LibertyPen

Robert Rector: How Poor Is 'Poor'?

What's it mean to say 46 million people live in poverty? Yesterday morning, the U.S. Bureau of the Census released its annual report on income and poverty, saying that some 46.2 million Americans –15 percent of the population — were poor in 2011. The poverty rate did not fall from the prior year but remained at a near record high, the agency said. ... MORE

VIDEO: The Cracker Code with Chuck Woolery

8 Reasons To End Prohibition Of All Drugs Immediately

by J. G. Vibes. The drug war is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the mainstream political dialogue, even among people who are sympathetic to the plight of responsible drug users. It is rare for someone to come out and say that all drugs should be legal, but in all honesty this is the only logically consistent stance on the issue. To say that ... MORE

Randall Hoven: What's Strangling Job-Creation?

The mountain of government obstacles. Recessions were never fun, but we used to bounce back from them fairly quickly. The phrase "bounce back" actually applied. They were more like injuries in our youth: we could "walk them off." Healing was natural, speedy, and expected. But now it seems like every minor injury sends us to the hospital; ... MORE

What The Federal Government Can Learn From The iPhone

by Robert Herritt. During the 2008 election, the Obama campaign touted a vision for a more user-friendly federal bureaucracy they called “iPod government.” It was one of the many pieces of rhetoric that was unceremoniously discarded once the votes were counted. But whether they knew it or not, they were onto something. And with today’s ... MORE

John Stossel: The Clinton Myths

Here's to arrogance and delusion. Bill Clinton got rave reviews for his speech at the Democratic National Convention. My wife said: "Clinton was great. He made Republicans look like liars and losers." Clinton, now a sainted elder statesman, also gets credit for the booming economy of the '90s. Today, he appears in an Obama commercial — in full "I feel ... MORE

VIDEO: John Stossel - Politically Correct History

Jacob Sullum: The Democrats' Fake Freedoms

Unable to distinguish between rights and subsidies. Sandra Fluke’s claim to fame, aside from provoking Rush Limbaugh's misogynistic ire, is that she chose to attend Georgetown Law School, knowing full well that the Catholic university's student health plan did not cover birth control, and then demanded that the policy be changed ... MORE

Jake Horowitz: FBI Displays Police State Behavior

Ron Paul warned us this would happen. Ron Paul has long warned Americans of the dangers of a federal government-supported police state, and now, it seems his worst fears are coming to life. A 16-year-old Ron Paul supporter has been questioned by the FBI after he created a YouTube video for a school project which highlights how America is slipping into ... MORE

VIDEO: Should Government Track Your Political Activity?

Technology takes 1974 legislation to a new level.

Robert Zubrin: Dethrone The EPA

Prosperity through liberty or depression by strangulation. The current presidential campaign hinges on jobs and the economy. Yet most of the debate has centered on peripheral issues such as the Bush tax cut, when there is a Tyrannosaurus in the room that is being virtually ignored. That monster is the EPA. The EPA is today the primary enemy of ... MORE

Elisabeth Meinecke: Domestic Drones And Spying

Should you be worried? There are two types of people that have anything to fear from domestic drones: those who have done something wrong … and those who haven’t. In the next 10 years, there will be a projected 15,000 drones, also known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems, in the U.S. This projection is cited by the Joint Planning and ... MORE

Ed Morrissey: Ending Privacy As We Know It

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird … it’s a plane … it’s Nano-Drone! A new report from the Congressional Research Service warns that privacy may become a thing of the past in the approach Drone Age, and it may not just be the government taking a look down from the sky. The technology that allows us to fight a war with less risk also creates ... MORE

Thomas Sowell: Depending On Dependency

Shameless, but effective. The theme that most seemed to rouse the enthusiasm of delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte was that we are all responsible for one another — and that Republicans don't want to help the poor, the sick and the helpless. All of us should be on guard against beliefs that flatter ourselves. At the ... MORE

VIDEO: Ronald Reagan - States' Rights

Richard Adhikari: Who's Watching The FBI Watchers?

New technology offers new opportunity for abuse. The FBI soon will begin offering client software for its nationwide facial recognition database at no charge to law enforcement agencies in the United States. This is the fourth element in its seven-increment Next Generation Identification Program. The facial recognition system was deployed ... MORE

Gerri Willis: Obama's Crony Capitalism

One of the few growth industries. A new report out today from the solar industry touts a surge in the use of solar panels. The report states U.S. solar installations more than doubled in the second quarter of this year up 116%. In total, the U.S. now has 5,700 megawatts of solar capacity, enough to power more than 940,000 households. It all sounds great, but that's ... MORE

VIDEO: California Taxpayers Soaked By Lifeguards

Exposed: California lifeguards paid $200,000 and retire at age 50.

Maggie Clark: A Marijuana Revolt?

It could begin in Washington, Oregon or Colorado. From his porch overlooking Seattle’s Lake Union and Interstate 5, former U.S. attorney John McKay can see tractor trailers speeding down the highway. McKay has strong suspicions about the cargo some of them are carrying. “I know that there are trucks going down that freeway filled with ... MORE

90% Of Frequent Business Travelers Give TSA Low Marks

Customer service a low priority of government. Business travel blog Frequent Business Traveler has released the results of a poll conducted in partnership with FlyerTalk on the state of the United States Transportation Security Administration. The TSA, the governmental agency tasked with keeping American borders safe from terrorist threats ... MORE

Walter E Williams: Who May Tax And Spend?

A little basic knowledge is vital for the citizen. Within the past decade, I've written columns titled "Deception 101," "Stubborn Ignorance" and "Exploiting Public Ignorance," all explaining which branch of the federal government has taxing and spending authority. So here it is again: The first clause of Article 1, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution, generally ... MORE

John Ransom: Another Obama Billion Dollar Green Loser

Chevy Volt jolts taxpayers in a big way. This is getting redundant. If you want investment losses for tax purposes, Barack Obama is your guy. Now, if the country could only figure out how to write off the five trillion dollars we’ve lost during his presidency. As the man said: A billion here and a billion there, and pretty soon were talking about Barack ... MORE