05/25 -- Democracy is not freedom; The myths of the interventionists
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Thomas L. Knapp
May 24, 2012, 11:47:43 PM5/24/12
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Today's Freedom News:
1) SCOTUS nullifies Fifth Amendment
2) US: Female soldiers sue vs. combat restrictions
3) Iraq: Baghdad mortar attack kills one, wounds six
4) Afghanistan: Suicide bomber kills two police
5) Pakistan: US terror attacks kill 14 in two days
6) North Korea ready to carry out nuclear test
7) Obama taps Yucca Mountain critic to lead nuclear agency
8) VA: Aggressive beggar shot
9) Brotherhood claims lead as Egypt vote count begins
10) NC: Store owner shoots robbers
11) Scientists: Anti-psychotic drug also kills cancer
12) FL judge: Warning others of speed traps is free speech
13) Fresh Iran nuke talks to be held in Moscow
14) TN: State yet to combat Rx pill problem
15) CA: Girl plotted to kill mom over curfew
16) Whose islands are they? South Korea's regime tries branding
17) Clinton: US hacked al Qaeda sites to reverse propaganda
18) NH: Seven injured when nuclear submarine catches fire in shipyard
19) MA: Manager accused of exporting US nuclear fuel parts
20) Fitzgerald announces resignation
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Democracy is not freedom
22) The myths of the interventionists
23) Free to choose: Refusal is the ultimate liberty
24) Rome didn't fall in a day
25) Chicago police are the terrorists
26) Amazon shareholders drop ALEC, dodge tax questions
27) Why a cyber-security bill will pass
28) Cut Pakistan aid, free hero doctor
29) The House's octogenarian incumbents
30) Scrap this anti-social meddling in our lives
31) The GOP's played-out race card
32) Combat "burn pits" ruin immune system
33) Biden does Obama's bidding
34) Between "nauseating" and fair game
35) Michigan man deserves praise not firing for giving "found gun" to
police
36) A life-changing week
37) MWAA: A government-authorized fiefdom
38) Austerity or bust
39) Refuting Heritage on foreign policy
40) Free markets require increased legal immigration
41) This Memorial Day, freedom is dying before our very eyes
42) The group mentality creates anti-libertarian idiocy
43) The bully as scapegoat
44) Social Insecurity
45) Rape is not part of the sentence
46) A handy little idea
47) A neglected private benefit of education
48) Mr. Smooth vs. the Smart Meter: The final chapter?
49) The continuing history of bleeding heart libertarianism
50) I told you not to buy Facebook!
51) With no hope for change, obfuscate!
52) Terrorizing through lawfare
53) What is the matter with Columbia?
54) Seattle, America's Europe?
55) Evaluating a "foreign" school of thought
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FREEDOM NEWS
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1) SCOTUS nullifies Fifth Amendment
Source: New York Times
"The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that a criminal defendant may be
retried even though the jury in his first trial had unanimously
rejected the most serious charges against him. The vote was 6 to 3,
with the justices split over whether the constitutional protection
against double jeopardy barred such reprosecutions." (05/24/12)
http://nyti.ms/LdLspP
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2) US: Female soldiers sue vs. combat restrictions
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
"Two female soldiers asked a federal judge to throw out the U.S.
military's restrictions on women in combat, claiming the policy
violates their constitutional rights. U.S. Army reservists Jane
Baldwin and Ellen Haring, in a lawsuit filed today in Washington, said
policies excluding them from assignments 'solely because they are
women' violate their right to equal protection guaranteed by the
Constitution's 5th Amendment." (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/KkeORZ
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3) Iraq: Baghdad mortar attack kills one, wounds six
Source: FRANCE 24 [France]
"A mortar attack in Baghdad killed one person and wounded six others
Thursday, in the second attack in Iraq's capital during key talks on
Iran's nuclear programme, security and medical officials said. An
interior ministry official said a mortar round struck a street in the
Bataween area of central Baghdad, across the Tigris River from the
heavily-fortified Green Zone where the talks between Iran and world
powers pressing it to scale back its nuclear programme were taking
place." (05/24/12)
http://f24.my/Kf0Vpg
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4) Afghanistan: Suicide bomber kills two police
Source: Khaama Press [Afghanistan]
"According to local authorities in southern Helmand province at least
2 Afghan national police forces were killed following a suicide bomb
blast in this province. ... the incident took place after a suicide
bomber riding a motorcycle detonated his explosives." (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/LcLrCo
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5) Pakistan: US terror attacks kill 14 in two days
Source: Deutsche Welle [Germany]
"An easing of tensions between the United States and Pakistan does not
appear to be in sight, with suspected US drones killing 14 people in
two days. Ten alleged militants were killed in a drone attack Thursday
in Pakistan near the country's border with Afghanistan. According to
Pakistani security officials, the unmanned aircraft fired two missiles
in the village of Khassokhel in the North Waziristan tribal area. It
is believed the attacks came from US drones and comes a day after a
similar attack killed four suspected militants in the same
region." (05/24/12)
http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15973289,00.html
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6) North Korea ready to carry out nuclear test
Source: CNN
"North Korea appears to be ready to carry out a nuclear test whenever
leaders of the reclusive state give the green light, a spokesman for
the South Korean Defense Ministry said Thursday. The comment follows
an analysis of recent commercial satellite images by the defense
publication IHS Janes, which suggested activity was being ramped up at
North Korea's nuclear test site." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/bux7wlh
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7) Obama taps Yucca Mountain critic to lead nuclear agency
Source: Hickory Daily Record
"Moving quickly to stem a controversy, President Barack Obama on
Thursday nominated an expert on nuclear waste to lead the federal
agency that regulates the nation's nuclear power plants. Allison
Macfarlane, who served on a presidential commission that studied new
strategies to manage nuclear waste, would replace Gregory Jaczko as
head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/bqcp9hz
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8) VA: Aggressive beggar shot
Source: Potomac Local
"The man who had asked for money again walked up to the driver's side
of the car, but this time attacked the male occupant of the car
through the driver's window with a knife, said Stafford Sheriff
Charles Jett. While attempting to fight off the attacker, the man
reached into his glove compartment and pulled out a gun which he used
to shoot the attacker, said Jett. After shooting, the attacker fell to
the ground. Sheriff's deputies arrived on the scene to the find the
gunman with injuries that did not appear to be life threatening, said
Jett. The gunman immediately surrendered his gun and cooperated fully
with the investigation, he added." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/c9v2ord
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9) Brotherhood claims lead as Egypt vote count begins
Source: Baton Rouge Advocate
"The Muslim Brotherhood quickly staked a claim Thursday for its
candidate to advance to a runoff vote, saying its exit polls showed
him leading in Egypt's landmark presidential election to succeed
ousted leader Hosni Mubarak. As vote-counting began, exit polls by
several Arab television stations also suggested the Brotherhood's
Mohammed Morsi was ahead of the pack of 13 candidates." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/cm6st6f
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10) NC: Store owner shoots robbers
Source: WCTI News
"Gates County officials are continuing their investigation Wednesday
after a deadly shooting at a store. The shooting was reported Tuesday,
according to our affiliate in Norfolk Virginia. Two suspects went into
a Gate's County store and allegedly held up the store's owner. At some
point during the reported robbery, the owner fired a gun shooting both
suspects. One suspect ran to a nearby vehicle where he died. The other
suspect was found dead on a local road." (05/23/12)
http://www.wcti12.com/news/31102047/detail.html
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11) Scientists: Anti-psychotic drug also kills cancer
Source: The Raw Story
"A drug commonly used to treat sufferers of schizophrenia ... also
possesses some startlingly potent anti-cancer properties, according to
research published Thursday in the medical journal Cell. The drug,
thioridazine, is usually dispensed as a last resort for schizophrenics
whose symptoms did not respond to other treatments. Scientists ...
discovered that thioridazine can be used to selectively target and
eradicate cancerous stem cells present in leukemia, along with breast,
blood, brain, prostate, ovarian, lung and gastrointestinal cancers,
all without the worst side effects of today's most frequently used
cancer therapies." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/d4s6cqt
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12) FL judge: Warning others of speed traps is free speech
Source: AOL News
"A judge in Florida ruled on Tuesday that flashing one's headlights to
warn other drivers of speed traps set by police is protected by the
First Amendment. Ryan Kintner of Lake Mary, Fla. was pulled over and
cited by a police officer in an unmarked car for doing just that.
