Though it didn’t get much press at the time, the Obama administration suffered a setback in February when a federal appeals court ruled that top secret documents could be admitted into evidence in the Al-Haramain v. Bush case. The Obama team had sought to prevent the admission of the documents, arguing the Bush/Cheney position that [...]
Entries from April 2009
April 24, 2009
The (Niche) Market for Liberty
A few weeks ago I had a lengthy discussion with a political campaign consultant. Although not a libertarian himself, he claimed to be broadly sympathetic to the libertarian philosophy, and was kind enough to offer me his services in my next campaign (should there be one).
Ours was the typical libertarian/non-libertarian political discussion. That is [...]
April 16, 2009
The Second Republic of Texas
Texas Governor Rick Perry shocked and outraged polite media society this Wednesday by daring to suggest that secession from the United States is always an option if Texans ever tire of being roundly ignored by those in Washington, D.C. Speaking to reporters in Austin after attending a Tea Party rally, Governor Perry said,
“Texas is a [...]
April 9, 2009
Easter Eggs and Property Rights
Apropos of the season, the Dallas Morning News recently ran an article describing city planners’ attempts to minimize the carnage normally associated with their annual Easter egg hunts. The article’s description of the event reads like a scene out of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, with everyone from toddlers to overzealous parents pitted in a Hobbesian [...]
April 3, 2009
The Busybody Tax
This week the federal government raised the tax on cigarettes by 259%, from $0.39 to $1.01 a pack. The money raised by the tax will allegedly go to fund children’s healthcare programs. No doubt they’ll put the money in a lock box, just as they did with our Social Security “contributions.” CNN’s Roland Martin couldn’t [...]
