A Nice Summation of Obama's Apalling Civil Librties Record

Glenn Greenwald presents a good summary of Obama's positions on civil liberties thus far.

Theft by Police - the Truth Behind Asset Forfeiture

Great article by Radley Balko on police seizures and asset forfeiture.

The Ambiguitiy of "Utility"

More utilitarianism.

Can Environmentalism Yield Tangible Economic Benefits?

For those that think a free market approach to environmentalism is the best option, they have some support, as there is some evidence that environmental protection has substantial economic yields.

Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism

The Debate on Nuclear Power

Ron Bailey covers the ongoing debate on nuclear power's costs and benefits. Good follow up/contrast to the Thursday talk.

A Healthy Dose of Skepticism?

Regarding last night's talk by Christopher Horner, I can see that there is some argument against the Cap-and-Trade program, and reason to look at it in a very circumspect manner. The Competitive Enterprise Institute's somewhat dubious journalistic and scientific ethics, however (two of their biggest projects of the past decade have been downplaying global warming and the health effects of secondhand smoke, and surprise! two of their biggest donors are the oil industry and the tobacco industry), give us reason not to simply take in Mr. Horner's talk, but to approach it, too with a great deal of skepticism. I was also under the impression that the CEI was the think-tank that had explicitly offered $10,000 for researchers to publish articles opposing the IPCC's view of climate change, a blatant and particularly obvious violation of scientific ethics. I was mistaken, this was the American Enterprise Institute (though the CEI and AEI have some overlap in membership). However, CEI is one of the groups that has been frequently accused by legitimate scientists of heinously misrepresenting their research or unscientifically extrapolating short term data. While Mr. Horner was certainly a persuasive speaker and his arguments on the ineffectiveness of caps may be justifiable, I was bothered by more than his potential bias and his think-tank's general disregard for scientific ethics. More noticeably, he seemed to be blatantly hypocritical in his rhetoric - after attacking Al Gore (who I will not certainly not defend as unbiased) for appeals to emotion and alarmism, and for mocking the denialists, he proceeded to do exactly the same thing (the remark about the Italian mafia cornering the wind energy market seemed particularly irrelevant and inflammatory). And some of his figures on his funding seemed equally misleading (12 million total from the oil companies to support anti-global warming research, he claims, when CEI and AEI have received nearly a third of that from Exxon alone, before even beginning the other oil donors (Amoco, Texaco) or other think tanks - I'm not buying that number).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/feb/02/frontpagenews.climatechange

http://www.factcheck.org/article395.html

The Health-Care Reform and Abortion: Not What You Thought

The social conservatives have been complaining for months that the healthcare bill might fund abortion while denying lifesaving treatment to the elderly, and other such nonsense. In the final bill, it turns out to be the exact opposite. The Stupak-Pitts Amendment is a major assault on Roe vs. Wade that threatens to limit private insurers from covering abortion, since these insurers will be tied into the new public healthcare system.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/11/10/stupak_pitts/index.html

Soda Taxes and the Expansion of the Nanny State

Our government, it seems, is now mulling a tax on soda because of its link with obesity. Although this seems ridiculous at first glance, I can understand the rationale once a public health care system is in place. Once taxpayers are paying for health care for others, the government has some sort of implied mandate to limit costs by improving health. The soda tax may be a bit over the top, but how far can they take this idea? What can the government legitimately do to limit healthcare costs?

ACLU Sues the State of Florida Over Poor Schools

One of the more unusual cases i have heard of in a while. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of parents and students in Palm Beach County, charges that state officials violate the state's constitutional requirement that all students receive a "uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high quality" free public education.

Are property rights enough?

Should libertarians care about cultural values? A reason debate.

War on Terror + War on Drugs = ?

DEA agents claim they are being forced, illegally, to conduct counternarcotics operations in Afghanistan. What does this merging of the war on terror and the war on drugs mean?

Obama Ends HIV Travel Ban

Obama is signing an order allowing immigrants and travelers with HIV to once again visit the country. The ban was instituted in the Reagan administration, likely due to the association of AIDS with homosexuals, so it seems that the overturning of the ban may be a symbolic victory for the LGBT community. More importantly, however it ends a longstanding discriminatory policy against those suffering from HIV/AIDS.

