07/02 -- Pakistan: Triple suicide bombing kills 40; Somalia: 21 dead, 42 wounded in latest attempts to impose state
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Thomas L. Knapp
Jul 2, 2010, 1:05:02 AM7/2/10
to Rational Review News Digest
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In The News:
1) Pakistan: Triple suicide bombing kills 40
2) Somalia: 21 dead, 42 wounded in latest attempts to impose state
3) Mexico: 21 dead in gang gun battle near US border
4) Iraq: Five killed, 29 wounded
5) Afghan governor: Suicide attackers strike Kunduz
6) Obama signs "tough" new Iran sanctions
7) UK vows to extend hand to neglected allies
8) Training video for Arizona law takes heat
9) OH: Store owner opens fire at robber
10) In US, battle brews over Cuba travel ban
11) DE: Resident captures thief
12) Expired swine flu shots amount to $260 million loss
13) House-approved war funding bill faces Senate trouble
14) Alleged Russian spy confesses
15) IN: Man claims self-defense in shooting of brother-in-law
16) GA: Wal-Mart shootout
17) Vengeful militant group rises in Pakistan
18) Al Qaeda launches English propaganda magazine
19) CA: Assembly passes bill banning BPA in baby bottles
20) Virginia, feds square off over ObamaCare
21) Scientists try to determine why Ozzy isn't dead
22) US stocks fall amid bad economic news
23) IL: Daley trots out new victim disarmament measures after SCOTUS
ruling
24) CA: Lawmakers approve $20 million to settle Dugard claims
25) MA: Cops cower from cameras, medics maul activist
Everybody Has An Opinion:
26) Prison normal
27) Toward a responsible defense budget
28) The pollution solution
29) The aftermath of McDonald v. Chicago
30) Disaster, heartbreak, and unavoidable trade-offs
31) Prison for the powerless
32) Boycotting the boycotters
33) Chicago gun control: The sequel
34) The spy scare
35) The African-American Second amendment
36) US presidents and those who kill for them
37) Highlighting the surveillance society
38) Banner drop crime
39) Vince Miller and the international libertarian movement
40) The obsequiousness of the mainstream press
41) Entrepreneurship helps make America great
42) Seeing the big picture is child's play
43) Anti-stripper law could create more prostitution
44) Your ticket to freedom
45) Money, deficits, and the Devil: A cautionary tale
46) A glimpse of the Obamacare future
47) A defining vote on Afghanistan
48) What happens when Google thinks for you?
49) The G-20: Has everyone lost it?
50) The Tea Party is dangerous
51) US officials spy on activists across the political spectrum
52) Five months of packing heat
53) Gay marriage foes: 'Til disclosure do us part?
54) The Supreme Court and the Second Amendment
55) Monetary secession
56) Sarah Palin: Don't cut defense spending
57) Payback time
58) Subsidies and bailouts: The Department of Prolonged Childhood
59) More on scary Russian spies, and on what should concern you
60) The odiousness of the distorted Godwin's Law
61) Terrorism: Why they want to kill us
62) Morning is coming
63) Is this something you audit know?
64) Prison sentencing reform and the cost of drug prohibition
65) Such a thing as Free Press
See No Evil, Hear No Evil:
66) George Clowes on The Freedom Works, 07/07/10
67) Nanny of the Month for June 2010
68) Cato Daily Podcast, 07/01/10
69) Free Talk Live, 06/30/10
70) Alan Grayson on Antiwar Radio
What's Up In The Freedom Movement:
71) Today's events
***************
* In The News
***************
1) Pakistan: Triple suicide bombing kills 40
Wall Street Journal
"Three suicide bombers blew themselves up inside a popular Sufi shrine
in the eastern Pakistan city of Lahore on Thursday, killing at least
40 people, a brutal continuation of attacks by extremists targeting
followers of one of Pakistan's popular and more moderate versions of
Islam. Thousands of devotees were inside the Data Gunj Bakhsh complex,
a turquoise-domed shrine to an 11th-century Persian Sufi saint, when
two bombers detonated themselves inside the marbled hall. A third
attack took place outside the gate, police and witness
said." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2vbky83
-----
2) Somalia: 21 dead, 42 wounded in latest attempts to impose state
Reuters
"At least 21 people were killed and 42 wounded in fighting in Somalia,
a human rights group said on Thursday. Fighting between clans left 14
people dead and 24 injured in the village of Huldonyale in central
Somalia, the Mogadishu-based Elman rights group said. Government
troops alongside African Union peacekeepers exchanged shells in
Mogadishu with al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels, who are waging an
Islamist insurgency against the Western-backed government. Seven
people were killed and 18 wounded." (07/01/10)
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE6600B020100701
-----
3) Mexico: 21 dead in gang gun battle near US border
Pasadena Star-News
"A massive gun battle between rival drug and migrant-trafficking gangs
near the U.S. border left 21 people dead on Thursday, prosecutors
said. The clash occurred in a sparsely populated area about 12 miles
(20 kilometers) from the Arizona border -- a prime corridor for
immigrant and drug smuggling." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/298auhw
-----
4) Iraq: Five killed, 29 wounded
AntiWar.Com
"Today's attacks unsurprisingly targeted Awakening Council (Sahwa),
security personnel and even a gold merchant as gunmen continue to
stalk Iraq's politically valuable targets. At least five Iraqis were
killed and 29 more were wounded across the country. Meanwhile, the
Justice Ministry released 198 inmates, mostly in Baghdad and Basra,
over a lack of evidence against them." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2fwsocr
-----
5) Afghan governor: Suicide attackers strike Kunduz
Vail Daily
"An Afghan provincial governor says four suicide bombers have attacked
a small inn in northern Afghanistan. Kunduz provincial governor
Mohammad Omar said Friday that two suicide bombers blew themselves up
and two others entered the guest house Friday morning in Kunduz city.
He says one Afghan policeman was killed and another Afghan policeman
and three private security guards working for foreigners were
wounded." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26g4xgx
-----
6) Obama signs "tough" new Iran sanctions
Al-Jazeera [Qatar]
"The US president has signed a bill imposing the toughest sanctions on
Iran to date, in a move designed to strike at the Islamic republic's
financial and scientific establishment over its alleged nuclear
weapons programme. The legislation, signed by Barack Obama on
Thursday, aims to choke off Iran's access to refined petroleum imports
including gasoline and jet fuel and bans US banks from doing business
with foreign banks that provide services to Iran's elite Revolutionary
Guards." (07/02/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2ff6xw6
-----
7) UK vows to extend hand to neglected allies
USA Today
"British Foreign Secretary William Hague is promising to pay attention
to allies left neglected in London's rush to cozy up to the White
House, promising a sweeping overhaul of the country's 'patchy' foreign
policy. In a first major speech since the country's Conservative-led
coalition government took office in May, Hague said Thursday he'd
reach out to nations who felt snubbed under the Labour government led
by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3xjvodz
-----
8) Training video for Arizona law takes heat
USA Today
"In a training video released to Arizona law enforcement officers
Thursday, state officials repeatedly discourage racial profiling when
enforcing the state's new immigration law -- but some Hispanic civil
rights groups say some of the instructions constitute a recipe for
racial profiling. In the video, factors such as 'dress,' 'traveling in
tandem' and 'significant difficulty communicating in English' are
given as clues that a person may be an illegal immigrant." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2aoggmz
-----
9) OH: Store owner opens fire at robber
Fox 8 News
"Surveillance cameras were rolling as the owner of a carry-out in
Elyria faced a life and death struggle, when a would-be robber tried
to force his way into the store Monday morning. The man eventually
succeeded in getting through the door in the drive-thru, but the owner
had a surprise for him, a gun she carries in her hip pocket. She tells
Fox 8 'I reacted as fast as I could, trying to put a barrier between
him and I saw him breaking through that door and I shot him.' Once the
tables have been turned on the bandit, he ran away." (06/29/10)
http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-elyria-robbery-txt,0,6139707.story
-----
10) In US, battle brews over Cuba travel ban
MSNBC
"Don't start packing those suitcases to Cuba just yet. Although a
congressional committee voted Wednesday to repeal the law that
prohibits American tourists from traveling to the communist-run
island, the real fight to change the decades-old ban -- which will
take place in the full House of Representatives later this month -- is
likely to be a real humdinger." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2cvk5qc
-----
11) DE: Resident captures thief
News Journal
"A thief, dressed for the winter and rummaging through a car outside a
Glasgow residence late Tuesday, had the tables turned on him when he
was held at gunpoint by the resident he was stealing from until police
arrived, officials said today. ... the victim's wife saw a man dressed
in a black knit cap, winter gloves, a scarf and goggles breaking into
their car out front and told her husband. The husband, meanwhile,
armed himself with a gun and confronted the thief, who was still
inside his car. The husband ordered the thief to lie face down in the
driveway at gunpoint until officers arrived to arrest him." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/37yu2ej
-----
12) Expired swine flu shots amount to $260 million loss
MSNBC
"About a quarter of the swine flu vaccine produced for the U.S. public
has expired -- meaning that a whopping 40 million doses worth about
$260 million are being written off as trash. 'It's a lot, by
historical standards,' said Jerry Weir, who oversees vaccine research
and review for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/283o7fh
-----
13) House-approved war funding bill faces Senate trouble
South Oregon Mail Tribune
"Despite pessimism that the war in Afghanistan is turning out to be a
quagmire, Democrats controlling the House muscled through a plan
Thursday to finance President Barack Obama's troop surge, but only
after sweetening the measure with last-ditch moves to salvage their
faltering jobs agenda. Long delayed, the approximately $80 billion
bill was passed amid building pressure on Democrats to act before
their weeklong Fourth of July break begins." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/24sebkt
-----
14) Alleged Russian spy confesses
CNN
"One of the suspects in an alleged Russian spy ring has admitted that
he worked for Russia's intelligence service, federal prosecutors say
in court documents obtained by CNN Thursday. The suspect known as Juan
Lazaro made a 'lengthy post-arrest statement on June 27,' according to
a bail letter provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern
District of New York." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/24wxtav
-----
15) IN: Man claims self-defense in shooting of brother-in-law
WTHR News
"Police say the shooter was the victim's 51-year-old stepfather. The
stepfather told police he shot his 41-year-old stepson in self-defense
when an argument that had been brewing for a few days escalated into
violence. The stepfather also told police that his stepson had
approached him with a knife and refused to drop it. The stepfather
told neighbors to call police after the shooting." (07/01/10)
http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=12738377
-----
16) GA: Wal-Mart shootout
CBS News
"Shoppers looking for discounts at the Wal-Mart on Cobb Parkway got
more than they bargained for Wednesday morning. Around 12:30 a.m., two
men started exchanging gunfire in the parking lot. ... When police
arrived, the man who fired the first shots had escaped. The second
man, believed to have returned fire in self-defense, was detained and
questioned. He's not expected to face charges." (06/30/10)
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/24091400/detail.html
-----
17) Vengeful militant group rises in Pakistan
Washington Times
"Pakistani authorities now believe a dangerous new militant group, out
to avenge a deadly army assault on a mosque in Islamabad three years
ago, has carried out several major bombings in the capital previously
blamed on the Taliban. The emergence of the Ghazi Force was part of
the outrage among many deeply religious Pakistani Muslims over the
July 2007 attack by security forces against the Lal Masjid, or Red
Mosque, a stronghold of Islamic militants." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2v356bz
-----
18) Al Qaeda launches English propaganda magazine
ABC News
"Al-Qaida launched its first online propaganda magazine in English on
Tuesday, a move that could help the terror group recruit inside the
U.S. and Europe. The magazine, called Inspire, is being run by al-
Qaida's branch in Yemen, which has been linked to the failed Christmas
Day bombing attempt of a U.S.-bound airliner." [editor's note: FIRST
al Qaeda online propaganda magazine, my ass -- haven't these folks
ever heard of The Weekly Standard? - TLK] (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2ehc79f
-----
19) CA: Assembly passes bill banning BPA in baby bottles
Los Angeles Times
"The state Assembly passed a bill Thursday to ban the chemical
Bisphenol-A from baby bottles and other items that come in contact
with small children. The Toxin-Free Toddlers and Babies Act, or SB
797, would ban the use of BPA in feeding products, including formula,
for children 3 years old and younger. BPA has been linked with health
problems such as infertility, autism, asthma, hyperactivity and breast
cancer. In January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reversed its
long-held position that BPA posed no concern, calling for more studies
of the artificial hormone that often is used in shatter-proof plastic
baby bottles, sippy cups and linings of cans, including those
containing baby formula." (07/01/10)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bpa-20100702,0,5403555.story
-----
20) Virginia, feds square off over ObamaCare
Reuters
"The state of Virginia and the [US federal] government were pitched in
a legal battle in a federal courtroom on Thursday that could lead to
the undoing of the massive healthcare reform [sic] law passed three
months ago. Judge Henry Hudson of the U.S. District Court for the
Eastern District of Richmond heard the federal government's arguments
to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Virginia that contends the healthcare
law's requirement that all Americans have health insurance is
unconstitutional. ... While the judge will only decide if the suit can
proceed -- a decision Hudson said he would render within 30 days --
the court heard the first airing of arguments that could make their
way to the Supreme Court as some states resist implementing the
law." (07/01/10)
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6605DS20100701
-----
21) Scientists try to determine why Ozzy isn't dead
Vancouver Sun [Canada]
"He is famous for many things. For his eerie scream. For his 'Satan
worship.' For biting the head off a dove. And a bat. But, mostly, Ozzy
Osbourne has become famous for indulging in decades of near-legendary
substance abuse -- abuse that would vanquish most -- and surviving.
