Is American society so fragile that a few “divisive” ads, news stories, commentaries, and even lies — perhaps emanating from Russia — threaten to plunge it into darkness? The establishment’s narrative on “Russian election meddling” would have you believe that.
Tag: security
Sorry, Republicans: If You’re Not Cutting Spending, You’re Not Cutting Taxes
Republican “tax reform” theatrics have worn thin over many months of waiting, but I still prefer a more theatrical title. “A tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing” rings true. Four centuries later, Shakespeare’s MacBeth is a better description of the matter than any coming out of Washington, DC.
“Reasonable” Non-Solutions
I understand it is inconvenient to work strictly within your rights, and respect the rights of others. It is easier to cheat; to use the political method to get what you want. I will always see that as a cop-out. As lazy and wrong. Even if you claim it is necessary to get where you want to go.
The World Doesn’t Pay You Enough to be Nasty
There’s a reason why we like to get nasty. It’s a lot easier to start a fight than it is to take charge of your life when things seem out of control. Our desire to manipulate others often stems from the need to compensate for our own inability to feel a sense of agency in relation to our goals. We enjoy pulling other people’s strings because those are usually the only strings we know how to pull.
Is Secession by Referendum Libertarian?
My concerns about group (not individual) secession are over the process of peaceful separation, namely, the referendum. Libertarians have long criticized political democracy — that is, the settling of “public” matters by majority vote either directly or through so-called representatives — as inherently violative of individual rights. By what authority does a majority lord it over a minority? Well, doesn’t this critique apply to referenda on secession?
They Might Rise Up and Resist
Are contemporary Americans the most cringing, servile, whipped-dog people in the history of the world? I’m not saying they are, yet the question naturally occurs to anyone who observes their capitulation, with scarcely a whimper, to the ever-increasing outrages of their cruel and stupid masters (whose tyranny they regularly validate by their votes).
Excessive: Bail Isn’t Meant to Enable the Holding of Political Prisoners
The US Constitution’s Eighth Amendment forbids “excessive bail” in criminal prosecutions. That prohibition seems somewhat vague. I guess we’re just expected to know excessive bail when we see it. Two current cases demonstrate not just excessive bail, but abuse of the whole idea of bail for the purpose of holding un-convicted defendants as political prisoners.
“Competent, Badass Cops” is Utter Bullshit
So the police have been given all sorts of new “legislative” powers in recent years, including being able to spy on all sorts of communications, as well as being given all sorts of weapons of war, to the point where “law enforcement” is essentially a standing army. Then it takes them over an hour to get around to breaching the door of the alleged shooter in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Concert “Security”
Sometimes there’s just nothing you can really do when some evil loser decides to kill people. But that’s no excuse to keep doing the wrong things; things that never help and sometimes hurt.
Bitcoin: Should the Functions of Money be Separate, or All-in-One?
Money is a lot of things. Predominantly a unit of account, a store of value, and a medium of exchange. We’re quite used to these functions being split up and handled by different tools.