Obama Defends Bush Era Warrentless wiretapping

No surprise here, but yet another moment where Obama chooses to defend the Bush administration now that he is in office.

Man Charged with Indecent Exposure for Being Naked in His Own Home

Just an interesting story for discussion.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/22/naked-man-charged-with-in_n_330037.html

Elinor Ostrom and the Economics of the Commons

John Stossel writes an interesting piece on Elinor Ostrom (the most recent and first female of the Nobel Prize for Economics). Her studies seem to indicate that, contrary to widespread belief, that common property is not inherently poorly managed, and that collective users may manage resources better than the government in such situations.

Two Essays on Government

Here is an essay, and an important follow-up.

LA to Crack Down on Pot Dispensaries

Los Angeles law enforcement officials are planning to crack down on medical marijuana dispensaries, in a move that will likely close hundreds of stores and may regulate the business out of existence.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/us/18enforce.html?_r=1&hp

Obama's Gay Rights Speech - Meaningless?

Whatever Obama says tonight in 'support' of gay rights, can we consider it meaningful? He has shown no real desire to support this minority thus far, so why should we (or for that matter, the organization that invited him to speak) feel that this will change?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_gays

Obama and Better Relations in Iran

Obama's Nobel Peace Prize is, admittedly, ridiculous. However, it is interesting to note that some diplomatic progress has been made on the Iranian nukes issue in the past few weeks.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/10/02/iran/index.html

http://www.newshoggers.com/blog/2009/10/a-good-beginning-with-iran.html

Torture and Science

Torture seems to be a recurring topic in our weekly discussions, so I've posted an article that discusses the science (or lack thereof) related to current interrogation techniques. Hopefully the research paper to which this article refers will be available soon.

www.arstechnica.com

Regulation Dramatically Increasing Cost of Health Care

Medicare, as well as private insurers, approves of a clunky $8000 computer for its speech synthesizing software but will not approve of a $300 iPhone ($100 now!) with a $150 application that serves the same purpose. Their reasoning? The worry is that these patients will use a device such as an iPhone for other purposes unrelated to their medical condition, e.g., browsing the web. Is this reasonable? If so, is it worth the cost?

http://www.nytimes.com/

Update: A letter to the New York Times from famed film critic Roger Ebert, who is facing the same dilemma.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/19/opinion/l19speech.html?_r=2

Torture and Hypocrisy in America

From Glenn Greenwald comes a pair of good blog posts, with several links, on the hypocrisy of the Obama administrations detention policies.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/09/15/bagram/index.html

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/09/16/delusions/index.html

Obama Asks Court to Dismiss Challenge to Anti-Gay Marriage Law

The Justice Department has asked a federal court to dismiss a challenge to a federal Anti-Gay Marriage Law that denies equal federal tax benefits to married homosexual couples. Though unsurprising, since Obama has never really been a supporter of gay-marriage, it is upsetting both as a potential setback for LGBT rights and because of it is yet another reminder of how the executive branch sticks its nose into everything.

I thought this might be a nice opportunity to touch on both gay marriage rights - (do they exist? Should the government be involved in marriage at all?) as well as the current state of our governement, with its scales ever tipping toward total executive power and influence.

Obama vs. Gay Marriage

The Ugly Side of War

A hot topic in recent news has been the AP's decision to publish a photo of a mortally wounded solider, despite his family's opposition. There has been much debate over whether this was a proper decision (most notably, Sarah Palin has inserted herself into the matter with a screed against AP).

So, does right to privacy trump free press in this case? Should the family of the deceased have been able to prevent such a personal matter from being published?

And equally, regardless of its legality, is this a violation of journalistic integrity, or would not publishing it be? Do journalists have a duty to publish even graphic images to show the real ugly face of war? Or should they avoid images that might be upsetting or traumatizing.

http://www.reason.com/news/show/135954.html

http://www.ap.org/fallen_marine/story.html

Army Internet Regulations

The U.S. Army may be placing new regulations on how soldiers are allowed to use the web. Are such regulations necessary to maintain order in the military? or are they a violation of the 1st amendment?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/us/09milblogs.html?ref=politics

John Ashcroft Can Be Sued for Detentions

A federal appeals court has ruled that John Ashcroft can be sued for potentially illegal detentions in the aftermath of 9/11. Will this set the stage for more high-level lawsuits and prosecutions of high ranking Bush administration officials?

