Legal cannabis supported by large plurality in UK

Is the UK about to legalize marijuana ahead of the United States? | The GrowthOp - Brendan Bures:

July 23, 2019 - "[I]n the U.K. ... a recent poll ... by YouGov .. represents a 'clear and growing appetite' for reforming drug laws in the UK, says the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group, which commissioned the study....

"The poll shows a vast majority support medical marijuana legalization in the UK (77 per cent). Meanwhile, those who support legalizing adult-use cannabis double the number of those who oppose it (48 per cent compared to 24 per cent). That’s an increase of five per cent, according to Dazed Digital.

"'This survey shows the government and politicians are significantly behind the public’s thinking,' Rob Wilson, CDPRG’s chief executive, told The Independent. 'It illustrates the widening gulf between the stubborn, decades-old policies of blanket prohibition and the developing attitude of millions of voters willing to apply new approaches focused on improving harm reduction and healthcare outcomes,' he added.

"Whether this results in widespread change remains debatable, though that is the goal of CDPRG. The U.K. legalized some forms of medical marijuana last year, but [it] remains difficult to access for many families due to bureaucratic and financial burdens."

Read more: https://www.thegrowthop.com/cannabis-news/is-the-uk-about-to-legalize-marijuana-ahead-of-the-united-states
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1.7 million join unsanctioned Hong Kong protest

Hong Kong: 1.7m people defy police to march in pouring rain | World news | The Guardian - Verna Yu & Lily Kuo:

August 18, 2019 - 'An estimated 1.7 million people in Hong Kong – a quarter of the population – defied police orders to stage a peaceful march after a rally in a downtown park, after two months of increasingly violent clashes that have prompted severe warnings from Beijing and failed to win concessions from the city’s government.

"'Huge crowds filled Victoria Park on Sunday afternoon and spilled on to nearby streets, forcing police to block traffic in the area. Torrential rain came down an hour into the rally, turning the park into a sea of umbrellas. At the same time, protesters walked towards Central, the heart of Hong Kong’s business district, and surrounded government headquarters.

"Police had turned down a plan for Sunday’s march submitted by the Civil Human Rights Front group and gave permission only for a rally in the park. Those defying the ban risked being charged with unlawful assembly, which can lead to up to five years in prison....

"Throughout the afternoon, streets around Victoria Park were so densely packed that the march frequently came to a complete standstill..... Protesters were orderly but burst into choruses of slogans as they waited to move forward....

"Organisers of the rally, who estimated that 1.7 million people turned up at the park and in the nearby Causeway Bay and Tin Hau areas, said many more were unable to get there. Train services to the metro stations near the park were suspended intermittently throughout the day due to the huge numbers of people.

"The crowd was a mix of young protesters, families and elderly residents. Parents walked alongside small children.

"By early evening, protesters occupied a six-lane road outside the government in Admiralty, shining lasers at the building and the nearby People’s Liberation Army garrison and yelling insults at the police. After convoys of police vans were seen entering the government complex, protesters called for a retreat and the crowd gradually dispersed."

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/18/hong-kong-huge-rally-china-condemns-us-gross-interference
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People's Party holds 1st national conference

Bernier tries to walk line between libertarianism and identity politics at People’s Party’s first national convention | Toronto Star - Alex Boutilier:

August 18, 2019 - "Sunday afternoon, ... at the PPC’s first national convention ... Benjamin Dichter — a former Conservative candidate in Toronto-Danforth and co-founder of LGBTory — was warning the crowd about 'political Islam' and how it has infiltrated both Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party and Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives....

"Dichter, who stood at Bernier’s side in a closing news conference, declined to say what he meant by 'political Islam,' and instead recommended a book. Bernier also declined to explain what he thinks 'political Islam' signifies. When asked if he subscribes to Dichter’s position, Bernier dodged the question.... 'It’s important to have that discussion [about “political Islam”] in Canada,' Bernier told reporters.... '["Political Islam"] can be a threat, yes, and we have to have that discussion'....

