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.