion. Their professional duty to their own countries mandates keeping cool heads and strong nerves." (06/20/22)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/06/20/ukrainian-fm-expresses-his-countrys-interests-but-they-arent-necessarily-ours/
-----
45) The Controlled Demolition Of America
Source: Town Hall
by Scott Morefield
"Historically, opposing political parties have fought hard against each other during elections before coming together in the end to unite the country around the winner. While differences on policy positions have always existed, the belief that one or the other party has evil intentions was largely unheard of. It was assumed that everyone loved their country (the Republic that was founded in 1776) and truly wanted what is best for it and all its people, regardless of political differences. Sadly, those days are long gone. Newton's third law states: 'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.' From crime to inflation to uncontrolled immigration to everything in between, the United States is falling apart. Nothing is going right. So much so that it's hard not to imagine it isn't purposeful, especially considering that key policy changes could at least begin to get things on the right track." (06/20/22)
https://townhall.com/columnists/scottmorefield/2022/06/20/untitled-n2608970
-----
46) January 6 Was Not A Coup
Source: The American Conservative
by Peter Van Buren
"Was there a coup attempt on January 6? For the answer to be 'yes,' there had to have been a realistic path by which some action on that day could have resulted in Donald Trump remaining president of the United States." [editor's note: Bullshit. There was no realistic path by which the Beer Hall Putsch could have put Hitler in power, either. Under Van Buren's definitions, all incredibly dumb attempts to commit crimes magically cease to be attempts to commit crimes. If I hold up a liquor store in the belief that a UFO is going to show up to airlift me away when the police arrive, voila! -- I didn't attempt to rob the store – TLK] (06/20/22)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/january-6-was-not-a-coup/
-----
47) California's budget is a scam
Source: Orange County Register
by Jon Coupal
"Once again, the California Legislature has engaged in the most meaningless exercise imaginable -- passing the state budget. In other states, where progressivism is less dominant, the annual budget is an important legislative act. In California, it means squat. If the enactment of the annual budget is so pointless, why does the Legislature even bother to pass it? The answer is simple. The Constitution requires the passage of a budget bill in order for members of the Legislature to receive their paychecks." (06/19/22)
https://www.ocregister.com/2022/06/19/the-states-approved-budget-is-a-scam/
-----
48) All the king's horses, and all the king's men -- The Genoa Conference and the Gold Standard
Source: EconLog
by John Phelan
"A century ago, many of the world's great statesmen gathered in the Italian city of Genoa to build a monetary order for the post-war world. Before 1914, the world's leading economies had been on the classical gold standard. This was based on convertibility between paper money and gold at a fixed parity price and the free export and import of gold. ... The First World War shattered this system. Countries financed their war efforts by printing money and convertibility and exportability were suspended. Between 1914 and 1918, total metallic reserves as a share of bank notes plus deposits fell from 63 to 1 percent in Austria-Hungary, 57 to 10 percent in Germany, 60 to 9 percent in Italy, 64 to 17 percent in France, and 40 to 33 percent in Britain. This caused rampant inflation, followed by a bust." (06/19/22)
https://www.econlib.org/all-the-kings-horses-and-all-the-kings-men-the-genoa-conference-and-the-gold-standard/
-----
49) What "Dobbs" Means for Women's Equality
Source: The American Prospect
by Marc Spindelman
"In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court identified the right to choose as an aspect of the general constitutional right to privacy. Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which preserved Roe's' 'essential holding,' shifted abortion's constitutional foundations to liberty, declaring abortion rights components of 14th Amendment liberty guarantees. Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (which could become the Court's ruling) encompasses privacy and liberty in its sweep, while insisting it only covers abortion rights, and not women's 14th Amendment sex equality rights, which Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's litigation helped to get the Court to recognize. Neither Roe nor Casey squarely based its ruling on the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause, the draft opinion emphasizes. Moreover, the opinion adds that pregnancy and abortion implicate women's sex-based reproductive differences -- differences, that is, from men." (06/20/22)
https://prospect.org/justice/what-dobbs-means-for-womens-equality/
-----
50) The opium pages
Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton
"Once upon a time, I am told that the letters-to-the-editor, opinion pages, and comments pages actually did have an impact on public discourse. If such a time existed, of course, it is long past. Recently reading a local daily newspaper's comment section (where people can share their 'two cents' worth'), I was struck by not just how people behaved, but how lies and vicious accusations have replaced civil discourse and any attempts to seek and expound on truth." (06/19/22)
https://thepriceofliberty.org/2022/06/19/the-opium-pages/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Reason Roundtable, 06/20/22
Source: Reason
"Biden Falls Off the Metaphorical Bike." [various formats] (06/20/22)
https://reason.com/podcast/2022/06/20/biden-falls-off-the-metaphorical-bike/
-----
52) Free Talk Live, 06/20/22
Source: Free Talk Live
"Decentralization Saves Porcfest :: Property Tax Protest :: Ivermectin and the Medical Establishment :: Embargos and Buying from the Enemy :: Right to Work :: Australian Lady Stops Paying Land Rates -- Property Taxes :: Honduras Critique :: Britain Announces WW3? :: Show: 2022-06-20 Ian, Conan, Nobody." [Flash audio or MP3] (06/20/22)
https://freetalklive.com/archives?ppplayer=5c48425a5422918dc6f904bd1cb7e00f&ppepisode=f996444d3e642ecdc908924b263d1117
-----
53) Conflicts of Interest, episode 291
Source: Libertarian Institute
"The West Digs in for a Long War Against Russia in Ukraine." [various formats] (06/20/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/kyle/coi-291-the-west-digs-in-for-a-long-war-against-russia-in-ukraine/
-----
54) Hubwonk 360, 06/20/22
Source: Pioneer Institute
"If we tax them, will they leave?" [Flash video] (06/20/22)
https://pioneerinstitute.org/blog/blog-economy/hubwonk360-video-if-we-tax-them-will-they-leave/
-----
55)
EconTalk, 06/20/22
Source: EconTalk
"Roosevelt Montas on Rescuing Socrates." [Flash audio or MP3] (06/20/22)
https://www.econtalk.org/roosevelt-montas-on-rescuing-socrates/
-----
56) Commentary Podcast, 06/20/22
Source: Commentary
"What Do Republicans Really Want?" [various formats] (06/20/22)
https://www.commentary.org/noah-rothman/what-do-republicans-really-want/
-----
57) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 06/20/22
