Walter E Williams: Black Progression And Retrogression
What if racism is not the problem? There is no question, though it's not acknowledged enough, that black Americans have made greater gains, over some of the highest hurdles and in a very short span of time, than any other racial group in mankind's history. What's the evidence? If black Americans were thought of as a nation with their own gross ... MOREThis Is What An Economy In Free Fall Looks Like
by Rick Moran. The Russian economy is in free fall as the ruble has lost half it's value during the dizzying slide in oil prices. Last Tuesday, the ruble tumbled 10% - a follow up to Monday's 10% slide.This precipitated panic buying in the stores as Russian consumers, fearing their rubles will only become less valuable in the near term, crowded retail ... MOREBehold: The Atheist Ten Non-Commandments
What do you think of these? What if, instead of climbing Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God, Moses had turned to the Israelites and asked: Hey, what do you guys think we should do? Considering the Hebrews’ bad behavior in the Bible, what with the coveting of neighbors’ wives and murdering their own brothers, ... MORE
Jared Meyer: Civil Forfeiture Creates A License To Steal
Incentives to police for profit. Many Americans have not heard of civil forfeiture, but this
outrageous, and expanding, law enforcement tactic is becoming more
difficult to ignore. Civil forfeiture does not receive the
condemnation it deserves because most people cannot believe that, in the
United States, the government can take ... MORE
Rep. Mark Meadows: ObamaCare's Christmas Surprise
If you like your health plan, too bad. If you like your health care plan, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has a Christmas surprise for you! When will this new present arrive? December 25th. In an ongoing effort to keep Obamacare numbers elevated, CMS has embarked on the next step of its government takeover of ... MORE
Dangerous Implications For Guns In Nebraska-Oklahoma Lawsuit Against Marijuana Legalization In Colorado
By Ilya Somin. Co-blogger Jonathan Adler and Vanderbilt law professor Robert Mikos have pointed out some of the flaws in the lawsuit filed by Nebraska and Oklahoma
urging a federal court to invalidate marijuana legalization in
neighboring Colorado. In the unlikely event that the plaintiff states
prevail, they will also have set a very dangerous ... MOREKoch Brothers Are Not As Conservative As You Might Think
by Cliff Kincaid. What they really think. Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham acted surprised that David
Koch would give an interview to Barbara Walters and talk about his
radical “libertarian” views. Koch appeared in Walters’ ABC special
program on “The 10 Most Fascinating People Of 2014.” The interview was featured in various stories ... MOREIntolerant Conservatives In Conflict With Individual Rights
by Kerry McGill. Leave me alone! Well, not me, exactly. But others who differ from others, such as homosexuals, atheists, creationists, evangelists, extremists and the like. It seems as though many people have a chip on their shoulder about someone with whom they strongly disagree. America used to be a "live and let live" society ... MORE'Tis The Season For Government Roadblocks In California
Warrantless searches to help spend $93 million grant. What to do if stopped by a cop. 'Tis the season for DUI checkpoints and the California Highway Patrol is reminding you to think twice while you're out late with your friends this holiday season. Between December and January, more than 200 law enforcement agencies are armed ... MOREIn The Rush To Blame Everyone For The Shooting Of NYPD Cops, Don't Forget To Include The Actual Shooter
by Nick Gillespie. In the wake of the horrific and unjustifiable shooting of two NYPD officers who were sitting in a patrol car in Brooklyn, the mad rush is now on to indict a wide range of co-conspirators and "real killers." This is a tired and worn-out gambit and its high point (that is, low point) has already probably been reached in the Twitter feed of ... MOREIgnorance No Excuse for Wrongdoing, Unless You’re a Cop
by John W. Whitehead. With Orwellian irony, the U.S. Supreme Court chose December 15, National Bill of Rights Day to deliver its crushing blow to the Fourth Amendment. Although the courts have historically held that ignorance of the law is not an excuse for breaking the law, in its 8-1 ruling in Heien v. State of North Carolina, the ... MOREJonah Goldberg: The Real Person Of The Year
Jonathan Gruber, the true face of government Jonathan Gruber should have been Time’s Person of the Year. The magazine gave it to the “Ebola Fighters” instead. Good for them; they’re doing God’s work. Still, Gruber would have been better. Time’s Person of the Year designation has lost a lot of its stature over recent years. Part of its decline ... MORELee Stranahan: Authority’s Threat To Citizen Journalism
The government's persecution of James O'Keefe. It’s a scenario that smacks of a movie set in a foreign country. A journalist is arrested and put into shackles. Not just handcuffs, mind you; shackles. He’s taunted by the police and thrown in jail on trumped-up charges. The politically connected prosecutors don’t just work to put him ... MOREIs Government Faithful To The Constitution?
by Andrew Napolitano. When the government is waving at us with its right hand, so to speak, it is the government's left hand that we should be watching. Just as a magician draws your attention to what he wants you to see so you will not observe how his trick is performed, last week presented a textbook example of public disputes masking ... MOREIslamic State Promises Crucifixion, Lashing for Unbelievers
by Adam Kredo. But so far, no threats of waterboarding. The Islamic State (IS) has published it own penal code, which harshly penalizes actions such as sodomy and blasphemy with punishments including execution, crucifixion, lashing, and the severing of limbs, among other penalties. IS (also known as ISIL or ISIS) issued the detailed ... MORE
Excellent News As E-Cigarette, Or Vaping, Use Rises
by Tim Worstall. We’ve news from the government that the use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, is on the rise among schoolchildren and teenagers. We might think that this is a health story and it is, but behind it is an interesting little economic point and a guide to public policy. The question really revolves around whether vaping is a substitute ... MORERichard D. Emery: Who's Policing The Prosecutors?
