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CIA, State, Defense Officials Debunk Mike Pompeo’s Lies About Iran and Al Qaeda

Via the properly outraged Daniel Larison, Time hosts a pack of dissenters:

The small number of senior members of bin Laden’s now scattered group who remain in Iran are there with the government’s permission, although some of them have been under virtual house arrest, says one of the officials.

The arrangement, say two of the officials, is a pragmatic one: It prevents al Qaeda or any group under its wing from attacking Iran and it provides Tehran some potential leverage in any new negotiations with the U.S., although Iranian President Hassan Rouhani this week said he’s not ready to talk.

“I can envision a moment when, as part of some negotiation, Iran might offer to hand over the al Qaeda types it’s been harboring in exchange for some concession on sanctions,” one U.S. diplomat tells TIME. “If you think about it, that’s kind of the opposite of what the Secretary has said.”

Free Meek Mill!

I’m too old. I still listen to EPMD and Gang Starr. I have no idea who this dude is, but I know for sure he deserves to be free.

As this article explains, he’s been convicted only of the “offenses” of gun and drug possession and of course endless violations of probation over these offenses.

Recently he had been sentenced to years in prison, but, partially thanks to his celebrity — hey, it sure hadn’t done much for him up until this point — the new D.A. in his county is petitioning to have him released, get this, due to the unfair bias of the judge in the case.

The state is a brutal war machine here and abroad. Ask anyone you know who’s been to prison and they’ll tell you only half or less deserve to be there at all. Once caught up in the system and its endless paroles, probations, classes and violations, a bag of weed can turn into decades of pseudo-slavery. It’s not funny.

Of course race plays into it. The traditionally poor and politically powerless are easier for government employees to get away with persecuting. Again, not that money is any guarantee of liberty either.

The bottom line is that everyone should be a libertarian. Guns and drugs should be legal. Probation officers, cops, DAs and judges should all have to go get real jobs and leave everyone else the hell alone. And if you don’t think that then you’re wrong.

Oh yeah, and so check out in that article too it says that Mill and other famous rappers are now starting a project to tell the stories of other people being similarly screwed by the state. They are going to find an endless list of men and women and children to profile.

Porcfest

June 19 and 20 I’m giving speeches at Porcfest in New Hampshire.

On the 19th, I’m on with my friends, the great libertarian comedian Dave Smith and FFF president Jacob Hornberger.

Then on the 20th I’m doing another talk on the wars.

Cody Wilson was arrested but that hasn’t stopped 3D-gun printing

A new network of 3D-printed gun advocates is growing in America – and this time things are different. Unlike previous attempts to popularise 3D-printed guns, this operation is entirely decentralised. There’s no headquarters, no trademarks, and no real leader. The people behind it reckon that this means they can’t be stopped by governments.

They’re uploading these files individually on services such as Spee.ch, a media-hosting site underpinned by the LBRY blockchain, and they aren’t waiting for anyone to give them permission. They’ve made their own 3D-printed gun designs, modified old ones, and are keeping all the Defence Distributed ones available for free too.

This is one reason the blockchain is so important – it allows for anonymous decentralized sharing.  Governments will still try and stop it, but without complete control of the internet they won’t be able to.

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