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Western Media’s Blackout of Israel’s “Hannibal Directive”

Western Media’s Blackout of Israel’s “Hannibal Directive”

by | Jan 30, 2024 | ,

Editor's note: The Libertarian Institute's Executive Director Scott Horton recently spoke with Brad Pearce about the subject of this article and Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel. Their interview can be found here. In the time since the October 7 invasion of Israel there have been suggestions both from within Israel and from alternative media elsewhere that Israel used a version of a military protocol known as "The Hannibal Directive” that day, and perhaps has continued to operate upon that protocol since. The “Hannibal Directive” is a military order which was created in 1986 in response to...

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We’re Only Now Seeing the Full Extent of U.S. Failure in Iraq

We’re Only Now Seeing the Full Extent of U.S. Failure in Iraq

by | Jan 18, 2024 | ,

Since the beginning of the current war on Gaza, American troops have been under attack across the Middle East, nowhere moreso than in Iraq. The United States has responded with a variety of airstrikes against militants in Iraq, which have repeatedly been condemned as a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. These initial strikes were a sign that the United States has failed to pacify Iraq and win over “the hearts and minds” of the country, but they were still in line with past U.S. actions. However, things changed on January 4 when the United States killed...

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Six Books on Government that Libertarians Should Read

Six Books on Government that Libertarians Should Read

by | Jan 9, 2024 | ,

Libertarians may be masters at telling stories of government incompetence and malfeasance, but they have a tendency of knowing less about making government work (relatively) well. This is understandable, because libertarians don’t like government and thus often aren’t interested in the art of statecraft. Also, many libertarians are anarchists, which has the advantage of being straightforward in that you simply don’t believe in the state, but it also doesn’t require learning very much about political theory. All this puts libertarians at a disadvantage when they try to get involved in...

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American Soldiers Are Being Put in Danger for Israel

American Soldiers Are Being Put in Danger for Israel

by | Jan 3, 2024 | ,

Since the October 7 attacks restarted conflict between Israel and Hamas, U.S. troops have been under fire all over the Middle East. Thus far, most attacks have been deflected with minimal damage, but it is only a matter of time before one gets through and causes a serious loss of life. Twenty-two years after the beginning of the Global War on Terror, the government rarely bothers to say what we are doing in the Middle East. There is an implication that by “fighting terrorism” we protect Israel, which is somehow crucial to our national security. In reality, our alliance with Israel harms U.S....

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Is There an Opportunity for Libertarians in Europe?

Is There an Opportunity for Libertarians in Europe?

by | Dec 4, 2023 | ,

Europe’s parliaments are facing chronic instability. Indecisive elections and weak governments are now the norm. The challenges of mass migration are empowering anti-immigrant parties that many other parties won’t work with, making it hard to form governing coalitions. At the same time, the growth of the internet and collapse of legacy media have harmed “traditional” parties, leading to an array of smaller parties to getting more votes. The personalization of social media has created a situation where small parties with eccentric, niche political views can reach voters who share their...

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Annoying Protests Are a Price of Freedom

Annoying Protests Are a Price of Freedom

by | Nov 21, 2023 | ,

Over the past couple of years there has been a trend where climate activists deface valuable art in order to “raise awareness” about the perceived catastrophic threat of global warming. It’s a crime against culture and private property which has discredited their cause and doesn’t seem to have won anyone at all to their side. However, there is a bigger problem. Several other events seem to have discredited the premise of protest itself. Much of the public has developed a narrow view that protest needs to be “right” on an issue to be legitimate, as well as being done in their own “approved”...

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Conservatives Irrationally Fear the Rest of the World

Conservatives Irrationally Fear the Rest of the World

by | Nov 15, 2023 | ,

In a throwback to its former glory, the satire website The Onion recently published an article titled, “Conservative Relative’s Description Of Chicago Clearly Came Directly From Dante’s ‘Inferno.’” Though sadly one could never expect them to be this erudite, this type of grandiose narrative about danger is what one hears from many on the American right. Certainly, liberals also have an irrational fear problem, they just fear different things. But regarding crime—and especially the border—conservatives have reached a level of ignorant fear that is some combination of comical and pathetic....

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U.S. Out of Africa Now!

U.S. Out of Africa Now!

by | Nov 7, 2023 | ,

On October 26, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) forced a debate and vote on the U.S. military presence in Niger. The Senate overwhelmingly voted to keep our troops in that troubled country. There has been an increased focus on Africa due to widespread instability and a contest between superpowers for the continent. The presence of U.S. troops puts Americans in danger while failing to solve any of Africa’s problems. During the Cold War era, the United States mostly relied on “soft power” in Africa, but U.S. military presence has continued to increase over the past 30 years. It is time to acknowledge...

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Brad Pearce

Brad Pearce writes The Wayward Rabbler on Substack. He lives in eastern Washington with his wife and daughter. Brad's main interest is the way government and media narratives shape the public's understanding of the world and generate support for insane and destructive policies.



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Last Rights: The Death of American Liberty

Last Rights: The Death of American Liberty

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Americans today have “freedom” to be fleeced, groped, injected, harassed, surveilled, vilified, disarmed, beaten, detained, and maybe shot by federal agents. From hapless homeowners hit by SWAT raids to pandemic lockdowns pointlessly paralyzing lives, government...

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