Now scientists could find out why. Sometime next month DNA extracted
from a sample of the 'Godfather of Heavy Metal's' blood will be sent
to St. Louis-based Cofactor Genomics, where researchers will sequence
Osbourne's genome -- map his genetic blueprint." (07/01/10)
http://bit.ly/c8T8Lh
-----
22) US stocks fall amid bad economic news
Sydney Morning Herald [Australia]
"US stocks fell on Thursday, amid a slew of negative economic news,
including a report showing new claims for US unemployment benefits
jumped more than expected last week. After spending much of the day
deep in negative territory, stocks recouped some losses in late
trades, but not enough to stop a sixth consecutive day of losses. The
blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 41.49 points (0.42 per
cent) to settle at 9,732.53. The tech-rich Nasdaq index dropped 7.88
points (0.37 per cent) to 2,101.36 and the broad-market S&P 500 index
lost 3.34 points (0.32 per cent) to settle at 1,027.37." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26ggc7h
-----
23) IL: Daley trots out new victim disarmament measures after SCOTUS
ruling
Agence France-Presse
"The mayor of Chicago struck back Thursday at a Supreme Court ruling
severely limiting gun control measures with a tough new ordinance that
prohibits people from taking handguns outside their homes. Mayor
Richard Daley noted that previous court rulings applied only to a
citizen's right to keep a gun in their home for self-defense and found
that some restrictions were constitutional." [editor's note: Is there
anything that assclown won't resort to in his efforts to keep Chicago
violent and unsafe? - TLK] (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/35sfyf9
-----
24) CA: Lawmakers approve $20 million to settle Dugard claims
CNN
"The California Assembly on Thursday passed a bill appropriating $20
million to kidnapping victim Jaycee Dugard to settle her claims
against the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation,
according to the chief clerk's office. ... Dugard vanished in 1991 at
the age of 11. She was found in August 2009, living in a shed in the
Antioch, California, backyard of Phillip Garrido, a registered sex
offender who had been on parole since January 1988. Investigators say
Garrido fathered two children with Dugard during her captivity. He and
his wife, Nancy, are charged with 29 felony counts in the case. Both
have pleaded not guilty. In a report issued in November, the state
inspector general's office found the state Department of Corrections
and Rehabilitation failed to properly keep tabs on Garrido or properly
supervise the officers assigned to his case." (07/01/10)
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/01/california.dugard/?hpt=T1
-----
25) MA: Cops cower from cameras, medics maul activist
Libertarian News Examiner
"Julian Heicklen, the unrelenting FIJA overachiever, went on his own
Magical Mystery Tour in late June that featured five FIJA events and a
Porcupine Festival in four states in the space of five days. And that
included a 16-hour stay in Springfield, Massachusetts, at taxpayer
expense. It was while he was fomenting freedom by passing out Fully
Informed Jury Association pamphlets in Springfield that he managed to
demonstrate two truisms at once; first that cops will cower from
cameras, and second that paramedics everywhere seem eager to ignore
the 'First do no harm' paradigm." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2ujs86f
*******************************************************************
* HEALTH-OF-THE-STATE-O-METER, 07/02/10
*
* 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
****************************
26) Prison normal
Ayn R. Key
by Ayn R. Key
"After a century, most people in the United States have come to
believe that an unbacked fiat currency is normal. People have come to
expect an average of three percent inflation per year is normal. In
the course of one century the dollar has lost ninety-eight percent of
its value, and people have come to think of that as normal. People
have come to think of it as so normal that they have come to think of
other arrangements as being completely abnormal. It is argued that a
modern economy cannot grow without a constantly inflating fiat
currency. They are experiencing 'Prison normal.'" (06/30/10)
http://aynrkey.blogspot.com/2010/06/prison-normal.html
-----
27) Toward a responsible defense budget
Cato Institute
by Christopher Preble
"In a recent article in The Daily Caller, Chet Nagle claims that the
Obama administration 'plans to eliminate over a trillion defense
dollars in the next ten years.' Unfortunately, he has no basis for
saying so. The Department of Defense is one of the only government
agencies slated to receive real increases in spending over the next
few years, according to the administration's budget submissions. Nagle
pretends that the cuts proposed in a recent report by the Sustainable
Defense Task Force have the administration's support. This is not the
case. As a member of the task force, I actually wish Nagle were right.
Even modest cuts to military spending -- which has grown by 86 percent
since 1998 -- would show that the administration had reconsidered the
approach to U.S. military power that has prevailed in Washington since
the end of the Cold War. But like the last one, this administration
seems to believe that U.S. troops should answer every 911 call, with
American taxpayers footing the bill." (06/30/10)
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=11946
-----
28) The pollution solution
Liberty For All
by Mary J. Ruwart
"Question: Isn't government the best protector of the environment and
our national parks? What steps would libertarians take in this arena?
Who's the greatest polluter of all? The oil companies? The chemical
companies? The nuclear power plants? If you guessed 'none of the
above' you'd be correct. Our government, at the federal, state, and
local levels, is the single greatest polluter in the land. In
addition, our government doesn't even clean up its own
garbage!" (07/01/10)
http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=4506
-----
29) The aftermath of McDonald v. Chicago
Reason
by Brian Doherty
"Now, America faces the aftermath of the dual jurisprudential
revolutions that the winning legal team in McDonald, led by Heller
lawyer Alan Gura, tried to create. The first such revolution is the
application of the Second Amendment's protected right -- at least to
have commonly used weapons in the home for self-defense -- to actions
of state and local governments." (07/01/10)
http://reason.com/archives/2010/07/01/aftermath-mcdonald-v-chicago
-----
30) Disaster, heartbreak, and unavoidable trade-offs
Liberty & Power
by Robert Higgs
"The Deepwater Horizon accident that continues to foul the Gulf's
waters and shores was an unlikely but extremely destructive event. The
damage it is causing is heartbreaking. But forbidding oil drilling in
the Gulf would also cause immense damage, not least to the lives and
livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people whose incomes are tied
to that activity, not to mention all those who value the products made
from the oil extracted from pools beneath the ocean floor. We can't
have all good things and no bad things. In life as it actually exists,
we must choose and make trade-offs." (07/01/10)
http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/128667.html
-----
31) Prison for the powerless
Pro Libertate
by Will Grigg
"Johnny Gaskins of Raleigh, North Carolina faces a 30-year prison term
-- an effective life sentence -- for the supposed crime of depositing
$450,000 in his own bank account. The corporate leaders of Wachovia
Bank, a criminal syndicate once headquartered in the same state, won't
face prosecution despite admissions that the laundered hundreds of
billions of dollars on behalf of Mexican narcotics cartels. Wachovia
was deemed 'too big to fail,' and thus too important to prosecute. In
our system, mercy is reserved exclusively for the powerful and
corrupt, and Johnny Gaskins -- a criminal defense attorney -- was
neither." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2wlfzjy
-----
32) Boycotting the boycotters
Spiked
by Natalie Rothschild
"A proposed Israeli bill to punish groups that call for boycotts is
the ugly conclusion to today's shallow Israel-bashing." (07/01/10)
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/9101/
-----
33) Chicago gun control: The sequel
Chicago Tribune
by Steve Chapman
"After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities and states must
respect the right of individuals to own handguns for self-defense,
Mayor Richard M. Daley declared the justices to be divorced from
reality. 'They don't seem to appreciate the full scope of gun violence
in America,' he charged. Daley is right. They couldn't possibly
comprehend it as well as he does. Nor could the 80-year-old West Sider
who awoke one recent morning to find an armed man breaking into his
home -- and killed him, with a firearm prohibited by the Chicago
handgun ban. Not long after, another intruder was shot by a homeowner
wielding a revolver." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/27ftt8z
-----
34) The spy scare
AntiWar.Com
by Justin Raimondo
"The uses of the current spy scare are many, and scary: the
politicians of Hoekstra's ilk are all too ready to extend the paranoia
to include their favored targets, and the media loves a story like
this, one complete with a compelling narrative -- 'sleeper agents' in
suburbia! Dastardly spies who look like the clean cut couple next
door! -- and a 'flame-haired beauty.' What more could cable news ask
for?" (07/02/10)
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2010/07/01/the-spy-scare/
-----
35) The African-American Second amendment
News Tribune
by Patriuck O'Callahan
"Clarence Thomas -- standing alone in a concurring opinion -- took the
most fascinating position in the Supreme Court's Second Amendment
decision this week. It has to be one of the blackest writings ever to
come out of the court, including anything authored by Thurgood
Marshall. In arguing that gun ownership is 'essential to the
preservation of liberty,' Thomas dwells on the long and horrifying
history of white massacres of unarmed or poorly armed African
Americans in the South, especially after Reconstruction fell apart
following the Civil War." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/35po2a7
-----
36) US presidents and those who kill for them
LewRockwell.Com
by Laurence M. Vance
"What kind of a man would kill someone he didn't know for someone else
he didn't know? I suppose our opinion of such an individual would
depend on the circumstances. Most people would condemn a hit man for
hire even as they would praise a man who came to the defense of a
little old lady in a parking lot who was being attacked with deadly
force by a gang of thugs. But what kind of a man would kill someone he
didn't know, who had never harmed or threatened him, his family, his
friends, or anyone he knew for someone he didn't know, who didn't know
him, and had never been harmed or threatened by the person he wanted
killed? And even worse, who would do such a thing at a moment's
notice, without giving it a second thought, laugh while he did it,
brag about it afterward, and then expect to be lauded as a hero? It
pains me to say that the answer is a soldier in the U.S.
