Commentary Eager for war Laissez Faire Times by Russell Madden

"Much of what the war-onauts are claiming is true. Nearly all of it is irrelevant to whether the United States should invade Iraq. Most of the points the war-anatics make apply to all manner of unfree countries in the world, but somehow, some way, Iraq is extra-super-special and unique, so it's imperative that we attack them now, but we can negotiate with those other countries such as North Korea or deal with them later. Or after we defeat Iraq, those other mean and nasties will cease to be problems." (02/07/03)

http://freedom.orlingrabbe.com/lfetimes/eager_for_war.htm

Commentary The great witholding scam Strike the Root by George Smith

"Of course, with a major war underway, everything government proposed was wrapped in the flag. In testimony before the House, Treasury officials said paying more taxes was nothing compared to the sacrifices our military personnel were making. To insulate their position, pols called proposed tax increases a 'defense tax' or a 'war tax' or a 'victory tax.'" (02/06/03)

http://www.strike-the-root.com/columns/Smith/smith39.html


Commentary Space ghosts Moscow Times by Chris Floyd

"George W. Bush paid eloquent tribute to the seven astronauts killed in the space shuttle Columbia last week. Too bad he ignored the equally eloquent words of warning about impending disaster in the program from NASA's own panel of safety experts -- experts which the Regime fired after they dared bring their concerns to Congress." (02/07/03)

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/02/07/120.html

Commentary Little libertarian encyclopedia Laissez Faire Times by Tibor Machan

"The libertarian says that with the authority to run your life goes the risk that you may mismanage your life. It's up to you. Once you reach the age of reason, once you are an adult, once you are no longer in a state of dependence -- upon the wisdom, insight or guidance of your parents or guardians -- you are in charge of your life and community with others must be voluntary on all sides." (02/07/03)

http://freedom.orlingrabbe.com/lfetimes/libertarian_encyclopedia.htm

Commentary You wanted to believe him Counter Punch by Robert Fisk

"Because Colin Powell is supposed to be the good cop to the Bush-Rumsfeld bad cop routine, one wanted to believe him. The Iraqi officer's telephoned order to his subordinate -- 'remove 'nerve agents' whenever it comes up in the wireless instructions' -- looked as if the Americans had indeed spotted a nasty new little line in Iraqi deception. But a dramatic picture of a pilotless Iraqi aircraft capable of spraying poison chemicals turned out to be the imaginative work of a Pentagon artist." (02/06/03)

http://www.counterpunch.org/fisk02062003.html


Commentary Rumsfield releases final ironclad proof Whitehouse.org by staff

"Today, with many UN diplomats STILL aligning themselves with France and Germany ... it falls to me to deliver the final pieces of the puzzle -- the last few shreds of United States intelligence which will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that despite all the diplomatic posturing, what the people of Iraq truly crave are a few hundred thousand or so of Big Rummy's Napalm Colonics of Freedom. My proof is as follows:" (satire) (02/06/03)

http://www.whitehouse.org/news/2003/020603.asp

Commentary Sex, drugs and good deeds Backwoods Home Magazine by Claire Wolfe

"Defying the law in obedience to a higher cause (or defying prevailing opinion or social custom, which can be even more risky) isn't merely a necessity for free individuals, as I've argued tirelessly, and perhaps tiresomely, over the years. Defiance -- whether in the cause of freedom or some other form of humanitarianism --can be an adventure. It can liven up our otherwise dull days. So if we can't do something brave and principled because it's the right thing to do or because we think we can make a huge difference, then let's do it because it's more stimulating than watching TV." (01/03)

http://www.backwoodshome.com/columns/wolfe0301.html


Commentary Smudged shadow of a smoking gun Times Online by Tim Reid

"As Colin Powell ambled into the United Nations Security Council’s vast chamber yesterday, the air thick with nervous energy and taut expectation, the gathered throng of foreign ministers, Iraqi diplomats and a television audience that spanned the globe were expecting nothing short of a blockbuster ...And, just perhaps, a smoking gun. What they got were some smoking intercepts, a few smudgy satellite photographs, a teaspoon of talcum powder, some Lego-style drawings of sinister trucks and trains, a picture of an American U2 spy plane, several mugshots of Arabic men and a script that required a suspension of mistrust by the world’s doves." (02/06/03)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-567934,00.html