"A year after his dramatic split from the Conservative party and the formation of the PPC, Bernier still insists his fledgling political movement is all about individual liberty and personal responsibility. But somehow, the conversation around the PPC keeps going back to other topics, such as drastic cuts to immigration and doing away with Canada’s official multiculturalism.

"The party said 500 people — candidates and party volunteers — attended the three-day conference at a hotel near the Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, just a short drive away from Parliament Hill.... The conference was largely closed to the public — party volunteers and candidates only....

"Bernier has ... lost organizers in Vancouver and practically an entire electoral district association in Winnipeg over concerns his libertarian project was being hijacked by far-right voices. The Star has previously reported that far-right personalities have recommended their followers join the PPC to find a more mainstream avenue to promote their fringe beliefs.

"Bernier told conference attendees that the PPC would campaign on their founding values: the principles of individual freedom and personal responsibility, fairness and respect ... — suggesting it’s a central message the party hopes to tell Canadians in the upcoming election campaign.

"But culture and identity are at the very top of the PPC’s platform. Bernier has pledged to end Canada’s official multiculturalism policy, cut annual immigration levels by more than half, and promote “Canadian values” and freedom of speech. In his speech to the crowd, Bernier tied his project to the 'growing populist option that is quickly taking its place in almost every western democracy'....

"The PPC has polled between 0 and 5 per cent according to CBC’s compilation of public polling over the last month. Bernier’s most passionate support seems to live on message boards, blogs and YouTube channels. It’s an open question how that will manifest at ballot boxes.

"Even if public polling is lowballing Bernier’s popular support, there is the further question of how concentrated that support is in individual ridings. While a party can poll at 5 per cent nationally, that doesn’t necessarily translate into enough votes to win a given riding in Canada’s first-past-the-post system."

Read more: https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2019/08/18/bernier-tries-to-walk-line-between-libertarianism-and-identity-politics-at-ppcs-first-national-convention.html

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Free Country: 5 libertarian country music songs

Leave a Country Boy Alone: Five Country Songs for Libertarians - Caleb Shumate, Libertarian Republic:

August 10, 2019 - "[T]here are many country songs which embody the spirit of the Libertarian philosophy which is all about individual freedom and independence. I’d like to take you through a list of five songs my fellow liberty lovers might enjoy.

1. "A Country Boy Can Survive" by Hank Williams Jr. ... talks about how people in the country can survive, no matter what you throw at them. This tune is the definition of a libertarian song talking about being completely self-sufficient and not giving a damn about what anybody thinks.... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gASpL4DyZng]

2. "White Lightning” by George Jones ... tells a story about an old man back in the mountains of North Carolina who made moonshine, and was always dodging the government.... As lovers of liberty, we despise prohibition in any form.... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE5pM1HXxlI]

3. "Working Man Blues" by Merle Haggard ... [is] a tale of a 'salt of the earth,' blue-collar type of guy who will do anything in the world to provide for his family. He absolutely refuses to be on the welfare system and breaks his back every week to ensure it never becomes a reality.... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbEstJ98TcM]

4. "Man in Black" by Johnny Cash ... is one of Johnny’s many protest songs. He spoke out against many issues of his day, from people who were held back because of wrongful incarceration to America’s bad foreign policy.... Cash’s lyrics in this song could describe core beliefs of libertarians from criminal justice reform to a foreign policy that doesn’t police the world and get Americans killed for no morally justifiable reason. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY8_vZXo8oY]

5. "The Coalition To Ban Coalitions" by Hank Williams Jr. ... talks about ... the government and social justice warriors who organize coalitions to ban everything good and pleasurable in our daily lives.... Hank talks about how he isn’t a politician, but has a few views of his own. He suggests we ban coalitions since they want to try to tell us how we can run our lives. Hank repeatedly asks, 'why can’t everybody else leave everybody else alone?' [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrXnDbOpxU4]

"All these songs have a strong message ... in favor of the individual liberty we all hold dear. It makes me echo John Denver by saying, 'Thank God I am a country boy!'"

