Libertarianism

Taking on ashcroft’s campaign

This entry was posted in ashcroft bush Constitution Domestic Terrorism Drug Laws Libertarianism Patriot Act on by

The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights filets an August 19th ashcroft speech.
ashcroft also announced a Patiot Act propaganda site: preserving life & liberty. blargblog took some issue with the campaign:

Angered by the ACLU’s lawsuit against what they consider the PATRIOT Act’s “radical expansion” of surveillance powers, the Ashcroftians have targeted three main ACLU claims as myths: 1) the suppression of political dissent through intimidation, 2) the surveillance of library usage and 3) the “sneek and peek” provision delaying notification of surveillance skirts the Fourth Ammendment. Go read it for yourself to see if you can spot gaping holes in the DOJ’s collective memory or some fine legal points it deliberately elides.

The Angry Bear found Dave Ross‘ defense of the patriot act wanting.
For a view supporting the patriot act from a philosophical perspective take a look at at David Veksler’s posts here and here.
Via beSpacific.

Interrogation and Rights

This entry was posted in ashcroft bush Constitution Domestic Terrorism Libertarianism Patriot Act US Politics War on Terrorism on by

From a recent Newsweek article:

The United States figures it can get plenty out of the newly captured Chemical Ali. But how? And are these �interrogation� techniques being readied for American citizens?

Apparently they are already being used on Americans. Read the whole article and then think again about the closing paragraph:

If the courts buy this line of argument, then we Americans can kiss our sweet rights goodbye. And reading the admiral�s brief, you have to ask yourself if that isn�t really the goal: to give the president and his people the power to treat all Americans like Jos� Padilla, unless and until we give the answers expected of us.

Via Perverse Action Memory.

Taking on the Feds

This entry was posted in Capitalism Constitution Drug Laws Health Care Law Enforcement Libertarianism on by

Talkleft tells us about a group of Californians who are taking on the feds over medical marijuana use:

these advocates argue that their cultivation and use of pot � approved by Santa Cruz police, free of profit motive, unfettered by illegal transport over state lines � is a constitutionally protected right that trumps federal narcotics laws.

It would be nice to see them win and do it in such a way that it drives the states and the feds right out of the business of legislating in these areas where they do not belong.

FCC and Your Listening Choices

This entry was posted in Constitution Culture FCC Libertarianism Regulation on by

Inspired by a particularly gross talk show episode the FCC is looking to envigorate their efforts “to crackdown on indecency in broadcasting“:

The agency not only warned Infinity that it might lose its license if it does not clean up its act, but announced that any broadcaster who runs afoul of the vague indecency standard will face “strong enforcement actions, including the potential initiation of revocation proceedings.”

Given apparent ongoing congressional intent to oversee our reading and listening habits I suspect we will not be able to look to congress to properly slap the FCC as it has done regarding the media ownership issue. So this FCC behaviour is likely to end up in the courts hopefully it will be tossed out with the trash.

The Land of the Free

This entry was posted in Constitution Domestic Terrorism Libertarianism Patriot Act War on Terrorism on by

Ken MacLeod did not want to risk his freedom:

Recently, on being asked if I intended to visit the United States some time soon, I indulged in the admittedly cheap crack that ‘I’m staying in the free world until America rejoins it.’ Trivial and theoretical though the risk may be, I just didn’t fancy being in a country where you can in theory be disappeared, interrogated and executed without any trial other than by a military tribunal. It wasn’t something I said lightly, because I really enjoyed all my past visits to America.

But now says:

On the bright side, however, I have no reason for not going to America.

Go read why he changed his mind.