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.