Read more: https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/leave-a-country-boy-alone-five-country-songs-for-libertarians/

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Amash wants Sanford to primary Trump

Trump critic Justin Amash welcomes potential Sanford presidential run | News | foxcarolina.com - Haley Byrd, CNN:

July 17, 2019 - "South Carolina Republican Mark Sanford already has one supporter in Congress for his potential long-shot bid to challenge President Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary: newly independent Michigan Rep. Justin Amash.

"Amash, who left the Republican Party in early July and has repeatedly declined to rule out a presidential bid of his own, told CNN that Sanford 'would be a great candidate.' 'I know Mark. He's thoughtful, he's humble, he's learned from his mistakes and grown, and I think we really need a person like that in the White House," Amash said....

"Amash again brushed off questions about his own presidential ambitions, saying he was focused on providing independent representation for his constituents in Congress. He did rule out the possibility of running in the GOP primary as Sanford's running mate....

"A Sanford run would be quixotic. Once a rising star in the party, he resigned as chairman of the Republican Governors Association in 2009 amid a scandal over his infidelity.... He was subsequently elected to Congress, where he'd served before becoming governor, but lost his primary in 2018.

"If he runs, Sanford would face a Republican Party increasingly unified behind Trump. An overwhelming 90% of Republicans approve of the President, according to Gallup polling last month. But Sanford could present an alternative for a subset of conservatives who are uncomfortable with supporting Trump and have sought a standard bearer in the 2020 race.

"In 2016, Trump faced pushback from conservative Republicans loosely aligned under the umbrella of 'Never Trump' all the way into the general election. But the likelihood of strong resistance to his nomination from within in 2020 has dwindled....  Reluctance to publicly split with Trump is increasingly a primary motivation among elected Republicans....

"Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who ran as the vice presidential candidate on the Libertarian Party ticket in 2016, is already running against Trump in the GOP primary, but he has failed to gain traction. Sanford's conservative credentials on issues like abortion and government spending could appeal to religious anti-Trump voters who haven't been energized by Weld's moderate record on social issues.

"In the long run, a Sanford primary challenge, even if it fails as expected, may build a base of supporters who could ultimately rally behind a third-party candidate in the general election -- potentially Amash, now that he's left the Republican Party."

Read more: https://www.foxcarolina.com/news/politics/trump-critic-justin-amash-welcomes-potential-sanford-presidential-run/article_9acaa314-aa12-5c96-aa09-60d7382dae61.html

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Wrongfully convicted man freed after 23 years

After Spending 23 Years in Prison for a Murder He Didn’t Commit, Ricky Kidd Is Going Home – Reason.com - Zuri Davis & Joe Seyton:

August 15, 2019 - "Ricky Kidd was charged in 1996 for a double murder that he did not commit ... and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. On Wednesday, Judge Daren L. Adkins of Missouri's 43rd Judicial Circuit granted Kidd habeas corpus relief. After 23 years behind bars, Kidd will finally get to go home a free man, unless state prosecutors opt to retry him within 30 days of the Adkins' ruling....

"Police in Kansas City, Missouri, received a call in 1996 after neighbors believed they heard gunshots. Upon investigation, the lifeless bodies of George Bryant and Oscar Bridges were discovered at Bryant's property. An anonymous tip, which was likely called in by those connected to the crime, named Kidd as a suspect. That tip — and a number of Brady violations committed by the prosecutor — sealed Kidd's fate.

"Multiple witnesses attested that around the time of the shooting, Kidd was driving to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office at Lake Jacomo, Missouri, to apply for a gun permit [but] Kidd's alibi was not enough to save him from a sloppy police investigation. Nor did it convince the Jackson County lead prosecutor, ... Amy McGowan, [who] acknowledged in a 2017 deposition that 'there is no physical evidence tying [Kidd] to the crime scene that I recall.'

