Addicted to Power

The awful, terrible Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg has come up with his latest control idea. Bloomberg (El Bloombito) wants to regulate the size of soft drinks sold in New York City. Lionel comments on the latest from this control freak.

Gary Johnson Qualifies for Matching Funds

From the FEC:

FEC Declares Gary Johnson Eligible to Receive Federal Matching Funds

WASHINGTON – The Federal Election Commission has declared Gary Earl Johnson eligible to receive federal matching funds. Johnson sought and won the Libertarian nomination for president for 2012.

To become eligible for matching funds, candidates must raise a threshold amount of $100,000 by collecting $5,000 in 20 different states in amounts no greater than $250 from any individual. Other requirements to be declared eligible include agreeing to an overall spending limit, abiding by spending limits in each state, using public funds only for legitimate campaign-related expenses, keeping financial records and permitting an extensive campaign audit.

Based on documents filed by Gary Johnson 2012, Inc. on April 27, 2012, contributions from the following states were verified for threshold purposes: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington. All of the materials included with this submission may be viewed here. Based on Johnson’s initial threshold submission, the Commission requested on May 25 that the United States Treasury make an initial payment of $100,000 to Johnson’s campaign.

Once declared eligible, campaigns may submit additional contributions for matching funds on the first business day of every month. The maximum amount a primary candidate could receive is currently estimated to be about $22.8 million.

The presidential public funding program is financed through the $3 check-off that appears on individual income tax returns. The program has three elements: grants to parties to help fund their nominating conventions, grants available to nominees to pay for the general election campaign and matching payments to participating candidates during the primary campaign.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency that administers and enforces federal campaign finance laws. The FEC has jurisdiction over the financing of campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, the Presidency and the Vice Presidency. Established in 1975, the FEC is composed of six Commissioners who are nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

I'm all for taking the matching funds. It is stolen funds, but to not take it only hurts the liberty movement. It is really no different than using public transit, going to the public library, sending your kids to a government school or university, and so on. We oppose these government programs, but most of us use at least some of them. The key is roll these things back when we win.

Fire the Fed

Governor Gary Johnson says its time to fire the Fed. Look closely at the 2:26 minute mark.

War is Obscene

Lionel comments on the Obscenity of War and how America's knee jerk honoring of military service leads to wars fought for the most vile reasons.

"You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake." -- Jeanette Rankin

"War is a racket." -- United States Marine Corps Major General Smedley D. Butler

We Have Never Been in Danger of Running Out of Resources

Fear has always been used to control people. What we should be fearful of is the only thing that changes.

From ReasonTV:

"We have never been in danger of running out of resources," says Dr. Robert Zubrin, "but we have encountered considerable dangers from people who say we are running out of resources and who say that human activities need to be constrained."

In his latest book, Merchants of Despair: Radical Environmentalists, Criminal Pseudo-Scientists, and the Fatal Cult of Antihumanism, Zubrin documents the history of dystopian environmentalism, from economic impairment inflicted by current global warming policies to the Malthusian concern over population growth. "Just think how much poorer we would be today if the world would have had half as many people in the 19th century as it actually did. You can get rid of Thomas Edison or Louis Pasteur, take your pick."

Zubrin sat down with Reason Magazine Editor Matt Welch to discuss his book, the difference between practical and ideological environmentalism, and how U.S. foreign aid policy encourages population control.

Sharon Presley Discusses Libertarian Feminism

From ReasonTV:

"Many libertarian men are fairly ignorant about women's issues. Some of them are outright hostile to feminism because they've never bothered to find out what it is," says Sharon Presley, Ph.D.

Presley is a founding figure in the libertarian movement and author of the book, Standing Up to Experts and Authorities. She sat down with Reason.com's managing editor, Tim Cavanaugh to discuss libertarian feminism and what libertarianism looks like in 2012.

What is a Right?

Economist Walter Williams discusses rights.



From the Free Republic:

A right must be exercised through your own initiative and action. It is not a claim on others. A right is not actualized and implemented by the actions of others. This means you do not have the right to the time in another person’s life. You do not have a right to other people’s money. You do not have the right to another person’s property. If you wish to acquire some money from another person, you must earn it—then you have a right to it. If you wish to gain some benefit from the time of another person’s life, you must gain it through the voluntary cooperation of that individual—not through coercion. If you wish to possess some item of property of another individual, you must buy it on terms acceptable to the owner—not gain it through theft.