Kintner was at home when he saw a deputy park along a street and being
using his radar gun. He got in his car, drove a little ways away and
parked his vehicle so he could flash his lights at oncoming traffic to
warn them. ... Kintner, however, was not going down without a fight.
He took his case to court, suing the Seminole County Sheriff's Office,
with Attorney J. Marcus Jones arguing that ... 'Flashing your
headlights is expressive conduct protected by the First
Amendment.'" (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/d8qkgs7
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13) Fresh Iran nuke talks to be held in Moscow
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"A fresh round of talks on Iran's nuclear programme will be held in
Moscow in June, officials announced after a second day of talks in
Baghdad. The EU's foreign policy chief said 'significant differences'
remained, but some common ground had been found. Six world powers made
Iran an offer if it stopped processing medium-enriched uranium, which
can be used to make nuclear weapons, EU officials said. But Tehran
insists that uranium enrichment is its non-negotiable
right." (05/24/12)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18185304
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14) TN: State yet to combat Rx pill problem
Source: The Tennessean
"In spite of efforts to crack down on the state's prescription drug
abuse epidemic, a new report shows nearly 18 million prescriptions for
controlled substances such as OxyContin and hydrocodone were dispensed
in Tennessee last year -- a 23 percent increase from the previous
year. The surging figures in the report to the General Assembly are a
setback for those fighting on the front lines of the prescription drug
problem." [editor's note: And yet those enlightened beings in the
State Assembly blocked a medical marijuana bill from even being
considered again, protecting us to keep abusing Pharma's poisons -
SAT] (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/cbx86kt
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15) CA: Girl plotted to kill mom over curfew
Source: Arizona Republic
"Chris Stalinski heard screams and couldn't imagine what was happening
in the mobile home next door, where a mother lived with her teen
daughter. When Stalinski learned what law enforcement officials
unraveled, it was hard to comprehend: The mother's 13-year-old
daughter and two friends allegedly tried to kill her in her bed. Law
enforcement officials now suspect it was the third time in a matter of
hours the teens -- two girls and a boy -- had tried to kill the
mother, possibly because she was strict with a curfew and critical of
the girl's friends." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/ch88njv
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16) Whose islands are they? South Korea's regime tries branding
Source: Christian Science Monitor
"When it comes to some disputed islets located in the Sea of Japan,
South Korea is not shy about making its claim. Though the Japanese
refer to island group as Takeshima and remain in a bitter dispute over
the issue, Koreans are adamant that Dokdo is Korean sovereign
territory -- and they are very committed to letting the rest of the
world know. The latest ploy: a Napa Valley wine produced by Korean-
American dentist Ahn Jae-hyun at his Dokdo Winery that uses the island
post code as its moniker." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/cbkcx4r
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17) Clinton: US hacked al Qaeda sites to reverse propaganda
Source: Fox News
"The State Department has launched a different sort of raid against Al
Qaeda -- hacking into Al Qaeda websites in Yemen. In a rare public
admission of the covert cyber war against extremists, Secretary of
State Hillary Rodham Clinton says cyber experts based at the State
Department hacked Yemeni tribal websites, replacing Al Qaeda
propaganda that bragged about killing Americans. 'Within 48 hours, our
team plastered the same sites with altered versions of the ads that
showed the toll Al Qaeda attacks have taken on the Yemeni people,'
Clinton said Wednesday." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/d7uekr7
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18) NH: Seven injured when nuclear submarine catches fire in shipyard
Source: Boston Globe
"Firefighters battled for 12 hours to bring a fire inside a nuclear-
powered US Navy submarine in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard under
control, officials said today. Seven people, including five
firefighters, were injured during the incident. No one was seriously
injured during the fire on board the USS Miami (SSN 755)." (05/24/12)
http://bo.st/LcHehZ
-----
19) MA: Manager accused of exporting US nuclear fuel parts
Source: USA Today
"A Chinese national has been charged in Massachusetts with illegally
supplying China with U.S. parts that assist in producing weapons-grade
uranium. Qiang Hu, 47, was accused in federal court papers of using
his affiliation with Andover-based MKS Instruments to funnel thousands
of gas-centrifuge pressure sensors worth millions of dollars beginning
in 2007, according to a Justice Department news release." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/8xhmowf
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20) Fitzgerald announces resignation
Source: MSNBC
"U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald abruptly announced his resignation
Wednesday with no heads up to top officials at the Justice Department
and no current plans for new employment, his spokesman said.
Fitzgerald called Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Sens. Richard
Durbin and Mark Kirk Wednesday morning to inform them of his plans to
retire, just hours before his office publicly announced that he was
resigning as of June 30 as U.S. attorney in Chicago." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/75b2fsz
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HEALTH-OF-THE-STATE-O-METER, 05/25/12
Iraqi Deaths Due to US Invasion: 1,455,590
(source: justforeignpolicy.org/iraq)
US Deaths in Afghanistan: Bush 575, Obama 1310
(source: justforeignpolicy.org/obamavsbush)
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FREEDOM COMMENTARY
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21) Democracy is not freedom
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G. Hornberger
"One of the ostensible goals of U.S. foreign policy is to spread
democracy. Of course, the reality is the exact opposite. The U.S.
Empire is one of the greatest lovers of nonelected dictatorships in
the world, as manifested by its ardent support of such dictatorships
as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Chile (under Pinochet), Guatemala (after
ousting Arbenz), Iran (after ousting Mossadegh), Pakistan (under
Musharraf), Yemen, Bahrain, and many others." (05/24/12)
http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2012-05-24.asp
-----
22) The myths of the interventionists
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Steven Horwitz
"One of the most pernicious myths in the economic history of the
twentieth century is the belief that the Great Depression was caused,
or at least worsened, by Herbert Hoover's dogmatic commitment to a 'do
nothing' laissez-faire policy in the aftermath of the stock market
crash. This argument is part and parcel of the set of beliefs about
the Great Depression that I have dubbed the 'high school history'
version of that event." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/7epgoze
-----
23) Free to choose: Refusal is the ultimate liberty
Source: Zero Gov
by Bill Buppert
"You can live in a geographical location or tax jurisdiction (fondly
called countries) and you are subject to no law except what you agree
to so long as you may opt-out as you wish; that simple, your
compliance is not mandatory except where your behavior is initiated
aggression through force or fraud. So where exactly is this country?
It does not exist outside the kingdom of conscience. Strip away all
the notions of Constitutional protection, action in the courts to beat
back bad laws and all the rest of the distractions and misdirection
the government places in your cognitive path and you are left with one
stark reality: your refusal." (05/23/12)
http://zerogov.com/?p=2655
-----
24) Rome didn't fall in a day
Source: Dollar Vigilante
by Chris Sullivan
"Even back then, government knew best and imposed price controls which
then as always caused black marketeers to provide for people's wants
and needs. One difference between then and now is that the Romans
could not print money. They could debase it, but not print it as
virtually all modern states do. They also had no efficient way of
spying on the populace or freezing assets which is now routine. This
enables us to postpone, but not avert the day of collapse." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/c6zn72z
-----
25) Chicago police are the terrorists
Source: CounterPunch
by Dave Lindorff
"It seems pretty clear by now that the three young 'domestic
terrorists' arrested by Chicago police in a warrantless house invasion
reminiscent of what US military forces are doing on a daily basis in
Afghanistan, are the victims of planted evidence -- part of the police-
state-style crackdown on anti-NATO protesters in Chicago last
week." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/brlf7ar
-----
26) Amazon shareholders drop ALEC, dodge tax questions
Source: Our Future
by Dave Johnson
At [Thursday's] Amazon shareholder meeting in Seattle the company
announced that it is dropping support for ALEC, while fudging
questions about its taxes and voting down proposals to report its
efforts to address climate change and to disclose its political
spending. Amazon's annual shareholder meeting took place in Seattle.
