Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Top 10 libertarian moments of 2013

10 Most Iconic Libertarian Moments Of 2013 - PolicyMic - Robert Taylor:

December 18, 2013 - "Whistleblowers, leakers, filibusters, photoshopping Obama, a government shutdown and more highlight a great year for the spread of liberty."



2013 in words and pictures: http://www.policymic.com/articles/76981/10-most-iconic-libertarian-moments-of-2013
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Monday, December 30, 2013

Slate claims LP failed to take stand on gay rights

Slate Wonders Why Libertarian Party Insists on Being Libertarian on Gay Rights Issues, Reveals Utter Ignorance of Party's History - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Brian Doherty:

December 30, 2012 - "Weird little piece up at Slate today, about an issue certainly none of their readers or pretty much anyone else cares about, but feeds a generic endless desire to scratch at the persistently annoying itch of libertarianism in these here times.

"It is called 'How Libertarians Failed Gay Rights' and its URL contains the phrase 'the party failed to take a stand' on gay rights. Its evidence for this is that on the LP's current website, author Tyler Lopez couldn't find a dedicated page about gay rights.

"The Party's platform does, though Lopez doesn't mention this, contain this:
Sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity should have no impact on the government's treatment of individuals, such as in current marriage, child custody, adoption, immigration or military service laws. Government does not have the authority to define, license or restrict personal relationships. Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual practices and personal relationships....
"Slate's piece combines confused thinking with near utter ignorance on its topic. However, it will, if read quickly and carelessly by equally ignorant readers, help make certain people think less of libertarianism, and that's all that matters."

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2013/12/30/slate-wonders-why-libertarian-party-insi
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Sunday, December 29, 2013

David Weigel interviews Justin Amash, his "Critic of the Year"

Libertarian congressman Justin Amash: Critic of NSA, immigration, budget deal - David Weigel, Slate:

"Justin Amash kicked off 2013 with an act of pointless, doomed rebellion. The congressman from Michigan, a Republican first elected in 2010, had just been removed from the budget committee... After the new Congress was sworn in, Amash joined a crew of conservatives to vote against John Boehner for Speaker of the House....

"By the summer, Amash had normalized relations with his leadership and won a vote on an amendment to defund the NSA’s domestic surveillance. When the amendment nearly passed, it altered the way official Washington discussed the NSA, changing the story from senators vs. Snowden to an actual controversy that ran through party lines. Three months later, the 33-year old congressman drew a wealthy and establishment-friendly Republican primary challenger. This was covered as a problem for the Tea Party, but it seemed awfully selective. Of all the 'unreasonable' Republicans to go after, the one sweating a challenge was the libertarian who explained his votes on Facebook."

Read more: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2013/12/libertarian_congressman_justin_amash_critic_of_nsa_immigration_budget_deal.html
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Saturday, December 28, 2013

The libertarian challenge within the GOP

The Libertarian Challenge within the GOP | Brookings Institution - Ross Tilchin:

December 27, 2013 - "Would a stronger appeal to libertarian values help the Republican Party win elections? This was one of the central questions raised during a discussion of the Public Religion Research Institute’s (PRRI’s) American Values Survey, “In Search of Libertarians in America,” launched at the Brookings Institution on October 29th, 2013.

"Lbertarianism has become a major part of the political conversation in the United States.... And the tenets of libertarianism square with the attitudes of an American public dissatisfied with government performance, apprehensive about government’s intrusiveness into private life, and disillusioned with U.S. involvement overseas. Libertarianism is also distinct from the social conservatism that has handicapped the Republican Party in many recent elections among women and young people.

"Within this context, libertarians seem likely to exercise greater sway on the Republican Party than at any other point in the recent past. But a closer look at public attitudes points to many factors that will limit the ability of libertarians to command greater influence within the GOP caucus."

Read more: http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/fixgov/posts/2013/12/27-libertarian-power-gop-tilchin
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Friday, December 27, 2013

250,000 Britons defy fox hunt ban on Boxing Day

Fox hunting ban: breaking the basic tenets of libertarian politics - The Information Daily.com - Tim Bonner, Countryside Alliance:

December 26, 2013 - "Today around 250,000 supporters of hunting, both mounted and on foot, will turn out for the Boxing Day meets of their local hunts.

"This incredible support for hunts has not wavered since the Hunting Act and shows the demand for repeal of this unfair and unworkable act, which was not born of concern for animal welfare, but rather prejudice against those people standing in fields across Yorkshire today.

