07/01 -- ACLU sues over US no-fly list; US Senate confirms Petraeus as new Afghan occupation fall guy
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Thomas L. Knapp
Jul 1, 2010, 1:10:41 AM7/1/10
to Rational Review News Digest
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In The News:
1) ACLU sues over US no-fly list
2) US Senate confirms Petraeus as new Afghan occupation fall guy
3) Iraq: Two police officers killed in shootout
4) Afghanistan: Taliban attack major occupation base
5) Pakistan: Jets kill 20 suspected militants
6) US terror chief defends regime's "right" to murder American
citizens
7) Haiti: Preval rejects US advice on presidential election
8) US House passes sweeping bank rules
9) Afghanistan: Holder visits Kabul to discuss corruption
10) Hamas spy finds home in California, seeks asylum
11) UK: Court denies soldiers' human rights challenge
12) Suspected Russian spy missing in Cyprus
13) Mexico: Court orders release of protest leaders
14) FL: First Open Carry event planned
15) IL: Gun rights group says Chicago meeting permit pulled
16) Gun rights legal battle shifts to North Carolina
17) NC: Teen shoots would-be burglary suspect
18) MD: Forestville man fatally shoots home invader
19) Obama blasts GOP for insufficient enthusiasm in support of GRUNCH
20) Leahy: Kagan "will be confirmed"
Everybody Has An Opinion:
21) The power in money
22) No Happy Meal toy for you, brainwashed brat
23) How the state causes collapse
24) Who owns your body?
25) Trust, but verify: A discourse on the LNC's proposed electronic
voting system
26) Temporary funding forever?
27) Pittsburgh's rise from the ashes
28) Executive privilege
29) Criminalising the rough and tumble of politics
30) Why Afghan poppies aren't the problem
31) Contempt of court George Wallace style
32) Safer streets finally underway again
33) We have a long way to go
34) Defending the slumlord
35) How to win the fight over Sarbanes-Oxley
36) The silence of the gun control crowd
37) Reaping the whirlwind of progressivism
38) Blowout prevention act or oil production prevention act?
39) The Internet must remain free
40) America's destiny must be freedom
41) A big bang for Greece
42) The second coming of Petraeus
43) Gun shy
44) The mythology surrounding Petraeus's surge in Iraq will keep us
trapped in Afghanistan
45) Double-dip trade is probably overdone
46) BP: Beyond Prosecution
47) Don't threaten anyone's homeland
48) The Obama formula
49) Inside dopes
50) New study documents media's servitude to government
51) Will Congress kill volunteer fire departments?
52) Welcoming the failure of the economic recovery team
53) Adam Smith and the #20 note
54) The military to the rescue ... again
55) Yes, the Second Amendment really means what it says ... and that
means you too Chicago
56) New York Times ignores bloody reality
57) Social security ... or insecurity?
58) Congress set to deform America's financial sector
59) "Fine," like "taxation," is another word for theft
60) Three factor interactions
See No Evil, Hear No Evil:
61) Drones and the changing face of war
62) Citizenship and the pursuit of happiness
63) Cato Daily Podcast, 06/30/10
64) Anand Gopal on Antiwar Radio
65) The freedom philosophy
What's Up In The Freedom Movement:
66) Today's events
***************
* In The News
***************
1) ACLU sues over US no-fly list
Reuters
"The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday filed suit over the
U.S. government's 'no-fly list,' saying it violates individuals'
rights. The suit, filed on behalf of 10 U.S. citizens or lawful
residents, says thousands have been barred from commercial air travel
with no chance to address the basis for their apparent inclusion on
the list. An ACLU lawyer on Wednesday said the complaint was the first
to be filed on behalf of U.S. legal residents seeking systemic reform
and raising the issue of constitutionality because of the lack of a
procedure for people to challenge their inclusion on the list. At
least one previous suit has been filed by a noncitizen in a bid to get
herself removed from the list." (06/30/10)
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66005O20100701
-----
2) US Senate confirms Petraeus as new Afghan occupation fall guy
Washington Post
"Gen. David H. Petraeus was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate
Wednesday as the new Afghan war commander, replacing Gen. Stanley A.
McChrystal after his ouster over controversial remarks in a Rolling
Stone magazine article. The 99-0 Senate vote followed a confirmation
hearing Tuesday in which members of the Senate Armed Services
Committee praised Petraeus's leadership of the war in Iraq and lauded
him as the nation's premier warrior-diplomat." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/25dm64o
-----
3) Iraq: Two police officers killed in shootout
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
"Iraqi officials say gunmen have killed two police officers in western
Iraq. The intelligence officer and his bodyguard were ambushed
Wednesday by three gunmen at the entrance to a clinic in the town of
Hit in Iraq's Sunni-dominated Anbar province. The bodyguard managed to
shoot and kill one attacker and wound the two others before he died, a
Hit police officer said." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26m5bq4
-----
4) Afghanistan: Taliban attack major occupation base
ABC News
"U.S. and Afghan troops repelled an attack Wednesday on one of the
biggest NATO bases in eastern Afghanistan by militants who used a
suicide car bomb, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons in a
failed attempt to breach the defenses. It was the third ground assault
against a major coalition base in Afghanistan in the past five weeks
-- a sign that the insurgents have not been cowed by U.S. efforts to
ramp up the war." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2c3yfcv
-----
5) Pakistan: Jets kill 20 suspected militants
Chicago Sun-Times
"A government official says fighter jets have bombed suspected
militant hide-outs in a new assault on a Pakistan tribal region where
the army had previously declared victory. He says at least 20 people
have died. Samiullah Khan, a deputy administrator in the Orakzai
tribal region, says the aerial bombings Wednesday destroyed six
Taliban hide-outs in the region." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2b4nx9r
-----
6) US terror chief defends regime's "right" to murder American
citizens
Associated Press
"A top counterterrorism official on Wednesday defended the
government's right to target U.S. citizens perceived as terror threats
for capture or killing, citing the example of the renegade al-Qaida-
linked cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Michael Leiter, director of the
National Counterterrorism Center, would not say whether al-Awlaki is
on a U.S. targeting list, but a senior U.S. counterterrorism official
has previously confirmed that the cleric is among terror targets
sought to be captured or killed." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2ere3zu
-----
7) Haiti: Preval rejects US advice on presidential election
USA Today
"Haiti's president on Wednesday rejected U.S. Senate recommendations
on holding an election for his successor, brushing off criticism that
the current process will leave the shattered country without a
credible leader. A report issued this month by Sen. Richard Lugar, the
ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
'strongly encourages' Haiti to let its international partners help
restructure the eight-member Provisional Electoral Council, which has
been accused of corruption." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2fl7zsh
-----
8) US House passes sweeping bank rules
USA Today
"Nearly two years after a Wall Street meltdown left the economy
reeling, the House on Wednesday passed a massive overhaul of financial
regulations that would extend the government's reach from storefront
thrifts to the high-finance penthouses of New York City. Senate
support for the far-reaching bill remained in flux, however. The
Senate was forced to delay its vote to mid-July, denying President
Barack Obama a victory before Independence Day." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3agsmm7
-----
9) Afghanistan: Holder visits Kabul to discuss corruption
MSNBC
"U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was in the Afghan capital to talk
with officials about improving the justice system and fighting
corruption Wednesday, a day after Afghanistan's top prosecutor
defended himself against allegations that he's being pressured not to
pursue cases against powerful figures. Corruption and an ineffectual
court system have undermined public trust in President Hamid Karzai's
government. The Obama administration and other donor nations, who need
Karzai to be perceived as a credible partner, are pushing him to clean
up bribery, graft and corruption." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/23w73bz
-----
10) Hamas spy finds home in California, seeks asylum
MSNBC
"Mosab Hassan Yousef says he will be killed if he is deported from the
United States to the West Bank. The oldest son of one of Hamas'
founders, he was an Israeli spy for a decade, and he abandoned Islam
for Christianity, further marking him a traitor. He is scheduled to
plead his case Wednesday to an immigration judge in San Diego, four
months after publishing memoirs that say he was one of the Shin Bet
security agency's best assets and was dubbed The Green Prince, a
reference to his Hamas pedigree and the Islamists' signature green
color." (06/30/10)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37991907/ns/us_news/
-----
11) UK: Court denies soldiers' human rights challenge
Myrtle Beach Sun News
"Britain's Supreme Court on Wednesday threw out a plan to offer troops
at war protection under human rights law, saying the policy could
leave military commanders concerned more about legal issues than enemy
fire. Six of nine justices overturned a lower court decision that the
Human Rights Act should apply to soldiers everywhere -- even if they
are involved in overseas combat. The court said human rights
legislation was never intended to apply to forces fighting on foreign
soil." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/23odkmo
-----
12) Suspected Russian spy missing in Cyprus
CNN
"A suspected Russian spy is missing after being arrested in Cyprus and
released on bail, a police spokesman told CNN on Wednesday.
Authorities arrested Robert Christopher Metsos, 55, in Larnaca after
an Interpol 'red notice' was served on him, Cypriot police said
Tuesday." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/23bwa6c
-----
13) Mexico: Court orders release of protest leaders
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
"Mexico's Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the convictions of 12
leaders and other participants in a violent 2006 protest during which
leftist demonstrators took over a town and battled police. The court
cited insufficient evidence as the reason for nullifying the men's
kidnapping sentences, which ranged from 31 to 112 years in
prison." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2737ul6
-----
14) FL: First Open Carry event planned
Ammo Land
"Florida Open Carry is planning their first 'Open Carry Fishing Event'
in the Dayton area at Port Orange Dunlawton Causeway Park on Saturday,
July 3rd from 9am to 2pm. ... 'We invite all law abiding citizens,'
adds [Florida Open Carry founder] Mr. Caranna, 'regardless if you open
carry or not, to join us for a day of fishing on the pier. We hope to
show that we are responsible members of our community who want our
open carry rights restored in Florida.' Most states require no license
to open carry, but Florida is one of only seven states with wide
ranging prohibitions on carrying unconcealed handguns ... This
presents a huge problem in the summer heat or while engaged in many
outdoor Florida activities." (06/29/10)
http://www.ammoland.com/2010/06/29/floridas-first-open-carry-event/
-----
15) IL: Gun rights group says Chicago meeting permit pulled
Chicago Headlines Examiner
"An Illinois group that supports the right to carry guns is saying its
1st Amendment rights have been violated as the group attempts to fight
for 2nd amendment rights. Illinois Carry spokesman Gerald Vernon says
his group has been denied access to a Chicago Park District meeting
room where it was scheduled to hold a meeting tomorrow night to
promote the right to carry. The Chicago Park District denies Vernon's
claims ... The Park District says the meeting room permit was
rescinded because of concerns the crowd would draw many more people
than organizers predicted." (06/29/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2arvxpd
-----
16) Gun rights legal battle shifts to North Carolina
Charlotte Gun Rights Examniner
"Grass Roots North Carolina has joined Michael Bateman, Virgil Green,
Forrest Minges, Jr., and the Second Amendment Foundation in a lawsuit
against the state's emergency powers gun ban. ... Filed in U.S.
