This last weekend, the Mises Caucus, a coalition within the Libertarian Party, was elected to all national positions within the party. For some, Mises control caused consternation: Aaron Ross Powell is a research fellow at the Cato Institute, a premier libertarian think tank. For others, jubilation: Clint Russell is a podcaster that grew his audience to 3.5 times Powell’s in a little over a year, primarily via anti-lockdown/COVID content. This article will explore the underlying dynamics of why this has happened and where the Libertarian Party can go from here. The Two Types of...
drug war
Despite Social Media Narratives, School Shootings Remain Incredibly Rare
In response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Texas this week, one now sees repeated claims that school shootings are somehow “normal” or common in the United States. For example, social media at this moment is teeming with users—assuming they’re not bots—posting about how they’re absolutely terrified if the idea of allowing their children to attend school. Yesterday, in a now-deleted post, Elizabeth Bruenig—notable for writing on the topic of Millennials having babies—declared that one reason Millennials don’t have babies is because they believe their children are likely to be...
End No-Knock Raids So Cops Stop Killing Innocent Homeowners
In the land of the free—thousands of times a year—American police officers kick in doors, smash windows, deploy tear gas, and explode flashbang grenades all to serve a single, often unarmed, individual with an arrest warrant. These militarized affronts on the homes and property of often entirely innocent individuals all too frequently end with the suffering of the innocent or loss of innocent life. Recently, in only a matter of weeks, two different innocent people were killed by police during these raids. Despite the fact that the officers yelled “police” as they broke into the homes...
Its Not Getting Better: Cops in the U.S. Still Kill Someone Every 8 Hours
It has been nearly two years since Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd. At the time, Floyd’s death would set off massive protests across the country as politicians and political pundits played lip service to Black Lives Matter and others, as they offered up their hollow support. Illustrating the extremely hollow nature of their “support” is the fact that despite all the appeals to emotion, the toothless “reform” bills, and incessant gaslighting—absolutely nothing has changed. As the fourth month of 2022 begins, American cops are keeping to their deadly numbers like clockwork. One quarter...
Free Crack Pipes? Time to Pardon Tommy Chong
Conservative publications have accused the Biden administration of planning to distribute $30 million worth of free crack pipes and other paraphernalia as part of its effort to achieve “racial equity” among “underserved communities.” The original notice for federal grants included provisions to pay for “safe smoking kits/supplies” but the Biden administration insists that no federal funds will be specifically used to purchase crack pipes. But taxpayers will get screwed anyway thanks to federal distribution of free condoms under the same program. While “harm reduction” is the stated goal...
An Oppressive Cycle: How Police Militarization and Police Violence Reinforce Each Other
The militarization of state and local police through federal government programs changed the character of policing in the United States. It has turned “protect and serve” into “command and control.” Instead of serving the community as “peace officers,” many state and local law enforcement agencies have turned into domestic military forces. We see the images on TV news—cops in military gear, riding on armored vehicles and toting military-style weapons. Police apologists claim militarizing law enforcement agencies helps them fight dangerous criminals more effectively and that it makes the...
Free At Last: Veteran Sentenced to Life In Prison for $30 Worth of Marijuana Released
Derek Harris is an honorably discharged veteran who put his life on the line for his country in Operation Desert Storm. His years of service to his country were but dust in the wind, however, to the state who threw him in a cage for the rest of his life for selling less than a gram of weed to an undercover cop. After rotting behind bars for more than a decade, Harris has finally gotten some good news as the drug war comes crumbling down. According to his attorney, Harris was resentenced to time served and will soon be released. Prosecutors in Vermilion Parish agreed to release Harris from...
6/24/21 Ted Carpenter on the Bloody Legacy of America’s Drug War
Ted Carpenter discusses the harmful effects of drug prohibition in America, both at home and abroad. First of all, he points out, prohibition simply doesn't work. We learned this during alcohol prohibition, when consumption remained high but prices and violence skyrocketed, and we continue to see it now, with ubiquitous street drugs, gang violence and millions of people in prison for nonviolent crimes. The public health problem of drug use is very real, Carpenter readily concedes, but that doesn't in any way imply that the answer is to use the police force and the penal system to try to...
COI #126: America’s War on Drugs Wreaks Havoc in Central and South America
On COI #126 Brian Saady, author and host of the Rackets podcast, comes on the show to explain how the 'war on drugs' is a deadly foreign policy. Brian breaks down the countries most impacted by the drug war: Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Honduras. Each country plays a critical war in the multi-billion dollar cocaine market. Brian explains how the American anti-drug efforts in these countries increase violence and death. Brian's Website Odysee Donate LBRY Credits bTTEiLoteVdMbLS7YqDVSZyjEY1eMgW7CP Donate Bitcoin 36PP4kT28jjUZcL44dXDonFwrVVDHntsrk Donate Bitcoin Cash...
TGIF: VP Harris Tells Guatemalans to Stay in Their Place
Shame on Vice President Kamala Harris. On her recent trip to Guatemala she said, "I want to be clear to folks in the region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come. I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back.” This is what passes for sensitivity to human rights in the post-Trump era. It's the same attitude that marked not only the Trump years but also the pre-Trump era under Barack Obama, the deporter-in-chief, and Joe Biden. Notice Harris mentioned the "dangerous trek" without acknowledging that the...