I Am Going to Declare Peace

Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, who is the 2012 Libertarian Party nominee for President, talks with RT America. Johnson says that Americans are becoming more libertarian and that he intends to carry on the banner of liberty. Johnson states that he intends to declare peace.

From RTAmerica:

Republicans and Democrats are the two mainstream political parties but many Americans are getting tired of just those choices. Too many Americans believe the left and the right are one in the same, so is it the perfect time for a third political party to emerge? Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico, went from GOP hopeful to the presidential nominee for the Libertarian Party. He joins us for more on why he switched parties leading up to Election Day.

Too Much Money in it - Reefer Sadness

Lionel comments on why in light of all the reasons that marijuana should be legal, it is still illegal.

Judge Jim Gray VP Nomination Speech

Libertarian Vice President nominee Judge Jim Gray speaking at the Libertarian National Convention, May 5, 2012.



Gary Johnson for President in 2012

Gary Johnson at Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic

Gary Johnson speaks at Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic in September 2008.

Part 1



Part 2

Gary Johnson on the Drug War

Libertarian nominee for President Gary Johnson on the Drug War.

Avoiding the Social Security Train Wreck

The late, great Harry Browne speaking at the Cato Institute on August 9, 1996 on how the upcoming Social Security train wreck could be avoided while keeping the promises to those who are relying on Social Security. Of course our so called leaders continue to ignore the problem.

Harry Browne was the Libertarian Party nominee for President in 1996 and 2000.

Obama: Just Another Drug Warrior

From Reason TV:

"The government is forcing a form of censorship on us," says Adam Eidinger, co-owner of Capitol Hemp, a two-store chain in Washington, D.C. that is closing its doors for good on August 1, 2012. "They are saying you can't talk about certain subjects if you're going to sell pipes."

Capitol Hemp sells clothing and soaps and a vast array of glass and other types of pipes. Police raided Capitol Hemp last fall after an undercover cop reported "unnatural and deceptive" behavior at the company's Adams Morgan branch. What raised the cop's suspicions? According to the police report, employees corrected his use of the word bong and changed the subject whenever he brought up marijuana. The store's book selection, which included titles on drug legalization, was also cited as proof that the place was really a criminal enterprise.

Under current law, drug paraphernalia is illegal, even absent traces of verboten substances. But since anything - from rolling papers to apple cores to beer cans - can be used to smoke pot, federal prosecutors end up relying on "context" to determine when a pipe is just a lawful pipe and not a contraband bong.

The government seized over $300,000 of merchandise from Capitol Hemp. After the feds reduced the charges in such a way that a jury trial in federal court was not an option, Capitol Hemp agreed to a deal in which it will "voluntarily" shut down in exchange for the full return of its seized merchandise. When it reopened its doors after the raid, Capitol Hemp dutifully stripped its shelves of any books devoted to drug policy.

Eidinger and his partner aren't alone in feeling the heat from federal prosecutors. On May 10, 2012, federal agents raided the homes and stores of 14 hemp-and-head shop owners in Idaho, seizing water pipes, glasswork, and other wares they believe constitute "drug paraphernalia."

"The open sale of drug paraphernalia promotes unlawful drug use and helps drug traffickers thrive," announced U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson, who was appointed by Barack Obama, at a press conference about the raids.

If such raids are reminiscent of similar actions under George W. Bush, that's because they are. Despite Obama drug czar Gil Kerlikowske admitting that the country "cannot arrest its way out of the drug problem," the Obama administration is doing its damnedest to try. From increasing the number of raids on California's medical-marijuana dispensaries (which are legal under state law) to pushing for bans on sales of cold medicines, Obama is sadly revealing himself as "just another drug warrior" despite admitting to frequent use of illegal substances.

Sadder still: All this is happening as a record number of Americans -- including even religious conservatives such as Pat Robertson -- are voicing support for the legalization of marijuana.

Penn Jillette on Obama and Drugs

Penn Jillette talks with Michael Goudeau about President Barack Obama's previous drug use. Like our last few Presidents, Obama used drugs in his younger days, but sees nothing wrong with locking up people today and destroying their lives for doing the same thing.