District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the
official title is Bateman et al v. Perdue et al .... It contends that
state statutes forbidding carrying of firearms and ammunition during
declared states of emergency, as well as laws enabling government
officials to prohibit purchase, sale and possession of firearms and
ammunition are unconstitutional because they forbid the exercise of
Second Amendment rights as affirmed ... in McDonald v.
Chicago." (06/29/10)
http://tinyurl.com/28w8ruy
-----
17) NC: Teen shoots would-be burglary suspect
KTRK News
"Two would-be burglars are in police custody thanks to the quick
actions of a 15-year-old. ... Deputies say that around 2:30pm, the
suspects broke into the home through a back window. From upstairs, the
15-year-old -- who was home with his 12-year-old sister -- heard the
breaking glass and grabbed his father's automatic rifle. The burglary
was soon over. ... Neighbors say there have been recent burglaries in
the neighborhood. Again, investigators said th[e] rifle was the
personal weapon of the teen's father, the deputy constable. He's been
with the sheriff's office for 11 years and is described as a good
officer. There were some questions about whether he'd be liable for
the shooting since his son had easy access to the weapon, but ABC13's
legal expert says that the 15-year-old's right to protect his home and
sister trumps all child firearm access laws." (06/29/10)
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7528124
-----
18) MD: Forestville man fatally shoots home invader
Washington Post
"A maintenance man at a Forestville apartment complex shot and killed
a home invader Monday morning after the intruder forced the man into
his apartment and fired a gun at him, police and law enforcement
sources said. The maintenance man was able to retrieve his own gun
inside his apartment and return fire, fatally wounding the intruder,
law enforcement sources said. Police said that the maintenance man had
not been charged criminally and that the shooting in the 4400 block of
Rena Road appeared to be self-defense. 'The victim ... had a weapon
inside the home that he used to shoot the suspect,' said Cpl. Mike
Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Prince George's County Police
Department. 'We believe that the victim had every right to defend
himself.' The shooting occurred on the same day that the U.S. Supreme
Court, ruling in an Illinois case, confirmed the fundamental right of
all Americans to bear arms." (06/29/10)
http://tinyurl.com/28xwmyb
-----
19) Obama blasts GOP for insufficient enthusiasm in support of GRUNCH
MSNBC
"The president used a town hall on the economy Wednesday to blast
Republicans for doing little to help jump-start the recovery or to
help prevent the kind of near collapse of the financial system that
led to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. In a
fiery, campaign-style speech before a crowd of some 1,350 people in
Racine, WI, the president said the economy was growing and adding jobs
and that Congress was on the verge of passing a comprehensive overhaul
of the financial regulatory system that he said would protect the
economy from 'the recklessness and irresponsibility of a few,' protect
consumers and make sure that taxpayers don't have to foot the bill for
Wall Street's mistakes. But he criticized the opposition, particularly
House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), for not supporting the
bill." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2f3e55x
-----
20) Leahy: Kagan "will be confirmed"
Miami Herald
"Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's confirmation appeared almost
certain Wednesday as she spent a third day assuring Senate Judiciary
Committee members that she has no ideological agenda. 'Solicitor
General Kagan will be confirmed,' Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman
Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., predicted during a break in the panel's hearing.
Republicans, who spent another frustrating day trying to portray Kagan
as a die-hard liberal, conceded that theirs seemed a losing
cause." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/28a4xkx
*******************************************************************
* HEALTH-OF-THE-STATE-O-METER, 07/01/10
*
* Reported Civilian Deaths in Iraq: Min - 96,813 ... Max - 105,563
* (source: www.iraqbodycount.org)
*
* American Military Deaths in Iraq: 4,409
* (source: www.antiwar.com/casualties/)
*******************************************************************
****************************
* Everybody Has An Opinion
****************************
21) The power in money
Center for a Stateless Society
by Dave Chappell
"Money is an emergent property that arises out of the interaction of
multiple agents aiming at differing ends. The competitive process, in
its tendency toward establishing efficient mechanisms capable of
allocating resources, makes the emergence of money inevitable because
direct power is far less efficient a means to get what you want than
exchange in a free market." (06/30/10)
http://c4ss.org/content/3075
-----
22) No Happy Meal toy for you, brainwashed brat
Libertarian News Examiner
by Garry Reed
"The Insufferable Arrogant Ones from the anti-capitalist, anti-
advertising, anti-freedom and Orwellianly named Center for Science in
the Public Interest (CSPI), ever on the lookout for non-issues that
serve to justify their own exist[e]nce, are once again threatening to
sic the government thugs on McDonalds if they don't stop treating
children like children by putting toys in their Happy
Meals." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2eeutro
-----
23) How the state causes collapse
New Kind of Mind
by Chris George
"The State finances itself initially through the rent (taxes) it
demands on its expansive land claim. But the State attracts those who
would want to be part of it -- who want to live off the production of
others -- and, despite its barriers to entry, it grows. If it were to
not expand its scope while its size grew, people would likely become
angry and revolt as a result of its increased tax burden. Therefore,
to accommodate its growing size, it must expand its scope of control
into other realms of the economy, perhaps by 'nationalizing' education
or welfare services. In other words, the State removes control of the
public goods from the public." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2flgbay
-----
24) Who owns your body?
The Libertarian Enterprise
by Neal Osborn
"Who owns your body? I mean the physical shell your mind inhabits, and
also the products MADE by that body/mind combo?? When I put it that
way, does it make you think? So who does own it? To me, it is as clear
as the clearest pane of glass ever made. Each and every single one of
us is the SOLE owner of our body. Not Uncle Sam. Not Uncle State. Not
our husband or wife. Not our children. (Hang on, don't break out the
flaying knives!) So, what does this mean to the average Joe or Jane?
It means that we've allowed someone to take over our physical
property, and we haven't even fought them over it." (06/27/10)
http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2010/tle576-20100627-08.html
-----
25) Trust, but verify: A discourse on the LNC's proposed electronic
voting system
Liberty For All
by Chris Edes
"The United States has recently seen widespread adoption of electronic
voting systems. Yet the technical issues surrounding the use of
electronic voting systems are not well-understood by either policy
makers or the general public. Poor implementation has resulted in
serious problems with the accuracy, reliability and security of vote
tabulation. The Libertarian Party must lead the way. Since we have a
higher degree of technical knowledge per capita than other parties, we
are uniquely suited to the task both empirically and
philosophically." (06/30/10)
http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=4501
-----
26) Temporary funding forever?
Reason
by Peter Suderman
"In Washington, temporary funding is rarely temporary, and planned
spending cuts, especially to health care, frequently fail to
materialize. That means that on the rare occasions in which federal
funding actually runs out -- or looks ready to run out -- calamity is
sure to ensue. The 2009 stimulus package, for example, included an
additional $87 billion for Medicaid, intended to fund the short-term
expansion of the program above and beyond its usual enrollment. The
funding was set to run out at the end of 2010. But along the way,
states got used to the boost. By May of this year, the National
Conference of State Legislatures was pleading with the federal
government not to shut off the funding faucet." (06/30/10)
http://reason.com/archives/2010/06/30/temporary-funding-forever
-----
27) Pittsburgh's rise from the ashes
LewRockwell.Com
by Jeffrey A. Tucker
"People said that without steel, there could be no Pittsburgh and
without Pittsburgh there could be no vibrant economy in the United
States. Pundits screamed and cried about the gutting of America's
industrial strength, and thousands of televisions special appeared
about the plight of the workers in the industry. The city itself went
through a long period of wrenching transition in which housing prices
and real-estate prices fell through the floor. Businesses shut down.
Tax revenue plummeted. Its residents were scattered to the winds. Even
the symbol of its skyline, which once seemed glorious, now looked like
the very image of the last days. Not even the vaunted steel union
could do anything about it. It all seems like ancient history today.