military." (07/02/10)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/vance/vance207.html
-----
37) Highlighting the surveillance society
Wired
by David Kravets
"Welcome to the surveillance society. That's what the American Civil
Liberties Union concluded Tuesday with a report chronicling government
spying and the detention of groups and individuals 'for doing little
more than peacefully exercising their First Amendment
rights.'" (06/29/10)
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/06/aclu-surveillance/
-----
38) Banner drop crime
CounterPunch
by Jayne Lyn Stahl
"When Tony Hayward, BP president, recently met with Congress, he
obdurately refused to accept blame for the mess in the gulf of Mexico.
The head of the largest contractor in the area, and his colleagues,
will likely face civil penalties for the April 20 catastrophe, but no
criminal prosecution. By way of contrast, Ted Glick, policy director
for Chesapeake Climate Action Network, will be sentenced in a D.C.
district court on Tuesday for having hung two banners 'Green Jobs Now'
and 'Get to Work,' inside the Senate Hart Office Building in
September, 2009." (07/01/10)
http://counterpunch.org/stahl07012010.html
-----
39) Vince Miller and the international libertarian movement
Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Jeff Riggenbach
"When the libertarian movement we know today was launched during and
just after World War II, the founders were men and women who ranged in
age from their 30s to their 60s. They represented, really, two
different generations. The first group, born in the 1880s, included
Rose Wilder Lane and Isabel Paterson (both born in 1886), as well as
Ludwig von Mises (born in 1881). The members of this first group
served as mentors and teachers for the members of the second group,
who were all born around the turn of the 20th century, and were
therefore young enough -- or almost young enough -- to be the sons and
daughters of the members of the first group." (07/01/10)
http://mises.org/daily/4526
-----
40) The obsequiousness of the mainstream press
Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G. Hornberger
"What I find fascinating is the extreme reluctance of the mainstream
press to delve into matters regarding the CIA. It's almost as if there
is a mainstream press code of conduct that prohibits mainstream
reporters from aggressively delving into matters relating to the CIA.
For example, consider the case of Maher Arar." (07/01/10)
http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2010-07-01.asp
-----
41) Entrepreneurship helps make America great
Freedom Politics
by John Stossel
"For all its problems, America is a great place. And one thing that
makes America great is its prosperity. Yes, some people have suffered
during the recession -- but compared to all the other countries in the
history of the world, America is rich. Why? One reason is that America
is a good place to do business." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/27k4rnp
-----
42) Seeing the big picture is child's play
Foundation for Economic Education
by Steven Horwitz
"When I was younger I thought airplanes were the coolest thing ever.
In that way only kids (especially boys) can, I learned everything
about the major commercial jets in the early 80s and was particularly
fascinated by airline schedules and the hub-and-spoke system
developing around that time. Most of that fascination was vicarious,
since I think I flew maybe four or five times before I was
18." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/29tx6xu
-----
43) Anti-stripper law could create more prostitution
OpenMarket.org
by Michelle Minton
"What most people don't realize is that strippers usually aren't under
contract with any particular club and, generally, operate like
contractors, paying a stage fee or a house fee to the club which is
deducted from whatever they earn while dancing. These laws simple mean
that strippers will have less time to work, fewer clubs to dance at,
and fewer customers. ... If regulators really wanted to help the poor
strippers they should decrease regulations and taxes on other
industries so that more businesses will open in the state. Maybe then
strippers will have more opportunities to switch into another
profession, if they want." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/27w3t6t
-----
44) Your ticket to freedom
Campaign For Liberty
by Michael Boldin
"Tom Woods' new book, Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in
the 21st Century, is not just another reading assignment on the evils
and failures of the current administration (like so many political
books have been in recent years and decades). Instead, it's the
centerpiece of a mass movement -- a new strategy to deal with those
evils and failures of federal administrations -- past, present, and
future." (07/01/10)
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=980
-----
45) Money, deficits, and the Devil: A cautionary tale
Acton Institute
by Samuel Gregg
"Sometimes the best economists aren't economists. One of the most
famous plays in Western history was penned by the German writer Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). His two-part drama, Faust, is
considered one of the greatest works of German literature. This
complicated and sometimes disturbing text tells the story of a young
scholar, Faust, who enters into a pact with the devil, Mephistopheles.
In return for Mephistopheles' services to help him realize his
ambitions, Faust wagers the devil his soul." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2fdpsaf
-----
46) A glimpse of the Obamacare future
John Stossel's Take
by John Stossel
"When Obamacare was signed into law, I predicted that the ban on
'discriminating' against anyone with a pre-existing condition would
mean that only sick people will buy insurance. If insurance companies
have to charge me the same for insurance whether I'm sick or not, I'd
be a fool to buy insurance now. I'd be better off waiting until I get
sick. If only sick people buy insurance, that means insurance premiums
will skyrocket. Of course, this provision doesn't go into effect until
2014 ... but you don't have to wait until 2014 to see what will
happen." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/23nrvz4
-----
47) A defining vote on Afghanistan
The Nation
by Katrina vanden Heuvel
"More than six months after the implementation of the Obama/McChrystal
strategy, and with one year to go before the beginning withdrawal of
US forces, it's clear that the strategy in Afghanistan is failing on
nearly all fronts. It's critical that we now turn to a more
fundamental exit debate: How do we change course and craft a
responsible strategy to end the war? Tonight the House will have an
opportunity to do just that with two votes -- on the $33 billion
Afghanistan war supplemental and an amendment introduced by
Congressman Jim McGovern that would require, at long last, an exit
strategy including a timetable for the completion of the redeployment
of US troops." (07/01/10)
http://www.thenation.com/blog/36950/defining-vote-afghanistan
-----
48) What happens when Google thinks for you?
Christian Science Monitor
by Emily Walshe
"Google is paving the way toward a new definition of thought, engaging
more complex dimensions of human cognition, perception, and aesthetic
preference than ever before. Forget for a moment the many perils
inherent in entrusting a huge corpus of the world's recorded knowledge
to a single corporation and registry. Think about how you, personally,
experience information." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2b886zn
-----
49) The G-20: Has everyone lost it?
Independent Institute
by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
"The governments, institutions, and personalities who should be
providing guidance in the aftermath of the financial and economic
debacle of 2007-08 are still recommending the very policies that got
us here in the first place. The G-20 summit in Toronto exposed this
truth quite poignantly." (06/30/10)
http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=2819
-----
50) The Tea Party is dangerous
AlterNet
by Adele M. Stan
"The impulse to dismiss the Tea Party movement is understandable,
especially given the kook factor (something that every grassroots
movement has). The wacky signs, the crazy rhetoric about health care
as some form of tyranny: How could this add up to a force able to
defeat the massive coalition that led to President Obama's election?
Charles P. Pierce, writing at Esquire's blog, expresses this view with
his claim that the Tea Party movement isn't really a movement at all,
but rather 'the kind of noisy paranoid lunacy that used to be stapled
to lampposts, or hollered about by people you would avoid in the
public parks.' Some of that is true, but it also feeds an attendant
denial of the kind a damage such a movement -- or non-movement, in
Pierce's view -- can do." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3y7undv
-----
51) US officials spy on activists across the political spectrum
Disloyal Opposition
by JD Tuccille
"If you're in a mood to feel like a targeted victim of government, you
don't need to be a libertarian, or a lefty, or a righty or a tea-
partier, or even a Muslim. Nope, it turns out that the simple act of
speaking out in a way that's critical of the government, or even just
a bit outside the mainstream, is enough to get you monitored,
referenced in a file and tagged as an enemy of the state. That's right
-- there's room for everybody to play!" (07/01/10)
http://preview.tinyurl.com/338voat
-----
52) Five months of packing heat
The Libertarian Standard
by Manuel Lora
"Several months ago I made the decision to apply for a permit to carry
a concealed weapon, because I wanted to have another level of
protection for me and for my family as we go about our business around
town. I will not talk about the permit process, whether you should get
one, or about any libertarian implications of licking the state's boot
to obtain permission to carry metals and chemicals on one's person.
You are on your own about that. Instead, I will simply, and briefly,
go through the various trials and tribulations that I went
through." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3xqvoh7
-----
53) Gay marriage foes: 'Til disclosure do us part?
Mother Jones
by Stephanie Mencimer
"When the National Organization for Marriage succeeded in banning gay
marriage in California in 2008 through the ballot measure known as
Proposition 8, it looked like the movement was on a roll. That same
day, similar measures passed in Arizona and Florida. Anti-gay-marriage
activists seized on these victories, bragging that they had delivered
a crushing blow to nationwide efforts to legalize same-sex marriage.