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
"Sen. Cornyn's 'Red Flag' Gun Compromise ... Is A Red Flag!" [Flash video] (06/20/22)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/sen-cornyns-red-flag-gun-compromiseis-a-red-flag
-----
58) Reason Interview: Dave Smith
Source: Reason
"Comedian, Podcaster ... Presidential Candidate?" [Flash video] (06/20/22)
https://reason.com/video/2022/06/20/dave-smith-comedian-podcaster-presidential-candidate/
-----
59) The Bryan Hyde Show, 06/20/22
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
"What's the difference between manners and lying? Knowing the answer to this question is a bigger deal than you might think. Jeremy Egerer says mind your manners, mind your lies." [various formats] (06/20/22)
https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-nnuf2-1254bc0
-----
60) Rising, 06/20/22
Source: The Hill
"Olayemi Olurin and Robby Soave forecast potential 2024 Democratic presidential candidates amidst mounting frustration with the Biden administration." [Flash video] (06/20/22)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/3529679-rising-june-20-2022/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Israel: Lapid to become new PM ahead of fifth election in three years
2) Biden says he will decide on federal gas tax holiday "by the end of the week"
3) UK: Barristers become latest group to vote for strike action as disruption looms
4) Cloudflare outage breaks large swathes of the Internet
5) US ban on imports from China's Xinjiang region takes effect
6) NASA identifies additional issues in fourth wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 1 rocket
7) Vatican: Resignation rumors as Pope Francis postpones trip, announces meeting of cardinals
8) Sudan: UAE companies to build Red Sea port in $6 billion investment package
9) IA: Libertarian gubernatorial candidate resumes active campaigning after BS arrest
10) Pakistan: Sharif appears in court in corruption case
11) MA: "Flash" star Ezra Miller hit with temporary protection order by family of 12-year-old
12) Brazil: Binance Suspends Transactions Blaming Central Bank Policy
13) US Regime Rejecting 90% of Afghans Seeking Asylum Under Humanitarian Program
14) Germany: Regime plans to fire up coal plants as Russians throttle gas supplies
15) Malawi: Chinese man held over racist videos
16) Japan: Court upholds marriage apartheid law
17) CA: Pols eye banning loitering for prostitution arrests
18) TX: GOP pushes for secession referendum
19) China: Regime claims to have intercepted ballistic missile in flight
20) Australia: Cowardly pol refuses to stand up for political prisoner Julian Assange
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Everything about the Assange extradition is rotten
22) The challenge of prosecuting Trump
23) What the Fall of Empires Tells Us About the Ukraine War
24) The Case for Expanding the Legal Definition of "Refugee"
25) Why It Matters That Fauci Got Covid-19
26) Slavery Didn't End
27) The case of Jeanine Anez
28) The Federal Republic of New Normal Germany
29) How Trump Saved (and Changed) the GOP
30) In Which I Agree with Mitt Romney
31) It's a Gas, Gas, Gas
32) "They Took Our Guns": A Perspective From Down Under
33) Why Do Tens of Millions in US Support an Economic System That Doesn't Benefit Them?
34) The Problem With Those Jimmy Carter-Joe Biden Comparisons
35) Himalayan Rivers Will Survive Glacial Retreat
36) Are Cryptoassets The Great Scam?
37) Biden and Oil: Destroy America in Order to Save It
38) Self-Defense Is Sexy
39) What Happens If Ukraine Fatigue Sets In?
40) The Bank Of England's Fatal Conceit
41) The Guardian Churns Out Embarrassingly Awful Empire Propaganda
42) Despite What Pundits Claim, Most Elections Don't Tell Us Much of Anything About America
43) Quantum Vibe, 06/20/22
44) Ukrainian FM expresses his country's needs, but they aren't necessarily ours
45) The Controlled Demolition Of America
46) January 6 Was Not A Coup
47) California's budget is a scam
48) All the king's horses, and all the king's men -- The Genoa Conference and the Gold Standard
49) What "Dobbs" Means for Women's Equality
50) The opium pages
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Reason Roundtable, 06/20/22
52) Free Talk Live, 06/20/22
53) Conflicts of Interest, episode 291
54) Hubwonk 360, 06/20/22
55) EconTalk, 06/20/22
56) Commentary Podcast, 06/20/22
57) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 06/20/22
58) Reason Interview: Dave Smith
59) The Bryan Hyde Show, 06/20/22
60) Rising, 06/20/22
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Israel: Lapid to become new PM ahead of fifth election in three years
Source: Reuters
"Israeli lawmakers will vote to dissolve parliament, opening the way for the country's fifth election in three years, following weeks of pressure on Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's fragile ruling coalition. Bennett will step aside to be replaced by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, his partner in the unlikely coalition of opposites that ended former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's record 12-year rule 12 months ago. Lapid, a former journalist who heads the largest party in the coalition, will serve as interim prime minister until new elections can be held. A vote will be held in parliament next week, after which Lapid will take over the premiership, an official said." (06/20/22)
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/foreign-minister-lapid-become-israels-prime-minister-israel-radio-2022-06-20/
-----
2) Biden says he will decide on federal gas tax holiday "by the end of the week"
Source: USA Today
"President Joe Biden said Monday that he hopes to make a decision about a gas tax holiday by the end of the week, as the administration looks for ways to ease record fuel prices in a midterm election year. Biden said he is considering a pause on the federal gas tax, which some lawmakers in his party have pushed as a way to reduce prices at the pump for Americans. ... The gas tax adds 18.4 cents total per gallon of gasoline -- 18.3 cents in excise tax plus 0.1 cent in a storage fee. For diesel, it is 24.3 cents plus the 0.1 cent fee. The national average price for a gallon was $4.981 on Monday, according to AAA." (06/20/22)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/20/biden-federal-gas-tax-decision-end-week/7681782001/
-----
3) UK: Barristers become latest group to vote for strike action as disruption looms
Source: Sky News [UK]
"Criminal barristers have become the latest group to vote for strike action as the government comes under intensifying pressure over pay demands. The Criminal Bar Association, which represents lawyers prosecuting and defending those accused of crimes in England and Wales, said members had backed a plan for 14 days of action between 27 June and 22 July. They join rail staff, teachers and civil servants in backing or considering industrial action over the coming months at a time when pay awards are lagging behind the four-decade high rate of inflation." (06/20/22)
https://news.sky.com/story/barristers-become-latest-group-to-vote-for-strike-action-as-disruption-looms-12637273
-----
4) Cloudflare outage breaks large swathes of the Internet
Source: The Verge