"When Lord Burns, the chairman of the government Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs, ... uttered the famous line 'Naturally, people ask whether we were implying that hunting is cruel ... the short answer to that question is no' ... that should have signalled the end of the long and utterly futile debate over hunting, but it did not.

"In fact by that stage a total prohibition on hunting was inevitable because the debate had nothing to do with logic, evidence or animal welfare. It was instead an obsessive and bigoted attack on a group of people who were perceived to be carrying out the activity.... Parliament decided, in the absence of any evidence, to impose its moral view of the activity of hunting on those who took part in it."

Read more: http://www.theinformationdaily.com/2013/12/26/fox-hunting-ban-breaking-the-basic-tenets-of-libertarian-politics
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Thursday, December 26, 2013

U. of Michigan students sue over unconstitutional funding decision

University of Michigan Student Group Files Lawsuit Over Unconstitutional Funding Decisions - The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - FIRE - Art Cohn:

December 23, 2013 - "Last Friday, a student group at the University of Michigan (UM) filed a federal lawsuit against the university, claiming that UM violated the First Amendment when it refused to grant the group student fee funding for one of its activities on the basis that it was a 'political activity.' The suit is being brought by Alliance Defending Freedom....

"On October 22, the UM Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) chapter, a recognized student organization, hosted a presentation by Jennifer Gratz, who famously won a 2003 lawsuit against the university for automatically granting admission 'points' to undergraduate applicants based on race....When YAL submitted a request for $1,000 in student fee funding, its request was denied based on a policy against allowing student fees to be used for 'political or religious activities'....

"If these were the only facts, UM would still clearly be in the wrong. As we have repeatedly explained, the law is clear that public universities are legally required to provide funding to student groups on a content- and viewpoint-neutral basis....

"Unfortunately, the allegations go even further.... Official documents summarizing funding of student groups at UM show that as recently as 2010, funding has been granted to a broad array of political and religious student groups....

"But even more galling is the allegation that only a week before Gratz’s presentation to YAL, another student group received funding to travel to Washington, D.C., to advocate a pro-affirmative action viewpoint on the steps of the United States Supreme Court."

Read more: http://thefire.org/article/16603.html
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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Dear Pope: It's a better world than you think

Is the Pope Right About the World? - Marian Tupy - The Atlantic:

December 11, 2013 - "In Evangelii Gaudium, an 'apostolic exhortation' released late last month, the pope bemoans inequality, poverty, and violence in the world.

"But here’s the problem: The dystopian world that Francis describes, without citing a single statistic, is at odds with reality. In appealing to our fears and pessimism, the pope fails to acknowledge the scope and rapidity of human accomplishment — whether measured through declining global inequality and violence, or growing prosperity and life expectancy....

"First, consider inequality. Academic researchers ... all agree that global inequality is declining. That is because 2.6 billion people in China and India are richer than they used to be. Their economies are growing much faster than those of their Western counterparts, thus shrinking the income gap that opened at the dawn of industrialization in the 19th century, when the West took off and left much of the rest of the world behind.

"Paradoxically, the shrinking of the global inequality gap was only possible after India and China abandoned their attempts to create equality through central planning....

"Second, let’s look at poverty.... Brookings Institution researchers Laurence Chandy and Geoffrey Gertz ... 'estimate that between 2005 and 2010, the total number of poor people around the world fell by nearly half a billion, from over 1.3 billion in 2005 to under 900 million in 2010. Poverty reduction of this magnitude is unparalleled in history: never before have so many people been lifted out of poverty over such a brief period of time.'"

Read more: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/12/is-the-pope-right-about-the-world/282276/
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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Libertarian ideology competitive for mainstream status in GOP

Could 2016 Be Rand Paul's Moment? | Rich Rubino - Huffington Post:

November 26, 2013 - "The Libertarian ideological trilogy of non-intervention abroad, free markets at home, and support for civil liberties was once a dominant force in the Republican Party. The last Libertarian with a legitimate shot at the GOP nomination was U.S. Senator Robert A. Taft (R-OH) in 1952.

"At that time, Libertarianism was one of two prevailing ideologies within the Republican Party.... Since then, the Libertarian ideology has been in decline, becoming a fringe ideology within the Republican Party. This was true as recently as 2008, when Rand Paul's father, U.S. Representative Ron Paul (R-TX), was booed during a debate at the Reagan Library when he suggested that the 9/11 hijackings were blowback from the deleterious effects of U.S. foreign policy. In fact, there was even an active movement among some in the Republican high command to bar Ron Paul from participating in future debates.

