K4V.net BLOG

Wendy Kaminer in an Atlantic piece somewhat shapelessly takes on the whole “is libertarianism dominating the out-of-power GOP?” (see Matt Welch’s cutting words on David Brooks’ totally foolish take on the theme of supposed libertarian dominance of the polity from early today) theme that is so hot nowadays . While I think slightly overestimating the efficacy of Democrats in power at actually curbing the national security state, she has kind words for the libertarian streak in that good ol’ fashioned liberal whipping boy, the John Birch Society: like pixie dust, a little libertarianism has been scattered over the right…sprinkling even the John Birch Society. ….it opposes the post 9/11 security state — not that many rational people would rely on the judgment of the John Birch Society…

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The John Birch Society: Last, Best Hope for the Right?

Over at Bloggingheads.tv, Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch talks with Washington Times foreign policy reporter Eli Lake about Ron Paul, the resurgent limited-government sentiment at CPAC, the Bush-Obama War on Terror continuum, Glenn Greenwald, the split between F.A. Hayek and Murray Rothbard, AntiWar.com, Justin Raimondo, something called “Michael Moynihan libertarianism,” whether we are living in a “libertarian moment,” whether libertarians are all freakazoids, whether David Frum gets to be the big Jell-o Sheriff of the Republican house, and whether Bo Belinsky was a rapist

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Reason Writers Around Town: Matt Welch Talks Libertarianism With Eli Lake at Bloggingheads

Over at The Root , where Slate magazine sequesters black journalists, Michael Arceneaux decides it’s time to excommunicate certain undesirables from the African-American brotherhood. Because “while we love our own,” he writes, “we sure do dream of erasing a few of them from the history books.” I know the feeling, Michael. There are lots of embarrassing white people I’d like to Stalinize from history too—Ulrike Meinhof, Calvin Schiraldi, Yngwie Malmsteen

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The Root: Clarence Thomas the Mugabe of the Court

There was, of course, the dumb faux populism of Tim Pawlenty and the requisite Glenn Beck chalkboard and denunciations of Woodrow Wilson. But a few interesting moments are worth noting from this year’s CPAC.

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You Know the Lowlights. Here Are a Few Highlights from CPAC…Seriously

The CPAC straw poll is in, and the winner is Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), the doctor of the rEVOLution (he’s got the cure you’re thinkin’ of! ). From the Wash Post ’s coverage: Texas Rep

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Ron Paul: In Your Straw Heart, You Know He’s Right

Via the Washington Examiner comes news of a brewing showdown in Fairfax, Virginia, where the school system is looking for a whopping tax increase to pay for teacher retirements and benefits.

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Even More on The Coming War Over Public-Sector Pensions

CNET has a preview of a case argued yesterday morning that could eventually decide the issue of whether police need to secure a warrant before searching an arestee’s iPhone.

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Police Seek Warrantless Searches of Smartphones

Earlier this week, Ralph Nader took the pages of the Wall Street Journal to attack last month’s Citizens United ruling for its “dire consequences for the nation’s constitutional premise of ‘we the people,’ not we the corporations.” University of Illinois law professor Larry E.

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“Of course, Nader is simply wrong about what the Supreme Court did”

I haven’t seen the much-praised picture Precious , so I don’t have an opinion of the movie myself. But I found this critique , written by frequent Reason contributor Brendan O’Neill, pretty interesting. Here’s an excerpt: At one level, Precious — based on the 1996 novel Push by Sapphire — is your average, super-patronising story of a dumb, fat, black girl from the ghetto being rescued by caring outsiders.

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Precious Stoned