Elect Peace. Reject Thelma & Louise

Great ad from Gary Johnson. Look closely at the 1:57 mark for a message. Gary Johnson is the logical home for Ron Paul supporters this fall.

From Gary Johnson:

Republicans are Thelma. The Democrats are Louise. Together they are taking our nation over a cliff. We have a President and a majority in Congress who insist on endless war. But a majority of Americans are insisting on Peace. As our President, Gary Johnson will end the wars and bring our men and women home -- where we will rebuild and renew our broken nation together. We the People will have PEACE. Demand it. Donate to it. Elect it. Protect it. The fight for our liberty never ends.

Vote for Peace, vote Freedom, vote Gary Johnson and Judge Jim Gray this November!

Protecting Us from Low-Cost Teeth-Whitening Services

Most government licensing programs are really designed to reduce competition and protect some special interest.

From the Institute of Justice:

Teeth-whitening services are popular and increasingly available at spas, salons and shopping malls. This has been a boon for consumers because these businesses offer whitening services at a much lower cost than dentists do, often charging less than 25 percent of what a dentist would charge for similar results.

There is one group that is not smiling about these new, low-cost teeth-whitening services: the Connecticut Dental Commission. In June, the Commission ruled it is a crime punishable by up to five years in jail or $25,000 in civil penalties for anyone but a licensed dentist to offer teeth-whitening services, even if the customers apply the product to their own teeth.

Teeth-whitening products are regulated by the FDA as cosmetics, which mean anyone—even a child—can purchase them and apply them to his or her own teeth without a prescription and without supervision or instruction.

The Dental Commission's ruling has nothing to do with public health or safety and everything to do with protecting licensed dentists from honest competition

Scott Walker: A Heartless Budget Cutter?

As is usually the case, spending cuts are really lower spending increases.

From Reason TV:

Ever since he took on Wisconsin's teachers unions and denied them collective bargaining rights, Republican Gov. Scott Walker has been Public Enemey No. 1 for public-sector unions all over the country. Walker faces a recall election on June 5th and may well be chased out of the governor's mansion after just one year in office.

Is Walker the heartless budget-cutter his opponents claim - slashing spending, cutting taxes, and driving Wisconsin's economy into a sinkhole?

Hardly. Here are three lies at the heart of the Wisconsin Recall.

Lie #1: Gov. Walker Cut Spending

Gov. Walker has cut the rate at which Wisconsin's state budget is growing, but he hasn't actually cut spending. In fact, the state's biennial budget is scheduled to increase by about 3 percent on Walker's watch, rising from $62.6 billion (2009-11) to $64.3 billion (2011-13).

A big reason for that bump is that Walker's budget includes a historic increase in state spending on Medicaid, after the federal government cut its contribution to the state-run health insurance program for the poor.

Walker has been widely vilified for a 7 percent cut in state aid to schools over two years, which he says will be paid for by cost-saving measures such as requiring teachers to kick in more for their pensions and healthcare.

But the bottom line is that Walker hasn't actually cut overall state spending.

Lie #2: Gov. Walker Slashed Taxes

Gov. Walker's tax cuts will save Wisconsonites about $136 million dollars[*] in the next fiscal year, which is just 1 percent of the total tax money the state collects.

It's not like Wisconsin is some sort of under-taxed haven. In 2009, the Tax Foundation ranked Wisconsin as having the fourth-highest combined state and local tax burden in the country. If cutting taxes and letting individuals spend their own money is a way to spark economic activity, Wisconsin still has a long way to go.

Lie #3 Gov. Walker Destroyed Jobs

Walker has been battered for a projected drop of 24,000 jobs in the Badger State over the course of one year. His opponents say this is proof that his entire first term has been an abysmal failure.

Walker's supporters are pointing to another jobs survey that shows an increase of 23,000 jobs over the same period.

Whichever's more accurate, these numbers represent neither catastrophe nor triumph since they account for less than 1 percent Wisconsin's labor force.

One thing that both sides can agree on is that Wisconsin's unemployment rate of 6.8 percent is well below the national average of 8.1 percent.

There's no doubt that Wisconsin's economy has plenty of room for improvement. That'll only happen if Gov. Walker can get serious about cutting taxes and spending.