"With the advent of the Libertarian-oriented Tea Party, and the success of Tea Party- style Congressional candidates at the ballot box in the 2010 and 2012 mid-term elections, this Libertarian ideology is now competing to be the mainstream ideology of the GOP."

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rich-rubino/rand-paul-2016_b_4334411.html
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Monday, December 23, 2013

10 libertarian economics books to give as gifts

10 libertarian economics books to buy this Christmas - Andrew Moran, Economic Collapse News:

December 19, 2013 - "Christmas is less than a week away and if you’re still frantically shopping to get everyone in your family a gift then this list may be your salvation. If you’re attempting to buy a present for that Keynesian, neo-conservative or socialist in your life then these Austrian economics or libertarian books are the best gifts to spread the message of liberty this holiday season.

"Indeed, it’s usually best to avoid engaging in political discourse on Christmas Eve or Day. However, giving a book as a Christmas gift is the best way to open their mind to other concepts that aren’t from the pens of John Maynard Keynes, Karl Marx, Irving Kristol or Naomi Klein. Of course, during the next family gathering (Easter), a political conversation can ensue."

Read more: http://economiccollapsenews.com/2013/12/19/10-libertarian-economics-books-to-buy-this-christmas/

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Supreme Court strikes down Canada's prostitution laws

Supreme Court strikes down Canada's prostitution laws - Politics - CBC News:

December 20, 2013 - "The Supreme Court of Canada has struck down the country's anti-prostitution laws in a unanimous decision, and given Parliament one year to come up with new legislation — should it choose to do so.

"In striking down laws prohibiting brothels, living on the avails of prostitution and communicating in public with clients, the top court ruled Friday that the laws were over-broad and 'grossly disproportionate.'

"'Parliament has the power to regulate against nuisances, but not at the cost of the health, safety and lives of prostitutes," wrote Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin in the 9-0 decision that noted 'it is not a crime in Canada to sell sex for money....

"'I would therefore make a suspended declaration of invalidity, returning the question of how to deal with prostitution to Parliament.'

"That means the provisions stay in the Criminal Code for the next year while the government decides what to do."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/supreme-court-strikes-down-canada-s-prostitution-laws-1.2471572
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Friday, December 20, 2013

Camille Paglia slams ‘fascist’ politically correct silencing of Phil Robertson

Lesbian Libertarian Camille Paglia Slams ‘Fascist’ Politically Correct Culture That Punishes ‘Duck Dynasty’ Star’s Right To Free Speech : Personal Liberty™: - Ben Bullard

December 19, 2013 - "Count on Camille Paglia to turn her progressive, myopic, ivory-tower echo-chamber colleagues red with indignant rage anytime she opens her mouth to speak the simple truth.

"Paglia weighed in on the sanctimony-fueled uproar that 'Duck Dynasty' star Phil Robertson’s 'suspension' from the massively popular A&E show generated Thursday, as the openly gay professor, intellectual and pop culture critic tore into the pervasiveness of politically correct timidity throughout American culture on an appearance on the Laura Ingraham radio show.

"Paglia, author of the 1991 landmark Sexual Personae ... hewed to the same fierce defense of free speech that has kept progressive critics – nearly all of whom lack the academic chops to assail her thinking on the merits – throwing off-the-mark ad hominem spears at her for two decades.

"'I speak with authority here, because I was openly gay before the ‘Stonewall Rebellion,’ when it cost you something to be so,' said Paglia. 'And I personally feel as a libertarian that people have the right to free thought and free speech.'"

Read more: http://personalliberty.com/2013/12/19/lesbian-libertarian-camille-paglia-slams-fascist-politically-correct-culture-that-punishes-duck-dynasty-stars-right-to-free-speech/
'via Blog this'

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Justin Amash raises over $100K in 48-hour moneybomb

Congressman Justin Amash’s campaign receives more than $100k in 48 hours | Washington Times Communities - Michael Lofti:

December 18, 2013 - "The 'money-bomb', a fundraising tactic still foreign to many traditional campaigns, was exactly what Congressman Justin Amash (R-Mich.) needed to wage his war on the conservative establishment. The popular libertarian/tea party Republican’s Star Wars themed fundraising event, which was titled “The Establishment Strikes Back: Join the Rebel Alliance,” kicked off last Monday morning and was a huge success.

