LibertyPen

November 22, 2017

HuffPo memory-holes piece blasting Al Franken’s alleged victims as partisan liars

from Brieitbart: On Friday, the day after two women accused Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) of harassment, HuffPo published an article titled, “The Framing Of Al Franken By Two Trump Supporters." The story was removed just a few hours later.
Media Bias on Parade

Black leaders silent over Mugabe’s destruction of Zimbabwe

from Capitalism Magazine: Walter E Williams: "There’s a deafening silence, the same silence when Africa’s black tyrants elsewhere on the continent commit brutalities making those committed by former colonial masters pale in comparison."
Political Correctness and Other Nitwittery

Pennsylvania cops terrorize elderly couple after confusing hibiscus plants for marijuana

from PhotographyIsNotaCrime: The woman was forced to stand outside in her underwear and handcuffed for ten minutes, then walked barefoot down a gravel driveway to a squad car where she remained handcuffed for four and a half hours.
The Government is Not Us The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

Cop sentenced to 5 years for shooting into car of teens, 16 times

from TheFreeThoughtProject: Chicago police officer Marco Proano was sentenced for dumping 16 rounds into a car occupied by six unarmed teens who posed no threat.
Police State America

The good, the bad, and the unspeakably ugly: a reason surveillance reform bill primer

from Reason: Congress must make a choice before the end of the year on the level of protections Americans get from unwarranted snooping.
Government is Watching Every Move You Make

FCC plans total repeal of net neutrality rules

from CNet: Chairman Ajit Pai says he's fixing the Obama-era "mistake," which allowed the US government to micromanage the internet.
Regulation Nation

November 21, 2017

Don’t just give thanks, pay it forward one act of kindness at a time

from Rutherford Institute: It’s been a hard, heart-wrenching, stomach-churning kind of year filled with violence and ill will. It’s been a year of too much hate and too little kindness.
Individual Liberty: America's First Principle

Top NSA whistleblower claims "Russiagate" a fake to increase war-spending

from Zero Hedge: Basically, he is saying that the keepers of the keys are blocking the public from the truth, because they know that the truth will expose the fact that they’ve been lying to the public, all along.
Defense Versus The War Machine

Asset forfeiture: inherently abusive, and awful in Alabama

from YellowHammer: Outright thievery unmasked. One town uses a “speed trap” not just to generate outlandish fines but also to seize property.
Police State America The Government is Not Us

VIDEO: Milton Friedman - The Expanding Nature of Government

from LibertyPen/YouTube: Friedman explains why the philosophy of government has become that of the cancer cell: growth for the sake of growth.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

Sex, jobs and smoking: What's legal for teens in your state?

from Reason: In California, you can work and get an abortion without parental consent at 12, but you must be 21 to buy a vaping device.
Regulation Nation

Venezuela's default disaster

from Mises: Socialism always promises heaven and gives hell.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

November 20, 2017

The Clintons’ day of reckoning

from LewRockwell.com: When the Harvey Weinstein story broke about a month ago, I offered that the reason (after decades of such behavior) might have something to do with the democrats getting tired of telling Hillary to go away.
Politics and Other Official Acts of Corruption

Trump brags about his deregulation—and he may be right

from Reason: Pruning back regulation doesn't have to be a partisan issue.
Regulation Nation

The FISA amendments reauthorization act restricts Congress, not surveillance

from EFF: The bill squanders several opportunities for meaningful reform and, astonishingly, manages to push civil liberties backwards, restricting surveillance reforms, not surveillance itself.
Government is Watching Every Move You Make

The disappearing right to earn a living

from The Atlantic: Want to become a florist in Louisiana? A home-entertainment installer in Connecticut? Or a barber anywhere? You’re going to need a license for that—and it’s going to cost you.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

Why people will happily line up to be microchipped like dogs

from Zero Hedge: First come the sheep voluntarily, then come the holdouts brought in by force.
Government is Watching Every Move You Make

What National Review gets wrong about the opioid crisis and the war on drugs

from TheDailyBell: Libertarians understand that drug prohibition itself has been the cause of the widespread use of hard drugs, while many conservatives remain blind.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

November 18, 2017

The spurious move to stifle speech on campus because it is 'dehumanizing'

from Reason: The latest tactics for intolerant leftists to silence opinions academics and like-minded students disagree with.
Indoctrination and Censorship

FCC approves TV technology that gives better pictures but less privacy

from Reuters: Of course they approved the technology, government likely subsidized it. It allows third parties to tap into television recording devices (cameras, voice activation), a fundamental piece of the puzzle if 1984 is the instruction manual.
Government is Watching Every Move You Make

New rules with hefty fees set for growing, selling marijuana in California

from KTLA5: An array of licenses, permits and fees insure the black market will flourish in the Golden State for the foreseeable future.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

FDA loyalty to Big Pharma exposed in move to ban plant that’s CURING opioid addiction

from The Free Thought Project: Sometimes the goals of crony capitalism and the drug war clash.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange The Government is Not Us