[*]: The Wisconsin's Legislative Fiscal Bureau's June 2011 tally of Walker's tax cuts was completed before passage of Act 212, which brought an additional tax reduction of $1.3 million next fiscal year.

Domestic Drones

30,000 drones in the sky in the United States coming soon. Why worry? Who needs privacy, when we can be secure with the government watching us constantly!

I mean our government has never done anything bad and it is staffed with superior individuals who are better than normal humans. Right? They would never, ever abuse their power, would they?

Or maybe we shouldn't trust the government.

Hate Crimes Are Stupid

Lionel comments on how ridiculous the whole concept of hate crimes is in reality. A crime is a crime, is their such thing as a non hate crime? A love crime? Hate crimes are just PC gobbledegook.

The Battered Voter

A campaign commercial from Harry Browne's 2000 Presidential Campaign. It applies even more today. Don't vote for the same old two party duopoly, make a change for the better, vote Libertarian, vote Gary Johnson and Judge Jim Gray.

Judge Jim Gray on Who Benefits From Drug Prohibition

Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee Judge Jim Gray interviewed by Reason TV back in March of 2010.

From Reason TV:

In 1992, Jim Gray, a conservative judge in conservative Orange County, California, held a press conference during which he recommended that we rethink our drug laws. Back then, it took a great deal of courage to suggest that the war on drugs was a failed policy.

Today, more and more Americans are coming to the realization that prohibition's costs—whether measured in lives and liberties lost or dollars wasted—far exceed any possible or claimed benefits.

Reason.tv's Paul Feine interviewed Gray about drug policy and the prospects for reform. The interview was shot by Alex Manning and edited by Hawk Jensen.

Judge Jim Gray is the author of Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It: A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs.

Gary Johnson Extended Interview on CSPAN's Washington Journal

Libertarian Party nominee for President Gary Johnson gives an extended interview on CSPAN's Washington Journal. Gary Johnson was Governor of New Mexico from 1995-2003.

Million Vote March - Stop All Wars!

If your vote could stop one war, which one would it be?



Would it be the wars in Afghanistan and other nations?
Would it be the war on drugs?
Would it be the war on alternative lifestyles?
Would it be the war on poverty?
Would it be the war on small business?
Would it be the war on immigrants?
Would it be the war on the American taxpayer?

If you would vote to stop one war,
then why not vote to stop all wars?

Join The Million Vote March

This is not a march on Washington. It is not a march on your state capitol. It is not even a march on city hall. It is simply a march to your local voting precinct on November 6, 2012 – a march to vote for liberty, to vote for freedom, to vote for peace, to vote for prosperity, a march to …

… Vote Libertarian to stop all wars.

Free Big Brother

Lionel comment on getting more Big Brother for free:

Wireless carriers and the federal government are launching a system to automatically warn people of dangerous weather and other emergencies via a special type of text messaging to cellphones. And if you like this, you're a schmuck.

The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) service, which begins this month, is free, and consumers won't have to sign up. And like idiots, they think that's just swell. Mindless sheeple!

As with Facebook and Google: If you're not paying for it, you're not the customer. You're the product being sold.

Gary Johnson on Civil Liberties

Gary Johnson, Libertarian nominee for President, discusses the erosion of civil liberties in this country.

We the People Can Do Better

Gary Johnson will be the only liberty candidate on the Presidential ballot this November. All liberty lovers should vote for Gary Johnson for President. Gary Johnson is the only logical home for Ron Paul people. Paul will not be on the ballot barring some highly unlikely event. Most states don't count write in votes. This fall vote for freedom, vote for Gary Johnson!

Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA )

Jack Hunter points out that government programs always have unintended consequences. I would say that many of these unintended consequences are often intended, by at least some of the people pushing them.

The Argument That There Needs to be More Regulations (on Banks) is Frankly Ludicrous

From Reason TV:

"I think there's growing understanding of how terrible this law really is," says The Economist's Tom Easton of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.

Dodd-Frank was passed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, and Easton is one of the very select few who have read the entire sweeping bill. He asserts that "the single most indicting read on Dodd-Frank, is to read Dodd-Frank itself."

To those who feel that the financial crisis was caused by a lack of regulation, Easton counters, "the argument that there needs to be more regulations (on banks) is frankly ludicrous if you look at how they were regulated before."

