March 20, 2020

Coronavirus will be deadly to your liberty

fromReason: COVID-19 is the healthiest thing to happen to government power in a very long time.

Individual Liberty: America's First Principle                     The Government is Not Us

It's up to the Supreme Court to teach Seattle 'Free Speech 101'

fromTheHill: The Constitution protects not only your right to speak but also your right not to speak, including your right to refrain from paying for the speech you oppose.

Politics and Other Official Acts of Corruption                     The Government is Not Us

Save sports for the next generation of female athletes

fromTownhall: Stop biological males from competing in female sports and provide a legal remedy for girls deprived of opportunities from policies that permit males to compete on female teams.

Political Correctness and Other Nitwittery

VIDEO: Ayn Rand - Don't Confuse the Two Kinds of Capitalism

fromReason: Ayn Rand explains that there are two types of capitalists in America and only one reveres the free market.

Economic Policy: Statism Versus the Free Market

Victor Davis Hanson: The mysterious rise, fall and rise of Joe Biden

fromTownhall: At no time did Biden cease his bloopers or embarrassing moments of forgetfulness and confusion. The field changed, not Biden himself.

Politics and Other Official Acts of Corruption

David Stockman says coronavirus is sparking a financial crisis, warns ‘Wall Street is toast’

fromCNBC: “It’s going to end as a financial crisis because the illusion that central banks always have your back and the economy would keep expanding and growing forever was complete nonsense.”

Economic Policy: Statism Versus the Free Market

February 10, 2020

Background checks and bump stock bans: 2020 Democrats on gun control

fromNYTimes: Democratic presidential candidates have a variety of measures aimed at making self-protection more difficult for American citizens. Related article: Police have no duty to protect you, federal court affirms
2nd Amendment Assaults

A brief history of the traffic stop (or how the car created the police state)

fromObserver.: The story of the traffic stop shows the way the automobile fundamentally changed the relationship between the police and the citizenry.
Police State America

New York court says daily fantasy sports betting law Is unconstitutional

fromReason: Lawmakers legalized DFS betting. The state’s top justices say that’s not allowed. Such liberty is unconstitutional in New York state.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

A war over sex work is raging inside the nation’s biggest feminist group

fromTheDailyBeast: There’s a growing divide within the feminist movement on whether the sale and purchase of consensual, adult sex should be decriminalized.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

Slapstick suicide

fromKunstler: With Adam Schiff and Jerrold Nadler cast as Laurel and Hardy, the Democratic Party entered the slapstick phase of its self-destruction.
Politics and Other Official Acts of Corruption

Identity politics is really for rich (dumb) white people

fromSpiked: These women are paying up to $2,500 to attend dinner parties aimed at confronting their ‘racism’.
Political Correctness and Other Nitwittery           Politics and Other Official Acts of Corruption

July 16, 2016

The Constitution is not neutral: courts of justice should not act like courts of order

fromTheRutherfordInstitute: We no longer have a representative government, a rule of law, or justice. Liberty has fallen to legalism. Freedom has fallen to fascism. Justice has become jaded, jaundiced and just plain unjust. 
Justice is a Result, Not Just a Process     The Government is Not Us

Why a Democratic City council is working with a Republican congress to overturn a minimum wage bill

fromReason:Restaurant workers and bartenders generally opposed the minimum wage ballot initiative, which passed despite their opposition.
Regulation Nation       Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

VIDEO: Walter E Williams - The Collective Value of Individual Self Interest

fromLibertyPen/YouTube: Economics professor Walter E Williams delivers another powerful lesson about intentions and incentives.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

Jury nullifies Georgia weed law, finds man not guilty despite admittedly growing marijuana

fromFreeThoughtProject: A marijuana user was found not guilty of drug charges—not because he didn't do what he was accused of, but because the jury disagreed with the law.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange        Justice is a Result, Not Just a Process

After the dog told the cops it was ok to perform a warrantless search, they find some pot and toss the guy in jail for contempt charges because he won't unlock his phones and give cops evidence of drug possession

fromTechDirt: There's a Fifth Amendment case developing in Tampa, Florida revolving around cellphones, passcodes, and contempt charges.
Police State America      The Government is Not Us

Place your bets: legal sports gambling is coming to these six states in 2018

fromForbes: Before this year, you could only place legal wagers on single sporting events in the United States in one place: Nevada.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

July 6, 2016

Why I'm teaching my son to break the law

fromReason: Making the world freer is always right, especially when the law is wrong.
The Government is Not Us

Police union calls for banning of books in high school because they mention police brutality

fromFreeThoughtProject: Making the world freer is always right, especially when the law is wrong.
Police State America

School strip-searches 22 sixth-grade girls because a cop thought they were hiding $50 in their underwear

fromReason: It seems government schools are acclimating students to a police state in which they will be treated like human livestock.
The Government is Not Us       Police State America

