America’s moral compass was performing surprisingly well until a few months ago. Citizen journalism and social media were driving the news cycle and framing the narratives. The mainstream media can try to spin atrocity, but they can’t completely control the stories that emerge from war zones and urban occupations, much less how the public conscience … Continue reading “Electoral Distraction and Media Dysfunction”
Dan Sanchez
Israel & Syria: Plan B is to Balkanize
The U.S. and Russia are ostensibly trying to arrange a truce in Syria. As The Daily Mail reported, Israel recently voiced doubts about its success: …Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said he was “very pessimistic” about the truce’s prospects. “Unfortunately we are going to face chronic instability for a very, very long period of time,” he said. … Continue reading “Israel & Syria: Plan B is to Balkanize”
The Cold War on the Gray Zone
“But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth”— Revelation 3:16 To understand the specific function of the Terror War is to also comprehend its predecessor and analogue: the Cold War. As Murray Rothbard wrote in 1990: “A goal that can never be reached but can … Continue reading “The Cold War on the Gray Zone”
Peace is the Keystone of Liberty
The anti-war movement desperately needs libertarian leadership. And the libertarian movement urgently needs to be strongly anti-war. So in this essay I will offer some chief reasons for every libertarian to be 100% non-interventionist and actively engaged in the cause of peace. Libertarianism embraces the individual’s right to life, liberty, and property. The meaning of … Continue reading “Peace is the Keystone of Liberty”
Hands Up, Don’t Execute
Many liberals passed sentence on the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom (CCF) weeks ago. The cowboys occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Oregon were criminals. Even worse, they were culturally unsympathetic criminals. “Y’all Qaeda,” was the taunt of choice for the smart set, which rocked with laughter when enterprising wags delivered sex toys to the … Continue reading “Hands Up, Don’t Execute”
Uncle Sam’s Suicide Squads
“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” This first line of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” opens the latest trailer for the upcoming big-budget super-hero movie Suicide Squad. It poses a pertinent question, because, unfortunately for those of us in real life, the central premise of the film’s story is not just the stuff of comic book fantasy. … Continue reading “Uncle Sam’s Suicide Squads”
Humiliation and Herd-Think
Libertarian stand-up comic Doug Stanhope has said: “Nationalism does nothing but teach you to hate people you never met, and to take pride in accomplishments you had no part in.” I would only quibble with the “nothing but” part. The collectivist herd-think that is nationalism also teaches you to take offense at imagined insults that … Continue reading “Humiliation and Herd-Think”
Iran Frees Americans as Sanctions Are Lifted, Frustrating Warmongers Around the World
Iran has freed four dual-nationality prisoners, including an American/Iranian pastor and an American/Iranian Washington Post reporter who had been accused of working for the U.S. to foment regime change in Iran. The release was part of a prisoner swap, in which seven Iranians imprisoned in the U.S. over sanction violations were also freed. A fifth American was freed by Iran outside … Continue reading “Iran Frees Americans as Sanctions Are Lifted, Frustrating Warmongers Around the World”
After Me, the Jihad
Before the French Revolution and its Reign of Terror, Louis XV predicted, “After me, the Deluge.” Before being overthrown, Libya’s secular dictator tried to warn the West of a new Reign of Terror, essentially foretelling, “After me, the Jihad.” This was disclosed with the recent release of phone conversations from early 2011 between Muammar Gaddafi and former … Continue reading “After Me, the Jihad”
Saudi Arabia and Israel: An Axis of Convenience
Geopolitics makes strange bedfellows. Take Israel and Saudi Arabia for instance. The two Middle Eastern powers might be expected to have zero common ground. Israel is the arch-colonizer of Arabs and Muslims, while Saudi Arabia governs the motherland of the Arabs and the two capitals of Islam, Mecca and Medina. The two do not even have … Continue reading “Saudi Arabia and Israel: An Axis of Convenience”