VIDEO: Tucker Carlson - Can Government Force Speech Against Your Beliefs?

from LibertyPen/YouTube: Can state politicians demand a Catholic pregnancy center to pimp pro-abortion propaganda. The state of California says yes. Attorney Thomas Glessner is filing a lawsuit that says no.
Indoctrination and Censorship

High schoolers win $3 million against sheriff for warrantless drug search molestation

from NY Daily News: The molesting cops continue on the job, ever vigilant in their quest to rid drugs from bras everywhere.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange Police State America

November 17, 2017

Asset forfeiture gone wild: after pot raids, cops legally steal 7 houses

from High Times: Michigan cops seize the homes of seven medical marijuana patients. In practice, asset forfeiture (legalized theft) has become an irreplaceable (even though immoral) revenue stream for American law enforcement officers.
Police State America

Supreme Court abortion case could promote free speech by both sides

from USA Today: California idiocy goes to trial. Red states might have to stop requiring advice some consider propaganda. And pro or con, both sides could end up having to trust women more.
Indoctrination and Censorship The Government is Not Us

The state of street-level surveillance

from EFF: EFF’s “Street-Level Surveillance” project shines light on the advanced surveillance technologies that law enforcement agencies routinely deploy in our communities.
Police State America Government is Watching Every Move You Make

Tighter gun laws will leave libertarians better-armed than everybody else

from Reason: In a politically polarized America, gun control is destined to be obeyed primarily by its advocates.
2nd Amendment Assaults

California mandates send electricity prices skyrocketing, but Texas free market policies keeps prices low

from Fox News: In 2017, Californians paid almost double – 86 percent more – to keep the lights on and run manufacturing than did Texans.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

Jury acquits ‘nice guy’ who admitted selling cannabis to a cop

from Leafly: The Declaration of Independence states that America exists to produce a government that will protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The pursuit of happiness implies self-determination so long as it does not intrude on the rights of others. Gambling, drugs and prostitution are all pursuits of happiness and should be nullified by a jury.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange Justice is a Result, Not Just a Process

November 16, 2017

VIDEO: Why I Hate The Left, by Owen Benjamin

from Owen Benjamin/YouTube: In the video, Benjamin explains what he means by "the Left." He also talks about political debate, and the idea that if debate isn’t centered around common goals, it’s fruitless.
Political Correctness and Other Nitwittery

Gov't approves first-ever med with digital tracking system

from Newser: The stated pretense for this tracking pill is to remind mentally challenged patients to take their meds.
Government is Watching Every Move You Make

VIDEO: Hillary's Deception - The Trump-Russia Dossier

from LibertyPen/YouTube: A collection of news clips that explain the issues surrounding the Trump-Russia dossier, a phony document fabricated by British intelligent agent Christopher Steele and funded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Politics and Other Official Acts of Corruption

John Stossel - Legalize Sex Work

from Creators: If you owned yourself, you would be free to rent yourself out. But you are not. That begs the question,
who owns you?
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

The Senate Intelligence Committee really wants to secretly snoop on Americans

from Reason: Every attempt to restrain and reform unwarranted domestic surveillance batted away.
Government is Watching Every Move You Make The Government is Not Us

James O’Keefe: A truth seeker in an age of media bias

from The Epoch Times: Founder of Project Veritas on undercover journalism and holding the press accountable.
Media Bias on Parade

November 15, 2017

Financial tyranny: ‘we the people’ are the new permanent underclass in America

from Rutherford Institute: Americans can no longer afford to get sick. That’s because they are struggling to stretch their dollars far enough to pay their bills, get out of debt and ensure that if and when an illness arises, it doesn’t bankrupt them.
The Government is Not Us

Feminization of America is bad for the world

from Creators: Last week, The New York Times published an article, "Sweeping Away Gender-Specific Toys and Labels," that contained three sentences that explain one of the most important phenomena in American life.
Political Correctness and Other Nitwittery

Detroit cops posing as drug dealers brawl with colleagues posing as customers

from Reason: Maybe this is how the war on drugs should be fought from now on.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

How the left uses blacks like stalking horses

from Creators: Professor Walter E Williams provides his customary dose of wisdom.
Politics and Other Official Acts of Corruption

Rand Paul says he will propose individual-mandate repeal

from Breitbart: Rand Paul Tuesday took up President Donald Trump’s challenge to Republicans to include the repeal of the Obamacare individual-mandate in their tax overhaul legislation.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

12-year-old sues Attorney General Jeff Sessions to legalize medical marijuana

from NBC News: A young girl files a lawsuit attempting to educate an old fart.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

November 14, 2017

The death of individualism in America

from Liberty Nation: Historically America has been characterized as a civil society which has always elevated individualism. That is, personal independence and self-reliance were seen as virtuous and fundamental to who we are as a people.
Individual Liberty: America's First Principle

The fragile generation

from Reason: Bad policy and paranoid parenting are making kids too safe to succeed.
Political Correctness and Other Nitwittery