"Cloudflare experienced an outage on Tuesday morning, according to its status page. Cloudflare's technology powers numerous other sites and services across the internet, and the outage seemed to impact a range of different sites, including Discord, Shopify, Grindr, Fitbit, and Peleton, according to Downdetector. Reports of issues started at around 2:30AM ET. Cloudflare reported that it resolved the issue at 4:06AM ET. The issues were most problematic for users of Cloudflare's own DNS lookup service. Multiple Verge staff members found they were unable to access any websites at all during the outage as a result of using Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 DNS service." (06/21/22)
https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/21/23176519/cloudflare-outage-june-2022-discord-shopify-fitbit-peleton
-----
5) US ban on imports from China's Xinjiang region takes effect
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"Tough new US regulations on the import of goods from the Xinjiang region of China have come into effect. Under the rules, firms have to prove imports from the region are not produced using forced labour. US officials have said members of the minority Uyghur community in the region, who are predominantly Muslim, have been detained and made to work. China has repeatedly rejected accusations that it is holding Uyghurs in internment camps in Xinjiang. Several imports from the resource-rich region, including cotton and tomatoes, have already been banned from the US. The restrictions will be extended to all imports under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which took effect on Tuesday." (06/20/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61754796
-----
6) NASA identifies additional issues in fourth wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 1 rocket
Source: United Press International
"NASA's fourth attempt Monday to complete a practice launch day exercise for its uncrewed moon rocket Artemis 1 could be running into trouble after a small grass fire at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The wet dress rehearsal comes after three failed attempts in April, forcing contractors to fix hardware and update software on the spacecraft. NASA said Monday there are three new issues under evaluation, including a 'small grass fire' near the hydrogen flare stack at launch pad 39B, as well as a possible hydrogen leak in a quick disconnect on the SLS core stage. NASA needs a successful test to complete the data needed to set an official launch date, which could come later this summer." [editor's note: Why not just give up and use the Falcon Heavy? – TLK] (06/20/22)
https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2022/06/20/nasa-artemis-1-rocket-wet-dress-rehearsal-fourth-attempt/6711655749311/
-----
7) Vatican: Resignation rumors as Pope Francis postpones trip, announces meeting of cardinals
Source: Daily Mail [UK]
"Pope Francis has fuelled speculation that he could resign after postponing a trip to Africa and announcing an unusual meeting of cardinals. Hobbled by pain in his knee and forced to use a wheelchair in recent weeks, the 85-year-old pontiff postponed a July trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan last week. He also announced an unusual decision to hold a consistory to name new cardinals during a Vatican vacation month and arranged meetings to ensure his reforms stay intact. The extraordinary consistory will be held on August 27, a slow summer month at the Catholic headquarters, to create 21 new cardinals -- 16 of whom will be under the age of 80, thereby eligible to elect his successor in a future conclave. ... On August 28, Francis will then pay a visit to L'Aquila and the tomb of Celestine V -- the first pope to have resigned from the papacy, in the 13th century." (06/20/22)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10933635/Pope-sparks-resignation-rumours-postponing-Africa-trip-holding-unusual-cardinal-meeting.html
-----
8) Sudan: UAE companies to build Red Sea port in $6 billion investment package
Source: Reuters
"The United Arab Emirates will build a new Red Sea port in Sudan, as part of a $6 billion investment package, said DAL group chairman Osama Daoud Abdellatif, a partner in the deal which marks the first major foreign investment since the military took power in an October coup. Abdellatif said the package includes a free trade zone, a large agricultural project and an imminent $300 million deposit to Sudan's central bank. Western donors suspended billions in aid and investment to Sudan after the coup, plunging an economy that was already struggling into further turmoil and depriving the government of much needed foreign currency." (06/20/22)
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/exclusive-uae-build-red-sea-port-sudan-6-billion-investment-package-2022-06-20/
-----
9) IA: Libertarian gubernatorial candidate resumes active campaigning after BS arrest
Source: KCRG 9 News
"As Rick Stewart prepares for a trial in Washington, D.C. following his arrest, he's resuming active campaigning as he runs for Governor of Iowa as a Libertarian. Stewart paused his campaign on May 18th after he was arrested along with 18 other people during a protest at the Drug Enforcement Agency headquarters. He faces a trespassing charge. Stewart was protesting after the DEA denied a request by a friend of his to use the drug psilocybin. Doctors diagnosed the friend with stage 4 breast cancer. Stewart says under the 2018 Right To Try law, the prescription is legally allowed, but the DEA refuses to talk to the patient." (06/20/22)
https://www.kcrg.com/2022/06/20/libertarian-candidate-iowa-governor-resumes-active-campaigning-following-arrest/
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10) Pakistan: Sharif appears in court in corruption case
Source: Seattle Times
"Pakistan's newly elected Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif appeared in court on Monday in connection with an old corruption case and was granted exemption from further appearances in person in the hearings, his defense lawyer said. The case dating back four years is related to Sharif's alleged links to a multi-million dollar housing scam in the eastern city of Lahore, according to the attorney, Amjad Pervez. Pervez described the proceedings as a 'politically-motivated case,' adding that Sharif was implicated in the case falsely, by the government of his predecessor, Imran Khan." (06/20/22)
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/pakistani-prime-minister-appears-in-court-in-corruption-case/
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11) MA: "Flash" star Ezra Miller hit with temporary protection order by family of 12-year-old
Source: Fox News
"A Massachusetts court has approved a temporary protection order against 'Flash' star Ezra Miller, according to reports. The Greenfield District Court approved the order against Miller, 29, on Wednesday on behalf of the family of a 12-year-old, NBC News reported. The order 'was issued without advance notice because the Court determined that there is a substantial likelihood of immediate danger of harassment,' according to the petition obtained by the outlet. The mother of the 12-year-old, who spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity, claimed she grew concerned when Miller began to buy gifts for the child -- even after the gifts had been rejected. 'I kept wondering why Ezra was here. Like, don't you have Hollywood stuff to do? Don't you have movies coming out?' the mother told NBC News." (06/20/22)
