The Hi-Tech Threat

A number of conservative commentators, notably Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, have raised the alarm over the so-called Hi-Tech Threat, i.e. the threat to free speech posed by a censorious Silicon Valley liberal elite which seems intent on eliminating all evidence of right-leaning opinion on their platforms. And those platforms have achieved near monopolistic status, … Continue reading “The Hi-Tech Threat”

Korea, Fake News, and What’s Really Going On

The media continues to get the President’s North Korean peace initiative all wrong: in some cases this is due to laziness, Washington-centric group-think, and just plain ignorance. In other cases, it is quite deliberate. Take, for example, the recent “news” that Trump canceled Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s scheduled trip to Pyongyang due to a … Continue reading “Korea, Fake News, and What’s Really Going On”

John McCain and the Warrior Spirit in American Foreign Policy

I did not join in the rather ghoulish anticipation of John McCain’s death indulged in by some war opponents. On Twitter, one aspiring attention-seeking pundit was suspended for her tasteless display of disdain for a dying man, and while there was an outcry (she was reinstated) I was not among the out-criers. For once I … Continue reading “John McCain and the Warrior Spirit in American Foreign Policy”

From Beijing to the Beltway: The Revolt Against the Entitled

Elites and their privileges are under attack throughout the world, and not just in the West. While here in the US the security clearances of former national security officials are being revoked to the howls of the #TheResistance, in China the Communist Party “nobility” is facing a similar challenge: “Elite privileges for retired high-level cadres … Continue reading “From Beijing to the Beltway: The Revolt Against the Entitled”

God, War, and Progressivism

Murray Newton Rothbard was a polymath who wrote 26 books, thousands of articles, and found the time to found and lead the libertarian  movement. It was in his living room that the leading lights of the “liberty movement,” as we know it today, gathered to discuss, debate, and – yes! – sing songs in the … Continue reading “God, War, and Progressivism”

Rand Paul Stands Up for Peace

Libertarians are largely lost in the wilderness of the present era: wandering without a compass, either moral or ideological, and without a clue as to how to get home, never mind reach their ultimate goal of “freedom in our time.” Yes, that was the old slogan that we libertarians started out with: an optimistic battle-cry … Continue reading “Rand Paul Stands Up for Peace”

Challenging the Lords of the Internet

The theme of today’s column is suppression – of antiwar voices, of news that doesn’t fit into preconceived narratives, and of our very ability to raise our voices in protest. If you’re paying attention, you’ve probably already heard about the banning from Twitter of anti-interventionist author and former US diplomat Peter van Buren, a whistleblower … Continue reading “Challenging the Lords of the Internet”

The Enemy of the People

Last night before I put down The Star Beast and fell into dreamland I wondered to myself: “What will I write about tomorrow?” There didn’t seem to be anything especially pressing or interesting: and then I thought, “Oh, don’t worry, he’ll tweet something that’ll have them frothing at the mouth before dawn breaks.” And, lo … Continue reading “The Enemy of the People”