It was a brief, pro-forma event that took place in a small auditorium
in an art museum and lasted only about 45 minutes." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/cznzztw
-----
27) Why a cyber-security bill will pass
Source: In These Times
by Kenneth Rapoza
"It's been a year of one step forward, one step backward for Internet
freedom and privacy advocates. The tug of war over the Internet's
cherished anonymity and chaotic democracy has government on one side
and the public on the other holding tight. But at one point in the not-
so-distant future, the gamers and the hackers and the libertarian
haters of government regulation will prove no match for reality. Every
day, the Internet becomes less safe. This isn't just the view from
Washington; it is also the view from Moscow and Paris cyber security
officials in government and in the private sector." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/d58mnxf
-----
28) Cut Pakistan aid, free hero doctor
Source: Fox News Forum
by US Rep.. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)
"The persecution and unjust imprisonment of Dr. Shakeel Afridi, the
Pakistani hero who helped the United States locate Usama bin Laden, is
the smoking gun that explicitly demonstrates the government of
Pakistan is on the side of terrorism and radical Islam. In May 2011,
several weeks after the successful raid to kill bin Laden, Pakistan
arrested Dr. Afridi, seized his assets, fired his medical staff,
charged him with treason and held him without trial for a year. The
whereabouts of his wife, whom we believe to be an American citizen,
are currently unknown." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/cvqun2q
-----
29) The House's octogenarian incumbents
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
by Debra J. Saunders
"When Sen. Richard Lugar [R-IN] lost the GOP primary to challenger
Richard Mourdock this month, Beltway types saw the voters' verdict as
a victory for the Tea Party and a defeat for the kind of Republican
who could work across the aisle. I think Lugar, 80, lost because he
was out of touch with Indiana. He started the primary registered to
vote at an Indiana home he had sold in 1977. The Lugars have resided
in Virginia ever since. Lugar had been working in Washington for so
long that he didn't realize he needed to keep up at least the
appearance of being a Hoosier." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/clo4p7p
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30) Scrap this anti-social meddling in our lives
Source: Spiked
by Patrick Hayes
"Britain's anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) have long been
considered a bad joke. Kids boast that having one is a 'badge of
honour,' market stalls sell ASBO t-shirts, and the acronym is used to
christen dangerous dogs and even vicious swans. Little wonder few
people take them seriously -- 57 per cent of ASBOs have been breached,
rising to up to 100 per cent in some towns. They should rightly be
scrapped. But in announcing a souped-up successor, the UK coalition
government is making things worse, exacerbating the inability of
communities to deal with anti-social behaviour themselves." (05/24/12)
http://www.spiked-online.com/site/article/12476/
-----
31) The GOP's played-out race card
Source: The Nation
by Melissa Harris-Perry
"Conservative strategists have been toying with how to use race
against President Obama in this year's election. Since Obama's May 9
announcement supporting same-sex marriage, some Republicans have been
salivating about the delicious possibility of dampening black voters'
enthusiasm for the president by casting him as out of touch with their
religious sentiments. Then the leaked Joe Ricketts plan, 'The Defeat
of Barack Hussein Obama,' revealed GOP strategists' idea of employing
'an extremely literate conservative African-American' to discredit
Obama among white voters by reminding them of his link with the Rev.
Jeremiah Wright. ... I'm a little surprised to find conservatives
offering such clumsy and stale campaign game plans." (05/24/12)
http://www.thenation.com/article/168036/gops-played-out-race-card
-----
32) Combat "burn pits" ruin immune system
Source: Wiired
by Katue Drummond
"Since returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, an untold number of
soldiers have come down with puzzling health problems. Chronic
bronchitis. Neurological defects. Even cancer. Many of them are
pointing the finger at a single culprit: The open-air 'burn pits' that
incinerated trash -- from human waste to computer parts -- on military
bases overseas." (05/23/12)
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/05/burn-pits/
-----
33) Biden does Obama's bidding
Source: Orange County Register
by Ron Hart
"Jumpin' Joe Biden, Obama's hapless VP, has been making the news
lately. Obama's 'number two' is just that. When Obama ran on 'change'
in 2008, he picked Joe Biden as his VP candidate. Nothing says you are
for 'change' in Washington like picking a running mate who has been in
the U.S. Senate for 36 years. Joe Biden differs from the members of
the political-academia class with no practical experience who form the
core of the intellectually cloistered Obama regime and are bent on
'transforming' America." (05/22/12)
http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/biden-355365-obama-joe.html
-----
34) Between "nauseating" and fair game
Source: The American Prospect
by Steve Erickson
"There's been a growing sense over the last month that Barack Obama is
winning battles but losing the war -- until this past week, when he
lost the battle too. Governor Mitt Romney, repudiating an effort by
the former chairman of a major online brokerage firm to underwrite a
$10 million advertisement that raises anew questions about the
president's former minister, equated the tactic to the 'character
assassination' represented by questions about Romney's experience with
the private-equity company Bain Capital." (05/24/12)
http://prospect.org/article/between-nauseating-and-fair-game
-----
35) Michigan man deserves praise not firing for giving "found gun" to
police
Source: Liberty For All
by CCRKBA staff
"Wayne County, MI employee John Chevilott should be honored, not fired
for turning over a loaded gun to the police that he found while on the
job, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said
today. 'This man was fired by the Wayne County Department of Public
Services for doing the right thing,' said CCRKBA Chairman Alan
Gottlieb." (05/24/12)
http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=7643
-----
36) A life-changing week
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Doug French
"The right instructor can change a student's life. I know. It happened
to me. Looking through the course catalog at UNLV years ago, I noticed
the class 'EC 742 -- History of Economic Thought. Instructor:
Rothbard.' I didn't know who Murray Rothbard was. I hadn't ever heard
of Austrian economics. I didn't know what a libertarian was. I was in
my late 20s but hadn't thought much about my worldview at
all." (05/24/12)
http://mises.org/daily/6064/A-LifeChanging-Week
-----
37) MWAA: A government-authorized fiefdom
Source: OpenMarket.org
by Trey Kovacs
"Should Congress's power extend to creating taxpayer-funded government
entities that are free from state and federal laws concerning ethics,
transparency, and disclosure? No, but it does, and for Virginia
residents, it is their reality." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/chzaaxj
-----
38) Austerity or bust
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Vuk Vukovic
"The austerity vs stimulus debate is the focal point of attention once
more, as the recent results of Greek and French elections show an
increasing opposition against Europe's unique type of redistributive
austerity. But few understand what austerity really means. They refer
to it as 'painful cuts that are hurting growth.' Even by phrasing the
choice as 'austerity vs growth,' it is obvious that people don't
really understand what austerity is, and even less what their
governments are doing." (05/24/12)
http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/international/austerity-or-bust
-----
39) Refuting Heritage on foreign policy
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by Joel Poindexter
"Last week the Heritage Foundation hosted a speech delivered by
Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, entitled 'Why Conservatives Should Fund and
Support a Strong National Defense.' The event was the annual Jesse
Helms Lecture, designed 'to highlight America's founding principles.'
It was given as part of the Heritage Foundation's Protect America
Month. The intent here is not necessarily to give a word by word
rebuttal of the Heritage report and Kyl's speech, but instead -- to
address the overarching themes of his speech." (05/24/10)
http://tinyurl.com/74a656g
-----
40) Free markets require increased legal immigration
Source: Cato Institute
by Alex Nowrasteh
"In a free market, firms and workers should be free to negotiate and
work together -- regardless of nationality. The labor market is the
largest market in the U.S., and increasing legal immigration will
allow people to move to our relatively capitalist economy, where they
are most productive, increasing economic growth in the
process." (05/22/12)
http://bit.ly/LcOR89
-----
41) This Memorial Day, freedom is dying before our very eyes
Source: Reason
by Andrew P. Napolitano
"What if Memorial Day reminds us of times when we had more freedom?