Steel is gone. The evidence of its past is everywhere -- an indelible
stained mark on the physical surroundings and the culture of the city
-- but there is no living reality. But what has taken its place has
made up the difference. So while the rest of the country went through
a real-estate boom and bust, Pittsburgh stayed on its long course
forward to recovery, having been spared the ups and downs. The curse
was a blessing after all." (07/01/10)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/tucker/tucker174.html
-----
28) Executive privilege
AntiWar.Com
by Philip Giraldi
"Even if the long war finally ends some day, there will be no revival
of the liberties enshrined in the United States constitution and the
protections afforded by the rule of law. This will be the most
enduring legacy of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. It hasn't mattered
which party has been in power, the objective of both has been to
establish an all powerful executive that can operate without any
constitutional restraints. Since 2001, the creation of just such a
central authority, fueled by an exaggerated fear of terrorism, has led
to the dismantling of many of the freedoms that Americans enjoyed for
over two hundred years." (07/01/10)
http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2010/06/30/executive-privilege/
-----
29) Criminalising the rough and tumble of politics
Spiked
by Tim Black
"The conviction of a black Bristol City councillor who called an Asian
colleague a 'coconut' is a serious assault on free speech and
democracy." (06/30/10)
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/9099/
-----
30) Why Afghan poppies aren't the problem
CounterPunch
by Julien Mercille
"For years, there has been much discussion about the best strategy to
rid Afghanistan of its poppies. Eradication, says Bush. Interdiction
and alternative livelihoods, retorts Obama. Licensing and production
for medicinal purposes, suggested the Senlis Council. The issues have
been fiercely debated: Would there be enough demand for Afghanistan's
legal morphine? Is the government too corrupt to implement this or
that scheme? To what extent will eradication alienate farmers? Which
crops should we substitute for poppies? These questions are not
unimportant, but fundamentally, they do not address the primary source
of Afghan drug production: the West's (and Russia's) insatiable demand
for drugs." (06/30/10)
http://counterpunch.org/mercile06302010.html
-----
31) Contempt of court George Wallace style
Minneapolis Gun Rights Examiner
by John Pierce
"Hard on the heels of yesterday's Supreme Court ... Chicago Mayor
Daley expressed his contempt for both the Court and the citizens whose
rights he has trampled. In an afternoon press conference, Daley
announced that the city would enact new ordinances making it as
difficult as possible to purchase and own a gun in Chicago. During his
rant, he promised to seek ways to attack the right to bear arms from
the supply side, vowing to go after manufacturers and crack down on
gun shops and gun shop owners. He also noted that only 'responsible
adults' would be allowed to purchase or possess guns and left open the
extremely disturbing question of who gets to determine which citizens
are responsible and therefore 'worthy' of civil rights." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26enyo6
-----
32) Safer streets finally underway again
LA Gun Rights Examiner
by John Longenecker
"Once in a while, a Los Angeles Times Editorial surprises me on
liberty and second amendment issues. Today's editorial finds the Times
agreeing with the Supreme Court's 5 - 4 decision to incorporate 2A
such that states have to follow the same rules as the feds. The last
line of the editorial is 'Better that than a selective enforcement of
the Bill of Rights.' Selective enforcement of gun laws has been the
abuse of due process. Some restrictions on the mentally ill sounds
fine to us, but the definition of who is mentally ill -- such as
soldiers returning home after they have been entrusted with the lives
of others -- is an abuse of process for gun control. A lot of work
remains." (06/29/10)
http://tinyurl.com/24mxbjz
-----
33) We have a long way to go
Willowtown News Blog
by Barry Bright
"The Second Amendment says among other things that we have a right to
not only 'keep' but also to 'bear' arms. ... Many mushy
'conservatives' ... will ask, 'Well gee Bright, when will you be
satisfied?' Here's my answers: 'I will not be satisfied until I can
carry a fully automatic weapon, or whatever tool is commonly carried
by the government's infantry soldiers, slung over my shoulder,
anywhere, that's the 'anywhere' that's in the dictionary. And no one
will blink ... I will not be satisfied until they repeal GCA '68 ...
and the National Firearms Act ... I will not be satisfied until all
free persons, regardless of their past records, have their natural-
born rights to self defense restored.'" (06/29/10)
http://jbbright.webhost4life.com/promo/blogclmnlongway.htm
-----
34) Defending the slumlord
Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Walter Block
"To many people, the slumlord -- alias ghetto landlord and rent gouger
-- is proof that man can, while still alive, attain a satanic image.
Recipient of vile curses, pincushion for needle-bearing tenants with a
penchant for voodoo, perceived as exploiter of the downtrodden, the
slumlord is surely one of the most hated figures of the day. The
indictment is manifold: he charges unconscionably high rents; he
allows his buildings to fall into disrepair; his apartments are
painted with cheap lead paint, which poisons babies, and he allows
junkies, rapists, and drunks to harass the tenants." (06/30/10)
http://mises.org/daily/4522
-----
35) How to win the fight over Sarbanes-Oxley
Heartland Institute
by Eli Lehrer
"After five years of legal wrangling, the Supreme Court earlier this
week upheld all substantive provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley law. Even
though the law, an overbearing, poorly drafted, government-knows-best
monster, easily ranks among the worst portions of the entire United
States code, it's difficult to argue with the Court's majority
reasoning. In hoping that the law might somehow be defeated in the
courts, the free-marketers that challenged it made a mistake. Rather
than trying for legal long-shots, it's time to challenge the law's
burdensome core section." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2c28p7k
-----
36) The silence of the gun control crowd
Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G. Hornberger
"While the gun-control crowd is going bananas over the fact that state
and local governments are not constitutionally permitted to ban
private ownership of handguns, they are remaining mute over a killing
that took place in an apartment in Forestville, Maryland, on the same
day that the Supreme Court issued its ruling in the Chicago gun-ban
case. According to the Washington Post, a maintenance man shot and
killed an intruder in his apartment. The maintenance man, who remains
unidentified, had confronted the intruder as he was trying to force a
woman into her apartment." (06/30/10)
http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2010-06-30.asp
-----
37) Reaping the whirlwind of progressivism
Foundation for Economic Education
by William L. Anderson
"When I recently criticized an editorial cartoonist for slamming
libertarians -- he said a libertarian 'lifeguard' would let everyone
drown -- he wrote back claiming that libertarians would abolish
numerous federal departments and agencies, like the Department of
Education and even the Federal Reserve. In other words, the cartoonist
repeated the litany of Progressivism that we have heard all our
lives." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/24yjx5d
-----
38) Blowout prevention act or oil production prevention act?
Competitive Enterprise Institute
by Marlo Lewis, Jr.
"Today, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and
Environment will hold a hearing on the Blowout Prevention Act of 2010.
A draft of the legislation and other pertinent documents are available
on the Subcommittee's Web site. Although the draft legislation and
hearing documents address serious problems brought to light by the
Committee's ongoing investigations, the Blowout Prevention Act would
throw the baby out with the bath water." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/22lssah
-----
39) The Internet must remain free
Campaign For Liberty
by Chuck Baldwin
"The Internet is abuzz with news that a US Senate committee has
approved a bill that apparently gives the President authority to shut
down the Internet. According to TechWorld.com, 'A US Senate committee
has approved a wide-ranging cybersecurity bill that some critics have
suggested would give the US president the authority to shut down parts
of the Internet during a cyberattack.'" (06/30/10)
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=979
-----
40) America's destiny must be freedom
Acton Institute
by Ray Nothstine
"Ralph Waldo Emerson described America as 'the land that has never
become, but is always in the act of becoming.' Many Americans don't
feel that way as pessimism has replaced a once vibrant optimism about
the future. Economic malaise, crippling debt, and a mammoth oil gush
in the Gulf Coast are daily reminders of seemingly unmovable
obstacles." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2b9zaga
-----
41) A big bang for Greece
Cato Institute
by Steve H. Hanke
"How did Greece get into the death spiral that it's in? Unfunded
entitlements. In other words, promise somebody something, don't come
up with the financing for it, and pretty soon you find yourself in a
fiscal/debt crisis. This is where Greece ended up, and in February,
the Greek government called in some outside advisers (Joseph Stiglitz
for one), and the blame game began. Prime Minister Papandreou, who is
also president of Socialist International, started blaming everyone.
First, it was the speculators. Then he went on a tear against his own
colleagues in the European Union. The Germans really got whacked --
according to Mr. Papandreou, they were a big cause of Greece's
troubles. Ironically, after blaming outsiders for all their problems,
the Greeks have called in the foreign doctors. In this case it isn't
just the IMF, but also the EU politicians and bureaucrats who are
involved. But this may ultimately be a case in which the doctors kill
the patient." (06/30/10)
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=11941
-----
42) The second coming of Petraeus
Independent Institute
by Ivan Eland
"With the justified firing of Gen. Stanley McChrystal and his
replacement with Iraq water-walker David Petraeus, it's as if people
are hoping for a second coming of Jesus in Afghanistan. Unfortunately,
the replacement may be similar to the second coming of the water-
walking Joe Gibbs as coach of the Washington Redskins." (06/30/10)
http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=2820
-----
43) Gun shy
Reason
by Jacob Sullum
"On Monday the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment applies
to states and cities as well as the federal government. Judging from
their objections, the four dissenters were still reeling from the
Court's landmark 2008 decision recognizing that the amendment protects
an individual right to keep and bear arms. In their dissenting
opinions, Justices John Paul Stevens and Stephen Breyer (joined by
Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor) worry that overturning gun
control laws undermines democracy. If 'the people' want to ban
handguns, they say, 'the people' should be allowed to implement that
desire through their elected representatives. What if the people want
to ban books that offend them, establish an official church, or
authorize police to conduct warrantless searches at will?" (06/30/10)
http://reason.com/archives/2010/06/30/gun-shy
-----
44) The mythology surrounding Petraeus's surge in Iraq will keep us
trapped in Afghanistan
AlterNet
by Joshua Holland
"The United States is stalled in a hopeless conflict in Afghanistan in
large part because its foreign policy establishment, aided by an often-
vacuous media, has come to believe its own spin about General David
Petraeus' 'success' turning around the occupation in Iraq. The fact
that Iraq remains a shattered country with an active insurgency seven
years after the United States invaded -- and that any improvement in
security was due to developments on the ground that were unique to the
country -- hasn't shaken their faith. That the Iraq surge was a
success is almost a universally held belief, despite ample evidence to
the contrary. That belief lends unearned weight to Petraeus' counter-
insurgency doctrine, known as COIN." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2c47qz7
-----
45) Double-dip trade is probably overdone
TCS Daily
by Larry Kudlow
"Stocks took a real drubbing on Tuesday, with the Dow off 268 points
and the major indexes basically falling 3 percent. Call it the double-
dip trade. But are we really heading for a double-dip recession? I
think not. And I say this as someone who has been advising investors
to take profits this year before the IRS takes them next year, as
taxes on capital gains, dividends, estates, and top incomes are all
scheduled to rise in 2011 -- unless, of course, a tea-party Republican
Congress overturns all this following the midterm
elections." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26vteyp
-----
46) BP: Beyond Prosecution
Mother Jones
by Josh Harkinson
"On May 1, less than two weeks after the Deepwater Horizon rig
exploded, Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell announced that he
would 'ensure that BP and other liable parties take full financial
responsibility' for the unfolding disaster. Yet even as Caldwell
prepares to go after the oil company for billions in damages, his
hands are tied. He says the case could cost as much as $100 million
over several years. That's money his state, which is facing a $320
million budget deficit, not to mention the economic im[p]act of the
spill, just doesn't have. As any lawyer who advertises on late-night
TV could tell you, there's an easy solution to that problem. Forty-
eight states allow their attorneys general to hire private attorneys
on a contingency basis. In other words, if outside lawyers help the
state win a big civil case, they get a cut of the cash. ... But that
approach is a non-starter in Louisiana, one of two states that bar
their AGs from pursuing contingency lawsuits." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/23ogxgf
-----
47) Don't threaten anyone's homeland
Let A Thousand Nations Bloom
by Patri Friedman
"It is clear that humans have a very strong wired attachment to their
land, and are very sensitive to anything that seems like taking their
land away. While we see a general decline in violence in the world and
in politics as we get wealthier and political shenanigans have less
and less impact on people's lives, making bloody revolution less
appealing, the threat of losing part of one's homeland still has the
power to inspire violent reaction. So this is a serious potential
obstacle for any movement that aims to create a new country -- it must
somehow avoid pressing this button." (06/30/10)
http://athousandnations.com/2010/06/30/dont-threaten-anyones-homeland/
-----
48) The Obama formula
The Weekly Standard
by Irwin M. Stelzer
"There is something strange going on in American politics. Call it the
belated triumph of George McGovern's 'Come home, America'
campaign." (for publication 07/05/10)
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/obama-formula
-----
49) Inside dopes
Slate
by Fred Kaplan
"News of the 11 Russian spies who have been whiling away the past
decade in seemingly normal suburban lives is the stuff of decadent
satire: Breach and No Way Out, as rechanneled through the Coen
brothers. It also evokes fond memories of Boris and Natasha, from the
old Bullwinkle show, and the 'Spy vs. Spy' comic strips in Mad
magazine." (06/30/10)
http://www.slate.com/id/2258658/
-----
50) New study documents media's servitude to government
Salon
by Glenn Greenwald
"It's to be expected that governments will try to propagandize their
citizenry by applying completely different standards -- even
completely different language -- to their own conduct as opposed to
when other countries engage in exactly the same conduct. But when the
media copies that behavior (as ours does), they're amplifying and
bolstering government propaganda rather than critically scrutinizing
and debunking it. Isn't that a fairly serious problem?" (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2dypdly
-----
51) Will Congress kill volunteer fire departments?