Trump's case for tariffs is unraveling

fromReason: Automakers, motorcycle manufacturers, the stock market, and even the White House's own analyses are telling Trump to change course.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

Sports world fought gambling but now wants money from it

fromReason: Sports has the same relationship with gambling that government has with marijuana. It is immoral and dangerous to the integrity of the sport/nation until an angle for obscene profits is discovered.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

Free speech means a free internet — even if Democrats don't like it

fromTheHill: It’s up to Americans to decide which ideas to support or oppose. Political advertising only brings them more ideas to consider — and broadens the parameters of our political debates.
Indoctrination and Censorship      Media Bias on Parade

June 7, 2016

DHS plans to compile a list of all bloggers, journalists and “social media influencers”

fromTheMostImportantNews: If LibertyPen's flame is extinguished, you will know why.
The Government is Not Us

Trump has broken the spell of climate change mania

fromGlobalWarmingPolicyForum: Since Mr Trump walked out of the Paris agreement one year ago, it has been fascinating to watch the decline of media interest in “saving the planet”.
Political Correctness and Other Nitwittery

Politicizing the FBI: How James Comey succeeded where Richard Nixon failed

fromTheDailyCaller: If there was any doubt about the political motivation of Comey, it was removed by his rhetoric following his ouster, clothed in talk of FBI independence and ethics, but revealing raging anti-Trump animus.
Politics and Other Official Acts of Corruption

Donald Trump’s Tariffs get pushback from Koch Brothers

fromTheInquisitr: The Koch campaign might force other Republicans to reconsider their fiscal positions and publicly denounce Trump tariffs in an effort to connect with voters.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

Hallmark of an economic ponzi scheme

fromHussmanFunds: The constant creation of low-grade debt in order to finance consumption and income shortfalls among some members of the economy, using the massive surpluses earned by other members of the economy.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

Six sports betting legalization myths

fromARSTecnica: Thanks to the Supreme Court doing its job, the federal ban on sports betting has been overturned. Individuals can now command their assets. Now, let's dispel the popular myths.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

May 17, 2016

Supreme Court strikes down federal law that prohibited states from legalizing sports gambling

fromReason: “A more direct affront to state sovereignty is not easy to imagine.”
The War Against Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

Seattle plans to punish the productive in order to subsidize bums

fromDailyMail: Democrats take care of their constituency. Seattle will tax companies including Amazon and Starbucks $275 per employee to provide shelter for the homeless in $48million scheme.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

The issue is liberty, not gambling

fromTheWallStreetJournal: The high court takes a rare stand in defense of the Tenth Amendment.
The War Against Unapproved Voluntary Exchange     Individual Liberty: America's First Principle

The University of New Hampshire earns FIRE’s top rating for free speech

fromFosters: The free exchange of ideas continues to survive in some quarters.
Indoctrination and Censorship

Stop asking what happened before someone started filming police brutality

fromTheIntercept: Most folks don't wear camcorders and only start filming when things start turning ugly.
Police State America

Justices Thomas and Gorsuch just hinted they would end privacy as we know it

fromTheDailyBeast: The rights of the individual continue to shrink as the authority of the government continues to expand, as Thomas and Gorsuch seem to have joined the parade.
Justice is a Result, Not Just a Process

January 1, 2018

Worst media moments of 2017

fromPowerlineBlog: Video features the media's lowest moments of 2017 in a little under eight minutes.
Media Bias on Parade

Legalize sports betting

fromReason: If Americans want to bet on sports, the wise course for the government is to let them. Prohibitionists think gamblers squander precious time and money on a foolish fantasy they will never achieve. Well, look who's talking.
Regulation Nation     The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

Six insane California laws that go into effect today

fromDailyWire: Six new California laws (from the Democrat-controlled legislature) sure to  make our lives just a little (or a lot) more frustrating.
Regulation Nation    Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

5 of the worst university policies restricting free speech in 2017

fromTheWashingtonExaminer: To promote one point of view and censor another is infringing on the freedom of speech for those of the opposite view – the exact oppression that our founders wished to prevent when they wrote the Constitution.
Indoctrination and Censorship

VIDEO: The Wisdom of Carl Sagan

fromLibertyPen/YouTube: Short excerpts of sterling insights from the brilliant and beloved American astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist and author Carl Sagan.
The Pursuit of Happiness

6 signs that say you are truly unfuckwithable

fromYouCan'tBreakMe: Excellent advice for a fulfilling life.
The Pursuit of Happiness

December 4, 2017

Cops steal $91,800 from a musician, claiming he gave it to them

from Reason: Wyoming's roadside waivers are a thin disguise for highway robbery.
Police State America

Activists arrested in Atlanta for feeding homeless without a permit before Thanksgiving

from ActivistPost: Feeding the hungry without paying politicians for the privilege.
The Government is Not Us   Regulation Nation

Supreme Court could legalize sports betting nationwide

from DailyCaller: As a result of a challenge from New Jersey — home of gambling Mecca Atlantic City — the court could overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and allow sports betting in most states.

