Politics

The Revolution of 1913

Feb 2nd, 2012 | By | Category: Economics, Featured, Politics
Readers will scarcely have given any thought to the fact that they have never lived in the system of government argued for by Madison, Jay, and Hamilton in the Federalist Papers. "It may come as a shock ..." wrote John Flynn, "to be told that[you] have never experienced that kind of society ...read more


The State of the Union, Just Another Reality Show

Feb 1st, 2012 | By | Category: Featured, Gold, International, Politics
It looks just like a reality show that's not going to be renewed for another season. President Obama's State of the Union ratings are headed in the same direction as American Idol's so far this season – down. Let me make a secret confession right here. For years, the producer of ...read more


The SOPA Wake-Up Call to Abolish Copyright

Jan 31st, 2012 | By | Category: Featured, Politics
I've blogged quite a bit lately about SOPA and PIPA and the recent Internet blackouts and other protests against these bills, which threaten free speech and the open Internet (Mike Masnick et al. at Techdirt have also been great on exposing and analyzing SOPA). As Jeffrey Tucker noted recently, the protests ...read more


The Death of File Sharing

Jan 27th, 2012 | By | Category: Featured, Politics, Technology
Last week's violent government attack on the hugely popular site Megaupload -- the U.S. government arresting Belgian citizens in New Zealand, of all places, and stealing at gunpoint servers bank accounts and property -- has sent shock waves through the entire digital world. The first shock was the realization that the ...read more


Hooray for the Rich Who Don’t Pay Taxes

Jan 24th, 2012 | By | Category: Economics, Featured, Politics
First, a correction. A Bar regular writes... "Joe Lieberman is not a Democrat. He is an independent, as he resigned from the Democratic Party. Don't you ever check things out before stating them as facts? "Wish you the best with your paranoia," "-- Steve K" This comes from one of our most-faithful, unswerving, persistent ...read more


It’s Treason to Disagree

Jan 23rd, 2012 | By | Category: Featured, Politics
A horrifying aspect of modern life is how nearly daily threats to fundamental freedoms and human rights nearly require that citizens become politically aware and active. Here we are struggling to put food on the table, cultivate a civilized private life, support things we care about, manage our households, and otherwise ...read more


Power vs. People in the Digital Age

Jan 20th, 2012 | By | Category: Featured, Politics
The government seems determined to turn out the lights on the digital age. And this is with or without SOPA or the other bills that were only this week shouted down by the global digital community on Blackout Wednesday. The very next day, after support for that legislation collapsed after ...read more


Buffett Puts His Loose Change Where His Government-Kissing Mouth Is

Jan 19th, 2012 | By | Category: Economics, Featured, Politics
Enthusiastic tax shill Warren Buffett has put his money where his mouth is. He's ponied up $49,000 to help pay down the national debt. He's simultaneously matching voluntary contributions already made by Rep. Scott Rigell of Virginia. Yes, $49,000 to Mr. Buffett is the equivalent of 49 pennies to the rest of ...read more


Protesting Government Digitally

Jan 18th, 2012 | By | Category: Politics, Technology
There's been a long debate over digital technology. Does it help or harm the cause of liberty, individualism and human rights? People who say it has hurt point out that government has been able to use the products of private innovation for its own purposes. The government can watch us ...read more


Blackout Wednesday: The Time Has Come

Jan 17th, 2012 | By | Category: Featured, Politics
Wikipedia, that ever-evolving monument to human collaboration in the cause of global enlightenment, goes completely black tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 18. The blackout is a choice, and a brilliant one, made by founder Jimmy Wales in consultation with the whole Wikipedia community. It is a protest, a statement, a symbolic warning ...read more