"In fact, the campaign website’s servers crashed due to large waves of donations flooding in....

"'“Originally we had only planned for a 24-hour event,' said Will Adams, an Amash campaign spokesman. 'However, we extended the event an additional 24-hours due to the massive outpour of support....

"'After we hit $70k, the website was receiving so many donations that it crashed,' said Adams. Staffers quickly redirected the servers to the donation website to temporarily resolve the problem.

"According to Adams, the campaign event will finish with more than $100k before the 48-hour event ends."

Read more: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/american-millennial/2013/dec/18/congressman-justin-amashs-campaign-receives-more-1/
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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Social Christian Unity economists endorse Libertarian presidential candidate in Costa Rica

Unity economists break from party and endorse Libertarian presidential candidate / News Briefs / More news / Costa Rica Newspaper, The Tico Times:

"In the latest step in the descent of the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), a group of party economists are now voicing their support for Libertarian Movement Party candidate Otto Guevara, saying his embrace of the free market is the only solution to the twin electoral threats of socialism and a continuation of the current ruling party's culture of corruption.

"A former president of Costa Rica’s Central Bank and previous PUSC supporter, Jorge Guardia, attacked one of the rising opposition candidates.

"'The country faces an urgent political dilemma,' Guardia said at a Tuesday press conference. 'There exists the risk that José María Villalta, of the socialist Broad Front Party, could win the February presidential elections.'

"Guardia praised the Libertarian Movement presidential nominee as having the only economic plan to solve Costa Rica’s woes, such as its 8.9 percent unemployment rate. He said he made the switch because polls have shown that current PUSC candidate, Rodolfo Piza, has no chance to even reach the runoff."

"Recent polls have shown ... Villalta and ruling National Liberation Party nominee Johnny Araya, the former mayor of San José, as the front-runners. Most polls have placed Guevara in third place. If no candidate gets more than 40 percent of the vote on Feb. 2, the top two finishers will face a runoff."

Read more: http://www.ticotimes.net/More-news/News-Briefs/Unity-economists-break-from-party-and-endorse-Libertarian-presidential-candidate-_Tuesday-December-17-2013
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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

NSA bulk data collection ruled unconstitutional by lower court

Judge slaps NSA surveillance with stop order | canada.com - William Marsden:

December 16,2013 - "A U.S. judge has ruled that the National Security Agency’s indiscriminate, bulk seizure of Americans’ telephone records is “almost certainly” unconstitutional and has issued a preliminary injunction to stop the highly controversial surveillance program.

The NSA has argued its widespread collection of phone records and, under a program called PRISM, Internet data allows U.S. intelligence services to identify terrorists and uncover their plots.

“I am not convinced at this point in the litigation that the NSA’s database has ever truly served the purpose of rapidly identifying terrorists in time-sensitive investigations,” U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon said in his 68-page judgment....

"In light of the “significant national security interest at stake in this case and the novelty of the constitutional issue,” Leon ordered a delay in the execution of the injunction pending appeal from the government....

"The injunction bars the government from collecting any telephone 'metadata' from personal accounts obtained from the telephone network company Verizon as part of the NSA’s bulk collection program. It also requires that the government destroy any bulk collection metadata in its possession originating from Verizon."

Read more: http://o.canada.com/news/judge-slaps-nsa-surveillance-with-stop-order/
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Monday, December 16, 2013

Gary Johnson launches Our America Super PAC

Gary Johnson launches Super PAC | New Mexico Telegram - Matthew Reichbach:

December 11, 2013 - "Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is launching his own Super PAC, aiming to promote 'Liberty-minded' candidates... The PAC is called Our America PAC.

"Johnson, who served two terms as New Mexico’s governor, was the Libertarian Party candidate for President in 2012.

"'From the realities of government-run healthcare setting in to the continuing disclosures of the breadth of NSA’s domestic spying, more Americans than ever are ready to take a serious look at candidates who offer real alternatives to business-as-usual,' the release announcing the PAC said.

"The PAC will make independent expenditures to aid the libertarian-leaning candidates....

"The PAC is separate from the Our America Initiative, a non-profit for which Johnson is the honorary chairman. That is an issue advocacy group that does not get directly involved in races between candidates."