What if freedom is dying right under our eyes? What if the memory of
the past is more fulfilling than the reality of the
present?" (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/LcOv1m
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42) The group mentality creates anti-libertarian idiocy
Source: Libertarian News Examiner
by Garry Reed
"Paul believes in 'total freedom,' Wattree asserts, which would give
Paul 'the right to pee against the wall in the middle of Times Square
during rush hour.' But libertarianism isn't about 'total freedom,'
it's about individual liberty, personal responsibility and property
rights." (05/24/12)
http://exm.nr/LcNUNi
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43) The bully as scapegoat
Source: LewRockwell.com
by Butler Shaffer
"When teenagers pummel a helpless boy or girl into a state of
unconsciousness, the wrongdoers will be sought out and severely
punished; they may even be prosecuted as 'adults' to reinforce our
make-believe commitment to ridding society of bullying. But what about
police officers who gun-down or taser innocent, non-threatening people
-- some of them the elderly in their own homes? What about these
strong-arm bullies of the state who have been videotaped beating
unarmed men to death, or pepper-spraying college students as they sit
quietly on the ground? To Boobus, such ruffians represent the law-and-
order without which, they have been trained to believe, society would
become violent!" (05/24/12)
http://lewrockwell.com/shaffer/shaffer251.html
-----
44) Social Insecurity
Source: Liberty Unbound
by Gary Jason
"I feel remiss in not reporting lately on the most recent news
concerning the crown jewel of the progressive liberal welfare state:
Social Security. It is the ur-program from which all the other major
programs (such as Medicare) were spawned. Over the years, I have
periodically reported on its looming fiscal crisis, but I haven't said
much during the past year. So it's time to check up on the program
that has elected so many generations of Democratic politicians.
Surprise, surprise -- it is accelerating downwards!" (05/22/12)
http://www.libertyunbound.com/node/809
-----
45) Rape is not part of the sentence
Source: Authority!
by Timothy J Taylor
"As a lawyer and officer of the court for more than 40 years, few
events cause my blood to boil more than incidents of rape, violence
and rampant abuse against defenseless inmates within the vast American
jail and prison systems. Rape, violence and abuse are not part of any
prisoner's sentence no matter what he or she did to deserve
incarceration. When the state puts someone in a cage it assumes a
serious responsibility for the safety and general well being of that
human being." (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/LcKM3O
-----
46) A handy little idea
Source: Jeffersonville Evening News
by Debbie Harbeson
"This idea is spreading fast and I've met many people who are busy
planning, building and decorating their own unique Little Free
Libraries. The Jeffersonville Rotary Club recently awarded grants
which were used to purchase two Little Libraries in memory of recently
deceased members. Budget Printing Center, a local business in
Jeffersonville, has graciously donated labels to attach inside the
books to explain and promote the project." (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/LcK8DB
-----
47) A neglected private benefit of education
Source: EconLog
by Bryan Caplan
"I freely admit that ability bias overstates the effect of education
on family status. But I'm confident that a big causal effect remains.
After all, when people hang out together, they're a lot more likely to
date and marry. That's the way of the world. If you want to marry a
doctor, hang out near a medical school. If you want to marry a college
grad, go to college. After graduation, moreover, your education
continues to have a big effect on who you work and socialize
with." (05/24/12)
http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2012/05/a_neglected_pri.html
-----
48) Mr. Smooth vs. the Smart Meter: The final chapter?
Source: Dallas Libertarian Examiner
by Garry Reed
"Smoot, as readers of this series know, is an acronym (Smart Meter Opt
Out Texan) for an undisclosed Ft. Worth resident fighting the
installation of a high tech digital metering and monitoring device on
his house. On May 22 at noontime, only a day after a third technician
tried and failed to install a Smart Meter, the doorbell rang once
more. 'Not again!' Smoot groaned after sneaking a peek through the
peephole in his door and spying a figure in hardhat and tool belt with
Smart Meter in hand." (05/23/12)
http://exm.nr/LcHLR2
-----
49) The continuing history of bleeding heart libertarianism
Source: Bleeding Heart Libertarians
by Jacob Levy
"ntoine Claude Destutt de Tracy has a plausible claim to being the
first libertarian, if by that word we understand something like the
combination of rights theory, consent theory, and thoroughly market-
oriented economics that has characterized libertarian thought in the
past fifty years. He was relentlessly individualistic in method and
laissez-faire in conclusions." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/LcGppp
-----
50) I told you not to buy Facebook!
Source: Nuzcom
by Neal Reynolds
"Last Thursday evening I wrote an essay imploring people to not buy
Facebook stock, even if they have no philosophical problems with its
many egregious privacy violations, because of GM's announcement
earlier that day that it was pulling out all its advertising -- a
clear sign that major companies are finally starting to wise up and
not believe all of the hype. In this short essay I predicted exactly
what ended up happening: That the stock would briefly go up, profiting
the institutional investors and wealthy at the expense of the
individual investor, then go back down to the IPO price, and then
eventually far below that." (05/24/12)
http://nuzcom.com/i-told-you-not-buy-facebook
-----
51) With no hope for change, obfuscate!
Source: Independent Institute
by Mary Theroux
"The fortunes of imperial Washington and that of the people are
inversely correlated. Today's Baby Boomers -- and their children and
grandchildren now reaching adulthood -- would thus do well to learn
the lessons of what created the 'Baby Boom' of the post-War era,
refuse to be duped by the political pandering currently standing in
for solutions, and demand change that makes a difference." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/KkdWN1
-----
52) Terrorizing through lawfare
Source: Antiwar.com
by Philip Giraldi
"The lawfare concept was promoted by Air Force Deputy Judge Advocate
General Maj. Gen. Charles Dunlap following 9/11, even though the
tactic of using law itself to circumvent restraints imposed by a
constitutional government has been around for quite a while, having
been developed by Nazi jurist Carl Schmitt in the 1930s. In its
American version, lawfare was initially framed around taking the
offensive against the largely progressive groups that were impeding
executive prerogatives by arguing for due process for Guantanamo
detainees and seeking to use existing international law to target
senior government officials including Donald Rumsfeld and Ariel
Sharon, who were widely regarded as war criminals." (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/KkdAGl
-----
53) What is the matter with Columbia?
Source: Show-Me Institute
by Audrey Spalding
"What, exactly, is wrong with Columbia? The unemployment rate in the
Columbia metropolitan statistical area is lower than the rest of
Missouri. Columbia has a large college campus that guarantees a
certain level of sales tax revenue and occupied apartments. It hosts
football games that draw even more commercial activity to the city.
And yet, Columbia officials argue that a large swath of their downtown
should be considered "blighted" and that the city needs development
subsidies." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/88vkxmt
-----
54) Seattle, America's Europe?
