The three best-read yesterday were: Ron Paul on the necons’ false choice in foreign policy; Doug Wead on Ron Paul in 2012? and Sheryl Walters on skin brushing.

Actually it’s neither. It’s Loudon Wainwright III, singer of Depression songs, singing his new tune, “The Krugman Blues.”

I read the New York Times, that’s where I get the news. Paul Krugman’s on the Op Ed page, that’s where I get the blues.

Bill, I know, could have written some killer lyrics for this song.

Maryland resident Shawn M. Leake was enjoying an evening drive near Hyattsville on May 25, 2008 when he caught the unwelcome sight of a police car behind him, its running lights on.

When he pulled over he was accosted by Prince George’s County Police  Corporal Steven Jackson, who told him that he was following up on “inquiries” about Leake’s auto insurance. Jackson later claimed that he stopped Leake because the windows of his Cadillac were tinted.

Much about the ensuing conversation, which was captured by Jackson’s dashboard camera, remains unclear. A few minutes into the stop, after Jackson’s backup arrived, the corporal ordered Leake from the car. Puzzled and wary, Leake hesitated, asking why this would be necessary.

“Step out of the car now, or I’ll have you out of the car,” exclaimed Jackson.

“You yelling, but you have to give me a reason to step out of the car,” protested Leake, pointing out that he was trying to comply but his foot was caught on an obstruction.

When Leake finally exited the car, a shaved fraction of a split second transpired before Jackson slugged the taller motorist twice before bull-dogging him to the pavement. During this whole time, as the video clearly shows, Jackson did nothing to provoke the violence; he neither hit nor threatened the officer, nor did he assume a “fighting stance.”

After the two of them hit the ground off-camera, a hissing noise and choking can be heard suggesting that the tax-feeder had pepper-sprayed the driver. Jackson is heard accusing the motorist of hitting him and tackling him.

“You hit me in the f*****g lip,” grumbled Jackson petulantly.

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Had the regime underststood what the internet would mean– the destructon of official media and the proliferation of unofficial thinking, booming web commerce instead of brick and mortar stores, etc.–it never would have allowed it to come into existence. Given their typical mistake–they are always trying to catch up to the market–surely the smartest minds in the state stay up late thinking of how to wreck the internet in ways that will not undermine the state through public anger. Here is the latest scheme from beloved neocon Richard Posner. This government judge proposes outlawing linking without prior permission, to destroy Google news and other aggregators that necessarily have no government-approved gatekeepers, and all unapproved web media. In particular, Posner–a crazed IPnik (for the libertarian view, see here and here) as well–also wants to protect government’s beloved newspapers, as if any young person would then pick up one of these expensive, hand-staining pieces of federal propaganda. So what would happen if Posner got his way (impossible, I guess, given all the great hackers, etc.)? We’d all link to foreign sites only, which would then cover US goings-on even more fully, because they would want the traffic. The Washington Post, the New York Times, and all the rest of the CIA’s house organs would continue to decline until they are bailed out by some Obama stimulus, thus making clear what has long been the case, that they serve the state. (Thanks to David Kramer)

Murray Rothbard wrote that “There have been only two wars in American history that were, in my view, assuredly and unquestionably proper and just”: “the American Revolution, and the War for Southern Independence.” Now these wars may be just under “just war” theory, but in my view they were all unjust by libertarian standards. The use of conscription and taxation alone–by the US in the former, and the CSA in the latter–is enough to condemn the actions of these states as criminal.

Libertarians are not usually reluctant to condemn state crime and war, but for some reason if you make similar observations about the Revolutionary War, or the Civil War (either Lincoln’s, or the CSA’s, criminal actions), libertarians become apoplectic. Case in point: the reaction to my post Happy We-Should-Restore-The-Monarchy-And-Rejoin-Britain Day! “Proud Patriot” in the comments says that I “blame the freedom-loving patriots of the American Revolution for the mass murdering tyrants of the twentieth century”.

Well, some libertarians may want to overlook the typical crimes committed by states anytime there is war, but I don’t. The Declaration of Independence of course led to all the standard evils of war and raising an army-as Hummel noted, “unfunded government debt, paper money, skyrocketing inflation, price controls, legal tender laws, direct impressment of supplies and wide-spread conscription.” Read the rest of this entry »