Libertarianism

Torture and Murder in Florida

This entry was posted in Anarchism Domestic Terrorism Government Law Law Enforcement Libertarianism on by

If this is true, if these six to eight thugs are guilty of this behavior, then more than an investigation is required:

Two state lawmakers, Sen. Gus Barreiro, R-Miami Beach, and Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, who viewed a videotape of the incident, said that six to eight officers at times kicked, punched and choked the boy in their efforts to get him to perform exercises. A nurse apparently stood by without rendering assistance, Rep. Gelber said.

How is this different from torture? A complete housecleaning is in order.
First, there can be no excuse for apparently having a policy in place that allows physical assault and battery, torture, as a persuasive tool. Not in the United States, not anywhere.
Second, this incident probably only became an issue because of the death. How many other have been kicked, punched, choked and more? Each incident deserves to be brought to light and the perpetrators brought to justice.
Third, Those who approved these policies should not be relieved of responsibility. Are there sheriffs, mayors, even governors that need to be brought to trial.

Last, but not least: the victims and their families deserve restitution. Something more than just jail time for the perpetrators, high and low. For the family of the dead 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson the perpetrators owe at minimum the equivalent of 60-70 years income.

NSA Hearing Scope Too Narrow?

This entry was posted in Constitution gonzales Libertarianism US Politics War on Terrorism on by

Orin Kerr picks up on something that’s been nagging at me today as I listened to the judicial committee hearings. There is a lot more going on than the particular program that seemed to be the focus of today’s hearings:

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the AG’s testimony is his suggestion, made at various places, that there are other classified telecommunications surveillance programs beyond FISA and the NSA program.

If these focus at all on domestic surveillance without warrants then they need to be brought out into the light of day.

Oh yea, wasn’t gonzalez adept at saying nothing! But did anyone expect anything different?

End The War Now!

This entry was posted in Anarchism Constitution Drug Laws Government Law Law Enforcement Libertarianism on by

As Ron says:

While the war in Iraq may outrageous there is another war that is equally outrageous and is truly bi-partisan, the war on drugs.

And Anthony Gregory frames this abomination as we all should:

The drug war is misdirected. It is foolish. It is stupid, unworkable, disastrous, tragic and sad. But beyond all that it is evil.
The drug war is grounded in an evil premise: that people do not own their bodies, that they have no right to control what they do with their own lives and their own property, that it is appropriate to lock them in cages if they produce, distribute or consume chemicals in defiance of the state.
This is a monstrosity. As long as America has the drug war, it is not a free country. Politicians who support it and expand it, knowing the evils it entails, have no business lecturing us on morality.
The ideology of the war on drugs is the ideology of totalitarianism, of communism, of fascism and of slavery. In practice, it has made an utter mockery of the rule of law and the often-spouted idea that America is the freest country on earth.

Read the rest and then consider just how you will start standing up to the jackboots of the drug war. How you will help lead them to their Nuremberg and there is no excuse for any of the drug thugs be they presidents, senators, governors, mayors, narcs, prosecutors, swat teams, etc. They should all know better.

They are all guilty of crimes against humanity.

Smoking Outdoors

This entry was posted in Anarchism Drug Laws Law Libertarianism Regulation on by

In the midst of a fine hammering of the use of false information  to support efforts to ban all outdoor smoking Michael Siegel says the following:

There is, in my opinion, simply no justification for invoking the state’s police powers to regulate smoking on streets and sidewalks, places where people are free to move about and where, in most situations, people can simply avoid substantial exposure to secondhand smoke. And I am aware of no scientific evidence that secondhand smoke exposure on streets and sidewalks is a significant public health problem.

Well, yes, it is not a public health problem but it can be damned obnoxious and offensive to a nonsmoker. I can choose whether or not to enter a smoking establishment but why should I have to delay or hasten my walk down a sidewalk because some jerk (being polite) decides to light up right in front of me (other examples are myriad).
Outdoor smoking should be allowed but the smoker should be subject to charges of simple assault and/or battery if the smoke touches another person or forces them to change their position or path in order to avoid the smoke.
Via Hit & Run via To the People

It Could Be Worse

This entry was posted in Constitution Domestic Terrorism Government Libertarianism on by

I’ve done my share of griping about king george and the erosion of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness driven by the bushies, congress, state legislatures, your nearest city council and, yes, your fellow voters.
It could be worse!
In the US, even though you don’t get to see the caskets coming home, you can still see these images.
As Clara points out: if you live in China you will see these pictures instead of these.

Via Jonathon Wilde.

Update (1/30): Via Brad DeLong is this post which finds that spelling can make a big difference at google.cn. So, anyone care to speculate as to how long it will take the chinese masters to get this fixed?