Mad Statists

Navy wants drones stashed on the seafloor

"The U.S. Navy wants to pack aerial drones and other intelligence-gathering technology into special containers built to withstand deep ocean pressures and distribute them around the world’s seas. The containers will rise to the surface when called into service from a remote location. These 'upward falling payloads' are seen as readying the Navy to address conflicts in corners of the world where it is too expensive or complex to establish a forward operating area, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) explained in a call for proposals. The containers would be stealthily deployed well ahead of time and designed to stay put on the seafloor for years." Continue reading →

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Panetta: US Has ‘Responsibility’ to Support French Offensive in Mali

"The White House and Pentagon have a 'responsibility' to provide support to French forces looking to push out al Qaeda-linked militants out of northern Mali and ensure the terror group does not gain a foothold in western Africa, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said today. Panetta commended French forces to taking action in Mali, noting the Pentagon and White House were 'engaged in discussions' with Paris over what kind of support may be needed. Over the weekend, France began military airstrikes in Mali, targeting rebel training camps and other targets. Some French troops are already on the ground and more are being deployed to the area." Continue reading →

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Gun Restrictions Have Always Bred Defiance, Black Markets

"From one country to the next, across barriers of language and culture, government officials in even the most benign, stable democracies that have attempted to disarm their subjects, or to limit the weapons available for legal ownership, or even to do no more than track gun owners and register guns, have run into overwhelming resistance. Mass defiance has crippled registration programs, hobbled confiscations schemes and made a mockery of licensing programs. Given a choice between complying with restrictions on firearms ownership and defying the law, a clear majority of people in most jurisdictions have chosen rebellion." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGun Restrictions Have Always Bred Defiance, Black Markets

Medical marijuana proprietor gets 10-year prison sentence

"A man who owned several medical marijuana dispensaries in California that ostensibly operated legally under state law was sentenced on Monday to 10 years in prison on charges that he violated federal law restricting production and sales of the drug. Aaron Sandusky did not try to fight the charges, admitting to producing and selling medical marijuana in a manner approved by state law. 'I want to apologize to those with me and their families who have been victimized by the federal government who has not recognized the voters of this state,' Sandusky said in court. 'I want to apologize to the families who are suffering and who have to go through this.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMedical marijuana proprietor gets 10-year prison sentence

Medical marijuana proprietor gets 10-year prison sentence

"A man who owned several medical marijuana dispensaries in California that ostensibly operated legally under state law was sentenced on Monday to 10 years in prison on charges that he violated federal law restricting production and sales of the drug. Aaron Sandusky did not try to fight the charges, admitting to producing and selling medical marijuana in a manner approved by state law. 'I want to apologize to those with me and their families who have been victimized by the federal government who has not recognized the voters of this state,' Sandusky said in court. 'I want to apologize to the families who are suffering and who have to go through this.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMedical marijuana proprietor gets 10-year prison sentence

A Modest Step in the Direction of Gun Control

"There is one group, I propose, that should be an exception to this rule: federal government employees. The greatest atrocities in the history of mankind have been committed by government employees during periods after guns were confiscated from 'the people.' Thus, there is clear justification for disarming them. If someone is threatening them, they should just do what they want all the rest of us to do, call the local police. And further, since they are all just 'serving' the people, in their minds, who would be shooting at them anyway? But, sometimes, government employees have an odd definition of serving the people and that's what we need to protection against them." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA Modest Step in the Direction of Gun Control

Themes for 2013: Eight trends to follow in 2013 and beyond.

"Rather than attempt to predict the unpredictable – that is, specific events and price levels – let’s look instead for key dynamics that will play out over the next two to three years. Though the specific timelines of crises are inherently unpredictable, it is still useful to understand the eventual consequences of influential trends. In other words: policies that appear to have been successful for the past four years may continue to appear successful for a year or two longer. But that very success comes at a steep, and as yet unpaid, price in suppressed systemic risk, cost, and consequence." Continue reading →

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The Trillion Dollar Coin Is a Great Idea!

"Today, unlike in the past, over 150 central banks print money recklessly. The Federal Reserve is surely the worst offender because of the dollar's reserve status. Because nations need dollars to buy oil, officials around the world need to hold dollars. The US can print massively without feeling the immediate result from price inflation. Of course, price inflation happens – and is happening. More is yet to come because US officials have been so reckless. That's why I think the trillion dollar coin idea is a good one. It illustrates the insanity of the modern money system where people accept bits of paper as money simply because they've been printed by the government." Continue reading →

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EPA’s illegal human experiments could break Nuremberg Code

"The Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says no law empowers any judge to stop it from conducting illegal scientific experiments on seniors, children and the sick. That astounding assertion will be tested Friday, when a federal district court in Alexandria decides whether it has jurisdiction to hear claims made by the American Tradition Institute that EPA researchers are exposing unwary and genetically susceptible senior citizens to air pollutants the agency says can cause a variety of serious cardiac and respiratory problems, including sudden death." Continue reading →

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Japan approves £73bn stimulus package

"The government will spend the funds on public works, incentives for corporate investment and financial aid for small firms to help the economy emerge from a mild recession triggered by falling exports last year. It expects the stimulus to raise real economic growth by 2 percentage points and create 600,000 jobs. The government will sell around 5 trillion yen more bonds than originally planned for the current fiscal year to fund the stimulus, a government official said. Mr Abe is gambling that a shift to a more expansionary fiscal policy and more monetary easing from the central bank can end years of stop-start growth." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJapan approves £73bn stimulus package