Intolerance is Not American

GaryJohnson/Jim Gray 2012

Moms Say End the War on Drugs Now!

From Reason TV:

"Mothers throughout history have come forward for the sake of their children," says Gretchen Burns Bergman, executive director of Parents for Addiction Treatment and Healing (PATH). "We're coming forth saying that the drug war has been more damaging to our families than the drugs themselves."

The Woman's Christian Temperance Union is well-known for helping push forward Prohibition in the United States. But perhaps less well-known are groups such as the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform, who were instrumental in the effort to repeal the 18th Amendment.

In that the tradition, Moms United to End the War on Drugs gathered on the steps of the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse to deliver a message this Mother's Day: no more drug war. Reason.tv was on the scene to talk with mothers who'd had their families torn apart by U.S. drug policy.

"You don't realize the drug policies in this country until they have an effect on you," says Lorraine Rebennack. "And when you lose a child, your life is never the same. Nor is your family."

Gary Johnson on the Daily Beast

Libertarian Presidential nominee Gary Johnson was interviewed by John Avlon of Newsweek & The Daily Beast. Johnson discusses how CNN shut him out of the GOP debates, why people should choose him over Obama and Romney and why he is the natural choice for Ron Paul Supporters.

Take It to the Bank, I'm Going to Die

Gary Johnson Libertarian nominee for President interviewed by Erin Burnett on CNN.

License to Work? Why?

Who is really protected by licensing? Who is harmed? From the Institute for Justice:

License to Work: A National Study of Burdens from Occupational Licensing is the first national study to measure how burdensome occupational licensing laws are for lower-income workers and aspiring entrepreneurs.

The report documents the license requirements for 102 low- and moderate-income occupations—such as barber, massage therapist and preschool teacher—across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It finds that occupational licensing is not only widespread, but also overly burdensome and frequently irrational.

On average, these licenses force aspiring workers to spend nine months in education or training, pass one exam and pay more than $200 in fees. One third of the licenses take more than a year to earn. At least one exam is required for 79 of the occupations.

Barriers like these make it harder for people to find jobs and build new businesses that create jobs, particularly minorities, those of lesser means and those with less education.

License to Work recommends reducing or removing needless licensing barriers. The report's rankings of states and occupations by severity of licensure burdens make it easy to compare laws and identify those most in need of reform.

Restore the Soul of Our Country

Bring about real change this election, vote Libertarian, vote Gary Johnson for President and Judge Jim Gray for Vice President.

The Libertarian way is a logically consistent approach to politics based on the moral principle of self-ownership. Each individual has the right to control his or her own body, action, speech, and property. Government's only role is to help individuals defend themselves from force and fraud.

The Libertarian Party is the Only Party of Peace

Great speech given by Less Antman at the 2012 Libertarian National Convention in Las Vegas. The speech was one of the Presidential nominating speeches for Lee Wrights.



Here is the text from Less Antman's blog Anarchy without Bombs:

Five years ago, almost to the day, the Libertarian movement exploded into the public consciousness. As someone who joined the Libertarian Party more than 32 years ago, when our party and platform already supported marriage equality for gays while the big debate in this country, including the Democratic Party, was over gay imprisonment, I can tell you that the first 27 years were the hardest. We had an appealing message of liberty that for some reason just didn’t catch fire with the public. Until May 15th, 2007. And there is one man we have to thank. Rudolph Giuliani.

On that day, the one-time 1988 Libertarian Party nominee for President, who I believe is still an official member of our party, was attacked by Giuliani for expressing the absurd idea that the 9/11 murderers, and let’s be clear that they are murderers, were motivated to kill Americans because of US military intervention on top of cruel trade sanctions in Muslim countries. Giuliani, as you know, is a foreign policy expert because he lived close to the World Trade Center and wore a hardhat on 9/11. Oddly enough, not only the CIA but the 9/11 Commission, which supposedly included Giuliani, AGREED with the man Giuliani attacked. As for the man he attacked, anyone who is an advocate of peace, whatever disagreements they might have on other issues, should join me in saying, God bless you, Ron Paul.

We have all heard Randolph Bourne’s famous quote “War is the health of the state.” War is the four letter word that lets government officials who are mere mortals, almost as human as you and I, place themselves above the rule of law, above due process, and above habeas corpus because, of course, all’s fair in love and war.

