Search Results for “https:” – Page 864

Credit card donations to WikiLeaks once again flowing through Iceland

“International credit card donations to WikiLeaks are flowing again after an Icelandic court ruling forced MasterCard’s and Visa’s local agent to process payments, the companies involved in processing the funds said. One of WikiLeaks’ most important sources of funding – donations made from Visa and MasterCard users around the globe – was cut off in 2010 when the firms stopped processing donations to WikiLeaks’ direct payment line in Iceland. Their move came after criticism by the United States of the anti-secrecy organization’s release of thousands of sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables, which embarrassed Washington.” Continue reading →

Travel Before Passports

“A century ago, there were no passports. We forget this. Our world would have seemed inconceivable to any free man in the Western world a century ago. People would not have imagined it possible that a person would be unable to cross a border because his nation had revoked his passport. There were no passports to revoke. The Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, both considered illiberal tyrannies, had passport systems. World War I did more to undermine liberty in the West than any other event of the last century. European states killed about 20 million citizens, and began taking away liberties from those citizens who survived. War is the health of the state.” Continue reading →

Hemp flag to fly over the Capitol on the 4th of July

“A flag made from hemp will be flown over the U.S. Capitol Building on America’s birthday, according to the Washington Post. Colorado hemp advocate Michael Bowman and Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) are the two responsible for the deed. Bowman said flying the hemp-flag on the 4th of July was a ‘powerful symbol.’ Hemp, a non-psychoactive variant of marijuana, was reportedly grown my several of America’s founding fathers. The federal government currently does not distinguish between psychoactive and non-psychoactive variants of the marijuana plant, which makes hemp production a serious crime.” Continue reading →

Military air tankers join fight against deadly Arizona wildfire

“The US military ordered four air tankers to join fire-dousing efforts in Arizona, where firefighters were battling a still out-of-control inferno which killed 19 of their comrades. The Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) planes will be redeployed from other states to help tackle blazes including the Yarnell Hill fire, which remained zero percent contained despite a doubling of ground crews fighting it. The extra firefighting aircraft, which are specially-equipped military C-130 planes, can drop 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than five seconds, and can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.” Continue reading →

Customs And Border Patrol Considered Weaponizing Drones

“A Customs & Border Protection (CPB) report, released in response to EFF’s Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the agency, shows CBP has considered adding weapons to its domestic Predator drones. The report, titled ‘Concept of Operations for CBP’s Predator B Unmanned Aircraft System’ and submitted to Congress on June 29, 2010 shows that, not only is the agency planning to sharply increase the number of Predator drones it flies and the amount of surveillance it conducts by 2016, but it has considered equipping its Predators with ‘non-lethal weapons designed to immobilize’ targets of interest.” Continue reading →

What Real Independence Looks Like

“With confiscatory taxation at all levels, the gutting of the Bill of Rights through the so-called Patriot Act, the NDAA, secret courts, executive orders, indefinite detention, the need to be in compliance with an ever growing stack of regulations, edicts, and laws, the militarization of the police, the use of the IRS as a political weapon, assassination of US citizens without due process, indirect capital controls through FATCA, NSA warrantless spying, worldwide perpetual warfare with an undefined enemy… If history is any guide, it is not going to be pretty and I strongly recommend seeking an insurance policy before it’s too late. Internationalization is that insurance policy.” Continue reading →

Run4Guns In Utah. It Annoys Gun Control Advocates.

“A pro-gun group in Utah is organizing an event to be held this September: Run4Guns. Residents are invited to strap on a holster and a pistol, and then join the fun. The event will be held in Spanish Fork. Promoters are heralding this as the nation’s first open carry run. There will be a 3.1 mile race. Additionally, there will be a half-mile ‘armed dash.’ Proceeds from the event will go toward victims of gun violence. this is a nice touch. It makes it difficult for the anti-gun brigade to complain. But difficult does not mean impossible.” Continue reading →

US institutions to expats: ‘Take your retirement account elsewhere – now’

“First American expatriates were told that their bank accounts weren’t welcome because of the growing hassles and expense banks have to deal with when they have American citizens as clients. Now, Americans’ tax-deferred retirement accounts – many of which were set up decades ago, and never touched since – are also increasingly unwanted by US financial institutions, unless these accounts are of significant size. The reason, according to a US-based adviser, is because the companies have become increasingly concerned about ‘know your customer (KYC) rules’ that were first introduced in the US in 2003.” Continue reading →