"McGowan did not disclose the depositions of Gary Goodspeed Sr. and Gary Goodspeed Jr., both of whom are now considered 'viable alternative suspects' in the murders of Bryant and Bridges, according to Adkins' ruling. Kidd's lawyers have spent years arguing that this was a Brady violation that ultimately helped doom Kidd.

"Though Kidd was sentenced to die alone in a cell, he had the Midwest Innocence Project (MIP) in his corner. Thanks to that group's years-long effort, Kidd received a Rule 91 hearing in April, which allowed him one final shot at habeas corpus relief.... On Wednesday, Adkins ordered the state of Missouri to release Kidd from prison.

"'Based on a careful consideration of the record and these proceedings, this Court finds that the evidence is clear and convincing that Kidd is innocent of the murders of George Bryant and Oscar Bridges,' Adkins wrote in his 107-page decision.....

"'If anything, Ricky's case shows just how hard it is to correct an injustice,' Tricia Bushnell, executive director [of] the MIP and a member of Kidd's legal team, told the AP. 'It shouldn't take 20 years to bring a man home. Ricky's case is solved. We know who committed this crime,' she added.... And even if he does get to come home, which seems likely, there's no getting back the 23 years Kidd lost while incarcerated."

Read more: https://reason.com/2019/08/15/after-spending-23-years-in-prison-for-a-murder-he-didnt-commit-ricky-kidd-is-going-home/
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Who is Ken Armstrong?

Libertarian candidate for President brings his campaign to North Iowa - Mike Bunge, KIMT3 News:
July 18, 2019 - "A man whose life has taken him from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean is now traveling across America on his 'Healing Tour' for President. Ken Armstrong is running for the nomination of the Libertarian Party and his unusual campaign brought him to Iowa on Thursday. 'We’re going by car,' says Armstrong, ... [whose] staff consists of his road manager and Armstrong's dog Duke....

"Armstrong says he was working on the Alaskan Pipeline at 18, joined the U.S. Coast Guard and wound up serving with NATO, was named representative to the Pelagie Islands for the U.S. Consul General at Palermo, and also attended highly classified training under the auspices of the FBI and CIA in Management of Terrorist Situations. 'There’s been only one President in the last 40 years,' says Armstrong, 'that has more qualifications than I do in national security, government, international relations.'

"Armstrong says one of the goals of his campaign is to correct abuses of power by the men sitting in the Oval Office. 'One of our biggest problems right now is the Emergency Powers Act, the fact that the President can act without declaration of war and pretty much write his own check.'

"The Libertarian Party’s nominating convention is set for May 2020. To find out more about Ken Armstrong and his quest for the White House, click here."

Read more: https://www.kimt.com/content/news/Libertarian-candidate-for-President--512898891.html

Why Ken is a Libertarian – Ken Armstrong for President:
"Ken has identified as a 'libertarian' (with a small 'l') for nearly a quarter-century, but it’s only been the last dozen years or so that he became convinced that the Libertarian Party was a good fit for his world view.

"Like many people, it took Ken some time to understand the philosophical underpinnings of the Libertarian platform. 'It seemed to me,' Ken said, 'that Libertarians just wanted to legalize every kind of questionable behavior I could name. I wasn’t comfortable with a lot of that.'

"Eventually, Ken came to understand that Libertarians weren’t advocating for behaviors, but for rights and liberty. As he became more familiar with many of the passionate people within the party, he began to grasp the nature of the one party that truly advocates for the Bill of Rights, and the only party that stands firm on the Ninth and Tenth Amendments. 'When the framers of the Bill of Rights wrote the First Amendment, they weren’t encouraging offensive speech, but they were advocating for the freedom to speak offensively. Understanding the important difference,' he said, 'is to understand why I am a Libertarian.'"
http://www.armstrong2020.com/why-ken-is-a-libertarian/
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