War is such a useful concept to politicians that they declare wars on everything. The war on terror, the war on drugs, the war on ignorance, the war on poverty, the war on pornography, and even the war on trans-fats. You see, we can’t afford to respect life, liberty and property…WE’RE AT WAR.

Drowning people in fear is the key to power. But we also learned five years ago that antiwar is the health of the anti-state movement. And even if we do nothing other than end ALL the wars, real as well as metaphorical, we will be well on our way to a free society. And millions are ready to rally around that banner.

But only one party can be the Party of Peace, and it isn’t the Republican Party, which will only nominate a candidate who passes two tests. First, they must be pro-life. Second, they must want to kill lots of foreigners. It isn’t the Democratic Party, which has rallied around a man who now holds the record for most children killed by a Nobel Peace Prize winner. And it isn’t our good friends in the Green and Constitution parties, who understand the importance of military nonintervention but not the equal or greater importance of free trade, which the late libertarian, Joan Kennedy Taylor, called the necessary foundation for world peace. The Libertarian Party is the only Party of Peace.

Libertarians love strategic alliances…between people. Trade, travel, migration and cultural exchange build both prosperity and friendship throughout the world. We oppose strategic alliances between governments. They lead to war, terrorism, and a blind eye toward violations of life, liberty and property by those allied governments. When it comes to politicians, friends don’t tell friends to respect human rights. And with friends like that, we create enemies.

Libertarians believe in humanitarian intervention…by volunteers who are supported by others who volunteer their money. The most positive image of Americans is our personal generosity after natural disasters in other parts of the world. We oppose humanitarian intervention by governments, whose decisions are influenced by what President Eisenhower called a military-industrial complex that profits from finding crises, and whose arrogance causes them to fancy themselves experts about another country and culture simply because they viewed a YouTube video. Of all humanitarians, the US government is the one whose past record of horrible unintended consequences and distorted intelligence has most earned itself a “time out” in its own corner of the world. It’s time for some humanitarian nonintervention. Bring ALL of our troops home from around the world to their families, treat their wounds, and stop creating new ones.

Half-Witted Media

From Reason TV:

"Many years ago my family ordered me to remove my shoes before sitting down to watch the evening news," recalls George Mason University economist Don Boudreaux in his new book, Hypocrites & Half-Wits: A Daily Dose of Sanity from Cafe Hayek.

"Seldom had I spent 30 minutes of any given evening watching the likes of Dan Rather without my wanting to throw my shoe at his face after he uttered some absurd economic fallacy."

So the barefooted Boudreaux began writing letters instead. A decade later he's penned nearly 5,000 missives not just to network news executives but to newspapers, magazines, websites, and blogs. The highlights are collected in his new book.

Many of Boudreaux's epistles offer concise explanations of basic economics for misguided journalists. In a note to NPR's Tom Gjelten, for example, he explains why "imbalanced" trade is not something to be concerned about. In a letter to The Economist, he analogizes using price controls to tamper inflation to "trying to control the temperature of a room by rigging thermometers so that they never record readings above 72 degrees." In another letter, Boudreaux aims his pen at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company for sending him an email promoting activities in which you "give back to the community."

"Your profits aren't pirate booty," Boudreaux tells the Ritz. "[T]hey're legitimate earnings."

Boudreaux sat down with ReasonTV correspondent Kennedy for a chat about the art of letter writing, the state of economic literacy in America, and why markets as far more robust than he once thought.

You can keep up with Boudreaux's letters at http://cafehayek.com, the blog he shares with economist and hip-hop impresario Russ Roberts.

Let Freedom Ring Again

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insanity.

Judge Jim Gray Discussing the Dangers of Prohibition to Children

Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee Judge Jim Gray discusses the harm of marijuana prohibition to children.

The People's President

A video from the Gary Johnson campaign from last fall when he was being kept out of the GOP debates by the establishment.

Barack Obama's Political Calculation on Gay Marriage

Lionel discusses Barack Obama's sudden support of Gay Marriage. Evolution or run of the mill political calculation? I say political calculation.

Libertarian Ticket: Gary Johnson and Judge Jim Gray

Brief interviews with the 2012 Libertarian ticket for President and Vice President: Governor Gary Johnson and Judge Jim Gray.