Ashcroft Can Be Sued for Detentions

Annoying Speech and the First Amendment

Our brief discussion of annoying speech as not protected by the first amendment brought to mind this article about an Arizona bishop who was convicted of disturbing the peace for having excessively noisy church bells.

Where does one draw the line between freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and your right to peace and quiet? Last week we talked about the increasing tendency of western governments to limit free speech. This article should serve as a good example of the limitations of free speech as understood in our constitution.

Church Sued for Noisy Bells

Torture and Detention Under Obama - More of the Same?

The Obama Administration is considering detention policies that are strikingly similar to those proposed a year ago by Michael Mukasey (which Obama himself came out against).

We might also use this as a gateway to discuss Eric Holder's partial prosecution plan of CIA operatives. After months of pressure from the ACLU and others, Holder has finally appointed a special prosecutor to look into allegations of detainee abuse and torture.


Torture and Detention Under Obama - More of the Same?

Eric Holder Appoints Special Prosecutor to Investigate Torture Allegations

Health Care Reform - Can the Government Really Manage Another 15% of the US Economy

An article by John Stossel that I hope will provide a good gateway for a discussion of the biggest topic of the summer.

John Stossel on Health Care Reform

Religion and The Decline of Free Speech in the West

This article is from April but I think it provides a good synopsis of the increasing tendency of the West to limit free speech on the grounds of protecting the feelings of religious groups from possible offense.

http://jonathanturley.org/2009/04/11/international-blasphemy-the-free-world-bars-free-speech/

Obama Wants New Limits on Defendants' Rights

The Obama administration has asked the Supreme Court to reverse a previous decision preventing police from initiating questioning when the defendant's attorney is not present.

Of Course, One Must Keep Torture in Perspective

Yeah, the US waterboarding is bad, but it's nothing compared to what goes on in the Middle East. ABC uncovers incredible torture by a member of the royal family of the UAE. It is one of the worst things I have ever seen. The sheikh, brother of the crown prince, takes sadistic pleasure in inflicting genital mutilation, electrocution, and other torture on his victim. He also runs over his victim with an SUV and salts his wounds.

The victim's crime: Overcharging the sheikh by $5000 on a grain shipment for his estate.

If the US is trying to clear its own name and show that we do not support torture, what should our response to the UAE be? Other things to keep in mind - homosexuality is still a capital crime in the UAE.

Border patrol alleged to have beat up and tazed pastor, smashed his car, on US soil, because he insisted on 4th Amendment rights

Via Boing Boing.

More Police Brutality

Stephen Anderson describes asserting his 4th amendment rights to border patrol agents (though not actually on the border), and receiving multiple tasers and a beating for his troubles.

Lobbying Pays

A study found that businesses that lobbied congress for a tax break in 2004 received a 22,000% return on their investment. With the high profit margins for lobbying, we can't expect companies to stop. Is there really anything that can be done about lobbying? Or is it an inevitable feature of government?

CIA says it will close secret prisons

CIA says it will close secret prisons.

Britain Formally Launches Web Monitoring Program

I wrote about the plans for this one in October, but it has finally been launched. The British government actually intends to archive the details of every e-mail, website visit, etc.

Obama Secrecy Claims Exceed Those of Bush Administration

The Obama DOJ has made some very troubling claims about government immunity and government secrets.

More Evidence for Drug Decriminalization

5 years ago, Portugal decriminalized almost all illicit drugs. They have had extremely positive results.

Photography laws in public

Know your rights.

Cigarette tax has been increased

Obama has raised the federal tax on cigarettes from $0.39 to $1.00.

A novel immigration policy

The Nobel laureate Gary Becker has an idea for immigration policy that is very challenging to both the left and the right.

Is A Diplomatic Resolution in Afghanistan Possible?