Source: A Passion for Liberty
by Tibor R. Machan
"Anyone familiar with the phenomenon of the tragedy of the commons
will very likely realize how it is evident throughout some of the most
attractive places around the world -- Santiago, Chile; Copenhagen,
Denmark; Oslo, Norway and the rest. Because governments can always
float bonds and finance the projects of their leaders with debt and
money printed for them, there is rank and massive profligacy afoot in
these places. Another reason this can go on is that in certain parts
of the country, indeed the world, citizens are quite happy to assume
debts they are not ever likely to be called upon to pay
back." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/JpQxMf
-----
55) Evaluating a "foreign" school of thought
Source: La Bocca della Verita
by Gene Callahan
"Here's a problem: We each have a limited lifespan. Not one of us is
going to be able to learn everything there is to know. So we have to
evaluate which things are worth learning and which aren't. But ... we
have to evaluate which things we are not going to bother learning
without having learned them. How in the world are we supposed to do
that?" (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/JpQnEx
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Today's Freedom News:
1) SCOTUS nullifies Fifth Amendment
2) US: Female soldiers sue vs. combat restrictions
3) Iraq: Baghdad mortar attack kills one, wounds six
4) Afghanistan: Suicide bomber kills two police
5) Pakistan: US terror attacks kill 14 in two days
6) North Korea ready to carry out nuclear test
7) Obama taps Yucca Mountain critic to lead nuclear agency
8) VA: Aggressive beggar shot
9) Brotherhood claims lead as Egypt vote count begins
10) NC: Store owner shoots robbers
11) Scientists: Anti-psychotic drug also kills cancer
12) FL judge: Warning others of speed traps is free speech
13) Fresh Iran nuke talks to be held in Moscow
14) TN: State yet to combat Rx pill problem
15) CA: Girl plotted to kill mom over curfew
16) Whose islands are they? South Korea's regime tries branding
17) Clinton: US hacked al Qaeda sites to reverse propaganda
18) NH: Seven injured when nuclear submarine catches fire in shipyard
19) MA: Manager accused of exporting US nuclear fuel parts
20) Fitzgerald announces resignation
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Democracy is not freedom
22) The myths of the interventionists
23) Free to choose: Refusal is the ultimate liberty
24) Rome didn't fall in a day
25) Chicago police are the terrorists
26) Amazon shareholders drop ALEC, dodge tax questions
27) Why a cyber-security bill will pass
28) Cut Pakistan aid, free hero doctor
29) The House's octogenarian incumbents
30) Scrap this anti-social meddling in our lives
31) The GOP's played-out race card
32) Combat "burn pits" ruin immune system
33) Biden does Obama's bidding
34) Between "nauseating" and fair game
35) Michigan man deserves praise not firing for giving "found gun" to
police
36) A life-changing week
37) MWAA: A government-authorized fiefdom
38) Austerity or bust
39) Refuting Heritage on foreign policy
40) Free markets require increased legal immigration
41) This Memorial Day, freedom is dying before our very eyes
42) The group mentality creates anti-libertarian idiocy
43) The bully as scapegoat
44) Social Insecurity
45) Rape is not part of the sentence
46) A handy little idea
47) A neglected private benefit of education
48) Mr. Smooth vs. the Smart Meter: The final chapter?
49) The continuing history of bleeding heart libertarianism
50) I told you not to buy Facebook!
51) With no hope for change, obfuscate!
52) Terrorizing through lawfare
53) What is the matter with Columbia?
54) Seattle, America's Europe?
55) Evaluating a "foreign" school of thought
------------------------------------------------------------------
FREEDOM NEWS
------------------------------------------------------------------
1) SCOTUS nullifies Fifth Amendment
Source: New York Times
"The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that a criminal defendant may be
retried even though the jury in his first trial had unanimously
rejected the most serious charges against him. The vote was 6 to 3,
with the justices split over whether the constitutional protection
against double jeopardy barred such reprosecutions." (05/24/12)
http://nyti.ms/LdLspP
-----
2) US: Female soldiers sue vs. combat restrictions
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
"Two female soldiers asked a federal judge to throw out the U.S.
military's restrictions on women in combat, claiming the policy
violates their constitutional rights. U.S. Army reservists Jane
Baldwin and Ellen Haring, in a lawsuit filed today in Washington, said
policies excluding them from assignments 'solely because they are
women' violate their right to equal protection guaranteed by the
Constitution's 5th Amendment." (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/KkeORZ
-----
3) Iraq: Baghdad mortar attack kills one, wounds six
Source: FRANCE 24 [France]
"A mortar attack in Baghdad killed one person and wounded six others
Thursday, in the second attack in Iraq's capital during key talks on
Iran's nuclear programme, security and medical officials said. An
interior ministry official said a mortar round struck a street in the
Bataween area of central Baghdad, across the Tigris River from the
heavily-fortified Green Zone where the talks between Iran and world
powers pressing it to scale back its nuclear programme were taking
place." (05/24/12)
http://f24.my/Kf0Vpg
-----
4) Afghanistan: Suicide bomber kills two police
Source: Khaama Press [Afghanistan]
"According to local authorities in southern Helmand province at least
2 Afghan national police forces were killed following a suicide bomb
blast in this province. ... the incident took place after a suicide
bomber riding a motorcycle detonated his explosives." (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/LcLrCo
-----
5) Pakistan: US terror attacks kill 14 in two days
Source: Deutsche Welle [Germany]
"An easing of tensions between the United States and Pakistan does not
appear to be in sight, with suspected US drones killing 14 people in
two days. Ten alleged militants were killed in a drone attack Thursday
in Pakistan near the country's border with Afghanistan. According to
Pakistani security officials, the unmanned aircraft fired two missiles
in the village of Khassokhel in the North Waziristan tribal area. It
is believed the attacks came from US drones and comes a day after a
similar attack killed four suspected militants in the same
region." (05/24/12)
http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15973289,00.html
-----
6) North Korea ready to carry out nuclear test
Source: CNN
"North Korea appears to be ready to carry out a nuclear test whenever
leaders of the reclusive state give the green light, a spokesman for
the South Korean Defense Ministry said Thursday. The comment follows
an analysis of recent commercial satellite images by the defense
publication IHS Janes, which suggested activity was being ramped up at
North Korea's nuclear test site." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/bux7wlh
-----
7) Obama taps Yucca Mountain critic to lead nuclear agency
Source: Hickory Daily Record
"Moving quickly to stem a controversy, President Barack Obama on
Thursday nominated an expert on nuclear waste to lead the federal
agency that regulates the nation's nuclear power plants. Allison
Macfarlane, who served on a presidential commission that studied new
strategies to manage nuclear waste, would replace Gregory Jaczko as
head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/bqcp9hz
-----
8) VA: Aggressive beggar shot
Source: Potomac Local
"The man who had asked for money again walked up to the driver's side
of the car, but this time attacked the male occupant of the car
through the driver's window with a knife, said Stafford Sheriff
Charles Jett. While attempting to fight off the attacker, the man
reached into his glove compartment and pulled out a gun which he used
to shoot the attacker, said Jett. After shooting, the attacker fell to
the ground. Sheriff's deputies arrived on the scene to the find the
gunman with injuries that did not appear to be life threatening, said
Jett. The gunman immediately surrendered his gun and cooperated fully
with the investigation, he added." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/c9v2ord
-----
9) Brotherhood claims lead as Egypt vote count begins
Source: Baton Rouge Advocate
"The Muslim Brotherhood quickly staked a claim Thursday for its
candidate to advance to a runoff vote, saying its exit polls showed
him leading in Egypt's landmark presidential election to succeed
ousted leader Hosni Mubarak. As vote-counting began, exit polls by
several Arab television stations also suggested the Brotherhood's
Mohammed Morsi was ahead of the pack of 13 candidates." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/cm6st6f
-----
10) NC: Store owner shoots robbers
Source: WCTI News
"Gates County officials are continuing their investigation Wednesday
after a deadly shooting at a store. The shooting was reported Tuesday,
according to our affiliate in Norfolk Virginia. Two suspects went into
a Gate's County store and allegedly held up the store's owner. At some
point during the reported robbery, the owner fired a gun shooting both
suspects. One suspect ran to a nearby vehicle where he died. The other
suspect was found dead on a local road." (05/23/12)
http://www.wcti12.com/news/31102047/detail.html
-----
11) Scientists: Anti-psychotic drug also kills cancer
Source: The Raw Story
"A drug commonly used to treat sufferers of schizophrenia ... also
possesses some startlingly potent anti-cancer properties, according to
research published Thursday in the medical journal Cell. The drug,
thioridazine, is usually dispensed as a last resort for schizophrenics
whose symptoms did not respond to other treatments. Scientists ...
discovered that thioridazine can be used to selectively target and
eradicate cancerous stem cells present in leukemia, along with breast,
blood, brain, prostate, ovarian, lung and gastrointestinal cancers,
all without the worst side effects of today's most frequently used
cancer therapies." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/d4s6cqt
-----
12) FL judge: Warning others of speed traps is free speech
Source: AOL News
"A judge in Florida ruled on Tuesday that flashing one's headlights to
warn other drivers of speed traps set by police is protected by the
First Amendment. Ryan Kintner of Lake Mary, Fla. was pulled over and
cited by a police officer in an unmarked car for doing just that.