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/flash-ezra-miller-temporary-protection-order-massachusetts
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12) Brazil: Binance Suspends Transactions Blaming Central Bank Policy
Source: NDTV [India]
"Binance crypto exchange has decided to suspend the withdrawals and deposits in the Brazilian currency of Reals in the southern American nation. At this moment, Binance has also suspended its partnership with the Brazilian government's payment system called Pix. In another deal suspension, Binance has terminated its contract with the local payment gateway called Capitual, for a year and eight months. This platform operated Binance's deposits and withdrawals via Pix. In a blog post, Binance has cited instability in facilitating transactions due to the financial policies released by the Central Bank of Brazil (BC)." (06/20/22)
https://gadgets360.com/cryptocurrency/news/binance-suspends-transactions-brazil-central-bank-policy-3083760
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13) US Regime Rejecting 90% of Afghans Seeking Asylum Under Humanitarian Program
Source: Fox News
"As a coalition of human rights groups on Monday implored the international community to do more to help Afghan refugees, new reporting revealed that the United States is rejecting the overwhelming majority of Afghans seeking to enter the country under a humanitarian program -- including relatives of those who aided the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of their country. ... While the U.S. has resettled more than 70,000 Afghans, many of whom aided its war effort against the Taliban, CBS News reports that more than 90% of the fully adjudicated applications for entry under the humanitarian parole mechanism have been denied." (06/20/22)
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/06/20/totally-unacceptable-us-rejecting-90-afghans-seeking-asylum-under-humanitarian
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14) Germany: Regime plans to fire up coal plants as Russians throttle gas supplies
Source: CNBC
"Germany has said the deteriorating gas market situation means Europe's largest economy must limit the use of natural gas for electricity production and burn more coal for a 'transitional period.' Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Sunday warned that the situation is going to be 'really tight in winter' without precautionary measures to prevent a supply shortage. ... Gazprom said last week that it had further limited supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. ... Gazprom cited a technical problem for the supply cut, saying the issue stemmed from the delayed return of equipment serviced by Germany's Siemens Energy in Canada. Habeck has rejected that claim, saying the move was politically motivated and designed to unsettle the region and ramp up gas prices." (06/20/22)
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/20/ukraine-war-germany-turns-to-coal-as-russia-throttles-gas-supplies.html
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15) Malawi: Chinese man held over racist videos
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"A Chinese filmmaker wanted by Malawi as part of an investigation into allegations of racism and child exploitation has been arrested. Lu Ke was a Malawi resident when he was exposed by BBC Africa Eye, which reported he had used local children to film personalised greetings videos, some of which included racist content. These videos can be bought for up to $70 (£55) on Chinese social media and internet platforms. Lu Ke denied making derogatory videos. He said he made his videos in order to spread Chinese culture to the local community. In one of the videos seen by the BBC, a group of young children is made to chant (in Chinese) 'I'm a black monster. My IQ is low,' clearly unaware of what they are saying." (06/20/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61862619
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16) Japan: Court upholds marriage apartheid law
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatar state media]
"A court in Osaka has ruled that Japan's ban on same-sex marriage was not 'unconstitutional.' The ruling on Monday dealt a setback to LGBTQ rights activists in the only Group of Seven nation that does not allow people of the same gender [sic] to marry. Three same-sex couples -- two male and one female -- had filed the case in the Osaka district court, only the second to be heard on the issue in Japan. In addition to rejecting their claim that being unable to marry was unconstitutional, the court also threw out their demands for 1 million yen ($7,414) in damages for each couple." (06/20/22)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/20/japan-court-upholds-ban-on-same-sex-marriage
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17) CA: Pols eye banning loitering for prostitution arrests
Source: SFGate
"California lawmakers are finally sending to Gov. Gavin Newsom a hot potato of a bill that would bar police from making arrests on a charge of loitering for prostitution, nine months after the measure passed the Legislature, the author of the bill announced Monday. Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener and other supporters said arrests for loitering with the intent to engage in prostitution often rely on police officers' perceptions and disproportionately target transgender, [b]lack and Latino women. Critics see it as a further erosion of criminal penalties that tie the hands of police on quality-of-life issues like shoplifting and car burglaries. Greg Burt, a spokesman for the California Family Council, and other opponents fear it's part of an eventual effort to decriminalize prostitution." [editor's note: That last reads as if it's a bad thing! – TLK] (06/20/22)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/California-eyes-banning-loitering-for-17253823.php
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18) TX: GOP pushes for secession referendum
Source: Newsweek
"Texas Republicans are pushing for a referendum to decide whether the state should secede from the U.S. The demand for Texans to be allowed to vote on the issue in 2023 was one of many measures adopted in the Texas GOP's party platform following last week's state convention in Houston. ... the platform states that Texas Republicans want the state Legislature to pass a bill in its next session 'requiring a referendum in the 2023 general election for the people of Texas to determine whether or not the State of Texas should reassert its status as an independent nation.'" (06/20/22)
https://www.newsweek.com/texas-secede-us-2023-gop-pushes-referendum-1717254
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19) China: Regime claims to have intercepted ballistic missile in flight
Source: Fox News
"The Chinese military has successfully intercepted a ballistic missile in flight, China's Ministry of Defense claimed in a late Sunday statement. A Chinese statement clarified that the test was defensive in nature and was not intended as a threat to any nation, according to the Washington Times. The development comes as China is growing increasingly aggressive toward Taiwan, an independent island nation that China has long claimed as its own territory. China has sent numerous bomber and fighter-jet flights into Taiwan's air-defense zone in recent months. While the U.S. maintains friendly relations with Taiwan, it has not expressly vowed to intervene should China choose to invade the country." (06/20/22)