An article from the economists on the problems of negotiating with the Taliban.

Worldwide protectionism rising

Economics is depressingly counterintuitive. Politicians around the world are instituting protectionist policies. They believe that this will keep money in their nations during these difficult times, but this will just cut wealth. So, a seemingly attractive tool, trade barriers, will create the exact opposite effect of what is intended.

The Sexist Double Standard of Statutory Rape Laws

Two 17-year-olds, one boy and one girl, were arrested by the same police department in Wisconsin, 1 day apart, for having sex with 14-year-olds. The girl got a slap on the wrist, while the boy was charged with a Class C felony and could serve hard time.

FBI Accused of Planting Spies in US Mosques

10 Muslim organizations have accused the FBI of planting spies posing as worshipers in US mosques.

The Long Awaited Global Warming Post

Environmentalism, Pollution, Global Warming Deniers, Government Regulations, and Market Incentives

One important question of the modern environmental movement is whether market processes can be used to mitigate climate change more efficiently, and what the government's role in climate change should be. How do we properly assess the economic risks of inaction or action? And further more, what responsibility do we have to those more vulnerable to the phenomenon (poorer countries, our descendants)? In short, how do we deal with this example of the tragedy of the commons?

Of course, before we address the issue, I will attempt to dispel some of the beliefs of the global-warming deniers among us. In fact, there is a definite consensus in the scientific community that global warming is occurring, and at least part of it is due to human causes.

This argument is a bit long for posting, so I'll link to it in the comments section so it doesn't clutter the front page too much.

So once we have come to the conclusion that global warming is occurring, which IS the scientific consensus, the question becomes what we do about it. And this is where the legitimate debate comes in. The question is not one of if, but of when and how much. Until these questions are answered, one cannot properly perform a cost-benefit analysis of the situation. And at the present our science is not good enough to conclusively say when and how much, or whether anything can realistically be done about climate change. Certainly, trying to impose climate change regulations may be a mistake, but so may opposing them, and this is what we should be debating – not whether climate change is occurring, but whether it is worth the investment to try to stop it, when we may fail anyway. (Of course, there are many other reasons for environmental regulations that are entirely unrelated to climate change, but that is another matter.)

So back to my original point. Should we decide that global warming is something worth dealing with, how can it be done efficiently using market processes?

I have posted an article from the Encyclopedia of Earth (a Wikipedia-like, but professionally written, source) that covers the issue of environmental economic policy in detail.

Economic Policy on Climate Change

A Trio of Interesting Criminal Cases

PA Judges Accused of Jailing Kids for Cash
Two Pennsylvania judges have been charged with taking millions of dollars in kickbacks to send teenagers to two privately run youth detention centers.

4 Charged in Alleged Assisted Suicide Case

Injured Good Samaritan Ticketed for Jaywalking
Further evidence of overzealous police activity

How to Stop The War on Drugs

An Article from the Economist on the subject.

Obama Backs Merit Pay for Public Schoolteachers

What does this mean for our education system?

EUROPE.

Europe is in really bad shape.

Eyewitness Testimony - 60 Minutes

Watch CBS Videos Online

Watch CBS Videos Online

More on Torture

I want to be absolutely clear with our people, and the world: The United States does not torture. It's against our laws, and it's against our values. I have not authorized it -and I will not authorize it. -- George W. Bush

Boing Boing Video: "OUTLAWED" excerpts, pt. 1 -- Guantánamo Detainee Who Survived Torture.

Boing Boing Video: "OUTLAWED" excerpts, pt. 2 -- Khaled El-Masri.

ACLU: CIA Confirms 12 Destroyed Videotapes Depicted "Enhanced Interrogation Methods

Man Accused of First Degree Murder for "Scaring Woman to Death" During Home Invasion

I kid you not. One of the weirdest stories I have heard all year.

The Pakistan-Taliban truce and the U.S. Role in Afghanistan.

Infighting in the Obama administration? The U.S. special envoy to the region, Richard Holbrooke, along with many European governments, criticized the Pakistani government for bowing to Taliban pressure and essentially providing them with an autonomous state in the Swat valley.

