Thoughts on voting by Patri Friedman

Patri Friedman has a rant about voting.

Restrictions on purchasing cold medicine

Will restrictions on the purchasing of cold medicine stop the production of crystal methamphetamine?

Obama Promising To Lower Employee Pay If Obama Wins

I wish you had posted a link for the election fraud article. I looked for it, but found no evidence to support voter intimidation from "business leaders all across the country." On the other hand, there's obvious pandering on Obama's side, and I don't see why promising America's low-income "workers" increases in annual revenue is any different than a raise. We can talk more about this during the afternoon.

Also, I cannot post a link because my information is hardcopy, but I'll make a copy of an article I came across, about government promotion of 'homeownership.' I think this is important to discuss, especially the role of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the influence it's had on the finance industry, especially banks.

Businesses Promising To Lower Employee Pay If Obama Wins

In an attempt to manipulate the election, business leaders all across the country have promised pay cuts if Obama is elected. Through some sort of legal technicality, this isn't illegal, despite appearing to be a very clear case of voter intimidation.

Who Is Against Evolution?

Who's against evolution? Is it really the Christian right, or the secular left?

Re-post: Link to POWs article

Don't know why this didn't work the first time, but here it is again:

http://www.nationinstitute.org/p/schanberg09182008pt1

American POWs abandoned in withdrawal from Vietnam? Don't ask McCain!

Does being a war hero require lying for the State?  Hard to believe the American people would knowingly elect a war hero so loyal he would collude in writing off hundreds of men because their existence had become embarrassing to two governments:

"John McCain, who has risen to political prominence on his image as a Vietnam POW war hero, has inexplicably worked very hard to hide from the public stunning information about American prisoners in Vietnam who, unlike him, didn't return home.  Throughout his Senate career, McCain has quietly sponsored and pushed into federal law a set of prohibitions that keep the most revealing information about these men buried in classified documents."

Election Fraud - It's Back!

In several key battleground states, Republicans have been trying to confuse potential Obama supporters into thinking there is a problem with their voter registration. Meanwhile, there have been several instances of outright, blatant lying by McCain and Palin, not to mention their copying of Obama's campaign slogans. Election fraud was also a major issue in the 2006 congressional elections. What can be done to bring back fair elections to the United States?

Republican Mailing Leaves Florida Voters Confused

Warning for College Student Voters

Why is McCain Running a Dishonest Campaign?

Some Libertarian Perspectives on the Election

I have posted a pair of articles from Reason Magazine on how the presidential candidates do conform to a few libertarian ideals.

The Libertarian Case for McCain

The Libertarian Case for Obama

Just Christian Enough

Here are some thoughts from Kerry Howley about Palin's Christianity. As an aside, check out this video of her church.
Wasilla Assembly of God Clip

Scientology on Trial In France

The Church of Scientology is facing charges of organized fraud in France, and if convicted, could be banned. I thought this might be a good starting point for a discussion of religious freedoms and the nature of both fringe religions and mainstream ones. If Scientology can be considered fraudulent, why can't other religions? This could call into question the distinction between constitutionally protected religious freedom and criminal conspiracy here in America.

Scientology 'faces French trial'

Keeping Your Information Private

I found a couple of short pieces on securing or disseminating personal information that might make you think. Nothing too informative, these are just meant to spark discussion of privacy violations in America and worldwide.

First, a post from the Cato Institute blog on ID checks. It's ot very long but it raises a good point.
ID Checks are About Control, Not Security

Second, how you can try to retain some privacy of information.
RFID Blocking Passport Billfold

Third, some ridiculous conceptual technology designed to make shedding your privacy even easier.
Exchange information with Handshake

Follow-up on CIA drug plane

Lest I'm considered a nutty conspiracy theorist, check this out for yourself.

Don't Talk to Cops

This is a video clip of an interesting explanation of why an innocent person should exercise his right to remain silent.

It's sort of long, and in two parts, but worth a viewing.

Don't Talk to Cops, Part 1

Don't Talk to Cops, Part 2

Thanks to Robbie Barton for forwarding these links to me.

And you thought Comcast had bad service!

Cable provider Bright House Networks is training its technicians to double as secret spies for the government, effectively circumventing the 4th Amendment. Makes you wonder if "telescreens" are far behind.

Operation Bright Eyes

Bush: President or Elected King?

A Constitutional Scholar claims that Bush claims more power than any leader in the Anglo-American world since the English Civil War, including King George III.

Bush claims more power than King George III