Blog 116 | The Libertarian Institute

A Third of Vets Get Booked into Jail at Least Once

by Kyle Anzalone | Aug 24, 2022 | Blog

A new study from the Council on Criminal Justice finds “roughly one third of veterans report having been arrested and booked into jail at least once in their lives, compared to fewer than one fifth of non-veterans.”

Military.com reports on the causes for vets getting arrested at a higher rate.

The think tank explained that “the reasons underlying veterans’ justice-system involvement are complex, ranging from combat-related risk factors to ‘bad-paper’ discharges that bar VA benefits,” as well as “inconsistent diversion mechanisms.”

“Service-related trauma and other legacies of deployment push too many veterans on a path toward incarceration,” Hagel said in the announcement. “We can and must do more to understand and interrupt that trajectory.

Read the full article at Military.com

Navy Fights With Congress to Decommission Little Crappy Ships

by Kyle Anzalone | Aug 24, 2022 | Blog

Jeff Schogol of Task & Purpose details the battle between the Department of Defense and Congress over the future of the Littoral Combat Ship program. The Pentagon is seeking to scrap five of its LCS, including four ships that are less than five years old. However, some in Congres are seeking to prevent the ships from being scrapped.

The Littoral Combat Ship USS St. Louis was just commissioned in August 2020, but the Navy wants to decommission the vessel in September 2023, just after the ship’s third birthday.

For the moment, Congress is blocking the Navy from decommissioning the St. Louis and four other Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships: USS Fort Worth, commissioned in September 2012; USS Billings, commissioned in August 2019; USS Wichita, commissioned in January 2019; and USS Indianapolis, commissioned in October 2019.

Ergo, the Navy is in a quandary. The service remains locked in a forced marriage with its newest Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships even though the Navy is so fed up with the vessels that Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday has suggested giving or selling the ships to South American countries.

Read the full article at Task & Purpose

Taiwan Sending Armed Drones to Ukraine Through Poland

by Kyle Anzalone | Aug 24, 2022 | Blog

Taiwanese outlet CM Media reports Taipei is sending arm drones to Kiev. The outlet reported Poland is being used as a cutout.

Defense Post writes,

Dronevision’s Revolver 860 is a vertical takeoff and landing rotor drone capable of carrying eight mortars, according to the Taiwan-based manufacturer.

The manufacturer revealed that it sold the drones to a Polish buyer and that the unmanned platform was then forwarded on to Ukraine.

Citing a company representative, Taiwan News revealed that sales to Poland increased in March and have been steadily increasing.

Read the full article

Details of Massive $3 Billion Aid Package to Ukraine

by Kyle Anzalone | Aug 24, 2022 | Blog

Antiwar.com’s Dave DeCamp details the $3 billion weapons package Biden approved this week.

The Pentagon detailed the contents of the $2.98 billion package and said it demonstrates the US commitment to “supporting Ukraine over the long term.” The Pentagon said the new aid represents “multi-year investments to build the enduring strength of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.”

The new weapons package includes:

Six additional National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) with additional munitions for NASAMS
Up to 245,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition
Up to 65,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition
Up to 24 counter-artillery radars
Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and support equipment for Scan Eagle UAS systems
VAMPIRE Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems
Laser-guided rocket systems
Funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment

Read the full article at Antiwar.com

ACLU Sues Arizona Over Law that Criminalizes Filming Cops

by Kyle Anzalone | Aug 24, 2022 | Blog

The ACLU and media groups have filed a lawsuit against the state of Arizona. It aledges the state’s law that prevents filming within eight feet of a police officer is Constitution’s First Amendment right to record.

The plaintiffs hope to prevent the law from taking effect in September.

Reuters reports filming police has increased accountability.

In recent years, the act of filming law enforcement officials has become a way of exposing misconduct.

The most high-profile example of such filming is cellphone video footage taken by bystanders of the arrest and murder of George Floyd, a Black man, who died after his neck was pinned to the ground by a police official for nine minutes in May 2020. Floyd’s death sparked demonstrations against racism and police brutality in the United States and across the world.

Read the full story at Reuters

Navy to Pay BAE Systems Over $100 Million to Update Battleship

by Kyle Anzalone | Aug 24, 2022 | Blog

The USS Ross is set to undergo over $100 million in repairs and upgrades. The Pentagon awarded the contract to BAE systems which could be worth $124 million. The Ross will be in drydock until 2024.

Defense News reports the upgrade on the Ross come as the Navy is struggling to keep its fleet in good condition.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office has raised concerns multiple times in the last few years about whether the Navy can keep up with its ships’ maintenance needs. A GAO report from August 2020 found that about 75% of planned maintenance periods were delayed for aircraft carriers and submarines in Navy shipyards over a five-year period.

Read the rest of the article at Defense News

A Conversation with Keith Knight and Dave Smith on The Voluntaryist Handbook

by Connor Freeman | Aug 24, 2022 | Blog

Keith Knight, our Managing Editor and host of the Don’t Tread On Anyone podcast, went on Dave Smith’s Part of the Problem to discuss Keith’s new book (Amazon’s #1 bestseller in anarchism!) The Voluntaryist Handbook: A Collection of Essays, Excerpts, and Quotes.

Keith and Dave cover the principles of voluntaryism, discuss what it means to be a true anarchist, delve into some political news, and detail the ways in which peace, consenting relationships, voluntary exchanges, contracts, and arrangements make our lives immeasurably better and more prosperous. Whereas the State, and forced association more generally, is a detriment to humanity that makes all of our lives worse.

This show was recorded on August 22nd, 2022. Check it out!

Biden Says He Will Cancel Up to $20K in Student Load Debt Per Barrower

by Kyle Anzalone | Aug 24, 2022 | Blog

President Joe Biden rolled out his plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt. Anyone who made under $125,000 during the pandemic is eligible for $10,000 in forgiveness. Borrowers who received Pell grants can get an additional $10,000 relieved.

President Donald Trump suspended student loan payments in 2020. While announcing his plan Wednesday, Biden extended Trump’s repayment pause through 2022.

Time reports some other details of Biden’s student loan plan.

Another feature of the loan relief plan is that it caps undergraduate loan payments to 5% of a borrower’s monthly income, as opposed to the previous 10% threshold.

Additionally, the plan forgives loan balances of $12,000 or less after 10 years of payments, instead of the current 20 years. It also fully covers the borrower’s unpaid monthly interest, so that unlike with current income-driven repayment plans, a borrower’s loan balance won’t grow as they are making their required monthly payments.

The White House claims Biden’s student loan action will eliminate debt for 20 million Americans. The White House fact sheet did not explain how Biden has the unilateral authority to cancel the loans.