“To attack or not to attack Iran?” That is the question!
What does president Obama have to do to get re-elected in 2012, and delay the total collapse of the global economic system that has been based on fiat money, black gold (oil), and an elite ponzi scheme that sucked the wealth out of every individual and nation?
Every American president sets the stage for the next one, in order to continue the work in progress that has been set for him by the global ... (more)
Emily delivered the winning rant at the Soapbox Idol competition from Porcfest 2011. Porcfest is short for the Porcupine Freedom Festival which is held annually in NH by the Free State Project. The judges panel included Stefan Molyneux of Freedomain Radio, Carla Gericke of the FSP, and Adam Kokesh of Adam Vs The Man.
The Demopublicans are the real occupy movement. With a military presence already in over 100 countries, Premier Obama has sent troops to Central Africa and Australia in the past two months to supposedly "defend OUR interests." Of course, the neocons who have taken over the Republican Party approve of this; their only dispute is that they wish Obama would have sent MORE troops. Yesterday the Mouth of the GOP, Rush Limbaugh, was lambasting Obama for sending "only" 2,500 Marines t... (more)
The law perverted! And the police powers of the state perverted along with it! The law, I say, not only turned from its proper purpose but made to follow an entirely contrary purpose! The law become the weapon of every kind of greed! Instead of checking crime, the law itself guilty of the evils it is supposed to punish!
If this is true, it is a serious fact, and moral duty requires me to call the attention of my fellow-citizens to it. ~ Frédé... (more)
Many voluntaryists have looked longingly toward Somalia for evidence of our ideas in practice. But it's a little tough when that real-world example also happens to be the quintessential image of extreme poverty and feuding warlords for most people.
Nonetheless, sometimes an article appears that rightly points out that comparing Somalia to developed nations is a little intellectually dishonest. In fact, Somalia has improved by virtually every measure of standard of living witho... (more)
In the past, I have blogged about state laws that prohibit or make difficult the purchase of wine from out-of-state retailers because the states are under pressure to preserve profits and non-competition for in-state wine sellers. Tons of bucks are thrown at the issue by special interests that lobby to take away your right to freely transact with sellers of your choice. I am writing about this issue because the wine protection ra... (more)
This video is directed at those who tell themselves, and try to convince the rest of us, that they don't mind paying taxes; and it's especially directed to those who take it even further by insinuating that it is a moral or and social duty to do so, that's it's a part of some "social contract".
A new American Civil Liberties Union report documents an area of public policy you'll never hear much debate about within the political class: “How private prison companies have capitalized on the nation's addiction to incarceration." The report sheds light on a societal cancer that generates billions for plutocrats.
The last Republican presidential debate — the one on foreign policy — was absolutely pathetic. Except for John Huntsman and Ron Paul, the candidates seemed to be fighting to show that they would be bigger and better torturers, aggressors, and assassins than President Obama.
While the dismal state of the economy is likely to hurt Obama’s chances at reelection, he has clearly outmaneuvered the Republicans by embracing their foreign-policy views. After all, I thin... (more)
I have a fundamental objection to the prison system that I rarely hear raised. Why does a man who steals a loaf of bread lose his freedom of speech? Why does a woman who vandalizes a car lose the freedom to associate with her children? These questions are a challenge to those who view rights as social constructs as well as those who believe they are inalienable. Stated in more general terms, how is it that aggressors lose virtually all freedom because of what might be a minor transgression? ... (more)
Our system of government erases personal responsibility and replaces it with personal irresponsibility. As government reaches its limits, caused by its inefficiencies, unhappiness and misery increase. The pendulum at some point will swing back.
A major shift in the way we do many things awaits us: the return of personal responsibility. This shift will, when it happens, qualify as a new mega-trend. When enough people become dissatisfied with their lives and understand ... (more)
The good news is that Americans' distrust of government is at its highest level ever.
It's good news because it shows the public recognizes how poorly we're being governed. Not much good comes out of trusting people who shouldn't be trusted — not much good comes out of reelecting them, either.
Only 9 percent of Americans approve of the way Congress is handling its job, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. That's one point higher than the perce... (more)
This essay is based on a letter I sent to a conservative organization. They were soliciting donations of hygiene products for an event they sponsored in support of deployed soldiers. I have updated it and edited it for this site.