Those activists don't seem quite so smug these days. That's because
they've been on a losing streak: In the past month alone, the National
Organization for Marriage (NOM) and its allies have suffered a series
of significant legal setbacks, culminating with last week's nearly
unanimous Supreme Court ruling in a case arising from a Washington
State ballot measure. Collectively, these defeats, in states from
California to Maine, could make it much harder for these activists to
wage war on gay marriage. For this, New Jersey-based NOM really has no
one to blame but itself. That's largely because in its quest to fend
off gay marriage, it has engaged in a host of potentially illegal
stealth campaign tactics and waged legal battles to shield its
supporters from public exposure." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3aznsfb
-----
54) The Supreme Court and the Second Amendment
Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner
by Kent McManigal
"The Supreme Courtjesters have handed down their ruling on The Second
Amendment. Their ruling did not surprise me. Let's see if you are
smarter than a 'Supreme.' I'm betting you are." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3xogxna
-----
55) Monetary secession
Let A Thousand Nations Bloom
by Brad Taylor
"A currency with high and uncertain inflation is less useful as a
medium of exchange. If we mentally unbundle government functions, we
can think of individuals opting out of their government's currencies
and choosing using an alternative -- whether produced by another
government or by private institutions -- as partial secession. We see
such monetary secession fairly often, even when governments go to
great lengths to protect their monetary monopoly." (07/01/10)
http://athousandnations.com/2010/07/01/monetary-secession/
-----
56) Sarah Palin: Don't cut defense spending
The Weekly Standard
by John Noonan
[editor's note: I'm not even going to try to find a decent excerpt to
quote from this "if we don't keep up massive corporate welfare wealth
transfers under the guise of national defense, THE TERRORISTS HAVE
WON" piece. I'm only including it because it's worth reminding people
that Palin is one of the bleeding-heart social worker types who goes
into conniptions at the suggestion that the military-industrial
complex should get up off the damn couch, turn off Oprah, and find a
real job - TLK] (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2fbo8e2
-----
57) Payback time
Slate
by Christopher Beam
"President Obama's debt commission was designed to be insulated from
politics. With 10 Democrats and eight Republicans, the panel would
give both sides cover to make the difficult choices--tax hikes and
spending cuts -- necessary to reduce the deficit. But a hearing on
Wednesday -- the commission's third since its creation in April --
proved the insulation was flimsy at best. The hearing's only witness
was Doug Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office and
therefore Washington's most deliberate nonpartisan. He doesn't opine.
He doesn't make policy recommendations. He simply makes budget
estimates based on current law. (Check out his new projection here.)
But no matter how many times Elmendorf repeated this mantra, it didn't
seem to get through. Instead, Democrats and Republicans spent the
morning trying to get Elmendorf to confirm their own vision of the
world." (06/30/10)
http://www.slate.com/id/2258659/
-----
58) Subsidies and bailouts: The Department of Prolonged Childhood
Downsize DC
by Perry Willis
"Adults understand that they must pay a price for the mistakes they
make. Children, on the other hand, want constantly to be bailed
out ... and deserve to be ... by their parents. Here's the mistake you
politicians make ... We are not a nation of children, and you are not
our parents. Turning us all into weak dependent children may be good
for the business of politics, but its bad for a culture, and
completely unworthy of a country that once referred to itself as the
land of the free and the home of the brave. " (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/29qs83w
-----
59) More on scary Russian spies, and on what should concern you
The Power of Narrative
by Arthur Silber
"The details of this incomprehensibly evil Russkie plot, as provided
by the government to the always obedient, servile media, are
ludicrously laughable. For example, we have this statement in the NYT
story: 'the charges did not include espionage, and it was unclear what
secrets the suspected spy ring -- which included five couples --
actually managed to collect.' So these crafty, cunning spies aren't
actually charged with espionage? And we don't know if they 'actually
managed to collect' any secrets at all? Scary! (Cue the critics'
chorus: 'But they got Al Capone for tax evasion!' Keep
reading.)" (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2bugzp6
-----
60) The odiousness of the distorted Godwin's Law
Salon
by Glenn Greenwald
"Responding to the neocon objections to my post on the universality of
war-justifying propaganda, Kevin Drum writes that it's 'time to repeal
Godwin's Law' -- at least the distorted version which purports to
prohibit all comparisons to German crimes -- labeling it an 'an
endlessly tiresome way of feigning moral indignation.' Kevin adds:
'WWII analogies are extremely useful because they're familiar to
almost everyone.' I agree: the very notion that a major 20th Century
event like German aggression is off-limits in political discussions is
both arbitrary and anti-intellectual in the extreme. There simply are
instances where such comparisons uniquely illuminate important truths:
recall, for example, Andrew Sullivan's consequential discovery of the
stark similarities between the Bush/Cheney and Gestapo 'enhanced
interrogation' documents, both in terms of approved tactics and
'justifications.' To demand that German crimes be treated as sacred
and unmentionable is to deprive our discourse of critical
truths." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3ylg2an
-----
61) Terrorism: Why they want to kill us
Huffington Post
by Doug Bandow
"No doubt, some terrorists hope to reestablish the caliphate or knock
Madonna off of television. But most anti-American terrorists appear to
be motivated by something much more mundane: responding to U.S.
government depredations in their own nations and other Muslim lands.
Unfortunately, the Obama administration appears to be as clueless as
its predecessor. After Shahzad's arrest U.S. officials raced to
Islamabad to urge Pakistan to do more to stop terrorism. But Pakistani
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said simply: 'This is a
blowback. This is a reaction. And you could expect that.'" (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/25x7erl
-----
62) Morning is coming
The New Republic
by Stephen J. Rose
"Do a thought experiment: Think back a year ago to what most analysts
were predicting for the financial sector and for the state of the
economy. In his newspaper column, Paul Krugman repeatedly warned that
the policies adopted by the Bush and Obama administrations would have
dire consequences. There was talk in other corners about no new
business lending, slumping retail sales, and rising unemployment with
no end in sight. But here we are -- in the midst of a
rebound." (07/01/10)
http://www.tnr.com/article/economy/75972/morning-coming
-----
63) Is this something you audit know?
Jeffersonville Evening News
by Debbie Harbeson
"Clark County audit reports from the Indiana State Board of Accounts
for 2008 are now available .... However, you should definitely not
read them because they are completely unfair to Clark County
Government officials. First of all, the state board claims county
government has a lack of internal controls, something they say helps
assure that money is being budgeted, appropriated and spent according
to law. Phooey. Internal controls are completely unnecessary. A system
that only exists due to coercion always operates effectively and
ethically." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2ec4ph2
-----
64) Prison sentencing reform and the cost of drug prohibition
Adam Smith Institute
by Karthik Reddy
"A sizeable percentage of those incarcerated in England and Wales are
drug offenders; a 2009 report by the International Centre for Prison
Studies at King's College London revealed that 15.5% of those
incarcerated are convicted on such charges. At more than #35,000 per
inmate year, the cost of simply holding these offenders in prison
costs taxpayers nearly #500 million per year. This cost, along with
those associated with enforcement of drug laws, should be examined
seriously as the government proceeds with its review. The Adam Smith
Institute has advocated a more sensible policy, involving the
medicalisation of addictive and damaging drugs, and the legalisation
of recreational drugs." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/24fncnt
-----
65) Such a thing as Free Press
The American Spectator
by The Prowler
"The leftist organization Free Press, sensing that it is losing the
political and policy battle at the Federal Communications Commission
over 'net neutrality,' organized a letter from about 150 nonprofit and
charitable organizations in support of federal government regulation
of the Internet, or 'net neutrality.' Free Press is the astroturf and
political organization founded by Marxist and Obama supporter, Robert
McChesney. The group has advocated for government regulation of the
Internet and taxpayer-supported media, among other issues. It is an
organization that has refused to divulge its funding sources, but of
late, the MacArthur and Ford Foundations have admitted to giving
millions to the organization, and sources with knowledge of the group
claim that Free Press also receives funds from the Tides Foundation
and such labor organizations as the SEIU. " (07/01/10)
http://spectator.org/archives/2010/07/01/such-a-thing-as-free-press
*****************************
* See No Evil, Hear No Evil
*****************************
66) George Clowes on The Freedom Works, 07/07/10
The Freedom Works
George Clowes, Education Expert at The Heartland Institute, joins host
Paul Molloy. 10-11am Eastern on WTAN 1340 AM, Tampa Bay, Florida and
KLRG 880 AM, Little Rock, Arkansas or live on the web. [live radio or
stream] (07/07/10)
http://thefreedomworks.com/
-----
67) Nanny of the Month for June 2010
Hit & Run
"Busybodies in Illinois are itching to bag baggy pants, and -- Holy
handcuffs, Batman! -- in Los Angeles they're throwing the Caped
Crusader behind bars! But there can be only one Nanny of the Month,
and this time it's the state bureaucrat who's thumbing his nose at the
great Kool & the Gang anthem by cracking down on bars and restaurants
that offer ladies' night (it discriminates against men, you
see)." [Flash video] (07/01/10)
http://reason.com/blog/2010/07/01/nanny-of-the-month-june
-----
68) Cato Daily Podcast, 07/01/10
Cato Institute
"Breyer versus Second Amendment," featuring David Rittgers. [MP3]
(07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/cato070110
-----
69) Free Talk Live, 06/30/10
Free Talk Live
"G20 Police State :: God and Consciousness :: Bigoted Government
People :: Rejecting Racism -- Johnny Lee Clary :: Financing of So-
Called Anarchists :: Change and Prosperity :: The Evil Bill Gates
Scenario :: NH Activists Arrested in MA :: Crazy New Immigration Law
in Fremont :: Surrender." [MP3] (06/30/10)
http://media.libsyn.com/media/ftl/FTL2010-06-30.mp3
-----
70) Alan Grayson on Antiwar Radio
AntiWar.Com
"Florida Congressman Alan Grayson discusses building Congressional
support for his 'War is Making You Poor' bill, bipartisan cooperation
with Ron Paul on the 'Audit the Fed' bill, why it's harder than ever
to justify the continuing war in Afghanistan, Obama's broken campaign
promises and disappointing leadership and why Grayson has become the
top target of Republicans for the 2010 House elections." [Flash audio
or MP3] (06/29/10)
http://antiwar.com/radio/2010/06/29/alan-grayson-2/
*************************************
* What's Up In The Freedom Movement
*************************************
71) 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 #1,953
* Friday, July 2nd, 2010
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In The News:
1) Pakistan: Triple suicide bombing kills 40
2) Somalia: 21 dead, 42 wounded in latest attempts to impose state
3) Mexico: 21 dead in gang gun battle near US border
4) Iraq: Five killed, 29 wounded
5) Afghan governor: Suicide attackers strike Kunduz
6) Obama signs "tough" new Iran sanctions
7) UK vows to extend hand to neglected allies
8) Training video for Arizona law takes heat
9) OH: Store owner opens fire at robber
10) In US, battle brews over Cuba travel ban
11) DE: Resident captures thief
12) Expired swine flu shots amount to $260 million loss
13) House-approved war funding bill faces Senate trouble
14) Alleged Russian spy confesses
15) IN: Man claims self-defense in shooting of brother-in-law
16) GA: Wal-Mart shootout
17) Vengeful militant group rises in Pakistan
18) Al Qaeda launches English propaganda magazine
19) CA: Assembly passes bill banning BPA in baby bottles
20) Virginia, feds square off over ObamaCare
21) Scientists try to determine why Ozzy isn't dead
22) US stocks fall amid bad economic news
23) IL: Daley trots out new victim disarmament measures after SCOTUS
ruling
24) CA: Lawmakers approve $20 million to settle Dugard claims
25) MA: Cops cower from cameras, medics maul activist
Everybody Has An Opinion:
26) Prison normal
27) Toward a responsible defense budget
28) The pollution solution
29) The aftermath of McDonald v. Chicago
30) Disaster, heartbreak, and unavoidable trade-offs
31) Prison for the powerless
32) Boycotting the boycotters
33) Chicago gun control: The sequel
34) The spy scare
35) The African-American Second amendment
36) US presidents and those who kill for them
37) Highlighting the surveillance society
38) Banner drop crime
39) Vince Miller and the international libertarian movement
40) The obsequiousness of the mainstream press
41) Entrepreneurship helps make America great
42) Seeing the big picture is child's play
43) Anti-stripper law could create more prostitution
44) Your ticket to freedom
45) Money, deficits, and the Devil: A cautionary tale
46) A glimpse of the Obamacare future
47) A defining vote on Afghanistan
48) What happens when Google thinks for you?