Human Events
by Robert B. Bluey
"Volunteer fire departments are about as American as apple pie. But
under legislation moving quickly in Congress, this staple of American
life could soon be a thing of the past. House Majority Whip James
Clyburn (D.-S.C.) wants to include the Public Safety Employer-Employee
Cooperation Act as part of the war supplemental coming before the
House this week. The bill forces state and local governments to
collectively bargain with police, firefighters and emergency workers.
Its critics say it would compel volunteer firefighters to join unions,
threatening the survival of America's nearly 26,000 volunteer fire
departments." (06/29/10)
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=37738
-----
52) Welcoming the failure of the economic recovery team
Freedom's Phoenix
by Bill Bonner
"As near as we can tell, the recovery has been on the wrong road since
it started its motor. And the folks in Toronto couldn't put it 'back
on track,' even if they knew what they were doing. All they can do is
get out of the way. The system has too much debt. It needs to get rid
of some of that debt -- by write offs, defaults, and pay downs. Things
that must happen, must happen sooner or later. Better sooner than
later." (06/28/10)
http://tinyurl.com/28kuzo6
-----
53) Adam Smith and the #20 note
Adam Smith Institute
by Dr. Eamonn Butler
"From today (30 June), the UK #20 note with the portrait of Sir Edward
Elgar on the back of it will no longer be legal tender. The English
composer of 'Land of Hope and Glory' has had to make way for the
father of economic science and author of The Wealth of Nations, Adam
Smith. Some culture vultures complain that the arts are no longer
represented on UK banknotes, but Smith well deserves his place on the
currency. He didn't invent economics, of course, any more than Sir
Christopher Wren invented churches: but like Wren, he made his
material into something fresh, exciting, elegant and
imposing." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26yc42h
-----
54) The military to the rescue ... again
The American Spectator
by JT Young
"Its official: the Gulf Oil Spill is now a crisis. Or to put a finer
point on it: the government's response to it is officially a crisis.
How can you tell? The President recently pledged to send in the
military. For the federal government, that is the ultimate expression
of seriousness. For the Left it is an intimate admission of defeat. It
is difficult for anything in government to be truly a crisis until the
military is called in." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3yswpor
-----
55) Yes, the Second Amendment really means what it says ... and that
means you too Chicago
The Liberty Papers
by Chris
"This past Monday, Samuel Alito, writing for the majority (with
separate concurring opinions from Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia)
in the case McDonald vs. City of Chicago and Village of Morton Grove;
handed down what in 30 years will I believe, be held as one of (or
perhaps half of a pair of, or the second in a series of) the most
significant rulings in the courts history, not just for the right to
keep and bear arms, but for the rights of all people in this
nation." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2e5otzg
-----
56) New York Times ignores bloody reality
Center for a Stateless Society
by Alex R. Knight III
"Ah, yes: Those wearing government costumes and receiving government
paychecks (stolen tax revenues) are always superior to the dumb
unskilled peasantry, aren't they? Especially since every court ruling
in America at every level of the State-monopolized dispute resolution
system have concluded that the police -- and other government entities
-- are under no obligation to protect you or I. But you'd better
damned well pay those taxes, chump ... or we'll shoot you. That's our
version of protection." (06/30/10)
http://c4ss.org/content/3084
-----
57) Social security ... or insecurity?
Nolan Chart
by Jake Towne
"A lucid discussion on how to save social security in the midst of
financial chaos with the dollar is certainly lacking with the current
Republocrat establishment. Following their silly 'desperado economics'
policies, both Democrat and Republican politicians shy away from this
topic as the undeniable consequences are perceived to yet be years
away." (06/29/10)
http://www.nolanchart.com/article7826.html
-----
58) Congress set to deform America's financial sector
Downsize DC
by Jim Babka
"The financial crisis was caused by ... * The Federal Reserve keeping
interest rates artificially low * The Federal Reserve inflating the
money supply to satisfy Congress's deficit spending * Government
policies encouraging or forcing financial institutions to issue credit
to undeserving people ... Together, these policies caused the sub-
prime mortgage crisis and the mal-investment of easy money. The result
was the Great Recession. What does the Obama-Dodd-Frank bill do to
address these problems? NOTHING! Instead, it sets up a 'Consumer
Protection' agency whose regulations will conflict with other
regulatory agencies." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26seku8
-----
59) "Fine," like "taxation," is another word for theft
Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner
by Kent McManigal
"The defendant was obviously responsible for the damages. Not even he
really claimed otherwise. He should have paid restitution and that
should have been the end of it. However, that was not among the
options the jury was presented with. 'Guilty' or 'not guilty' were the
choices, and, if guilty, how big a 'fine' must he pay? -- and 'zero'
was not allowed. The 'city' suffered no harm and was due no
restitution, and certainly wasn't owed any loot because of someone
else's misfortune. Restitution to the actual injured party wasn't on
the table and was 'a separate issue,' sayeth the judge." (06/29/10)
http://tinyurl.com/37d4ds8
-----
60) Three factor interactions
Daily Speculations
by Alan Corwin
"My current research passion is the interaction between decision
factors and indicators in trading systems. The most interesting
interactions are usually between entrance decision factors and exit
factors. This is simple enough when we are looking at two-factor
interactions, but many times multiple factor interactions also seem to
be critical." (06/30/10)
http://www.dailyspeculations.com/wordpress/?p=4958
*****************************
* See No Evil, Hear No Evil
*****************************
61) Drones and the changing face of war
Ideas In Action
"A wide-ranging discussion about the legality and morality of using
drones to target terrorists and enemies in Afghanistan and
Pakistan." [Flash video] (to air 07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/ideas070110
-----
62) Citizenship and the pursuit of happiness
Hit & Run
"Whether it's Arizona's controversial new law requiring citizens to
produce 'papers' proving their legal status or President Obama's
decision to send additional national guard troops to the US/Mexico
border, immigration remains one of the most contentious issues in
contemporary politics. As the battle over 'comprehensive' reform heats
up, everyone has an opinion. Reason.tv caught up with immigrants to
learn why they moved to a country that defines itself as a
multicultural melting pot." [Flash video] (06/30/10)
http://reason.com/blog/2010/06/30/reasontv-citizenship-the-pursu
-----
63) Cato Daily Podcast, 06/30/10
Cato Institute
"The Bastiat Project," featuring Sloane Frost. [MP3] (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/cato063010
-----
64) Anand Gopal on Antiwar Radio
AntiWar.Com
"Independent journalist Anand Gopal discusses his interview with
Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar about peace talks with the Karzai
government, the probable short tenure of whatever political entity
(including the Taliban) fills the void after US departure, why COIN-
inspired night raids that succeed in killing Taliban commanders are
still counterproductive and why Hamid Karzai's dominion is even less
than his derogatory 'Mayor of Kabul' title suggests." [Flash audio or
MP3] (06/29/10)
http://antiwar.com/radio/2010/06/29/anand-gopal-2/
-----
65) The freedom philosophy
Foundation for Economic Education
"Professor Ivan Pongracic discusses 'the freedom philosophy' with
students attending Freedom University I." [Flash audio or MP3]
(05/31/10)
http://fee.org/media/the-freedom-philosophy-2/
*************************************
* What's Up In The Freedom Movement
*************************************
66) Today's events
Check our sidebar calendar for this week's freedom movement events.