Read more: http://www.nmtelegram.com/2013/12/11/gary-johnson-launches-super-pac/
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Sunday, December 15, 2013

Entertainment Weekly interviews Kennedy

Lisa Kennedy Montgomery, ex-VJ, talks libertarianism and Miley | Inside TV | EW.com - Hillary Busis:

December 9, 2013 - "Lisa Kennedy Montgomery is best known to a generation as, simply, Kennedy — the hip MTV VJ who helped introduce America to Nirvana and Soundgarden on Alternative Nation, mimed oral sex on a mic during the 1994 VMAs — while standing next to Rudy Giuliani, no less — and eventually came out as a die-hard Republican. (In a ’94 Vanity Fair profile, she even declared her ardent love for former vice president Dan Quayle.)

"Nearly 20 years later, the 41-year-old mother of two has left her wild-child past behind for a career as a writer, radio host, and Fox Business contributor. But while her political views haven’t really changed, the way she labels herself has: Kennedy now identifies as a libertarian. Her next project, a Fox Business roundtable called The Independents, will allow Kennedy and her co-hosts, Matt Welch and Kmele Foster, to tackle news from an angle that, in her mind, is both tough to find on TV and absolutely vital. 'The reason our show exists is because the idea of a two-party system has failed,' she tells EW."

Read more: http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/12/09/kennedy-mtv-vj-libertarian-show/
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Saturday, December 14, 2013

Does inequality matter?

When is inequality harmful? When it's caused by cronyism | WashingtonExaminer.com - Timothy P. Carney:

December 6, 2013: "President Obama wants to put inequality at the center of America's political discourse. Fine. Here’s the opening question: 'Does inequality matter?'

The answer: 'It depends.' It depends on how governments react to inequality, it depends on how developed the country is, it depends on whether it's wealth inequality or income inequality.

"It also depends on how the wealthy got wealthy, according to a recent academic study. In short: Inequality doesn’t hurt a country, unless the inequality results from government favors.

"Inequality can be messy to talk about, because it is entangled in many different concepts that need to be considered separately."

Read more: http://washingtonexaminer.com/when-is-inequality-harmful-when-its-caused-by-cronyism/article/2540338
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Friday, December 13, 2013

Rand Paul promotes 'economic freedom zone' for Detroit

Paul seeks to broaden appeal to Detroit voters, offers economic plan in visit | The Detroit News - Jim Lynch:

December 6, 2013 - "Kentucky U.S. Sen. Rand Paul proposed an economic revival plan he argues would generate more than $1 billion for Detroit during a series of local stops Friday to tout a new Republican strategy for reaching out to black voters.

"The libertarian-leaning GOP senator touted his 'economic freedom zones' — a tax-slashing strategy designed to boost Detroit and other areas in need — before a Detroit Economic Club luncheon crowd of more than 400 at the Motor City Casino Hotel. The plan calls for reducing individual and corporate income taxes to a flat rate of 5 percent in areas hardest hit by unemployment, as well as lowering payroll taxes and eliminating capital gains taxes.

"'Over a 10-year period, (it will mean) a $1.3 billion stimulus for Detroit,' Paul said. 'So those who say it won’t work ... we calculated it. A $1.3 billion stimulus — not from Houston, not from Atlanta. It’s your money. We’re not going to take it to Washington; we’ll leave it with you'....

"In addition, the income requirement for entrepreneurial immigrants would be reduced to $50,000 to encourage people from around the world to move to Detroit.

"Paul, considered a potential 2016 presidential candidate, visited Detroit primarily to promote the plan and help the Michigan Republican Party expand its outreach efforts with minority voters."

Read more: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131206/METRO01/312060086/Paul-Economic-plan-would-1-3B-stimulus-Detroit-
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Thursday, December 12, 2013

Texas Libertarians fill ballot for statewide offices in 2014

The Gilmer Mirror - TEXAS LIBERTARIANS FILL THE BALLOT:

December 10, 2013 - "Today the Libertarian Party of Texas announced that it has recruited candidates for every statewide, federal (US Senate and Congress), state senate, and all but one district of the state board of education.

"'The final numbers are not in yet, as we have many candidates running at the county level and we are compiling those results.  Needless to say, voters in Texas will see lots of Libertarians on the ballot,' said Patrick Dixon, chair at Libertarian Party of Texas. 'In addition, most of the races at the statewide level and many others are contested.  Our state convention will be very exciting and competitive.'

"The party states that Libertarian candidates give voters not a third choice, but the only real choice for Texans from the broken so-called two-party system. 'The Democrats and Republicans represent a false choice. The good news is we are seeing that younger voters understand this and we expect a record number of votes from the younger generations in the fall,' stated Lauren Daugherty, the party's executive director. 'Young people are coming to the realization that the old left-right paradigm is really an illusion of choice, not real choice,' she added."