49) The G-20: Has everyone lost it?
50) The Tea Party is dangerous
51) US officials spy on activists across the political spectrum
52) Five months of packing heat
53) Gay marriage foes: 'Til disclosure do us part?
54) The Supreme Court and the Second Amendment
55) Monetary secession
56) Sarah Palin: Don't cut defense spending
57) Payback time
58) Subsidies and bailouts: The Department of Prolonged Childhood
59) More on scary Russian spies, and on what should concern you
60) The odiousness of the distorted Godwin's Law
61) Terrorism: Why they want to kill us
62) Morning is coming
63) Is this something you audit know?
64) Prison sentencing reform and the cost of drug prohibition
65) Such a thing as Free Press
See No Evil, Hear No Evil:
66) George Clowes on The Freedom Works, 07/07/10
67) Nanny of the Month for June 2010
68) Cato Daily Podcast, 07/01/10
69) Free Talk Live, 06/30/10
70) Alan Grayson on Antiwar Radio
What's Up In The Freedom Movement:
71) Today's events
***************
* In The News
***************
1) Pakistan: Triple suicide bombing kills 40
Wall Street Journal
"Three suicide bombers blew themselves up inside a popular Sufi shrine
in the eastern Pakistan city of Lahore on Thursday, killing at least
40 people, a brutal continuation of attacks by extremists targeting
followers of one of Pakistan's popular and more moderate versions of
Islam. Thousands of devotees were inside the Data Gunj Bakhsh complex,
a turquoise-domed shrine to an 11th-century Persian Sufi saint, when
two bombers detonated themselves inside the marbled hall. A third
attack took place outside the gate, police and witness
said." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2vbky83
-----
2) Somalia: 21 dead, 42 wounded in latest attempts to impose state
Reuters
"At least 21 people were killed and 42 wounded in fighting in Somalia,
a human rights group said on Thursday. Fighting between clans left 14
people dead and 24 injured in the village of Huldonyale in central
Somalia, the Mogadishu-based Elman rights group said. Government
troops alongside African Union peacekeepers exchanged shells in
Mogadishu with al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels, who are waging an
Islamist insurgency against the Western-backed government. Seven
people were killed and 18 wounded." (07/01/10)
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE6600B020100701
-----
3) Mexico: 21 dead in gang gun battle near US border
Pasadena Star-News
"A massive gun battle between rival drug and migrant-trafficking gangs
near the U.S. border left 21 people dead on Thursday, prosecutors
said. The clash occurred in a sparsely populated area about 12 miles
(20 kilometers) from the Arizona border -- a prime corridor for
immigrant and drug smuggling." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/298auhw
-----
4) Iraq: Five killed, 29 wounded
AntiWar.Com
"Today's attacks unsurprisingly targeted Awakening Council (Sahwa),
security personnel and even a gold merchant as gunmen continue to
stalk Iraq's politically valuable targets. At least five Iraqis were
killed and 29 more were wounded across the country. Meanwhile, the
Justice Ministry released 198 inmates, mostly in Baghdad and Basra,
over a lack of evidence against them." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2fwsocr
-----
5) Afghan governor: Suicide attackers strike Kunduz
Vail Daily
"An Afghan provincial governor says four suicide bombers have attacked
a small inn in northern Afghanistan. Kunduz provincial governor
Mohammad Omar said Friday that two suicide bombers blew themselves up
and two others entered the guest house Friday morning in Kunduz city.
He says one Afghan policeman was killed and another Afghan policeman
and three private security guards working for foreigners were
wounded." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26g4xgx
-----
6) Obama signs "tough" new Iran sanctions
Al-Jazeera [Qatar]
"The US president has signed a bill imposing the toughest sanctions on
Iran to date, in a move designed to strike at the Islamic republic's
financial and scientific establishment over its alleged nuclear
weapons programme. The legislation, signed by Barack Obama on
Thursday, aims to choke off Iran's access to refined petroleum imports
including gasoline and jet fuel and bans US banks from doing business
with foreign banks that provide services to Iran's elite Revolutionary
Guards." (07/02/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2ff6xw6
-----
7) UK vows to extend hand to neglected allies
USA Today
"British Foreign Secretary William Hague is promising to pay attention
to allies left neglected in London's rush to cozy up to the White
House, promising a sweeping overhaul of the country's 'patchy' foreign
policy. In a first major speech since the country's Conservative-led
coalition government took office in May, Hague said Thursday he'd
reach out to nations who felt snubbed under the Labour government led
by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3xjvodz
-----
8) Training video for Arizona law takes heat
USA Today
"In a training video released to Arizona law enforcement officers
Thursday, state officials repeatedly discourage racial profiling when
enforcing the state's new immigration law -- but some Hispanic civil
rights groups say some of the instructions constitute a recipe for
racial profiling. In the video, factors such as 'dress,' 'traveling in
tandem' and 'significant difficulty communicating in English' are
given as clues that a person may be an illegal immigrant." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2aoggmz
-----
9) OH: Store owner opens fire at robber
Fox 8 News
"Surveillance cameras were rolling as the owner of a carry-out in
Elyria faced a life and death struggle, when a would-be robber tried
to force his way into the store Monday morning. The man eventually
succeeded in getting through the door in the drive-thru, but the owner
had a surprise for him, a gun she carries in her hip pocket. She tells
Fox 8 'I reacted as fast as I could, trying to put a barrier between
him and I saw him breaking through that door and I shot him.' Once the
tables have been turned on the bandit, he ran away." (06/29/10)
http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-elyria-robbery-txt,0,6139707.story
-----
10) In US, battle brews over Cuba travel ban
MSNBC
"Don't start packing those suitcases to Cuba just yet. Although a
congressional committee voted Wednesday to repeal the law that
prohibits American tourists from traveling to the communist-run
island, the real fight to change the decades-old ban -- which will
take place in the full House of Representatives later this month -- is
likely to be a real humdinger." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2cvk5qc
-----
11) DE: Resident captures thief
News Journal
"A thief, dressed for the winter and rummaging through a car outside a
Glasgow residence late Tuesday, had the tables turned on him when he
was held at gunpoint by the resident he was stealing from until police
arrived, officials said today. ... the victim's wife saw a man dressed
in a black knit cap, winter gloves, a scarf and goggles breaking into
their car out front and told her husband. The husband, meanwhile,
armed himself with a gun and confronted the thief, who was still
inside his car. The husband ordered the thief to lie face down in the
driveway at gunpoint until officers arrived to arrest him." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/37yu2ej
-----
12) Expired swine flu shots amount to $260 million loss
MSNBC
"About a quarter of the swine flu vaccine produced for the U.S. public
has expired -- meaning that a whopping 40 million doses worth about
$260 million are being written off as trash. 'It's a lot, by
historical standards,' said Jerry Weir, who oversees vaccine research
and review for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/283o7fh
-----
13) House-approved war funding bill faces Senate trouble
South Oregon Mail Tribune
"Despite pessimism that the war in Afghanistan is turning out to be a
quagmire, Democrats controlling the House muscled through a plan
Thursday to finance President Barack Obama's troop surge, but only
after sweetening the measure with last-ditch moves to salvage their
faltering jobs agenda. Long delayed, the approximately $80 billion
bill was passed amid building pressure on Democrats to act before
their weeklong Fourth of July break begins." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/24sebkt
-----
14) Alleged Russian spy confesses
CNN
"One of the suspects in an alleged Russian spy ring has admitted that
he worked for Russia's intelligence service, federal prosecutors say
in court documents obtained by CNN Thursday. The suspect known as Juan
Lazaro made a 'lengthy post-arrest statement on June 27,' according to
a bail letter provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern
District of New York." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/24wxtav
-----
15) IN: Man claims self-defense in shooting of brother-in-law
WTHR News
"Police say the shooter was the victim's 51-year-old stepfather. The
stepfather told police he shot his 41-year-old stepson in self-defense
when an argument that had been brewing for a few days escalated into
violence. The stepfather also told police that his stepson had
approached him with a knife and refused to drop it. The stepfather
told neighbors to call police after the shooting." (07/01/10)
http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=12738377
-----
16) GA: Wal-Mart shootout
CBS News
"Shoppers looking for discounts at the Wal-Mart on Cobb Parkway got
more than they bargained for Wednesday morning. Around 12:30 a.m., two
men started exchanging gunfire in the parking lot. ... When police
arrived, the man who fired the first shots had escaped. The second
man, believed to have returned fire in self-defense, was detained and
questioned. He's not expected to face charges." (06/30/10)
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/24091400/detail.html
-----
17) Vengeful militant group rises in Pakistan
Washington Times
"Pakistani authorities now believe a dangerous new militant group, out
to avenge a deadly army assault on a mosque in Islamabad three years
ago, has carried out several major bombings in the capital previously
blamed on the Taliban. The emergence of the Ghazi Force was part of
the outrage among many deeply religious Pakistani Muslims over the
July 2007 attack by security forces against the Lal Masjid, or Red
Mosque, a stronghold of Islamic militants." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2v356bz
-----
18) Al Qaeda launches English propaganda magazine
ABC News
"Al-Qaida launched its first online propaganda magazine in English on
Tuesday, a move that could help the terror group recruit inside the
U.S. and Europe. The magazine, called Inspire, is being run by al-
Qaida's branch in Yemen, which has been linked to the failed Christmas
Day bombing attempt of a U.S.-bound airliner." [editor's note: FIRST
al Qaeda online propaganda magazine, my ass -- haven't these folks
ever heard of The Weekly Standard? - TLK] (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2ehc79f
-----
19) CA: Assembly passes bill banning BPA in baby bottles
Los Angeles Times
"The state Assembly passed a bill Thursday to ban the chemical
Bisphenol-A from baby bottles and other items that come in contact
with small children. The Toxin-Free Toddlers and Babies Act, or SB
797, would ban the use of BPA in feeding products, including formula,
for children 3 years old and younger. BPA has been linked with health
problems such as infertility, autism, asthma, hyperactivity and breast
cancer. In January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reversed its
long-held position that BPA posed no concern, calling for more studies
of the artificial hormone that often is used in shatter-proof plastic
baby bottles, sippy cups and linings of cans, including those
containing baby formula." (07/01/10)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bpa-20100702,0,5403555.story
-----
20) Virginia, feds square off over ObamaCare
Reuters
"The state of Virginia and the [US federal] government were pitched in
a legal battle in a federal courtroom on Thursday that could lead to
the undoing of the massive healthcare reform [sic] law passed three
months ago. Judge Henry Hudson of the U.S. District Court for the
Eastern District of Richmond heard the federal government's arguments
to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Virginia that contends the healthcare
law's requirement that all Americans have health insurance is
unconstitutional. ... While the judge will only decide if the suit can
proceed -- a decision Hudson said he would render within 30 days --
the court heard the first airing of arguments that could make their
way to the Supreme Court as some states resist implementing the
law." (07/01/10)
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6605DS20100701
-----
21) Scientists try to determine why Ozzy isn't dead
Vancouver Sun [Canada]
"He is famous for many things. For his eerie scream. For his 'Satan
worship.' For biting the head off a dove. And a bat. But, mostly, Ozzy
Osbourne has become famous for indulging in decades of near-legendary
substance abuse -- abuse that would vanquish most -- and surviving.