Justice department bizarrely uses Madoff to defend taking people's stuff without convicting them first

from Reason: Twisted incentives? What are those? Rod Rosenstein doesn't seem to have heard of them.
Police State America

Three kinds of theft

from The Daily Bell: Taxation is theft. But I’ve seen some people defend taxes with typical arguments like, “It’s not theft because you get something for your money.” Perhaps the confusion lies in the fact that not all thieves act the same.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

The Boston Globe wants the government to confiscate your firearms

from DownTrend: The Boston Globe has had enough of this Constitutionally protected freedom and is actually calling on the government to confiscate firearms from law-abiding citizens.
2nd Amendment Assaults

The surveillance state: an inexorable march toward totalitarianism

from Zero Hedge: The Surveillance State has slowed down its rate of growth since Trump took office, however, it lies festering below the veneer of daily events, inexorably growing its tentacles and extending their reach.
Government is Watching Every Move You Make

November 13, 2017

Wonders of socialism: Venezuelan kids turn to prostitution for food

from Yahoo: End stage socialism: girls as young as 12 working at brothels, all driven there because of the hunger crisis.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

Once taboo, socialism finds comrades among US millennials

from Yahoo: Reaping the harvest of a dumbed-down America. Those ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market Indoctrination and Censorship

Texas church shooter’s last two Facebook posts were “supporting Antifa”

from Got News: The media does not want you to know that Texas church shooter Devin Patrick Kelley had a history of violent anti-Christian threats and supporting Antifa.
Media Bias on Parade

Media silent on Dem senator’s corruption trial despite lynch mob coverage of Roy Moore

from Downtrend: As day three of the concerted push to kill the U.S. Senate bid of Alabama’s Judge Roy Moore gets underway, there is an enormous double standard at play with the media.
Media Bias on Parade

Giving real meaning to Veterans Day

from Capitalism Magazine: Veterans Day arouses three emotions in Americans: solemnity, because it celebrates the veterans who have defended our great country; sadness, because so many have lost their lives and pride, because they have fought so well.
Defense Versus The War Machine

California will put free tampons in schools

from Circa: A legislative analysis estimated that it will cost "millions of dollars" to install the dispensers and "hundreds of thousands" to stock them. But that does not discourage the drunken sailors of Sacramento.
Political Correctness and Other Nitwittery

November 11, 2017

How to talk to your kids about guns

from Reason: Hint: It's the same way you should talk to them about kidnapping.
2nd Amendment Assaults

Police kick off program to warrantlessly test saliva to check for ‘drugged driving’

from The Free Thought Project: Civil liberties experts are up in arms over the police state rolling out a warrantless saliva testing program to test people for drugged driving. Warrantless searches are not-so-slowly being normalized.
Police State America The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

VIDEO: Cop is caught planting drugs on black man

from CBS Los Angeles: So what was the motive? Were there vacancies at the jail or was this to set up a civil asset forfeiture? The public servant in question has no comment.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange Police State America

Taxation is robbery

from Mises: Law and sophistry have covered up the true character of taxation. There cannot be a good tax nor a just one; every tax rests its case on compulsion.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

The great flu vaccine hoax: new evidence

from The Daily Sheeple: Apparently, the powers-that-be want everyone to take the seasonal flu vaccine out of loyalty and blind faith. Because actual science reveals the hoax.
Indoctrination and Censorship

Roy Moore story unraveling? One accuser worked for Hillary, another for Biden

from Zero Hedge: The evidence is piling up indicating the Washington Post is up to its old fake news tricks.
Politics and Other Official Acts of Corruption Media Bias on Parade

November 10, 2017

TSA fails most tests in latest undercover operation at US airports

from ABC News: Procedures that are highly effective in eroding individual rights are not so effective at detecting contraband.
Government is Watching Every Move You Make

Marijuana Legalization 2017: States and cities where weed won this November

from Inverse: Pot remains illegal at a federal level and is still seen as a “life-wrecking” substance by the country’s Attorney General. But cannabis advocates made enormous strides in elections across the country this week.
The War on Unapproved Voluntary Exchange

Could giving property rights to the world's poor unlock trillions?

from BBC: Some of the most important parts of our modern economy can't be seen - but they can be heard. That's what one Peruvian economist concluded while walking through the idyllic rice fields of Bali, Indonesia, in the 1990s.
Economic Policy: Statism Versus The Free Market

Congress is blowing its shot at real NSA reform

from The Verge: This year’s 702 reauthorization is the best chance in years to rein in the NSA.
Government is Watching Every Move You Make

Senate pushes to eliminate Jeff Sessions' civil asset forfeiture program

from Civilized: A bipartisan group of senators released a letter yesterday in which they called on the legislative body to pass a law to restrict the ability of the Department of Justice to enact civil asset forfeiture programs.
Police State America

Founder of web browser Opera says worried about online privacy

from Reuters: People should worry about online data collection by technology companies because it gives them unparalleled insight into users lives, the creator of one of the biggest web browsers, Opera, said on Thursday.
Government is Watching Every Move You Make