Among the principals held by conservatives are limited government, fiscal responsibility, and adherence to the constitution. How any group claims these tenets as principals and yet supports the state’s wars of aggression is be... (more)
[Ian Freeman of FreeTalkLive discusses the so-called "criminals" who are really populating our nation's jails]
As I’d said in my last blog from jail, I wanted to wait until I was released to tell the stories of some of the people I met in jail, both prisoners and guards. As you might expect, the jail is full of people who are peaceful and have not harmed other human beings. Many of the guards realize that they are caging good people, the superintendent is a member o... (more)
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. ~ Albert Einstein
I become exasperated reading or listening to chuckleheaded people who are unable – or unwilling – to distinguish the peaceful and voluntary nature of a free market, from the violent and coercive character of the corporate-state system that long ago took over our economic lives. Murray Rothbard’s... (more)
The legal doctrine of double jeopardy may be in flux (again), this time in a murder case being reviewed by the United States Supreme Court.
An October 11 CNN report opens, “The justices on Tuesday accepted the appeal of Alex Blueford, accused of killing his girlfriend's infant son. At issue is whether a criminal defendant can be retried on more serious charges if the jury deadlocks on a lesser charge.” ... (more)
While we were students of the state education apparatus, how many of us had to write research papers where we were asked to "change the world"?
I'm sure we can all remember a writing prompt similar to this: "If I could change one thing about the world, it would be …" or "How I can make the world a better place."
Often, these writing prompts were given to us when we were not even old enough to think about abstract concepts like war and politics.
It is always pointed out that when a state is invasive and tyrannical and it denies our ability to act on our own choices in the name of "keeping us all safe," it is a "Nanny State." That is, a state that provides for us and watches over us.
However, a real nanny is one who is an invited provider who voluntarily becomes a caretaker by transacting with another party to provide services. The state's nannyism does not provide a service, and it only becomes a "caretaker" by ... (more)
I currently live in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico (close to Mazatlan). If you haven’t been keeping up, Sinaloa is the home to the Sinaloa Cartel which is considered the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico. A few years ago, the President of Mexico decided to go to war with the cartels. They stepped up policing, they sent in the soldiers for domestic patrols, etc. Needless to say, law enforcement activity in Mexico, and especially in the cartel areas is quite pervasive. Before I get in to the co... (more)
Businesspeople, if they are successfully "greedy," become rich by providing their fellow citizens (i.e., consumers) with things that make them better off. In other words, they have to earn it. But many who espouse that people don't need more than a basic level of existence, in their own greed, constantly vote for politicians who will take money from others and give it to them. They, just like the businessman, want more than they currently have. But instead of earning it as the businessman... (more)
Well, it seems that Greece and the United States aren’t the only countries that are suffering the consequences of socialism. So is Cuba. But the difference is that unlike Greece and the United States, Cuba seems to be moving in the right direction.
The Cuban regime has just announced that for the first time since the Cuban revolution in 1959, Cubans will be permitted to buy and sell both homes and automobiles. That might not be a big deal to Americans or Greeks, but it is ... (more)
I had no desire to attend college after graduating from high school. Though I’d worked regular jobs, I was restless and looking for something more exciting. Like most kids my age I’d seen plenty of movies that romanticized the lifestyle, and I was attracted to it, so I joined a gang. I’d been told that if you could handle it, there was good money to be made, and if you were really good at it, room to advance.
The gang had international ties, and bec... (more)
Consider, for example, Libya. Imperialists tell us that the U.S Empire’s military machine hammered Libya with missiles and bombs in order to free the Libyan people from tyranny. The idea was that the Empire was so concerned about the freedom and well-being of the Libyan people that it simply could not stand by and permit them to be oppressed by Libya’s long-time brutal dictator Muammar Gaddafi any longer.
Yesterday I attended a funeral for a friend’s mother at Arlington National Cemetery. During the service, my eyes focused on three nearby gravestones — a Lt. Colonel, a 1st Lieutenant, and a captain. The inscriptions on the gravestones stated that all three had served in Iraq and Afghanistan and that all three had died in 2011. I noticed that the captain died at the age of 30.
All I could think was: What a horrible waste of life. Three lives shortened, needlessly. All t... (more)
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