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Sessions’ Dream of Resurrecting Reefer Madness Foiled by Congress

by | May 3, 2017 | ,

If ever one feels the need to dole out criticisms, Congress is reliably low-hanging fruit. But just as a broken clock is right twice a day, once in a blue moon Congress does something that is not a complete affront to liberty. Having Jeff Sessions as US Attorney General in the era of Trump has had civil liberty advocates on edge from the get-go. As one of the last remaining champions of marijuana prohibition, Sessions would erase all progress made toward decriminalization over the last several years—if given the chance. Luckily, Congress has taken precautionary measures to ensure that the...

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Mnuchin Wants to Feed the Slimiest Creature in the Entire Swamp

by | Apr 4, 2017 | ,

Tax Day is only a few weeks away, which means it’s that time of the year when the country actually stands united in its hatred of governmental theft for a few weeks, before retreating back to their ideological corners to commence political warfare as usual. Loathing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is not an exclusive to libertarians and limited government activists. In fact, the IRS is probably the most hated government agency of them all. And given the long list of disreputable options to choose from, garnering that title is extremely impressive. Unfortunately for the prospects of tax...

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Highway Robbery Gets Presidential Seal of Approval

by | Feb 10, 2017 | , ,

Donald Trump is going after one of the few issues proven to be a unifier across party lines: civil asset forfeiture. This legal tool allows law enforcement to seize money and physical property from those merely suspected of criminal behavior. Unfortunately, there is no conviction requirement, meaning confiscation can occur before suspects have been given the opportunity to defend themselves in court. After 2016 saw several state victories reining in the practice, the Obama Administration reinstated the program on the federal level. The federal Equitable Sharing Program, which had briefly...

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How Would the Free Market Handle Money?

by | Jan 30, 2017 | ,

One of the most destructive attributes of government is its routine practice of using force to create monopolies in the marketplace. This is the unfortunate reality each of us has encountered when trying to establish utility accounts for a new residence. Unlike other goods and services, where there are a plethora of service providers to choose from, utility companies enjoy a state-sanctioned monopoly where residents are forced to use only those companies which have been given a contract by a local government. Unlike other services where consumers can simply opt out of purchasing, individuals...

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Mike Pence Thinks the “Free Market” Is Making You Poor

by | Dec 11, 2016 | ,

Vice President-elect Mike Pence has no idea what the term “free market” means, or at least, that is what his most recent statement would suggest. Defending President-elect Trump’s $7 million deal with Carrier, Pence recently stated, “the free market has been sorting it out and America’s been losing.” While there have been some libertarian arguments made in defense of this new deal with Carrier, which will keep 1,000 jobs in the United States instead of moving them to Mexico, blaming the free market for a loss of American jobs is far-fetched, to say the least. However, there is something even...

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Hey, Trump: Pardon Snowden!

by | Nov 16, 2016 | ,

During his first days as president, Barack Obama pledged to protect government whistleblowers. In fact, Change.org even highlighted this stance saying, “Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled.” Oddly, or rather conveniently enough, this section of the webpage disappeared just days after the first round of Edward Snowden...

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