Gary Johnson: Not Another Blowhard Politician

Former two term New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson's nomination speech at the Libertarian National Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 5, 2012. Johnson lays out his vision for a libertarian presidency. Gary Johnson discusses his record as Governor, his lifelong libertarian beliefs and his plan to campaign to win.

Gary Johnson on Why He is Running as a Libertarian

Gary Johnson, the 2012 Libertarian Party nominee for President comments on why he is running as a Libertarian.

Live Free - Gary Johnson 2012

Should Price Gouging Be Illegal?

From LearnLiberty

If the power goes out during a hurricane, who should be able to get an emergency generator? If sellers knew the motives of each buyer, they could sell a generator to the customer who needs it to keep life-saving medication from spoiling instead of the customer who wants to watch TV. But sellers aren't mind readers. One way generators can be allocated efficiently is by allowing the sellers to increase prices in an emergency situation. If the generators that are available cost more than they normally would, the people who would be willing to pay a premium to get one may do so because their need is greater. Many people would say increasing prices on certain goods during such an emergency is "price gouging." Philosophy professor Matt Zwolinski argues that far from being immoral, price gouging may be the best way to allocate scarce resources in an emergency.

Space Junkers

The government monopoly in space is over.

From Reason TV:

So the space shuttle Discovery has flown its last mission; it's been
towed over the nation's capital like a bruised Chevy after a
demolition derby before being deposited at the Udvar-Hazy air and
space musuem in northern Virginia.

Other space junkers -- Atlantis and Endeavour -- are being retired like
Brett Faver in a pair of Crocs, too, bringing to end an underwhelming
three decades of fruitless and tragic exploration of low-earth
orbiting patterns.

Let's face it: Once we beat the Russians to the moon, the national
rocket grew limper than Liberace at a speculum convention. NASA has
been dining out on a single 1969 hit longer than Zager and Evans.

The good news is that amateur hour is now over and the private space
race has begun. Where two Cold War superpowers failed, let a thousand
business plans bloom!

The future of space is in the hands of the guys behind Amazon, PayPal,
and Virgin. The force of competition will create endless possibilities
and unimaginable technologies. No more talking about how the space
program brought us Tang and Tempur-Pedic mattresses. We're going to
Mars, baby, in business class.

Virgin's Richard Branson has already signed up more stars than there
are in heaven and his regular press releases read like the headlines
at TMZ: Ashton Kutcher, Katy Perry, and Angelina Jolie have all
reserved space on the first civilian flights to the great beyond.

The International Space Station will continue as a government run
intergalactic DMV, but at least the spaceships shlepping materials and
mouthbreathers to and from it will soon be operated by private
vendors--at an expected 90 percent discount. That should put plenty
more celebrities --and civiliams-- in the mood to join the 30-mile-high
club.

The founder of BudgetSuites, Robert Bigelow, has already launched
experimental modules and is dreaming of putting affordable hotels
--complete with bedspreads soaked in alien DNA—in orbit and PayPal's
Elon Musk has said he wants to die on Mars. Preferably in a colony
established by SpaceX, his company that's hell bent not just on
leaving Earth but getting to the Red Planet in style.

Nobody knows exactly how private space exploration and
entrepreneurship will play out. But's its a lock that the next 30
years won't resemble our government-run space program's decades-long
failure to launch anything more inspiring than Josie and the Pussycats
in Outer Space.

Space out!

GPS School Uniforms

From Reason TV:

We've got Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal demanding clean urine in exchange for welfare benefits (a bad idea that also doesn't work as advertised, but hey, at least the boozers are safe!), North Carolina regulators busting a blogger for praising the paleo diet (an offense that can get you tossed in the clink!), but this month the freakiest controllers come to us from a Brazilian city where public schools have begun tracking thousands of 4-to-14-year-olds with GPS-embedded uniforms. (At least they're not tagging the kiddos' ears!)

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for April 2012: The City of Vitoria da Conquista!

Judge James Gray on Regulate Marijuana Like Wine

Retired Superior Court Judge, Jim Gray, comments on why he supports the Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Act of 2012.




Here is another video of Judge Jim Gray, appearing at the Libertarian Party of California Convention March 4, 2012. Gray discusses why Libertarians should support the Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Act of 2012 along with strategies to grow the influence of the Party.