Commentary Semper Fi Sunnimaravillosa.com by Sunni Maravillosa

"I loathe war, for it's a tool that one group leader wields against another, using individuals who may or may not agree with the rationale and methods, to hurt other individuals.... I loathe war, because it is the ultimate anti-individual action, and a pure distillation of what's wrong with the rule of some over others. It continues to astonish me that others who call themselves individualists fail to see this as well." (02/04/03)

http://www.sunnimaravillosa.com/gen/semperfi.html

Commentary Hide your books Teacher Magazine by Jane Ehrenfeld

"'To Ms. Ehrenfeld: This morning I observed that during the morning news program, you and your students were engaged in activities other than watching television.'
So began the official letter of reprimand placed in my personnel folder by the principal at the elementary school in Maryland where I was teaching 3rd grade at the time.Odd as the accusation was, it was made even odder by the fact that my students were reading when the principal caught them not watching television." (02/03)


http://www.teachermagazine.org/tmstory.cfm?slug=05first.h14

Commentary A draftee's view of the draft Sudents for a Libertarian Society by Tim Swanson

"The draft is involuntary servitude. The end. Need some more? You are either for slavery or against it. Still not satisfied? Want me to stop beating around the bush? Okay, let me be blunt. I will not go die for anyone other than whom I choose. One entity that most certainly did not make this list is the collective known as the State." (02/03/03)

http://www.foranewliberty.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=17


Commentary Call me Johnson Strike the Root by Adam Engel

"Johnsons shut up and leave you alone unless you need a hand, unless anybody needs a hand and wants a hand. They'll help you out and then be on their way.... I imagine if there was a religion for Johnsons it would be some variation of Zen, in which the only law, commandment or moral imperative would be to SIT DOWN and SHUT UP." (02/05/03)

http://www.strike-the-root.com/columns/engel/engel3.html

Commentary Don't mention the war in Afghanistan Independent by Robert Fisk

"For since the Afghan war is the 'successful' role model for America's forthcoming imperial adventure across the Middle East, the near-collapse of peace in this savage land and the steady erosion of US forces in Afghanistan – the nightly attacks on American and other international troops, the anarchy in the cities outside Kabul, the warlordism and drug trafficking and steadily increasing toll of murders -- are unmentionables, a narrative constantly erased from the consciousness of Americans who are now sending their young men and women by the tens of thousands to stage another 'success' story." (02/05/03)

http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=375608

Commentary Dying for war Village Voice by Alisa Solomon

"War can't be hell in the cartoon-like heroic narrative that tells of the good guys whisking away a tyrant and then striding away unscratched and in triumph, spreading democracy in their wake, as if it could be sprinkled over the battlefield like confetti." (02/06/03)

http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0306/solomon.php

Commentary ND found to be harboring nuclear missles The Onion by staff

"'North Dakotans live a horrible life of isolation and deprivation, struggling to grow crops in a hostile, sub-zero climate while their indifferent government routinely prioritizes bolstering the state's military might,' BBC World correspondent Caroline Eagan said. 'There are people starving there, and yet high-tech weapons laboratories and military bases abound. It's deplorable.' Added Eagan: 'And, no big surprise, the U.S. played a major role in arming this place. I hear most of the missiles are American-made.'" (satire) (02/05/03)

http://www.theonion.com/onion3904/north_dakota.html

Commentary Perpetual war for perpetual war Strike the Root by Paul Ostrowski

"It seems that the one seemingly obvious virtue of war -- the definitive resolution of disputes -- is illusory. The only final thing in war is the killing." (02/04/03)

http://www.strike-the-root.com/columns/ostrowski/ostrowski2.html

Commentary Shock the monkey, days of awe Strike the Root by Adam Engel

"If you're going to hell, go kicking and screaming. Practice civil disobedience, go absolutely limp. Force Satan to CARRY you to eternal torment. After a few million mush-monkeys, his back will be sore as JFK's after a crème de menthe hangover tag-team romp with Marylyn, Bobby and that gangster's nympho gun moll." (02/04/03)

http://www.strike-the-root.com/columns/engel/engel2.html

Commentary Why not start at zero -- and stay there? Strike the Root by Roger Young

How about a permanent 'zero budget'? With no operating funds available the state would have to rely on voluntary donations to survive. To do this it would have to offer services that free individuals needed, wanted and are willing to pay for. In other words, the 'services' offered by the statists would come under the discipline of the free market rather than be coerced by the mob-force of democracy. Only those services truly desired by the public, not craved by lobbyists, would be supported and the rest would simply fade away into the ether like so much shuttle debris." (02/04/03)

http://www.strike-the-root.com/columns/Young/young10.html

Commentary WND's Joe Farah enlists with Israeli Army Movementarian by Tim

"Acting upon 'Gods will,' Joseph ‘I Heart War’ Farah announced to his flock of lemmings that he would join arms with his compatriots at last. Writing in his latest op-ed piece, Mr. Farah stated, 'I had a dispensation last night, one that involved the Constitution, the Bible and a mobile nuclear warhead that could strike deep into the heart of Evil. Jesus showed me that indeed, it was possible to annihilate the Fallen from afar, leaving a land cleansed from Satan and sanctimoniously purified for the return of Christ. With this prophetic knowledge of what will most certainly happen with the help of His children, I have decided to join the ranks of the Holiest, most godsend Army on the face of the planet: the IDF.'" (satire) (02/04/03)

http://www.movementarian.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=205&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Commentary A rabid flock of lying killers Strike the Root by John Kaminski

