For as long as tyranny has existed, free speech has remained under attack. But the federal government isn’t directly infringing that freedom these days. The mantle has been taken up by the woke left, which is using its influence over corporate America and its vast mob of bizarrely coiffed devotees to badger you into submission.
Digital Age
The Enduring Genius of Murray Rothbard
This week we celebrate the life of Murray N. Rothbard, born on the second of March 1926, a Tuesday, in the Bronx. And what a Bronx it was, teeming with brilliant intellectuals, dedicated Communists, and rock-solid middle-class Americans like David and Rae Rothbard. The family would later become friendly with their apartment building neighbor in Manhattan, one Arthur F. Burns. Burns, an economist at Columbia, was destined for a political career at the Council of Economic Advisers under Eisenhower and as Federal Reserve chairman, appointed by Nixon. Tellingly, Burns was also the man who...
Bitcoin vs. Wall Street
The big worry among the bitcoin perma-bears is the threat of government ‘making it illegal.’ The latest bogeyman on this front is none other than U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. Rumors float that he’s considering outlawing ‘self-custody wallets,’ in effect confiscating the private keys of everyone’s cryptos. In a Twitter-thread, the chief executive [of Coinbase Brian Armstrong] said that his firm “heard rumors” about the US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s plans to introduce fresh rules for “self-custody wallets” by the end of his term. The open nature of cryptocurrencies allows...
Journalist discovers the true cost of ‘free’ dating app Tinder is quite alarming
This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. In a piece that speaks directly to life in the modern age, French journalist Judith Duportail just detailed for The Guardian what happened after she requested from dating app Tinder that she be sent all her personal data. With the help of a privacy activist and a human rights attorney, Tinder granted her request. But she says the sheer volume of information she received was “way more than [she] bargained for.” From her article, published Tuesday: “Some 800 pages came back containing information such as my Facebook ‘likes’, my photos...
Journalist discovers the true cost of 'free' dating app Tinder is quite alarming
This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. In a piece that speaks directly to life in the modern age, French journalist Judith Duportail just detailed for The Guardian what happened after she requested from dating app Tinder that she be sent all her personal data. With the help of a privacy activist and a human rights attorney, Tinder granted her request. But she says the sheer volume of information she received was “way more than [she] bargained for.” From her article, published Tuesday: “Some 800 pages came back containing information such as my Facebook ‘likes’, my photos...
Apple Doesn’t Think You’re Mature Enough to Handle the Truth About U.S. Drone Strikes
This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. “At its core was a question: do we want to be as connected to our foreign policy as we are to our smartphones? My hypothesis was no. Americans don’t care about the drone war because it is largely hidden from view.” That’s how Josh Begley, writing for The Intercept on Tuesday, described the concept behind an app he created five years ago. The app, he says, was a simple one. It merely sent users an alert every time a U.S. drone strike was reported in the news. Apple rejected the app three times on the grounds that it was “excessively...
20th Century Fox Apologizes for Purposely Spreading Fake News
This article originally appeared at Anti-Media. “In raising awareness for our films, we do our best to push the boundaries of traditional marketing in order to creatively express our message to consumers. In this case, we got it wrong.” Those words were taken from an email sent to the New York Times by film industry behemoth 20th Century Fox. It was an apology from the corporation for its part in creating a network of “fake news” sites that published false stories as a marketing campaign for one of its films. “We have reviewed our internal approval process and made appropriate...
2016: An Answer, to the Question Everyone is Asking
“That scene from Rocky IV.” It’s round two, and so far the Italian Stallion has gotten clobbered. Drago has kept him at arm’s length due to his greater size and strength. Our hero just can’t get inside. Then, toward the end of the round, Drago muscles Rocky into a corner and gets the command from his trainer to drop the hammer. It’s there, taking heavy fire from the bigger man, that Rocky finds his footing and connects with a devastating right hook. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-FId9frmsg&t=2s “The Russian’s cut! And it’s a bad cut!” the ring announcer exclaims. No. The fact that...
Digital Security Tips for Protesters
After the election, individuals took to the streets across the country to express their outrage and disappointment at the result of the U.S. presidential election. Many protesters may not be aware of the unfortunate fact that exercising their First Amendment rights may open themselves up to certain risks. Those engaging in peaceful protest may be subject to search or arrest, have their movements and associations mapped, or otherwise become targets of surveillance and repression. It is important that in a democracy citizens exercise their right to peaceably assemble, and demonstrators...