Don't see your event? Drop us a line at in...@rationalreview.com ... or
see:
www.rationalreview.com/add-your-event-to-our-calendar
... for instructions on adding your events directly!
http://upcoming.yahoo.com/group/4042/
* RATIONAL REVIEW NEWS DIGEST
* The Freedom Movement's Daily Newspaper
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* Volume VIII, Issue #1,952
* Thursday, July 1st, 2010
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In The News:
1) ACLU sues over US no-fly list
2) US Senate confirms Petraeus as new Afghan occupation fall guy
3) Iraq: Two police officers killed in shootout
4) Afghanistan: Taliban attack major occupation base
5) Pakistan: Jets kill 20 suspected militants
6) US terror chief defends regime's "right" to murder American
citizens
7) Haiti: Preval rejects US advice on presidential election
8) US House passes sweeping bank rules
9) Afghanistan: Holder visits Kabul to discuss corruption
10) Hamas spy finds home in California, seeks asylum
11) UK: Court denies soldiers' human rights challenge
12) Suspected Russian spy missing in Cyprus
13) Mexico: Court orders release of protest leaders
14) FL: First Open Carry event planned
15) IL: Gun rights group says Chicago meeting permit pulled
16) Gun rights legal battle shifts to North Carolina
17) NC: Teen shoots would-be burglary suspect
18) MD: Forestville man fatally shoots home invader
19) Obama blasts GOP for insufficient enthusiasm in support of GRUNCH
20) Leahy: Kagan "will be confirmed"
Everybody Has An Opinion:
21) The power in money
22) No Happy Meal toy for you, brainwashed brat
23) How the state causes collapse
24) Who owns your body?
25) Trust, but verify: A discourse on the LNC's proposed electronic
voting system
26) Temporary funding forever?
27) Pittsburgh's rise from the ashes
28) Executive privilege
29) Criminalising the rough and tumble of politics
30) Why Afghan poppies aren't the problem
31) Contempt of court George Wallace style
32) Safer streets finally underway again
33) We have a long way to go
34) Defending the slumlord
35) How to win the fight over Sarbanes-Oxley
36) The silence of the gun control crowd
37) Reaping the whirlwind of progressivism
38) Blowout prevention act or oil production prevention act?
39) The Internet must remain free
40) America's destiny must be freedom
41) A big bang for Greece
42) The second coming of Petraeus
43) Gun shy
44) The mythology surrounding Petraeus's surge in Iraq will keep us
trapped in Afghanistan
45) Double-dip trade is probably overdone
46) BP: Beyond Prosecution
47) Don't threaten anyone's homeland
48) The Obama formula
49) Inside dopes
50) New study documents media's servitude to government
51) Will Congress kill volunteer fire departments?
52) Welcoming the failure of the economic recovery team
53) Adam Smith and the #20 note
54) The military to the rescue ... again
55) Yes, the Second Amendment really means what it says ... and that
means you too Chicago
56) New York Times ignores bloody reality
57) Social security ... or insecurity?
58) Congress set to deform America's financial sector
59) "Fine," like "taxation," is another word for theft
60) Three factor interactions
See No Evil, Hear No Evil:
61) Drones and the changing face of war
62) Citizenship and the pursuit of happiness
63) Cato Daily Podcast, 06/30/10
64) Anand Gopal on Antiwar Radio
65) The freedom philosophy
What's Up In The Freedom Movement:
66) Today's events
***************
* In The News
***************
1) ACLU sues over US no-fly list
Reuters
"The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday filed suit over the
U.S. government's 'no-fly list,' saying it violates individuals'
rights. The suit, filed on behalf of 10 U.S. citizens or lawful
residents, says thousands have been barred from commercial air travel
with no chance to address the basis for their apparent inclusion on
the list. An ACLU lawyer on Wednesday said the complaint was the first
to be filed on behalf of U.S. legal residents seeking systemic reform
and raising the issue of constitutionality because of the lack of a
procedure for people to challenge their inclusion on the list. At
least one previous suit has been filed by a noncitizen in a bid to get
herself removed from the list." (06/30/10)
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66005O20100701
-----
2) US Senate confirms Petraeus as new Afghan occupation fall guy
Washington Post
"Gen. David H. Petraeus was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate
Wednesday as the new Afghan war commander, replacing Gen. Stanley A.
McChrystal after his ouster over controversial remarks in a Rolling
Stone magazine article. The 99-0 Senate vote followed a confirmation
hearing Tuesday in which members of the Senate Armed Services
Committee praised Petraeus's leadership of the war in Iraq and lauded
him as the nation's premier warrior-diplomat." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/25dm64o
-----
3) Iraq: Two police officers killed in shootout
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
"Iraqi officials say gunmen have killed two police officers in western
Iraq. The intelligence officer and his bodyguard were ambushed
Wednesday by three gunmen at the entrance to a clinic in the town of
Hit in Iraq's Sunni-dominated Anbar province. The bodyguard managed to
shoot and kill one attacker and wound the two others before he died, a
Hit police officer said." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26m5bq4
-----
4) Afghanistan: Taliban attack major occupation base
ABC News
"U.S. and Afghan troops repelled an attack Wednesday on one of the
biggest NATO bases in eastern Afghanistan by militants who used a
suicide car bomb, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons in a
failed attempt to breach the defenses. It was the third ground assault
against a major coalition base in Afghanistan in the past five weeks
-- a sign that the insurgents have not been cowed by U.S. efforts to
ramp up the war." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2c3yfcv
-----
5) Pakistan: Jets kill 20 suspected militants
Chicago Sun-Times
"A government official says fighter jets have bombed suspected
militant hide-outs in a new assault on a Pakistan tribal region where
the army had previously declared victory. He says at least 20 people
have died. Samiullah Khan, a deputy administrator in the Orakzai
tribal region, says the aerial bombings Wednesday destroyed six
Taliban hide-outs in the region." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2b4nx9r
-----
6) US terror chief defends regime's "right" to murder American
citizens
Associated Press
"A top counterterrorism official on Wednesday defended the
government's right to target U.S. citizens perceived as terror threats
for capture or killing, citing the example of the renegade al-Qaida-
linked cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Michael Leiter, director of the
National Counterterrorism Center, would not say whether al-Awlaki is
on a U.S. targeting list, but a senior U.S. counterterrorism official
has previously confirmed that the cleric is among terror targets
sought to be captured or killed." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2ere3zu
-----
7) Haiti: Preval rejects US advice on presidential election
USA Today
"Haiti's president on Wednesday rejected U.S. Senate recommendations
on holding an election for his successor, brushing off criticism that
the current process will leave the shattered country without a
credible leader. A report issued this month by Sen. Richard Lugar, the
ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
'strongly encourages' Haiti to let its international partners help
restructure the eight-member Provisional Electoral Council, which has
been accused of corruption." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2fl7zsh
-----
8) US House passes sweeping bank rules
USA Today
"Nearly two years after a Wall Street meltdown left the economy
reeling, the House on Wednesday passed a massive overhaul of financial
regulations that would extend the government's reach from storefront
thrifts to the high-finance penthouses of New York City. Senate
support for the far-reaching bill remained in flux, however. The
Senate was forced to delay its vote to mid-July, denying President
Barack Obama a victory before Independence Day." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3agsmm7
-----
9) Afghanistan: Holder visits Kabul to discuss corruption
MSNBC
"U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was in the Afghan capital to talk
with officials about improving the justice system and fighting
corruption Wednesday, a day after Afghanistan's top prosecutor
defended himself against allegations that he's being pressured not to
pursue cases against powerful figures. Corruption and an ineffectual
court system have undermined public trust in President Hamid Karzai's
government. The Obama administration and other donor nations, who need
Karzai to be perceived as a credible partner, are pushing him to clean
up bribery, graft and corruption." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/23w73bz
-----
10) Hamas spy finds home in California, seeks asylum
MSNBC
"Mosab Hassan Yousef says he will be killed if he is deported from the
United States to the West Bank. The oldest son of one of Hamas'
founders, he was an Israeli spy for a decade, and he abandoned Islam
for Christianity, further marking him a traitor. He is scheduled to
plead his case Wednesday to an immigration judge in San Diego, four
months after publishing memoirs that say he was one of the Shin Bet
security agency's best assets and was dubbed The Green Prince, a
reference to his Hamas pedigree and the Islamists' signature green
color." (06/30/10)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37991907/ns/us_news/
-----
11) UK: Court denies soldiers' human rights challenge
Myrtle Beach Sun News
"Britain's Supreme Court on Wednesday threw out a plan to offer troops
at war protection under human rights law, saying the policy could
leave military commanders concerned more about legal issues than enemy
fire. Six of nine justices overturned a lower court decision that the
Human Rights Act should apply to soldiers everywhere -- even if they
are involved in overseas combat. The court said human rights
legislation was never intended to apply to forces fighting on foreign
soil." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/23odkmo
-----
12) Suspected Russian spy missing in Cyprus
CNN
"A suspected Russian spy is missing after being arrested in Cyprus and
released on bail, a police spokesman told CNN on Wednesday.
Authorities arrested Robert Christopher Metsos, 55, in Larnaca after
an Interpol 'red notice' was served on him, Cypriot police said
Tuesday." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/23bwa6c
-----
13) Mexico: Court orders release of protest leaders
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
"Mexico's Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the convictions of 12
leaders and other participants in a violent 2006 protest during which
leftist demonstrators took over a town and battled police. The court
cited insufficient evidence as the reason for nullifying the men's
kidnapping sentences, which ranged from 31 to 112 years in
prison." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2737ul6
-----
14) FL: First Open Carry event planned
Ammo Land
"Florida Open Carry is planning their first 'Open Carry Fishing Event'
in the Dayton area at Port Orange Dunlawton Causeway Park on Saturday,
July 3rd from 9am to 2pm. ... 'We invite all law abiding citizens,'
adds [Florida Open Carry founder] Mr. Caranna, 'regardless if you open
carry or not, to join us for a day of fishing on the pier. We hope to
show that we are responsible members of our community who want our
open carry rights restored in Florida.' Most states require no license
to open carry, but Florida is one of only seven states with wide
ranging prohibitions on carrying unconcealed handguns ... This
presents a huge problem in the summer heat or while engaged in many
outdoor Florida activities." (06/29/10)
http://www.ammoland.com/2010/06/29/floridas-first-open-carry-event/
-----
15) IL: Gun rights group says Chicago meeting permit pulled
Chicago Headlines Examiner
"An Illinois group that supports the right to carry guns is saying its
1st Amendment rights have been violated as the group attempts to fight
for 2nd amendment rights. Illinois Carry spokesman Gerald Vernon says
his group has been denied access to a Chicago Park District meeting
room where it was scheduled to hold a meeting tomorrow night to
promote the right to carry. The Chicago Park District denies Vernon's
claims ... The Park District says the meeting room permit was
rescinded because of concerns the crowd would draw many more people
than organizers predicted." (06/29/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2arvxpd
-----
16) Gun rights legal battle shifts to North Carolina
Charlotte Gun Rights Examniner
"Grass Roots North Carolina has joined Michael Bateman, Virgil Green,
Forrest Minges, Jr., and the Second Amendment Foundation in a lawsuit
against the state's emergency powers gun ban. ... Filed in U.S.