Now scientists could find out why. Sometime next month DNA extracted
from a sample of the 'Godfather of Heavy Metal's' blood will be sent
to St. Louis-based Cofactor Genomics, where researchers will sequence
Osbourne's genome -- map his genetic blueprint." (07/01/10)
http://bit.ly/c8T8Lh
-----
22) US stocks fall amid bad economic news
Sydney Morning Herald [Australia]
"US stocks fell on Thursday, amid a slew of negative economic news,
including a report showing new claims for US unemployment benefits
jumped more than expected last week. After spending much of the day
deep in negative territory, stocks recouped some losses in late
trades, but not enough to stop a sixth consecutive day of losses. The
blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 41.49 points (0.42 per
cent) to settle at 9,732.53. The tech-rich Nasdaq index dropped 7.88
points (0.37 per cent) to 2,101.36 and the broad-market S&P 500 index
lost 3.34 points (0.32 per cent) to settle at 1,027.37." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/26ggc7h
-----
23) IL: Daley trots out new victim disarmament measures after SCOTUS
ruling
Agence France-Presse
"The mayor of Chicago struck back Thursday at a Supreme Court ruling
severely limiting gun control measures with a tough new ordinance that
prohibits people from taking handguns outside their homes. Mayor
Richard Daley noted that previous court rulings applied only to a
citizen's right to keep a gun in their home for self-defense and found
that some restrictions were constitutional." [editor's note: Is there
anything that assclown won't resort to in his efforts to keep Chicago
violent and unsafe? - TLK] (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/35sfyf9
-----
24) CA: Lawmakers approve $20 million to settle Dugard claims
CNN
"The California Assembly on Thursday passed a bill appropriating $20
million to kidnapping victim Jaycee Dugard to settle her claims
against the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation,
according to the chief clerk's office. ... Dugard vanished in 1991 at
the age of 11. She was found in August 2009, living in a shed in the
Antioch, California, backyard of Phillip Garrido, a registered sex
offender who had been on parole since January 1988. Investigators say
Garrido fathered two children with Dugard during her captivity. He and
his wife, Nancy, are charged with 29 felony counts in the case. Both
have pleaded not guilty. In a report issued in November, the state
inspector general's office found the state Department of Corrections
and Rehabilitation failed to properly keep tabs on Garrido or properly
supervise the officers assigned to his case." (07/01/10)
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/01/california.dugard/?hpt=T1
-----
25) MA: Cops cower from cameras, medics maul activist
Libertarian News Examiner
"Julian Heicklen, the unrelenting FIJA overachiever, went on his own
Magical Mystery Tour in late June that featured five FIJA events and a
Porcupine Festival in four states in the space of five days. And that
included a 16-hour stay in Springfield, Massachusetts, at taxpayer
expense. It was while he was fomenting freedom by passing out Fully
Informed Jury Association pamphlets in Springfield that he managed to
demonstrate two truisms at once; first that cops will cower from
cameras, and second that paramedics everywhere seem eager to ignore
the 'First do no harm' paradigm." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2ujs86f
*******************************************************************
* HEALTH-OF-THE-STATE-O-METER, 07/02/10
*
* 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
****************************
26) Prison normal
Ayn R. Key
by Ayn R. Key
"After a century, most people in the United States have come to
believe that an unbacked fiat currency is normal. People have come to
expect an average of three percent inflation per year is normal. In
the course of one century the dollar has lost ninety-eight percent of
its value, and people have come to think of that as normal. People
have come to think of it as so normal that they have come to think of
other arrangements as being completely abnormal. It is argued that a
modern economy cannot grow without a constantly inflating fiat
currency. They are experiencing 'Prison normal.'" (06/30/10)
http://aynrkey.blogspot.com/2010/06/prison-normal.html
-----
27) Toward a responsible defense budget
Cato Institute
by Christopher Preble
"In a recent article in The Daily Caller, Chet Nagle claims that the
Obama administration 'plans to eliminate over a trillion defense
dollars in the next ten years.' Unfortunately, he has no basis for
saying so. The Department of Defense is one of the only government
agencies slated to receive real increases in spending over the next
few years, according to the administration's budget submissions. Nagle
pretends that the cuts proposed in a recent report by the Sustainable
Defense Task Force have the administration's support. This is not the
case. As a member of the task force, I actually wish Nagle were right.
Even modest cuts to military spending -- which has grown by 86 percent
since 1998 -- would show that the administration had reconsidered the
approach to U.S. military power that has prevailed in Washington since
the end of the Cold War. But like the last one, this administration
seems to believe that U.S. troops should answer every 911 call, with
American taxpayers footing the bill." (06/30/10)
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=11946
-----
28) The pollution solution
Liberty For All
by Mary J. Ruwart
"Question: Isn't government the best protector of the environment and
our national parks? What steps would libertarians take in this arena?
Who's the greatest polluter of all? The oil companies? The chemical
companies? The nuclear power plants? If you guessed 'none of the
above' you'd be correct. Our government, at the federal, state, and
local levels, is the single greatest polluter in the land. In
addition, our government doesn't even clean up its own
garbage!" (07/01/10)
http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=4506
-----
29) The aftermath of McDonald v. Chicago
Reason
by Brian Doherty
"Now, America faces the aftermath of the dual jurisprudential
revolutions that the winning legal team in McDonald, led by Heller
lawyer Alan Gura, tried to create. The first such revolution is the
application of the Second Amendment's protected right -- at least to
have commonly used weapons in the home for self-defense -- to actions
of state and local governments." (07/01/10)
http://reason.com/archives/2010/07/01/aftermath-mcdonald-v-chicago
-----
30) Disaster, heartbreak, and unavoidable trade-offs
Liberty & Power
by Robert Higgs
"The Deepwater Horizon accident that continues to foul the Gulf's
waters and shores was an unlikely but extremely destructive event. The
damage it is causing is heartbreaking. But forbidding oil drilling in
the Gulf would also cause immense damage, not least to the lives and
livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people whose incomes are tied
to that activity, not to mention all those who value the products made
from the oil extracted from pools beneath the ocean floor. We can't
have all good things and no bad things. In life as it actually exists,
we must choose and make trade-offs." (07/01/10)
http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/128667.html
-----
31) Prison for the powerless
Pro Libertate
by Will Grigg
"Johnny Gaskins of Raleigh, North Carolina faces a 30-year prison term
-- an effective life sentence -- for the supposed crime of depositing
$450,000 in his own bank account. The corporate leaders of Wachovia
Bank, a criminal syndicate once headquartered in the same state, won't
face prosecution despite admissions that the laundered hundreds of
billions of dollars on behalf of Mexican narcotics cartels. Wachovia
was deemed 'too big to fail,' and thus too important to prosecute. In
our system, mercy is reserved exclusively for the powerful and
corrupt, and Johnny Gaskins -- a criminal defense attorney -- was
neither." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2wlfzjy
-----
32) Boycotting the boycotters
Spiked
by Natalie Rothschild
"A proposed Israeli bill to punish groups that call for boycotts is
the ugly conclusion to today's shallow Israel-bashing." (07/01/10)
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/9101/
-----
33) Chicago gun control: The sequel
Chicago Tribune
by Steve Chapman
"After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities and states must
respect the right of individuals to own handguns for self-defense,
Mayor Richard M. Daley declared the justices to be divorced from
reality. 'They don't seem to appreciate the full scope of gun violence
in America,' he charged. Daley is right. They couldn't possibly
comprehend it as well as he does. Nor could the 80-year-old West Sider
who awoke one recent morning to find an armed man breaking into his
home -- and killed him, with a firearm prohibited by the Chicago
handgun ban. Not long after, another intruder was shot by a homeowner
wielding a revolver." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/27ftt8z
-----
34) The spy scare
AntiWar.Com
by Justin Raimondo
"The uses of the current spy scare are many, and scary: the
politicians of Hoekstra's ilk are all too ready to extend the paranoia
to include their favored targets, and the media loves a story like
this, one complete with a compelling narrative -- 'sleeper agents' in
suburbia! Dastardly spies who look like the clean cut couple next
door! -- and a 'flame-haired beauty.' What more could cable news ask
for?" (07/02/10)
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2010/07/01/the-spy-scare/
-----
35) The African-American Second amendment
News Tribune
by Patriuck O'Callahan
"Clarence Thomas -- standing alone in a concurring opinion -- took the
most fascinating position in the Supreme Court's Second Amendment
decision this week. It has to be one of the blackest writings ever to
come out of the court, including anything authored by Thurgood
Marshall. In arguing that gun ownership is 'essential to the
preservation of liberty,' Thomas dwells on the long and horrifying
history of white massacres of unarmed or poorly armed African
Americans in the South, especially after Reconstruction fell apart
following the Civil War." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/35po2a7
-----
36) US presidents and those who kill for them
LewRockwell.Com
by Laurence M. Vance
"What kind of a man would kill someone he didn't know for someone else
he didn't know? I suppose our opinion of such an individual would
depend on the circumstances. Most people would condemn a hit man for
hire even as they would praise a man who came to the defense of a
little old lady in a parking lot who was being attacked with deadly
force by a gang of thugs. But what kind of a man would kill someone he
didn't know, who had never harmed or threatened him, his family, his
friends, or anyone he knew for someone he didn't know, who didn't know
him, and had never been harmed or threatened by the person he wanted
killed? And even worse, who would do such a thing at a moment's
notice, without giving it a second thought, laugh while he did it,
brag about it afterward, and then expect to be lauded as a hero? It
pains me to say that the answer is a soldier in the U.S.
