Over 700 Million People Taking Steps to Avoid NSA Snoops

by Bruce Schneier.    The Snowden effect. There's a new international survey on Internet security and trust, of "23,376 Internet users in 24 countries," including "Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, South Africa, South Korea,    ... MORE

VIDEO: How To Just Say No To Police State Bullies

Elf On The Shelf Conditions Surveillance State Acceptance

by David McCormack.    Best-selling children's book The Elf On The Shelf is a disturbing cultural phenomenon which instills in young children the idea that a surveillance state is perfectly acceptable, claims a university professor. Laura Pinto, a digital technology professor at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, has published a     ... MORE

Did Congress Stop Marijuana Legalization in D.C.?

by Jacob Sullum.   The omnibus spending bill that Congress approved last week includes a rider aimed at blocking marijuana legalization in Washington, D.C. Whether it actually will do that is a matter of debate, and the way this provision was passed suggests that pot prohibitionists are in a weaker position than ever before. The rider, introduced  ... MORE

Texas To Set Precedent For Another Shakedown By Cops?

by Wendy McElroy. To “serve and protect" = to “ticket and collect." A bill before the Texas legislature is being widely misreported by the alternative media. That's a shame because H.B. 121 could set a dangerous precedent by giving law enforcement a procedure that invites corruption and could quickly expand in scope. H.B. 121 dramatically     ... MORE

Congress Just Says No To Funding War On Medical Pot

by Ryan Burns.     People pulling politicians by the ear again. When the U.S. government loses a war it does so quietly, with an utter dearth of fanfare. True to form, in the latest spending bill to pass the U.S. House of Representatives there appears to be a tiny, inconspicuous white flag signaling the end of the Justice Department's war on medical    ... MORE

VIDEO: Milton Friedman - The Trend Away From Freedom

Radley Balko: Police Officer Fired For Not Using Force

Canned for his aversion to brutality.    Here at The Watch, we’ve looked extensively at how difficult it can be to fire cops who use excessive force, even when independent bodies have found that they’ve done so on multiple occasions. So what can get a cop fired? In the case of one campus police officer in California, it was his decision to not ... MORE

A Need To Regulate What Constitutes A Federal Regulation

by Todd Gaziano and Mark Miller. Last Monday, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in two cases challenging whether regulatory agencies must use notice-and-comment procedures to alter the interpretation they have previously given to their own regulations. Those cases, Perez v. Mortgage Bankers Association and Nickols v. Mortgage Bankers   ... MORE

VIDEO: EconPop - The Economics Of It's A Wonderful Life

Congress Poised To Allow Cuts To Private Pension Payouts

by Evan Halper.     More than 1 million Americans who were promised secure, predictable retirement income probably will see part of their monthly benefit checks evaporate as Congress moves to stabilize some private pension systems veering toward insolvency. The expected congressional action to allow previously promised private-sector   ... MORE

Comedian Destroys Illogical Beliefs of Modern Liberals

The oxymoron of liberal logic.    Conservative Comedian Michael Loftus of the show the Flipside is one very funny man. Watch as he lays bare the bankrupt logic of today’s political left. If you’ve ever had that “aha” moment when talking to a liberal, where you realize that what they are saying makes absolutely NO SENSE… this is for you.        ... MORE

It Is Now A Felony for Illinois Citizens To Record Cops

by Matt Agorist.      Government cockroaches prefer darkness to light. In March of this year the Illinois Supreme Court struck down the state’s eavesdropping law, and rightfully so, as it was touted as the most unconstitutional law of its kind in the country. But Illinois, being the the corrupt and violent police state that it is, couldn’t let their    ... MORE

Nat Hentoff: How Government Tricks Us Into Being Its Spies

Not just the night has a thousand eyes.   I’ve long been annoyed and increasingly angered by a message from our government on radio, TV and other forms of communication in and around New York City, where I live and work: “If you see something, say something. If it doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t.” The message often ends: “Be careful,   ... MORE

VIDEO: Thomas Sowell - Political Vs Markets

Matthew Hurtt: The Republican Plan To Cripple IRS

GOP attempt to reel in lawless thugs.     Imagine a world where there were not enough IRS agents to threaten your livelihood by pouring over years of receipts and tax filings. With the Republican takeover of the Senate, the Republican-controlled Congress is looking to severely de-fund the IRS in the wake of the ongoing scandal that revealed the   ... MORE

Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide Introduced In California

Notion that people own themselves is forwarded.   California ProLife Council, working in conjunction with a coalition of life-affirming groups, has defeated California Assisted Suicide proposals in the past. But euthanasia advocates have promised to be particularly aggressive this coming year. State Sen. Bill Monning intends to introduce       ... MORE

VIDEO: The High Price Of Ted Cruz's Disruptive Antics

Andy Fiala: Time To Reconnect With Liberterian Ideals

A libertarian wave is sweeping parts of the country. The rising tide of liberty includes the legalization of gay marriage, marijuana, and physician assisted suicide.  Libertarians think that freedom should only be restricted in order to secure more extensive liberty or to prevent harm to others.  Apart from obvious harms such as rape or      ... MORE