https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-claims-intercepted-ballistic-missile-flight
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20) Australia: Cowardly pol refuses to stand up for political prisoner Julian Assange
Source: ABC News
"Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday rejected calls for him to publicly demand the United States drop its prosecution of WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen Julian Assange. The Australian government has been under mounting pressure to intervene since the British government last week ordered Assange's extradition to the United States on spying charges. Assange's supporters and lawyers say his actions were protected by the U.S. Constitution. Albanese, who came to power at elections a month ago, declined to say whether he had spoken to President Joe Biden about the case." (06/20/22)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/australian-leader-refuses-publicly-intervene-assange-85502405
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Everything about the Assange extradition is rotten
Source: spiked
by Fraser Myers
"Everything about the Assange extradition is rotten. The US is pursuing a politically motivated vendetta against Assange -- and yet the protections that are supposed to exist in UK law, which ban extradition to the US for 'political purposes,' seem to have fallen by the wayside. Worse still, Assange is essentially being indicted for the crime of journalism. That is, publishing information that is true and accurate and which the authorities do not want in the public domain. Don't just take my word for it -- this was the assessment of the US government in the aftermath of Assange's most infamous leaks. ... Assange's extradition has exposed the hollowness of liberal-elite platitudes about press freedom. It has shown the Biden administration to be no more liberal than its Trumpist predecessor. And it has undercut the pompous claims of mainstream-media journalists." (06/20/22)
https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/06/20/everything-about-the-assange-extradition-is-rotten/
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22) The challenge of prosecuting Trump
Source: The Hill
by James D Zirin
"The Department of Justice is reportedly afraid of the political unrest that might flow from a Trump indictment or a possible Trump acquittal. That's the risk Attorney General Garland must take to vindicate the rule of law and preserve our democracy. While he says he will follow the law and the facts, Garland seems to be guided by neither. Trump's participation in the Jan. 6 conspiracy seems easy to prove in a court of law, particularly before a D.C. jury. The problem is the banana republic argument. We are not a country that indicts its former rulers. If Trump beats the rap, as he did in New York, it will be because no one has the fortitude to take him on. And, if this is so, we truly are a banana republic." (06/20/22)
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/3529814-the-challenge-of-prosecuting-trump/
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23) What the Fall of Empires Tells Us About the Ukraine War
Source: Foreign Policy
by Anatol Lieven
"The Soviet Union is commonly described in the West as the 'Soviet empire' -- or even 'Russian empire' -- and in key respects this was indeed the case. During the Cold War, Moscow occupied and controlled a collection of states along its periphery, and the historical record of Russia's expansion through conquest and colonization is abundantly clear. But in neither journalism nor academia has this led to what should have been a logical conclusion when it comes to understanding conflicts in the former Soviet space: Namely, to place these conflicts into the wider context of what happens when empires fall. This lack of interest seems odd, given the Western liberal intelligentsia's deep concern with imperialism and its critiques." (06/20/22)
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/06/20/russia-ukraine-war-putin-empire-imperialism-colonialism-conquest-collapse/
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24) The Case for Expanding the Legal Definition of "Refugee"
Source: The Volokh Conspiracy
by Ilya Somin
"The narrow definition allows governments to expel numerous migrants fleeing violence, terrorism, forced labor, and other severe oppression." (06/20/22)
https://reason.com/volokh/2022/06/20/the-case-for-expanding-the-legal-definition-of-refugee/
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25) Why It Matters That Fauci Got Covid-19
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jon Miltimore
"A careful look at Dr. Fauci reveals that humility is not one of his stronger attributes, and his actions show the fatal conceit that Hayek warned against infects public health officials as well as economic planners. Despite all his efforts, Fauci was no more successful in avoiding the plague than Prince Prospero. But his mad, arrogant effort to extinguish the virus through force is a tale worthy of its own parable." (06/20/22)
https://fee.org/articles/why-it-matters-that-fauci-got-covid-19/
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26) Slavery Didn't End
Source: A Geek With Guns
by Christopher Burg
"The Emancipation Proclamation didn't end slavery in the United States (and the anti-slavery laws and Thirteenth Amendment that followed), it changed the rules of slavery. Prior to the Emancipation Proclamation people of African descent could be owned by private individuals in specific states. While the Emancipation Proclamation prohibited that practice, it didn't prevent all forms of slavery. In the post Emancipation Proclamation United States whether one can be a slave is no longer determined by skin color and whether one can own slaves is no longer determined by the state in which they reside. Instead whether one can be a slave is determined by criminality and the only legal slave owners are the federal and state governments and their contractors." (06/20/22)
https://blog.christopherburg.com/2022/06/20/slavery-didnt-end/
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27) The case of Jeanine Anez
Source: Independent Institute
by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
"If Jeanine Anez, the former president of Bolivia, were a woman of the left, she would be a 'cause celebre' by now. Because she is a Christian and a conservative (with some of whose ideas, I hasten to add, I do not agree), her recent ten-year prison sentence at the hands of an increasingly dictatorial government led by Luis Arce -- a stooge of former president Evo Morales, a close ally of Cuba and Nicaragua -- has given rise to less international furor than it should. She is a political prisoner and the case against her (she is accused of having grabbed power illegally in 2019) is grotesque by any standards. Here are the facts." (06/20/22)
https://blog.independent.org/2022/06/20/jeanine-anez/
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28) The Federal Republic of New Normal Germany
Source: Consent Factory, Inc.
