Placebo

When some voters complained in a former administration that POTUS was not following through on campaign promises, others advanced the theory that it was addictive behavior when someone thought that merely saying so made it so.  For example, tobacco fiends often believe that people will believe them if they just announce from time to time that they are quitting.

Adherence to the Constitution, or Not?

U.S. conservatives generally make a fetish of, among other things, strict federal immigration policy and strong support of the Constitution. It never seems to occur to them that these two positions are inconsistent, given that the Constitution gives no power whatsoever to Congress in regard to immigration controls. So, federal immigration policy of any kind is unconstitutional.

Guilty Statists?

How much guilt does the “average statist” have for their beliefs, and how much slack should we cut them? I’ve been having an interesting discussion with Jim Henshaw, the former Chair of the Hawaiian LP, recently of regions closer. He says I “come across as a bit unforgiving at times“. And, I can see that. I’m pretty sure this has caused me to lose followers and financial supporters. So, I asked his advice.

Who’s Afraid of Russian Propaganda?

If we believe the people who claim to be so concerned about Russian Facebook activity, we really ought to be concerned about something much deeper: the apparent fragility of American society. For if the Russians can strike a propaganda blow comparable, as some have ludicrously said, to Pearl Harbor and 9/11, isn’t that also true for any number of domestic websites across the political spectrum?

What St. Patrick’s Day Can Teach Us About Beating Anti-Immigrant Prejudice

I don’t know and can’t explain all the causes of the ultimate acceptance of Irish culture, but I do think St. Patrick’s Day has one answer. This is the only time of year most people think about Irish culture. And when they do, all they have to do is look around and see people having a good time, dancing, drinking, and listening to good music. Irish culture is much more than what we see on St. Patrick’s Day, to be sure, but what we saw yesterday is by no means a bad side of it.

Welfare & Open Borders, Jurisdiction and Violent Crimes, & #MeToo Backlash (35m) – Editor’s Break 063

Editor’s Break 063 has Skyler giving his commentary on the following topics: immigration, open borders, and the welfare state, and why increasing immigration control is not a libertarian solution to the supposed problem of immigrants exploiting the welfare state, why jurisdiction matters on claims of statutes violations, even for violent crimes, his fear of backlash against women due to the #MeToo movement, and more.