Addressing the news that a non-profit Muslim organization in Texas is offering to privately settle disputes on a voluntary basis between those who see Sharia law as binding, Judge Andrew Napolitano points out that privatized justice should be welcomed in the United States among those who reject state meddling in private affairs. read on...
Despite Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-VT) of the Senate Judiciary Committee expressing concern about the US government using a license plate tracking system to monitor vehicle movements in America, we should not expect the US Congress to pass any significant rollback of the mass spying program. As we have seen with the US government’s telecommunications mass spying program administered largely by the National Security Agency, a large-scale effort to defeat any significant rights-protecting legislative response should be expected. Further, only insignificant to counterproductive “reform” legislation — portrayed deceptively as a major rollback — will likely be pushed through the legislative process. read on...
A quick review of the Sunni vs. Shia split and how that drives violence in the Middle East. What does the ascendence of a Shia insurgency to power in Yemen last week mean for the balance in the region, especially with the death of the Saudi king? read on...
US-backed president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, was among the elites gathering in Davos, Switzerland this week to attend the 2015 World Economic Forum. During his speech he made the remarkable claim that 9,000 Russian troops were currently fighting in Ukraine on behalf of the independence-seeking areas of the country. These 9,000 troops have brought with them tanks, heavy artillery, and armored vehicles, he claimed. "Is this not aggression?" he asked the gathered elites. read on...
Commenting Wednesday in a Sky News panel discussion, Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity Advisory Board Member Dennis Kucinich questioned how President Barack Obama planned to pay for the “wish list” of government programs Obama presented in the State of the Union speech of the previous night while the US spends trillions of dollars on empire.
“Where’s the money gonna come from?” asks Kucinich when questioned by host Martin Stanford about the community college proposal promoted in Obama’s Tuesday evening speech. Kucinich proceeds in his response to blame Obama’s pursuit of wars at a cost of trillions of dollars for standing the way of proposals like those on the wish list... read on...
In his recent appearance on the Rick Sanchez Show, RPI Chairman Ron Paul discussed why the Founders favored liberty and were very skeptical of democracy. Also, is Obama finally starting to get Cuba policy right? Ron Paul made the point that when he was campaigning down in Miami last time it was the young people who agreed with him most about the futility of maintaining the US embargo of Cuba. What about the drug war? All this and more in a very interesting 20 minute discussion. read on...
Last week's arrest of 20 year old Ohio resident Christopher Lee Cornell for allegedly plotting to shoot up the US Capitol was yet another in dozens of spectacular FBI takedowns of dangerous terrorists out to do all of us harm. Or was it?
As has been the case at least 49 times since 9/11, these bone-chilling terror plots are actually conceived by the FBI and sold to usually a hapless target, often one with severe financial and/or mental problems.
Such appears to be the case with Cornell, who was unemployed, living with his parents, and spending his days in the fantasy world of endless video games. Until he met an FBI informant. Soon he had purchased two AR-15 rifles, 600 rounds of ammunition, and, we are told, determined to commit a terrorist act against the US Capitol. read on...
RPI Director Daniel McAdams joins Jay Taylor to look back on the week in foreign affairs. The hypocrisy of the Paris "unity" march, the free speech crackdown in France, free speech in the US, the US decision to begin training Syrian rebels with US troops, Ukraine civil war hotting up, and why on earth did RPI run the Paul Craig Roberts article questioning whether the Paris shooting was a false flag? read on...
Ron Paul is a well-known opponent of the militarization and nationalization of local police in America. Yet, he cautions against looking at this development in isolation. On the Alex Jones Show on Tuesday, Paul discussed the economic policies of the US government and the provocations by people such as Al Sharpton that have, together with the nationalization of militarization of police, helped create a very dangerous situation in US cities. read on...
Well that didn't take long. Just three days after the French government hosted dozens of foreign leaders in a "unity rally" to defend free speech in the wake of last week's shooting at the Charlie Hebdo magazine, France has begun arresting its citizens for actually exercising free speech.
According to news reports, more than 50 French citizens were arrested today and charged with offensive speech — the same kind of speech that was the trademark of of the Charlie Hebdo publication.
None of those arrested were charged with links to terrorism or any real crime. Instead, they are facing up to seven years in prison for making statements the French authorities claim are supportive of the shootings or are anti-Semitic. read on...