Kintner was at home when he saw a deputy park along a street and being
using his radar gun. He got in his car, drove a little ways away and
parked his vehicle so he could flash his lights at oncoming traffic to
warn them. ... Kintner, however, was not going down without a fight.
He took his case to court, suing the Seminole County Sheriff's Office,
with Attorney J. Marcus Jones arguing that ... 'Flashing your
headlights is expressive conduct protected by the First
Amendment.'" (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/d8qkgs7
-----
13) Fresh Iran nuke talks to be held in Moscow
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"A fresh round of talks on Iran's nuclear programme will be held in
Moscow in June, officials announced after a second day of talks in
Baghdad. The EU's foreign policy chief said 'significant differences'
remained, but some common ground had been found. Six world powers made
Iran an offer if it stopped processing medium-enriched uranium, which
can be used to make nuclear weapons, EU officials said. But Tehran
insists that uranium enrichment is its non-negotiable
right." (05/24/12)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18185304
-----
14) TN: State yet to combat Rx pill problem
Source: The Tennessean
"In spite of efforts to crack down on the state's prescription drug
abuse epidemic, a new report shows nearly 18 million prescriptions for
controlled substances such as OxyContin and hydrocodone were dispensed
in Tennessee last year -- a 23 percent increase from the previous
year. The surging figures in the report to the General Assembly are a
setback for those fighting on the front lines of the prescription drug
problem." [editor's note: And yet those enlightened beings in the
State Assembly blocked a medical marijuana bill from even being
considered again, protecting us to keep abusing Pharma's poisons -
SAT] (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/cbx86kt
-----
15) CA: Girl plotted to kill mom over curfew
Source: Arizona Republic
"Chris Stalinski heard screams and couldn't imagine what was happening
in the mobile home next door, where a mother lived with her teen
daughter. When Stalinski learned what law enforcement officials
unraveled, it was hard to comprehend: The mother's 13-year-old
daughter and two friends allegedly tried to kill her in her bed. Law
enforcement officials now suspect it was the third time in a matter of
hours the teens -- two girls and a boy -- had tried to kill the
mother, possibly because she was strict with a curfew and critical of
the girl's friends." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/ch88njv
-----
16) Whose islands are they? South Korea's regime tries branding
Source: Christian Science Monitor
"When it comes to some disputed islets located in the Sea of Japan,
South Korea is not shy about making its claim. Though the Japanese
refer to island group as Takeshima and remain in a bitter dispute over
the issue, Koreans are adamant that Dokdo is Korean sovereign
territory -- and they are very committed to letting the rest of the
world know. The latest ploy: a Napa Valley wine produced by Korean-
American dentist Ahn Jae-hyun at his Dokdo Winery that uses the island
post code as its moniker." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/cbkcx4r
-----
17) Clinton: US hacked al Qaeda sites to reverse propaganda
Source: Fox News
"The State Department has launched a different sort of raid against Al
Qaeda -- hacking into Al Qaeda websites in Yemen. In a rare public
admission of the covert cyber war against extremists, Secretary of
State Hillary Rodham Clinton says cyber experts based at the State
Department hacked Yemeni tribal websites, replacing Al Qaeda
propaganda that bragged about killing Americans. 'Within 48 hours, our
team plastered the same sites with altered versions of the ads that
showed the toll Al Qaeda attacks have taken on the Yemeni people,'
Clinton said Wednesday." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/d7uekr7
-----
18) NH: Seven injured when nuclear submarine catches fire in shipyard
Source: Boston Globe
"Firefighters battled for 12 hours to bring a fire inside a nuclear-
powered US Navy submarine in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard under
control, officials said today. Seven people, including five
firefighters, were injured during the incident. No one was seriously
injured during the fire on board the USS Miami (SSN 755)." (05/24/12)
http://bo.st/LcHehZ
-----
19) MA: Manager accused of exporting US nuclear fuel parts
Source: USA Today
"A Chinese national has been charged in Massachusetts with illegally
supplying China with U.S. parts that assist in producing weapons-grade
uranium. Qiang Hu, 47, was accused in federal court papers of using
his affiliation with Andover-based MKS Instruments to funnel thousands
of gas-centrifuge pressure sensors worth millions of dollars beginning
in 2007, according to a Justice Department news release." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/8xhmowf
-----
20) Fitzgerald announces resignation
Source: MSNBC
"U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald abruptly announced his resignation
Wednesday with no heads up to top officials at the Justice Department
and no current plans for new employment, his spokesman said.
Fitzgerald called Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Sens. Richard
Durbin and Mark Kirk Wednesday morning to inform them of his plans to
retire, just hours before his office publicly announced that he was
resigning as of June 30 as U.S. attorney in Chicago." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/75b2fsz
------------------------------------------------------------------
HEALTH-OF-THE-STATE-O-METER, 05/25/12
Iraqi Deaths Due to US Invasion: 1,455,590
(source: justforeignpolicy.org/iraq)
US Deaths in Afghanistan: Bush 575, Obama 1310
(source: justforeignpolicy.org/obamavsbush)
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
FREEDOM COMMENTARY
------------------------------------------------------------------
21) Democracy is not freedom
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G. Hornberger
"One of the ostensible goals of U.S. foreign policy is to spread
democracy. Of course, the reality is the exact opposite. The U.S.
Empire is one of the greatest lovers of nonelected dictatorships in
the world, as manifested by its ardent support of such dictatorships
as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Chile (under Pinochet), Guatemala (after
ousting Arbenz), Iran (after ousting Mossadegh), Pakistan (under
Musharraf), Yemen, Bahrain, and many others." (05/24/12)
http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2012-05-24.asp
-----
22) The myths of the interventionists
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Steven Horwitz
"One of the most pernicious myths in the economic history of the
twentieth century is the belief that the Great Depression was caused,
or at least worsened, by Herbert Hoover's dogmatic commitment to a 'do
nothing' laissez-faire policy in the aftermath of the stock market
crash. This argument is part and parcel of the set of beliefs about
the Great Depression that I have dubbed the 'high school history'
version of that event." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/7epgoze
-----
23) Free to choose: Refusal is the ultimate liberty
Source: Zero Gov
by Bill Buppert
"You can live in a geographical location or tax jurisdiction (fondly
called countries) and you are subject to no law except what you agree
to so long as you may opt-out as you wish; that simple, your
compliance is not mandatory except where your behavior is initiated
aggression through force or fraud. So where exactly is this country?
It does not exist outside the kingdom of conscience. Strip away all
the notions of Constitutional protection, action in the courts to beat
back bad laws and all the rest of the distractions and misdirection
the government places in your cognitive path and you are left with one
stark reality: your refusal." (05/23/12)
http://zerogov.com/?p=2655
-----
24) Rome didn't fall in a day
Source: Dollar Vigilante
by Chris Sullivan
"Even back then, government knew best and imposed price controls which
then as always caused black marketeers to provide for people's wants
and needs. One difference between then and now is that the Romans
could not print money. They could debase it, but not print it as
virtually all modern states do. They also had no efficient way of
spying on the populace or freezing assets which is now routine. This
enables us to postpone, but not avert the day of collapse." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/c6zn72z
-----
25) Chicago police are the terrorists
Source: CounterPunch
by Dave Lindorff
"It seems pretty clear by now that the three young 'domestic
terrorists' arrested by Chicago police in a warrantless house invasion
reminiscent of what US military forces are doing on a daily basis in
Afghanistan, are the victims of planted evidence -- part of the police-
state-style crackdown on anti-NATO protesters in Chicago last
week." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/brlf7ar
-----
26) Amazon shareholders drop ALEC, dodge tax questions
Source: Our Future
by Dave Johnson
At [Thursday's] Amazon shareholder meeting in Seattle the company
announced that it is dropping support for ALEC, while fudging
questions about its taxes and voting down proposals to report its
efforts to address climate change and to disclose its political
spending. Amazon's annual shareholder meeting took place in Seattle.
