Archive | June, 2016

Surveillance Paranoia and my London Bust

There’s a new video on the perils of foreign travel out from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (which oversees the CIA, NSA, etc.) “Know the Risk – Raise Your Shield” recommends getting a throwaway cell phone and a new/temporary email address when traveling abroad. It shows how foreign immigration officials can work […]

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FFF: Presidential Fear-Mongering versus Freedom

from the Future of Freedom Foundation – PRESIDENTIAL FEAR-MONGERING vs. FREEDOM by James Bovard After the San Bernardino massacre late last year, Barrack Obama made a rare speech from the Oval Office. His most memorable line was his declaration that “freedom is more powerful than fear.” That epigram might have made John F. Kennedy’s speechwriters […]

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TSA PreCheck Ridiculed in New Yorker

People should not be obliged to pay an $85 federal fee to not be molested. The Transportation Security Administration expected its PreCheck program to be a silver bullet to boost revenue and speed passenger flow.  Vast numbers of travelers were supposed to shell out $85 and submit all sorts of personal information, go to a […]

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Orlando Massacre Police Response Debacle?

Police apparently took 3 hours to finally confront the Orlando shooter. How many people bled to death in the meantime? Hopefully we get the facts on the police delays ASAP. In the meantime, here’s a line from a Wall Street Journal piece I wrote in 1998. Playing around with quote software – not sure this […]

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Best Flash Summary of 2016 Presidential Race

This cartoon is the best flash summary I have seen of the 2016 presidential race. Even before the votes are counted, cynics have won. Critics have been castigating me for being cynical about government and politics since… hell, forever.  But this year is vivifying how our entire political system is speedily going off the rails. […]

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FFF: Census Bureau’s Latest Peril to Freedom

From the Future of Freedom Foundation – The Census Bureau’s Latest Peril to Freedom by James Bovard The Census Bureau is sending its hefty American Community Survey to more than three million households a year. I recently received this 28-page tsunami of questions about everything from my plumbing to my profession to my ethnicity and […]

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