Lucy Steigerwald

When it comes to taking credit for social movements and changing minds, Fox Business Network’s John Stossel said it best about those in power, “Government is like the person who gets in front of a parade and pretends to lead it.” Meaning when the people start to change their mind on an issue, either a … Continue reading “Can We Ever Make Anti-War Fashionable?”

On Tuesday, it was widely reported that the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is projected to resign in the wake up an agency sex scandal. Michele Leonhart herself was not involved in the hiring of Colombian prostitutes, but as is tradition, someone has to go down for a scandal. Usually it’s an underdog, … Continue reading “The Scandal of the DEA”

Fiction is easy to change. Sure, you described something one way, but you can always change your mind to make the past fit better into the present. Sometimes – especially in the wild worlds of comic books or science fiction – we call this retroactive continuity, or retconning. If a character is brought back from … Continue reading “Changing Why Wars Happened”

The Islamic State (ISIS) beheads people, which proves that they are evil. Saudi Arabia beheads people, but they are allies of the United States. On March 30, Saudi airstrikes hit a Yemeni refugee camp and killed at least 29 people, mostly civilians. Oh, and whether we know it or not, the U.S. is totally at … Continue reading “The Nonsense of War”

On March 23 over at Volokh Conspiracy, law professor Ilya Somin wrote about a lawsuit against Henderson, Nevada police officers who allegedly forced a family to let them into their home for hours while scoping out a neighbor’s domestic disturbance standoff back in 2011. Linda, Michael, and Anthony Mitchell sued police for various constitutional violations … Continue reading “Are Cops Soldiers Yet?”

Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) finally released its proposed rules for domestic drones in US airspace. Now comes months of public debate, and still longer before the laws are fully hammered out. This was bound to happen sooner or later. And yes, this new tech will most likely be bumping up against our … Continue reading “The Good and the Bad of Drones”

Anyone old enough to remember the George W. Bush years can likely recall the shamelessness of the "you’re with us, or you’re against us" refrain. That is, you are with the terrorists if you are not gung-ho for endless war against a type of violence, a particularly extreme interpretation of a religion, and – let’s … Continue reading “Loving America Means Letting It Go to War”

As they’re wont to do, last week ISIS released a video of their grim work. This time, the victims in their propaganda piece were not human beings but priceless artifacts housed in the Mosul, Iraq museum. "The Prophet Muhammad commanded us to shatter and destroy statues. This is what his companions did later on, when … Continue reading “ISIS, Art, and Barbarism”

Though the war on drugs is far from over, recreational marijuana is now legal in three US states. This week, Alaska joined Washington state and Colorado in dialing back the conflict has been a staggering human rights violation, and fuel for the US’s increasingly militarized police. (To say nothing of its part in real wars … Continue reading “Gitmo Comes to Chicago”

On February 16, Gallup released the result of a poll which asked about Americans’ impression of the nation’s top enemies. The takeaway from sources such as the conservative Washington Times was the 16 percent increase in distrust towards Russia. This isn’t so surprising, considering the tensions with Russia, and the general terror (or occasionally delight) … Continue reading “The Case for Optimism”