by CJ Hopkins
"So, the government of New Normal Germany is contemplating forcing everyone to wear medical-looking masks in public from October to Easter on a permanent basis. ... let me try to be more precise, as I don't want to be arrested for 'spreading disinformation' or 'delegitimizing the state.' Germany is not dispensing with the semblance of democracy. No, the German constitution will remain in effect. It's just that the revised Infection Protection Act -- like the 'Enabling Act of 1933,' which granted the Nazi government the authority to issue any edicts it wanted under the guise of 'remedying the distress of the people' -- will grant the New Normal German government the authority to continue to supersede the constitution and issue whatever edicts it wants under the guise of 'protecting the public health' ..." (06/20/22)
https://consentfactory.org/2022/06/20/the-federal-republic-of-new-normal-germany/
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29) How Trump Saved (and Changed) the GOP
Source: The American Spectator
by Dov Fischer
"I used to love reading George Will. In the Days of Clinton and Obama, Will was solidly conservative. His writing remains brilliant, witty, erudite. He knows a woman does not wear white after Labor Day and that a fish fork and salad fork each plays its own role. He is clever. I also used to love reading other more conservative writers at the Washington Post and New York Times. If I were old enough, I would have voted for Ike and Nixon in 1952–1960. I definitely would have voted for Goldwater in '64 because in my heart I knew he was right. I was too young to vote for Nixon in 1968, but Nixon was the one for me when I voted for him in 1972 against McGovern. I voted for Ford in 1976, but Carter the Peanut Farmer won. Then I voted for Reagan in 1980 and 1984, for a new morning in America." (06/20/22)
https://spectator.org/how-donald-trump-saved-the-gop/
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30) In Which I Agree with Mitt Romney
Source: KN@PPSTER
by Thomas L Knapp
"When I say that corporations are people, I'm not doing the 'corporate personhood' thing. A corporation is not a person. It is a group of people who jointly own a business. And those people should be treated exactly the same as other people. Same free speech rights, same tax demands (if any -- but of course there shouldn't be any), etc. ... I don't think that law and governance should discriminate against corporations or their owners. I think it should simply not subsidize corporations and their owners by creating a special class of business that, solely due to those subsidies, is relieved of market risks." (06/20/22)
http://knappster.blogspot.com/2022/06/in-which-i-agree-with-mitt-romney.html
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31) It's a Gas, Gas, Gas
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
"'Senior White House aides are exploring new ideas to respond to high gas prices,' informs The Washington Post, 'desperate to show that the administration is trying to address voter frustration about rising costs at the pump.' Not 'desperate' to lower gas prices, mind you -- which have hit $5 a gallon, a double-digit increase from last month -- but to 'address' the resulting 'voter frustration' from high prices. After all, there's an election in November. Suddenly, this crisis could affect important people in Washington!" (06/20/22)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2022/06/20/its-a-gas/
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32) "They Took Our Guns": A Perspective From Down Under
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Kym Robinson
"Australia has had some terrible mass murders involving firearms, especially semi-automatic rifles. The government's reaction was to 'buy' semi-automatics and shotguns, denying citizens the right to own except with stringent conditions. Since then stranger-related gun murders have decreased in Australia. In the minds of many Australians, a solution was found. As far as they're concerned, the age of the mass killer with a semi-automatic rifle is over. The idea that Australia has disarmed its citizens is a myth. An estimated 868,000 Australians hold a firearm licence." (06/20/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/they-took-our-guns-a-perspective-from-down-under/
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33) Why Do Tens of Millions in US Support an Economic System That Doesn't Benefit Them?
Source: Common Dreams
by Mike Lofgren
"For nearly two centuries, literature from Marx and Dickens to Thomas Picketty and Barbara Ehrenreich has dissected and denounced the machinations of the greedy rich. Turn their pockets inside out, make them pay their fair share, and a more just society might be possible. That sentiment is not wrong. If someone like Elon Musk has a higher net worth than the gross domestic product of a country like Ukraine, with over 40 million people, something is out of whack. But what if the analysis is incomplete? Suppose there is more collusion with the rich and the powerful, and not just from their public relations people, lawyers, and financial advisers, but from tens of millions of people who derive no benefit?" (06/20/22)
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/06/20/why-do-tens-millions-us-support-economic-system-doesnt-benefit-them
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34) The Problem With Those Jimmy Carter-Joe Biden Comparisons
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jon Miltimore
"As summer approaches and midterm elections loom, it's hard to imagine a worse climate for President Joe Biden. The average price of gasoline is creeping toward $5 a gallon, inflation is at 40-year highs, and stocks are red, with the Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq down 9.8 percent, 14 percent, and 23 percent year-to-date, respectively. While there are no 1970s-style gas lines yet -- the result of price controls passed by President Richard Nixon -- the gloomy environment is drawing comparisons to the Jimmy Carter era, a period associated with economic turmoil and malaise. ... The similarities between the Biden and Carter presidencies are clear. However, there are also notable differences, and a closer look at the Carter presidency shows Biden has not yet earned the comparison." (06/20/22)
https://fee.org/articles/the-problem-with-those-jimmy-carter-joe-biden-comparisons/
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35) Himalayan Rivers Will Survive Glacial Retreat
Source: Cato Institute
by Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar and Vijay K Raina
"Activists have warned that global warming will rapidly melt the Himalayan glaciers feeding the major river basins of the Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra, creating vast deserts, economic devastation, and, worst of all, wars over scarce water in the Indian subcontinent. ... To investigate the potential impact of glacial retreat, the Indian government commissioned a report by the co‐author of this piece, glaciologist Vijay Kumar Raina, a former deputy director‐general of the Geological Survey of India. Raina's report showed that though the Himalayan glaciers had been retreating since the end of the last ice age, glacial retreat had decelerated, not accelerated, in recent decades." (06/20/22)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/himalayan-rivers-will-survive-glacial-retreat
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36) Are Cryptoassets The Great Scam?