Read more: http://www.gilmermirror.com/view/full_story/24192721/article-TEXAS-LIBERTARIANS-FILL-THE-BALLOT?instance=home_news_bullets
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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Uruguay is first country to legalize marijuana trade

Uruguay becomes first country to legalize marijuana trade - World News - Malena Castaldi and Felipe Llambias, Reuters:

December 10, 2013 - "Uruguay became the first country to legalize the growing, sale and smoking of marijuana on Tuesday, a pioneering social experiment that will be closely watched by other nations debating drug liberalization.

"A government-sponsored bill approved by 16-13 votes in the Senate provides for regulation of the cultivation, distribution and consumption of marijuana and is aimed at wresting the business from criminals in the small South American nation....

"Cannabis consumers will be able to buy a maximum of 40 grams (1.4 ounces) each month from licensed pharmacies as long as they are Uruguayan residents over the age of 18 and registered on a government database that will monitor their monthly purchases.

"When the law is implemented in 120 days, Uruguayans will be able to grow six marijuana plants in their homes a year, or as much as 480 grams (about 17 ounces), and form smoking clubs of 15 to 45 members that can grow up to 99 plants per year.

"Registered drug users should be able to start buying marijuana over the counter from licensed pharmacies in April."

Read more: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/10/21852934-uruguay-becomes-first-country-to-legalize-marijuana-trade
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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

US Libertarian Party Chair Neale forges ties with European LPs

Libertarian Party Chair Neale forges ties with European counterparts | Westmoreland Times:

December 9, 2013 - "Libertarian Party Chair Geoffrey Neale made an historic trip in November to forge ties with emerging Libertarian Parties in Europe and Russia.

"Neale addressed audiences in Madrid and Moscow, well-attended by Libertarian leaders within each country as well as by representatives from the U.K., Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands.

"Neale’s trip coincided with the recent formation of a new pan-European party — the European Party for International Liberty (EPIL) — which aims to advance libertarian policy in the European Union.

"EPIL’s second official meeting took place at a conference where Neale was the featured speaker, hosted by the Individual Freedom Party (P-LIB), the Spanish equivalent of the U.S. Libertarian Party.

"'[Neale's] presentation was highly informative, educational, and inspirational,' said Guy Montrose, Chairman of the U.K. Libertarian Party (LPUK)."

Read more: http://westmorelandtimes.com/news/10621/12/09/02/libertarian-party-chair-neale-forges-ties-with-european-counterparts/
'via Blog this'

Monday, December 9, 2013

Libertarian views becoming mainstream in OK GOP

Wayne Greene: Oklahoma's new libertarian mainstream + Tom Coburn vs. the NFL - Tulsa World: :

December 8, 2013 - "Eighteenth century thinking is starting to get more traction in Oklahoma’s 21st century government.

"Consider an op/ed column written by state Rep. Lewis Moore last week.

"The national government has gotten 'too big for its britches,' the Arcadia Republican says, and nothing less than liberty and the integrity of the republic are at stake.

"Moore’s column is worth looking at because it’s a pretty pure expression of the Madisonian libertarian strain that is getting louder and louder at the state Capitol, especially in the state House of Representatives....

"Moore describes a broad array of programs — from airport security to Medicare — as part of the 'nationalization of the United States of America'....

“He advocates two steps: sharply limiting the authority of the IRS and state refusal of federal money for 'central government controlled programs' that are funded with national debt financing."

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/waynegreene/wayne-greene-oklahoma-s-new-libertarian-mainstream/article_36983536-5ff4-11e3-99dc-001a4bcf6878.html
'via Blog this'

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Joseph S. Diedrich interviews Wendy McElroy

Libertarian America: A conversation with Wendy McElroy, Part 1 | Washington Times Communities - Joseph S. Diedrich:

November 9, 2013 - "Wendy McElroy, a Canadian individualist feminist author, has written numerous articles and several books on topics ranging from anarchist history to sexual expression. Her most recent effort, The Art of Being Free, is an exposition of the state of liberty in our world. An emotional connection to the social philosophy she cares about so deeply shines brightly in every word she pens.

"McElroy holds nothing back and her opinions are refreshingly direct. In the tradition of her intellectual role models Benjamin Tucker and Samuel E. Konkin III, her distaste for the state is matched in intensity only by her love of humanity."