military." (07/02/10)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/vance/vance207.html
-----
37) Highlighting the surveillance society
Wired
by David Kravets
"Welcome to the surveillance society. That's what the American Civil
Liberties Union concluded Tuesday with a report chronicling government
spying and the detention of groups and individuals 'for doing little
more than peacefully exercising their First Amendment
rights.'" (06/29/10)
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/06/aclu-surveillance/
-----
38) Banner drop crime
CounterPunch
by Jayne Lyn Stahl
"When Tony Hayward, BP president, recently met with Congress, he
obdurately refused to accept blame for the mess in the gulf of Mexico.
The head of the largest contractor in the area, and his colleagues,
will likely face civil penalties for the April 20 catastrophe, but no
criminal prosecution. By way of contrast, Ted Glick, policy director
for Chesapeake Climate Action Network, will be sentenced in a D.C.
district court on Tuesday for having hung two banners 'Green Jobs Now'
and 'Get to Work,' inside the Senate Hart Office Building in
September, 2009." (07/01/10)
http://counterpunch.org/stahl07012010.html
-----
39) Vince Miller and the international libertarian movement
Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Jeff Riggenbach
"When the libertarian movement we know today was launched during and
just after World War II, the founders were men and women who ranged in
age from their 30s to their 60s. They represented, really, two
different generations. The first group, born in the 1880s, included
Rose Wilder Lane and Isabel Paterson (both born in 1886), as well as
Ludwig von Mises (born in 1881). The members of this first group
served as mentors and teachers for the members of the second group,
who were all born around the turn of the 20th century, and were
therefore young enough -- or almost young enough -- to be the sons and
daughters of the members of the first group." (07/01/10)
http://mises.org/daily/4526
-----
40) The obsequiousness of the mainstream press
Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G. Hornberger
"What I find fascinating is the extreme reluctance of the mainstream
press to delve into matters regarding the CIA. It's almost as if there
is a mainstream press code of conduct that prohibits mainstream
reporters from aggressively delving into matters relating to the CIA.
For example, consider the case of Maher Arar." (07/01/10)
http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2010-07-01.asp
-----
41) Entrepreneurship helps make America great
Freedom Politics
by John Stossel
"For all its problems, America is a great place. And one thing that
makes America great is its prosperity. Yes, some people have suffered
during the recession -- but compared to all the other countries in the
history of the world, America is rich. Why? One reason is that America
is a good place to do business." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/27k4rnp
-----
42) Seeing the big picture is child's play
Foundation for Economic Education
by Steven Horwitz
"When I was younger I thought airplanes were the coolest thing ever.
In that way only kids (especially boys) can, I learned everything
about the major commercial jets in the early 80s and was particularly
fascinated by airline schedules and the hub-and-spoke system
developing around that time. Most of that fascination was vicarious,
since I think I flew maybe four or five times before I was
18." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/29tx6xu
-----
43) Anti-stripper law could create more prostitution
OpenMarket.org
by Michelle Minton
"What most people don't realize is that strippers usually aren't under
contract with any particular club and, generally, operate like
contractors, paying a stage fee or a house fee to the club which is
deducted from whatever they earn while dancing. These laws simple mean
that strippers will have less time to work, fewer clubs to dance at,
and fewer customers. ... If regulators really wanted to help the poor
strippers they should decrease regulations and taxes on other
industries so that more businesses will open in the state. Maybe then
strippers will have more opportunities to switch into another
profession, if they want." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/27w3t6t
-----
44) Your ticket to freedom
Campaign For Liberty
by Michael Boldin
"Tom Woods' new book, Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in
the 21st Century, is not just another reading assignment on the evils
and failures of the current administration (like so many political
books have been in recent years and decades). Instead, it's the
centerpiece of a mass movement -- a new strategy to deal with those
evils and failures of federal administrations -- past, present, and
future." (07/01/10)
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=980
-----
45) Money, deficits, and the Devil: A cautionary tale
Acton Institute
by Samuel Gregg
"Sometimes the best economists aren't economists. One of the most
famous plays in Western history was penned by the German writer Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). His two-part drama, Faust, is
considered one of the greatest works of German literature. This
complicated and sometimes disturbing text tells the story of a young
scholar, Faust, who enters into a pact with the devil, Mephistopheles.
In return for Mephistopheles' services to help him realize his
ambitions, Faust wagers the devil his soul." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2fdpsaf
-----
46) A glimpse of the Obamacare future
John Stossel's Take
by John Stossel
"When Obamacare was signed into law, I predicted that the ban on
'discriminating' against anyone with a pre-existing condition would
mean that only sick people will buy insurance. If insurance companies
have to charge me the same for insurance whether I'm sick or not, I'd
be a fool to buy insurance now. I'd be better off waiting until I get
sick. If only sick people buy insurance, that means insurance premiums
will skyrocket. Of course, this provision doesn't go into effect until
2014 ... but you don't have to wait until 2014 to see what will
happen." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/23nrvz4
-----
47) A defining vote on Afghanistan
The Nation
by Katrina vanden Heuvel
"More than six months after the implementation of the Obama/McChrystal
strategy, and with one year to go before the beginning withdrawal of
US forces, it's clear that the strategy in Afghanistan is failing on
nearly all fronts. It's critical that we now turn to a more
fundamental exit debate: How do we change course and craft a
responsible strategy to end the war? Tonight the House will have an
opportunity to do just that with two votes -- on the $33 billion
Afghanistan war supplemental and an amendment introduced by
Congressman Jim McGovern that would require, at long last, an exit
strategy including a timetable for the completion of the redeployment
of US troops." (07/01/10)
http://www.thenation.com/blog/36950/defining-vote-afghanistan
-----
48) What happens when Google thinks for you?
Christian Science Monitor
by Emily Walshe
"Google is paving the way toward a new definition of thought, engaging
more complex dimensions of human cognition, perception, and aesthetic
preference than ever before. Forget for a moment the many perils
inherent in entrusting a huge corpus of the world's recorded knowledge
to a single corporation and registry. Think about how you, personally,
experience information." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2b886zn
-----
49) The G-20: Has everyone lost it?
Independent Institute
by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
"The governments, institutions, and personalities who should be
providing guidance in the aftermath of the financial and economic
debacle of 2007-08 are still recommending the very policies that got
us here in the first place. The G-20 summit in Toronto exposed this
truth quite poignantly." (06/30/10)
http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=2819
-----
50) The Tea Party is dangerous
AlterNet
by Adele M. Stan
"The impulse to dismiss the Tea Party movement is understandable,
especially given the kook factor (something that every grassroots
movement has). The wacky signs, the crazy rhetoric about health care
as some form of tyranny: How could this add up to a force able to
defeat the massive coalition that led to President Obama's election?
Charles P. Pierce, writing at Esquire's blog, expresses this view with
his claim that the Tea Party movement isn't really a movement at all,
but rather 'the kind of noisy paranoid lunacy that used to be stapled
to lampposts, or hollered about by people you would avoid in the
public parks.' Some of that is true, but it also feeds an attendant
denial of the kind a damage such a movement -- or non-movement, in
Pierce's view -- can do." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3y7undv
-----
51) US officials spy on activists across the political spectrum
Disloyal Opposition
by JD Tuccille
"If you're in a mood to feel like a targeted victim of government, you
don't need to be a libertarian, or a lefty, or a righty or a tea-
partier, or even a Muslim. Nope, it turns out that the simple act of
speaking out in a way that's critical of the government, or even just
a bit outside the mainstream, is enough to get you monitored,
referenced in a file and tagged as an enemy of the state. That's right
-- there's room for everybody to play!" (07/01/10)
http://preview.tinyurl.com/338voat
-----
52) Five months of packing heat
The Libertarian Standard
by Manuel Lora
"Several months ago I made the decision to apply for a permit to carry
a concealed weapon, because I wanted to have another level of
protection for me and for my family as we go about our business around
town. I will not talk about the permit process, whether you should get
one, or about any libertarian implications of licking the state's boot
to obtain permission to carry metals and chemicals on one's person.
You are on your own about that. Instead, I will simply, and briefly,
go through the various trials and tribulations that I went
through." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3xqvoh7
-----
53) Gay marriage foes: 'Til disclosure do us part?
Mother Jones
by Stephanie Mencimer
"When the National Organization for Marriage succeeded in banning gay
marriage in California in 2008 through the ballot measure known as
Proposition 8, it looked like the movement was on a roll. That same
day, similar measures passed in Arizona and Florida. Anti-gay-marriage
activists seized on these victories, bragging that they had delivered
a crushing blow to nationwide efforts to legalize same-sex marriage.