District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the
official title is Bateman et al v. Perdue et al .... It contends that
state statutes forbidding carrying of firearms and ammunition during
declared states of emergency, as well as laws enabling government
officials to prohibit purchase, sale and possession of firearms and
ammunition are unconstitutional because they forbid the exercise of
Second Amendment rights as affirmed ... in McDonald v.
Chicago." (06/29/10)
http://tinyurl.com/28w8ruy
-----
17) NC: Teen shoots would-be burglary suspect
KTRK News
"Two would-be burglars are in police custody thanks to the quick
actions of a 15-year-old. ... Deputies say that around 2:30pm, the
suspects broke into the home through a back window. From upstairs, the
15-year-old -- who was home with his 12-year-old sister -- heard the
breaking glass and grabbed his father's automatic rifle. The burglary
was soon over. ... Neighbors say there have been recent burglaries in
the neighborhood. Again, investigators said th[e] rifle was the
personal weapon of the teen's father, the deputy constable. He's been
with the sheriff's office for 11 years and is described as a good
officer. There were some questions about whether he'd be liable for
the shooting since his son had easy access to the weapon, but ABC13's
legal expert says that the 15-year-old's right to protect his home and
sister trumps all child firearm access laws." (06/29/10)
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7528124
-----
18) MD: Forestville man fatally shoots home invader
Washington Post
"A maintenance man at a Forestville apartment complex shot and killed
a home invader Monday morning after the intruder forced the man into
his apartment and fired a gun at him, police and law enforcement
sources said. The maintenance man was able to retrieve his own gun
inside his apartment and return fire, fatally wounding the intruder,
law enforcement sources said. Police said that the maintenance man had
not been charged criminally and that the shooting in the 4400 block of
Rena Road appeared to be self-defense. 'The victim ... had a weapon
inside the home that he used to shoot the suspect,' said Cpl. Mike
Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Prince George's County Police
Department. 'We believe that the victim had every right to defend
himself.' The shooting occurred on the same day that the U.S. Supreme
Court, ruling in an Illinois case, confirmed the fundamental right of
all Americans to bear arms." (06/29/10)
http://tinyurl.com/28xwmyb
-----
19) Obama blasts GOP for insufficient enthusiasm in support of GRUNCH
MSNBC
"The president used a town hall on the economy Wednesday to blast
Republicans for doing little to help jump-start the recovery or to
help prevent the kind of near collapse of the financial system that
led to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. In a
fiery, campaign-style speech before a crowd of some 1,350 people in
Racine, WI, the president said the economy was growing and adding jobs
and that Congress was on the verge of passing a comprehensive overhaul
of the financial regulatory system that he said would protect the
economy from 'the recklessness and irresponsibility of a few,' protect
consumers and make sure that taxpayers don't have to foot the bill for
Wall Street's mistakes. But he criticized the opposition, particularly
House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), for not supporting the
bill." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2f3e55x
-----
20) Leahy: Kagan "will be confirmed"
Miami Herald
"Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's confirmation appeared almost
certain Wednesday as she spent a third day assuring Senate Judiciary
Committee members that she has no ideological agenda. 'Solicitor
General Kagan will be confirmed,' Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman
Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., predicted during a break in the panel's hearing.
Republicans, who spent another frustrating day trying to portray Kagan
as a die-hard liberal, conceded that theirs seemed a losing
cause." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/28a4xkx
*******************************************************************
* HEALTH-OF-THE-STATE-O-METER, 07/01/10
*
* Reported Civilian Deaths in Iraq: Min - 96,813 ... Max - 105,563
* (source: www.iraqbodycount.org)
*
* American Military Deaths in Iraq: 4,409
* (source: www.antiwar.com/casualties/)
*******************************************************************
****************************
* Everybody Has An Opinion
****************************
21) The power in money
Center for a Stateless Society
by Dave Chappell
"Money is an emergent property that arises out of the interaction of
multiple agents aiming at differing ends. The competitive process, in
its tendency toward establishing efficient mechanisms capable of
allocating resources, makes the emergence of money inevitable because
direct power is far less efficient a means to get what you want than
exchange in a free market." (06/30/10)
http://c4ss.org/content/3075
-----
22) No Happy Meal toy for you, brainwashed brat
Libertarian News Examiner
by Garry Reed
"The Insufferable Arrogant Ones from the anti-capitalist, anti-
advertising, anti-freedom and Orwellianly named Center for Science in
the Public Interest (CSPI), ever on the lookout for non-issues that
serve to justify their own exist[e]nce, are once again threatening to
sic the government thugs on McDonalds if they don't stop treating
children like children by putting toys in their Happy
Meals." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2eeutro
-----
23) How the state causes collapse
New Kind of Mind
by Chris George
"The State finances itself initially through the rent (taxes) it
demands on its expansive land claim. But the State attracts those who
would want to be part of it -- who want to live off the production of
others -- and, despite its barriers to entry, it grows. If it were to
not expand its scope while its size grew, people would likely become
angry and revolt as a result of its increased tax burden. Therefore,
to accommodate its growing size, it must expand its scope of control
into other realms of the economy, perhaps by 'nationalizing' education
or welfare services. In other words, the State removes control of the
public goods from the public." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2flgbay
-----
24) Who owns your body?
The Libertarian Enterprise
by Neal Osborn
"Who owns your body? I mean the physical shell your mind inhabits, and
also the products MADE by that body/mind combo?? When I put it that
way, does it make you think? So who does own it? To me, it is as clear
as the clearest pane of glass ever made. Each and every single one of
us is the SOLE owner of our body. Not Uncle Sam. Not Uncle State. Not
our husband or wife. Not our children. (Hang on, don't break out the
flaying knives!) So, what does this mean to the average Joe or Jane?
It means that we've allowed someone to take over our physical
property, and we haven't even fought them over it." (06/27/10)
http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2010/tle576-20100627-08.html
-----
25) Trust, but verify: A discourse on the LNC's proposed electronic
voting system
Liberty For All
by Chris Edes
"The United States has recently seen widespread adoption of electronic
voting systems. Yet the technical issues surrounding the use of
electronic voting systems are not well-understood by either policy
makers or the general public. Poor implementation has resulted in
serious problems with the accuracy, reliability and security of vote
tabulation. The Libertarian Party must lead the way. Since we have a
higher degree of technical knowledge per capita than other parties, we
are uniquely suited to the task both empirically and
philosophically." (06/30/10)
http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=4501
-----
26) Temporary funding forever?
Reason
by Peter Suderman
"In Washington, temporary funding is rarely temporary, and planned
spending cuts, especially to health care, frequently fail to
materialize. That means that on the rare occasions in which federal
funding actually runs out -- or looks ready to run out -- calamity is
sure to ensue. The 2009 stimulus package, for example, included an
additional $87 billion for Medicaid, intended to fund the short-term
expansion of the program above and beyond its usual enrollment. The
funding was set to run out at the end of 2010. But along the way,
states got used to the boost. By May of this year, the National
Conference of State Legislatures was pleading with the federal
government not to shut off the funding faucet." (06/30/10)
http://reason.com/archives/2010/06/30/temporary-funding-forever
-----
27) Pittsburgh's rise from the ashes
LewRockwell.Com
by Jeffrey A. Tucker
"People said that without steel, there could be no Pittsburgh and
without Pittsburgh there could be no vibrant economy in the United
States. Pundits screamed and cried about the gutting of America's
industrial strength, and thousands of televisions special appeared
about the plight of the workers in the industry. The city itself went
through a long period of wrenching transition in which housing prices
and real-estate prices fell through the floor. Businesses shut down.
Tax revenue plummeted. Its residents were scattered to the winds. Even
the symbol of its skyline, which once seemed glorious, now looked like
the very image of the last days. Not even the vaunted steel union
could do anything about it. It all seems like ancient history today.