It was a brief, pro-forma event that took place in a small auditorium
in an art museum and lasted only about 45 minutes." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/cznzztw
-----
27) Why a cyber-security bill will pass
Source: In These Times
by Kenneth Rapoza
"It's been a year of one step forward, one step backward for Internet
freedom and privacy advocates. The tug of war over the Internet's
cherished anonymity and chaotic democracy has government on one side
and the public on the other holding tight. But at one point in the not-
so-distant future, the gamers and the hackers and the libertarian
haters of government regulation will prove no match for reality. Every
day, the Internet becomes less safe. This isn't just the view from
Washington; it is also the view from Moscow and Paris cyber security
officials in government and in the private sector." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/d58mnxf
-----
28) Cut Pakistan aid, free hero doctor
Source: Fox News Forum
by US Rep.. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)
"The persecution and unjust imprisonment of Dr. Shakeel Afridi, the
Pakistani hero who helped the United States locate Usama bin Laden, is
the smoking gun that explicitly demonstrates the government of
Pakistan is on the side of terrorism and radical Islam. In May 2011,
several weeks after the successful raid to kill bin Laden, Pakistan
arrested Dr. Afridi, seized his assets, fired his medical staff,
charged him with treason and held him without trial for a year. The
whereabouts of his wife, whom we believe to be an American citizen,
are currently unknown." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/cvqun2q
-----
29) The House's octogenarian incumbents
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
by Debra J. Saunders
"When Sen. Richard Lugar [R-IN] lost the GOP primary to challenger
Richard Mourdock this month, Beltway types saw the voters' verdict as
a victory for the Tea Party and a defeat for the kind of Republican
who could work across the aisle. I think Lugar, 80, lost because he
was out of touch with Indiana. He started the primary registered to
vote at an Indiana home he had sold in 1977. The Lugars have resided
in Virginia ever since. Lugar had been working in Washington for so
long that he didn't realize he needed to keep up at least the
appearance of being a Hoosier." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/clo4p7p
-----
30) Scrap this anti-social meddling in our lives
Source: Spiked
by Patrick Hayes
"Britain's anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) have long been
considered a bad joke. Kids boast that having one is a 'badge of
honour,' market stalls sell ASBO t-shirts, and the acronym is used to
christen dangerous dogs and even vicious swans. Little wonder few
people take them seriously -- 57 per cent of ASBOs have been breached,
rising to up to 100 per cent in some towns. They should rightly be
scrapped. But in announcing a souped-up successor, the UK coalition
government is making things worse, exacerbating the inability of
communities to deal with anti-social behaviour themselves." (05/24/12)
http://www.spiked-online.com/site/article/12476/
-----
31) The GOP's played-out race card
Source: The Nation
by Melissa Harris-Perry
"Conservative strategists have been toying with how to use race
against President Obama in this year's election. Since Obama's May 9
announcement supporting same-sex marriage, some Republicans have been
salivating about the delicious possibility of dampening black voters'
enthusiasm for the president by casting him as out of touch with their
religious sentiments. Then the leaked Joe Ricketts plan, 'The Defeat
of Barack Hussein Obama,' revealed GOP strategists' idea of employing
'an extremely literate conservative African-American' to discredit
Obama among white voters by reminding them of his link with the Rev.
Jeremiah Wright. ... I'm a little surprised to find conservatives
offering such clumsy and stale campaign game plans." (05/24/12)
http://www.thenation.com/article/168036/gops-played-out-race-card
-----
32) Combat "burn pits" ruin immune system
Source: Wiired
by Katue Drummond
"Since returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, an untold number of
soldiers have come down with puzzling health problems. Chronic
bronchitis. Neurological defects. Even cancer. Many of them are
pointing the finger at a single culprit: The open-air 'burn pits' that
incinerated trash -- from human waste to computer parts -- on military
bases overseas." (05/23/12)
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/05/burn-pits/
-----
33) Biden does Obama's bidding
Source: Orange County Register
by Ron Hart
"Jumpin' Joe Biden, Obama's hapless VP, has been making the news
lately. Obama's 'number two' is just that. When Obama ran on 'change'
in 2008, he picked Joe Biden as his VP candidate. Nothing says you are
for 'change' in Washington like picking a running mate who has been in
the U.S. Senate for 36 years. Joe Biden differs from the members of
the political-academia class with no practical experience who form the
core of the intellectually cloistered Obama regime and are bent on
'transforming' America." (05/22/12)
http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/biden-355365-obama-joe.html
-----
34) Between "nauseating" and fair game
Source: The American Prospect
by Steve Erickson
"There's been a growing sense over the last month that Barack Obama is
winning battles but losing the war -- until this past week, when he
lost the battle too. Governor Mitt Romney, repudiating an effort by
the former chairman of a major online brokerage firm to underwrite a
$10 million advertisement that raises anew questions about the
president's former minister, equated the tactic to the 'character
assassination' represented by questions about Romney's experience with
the private-equity company Bain Capital." (05/24/12)
http://prospect.org/article/between-nauseating-and-fair-game
-----
35) Michigan man deserves praise not firing for giving "found gun" to
police
Source: Liberty For All
by CCRKBA staff
"Wayne County, MI employee John Chevilott should be honored, not fired
for turning over a loaded gun to the police that he found while on the
job, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said
today. 'This man was fired by the Wayne County Department of Public
Services for doing the right thing,' said CCRKBA Chairman Alan
Gottlieb." (05/24/12)
http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=7643
-----
36) A life-changing week
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Doug French
"The right instructor can change a student's life. I know. It happened
to me. Looking through the course catalog at UNLV years ago, I noticed
the class 'EC 742 -- History of Economic Thought. Instructor:
Rothbard.' I didn't know who Murray Rothbard was. I hadn't ever heard
of Austrian economics. I didn't know what a libertarian was. I was in
my late 20s but hadn't thought much about my worldview at
all." (05/24/12)
http://mises.org/daily/6064/A-LifeChanging-Week
-----
37) MWAA: A government-authorized fiefdom
Source: OpenMarket.org
by Trey Kovacs
"Should Congress's power extend to creating taxpayer-funded government
entities that are free from state and federal laws concerning ethics,
transparency, and disclosure? No, but it does, and for Virginia
residents, it is their reality." (05/24/12)
http://tinyurl.com/chzaaxj
-----
38) Austerity or bust
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Vuk Vukovic
"The austerity vs stimulus debate is the focal point of attention once
more, as the recent results of Greek and French elections show an
increasing opposition against Europe's unique type of redistributive
austerity. But few understand what austerity really means. They refer
to it as 'painful cuts that are hurting growth.' Even by phrasing the
choice as 'austerity vs growth,' it is obvious that people don't
really understand what austerity is, and even less what their
governments are doing." (05/24/12)
http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/international/austerity-or-bust
-----
39) Refuting Heritage on foreign policy
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by Joel Poindexter
"Last week the Heritage Foundation hosted a speech delivered by
Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, entitled 'Why Conservatives Should Fund and
Support a Strong National Defense.' The event was the annual Jesse
Helms Lecture, designed 'to highlight America's founding principles.'
It was given as part of the Heritage Foundation's Protect America
Month. The intent here is not necessarily to give a word by word
rebuttal of the Heritage report and Kyl's speech, but instead -- to
address the overarching themes of his speech." (05/24/10)
http://tinyurl.com/74a656g
-----
40) Free markets require increased legal immigration
Source: Cato Institute
by Alex Nowrasteh
"In a free market, firms and workers should be free to negotiate and
work together -- regardless of nationality. The labor market is the
largest market in the U.S., and increasing legal immigration will
allow people to move to our relatively capitalist economy, where they
are most productive, increasing economic growth in the
process." (05/22/12)
http://bit.ly/LcOR89
-----
41) This Memorial Day, freedom is dying before our very eyes
Source: Reason
by Andrew P. Napolitano
"What if Memorial Day reminds us of times when we had more freedom?