Prosecution is becoming a lucrative business. In the last fiscal year, the Justice Department collected $24.7 billion from civil and criminal actions (including $20 billion from JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup over their handling of mortgage-backed securities before the financial crisis). Recently, the Manhattan district attorney’s office ... MORETammy Bruce: Another Blow To ObamaCare Privacy
Personal medical info to be shared with 35 federal agencies. Get ready to fight back: Last week, the Health and Human Services Department announced a plan to share your medical records with over 35 federal agencies — all in the name of “health care,” of course. All in the name of “efficiency,” the favorite excuse used by fascists ... MORETeen Marijuana Use Down Since Colorado Legalization?
by Michael Minkoff. In a non-intuitive twist, it seems that pot legalization in marijuana has not contributed to a sharp increase in teen marijuana use. In fact, legalization might be contribuing to a drop in teen use: Since the passage of HB10-1284, Colorado’s
historical medical marijuana regulation legislation, current marijuana
use among ... MOREWoman Jailed for Saying 'Fuck the Police' Wins Settlement
Thick badge, thin skin. A Georgia woman jailed for criticizing
police officers as she rode by on a bicycle has been awarded a $100,000 settlement in a civil
suit against the local police department. Cobb County resident Amy Barnes was bicycling to the store in
April 2012 when she passed police officers questioning a suspect.
She treated ... MOREVIDEO: Police State America - Missouri SWAT Tactics
Would this get mainstream media coverage had the victim been black?
Rand Paul: The Conservative Realist?
by Matt Welch. On October 23, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) gave a major foreign
policy address at the Center for the National Interest in which he
declared himself a "conservative realist," aligning himself with
the tradition of Ronald Reagan and Caspar Weinberger. (See
"The Case for Conservative Realism.") As he did in a similar
February 2013 ... MOREJohn Stossel: Government Vs. Giving
Step aside Uncle Sam. It's the season for giving. That doesn't mean it's the season for government. Government creates loyalty in the minds of citizens by pretending to be Santa Claus, doling out gifts and favors. Politicians claim they help those unfortunates who aren't helped by coldhearted capitalism. The truth is, government gets in the ... MORECongress OKs Codification Of Warrantless Surveillance
Fourth Amendment fast becoming toothless. Congress last week quietly passed a bill to reauthorize funding for intelligence agencies, over objections that it gives the government "virtually unlimited access to the communications of every American", without warrant, and allows for indefinite storage of some intercepted material, including ... MORENullification: A Powerful Weapon In The Fight For Liberty
by Patrick Taylor. We are faced with increasing federal tyranny these days. Most Americans seem unaware or ambivalent about the federal reach into their lives. Most do not know just how invasive it has become. Sitting at my desk, I can see printers, pens, lamps, diplomas, books, a clock, my laptop, and little knick-knacks. All of these items are ... MOREStudy Shows Texas Has Most Economic Freedom
by Kristin Tate. The Lone Star State is the most economically free state in the nation, according to a new report released by the Fraser Institute. The ranking took into account the size of government, taxes, red tape, and labor market freedom. The study said, "When the government taxes one person in order to give money to another, ... MORE
Sam Hananel: The Supreme Court Rules Traffic Stops Are OK Even When The Police Are Mistaken About The Law
Might is always right even when wrong. Police can use evidence seized during a traffic stop even if it turns out the officers initially pulled a car over based on a misunderstanding of the law, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. The 8-1 decision written by Chief Justice John Roberts said that such a stop does not violate the Constitution's protection ... MOREThomas Sowell: Tortured Reasoning
The question is "compared to what." Critics and defenders of the harsh interrogation methods applied to captured terrorists can argue forever over whether those methods were "torture." But any serious discussion of a serious issue — and surely terrorism qualifies as serious — has to move beyond semantics and confront the ultimate ... MOREEd Krayewski: Time For A Police Offenders Registry
Can we agree police job is a privilege, not a right? This week, the Department of Justice announced
new guidelines against racial profiling. The changes
don't actually change all that much. As regular incidents of
police brutality get more and more mainstream media attention, it's
time for a bold move from the White House. ... MOREWhy Americans Keep Losing To The Police State
by John W. Whitehead. The game is rigged. Being a citizen in the American police state is much like playing a game of cards against a stacked deck: you’re always going to lose. The game is rigged, and “we the people” keep getting dealt the same losing hand. Even so, we stay in the game, against all odds, trusting that our luck will change. ... MOREKeith Weiner: The Doctor-Laborer Inversion
Clear thinking on minimum wage. The battle over minimum wage is raging. Emotions are running hot. Some cities are setting the bar very high. For example, Seattle is mandating a $15/hour wage. Economically, the issue is very simple. Minimum wage laws do not raise anyone’s wage. This is because it’s not sustainable to overpay. Suppose you run ... MOREWalter E Williams: Should Profiling Be Banned?
Upon further review. Last week, the Obama administration announced new curbs on racial profiling by federal law enforcement. Before deciding whether this is good or bad policy, we might try to develop a description/definition of racial profiling or any other kind of profiling. A good definition of profiling in general is the use of ... MOREOver 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, ... MOREElf 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 ... MORETexas 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 ... MORECongress 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
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
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