Steel is gone. The evidence of its past is everywhere -- an indelible
stained mark on the physical surroundings and the culture of the city
-- but there is no living reality. But what has taken its place has
made up the difference. So while the rest of the country went through
a real-estate boom and bust, Pittsburgh stayed on its long course
forward to recovery, having been spared the ups and downs. The curse
was a blessing after all." (07/01/10)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/tucker/tucker174.html
-----
28) Executive privilege
AntiWar.Com
by Philip Giraldi
"Even if the long war finally ends some day, there will be no revival
of the liberties enshrined in the United States constitution and the
protections afforded by the rule of law. This will be the most
enduring legacy of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. It hasn't mattered
which party has been in power, the objective of both has been to
establish an all powerful executive that can operate without any
constitutional restraints. Since 2001, the creation of just such a
central authority, fueled by an exaggerated fear of terrorism, has led
to the dismantling of many of the freedoms that Americans enjoyed for
over two hundred years." (07/01/10)
http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2010/06/30/executive-privilege/
-----
29) Criminalising the rough and tumble of politics
Spiked
by Tim Black
"The conviction of a black Bristol City councillor who called an Asian
colleague a 'coconut' is a serious assault on free speech and
democracy." (06/30/10)
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/9099/
-----
30) Why Afghan poppies aren't the problem
CounterPunch
by Julien Mercille
"For years, there has been much discussion about the best strategy to
rid Afghanistan of its poppies. Eradication, says Bush. Interdiction
and alternative livelihoods, retorts Obama. Licensing and production
for medicinal purposes, suggested the Senlis Council. The issues have
been fiercely debated: Would there be enough demand for Afghanistan's
legal morphine? Is the government too corrupt to implement this or
that scheme? To what extent will eradication alienate farmers? Which
crops should we substitute for poppies? These questions are not
unimportant, but fundamentally, they do not address the primary source
of Afghan drug production: the West's (and Russia's) insatiable demand
for drugs." (06/30/10)
http://counterpunch.org/mercile06302010.html
-----
31) Contempt of court George Wallace style
Minneapolis Gun Rights Examiner
by John Pierce
"Hard on the heels of yesterday's Supreme Court ... Chicago Mayor
Daley expressed his contempt for both the Court and the citizens whose
rights he has trampled. In an afternoon press conference, Daley
announced that the city would enact new ordinances making it as
difficult as possible to purchase and own a gun in Chicago. During his
rant, he promised to seek ways to attack the right to bear arms from
the supply side, vowing to go after manufacturers and crack down on
gun shops and gun shop owners. He also noted that only 'responsible
adults' would be allowed to purchase or possess guns and left open the
extremely disturbing question of who gets to determine which citizens
are responsible and therefore 'worthy' of civil rights." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26enyo6
-----
32) Safer streets finally underway again
LA Gun Rights Examiner
by John Longenecker
"Once in a while, a Los Angeles Times Editorial surprises me on
liberty and second amendment issues. Today's editorial finds the Times
agreeing with the Supreme Court's 5 - 4 decision to incorporate 2A
such that states have to follow the same rules as the feds. The last
line of the editorial is 'Better that than a selective enforcement of
the Bill of Rights.' Selective enforcement of gun laws has been the
abuse of due process. Some restrictions on the mentally ill sounds
fine to us, but the definition of who is mentally ill -- such as
soldiers returning home after they have been entrusted with the lives
of others -- is an abuse of process for gun control. A lot of work
remains." (06/29/10)
http://tinyurl.com/24mxbjz
-----
33) We have a long way to go
Willowtown News Blog
by Barry Bright
"The Second Amendment says among other things that we have a right to
not only 'keep' but also to 'bear' arms. ... Many mushy
'conservatives' ... will ask, 'Well gee Bright, when will you be
satisfied?' Here's my answers: 'I will not be satisfied until I can
carry a fully automatic weapon, or whatever tool is commonly carried
by the government's infantry soldiers, slung over my shoulder,
anywhere, that's the 'anywhere' that's in the dictionary. And no one
will blink ... I will not be satisfied until they repeal GCA '68 ...
and the National Firearms Act ... I will not be satisfied until all
free persons, regardless of their past records, have their natural-
born rights to self defense restored.'" (06/29/10)
http://jbbright.webhost4life.com/promo/blogclmnlongway.htm
-----
34) Defending the slumlord
Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Walter Block
"To many people, the slumlord -- alias ghetto landlord and rent gouger
-- is proof that man can, while still alive, attain a satanic image.
Recipient of vile curses, pincushion for needle-bearing tenants with a
penchant for voodoo, perceived as exploiter of the downtrodden, the
slumlord is surely one of the most hated figures of the day. The
indictment is manifold: he charges unconscionably high rents; he
allows his buildings to fall into disrepair; his apartments are
painted with cheap lead paint, which poisons babies, and he allows
junkies, rapists, and drunks to harass the tenants." (06/30/10)
http://mises.org/daily/4522
-----
35) How to win the fight over Sarbanes-Oxley
Heartland Institute
by Eli Lehrer
"After five years of legal wrangling, the Supreme Court earlier this
week upheld all substantive provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley law. Even
though the law, an overbearing, poorly drafted, government-knows-best
monster, easily ranks among the worst portions of the entire United
States code, it's difficult to argue with the Court's majority
reasoning. In hoping that the law might somehow be defeated in the
courts, the free-marketers that challenged it made a mistake. Rather
than trying for legal long-shots, it's time to challenge the law's
burdensome core section." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2c28p7k
-----
36) The silence of the gun control crowd
Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G. Hornberger
"While the gun-control crowd is going bananas over the fact that state
and local governments are not constitutionally permitted to ban
private ownership of handguns, they are remaining mute over a killing
that took place in an apartment in Forestville, Maryland, on the same
day that the Supreme Court issued its ruling in the Chicago gun-ban
case. According to the Washington Post, a maintenance man shot and
killed an intruder in his apartment. The maintenance man, who remains
unidentified, had confronted the intruder as he was trying to force a
woman into her apartment." (06/30/10)
http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2010-06-30.asp
-----
37) Reaping the whirlwind of progressivism
Foundation for Economic Education
by William L. Anderson
"When I recently criticized an editorial cartoonist for slamming
libertarians -- he said a libertarian 'lifeguard' would let everyone
drown -- he wrote back claiming that libertarians would abolish
numerous federal departments and agencies, like the Department of
Education and even the Federal Reserve. In other words, the cartoonist
repeated the litany of Progressivism that we have heard all our
lives." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/24yjx5d
-----
38) Blowout prevention act or oil production prevention act?
Competitive Enterprise Institute
by Marlo Lewis, Jr.
"Today, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and
Environment will hold a hearing on the Blowout Prevention Act of 2010.
A draft of the legislation and other pertinent documents are available
on the Subcommittee's Web site. Although the draft legislation and
hearing documents address serious problems brought to light by the
Committee's ongoing investigations, the Blowout Prevention Act would
throw the baby out with the bath water." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/22lssah
-----
39) The Internet must remain free
Campaign For Liberty
by Chuck Baldwin
"The Internet is abuzz with news that a US Senate committee has
approved a bill that apparently gives the President authority to shut
down the Internet. According to TechWorld.com, 'A US Senate committee
has approved a wide-ranging cybersecurity bill that some critics have
suggested would give the US president the authority to shut down parts
of the Internet during a cyberattack.'" (06/30/10)
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=979
-----
40) America's destiny must be freedom
Acton Institute
by Ray Nothstine
"Ralph Waldo Emerson described America as 'the land that has never
become, but is always in the act of becoming.' Many Americans don't
feel that way as pessimism has replaced a once vibrant optimism about
the future. Economic malaise, crippling debt, and a mammoth oil gush
in the Gulf Coast are daily reminders of seemingly unmovable
obstacles." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2b9zaga
-----
41) A big bang for Greece
Cato Institute
by Steve H. Hanke
"How did Greece get into the death spiral that it's in? Unfunded
entitlements. In other words, promise somebody something, don't come
up with the financing for it, and pretty soon you find yourself in a
fiscal/debt crisis. This is where Greece ended up, and in February,
the Greek government called in some outside advisers (Joseph Stiglitz
for one), and the blame game began. Prime Minister Papandreou, who is
also president of Socialist International, started blaming everyone.
First, it was the speculators. Then he went on a tear against his own
colleagues in the European Union. The Germans really got whacked --
according to Mr. Papandreou, they were a big cause of Greece's
troubles. Ironically, after blaming outsiders for all their problems,
the Greeks have called in the foreign doctors. In this case it isn't
just the IMF, but also the EU politicians and bureaucrats who are
involved. But this may ultimately be a case in which the doctors kill
the patient." (06/30/10)
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=11941
-----
42) The second coming of Petraeus
Independent Institute
by Ivan Eland
"With the justified firing of Gen. Stanley McChrystal and his
replacement with Iraq water-walker David Petraeus, it's as if people
are hoping for a second coming of Jesus in Afghanistan. Unfortunately,
the replacement may be similar to the second coming of the water-
walking Joe Gibbs as coach of the Washington Redskins." (06/30/10)
http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=2820
-----
43) Gun shy
Reason
by Jacob Sullum
"On Monday the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment applies
to states and cities as well as the federal government. Judging from
their objections, the four dissenters were still reeling from the
Court's landmark 2008 decision recognizing that the amendment protects
an individual right to keep and bear arms. In their dissenting
opinions, Justices John Paul Stevens and Stephen Breyer (joined by
Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor) worry that overturning gun
control laws undermines democracy. If 'the people' want to ban
handguns, they say, 'the people' should be allowed to implement that
desire through their elected representatives. What if the people want
to ban books that offend them, establish an official church, or
authorize police to conduct warrantless searches at will?" (06/30/10)
http://reason.com/archives/2010/06/30/gun-shy
-----
44) The mythology surrounding Petraeus's surge in Iraq will keep us
trapped in Afghanistan
AlterNet
by Joshua Holland
"The United States is stalled in a hopeless conflict in Afghanistan in
large part because its foreign policy establishment, aided by an often-
vacuous media, has come to believe its own spin about General David
Petraeus' 'success' turning around the occupation in Iraq. The fact
that Iraq remains a shattered country with an active insurgency seven
years after the United States invaded -- and that any improvement in
security was due to developments on the ground that were unique to the
country -- hasn't shaken their faith. That the Iraq surge was a
success is almost a universally held belief, despite ample evidence to
the contrary. That belief lends unearned weight to Petraeus' counter-
insurgency doctrine, known as COIN." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2c47qz7
-----
45) Double-dip trade is probably overdone
TCS Daily
by Larry Kudlow
"Stocks took a real drubbing on Tuesday, with the Dow off 268 points
and the major indexes basically falling 3 percent. Call it the double-
dip trade. But are we really heading for a double-dip recession? I
think not. And I say this as someone who has been advising investors
to take profits this year before the IRS takes them next year, as
taxes on capital gains, dividends, estates, and top incomes are all
scheduled to rise in 2011 -- unless, of course, a tea-party Republican
Congress overturns all this following the midterm
elections." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26vteyp
-----
46) BP: Beyond Prosecution
Mother Jones
by Josh Harkinson
"On May 1, less than two weeks after the Deepwater Horizon rig
exploded, Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell announced that he
would 'ensure that BP and other liable parties take full financial
responsibility' for the unfolding disaster. Yet even as Caldwell
prepares to go after the oil company for billions in damages, his
hands are tied. He says the case could cost as much as $100 million
over several years. That's money his state, which is facing a $320
million budget deficit, not to mention the economic im[p]act of the
spill, just doesn't have. As any lawyer who advertises on late-night
TV could tell you, there's an easy solution to that problem. Forty-
eight states allow their attorneys general to hire private attorneys
on a contingency basis. In other words, if outside lawyers help the
state win a big civil case, they get a cut of the cash. ... But that
approach is a non-starter in Louisiana, one of two states that bar
their AGs from pursuing contingency lawsuits." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/23ogxgf
-----
47) Don't threaten anyone's homeland
Let A Thousand Nations Bloom
by Patri Friedman
"It is clear that humans have a very strong wired attachment to their
land, and are very sensitive to anything that seems like taking their
land away. While we see a general decline in violence in the world and
in politics as we get wealthier and political shenanigans have less
and less impact on people's lives, making bloody revolution less
appealing, the threat of losing part of one's homeland still has the
power to inspire violent reaction. So this is a serious potential
obstacle for any movement that aims to create a new country -- it must
somehow avoid pressing this button." (06/30/10)
http://athousandnations.com/2010/06/30/dont-threaten-anyones-homeland/
-----
48) The Obama formula
The Weekly Standard
by Irwin M. Stelzer
"There is something strange going on in American politics. Call it the
belated triumph of George McGovern's 'Come home, America'
campaign." (for publication 07/05/10)
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/obama-formula
-----
49) Inside dopes
Slate
by Fred Kaplan
"News of the 11 Russian spies who have been whiling away the past
decade in seemingly normal suburban lives is the stuff of decadent
satire: Breach and No Way Out, as rechanneled through the Coen
brothers. It also evokes fond memories of Boris and Natasha, from the
old Bullwinkle show, and the 'Spy vs. Spy' comic strips in Mad
magazine." (06/30/10)
http://www.slate.com/id/2258658/
-----
50) New study documents media's servitude to government
Salon
by Glenn Greenwald
"It's to be expected that governments will try to propagandize their
citizenry by applying completely different standards -- even
completely different language -- to their own conduct as opposed to
when other countries engage in exactly the same conduct. But when the
media copies that behavior (as ours does), they're amplifying and
bolstering government propaganda rather than critically scrutinizing
and debunking it. Isn't that a fairly serious problem?" (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2dypdly
-----
51) Will Congress kill volunteer fire departments?