Source: American Institute for Economic Research
by Gerald P Dwyer
"At the New York Times, Paul Krugman writes that cryptoassets are a 'Great Scam,' with all cryptoassets worthless. He even suggests that blockchains are 'part of the hype. 'I remember the housing bubble and the subprime crisis,' Krugman writes. 'And if you ask me, it looks as if we've gone from the Big Short to the Big Scam.' Perhaps. If all Krugman were arguing is that investors should be very careful, then his remarks would be a bit overwrought but otherwise unexceptional. The comparison to the 'Big Short' and the Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 suggests something else though." (06/20/22)
https://www.aier.org/article/are-cryptoassets-the-great-scam/
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37) Biden and Oil: Destroy America in Order to Save It
Source: American Greatness
by Victor Davis Hanson
"Try to follow the Joe Biden energy plan of frantically trying to get his hands on more of something that his own party despises. During the Democratic primaries, Biden ran on the premise that he would end all fossil fuels during his tenure. In 2019-2020 that bluster seemed easy demagoguery at a time of near-record low gas and diesel prices. The American people shrugged at such utopianism since they often were filling up their cars for less than $50. Biden's video clips from the primary campaign now seem surreal, as he tried to out-green Bernie Sanders in boasting about what has now become his own self-created energy disaster." (06/20/22)
https://amgreatness.com/2022/06/19/biden-and-oil-destroy-america-in-order-to-save-it/
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38) Self-Defense Is Sexy
Source: Reason
by Matt Welch
"Try as President Ronald Reagan might, American kids of the 1980s were more likely to identify with the Wolverines of Red Dawn than the Contras of Nicaragua. I refused to register with the Selective Service out of fear of being drafted to enforce the Reagan Doctrine. But if the Russkies somehow took California? All Molotov cocktails, all the time. In April, pictures of Ukrainian tanks bearing the graffiti 'Wolverines' began circulating online. The built-in sexiness of defense contains lessons far beyond foreign policy. In America, social change often comes after a politician or government goes too heavily on offense against individuals wishing merely to stand their ground and assert their rights. Bull Connor's fire hoses and George Wallace's billy clubs helped tilt public opinion toward brave civil rights protesters." (for publication 07/22)
https://reason.com/2022/06/20/self-defense-is-sexy/
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39) What Happens If Ukraine Fatigue Sets In?
Source: Antiwar.com
by Doug Bandow
"British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, under serious political fire at home, has been using Ukraine to play the glorious warrior-leader. Newly returned from a visit to Kyiv, he warned against 'Ukraine fatigue.' ... European governments continue to favor Ukraine, but 'fatigue' is a good description, especially for their peoples. Russia's unjust invasion of Ukraine spurred a burst of popular fervor behind Kyiv, but four months later other concerns now are crowding in. For instance, Americans are focused on raging inflation, product shortages, political divisions, and future uncertainties." (06/20/22)
https://original.antiwar.com/doug-bandow/2022/06/19/what-happens-if-ukraine-fatigue-sets-in/
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40) The Bank Of England's Fatal Conceit
Source: Cobden Centre
by Damien Phillips
"It's not been a great week for the Bank of England. The Bank's announcements that interest rates would be raised to 1.25 per cent (their highest level in 13 years), that they believe inflation will exceed 11 per cent this autumn (already at a 40-year high of 9 per cent), and that UK GDP would contract by 0.3 per cent this quarter, went down like a lead balloon. Criticism of the beleaguered bank has been building for several months now and its latest policy moves and forecasts prompted a fresh round of facepalming from commentators. The Bank has moved seamlessly from one PR and policy disaster to another." (06/20/22)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2022/06/the-bank-of-englands-fatal-conceit/
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41) The Guardian Churns Out Embarrassingly Awful Empire Propaganda
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
"The Guardian has put out a smear piece on critics of the imperial Syria narrative that reads like propaganda made by seven year-olds without adult supervision. The article was initially released under the headline 'Russia-backed network of Syria conspiracy theorists identified,' which was then hastily edited to 'Network of Syria conspiracy theorists identified,' because the article does not even make an attempt to argue that all of the so-called 'conspiracy theorists' it smears are backed by the Russian government. It claims only that the Russian government has at times cited and amplified information about Syria which is inconvenient for the US empire, which, you know, duh. Obviously it's going to do that." (06/19/22)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2022/06/19/the-guardian-churns-out-embarrassingly-awful-empire-propaganda/
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42) Despite What Pundits Claim, Most Elections Don't Tell Us Much of Anything About America
Source: The Intercept
by Jon Schwarz
"According to the current count, 55 percent of San Franciscans who voted chose to recall [Chesa] Boudin. But voter turnout was only about 46 percent, so just 25 percent San Francisco's voters actually went to the polls and cast a ballot to oust Boudin. Meanwhile, similar minorities of voters made the decisive choices in the other races, with the opposite ideological outcome. ... When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Joe Crowley in the 2018 Democratic primary in New York's 14th Congressional District in a shock upset and then took office, it was proclaimed as 'very likely a harbinger of a new American political reality.' But only 12 percent of registered Democrats showed up to vote in the primary, meaning that Ocasio-Cortez won it with under 7 percent of eligible voters. Then in the higher-turnout general election, she won with the support of about 29 percent of eligible voters." (06/20/22)
https://theintercept.com/2022/06/20/elections-media-chesa-boudin-america/
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43) Quantum Vibe, 06/20/22
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (06/20/22)
https://www.quantumvibe.com/strip?page=2350
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44) Ukrainian FM expresses his country's needs, but they aren't necessarily ours
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Anatol Lieven
"The sentiments expressed in the article for Foreign Affairs this week by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba are very understandable given the invasion, the destruction and the atrocities that Ukraine has suffered -- but they must not become the basis for Western strategy. Fury, however righteous, is not a good shaper of policy. Moreover, unlike Ukrainians, U.S. and Western officials and analysts are not themselves under fire or threat. They have therefore no excuse for allowing their judgment to be clouded by emotion. Their professional duty to their own countries mandates keeping cool heads and strong nerves." (06/20/22)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/06/20/ukrainian-fm-expresses-his-countrys-interests-but-they-arent-necessarily-ours/
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45) The Controlled Demolition Of America
Source: Town Hall
by Scott Morefield
"Historically, opposing political parties have fought hard against each other during elections before coming together in the end to unite the country around the winner. While differences on policy positions have always existed, the belief that one or the other party has evil intentions was largely unheard of. It was assumed that everyone loved their country (the Republic that was founded in 1776) and truly wanted what is best for it and all its people, regardless of political differences. Sadly, those days are long gone. Newton's third law states: 'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.' From crime to inflation to uncontrolled immigration to everything in between, the United States is falling apart. Nothing is going right. So much so that it's hard not to imagine it isn't purposeful, especially considering that key policy changes could at least begin to get things on the right track." (06/20/22)