Read more: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/business-living/2013/nov/9/libertarian-america-conversation-wendy-mcelroy/
Part II: https://web.archive.org/web/20150128031919/http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/business-living/2013/nov/16/libertarian-america-wendy-mcelroy-future-lib/
'via Blog this'

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Rand Paul's humble foreign policy

Rand Paul Outlines Foreign Policy in South Carolina - US News and World Report:

November 6, 2013 - "Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., outlined a humble foreign policy doctrine at The Citadel Tuesday, stressing the objective of peace through strength in an attempt to allay fears among some Republicans about his commitment to the military.

"The libertarian-minded freshman's goal before this decorated audience was twofold: To assert his support for the world's greatest fighting force while making the case for a more prudent approach to global affairs that keeps soldiers out of conflicts that are not in the vital national interest.

"'The first and primary function of our government is a strong national defense -- bar none,' Paul said to sustained applause as he stood in the well of the military college's fieldhouse populated with cadets. 'But so much of what we do in Washington today is more like an irrational offense'....

"Paul is a probable Republican 2016 presidential candidate who is ... appearing to make the Palmetto State a central part of his strategy. This was his fourth visit to South Carolina in 2013. A June address to party stalwarts in Columbia was similarly almost exclusively devoted to foreign affairs and the nation's fight combating terrorism.

"But these remarks -- which ran just under 20 minutes -- could be easily characterized as Paul's first major foreign policy speech of his yet to be announced presidential campaign."

Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/11/12/rand-paul-outlines-foreign-policy-in-south-carolina
'via Blog this'

Friday, December 6, 2013

South FL's first-ever Libertarian legislative candidate

South Florida sees first-ever Libertarian legislative candidate - Miami Libertarian | Examiner.com - Pierre-Alexandre Crevaux:

December 6, 2013 - "On November 5th, the Libertarian Party's first candidate in Miami-Dade County, Hialeah City Council candidate Marcos Miralles, surprised many experts by pulling 25% of the votes against an incumbent that outraised him 175-to-1.

"Determined to progress from the success, Libertarian candidates have been stepping up in South Florida and one of them has chosen the ambitious goal of running for Florida's legislature.

"Omar Recuero, a young Libertarian Party of Florida leader in his 30s, has filed to run for the State's House of Representatives' District 100. The district covers a long area, from the town of Surfside in Miami-Dade County to Dania Beach in Broward County, and includes two of the wealthiest towns in Florida: Indian Creek and Golden Beach."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/south-florida-sees-first-ever-libertarian-legislative-candidate
'via Blog this'

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Libertarian karaoke night raises $6K for Amash's re-election

It Started Out as Just a Few Libertarians Hanging Out at a Bar…But No One Could Have Guessed What It Would Turn Into | TheBlaze.com - Oliver Darcy:

December 4, 2013 - "Nearly 100 young libertarian activists piled into O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub just outside Washington, D.C. Tuesday for the bar’s weekly karaoke night.

These young libertarians have been gathering in the Arlington, Va., bar each week for about two years now — but last night ... Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) was in attendance....

"Months ago, Matthew Hurtt, a well-known player in D.C. libertarian political circle, had made the decision to use the the weekly karaoke gatherings to raise money for one of the movement’s elected officials.

"'We have a pretty dedicated group of young liberty activists who attend karaoke regularly on Tuesday nights at this particular venue,' Hurtt told TheBlaze. 'The idea sprang from that because I knew those folks would be willing to donate to someone like Congressman Amash.'

"After hatching the plan, Hurtt says the event snowballed beyond his expectations and ultimately raised $6,630 for Amash’s 2014 reelection campaign. Each person that attended Tuesday’s event was required to donate at least $35 to Amash’s campaign....

"'He’s a young guy; he’s accessible and accountable through Twitter and Facebook,' Hurtt said. 'And he’s been a strong voice on those issues that are important to young people. I think young people are jaded by the failures of big government, and they’re looking for someone who will be honest with them and be principled. Amash is one of the few who does that.'"

Read more: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/12/04/it-started-out-as-just-a-few-libertarians-hanging-out-at-a-bar-but-no-one-could-have-guessed-what-it-would-turn-into/
'via Blog this'

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Majority of Americans want U.S. to "mind its own business internationally"

Most Americans think US should 'mind its own business' abroad, survey finds | World news | theguardian.com - Paul Lewis, The Guardian: 

December 3, 2013 - "A majority of Americans believe the US plays a less important and powerful role in the world than it did 10 years ago, according to a long-running study that found that most people now believe America should 'mind its own business internationally'.

