Laboratories Of Democracy

Belgium rejects France’s push to tax French citizens living in Belgium

"Today the Belgian foreign minister gave an interview to the centre-right newspaper Le Figaro, where critics of the socialist president François Hollande are made to feel comfortable. On the French government’s desire to renegotiate tax collection between the two governments, the gentlest possible No Way: 'We’re ready to examine many things, as long as the superior principle of free circulation of people, goods and services within the EU is respected. But if this is about recognizing some French power to tax people who live in Belgium, that’s a whole other matter. Every European country must accept that its citizens decide to live elsewhere.'" Continue reading →

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10 Freest States For Homeschooling

"Fortunately, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. Yet, since education is regulated by the states, requirements vary dramatically from state to state for homeschoolers. The difference ranges from complete freedom with no requirements to forced curriculum and achievement tests. Here is a map of which states fall into each category. The 10 freest states for homeschooling are in green and listed below." Continue reading →

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NDAA Opponents Just Won Their Biggest Victory Since The Blocking Of Indefinite Detention

"The Michigan House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill today that would prevent any state cooperation with federal agents attempting to detain people without due process in Michigan, The Tenth Amendment Center reports. Carl Mayer, a lawyer for the group of journalists and activists suing over the indefinite detention provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), told BI that the vote is 'the most important development in this fight since Judge Forrest issued her permanent injunction' on section 1021 of the NDAA." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNDAA Opponents Just Won Their Biggest Victory Since The Blocking Of Indefinite Detention

Is America Too Big?

"Is America too big for democracy? Too big for its traditional republican form? What does it mean if the answer is yes? This video series proposes that the source of our biggest social and political problems is our SIZE. Like the, obese, 600 pound man who experiences heart failure, diabetes, and dozens of other ailments, so too does America, only its diseases go by the names Debt, War, Entitlements, Gridlock, and Corruption. Our problems cannot be fixed through any change in ideology or bi-partisan agreement in Congress, because those are not the root of our problems. The source is our size." Continue reading →

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Washington bar opens its doors to pot smokers

"Frankie’s Sports Bar & Grill, owned by one Frank Schnarr, is thought to be the first of its kind anywhere in the U.S.: a bar that lets patrons toke up freely. Schnarr has set up the second floor of his bar as a private club called 'Friends of Frankies.' Interested patrons are charged a $10-a-year fee to access the lounge, where they can smoke marijuana freely. Schnarr was already in the headlines back in 2006, when he fought the state’s anti-smoking law and won. In the wake of Washington’s successful referendum to reform the state’s marijuana laws, he figured he would try to be the first again." Continue reading →

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Poll: Feds should back off when states legalize pot

"Americans are divided over whether marijuana should be decriminalized — 50% say no, 48% say yes — but they overwhelmingly agree on this: When states vote to legalize pot, the feds should look the other way. In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, those surveyed say by almost 2-1, 63%-34%, that the federal government shouldn't take steps to enforce federal marijuana laws in states that legalize pot." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPoll: Feds should back off when states legalize pot

Montana lawmaker asks to be paid in gold

"A Montana state lawmaker is asking that he be paid in gold coins because of his lack of faith in the U.S. dollar amid a rising deficit. Jerry O’Neil, a Republican just reelected in his northern Montana district, says his constituents told him he was not honoring his duty to uphold the U.S. Constitution, which O’Neil and Gold Standard supporters say requires the government to print money backed by gold. So he wrote a letter to the state Legislature asking to be paid his public salary in gold. O’Neil said that he collects about $7,000 annually from the Montana Legislature." Continue reading →

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New England Marijuana Legalization Bills Coming

"In the wake of this month's marijuana legalization victories in Colorado and Washington, legislators in New England are ramping up efforts to be the next state to legalize. Solons in Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont have all signaled they will be filing legalization bills next year. The legislative process is frustratingly slow, often taking several years to get a measure through, but in the wake of the Colorado and Washington votes, we could see a sudden collapse in support for pot prohibition, even at the state house." Continue reading →

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Seattle Police Department publishes how-to guide for smoking pot legally

"The Seattle Police Department on Friday published a how-to guide that explains the do’s and don’ts of marijuana legalization in the state. Written by a former writer for The Stranger, an alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle, readers might never guess it’s an official publication of the police department were it not for the .gov web domain. Despite the unprecedented nature of a major city’s police department releasing such a thing, it went completely under the radar until Thursday, when The Associated Press picked it up first." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSeattle Police Department publishes how-to guide for smoking pot legally

Congressman Ron Paul’s Farewell Speech to Congress

"After over 100 years we face a society quite different from the one that was intended by the Founders. In many ways their efforts to protect future generations with the Constitution from this danger has failed. Skeptics, at the time the Constitution was written in 1787, warned us of today's possible outcome. The insidious nature of the erosion of our liberties and the reassurance our great abundance gave us, allowed the process to evolve into the dangerous period in which we now live." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCongressman Ron Paul’s Farewell Speech to Congress