https://townhall.com/columnists/scottmorefield/2022/06/20/untitled-n2608970
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46) January 6 Was Not A Coup
Source: The American Conservative
by Peter Van Buren
"Was there a coup attempt on January 6? For the answer to be 'yes,' there had to have been a realistic path by which some action on that day could have resulted in Donald Trump remaining president of the United States." [editor's note: Bullshit. There was no realistic path by which the Beer Hall Putsch could have put Hitler in power, either. Under Van Buren's definitions, all incredibly dumb attempts to commit crimes magically cease to be attempts to commit crimes. If I hold up a liquor store in the belief that a UFO is going to show up to airlift me away when the police arrive, voila! -- I didn't attempt to rob the store – TLK] (06/20/22)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/january-6-was-not-a-coup/
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47) California's budget is a scam
Source: Orange County Register
by Jon Coupal
"Once again, the California Legislature has engaged in the most meaningless exercise imaginable -- passing the state budget. In other states, where progressivism is less dominant, the annual budget is an important legislative act. In California, it means squat. If the enactment of the annual budget is so pointless, why does the Legislature even bother to pass it? The answer is simple. The Constitution requires the passage of a budget bill in order for members of the Legislature to receive their paychecks." (06/19/22)
https://www.ocregister.com/2022/06/19/the-states-approved-budget-is-a-scam/
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48) All the king's horses, and all the king's men -- The Genoa Conference and the Gold Standard
Source: EconLog
by John Phelan
"A century ago, many of the world's great statesmen gathered in the Italian city of Genoa to build a monetary order for the post-war world. Before 1914, the world's leading economies had been on the classical gold standard. This was based on convertibility between paper money and gold at a fixed parity price and the free export and import of gold. ... The First World War shattered this system. Countries financed their war efforts by printing money and convertibility and exportability were suspended. Between 1914 and 1918, total metallic reserves as a share of bank notes plus deposits fell from 63 to 1 percent in Austria-Hungary, 57 to 10 percent in Germany, 60 to 9 percent in Italy, 64 to 17 percent in France, and 40 to 33 percent in Britain. This caused rampant inflation, followed by a bust." (06/19/22)
https://www.econlib.org/all-the-kings-horses-and-all-the-kings-men-the-genoa-conference-and-the-gold-standard/
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49) What "Dobbs" Means for Women's Equality
Source: The American Prospect
by Marc Spindelman
"In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court identified the right to choose as an aspect of the general constitutional right to privacy. Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which preserved Roe's' 'essential holding,' shifted abortion's constitutional foundations to liberty, declaring abortion rights components of 14th Amendment liberty guarantees. Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (which could become the Court's ruling) encompasses privacy and liberty in its sweep, while insisting it only covers abortion rights, and not women's 14th Amendment sex equality rights, which Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's litigation helped to get the Court to recognize. Neither Roe nor Casey squarely based its ruling on the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause, the draft opinion emphasizes. Moreover, the opinion adds that pregnancy and abortion implicate women's sex-based reproductive differences -- differences, that is, from men." (06/20/22)
https://prospect.org/justice/what-dobbs-means-for-womens-equality/
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50) The opium pages
Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton
"Once upon a time, I am told that the letters-to-the-editor, opinion pages, and comments pages actually did have an impact on public discourse. If such a time existed, of course, it is long past. Recently reading a local daily newspaper's comment section (where people can share their 'two cents' worth'), I was struck by not just how people behaved, but how lies and vicious accusations have replaced civil discourse and any attempts to seek and expound on truth." (06/19/22)
https://thepriceofliberty.org/2022/06/19/the-opium-pages/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Reason Roundtable, 06/20/22
Source: Reason
"Biden Falls Off the Metaphorical Bike." [various formats] (06/20/22)
https://reason.com/podcast/2022/06/20/biden-falls-off-the-metaphorical-bike/
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52) Free Talk Live, 06/20/22
Source: Free Talk Live
"Decentralization Saves Porcfest :: Property Tax Protest :: Ivermectin and the Medical Establishment :: Embargos and Buying from the Enemy :: Right to Work :: Australian Lady Stops Paying Land Rates -- Property Taxes :: Honduras Critique :: Britain Announces WW3? :: Show: 2022-06-20 Ian, Conan, Nobody." [Flash audio or MP3] (06/20/22)
https://freetalklive.com/archives?ppplayer=5c48425a5422918dc6f904bd1cb7e00f&ppepisode=f996444d3e642ecdc908924b263d1117
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53) Conflicts of Interest, episode 291
Source: Libertarian Institute
"The West Digs in for a Long War Against Russia in Ukraine." [various formats] (06/20/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/kyle/coi-291-the-west-digs-in-for-a-long-war-against-russia-in-ukraine/
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54) Hubwonk 360, 06/20/22
Source: Pioneer Institute
"If we tax them, will they leave?" [Flash video] (06/20/22)
https://pioneerinstitute.org/blog/blog-economy/hubwonk360-video-if-we-tax-them-will-they-leave/
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55)
EconTalk, 06/20/22
Source: EconTalk
"Roosevelt Montas on Rescuing Socrates." [Flash audio or MP3] (06/20/22)
https://www.econtalk.org/roosevelt-montas-on-rescuing-socrates/
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56) Commentary Podcast, 06/20/22
Source: Commentary
"What Do Republicans Really Want?" [various formats] (06/20/22)
https://www.commentary.org/noah-rothman/what-do-republicans-really-want/
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57) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 06/20/22
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
"Sen. Cornyn's 'Red Flag' Gun Compromise ... Is A Red Flag!" [Flash video] (06/20/22)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/sen-cornyns-red-flag-gun-compromiseis-a-red-flag
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58) Reason Interview: Dave Smith
Source: Reason
"Comedian, Podcaster ... Presidential Candidate?" [Flash video] (06/20/22)
https://reason.com/video/2022/06/20/dave-smith-comedian-podcaster-presidential-candidate/
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59) The Bryan Hyde Show, 06/20/22
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
"What's the difference between manners and lying? Knowing the answer to this question is a bigger deal than you might think. Jeremy Egerer says mind your manners, mind your lies." [various formats] (06/20/22)
https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-nnuf2-1254bc0
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60) Rising, 06/20/22
Source: The Hill
"Olayemi Olurin and Robby Soave forecast potential 2024 Democratic presidential candidates amidst mounting frustration with the Biden administration." [Flash video] (06/20/22)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/3529679-rising-june-20-2022/
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