"It is now clear that the real axis of evil runs right through the heart of Washington, D.C., and -- judging by the polls -- right through the hearts of the American people. For it is the most righteous churchgoers -- the followers of Bible-thumping, Armageddon-preaching, Moonie-funded televangelists -- who are at the rabid forefront of this call for unjust mass murder, as they nod their heads in agreement and applause at the obviously false rhetoric of George W. Bush preaching massacre and mayhem against all the dark-skinned peoples of the world as his latest 'faith-based' initiative. Obedience to a corrupt church is easily twisted into obedience to a corrupt government." (02/03/03)

http://www.strike-the-root.com/columns/kaminski/kaminski1.html

Commentary Letting George do it FredonEverything.net by Fred Reed

"Now, understand: I'm patriotic, and believe in blowing up as many people as possible, wherever we can find them. But -- why Iraq? It's mysterious. Sure, Hussein is a good, serviceable, every-day sort of monster and ought to be shot. So are about half the rulers in the world. Why this one? Bobby Mugabe needs it more, I reckon. Have we thought about Zaire? Explain it to me. A ratpack of Saudis blew up New York, so we're going to wreck Iraq. We're going to do it because Hussein has Weapons of Mass Destruction, except that he doesn't, as far as anyone can tell. The more he doesn't have them, the more we want to blow him up because he does, or doesn't, or would if he did. Maybe." (02/03/03)

http://www.fredoneverything.net/Iraq.shtml

Commentary Tax dollars for sex scholars Free Cannon by
Garry Reed

"It’s 'audiovisual erotica' when it’s taxpayer funded. If you and I pay our own money to watch it, it’s 'porno.' And don’t forget that tax money funds research on 'sexual arousal.' Without tax money, it’s just plain old civil society 'horniness.'" (02/01/03)

http://www.freecannon.com/SexScholars.htm

News Cave-in victims' green cards valid The State

"Two teenage Mexican brothers killed Tuesday at the Blythewood High School construction site had valid green cards, even though the birth dates on them were wrong. Richland County's sheriff won't charge anyone in the deaths of Rigouerto Xaca Sandoval, 15, and Moses Xaca Sandoval, 16. The brothers' green cards indicated that each was 22.... U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service officials couldn't explain how the Xaca Sandovals obtained authentic resident alien cards -- so-called green cards -- with incorrect information." (01/31/03)

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/5072339.htm

1 N 3 C

Commentary Dual use for the weird Uncle Sam society Strike the Root by Adam Engel

"I'm throwing down the gauntlet. I DEMAND satisfaction. I hereby challenge the Usurpers of the United States of America and their Military-Industrial-Corporate-Intelligence-Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Complex to a duel. Yeah that's right, it's me against THEM. Mano a Many-o. I was waiting for some pissed off soul to be MAN enough or WOMAN enough to do it, but since nobody's volunteering for the job as of yet, might as well be chicken-hearted little me." (02/03/03)

http://www.strike-the-root.com/columns/engel/engel1.html


Commentary Restoring draft is one daft idea Strike the Root by Murray Polner

"There is also another contemporary breed of pro-draft males, both liberals and conservatives: Wannabe veterans who escaped military service but now think they missed something heroic and manly in their otherwise ordinary lives." (02/03/03)

http://www.strike-the-root.com/columns/polner/polner1.html

Commentary So you wanna go to war San Francisco Chronicle by Mark Morford

"A young person's guide to understanding ShrubCo's murderous attack on Iraq, and whomever else .... Because plethoric and distressed must be the bewildered youth of America right about now, wide eyed and curious and more than a little baffled as to why on our very blameless God's grayish-green Earth we need to kill that bad Saddam guy along with about 500,000 other Iraqis for no apparent reason." (01/31/03)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/01/31/notes013103.DTL

