constitutional liberty coalition

Supreme Court upholds mom’s $220,000 fine for downloading music

"The US Supreme Court refused Monday to take up the case of a woman ordered to pay a $220,000 fine for illegally downloading music off the internet. The country’s top court upheld without comment the verdict against Jammie Thomas-Rasset in the long-running, high-profile digital piracy case. Thomas-Rasset, a mother of four from Minnesota, has been fighting a court battle since 2006 over violating intellectual property laws in her use of the file-sharing program Kazaa." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSupreme Court upholds mom’s $220,000 fine for downloading music

Has military Keynesianism come to an end?

"There are few better ways of appreciating how the Republican Party has transformed in the last two years from a party of defense hawks to a party of deficit hawks than tracking how the sequester has turned from a threat to the nation’s defenses to an unparalleled opportunity to bring the government to heel. The whole panoply of vested interests surrounding defense that has ensured that federal spending on guarding our shores and keeping tyranny at bay has, since Eisenhower, become the main Keynesian engine of economic growth. Does the hushed response to this most profound assault upon defense spending mean the end of Keynesian militarism?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHas military Keynesianism come to an end?

Anti-drone devices for sale: military contractor claims to have counter-UAV technology

"Domestic drones will soon be soaring through the sky left and right, but a company in Oregon with ties to the US military is marketing a service that they say will make sure private property is safe from surveillance. The team at one-month-old Domestic Drone Countermeasures doesn’t go into many specifics, but says they can offer services that will make sure Americans aren’t being spied on by hovering eyes in the sky. The Federal Aviation Administration expects there to be roughly 30,000 drones in American airspace by the year 2020." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAnti-drone devices for sale: military contractor claims to have counter-UAV technology

Anti-drone devices for sale: military contractor claims to have counter-UAV technology

"Domestic drones will soon be soaring through the sky left and right, but a company in Oregon with ties to the US military is marketing a service that they say will make sure private property is safe from surveillance. The team at one-month-old Domestic Drone Countermeasures doesn’t go into many specifics, but says they can offer services that will make sure Americans aren’t being spied on by hovering eyes in the sky. The Federal Aviation Administration expects there to be roughly 30,000 drones in American airspace by the year 2020." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAnti-drone devices for sale: military contractor claims to have counter-UAV technology

Ten years after war, Iraq emerges as a major arms buyer

"Ten years after the invasion that smashed Iraq’s military, the country has become a major buyer of military equipment, spending billions to rebuild its armed forces. In doing so, Iraq has become a customer of some of the same companies that supplied the weapons used to attack Baghdad’s troops in 2003. Some 54 companies from 13 countries participated in the show, advertising equipment ranging from jet aircraft, drones, missiles and shells to gas masks, uniforms and boots. With a security and defence budget of about $16.4 billion for 2013 and a commitment to rebuilding its forces, Iraq offers significant opportunities for defence and security firms." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTen years after war, Iraq emerges as a major arms buyer

Ten years after war, Iraq emerges as a major arms buyer

"Ten years after the invasion that smashed Iraq’s military, the country has become a major buyer of military equipment, spending billions to rebuild its armed forces. In doing so, Iraq has become a customer of some of the same companies that supplied the weapons used to attack Baghdad’s troops in 2003. Some 54 companies from 13 countries participated in the show, advertising equipment ranging from jet aircraft, drones, missiles and shells to gas masks, uniforms and boots. With a security and defence budget of about $16.4 billion for 2013 and a commitment to rebuilding its forces, Iraq offers significant opportunities for defence and security firms." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTen years after war, Iraq emerges as a major arms buyer

Video shows Pittsburgh cop yelling at bystanders before allegedly tazing man outside bar

"A Pittsburgh police detective with a history of accusations on his record was filmed during another apparent outburst on Sunday, yelling at bystanders and allegedly tazing a man who was trying to leave a local bar. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette posted video early Monday morning of Detective Frank Rende yelling, 'Mind your own freakin’ business' at bystanders before taking out his taser and waving Mark Keyser Jr. away from the bar on Saturday. The newspaper reported that Rende has been accused of conduct unbecoming an officer more than a dozen times during his career." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingVideo shows Pittsburgh cop yelling at bystanders before allegedly tazing man outside bar

Video shows Pittsburgh cop yelling at bystanders before allegedly tazing man outside bar

"A Pittsburgh police detective with a history of accusations on his record was filmed during another apparent outburst on Sunday, yelling at bystanders and allegedly tazing a man who was trying to leave a local bar. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette posted video early Monday morning of Detective Frank Rende yelling, 'Mind your own freakin’ business' at bystanders before taking out his taser and waving Mark Keyser Jr. away from the bar on Saturday. The newspaper reported that Rende has been accused of conduct unbecoming an officer more than a dozen times during his career." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingVideo shows Pittsburgh cop yelling at bystanders before allegedly tazing man outside bar

Cop Fractures Woman’s Face, Says “I’m Going to Push Your Nose Through Your Brain”

"Chicago police appeared at Rita King’s door after a domestic disturbance complaint. King was approached by a police officer with a taser, arrested and then taken to the police station. She remained handcuffed to a table while she was questioned. Then, allegedly, she refused to be fingerprinted until someone explained why she was under arrest. In entered police commander Glenn Evans who pressed his fist into King’s nose for three to five minutes, repeatedly saying, 'I’m going to push your nose through your brain.' King bled profusely, was fingerprinted and was finally released from the station. She attempted to walk home, but lost consciousness after one block." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCop Fractures Woman’s Face, Says “I’m Going to Push Your Nose Through Your Brain”

Americans Are War Weary … And The Neocons Don’t Like It

"Americans may not know what's going on 'over there' or even know where 'over there' is on a map. But they do know that it's very expensive. Americans also know that the U.S. economy is a total disaster. CNBC can wave their pom-poms about a rising stock market, and the CPI can say 2% until the end of time. But the truth cannot be hidden. When Americans look at the unemployment surrounding them and the relentlessly rising bills hitting the mailbox, it doesn't cut it that the propaganda machine tells them it's only an illusion. The steel-tight system that the warmongers have crafted is eating itself alive." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmericans Are War Weary … And The Neocons Don’t Like It