"It is the first time the survey of US foreign policy attitudes has recorded such a sentiment in almost four decades of polling.

"The findings, published on Tuesday by the Pew Research Center in association with the Council on Foreign Relations, suggest Americans want their leaders to adopt a less interventionist approach, although there is a growing desire for the development of stronger trade and business links abroad.

"The US is now widely seen as less respected abroad, bucking a trend in which Americans believed their reputation had recovered since Barack Obama was elected. Impressions of how the US is perceived under Obama are now, broadly, as negative as they were in the final days of the George W. Bush administration."

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/03/american-public-mind-its-own-business-survey
'via Blog this'

Also read: Non-intervention, by George Dance

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Ron Paul: Yellen is dangerous for the economy

Ron Paul: Yellen Dangerous For The Economy - Forbes - (Kitco News):

November 26, 2013 - "The Federal Reserve will not be able to revive the economy under the leadership of Janet Yellen, said Dr. Ron Paul.

"The former U.S. congressman, and former Republican presidential candidate spoke with Kitco News during the Metals & Minerals Conference in San Francisco and said he does not expect Yellen to change the monetary policy that is currently in place. In fact he expects that she could be even more aggressive than current chairman Ben Bernanke.

"'She is a very aggressive inflator. She really believes in quantitative easing and that is the only thing they know,' Paul said. 'I think she is very dangerous. I think she will be dangerous to the U.S. dollar.'

"On Thursday the U.S. Senate Banking Committee approved the nomination of Janet Yellen as the next chief of the central bank; it was approved by a vote of 14 to eight. Her nomination will now be sent to the full Senate for a final vote, which according to some media reports will take place in December.

Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kitconews/2013/11/26/ron-paul-yellen-is-dangerous-for-the-economy/
'via Blog this'

Monday, December 2, 2013

NATO’s $1 Billion monument to irrelevance

NATO’s $1 Billion Monument to Irrelevance | Cato @ Liberty - Ted Galen Carpenter:

November 15, 2013 - "A November 13 article in Reuters discusses the growing controversy over NATO’s new headquarters being built outside of Brussels. The price tag — some $1 billion — has raised more than a few eyebrows. 'When defense budgets are being cut and in general when governments are under so much pressure from taxpayers to save money, it looks terribly extravagant,' opines Daniel Keohane, head of a leading think tank in Belgium. Several members of the British parliament also have questioned the cost.

"NATO officials, though, defend the project, asserting that the existing headquarters, built in 1967, has outlived its usefulness. Of course, the same point could be made with far greater validity about the NATO alliance itself. After all, it was created during the depths of the Cold War in 1949 to, as Lord Harold Ismay, NATO’s secretary general at the time, pithily observed, 'keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.' Given the collapse of the Soviet Union and Russia’s manifold demographic, economic, and military limitations as a successor state, that mission now seems to be more than a little obsolete. The past two decades, the alliance has been conducting a frantic search for relevant new missions, resulting in a dubious decision to add members in Eastern Europe and wage even more dubious wars in places like Kosovo and Afghanistan."

Read more: http://www.cato.org/blog/natos-1-billion-monument-irrelevance
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Sunday, December 1, 2013

The Pope, and the libertarians' failure

BEDFORD: The pope, and the libertarians' failure | The Daily Caller - Christopher Bedford:

November 29, 2013 - "Earlier this week, Pope Francis released his first major writing as head of the Roman Catholic Church — his Evangelii Gaudium, or “Joy of the Gospel” — to much fanfare from American progressives and more than a few groans from the right. While the pope’s message confirmed a lot of social doctrine that conservative Catholics can be thankful for, ... he seemed to come down fairly hard on libertarian economics, characterizing them as 'trickle-down theories' that have 'never been confirmed by the facts,' and tend 'to devour everything which stands in the way of increased profits'....

"But conservative and libertarians shouldn’t blame the pope for his characterization of the free market — we should blame ourselves.... [A]s his questions and teachings this week showed, we have failed to broadly and convincingly make the moral case for the free market....

"It is essential to make this case, because economic freedom is the sole economic system that allows man the freedom to create and succeed through his own faculties, satisfying his material needs as well as nurturing his spiritual nature — his happiness. Because of this, it is the only economic system compatible with Christian morality."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/11/29/bedford-the-pope-and-the-libertarians-failure/