What if freedom is dying right under our eyes? What if the memory of
the past is more fulfilling than the reality of the
present?" (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/LcOv1m
-----
42) The group mentality creates anti-libertarian idiocy
Source: Libertarian News Examiner
by Garry Reed
"Paul believes in 'total freedom,' Wattree asserts, which would give
Paul 'the right to pee against the wall in the middle of Times Square
during rush hour.' But libertarianism isn't about 'total freedom,'
it's about individual liberty, personal responsibility and property
rights." (05/24/12)
http://exm.nr/LcNUNi
-----
43) The bully as scapegoat
Source: LewRockwell.com
by Butler Shaffer
"When teenagers pummel a helpless boy or girl into a state of
unconsciousness, the wrongdoers will be sought out and severely
punished; they may even be prosecuted as 'adults' to reinforce our
make-believe commitment to ridding society of bullying. But what about
police officers who gun-down or taser innocent, non-threatening people
-- some of them the elderly in their own homes? What about these
strong-arm bullies of the state who have been videotaped beating
unarmed men to death, or pepper-spraying college students as they sit
quietly on the ground? To Boobus, such ruffians represent the law-and-
order without which, they have been trained to believe, society would
become violent!" (05/24/12)
http://lewrockwell.com/shaffer/shaffer251.html
-----
44) Social Insecurity
Source: Liberty Unbound
by Gary Jason
"I feel remiss in not reporting lately on the most recent news
concerning the crown jewel of the progressive liberal welfare state:
Social Security. It is the ur-program from which all the other major
programs (such as Medicare) were spawned. Over the years, I have
periodically reported on its looming fiscal crisis, but I haven't said
much during the past year. So it's time to check up on the program
that has elected so many generations of Democratic politicians.
Surprise, surprise -- it is accelerating downwards!" (05/22/12)
http://www.libertyunbound.com/node/809
-----
45) Rape is not part of the sentence
Source: Authority!
by Timothy J Taylor
"As a lawyer and officer of the court for more than 40 years, few
events cause my blood to boil more than incidents of rape, violence
and rampant abuse against defenseless inmates within the vast American
jail and prison systems. Rape, violence and abuse are not part of any
prisoner's sentence no matter what he or she did to deserve
incarceration. When the state puts someone in a cage it assumes a
serious responsibility for the safety and general well being of that
human being." (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/LcKM3O
-----
46) A handy little idea
Source: Jeffersonville Evening News
by Debbie Harbeson
"This idea is spreading fast and I've met many people who are busy
planning, building and decorating their own unique Little Free
Libraries. The Jeffersonville Rotary Club recently awarded grants
which were used to purchase two Little Libraries in memory of recently
deceased members. Budget Printing Center, a local business in
Jeffersonville, has graciously donated labels to attach inside the
books to explain and promote the project." (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/LcK8DB
-----
47) A neglected private benefit of education
Source: EconLog
by Bryan Caplan
"I freely admit that ability bias overstates the effect of education
on family status. But I'm confident that a big causal effect remains.
After all, when people hang out together, they're a lot more likely to
date and marry. That's the way of the world. If you want to marry a
doctor, hang out near a medical school. If you want to marry a college
grad, go to college. After graduation, moreover, your education
continues to have a big effect on who you work and socialize
with." (05/24/12)
http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2012/05/a_neglected_pri.html
-----
48) Mr. Smooth vs. the Smart Meter: The final chapter?
Source: Dallas Libertarian Examiner
by Garry Reed
"Smoot, as readers of this series know, is an acronym (Smart Meter Opt
Out Texan) for an undisclosed Ft. Worth resident fighting the
installation of a high tech digital metering and monitoring device on
his house. On May 22 at noontime, only a day after a third technician
tried and failed to install a Smart Meter, the doorbell rang once
more. 'Not again!' Smoot groaned after sneaking a peek through the
peephole in his door and spying a figure in hardhat and tool belt with
Smart Meter in hand." (05/23/12)
http://exm.nr/LcHLR2
-----
49) The continuing history of bleeding heart libertarianism
Source: Bleeding Heart Libertarians
by Jacob Levy
"ntoine Claude Destutt de Tracy has a plausible claim to being the
first libertarian, if by that word we understand something like the
combination of rights theory, consent theory, and thoroughly market-
oriented economics that has characterized libertarian thought in the
past fifty years. He was relentlessly individualistic in method and
laissez-faire in conclusions." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/LcGppp
-----
50) I told you not to buy Facebook!
Source: Nuzcom
by Neal Reynolds
"Last Thursday evening I wrote an essay imploring people to not buy
Facebook stock, even if they have no philosophical problems with its
many egregious privacy violations, because of GM's announcement
earlier that day that it was pulling out all its advertising -- a
clear sign that major companies are finally starting to wise up and
not believe all of the hype. In this short essay I predicted exactly
what ended up happening: That the stock would briefly go up, profiting
the institutional investors and wealthy at the expense of the
individual investor, then go back down to the IPO price, and then
eventually far below that." (05/24/12)
http://nuzcom.com/i-told-you-not-buy-facebook
-----
51) With no hope for change, obfuscate!
Source: Independent Institute
by Mary Theroux
"The fortunes of imperial Washington and that of the people are
inversely correlated. Today's Baby Boomers -- and their children and
grandchildren now reaching adulthood -- would thus do well to learn
the lessons of what created the 'Baby Boom' of the post-War era,
refuse to be duped by the political pandering currently standing in
for solutions, and demand change that makes a difference." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/KkdWN1
-----
52) Terrorizing through lawfare
Source: Antiwar.com
by Philip Giraldi
"The lawfare concept was promoted by Air Force Deputy Judge Advocate
General Maj. Gen. Charles Dunlap following 9/11, even though the
tactic of using law itself to circumvent restraints imposed by a
constitutional government has been around for quite a while, having
been developed by Nazi jurist Carl Schmitt in the 1930s. In its
American version, lawfare was initially framed around taking the
offensive against the largely progressive groups that were impeding
executive prerogatives by arguing for due process for Guantanamo
detainees and seeking to use existing international law to target
senior government officials including Donald Rumsfeld and Ariel
Sharon, who were widely regarded as war criminals." (05/24/12)
http://bit.ly/KkdAGl
-----
53) What is the matter with Columbia?
Source: Show-Me Institute
by Audrey Spalding
"What, exactly, is wrong with Columbia? The unemployment rate in the
Columbia metropolitan statistical area is lower than the rest of
Missouri. Columbia has a large college campus that guarantees a
certain level of sales tax revenue and occupied apartments. It hosts
football games that draw even more commercial activity to the city.
And yet, Columbia officials argue that a large swath of their downtown
should be considered "blighted" and that the city needs development
subsidies." (05/23/12)
http://tinyurl.com/88vkxmt
-----
54) Seattle, America's Europe?
Source: A Passion for Liberty
by Tibor R. Machan
"Anyone familiar with the phenomenon of the tragedy of the commons
will very likely realize how it is evident throughout some of the most
attractive places around the world -- Santiago, Chile; Copenhagen,
Denmark; Oslo, Norway and the rest. Because governments can always
float bonds and finance the projects of their leaders with debt and
money printed for them, there is rank and massive profligacy afoot in
these places. Another reason this can go on is that in certain parts
of the country, indeed the world, citizens are quite happy to assume
debts they are not ever likely to be called upon to pay
back." (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/JpQxMf
-----
55) Evaluating a "foreign" school of thought
Source: La Bocca della Verita
by Gene Callahan
"Here's a problem: We each have a limited lifespan. Not one of us is
going to be able to learn everything there is to know. So we have to
evaluate which things are worth learning and which aren't. But ... we
have to evaluate which things we are not going to bother learning
without having learned them. How in the world are we supposed to do
that?" (05/23/12)
http://bit.ly/JpQnEx
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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