Pakistan-Taliban Truce Criticized

And yet, the U.S. has remained relatively quiet on the matter, and today Secretary of Defense Gates announced that a similar truce in Afghanistan would be acceptable.

US Quiet on Peace Deal with Taliban
US Says Pakistan-Style Truce with Taliban Acceptable

I think these actions amount to the creation of a de facto independent Taliban state, which to me means all those years of war were for absolutely nothing. Gates stresses political reconciliation, but is that actually possible with the Taliban? Will this simply turn part of Afghanistan into a new Taliban state that can support Al-Qaeda without interference?

Obama Reverses US Position on LGBT Issues in UN

After all the ragging on Obama we've been doing, I thought it was about time to mention something positive (if only symbolic) that has occurred under his administration. In December the US sided with the Vatican and the OIC in opposing a UN resolution calling for universal decriminalization of homosexuality.

So Much for Transparency

This isn't really news, but...

Britain's Double Standard on Free Speech

Here's another article on Britain's pro-Islamic double standard when it comes to cracking down on intolerant speech.

Fred Phelps Likewise Pwned

Sure, it may be counter to libertarian ideals, but this just made my weekend.

Man jailed for whistling

Is this a legitimate function of the state?

U.S. air strikes in Pakistan

The way this is playing out is unsettling.

A libertarian critique of corporate power

I've compiled my thoughts on the subject from last week. The discussion will be much more productive if this is read before we discuss.

The Religious War on Free Speech

I thought this would be a good time to talk about the worldwide decline of free speech in the face of pressure from offended religious groups.

This week, controversial Dutch MP and anti-islamist filmmaker Geert Wilders was refused entry into Britain. A Dutch court had previously ordered him to be tried for inciting religious hate and discrimination.

Dutch MP Refused Entry Into Britain

Every person has a right to criticize the beliefs of others - why are our democratic societies being swayed by extremist minorities and cowed into surrendering free speech? While the US may not be legally repressing free speech as in some European countries with anti-defamation laws for religion, our political correctness in the media has certainly had a similar effect.

I've also posted a recent articles on the subject by British journalist Johann Hari.
Johann Hari: Why should I respect these oppressive religions?

Obama Administration Maintains Bush Position on 'Extraordinary Rendition' Lawsuit

Seriously? While Obama continues to overturn many of Bush's socially conservative policies, he also continues to renege on promises to restore civil liberties. It's good that Guantanamo's on the way out, but continuing violations like this is a disturbing trend.

FDA: Ga. plant knowingly shipped tainted products

Evidence has surfaced showing that the Peanut Corp factory, responsible for the recent salmonella outbreak that killed 8 and sickened 575 people, had previously shipped products with full knowledge of contamination, though there were no reports of illness in those cases. Hypothetically, if investigators find that contaminated products were knowingly shipped in this case, what should the charges be? In my mind, it would seem that violating FDA regulations might not be a great enough charge - should those allowing potentially deadly food to be sold be tried on higher charges? Manslaughter, perhaps?

Should senators be appointed?

The recent Blagojevich scandal, among other recent news, raises the question of whether state governors should have the power to appoint legislators.

Ryan Frederick convicted of voluntary manslaughter, sentenced to 10 years

Add one more to your list of the worst perversions of justice from the nightmarish workings of a tyrannical government.

Herring vs. United States and the Erosion of the Exclusionary Rule

A recent supreme court ruling has dealt a blow to the exclusionary rule, which prevents evidence obtained by illegal search and seizure form being used against the defendant. What does this mean for our legal system?

Post-Executive Privilege

Bush layers have directed members of the Bush administration to ignore congressional subpoenas, citing "executive privilege." Can executive privilege extend beyond presidential terms? What limitations should be placed on executive privileges?

Privacy vs. Security in the Information State

What is personal privacy in the information state? Do invasions of privacy positively contribute to increased security?

The War on Drugs

Okay, this is a pretty general topic, but I have posted a fairly interesting (and, in the first couple of pages, hilarious) article by Jacob Sullum from Reason that is worth reading. We haven't had a good war on drugs talk in a while, and with drug warrior Biden in the VP slot one can only assume that the war on drugs will continue unabated in the near future.