State-Smashing

How Old Were the Founding Fathers?

"While famous paintings of our America’s Founding Fathers typically portray them as middle-aged or older, most were actually much younger than we tend to think during the founding of the nation. Todd Andrlik, in a post for the Journal of the American Revolution, compiled the ages of the Founding Fathers on July 4, 1776, and the results may surprise you. For instance, Benjamin Franklin, at 70 years old, was more than twice as old as Declaration of Independence author Thomas Jefferson, at 33 years old. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, who would later go on to write the Federalist Papers, were just 21, 25, and 30 respectively." Continue reading →

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Interview With Tom Woods On Nullification

"There were popular referenda that amount to nullification, we’re not going obey this particular law and people vote and agree not to do it. It can be the legislature. You have a special convention you call. Then the issue is we’ve nullified but what does that actually mean? What it would have to mean is the people of the state would be willing to stand by what they’ve done. I rather suspect that when we’re dealing with issues like the Second Amendment, which, even more than the Obamacare issue, the Second Amendment and the perception that Washington is hostile to the Second Amendment has done more to alert people to nullification than anything else." Continue reading →

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Utah Uses Eminent Domain to Seize Land of … Uncle Sam

"In March, Gov. Gary Herbert (R) signed a controversial law authorizing the use of eminent domain to capture some of the millions of acres that the federal government owns here. The law was tailor-made to provoke a lawsuit, possibly reaching the US Supreme Court, and to inspire other Western states to enact similar legislation. Other states have tried similar tactics and failed. For example, the US government controls about 80 percent of the land in Nevada. In a case in the 1990s, the state argued that this violated the equal footing doctrine, which holds that states should be treated equally when admitted to the Union. A federal judge rejected the case." Continue reading →

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John Kerry, Organization Man

"Lots of people have lots of complaints about the Internet, and some of those complaints are based in fact. One that I hadn’t heard before, until US Secretary of State John Kerry brought it up, is that the Internet makes it 'much harder to govern, much harder to organize people, much harder to find the common interest …' Kerry’s lamentation isn’t the first such, nor will it be the last: The American and global political classes recognize fast, cheap communication between their subjects as the death knell for their own tenuous grip on power. The bloated, bureaucratic, hierarchal, snail-paced organizations on which states rely are no match." Continue reading →

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John Kerry, Organization Man

"Lots of people have lots of complaints about the Internet, and some of those complaints are based in fact. One that I hadn’t heard before, until US Secretary of State John Kerry brought it up, is that the Internet makes it 'much harder to govern, much harder to organize people, much harder to find the common interest …' Kerry’s lamentation isn’t the first such, nor will it be the last: The American and global political classes recognize fast, cheap communication between their subjects as the death knell for their own tenuous grip on power. The bloated, bureaucratic, hierarchal, snail-paced organizations on which states rely are no match." Continue reading →

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Tiny Colorado city busy repealing laws during a ‘Year of Freedom’

"After a busy state legislative session, Glendale, Colo. — a one square-mile enclave of libertarianism surrounded by the city and county of Denver — has decided to focus on repealing laws rather than passing new ones. During what Mayor Mike Dunafon has called the 'Year of Freedom,' Glendale is revoking one vague, arcane or redundant law a month for 12 months. The first law stricken from the books on June 4 criminalized the sale, transfer or possession of an 'assault weapon,' which was vaguely defined in city code. The latest to land on the chopping block is one making it illtegal for minors to be in the same building as for-profit pool tables." Continue reading →

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Breaking the NSA Spy Ring: “What Rule of Law” Would Look Like

"Police Officer: Barack Obama? Barack Obama: Yes? Police Officer: You are under arrest for violations of United States Code, Title 18, Section 241, Conspiracy Against Rights; and Section 242, Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law. You have the right to remain silent when questioned. Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning, if you wish. If you decide to answer any questions now, [...]" Continue reading →

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Scotland’s year of decision

"The summer of 2014 will be overshadowed by the imminence of the referendum in September on Scottish independence, ending the Act of Union with England that has lasted since 1707. Since Scotland has long been a heartland of the Labor Party and of the left, Scottish independence could portend something close to permanent conservative rule in England. It would also be a great boost for regional independence movements elsewhere: in Spain's Basque country and Catalonia, or for the Flemings of Belgium or the Corsicans of France. It is an irony of this age of globalization is seeing such a resurgence of traditional sentiments of nationhood." Continue reading →

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Crypto-currency for NSA leaker: Snowden fund accepts Bitcoin

"US fugitive Edward Snowden’s defense fund, launched recently by WikiLeaks to raise money for the legal protection of the NSA leaker, has announced it now accepts donations in virtual currency Bitcoin. The Journalistic Source Protection Defence Fund (JSPD) was set up on August 9 with the goal to provide legal as well as campaign aid to journalistic sources. Snowden, who is behind the biggest intelligence leak in the history of the US National Security Agency (NSA), has been selected the first such source." Continue reading →

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