The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

Four camera surveillance PODS coming to a city near you

from MassPrivatei: Welcome to Police State America, where one camera surveillance system is never enough.
Police State America   Government is Watching Every Move You Make

CNN calls for banning the term ‘fake news’

from DownTrend: In a related story, medicine show operators are calling to ban the term "snake oil salesman".
Media Bias on Parade

VIDEO: William F Buckley Jr - Newt Gingrich: A Debate on the Legalization of Drugs

from LibertyPen/YouTube: (1990) Excerpts from: A Firing Line Debate: Resolved: That Drugs Should Be Legalized. Also in the debate: Richard Dennis, Ira Glasser, Robert W. Sweet, Pat Schroeder, Charles B. Rangel, and, William von Raab.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

VIDEO: Baseball - As Unique As America

VIDEO: John Stossel - Wussification Of America

Hayden Bird: Just Legalize Sports Gambling Already

The right to spend your money as you want.  NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reiterated a point in a recent TV interview that he famously made in a New York Times op-ed in 2014. Sports gambling, currently illegal in the United States, should be brought into the light. For the sizable demographic of people who oppose legalization of sports betting,  ... MORE

Governments Want To Ban FanDuel And DraftKings, Yet Lotteries Are Among The Worst Ripoffs In Gambling

by A. Barton Hinkle.   More incandescent hypocrisy from the ruling class. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) did New York a huge favor earlier this month when he declared fantasy sports leagues a form of illegal gambling and ordered two of their principal organizers, DraftKings and FanDuel, to stop taking bets from state residents. ... MORE

John Stossel: The Anti-Liberty Politicians

Also known as the option destroyers.  After a terrorist attack, it's natural to ask: What can politicians do to keep us safe? One thing they could do is actually focus on keeping us safe rather than devoting so much time, energy and hot air to the many things government does instead of protecting lives and property. My state's politicians are      ... MORE

Marcus E. Howard: The Pentagon Has Squandered Millions Paying Pro Sports Teams To Honor Soldiers At Games

It's like paying a whore to say, "I love you."   The Pentagon and National Guard paid professional sports teams to publicly honor soldiers at sporting events, according to a Senate oversight report released Wednesday that labeled the practice “inappropriate and frivolous.” Since the end of 2011, the military has spent $6.8 million on sports     ... MORE

Augur Could Be The Greatest Gambling Platform In History. Is There Anything The Government Can Do To Stop It?

by Jim Epstein. The wisdom of the crowds. An online gambling platform could do to the neighborhood bookie what electric refrigerators did to the ice delivery man. Coming this fall, Augur will allow participants to wager money on any future event of their choosing. Software will set the odds, collect the bets, and disperse the winnings. The price alone    ... MORE

Fiscally Responsible Republican? Scott Walker To Commit $400 Million In Taxpayer Dollars For New NBA Stadium Deal

by Nick Gillespie.      While ongoing reportage of the Donald Trump Traveling Tijuana Donkey Show crashes into the latest revelations from Hillary Clinton's Personal Email Server Fun Times Revue, there's a more pedestrian scandal taking place in plain sight. This one involves Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, who's running on his tough-as-nails budget  ... MORE

Manny Pacquiao Perpetrates Fraud, Commits Perjury In Order To Cash In On Huge Payday, Risks Disciplinary Action

We expect politicians to lie, but boxers?   Manny Pacquiao faces a potential lawsuit after failing to disclose a shoulder injury before his defeat by Floyd Mayweather. Pacquiao will spend up to a year on the sidelines as he prepares to undergo surgery on his torn rotator cuff, an injury he suffered in training. But the Filipino star could also be    ... MORE

S E Cupp: Houston Rockets, Emojis & Political Correctness

Stick a fork in us. We are done.    Political correctness has finally corrupted rational thought and common sense to the point that garden variety sports trash talk is a firing offense. Consider the case of Chad Shanks. He was hired to grow the Houston Rockets’ social media presence. By all accounts, Shanks had done a good job, posting edgy   ... MORE

Income Tax Makes States Radioactive To Sports Stars

by Travis H. Brown.     Add Ndamukong Suh to the ever-growing list of professional athletes who are bidding farewell to their high-tax home state in favor of sunnier economic climates. Suh – considered one of the top-two players in free agency this season – is leaving Detroit for Miami. By doing so, the defensive tackle will give himself a significant tax    ... MORE

Sports Stadiums Throw Taxpayers For A Loss

by Steve Chapman.     It's a play fake that never fails. Since 1995, Los Angeles has been an anomaly: a huge city with lots of sports fans that has exactly as much professional football as Billings, Montana. This week, Angelenos got a bit of good news: They still aren't getting an NFL franchise. A corporation called AEG announced Monday that it    ... MORE