Those activists don't seem quite so smug these days. That's because
they've been on a losing streak: In the past month alone, the National
Organization for Marriage (NOM) and its allies have suffered a series
of significant legal setbacks, culminating with last week's nearly
unanimous Supreme Court ruling in a case arising from a Washington
State ballot measure. Collectively, these defeats, in states from
California to Maine, could make it much harder for these activists to
wage war on gay marriage. For this, New Jersey-based NOM really has no
one to blame but itself. That's largely because in its quest to fend
off gay marriage, it has engaged in a host of potentially illegal
stealth campaign tactics and waged legal battles to shield its
supporters from public exposure." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3aznsfb
-----
54) The Supreme Court and the Second Amendment
Albuquerque Libertarian Examiner
by Kent McManigal
"The Supreme Courtjesters have handed down their ruling on The Second
Amendment. Their ruling did not surprise me. Let's see if you are
smarter than a 'Supreme.' I'm betting you are." (06/30/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3xogxna
-----
55) Monetary secession
Let A Thousand Nations Bloom
by Brad Taylor
"A currency with high and uncertain inflation is less useful as a
medium of exchange. If we mentally unbundle government functions, we
can think of individuals opting out of their government's currencies
and choosing using an alternative -- whether produced by another
government or by private institutions -- as partial secession. We see
such monetary secession fairly often, even when governments go to
great lengths to protect their monetary monopoly." (07/01/10)
http://athousandnations.com/2010/07/01/monetary-secession/
-----
56) Sarah Palin: Don't cut defense spending
The Weekly Standard
by John Noonan
[editor's note: I'm not even going to try to find a decent excerpt to
quote from this "if we don't keep up massive corporate welfare wealth
transfers under the guise of national defense, THE TERRORISTS HAVE
WON" piece. I'm only including it because it's worth reminding people
that Palin is one of the bleeding-heart social worker types who goes
into conniptions at the suggestion that the military-industrial
complex should get up off the damn couch, turn off Oprah, and find a
real job - TLK] (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2fbo8e2
-----
57) Payback time
Slate
by Christopher Beam
"President Obama's debt commission was designed to be insulated from
politics. With 10 Democrats and eight Republicans, the panel would
give both sides cover to make the difficult choices--tax hikes and
spending cuts -- necessary to reduce the deficit. But a hearing on
Wednesday -- the commission's third since its creation in April --
proved the insulation was flimsy at best. The hearing's only witness
was Doug Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office and
therefore Washington's most deliberate nonpartisan. He doesn't opine.
He doesn't make policy recommendations. He simply makes budget
estimates based on current law. (Check out his new projection here.)
But no matter how many times Elmendorf repeated this mantra, it didn't
seem to get through. Instead, Democrats and Republicans spent the
morning trying to get Elmendorf to confirm their own vision of the
world." (06/30/10)
http://www.slate.com/id/2258659/
-----
58) Subsidies and bailouts: The Department of Prolonged Childhood
Downsize DC
by Perry Willis
"Adults understand that they must pay a price for the mistakes they
make. Children, on the other hand, want constantly to be bailed
out ... and deserve to be ... by their parents. Here's the mistake you
politicians make ... We are not a nation of children, and you are not
our parents. Turning us all into weak dependent children may be good
for the business of politics, but its bad for a culture, and
completely unworthy of a country that once referred to itself as the
land of the free and the home of the brave. " (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/29qs83w
-----
59) More on scary Russian spies, and on what should concern you
The Power of Narrative
by Arthur Silber
"The details of this incomprehensibly evil Russkie plot, as provided
by the government to the always obedient, servile media, are
ludicrously laughable. For example, we have this statement in the NYT
story: 'the charges did not include espionage, and it was unclear what
secrets the suspected spy ring -- which included five couples --
actually managed to collect.' So these crafty, cunning spies aren't
actually charged with espionage? And we don't know if they 'actually
managed to collect' any secrets at all? Scary! (Cue the critics'
chorus: 'But they got Al Capone for tax evasion!' Keep
reading.)" (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2bugzp6
-----
60) The odiousness of the distorted Godwin's Law
Salon
by Glenn Greenwald
"Responding to the neocon objections to my post on the universality of
war-justifying propaganda, Kevin Drum writes that it's 'time to repeal
Godwin's Law' -- at least the distorted version which purports to
prohibit all comparisons to German crimes -- labeling it an 'an
endlessly tiresome way of feigning moral indignation.' Kevin adds:
'WWII analogies are extremely useful because they're familiar to
almost everyone.' I agree: the very notion that a major 20th Century
event like German aggression is off-limits in political discussions is
both arbitrary and anti-intellectual in the extreme. There simply are
instances where such comparisons uniquely illuminate important truths:
recall, for example, Andrew Sullivan's consequential discovery of the
stark similarities between the Bush/Cheney and Gestapo 'enhanced
interrogation' documents, both in terms of approved tactics and
'justifications.' To demand that German crimes be treated as sacred
and unmentionable is to deprive our discourse of critical
truths." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/3ylg2an
-----
61) Terrorism: Why they want to kill us
Huffington Post
by Doug Bandow
"No doubt, some terrorists hope to reestablish the caliphate or knock
Madonna off of television. But most anti-American terrorists appear to
be motivated by something much more mundane: responding to U.S.
government depredations in their own nations and other Muslim lands.
Unfortunately, the Obama administration appears to be as clueless as
its predecessor. After Shahzad's arrest U.S. officials raced to
Islamabad to urge Pakistan to do more to stop terrorism. But Pakistani
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said simply: 'This is a
blowback. This is a reaction. And you could expect that.'" (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/25x7erl
-----
62) Morning is coming
The New Republic
by Stephen J. Rose
"Do a thought experiment: Think back a year ago to what most analysts
were predicting for the financial sector and for the state of the
economy. In his newspaper column, Paul Krugman repeatedly warned that
the policies adopted by the Bush and Obama administrations would have
dire consequences. There was talk in other corners about no new
business lending, slumping retail sales, and rising unemployment with
no end in sight. But here we are -- in the midst of a
rebound." (07/01/10)
http://www.tnr.com/article/economy/75972/morning-coming
-----
63) Is this something you audit know?
Jeffersonville Evening News
by Debbie Harbeson
"Clark County audit reports from the Indiana State Board of Accounts
for 2008 are now available .... However, you should definitely not
read them because they are completely unfair to Clark County
Government officials. First of all, the state board claims county
government has a lack of internal controls, something they say helps
assure that money is being budgeted, appropriated and spent according
to law. Phooey. Internal controls are completely unnecessary. A system
that only exists due to coercion always operates effectively and
ethically." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/2ec4ph2
-----
64) Prison sentencing reform and the cost of drug prohibition
Adam Smith Institute
by Karthik Reddy
"A sizeable percentage of those incarcerated in England and Wales are
drug offenders; a 2009 report by the International Centre for Prison
Studies at King's College London revealed that 15.5% of those
incarcerated are convicted on such charges. At more than #35,000 per
inmate year, the cost of simply holding these offenders in prison
costs taxpayers nearly #500 million per year. This cost, along with
those associated with enforcement of drug laws, should be examined
seriously as the government proceeds with its review. The Adam Smith
Institute has advocated a more sensible policy, involving the
medicalisation of addictive and damaging drugs, and the legalisation
of recreational drugs." (07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/24fncnt
-----
65) Such a thing as Free Press
The American Spectator
by The Prowler
"The leftist organization Free Press, sensing that it is losing the
political and policy battle at the Federal Communications Commission
over 'net neutrality,' organized a letter from about 150 nonprofit and
charitable organizations in support of federal government regulation
of the Internet, or 'net neutrality.' Free Press is the astroturf and
political organization founded by Marxist and Obama supporter, Robert
McChesney. The group has advocated for government regulation of the
Internet and taxpayer-supported media, among other issues. It is an
organization that has refused to divulge its funding sources, but of
late, the MacArthur and Ford Foundations have admitted to giving
millions to the organization, and sources with knowledge of the group
claim that Free Press also receives funds from the Tides Foundation
and such labor organizations as the SEIU. " (07/01/10)
http://spectator.org/archives/2010/07/01/such-a-thing-as-free-press
*****************************
* See No Evil, Hear No Evil
*****************************
66) George Clowes on The Freedom Works, 07/07/10
The Freedom Works
George Clowes, Education Expert at The Heartland Institute, joins host
Paul Molloy. 10-11am Eastern on WTAN 1340 AM, Tampa Bay, Florida and
KLRG 880 AM, Little Rock, Arkansas or live on the web. [live radio or
stream] (07/07/10)
http://thefreedomworks.com/
-----
67) Nanny of the Month for June 2010
Hit & Run
"Busybodies in Illinois are itching to bag baggy pants, and -- Holy
handcuffs, Batman! -- in Los Angeles they're throwing the Caped
Crusader behind bars! But there can be only one Nanny of the Month,
and this time it's the state bureaucrat who's thumbing his nose at the
great Kool & the Gang anthem by cracking down on bars and restaurants
that offer ladies' night (it discriminates against men, you
see)." [Flash video] (07/01/10)
http://reason.com/blog/2010/07/01/nanny-of-the-month-june
-----
68) Cato Daily Podcast, 07/01/10
Cato Institute
"Breyer versus Second Amendment," featuring David Rittgers. [MP3]
(07/01/10)
http://tinyurl.com/cato070110
-----
69) Free Talk Live, 06/30/10
Free Talk Live
"G20 Police State :: God and Consciousness :: Bigoted Government
People :: Rejecting Racism -- Johnny Lee Clary :: Financing of So-
Called Anarchists :: Change and Prosperity :: The Evil Bill Gates
Scenario :: NH Activists Arrested in MA :: Crazy New Immigration Law
in Fremont :: Surrender." [MP3] (06/30/10)
http://media.libsyn.com/media/ftl/FTL2010-06-30.mp3
-----
70) Alan Grayson on Antiwar Radio
AntiWar.Com
"Florida Congressman Alan Grayson discusses building Congressional
support for his 'War is Making You Poor' bill, bipartisan cooperation
with Ron Paul on the 'Audit the Fed' bill, why it's harder than ever
to justify the continuing war in Afghanistan, Obama's broken campaign
promises and disappointing leadership and why Grayson has become the
top target of Republicans for the 2010 House elections." [Flash audio
or MP3] (06/29/10)
http://antiwar.com/radio/2010/06/29/alan-grayson-2/
*************************************
* What's Up In The Freedom Movement
*************************************
71) 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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