statism

Internet sites targeted by British MPs for first time ‘in chilling threat to free speech’

"The internet will be targeted for the first time as the 'chilling' Royal Charter attempts to curb free speech on the majority of websites and blogs, experts warned today. The draft version of the document suggests that foreign-based or owned websites such as Twitter, Huffington Post, Facebook, Holy Moly, the Guido Fawkes political site and even The New York Times will be subject to the stifling controls if their articles are aimed at 'an audience in the UK'. But as confusion mounted about exactly who would be covered, the government said it would leave it entirely up to the new regulator to decide whether major foreign sites should be made to sign up." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInternet sites targeted by British MPs for first time ‘in chilling threat to free speech’

U.S. flies B-52 bombers over South Korea

"The United States said it was flying training missions of nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over South Korea, in a clear signal to North Korea at a time of escalating military tensions. The flights — part of annual joint South Korea-US military exercises — should be seen as underscoring US commitment and capacity to defend Seoul against an attack from the North, Pentagon spokesman George Little said. B-52s have taken part in annual exercises before, but Little said the Pentagon wanted to underline their use this time given the current, heightened tensions, and he added that further B-52 flights would be carried out." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. flies B-52 bombers over South Korea

‘Die Hard’ director John McTiernan faces jail within weeks for illegal wiretap, lying

"McTiernan, whose films also include 'The Hunt for Red October' and 'The Thomas Crown Affair,' was sentenced to 12 months in jail and fined $100,000 in 2010 for making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). But he stayed free pending appeals in the case, which stems from his hiring a private investigator to illegally wire-tap a producer. The US Supreme Court has refused to hear his case, leaving him with the deadline to surrender." Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘Die Hard’ director John McTiernan faces jail within weeks for illegal wiretap, lying

Obama administration: Warrantless GPS tracking needed to fight terrorism

"The Obama administration will argue before a federal appeals court on Tuesday that law enforcement must regain the ability to use GPS tracking devices without a warrant, which it says is necessary to continue the fight against terrorism. The use of GPS devices in warrantless snooping has been illegal since January 2012, when the Supreme Court ruled that vehicles are private property protected by the Fourth Amendment, which guarantees freedom from unreasonable search and seizure. If the Obama administration is successful on its appeal however, GPS devices will be fair game for police nationwide." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama administration: Warrantless GPS tracking needed to fight terrorism

Daylight robbery in Cyprus will come to haunt EMU

"The decision to expropriate Cypriot savers – even the poorest – was imposed by Germany, Holland, Finland, Austria, and Slovakia, whose only care at this stage is to assuage bail-out fatigue at home and avoid their own political crises. The EU creditor states have at a single stroke violated the principle that insured EU bank deposits of up $100,000 will be guaranteed come what may, and in doing so they have more or less thrown Portugal under a bus. They appear poised to seize large sums from Russian banks – €1.3bn from state-owned VTB alone, and therefore from the Kremlin." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDaylight robbery in Cyprus will come to haunt EMU

The No-Name European Committee That Made the $13 Billion Guarantee to Cypriot Banks

"The Eurogroup held a teleconference this evening to take stock of the situation in Cyprus. The eurozone's decision-making institution on the euro is an informal committee of finance ministers. The committee has no official name. It has no official power. It is not voted into office. In the Lisbon Treaty, which went into effect on January 1, 2009, this no-name informal committee at last got its legal status. This no-name Committee promised Cyprus banks $13 billion worth of euros over the weekend, on its own authority, and answerable to no one in any European parliament, including the European Union. This is called democracy in Europe." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe No-Name European Committee That Made the $13 Billion Guarantee to Cypriot Banks

Driver’s Taxes and Other Money-Grabbing Schemes Throughout History

"Did you know that you need a license in Japan to be a sushi chef? It’s true. In Japan, you need a license to slice raw fish. You can bet that if the sushi restaurants in the USA were to become so popular that they stood on every street corner, the government would increase taxes on them by requiring a special license to slice fish; and why not? They tax you to go out on the water to catch them! Throughout the history of man there have been all sorts of ridiculous taxes levied on people by their overlords. The government claims they are doing it for the good of society, but it’s all a money scam. Here’s a short list of some of my, er, 'favorite' taxes through time." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDriver’s Taxes and Other Money-Grabbing Schemes Throughout History

Forget the Cellphone Fight — We Should Be Allowed to Unlock Everything We Own

"Copyright is impacting more people than ever before because the line between hardware and software, physical and digital has blurred. The issue goes beyond cellphone unlocking, because once we buy an object we should own it. We should be able to lift the hood, unlock it, modify it, repair it … without asking for permission from the manufacturer. This is a property rights issue, and current copyright law gets it backwards, turning regular people — like students, researchers, and small business owners — into criminals. Manufacturers have systematically used copyright in this manner over the past 20 years to limit our access to information." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingForget the Cellphone Fight — We Should Be Allowed to Unlock Everything We Own

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

Costly Iraq war left U.S. no stronger in Middle East

"The US-led invasion of Iraq overthrew a dictator, but 10 years on the war is seen to have destabilized the Middle East, exposed the limits of military power and left America no stronger than before. With US forces having withdrawn after the deaths of almost 4,500 American troops and an estimated $1 trillion outlay, there is little soul-searching in Washington today about a war that has faded from public consciousness. And 10 years after the 'shock and awe' that launched Operation Iraqi Freedom, removing Saddam Hussein from power, most analysts and diplomats agree the Iraq war did nothing to improve the US position in the Middle East." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCostly Iraq war left U.S. no stronger in Middle East