News Students riot over scheduling change KVIA News

"Students rioted at Montwood High School Wednesday morning. Students reportedly walked out of class at about 9:30 a.m. to protest the school's decision to shift to block scheduling for the 2003-2004 school year. Police said they asked the students to return to class and the students refused. Officers say students threw rocks and bottles at them, injuring one officer's hand. Police said they did use some mace." (01/29/03)

http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=1104002&nav=AbBzDdYd


News Leaving Nevada News Review

"Joe and Julie Silvestri aren't packing their bags just yet, but their party is on the move. Literally. The Libertarian Party, for which Joe Silvestri serves as Clark County chairman, has helped launch the Free State Project, an ambitious campaign that's recruiting 20,000 freedom-loving folks to pull up stakes and relocate to a small U.S. state. The goal: Invade the body politic and transform it into a Libertarian (or at least libertarian) stronghold." (01/30/03)

http://www.newsreview.com/issues/reno/2003-01-30/news.asp


Commentary Strong delusion News with Views by Chuck Baldwin

"When people demonstrate a perpetual pattern of gullibility and even willful compliance with evil, one must wonder what is really the root cause of it all. Is it ignorance? Is it indifference? Maybe it is personal ambition or the love of comfort. There is another possibility: it could be divine delusion." (01/30/03)

http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin82.htm

Commentary The American way of torture Village Voice by Nat Hentoff

"I have been collecting fragments of press reports of torture by American intelligence agencies over the past year, but the Washington Post story was the first extensive, detailed account of what is going on at CIA facilities in the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan." (01/31/03)

http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0306/hentoff.php

News LA city officials are exempt from new false alarm policy WPMI News

"An attempt by Los Angeles officials to cut down on police responses to false alarms makes an exception -- for city officials. City officials are exempt from the new policy, which will end police responses to most burglar alarms unless they're verified by a property owner or private security company." (02/02/03)

http://www.wpmi.com/Global/story.asp?S=1107573

Commentary Freedom, immortality and the stars! The Libertarian Enterprise by William Stone III

"As I peruse the news, I am deeply troubled by the reaction to the Columbia's destruction. While these individuals didn't make it home and their families have my sympathy, the horrible occasion of their deaths isn't cause for national mourning. I'm sorry, but it's not....
National mourning needs to be reserved for a country's dictatorial ambitions depriving us of our true birthright: Freedom, immortality, and the stars!" (02/03/03)

http://www.webleyweb.com/tle/libe209-20030203-03.html

Commentary Introducing Liberty Action of the Week Rational Review by Mary Lou Seymour

"One of my favorite saying has always been, 'what we can't do alone, we can do together.' I'm a firm believer in the cumulative value of individuals doing little actions for freedom, every day, or every week. Libertarians are usually very good at this type of activity. We are individualists, after all, and taking individual actions, when we want to, the way we want to, is right up our alley. But all too often, unless we have a "group" to work with, to offer mutual support and encouragement, the days and weeks and even months go by, and if there's no one to appreciate what we're doing for a free world, it naturally tends to slip to the back burner." (02/01/03)

http://www.rationalreview.com/archive/mls/mls020103.html


News Roadworkers tells motorists to mind the BMUP Ananova

"American roadworkers misspelled the word BUMP as BMUP on a road in California ... the painters also put up a sign that read SLOW MEN WORKING." (02/01/03)

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_746053.html?menu=news.quirkies

News Ashcroft says Bush gun program cuts crime Reuters

"U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft on Thursday credited the Bush administration's program for cracking down on gun violence with helping to lower murder and violent-crime rates in communities across the country ...
Ashcroft said the program called Project Safe Neighborhoods spawned a 32 percent jump in federal gun prosecutions last year and a record number of convictions. Meanwhile, the Bush administration intends to pour more money into the initiative." (01/30/03)

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=2143502

Commentary The drug war refugees LA Times Magazine by Eric Bailey

"A new breed of American refugee has arrived, seeking asylum from a different kind of war -- the fight over medical marijuana. By some counts, they number more than 100 expatriate U.S. citizens, many of them from California, the fiercest battleground in America's medpot fight. They are patients and activists who share an uneasy distrust of the U.S. government and dismay over its intolerance of their brand of medicine. And they often arrive scarred by schizophrenic drug policies that now pit the Golden State's lenient laws governing the use of medical marijuana against the federal government's zero-tolerance approach." (02/02/03)

http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/magazine/la-tm-pot05feb02.story

News Protestors denounce Ivory Coast peace deal Independent

"More than 100,000 protesters flooded Abidjan yesterday to denounce a French-brokered peace deal for Ivory Coast as West African leaders began a last-ditch rescue mission for the tottering accord .... The peace deal agreed in France a week ago was meant to end a conflict that threatens the region. It gave key government positions to rebels and Mr Gbagbo's political opponents, who dispute his victory in 2000 elections." (02/02/03)

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/story.jsp?story=374777

News 'Guru of Ganja' found guilty of Federal marijuana charges LA Times

"Ed Rosenthal, the author of books on how to grow marijuana and avoid the law, was found guilty Friday of federal marijuana cultivation and conspiracy charges. Deliberating for a day, the 12-member jury concluded that Rosenthal, the self-described 'Guru of Ganja,' was growing more than 1,000 plants, conspiring to cultivate marijuana and maintaining a warehouse for a growing operation. He faces 10 years to life when sentenced June 4." (02/01/03}

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pot1feb01.story