Bob Barr’s campaign has recently released a campaign ad for his presidential bid:

Watching the whole video reveals that Barr is nothing more than a typical politician.  Take, for instance, the fact that he uses more than half of this seven minute opportunity to attack his opponents. The rest of the time is spent spewing buzzwords like ‘freedom’ and ‘liberty’ without giving anything to back those claims up. It seems to remind me of something another candidate has been criticized for doing with the word ‘change’.

He could of used the time to get out the libertarian message by explaining some of his proposals and how they will help fix the country’s problems, but he instead chooses the lesser road and attacks his opponents.  Thanks Bob for your role in turning the LP into another typical political party with your prototypical political blather.  I used to expect better from the Libertarian Party, but not anymore.

Farewell, Party of Principle. 

digitaljournal.com:

The private city of North Oaks, Minnesota — home to more than 4,500 people — has demanded that Google remove all images of their community from the company’s Street View feature.

In a recent blog post on the website TownHall.com 20/20 anchor John Stossel has officially advocated the legalization of all hard drugs. “Of course medical marijuana should be legal,” he says, “For adults, everything should be legal.”

He goes on: “After years of reporting on the drug war, I’m convinced that this “war” does more harm than any drug.

I find it hard to disagree with that statement when considering the countless number of no knock raids that end up at the wrong house or the fact that violent crimes occur around drugs because they are illegal.

Here is a fact that everyone should consider: You have been lied to about the harms of most drugs.

Here is some food for thought from the article:

Myth No. 1: Heroin and cocaine have a permanent effect.

Truth: There is no evidence of that.

In the 1980s, the press reported that “crack babies” were “permanently damaged.” Rolling Stone, citing one study of just 23 babies, claimed that crack babies “were oblivious to affection, automatons.”

It simply wasn’t true. There is no proof that crack babies do worse than anyone else in later life.

Myth No. 2: If you do crack once, you are hooked.

Truth: Look at the numbers — 15 percent of young adults have tried crack, but only 2 percent used it in the last month. If crack is so addictive, why do most people who’ve tried it no longer use it?

People once said heroin was nearly impossible to quit, but during the Vietnam War, thousands of soldiers became addicted, and when they returned home, 85 percent quit within one year.

People have free will. Most who use drugs eventually wise up and stop.

And most people who use drugs habitually live perfectly responsible lives, as Jacob Sullum pointed out in “Saying Yes”.

Myth No. 3: Drugs cause crime.

Truth: The drug war causes the crime.

Few drug users hurt or rob people because they are high. Most of the crime occurs because the drugs are illegal and available only through a black market. Drug sellers arm themselves and form gangs because they cannot ask the police to protect their persons and property.

In turn, some buyers steal to pay the high black-market prices. The government says heroin, cocaine and nicotine are similarly addictive, and about half the people who both smoke cigarettes and use cocaine say smoking is at least as strong an urge. But no one robs convenience stores for Marlboros.

Alcohol prohibition created Al Capone and the Mafia. Drug prohibition is worse. It’s corrupting whole countries and financing terrorism.

Read the full article here. 

Mark Edge, who is a host of the syndicated radio talk show Free Talk Live, is planning to sue the city of Keene, New Hampshire.

The suit revolves around an incident where the plaintiff never received a bill from the city for his property taxes. At this point, it is unclear where the bill was initially sent, but it is likely that it was given to the previous owner as Edge just recently moved into the building.

Instead of trying to contact Mr. Edge in a courteous, customer service oriented manner, the city sent a letter threatening him with a lien on his property while also adding late fees to his bill.

“The first interaction I had with these people regarding the taxes,” Edge claimed on a recent episode ofFree Talk Live, “was a threat of a lien [on my property] and I thought this would be a good end to ask some questions about the whole taxation process.”

His questions will revolve around the legitimacy of property taxes and whether or not the city is incorporated. If Keene is, in fact, a corporation he wants to know who the share holders are.

“If [a city] is a plot of land then when did they buy the plot of land, how much did they pay for the plot of land?,” he asks, “If they own the plot of land does that mean I don’t own my property? I thought I owned my property. I certainly didn’t sign any pieces of paper saying that I would pay taxes to these people.”

Is there an inherent obligation to pay taxes? Or do we just pay them because we fear the men with guns that will come after us if we do not pay them? These questions are extremely relevant and poignant in today’s society and are things that many people do not think about on a daily basis. It will be interesting to see how the city bureaucrats respond, but it seems likely that they may just ignore his questions altogether.

digitaljournal.com:

Since 2005, Border Patrol agent Jesus Huizar has headed the illegal alien smuggling ring of over 100 illegals into the United States. In May of 2008, he was arrested for his alleged role in the crime but it does create some issues of trust.  

More proof that positions of power attack those that are willing to abuse it.  After all, if you want to smuggle illegal aliens then what better job is there for you than a border patrol agent?