Human Events
by Robert B. Bluey
"Volunteer fire departments are about as American as apple pie. But
under legislation moving quickly in Congress, this staple of American
life could soon be a thing of the past. House Majority Whip James
Clyburn (D.-S.C.) wants to include the Public Safety Employer-Employee
Cooperation Act as part of the war supplemental coming before the
House this week. The bill forces state and local governments to
collectively bargain with police, firefighters and emergency workers.
Its critics say it would compel volunteer firefighters to join unions,
threatening the survival of America's nearly 26,000 volunteer fire
departments." (06/29/10)
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=37738
-----
52) Welcoming the failure of the economic recovery team
Freedom's Phoenix
by Bill Bonner
"As near as we can tell, the recovery has been on the wrong road since
it started its motor. And the folks in Toronto couldn't put it 'back
on track,' even if they knew what they were doing. All they can do is
get out of the way. The system has too much debt. It needs to get rid
of some of that debt -- by write offs, defaults, and pay downs. Things
that must happen, must happen sooner or later. Better sooner than
later." (06/28/10)
http://tinyurl.com/28kuzo6
-----
53) Adam Smith and the #20 note
Adam Smith Institute
by Dr. Eamonn Butler
"From today (30 June), the UK #20 note with the portrait of Sir Edward
Elgar on the back of it will no longer be legal tender. The English
composer of 'Land of Hope and Glory' has had to make way for the
father of economic science and author of The Wealth of Nations, Adam
Smith. Some culture vultures complain that the arts are no longer
represented on UK banknotes, but Smith well deserves his place on the
currency. He didn't invent economics, of course, any more than Sir
Christopher Wren invented churches: but like Wren, he made his
material into something fresh, exciting, elegant and
imposing." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26yc42h
-----
54) The military to the rescue ... again
The American Spectator
by JT Young
"Its official: the Gulf Oil Spill is now a crisis. Or to put a finer
point on it: the government's response to it is officially a crisis.
How can you tell? The President recently pledged to send in the
military. For the federal government, that is the ultimate expression
of seriousness. For the Left it is an intimate admission of defeat. It
is difficult for anything in government to be truly a crisis until the
military is called in." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3yswpor
-----
55) Yes, the Second Amendment really means what it says ... and that
means you too Chicago
The Liberty Papers
by Chris
"This past Monday, Samuel Alito, writing for the majority (with
separate concurring opinions from Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia)
in the case McDonald vs. City of Chicago and Village of Morton Grove;
handed down what in 30 years will I believe, be held as one of (or
perhaps half of a pair of, or the second in a series of) the most
significant rulings in the courts history, not just for the right to
keep and bear arms, but for the rights of all people in this
nation." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2e5otzg
-----
56) New York Times ignores bloody reality
Center for a Stateless Society
by Alex R. Knight III
"Ah, yes: Those wearing government costumes and receiving government
paychecks (stolen tax revenues) are always superior to the dumb
unskilled peasantry, aren't they? Especially since every court ruling
in America at every level of the State-monopolized dispute resolution
system have concluded that the police -- and other government entities
-- are under no obligation to protect you or I. But you'd better
damned well pay those taxes, chump ... or we'll shoot you. That's our
version of protection." (06/30/10)
http://c4ss.org/content/3084
-----
57) Social security ... or insecurity?
Nolan Chart
by Jake Towne
"A lucid discussion on how to save social security in the midst of
financial chaos with the dollar is certainly lacking with the current
Republocrat establishment. Following their silly 'desperado economics'
policies, both Democrat and Republican politicians shy away from this
topic as the undeniable consequences are perceived to yet be years
away." (06/29/10)
http://www.nolanchart.com/article7826.html
-----
58) Congress set to deform America's financial sector
Downsize DC
by Jim Babka
"The financial crisis was caused by ... * The Federal Reserve keeping
interest rates artificially low * The Federal Reserve inflating the
money supply to satisfy Congress's deficit spending * Government
policies encouraging or forcing financial institutions to issue credit
to undeserving people ... Together, these policies caused the sub-
prime mortgage crisis and the mal-investment of easy money. The result
was the Great Recession. What does the Obama-Dodd-Frank bill do to
address these problems? NOTHING! Instead, it sets up a 'Consumer
Protection' agency whose regulations will conflict with other
regulatory agencies." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26seku8
-----
59) "Fine," like "taxation," is another word for theft
Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner
by Kent McManigal
"The defendant was obviously responsible for the damages. Not even he
really claimed otherwise. He should have paid restitution and that
should have been the end of it. However, that was not among the
options the jury was presented with. 'Guilty' or 'not guilty' were the
choices, and, if guilty, how big a 'fine' must he pay? -- and 'zero'
was not allowed. The 'city' suffered no harm and was due no
restitution, and certainly wasn't owed any loot because of someone
else's misfortune. Restitution to the actual injured party wasn't on
the table and was 'a separate issue,' sayeth the judge." (06/29/10)
http://tinyurl.com/37d4ds8
-----
60) Three factor interactions
Daily Speculations
by Alan Corwin
"My current research passion is the interaction between decision
factors and indicators in trading systems. The most interesting
interactions are usually between entrance decision factors and exit
factors. This is simple enough when we are looking at two-factor
interactions, but many times multiple factor interactions also seem to
be critical." (06/30/10)
http://www.dailyspeculations.com/wordpress/?p=4958
*****************************
* See No Evil, Hear No Evil
*****************************
61) Drones and the changing face of war
Ideas In Action
"A wide-ranging discussion about the legality and morality of using
drones to target terrorists and enemies in Afghanistan and
Pakistan." [Flash video] (to air 07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/ideas070110
-----
62) Citizenship and the pursuit of happiness
Hit & Run
"Whether it's Arizona's controversial new law requiring citizens to
produce 'papers' proving their legal status or President Obama's
decision to send additional national guard troops to the US/Mexico
border, immigration remains one of the most contentious issues in
contemporary politics. As the battle over 'comprehensive' reform heats
up, everyone has an opinion. Reason.tv caught up with immigrants to
learn why they moved to a country that defines itself as a
multicultural melting pot." [Flash video] (06/30/10)
http://reason.com/blog/2010/06/30/reasontv-citizenship-the-pursu
-----
63) Cato Daily Podcast, 06/30/10
Cato Institute
"The Bastiat Project," featuring Sloane Frost. [MP3] (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/cato063010
-----
64) Anand Gopal on Antiwar Radio
AntiWar.Com
"Independent journalist Anand Gopal discusses his interview with
Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar about peace talks with the Karzai
government, the probable short tenure of whatever political entity
(including the Taliban) fills the void after US departure, why COIN-
inspired night raids that succeed in killing Taliban commanders are
still counterproductive and why Hamid Karzai's dominion is even less
than his derogatory 'Mayor of Kabul' title suggests." [Flash audio or
MP3] (06/29/10)
http://antiwar.com/radio/2010/06/29/anand-gopal-2/
-----
65) The freedom philosophy
Foundation for Economic Education
"Professor Ivan Pongracic discusses 'the freedom philosophy' with
students attending Freedom University I." [Flash audio or MP3]
(05/31/10)
http://fee.org/media/the-freedom-philosophy-2/
*************************************
* What's Up In The Freedom Movement
*************************************
66) Today's events
Check our sidebar calendar for this week's freedom movement events.
Don't see your event? Drop us a line at in...@rationalreview.com ... or
see:
www.rationalreview.com/add-your-event-to-our-calendar
... for instructions on adding your events directly!
http://upcoming.yahoo.com/group/4042/
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