Young Americans for Liberty – Ole Miss Chapter

As we near the first anniversary of President Obama’s inaugeration, it’s an appropriate time to consider his performance in office.  Here’s a list of 100 “lies, blunders, gaffes, and abuses of liberty” from the Humble Libertarian blog:

1. Promising to “publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days… before the President signs it,” then breaking that promise over and over again.

2. Despite promising to keep lobbyists out of his administration, Obama has broken his word again and again (making 17 exceptions to this promise in his first two weeks).

3. Obama promised to eliminate income taxation for seniors making less than $50,000 a year. He has broken this promise despite numerous opportunities to keep it, including the economic stimulus package and his administration’s first budget proposal.

4. The President also boasted during his campaign that “During 2009 and 2010, existing businesses will receive a $3,000 refundable tax credit for each additional full-time employee hired,” and has failed to keep his word.

Read the other 96 here.

By Bonnie Kristian

Despite numerous promises by President Obama to the contrary, CSPAN will not be broadcasting the health care debacle (I can’t see how calling it a ‘debate’ would be valid at this point!) taking place between the Führer and his party leaders from the legislature—behind  closed doors.  Is there even a token excuse this time, to combat the glaring truth—that these are discussions not intended for citizen consumption?  It’s time to rout these tyrants out.

Watch this great interview between Andrew Napolitano and Reason‘s Nick Gillespie on the future of the libertarian movement.  They demonstrate that both parties have incrased the size and scope of government power, even Reagan and St Lincoln.   Only libertarianism protects individual rights and promotes social-cultural-economic progress.  As the great libertarian writers of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries understood, a free society enjoys liberty, prosperity, peace, and civilization.  Big Government tyranny leads to slavery, stagnation, war, and barbarism.  May God save us from bipartisan tyrants.

See the video here.

I bought a pack of Djarum Black cigarettes this week, never having been a fan of cigarettes.  They are what I like to call an ‘endangered species’.  Their unnatural predator?  The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (H. R. 1256).  Signed into law, this bill bans flavored cigarettes, with the exception of menthol flavors.  Individuals that enjoy these products are being told that it isn’t their choice any more.  The drafters of the legislation contend that these cigarettes must be banned to help protect children from tobacco.  I never saw kids smoking these cigarettes growing up.  I don’t see anyone at all smoking these cigarettes.  Given a smaller user-base, is it reasonable to argue that these cigarettes in particular are exposed more to children?  Why must we endure yet another useless prohibition? Perhaps if I try to understand the following of these goods, I’ll have, in my mind, started an even hotter “brush fire of freedom.”

It’s been a little over 5 months since Obama took office. Now that he’s approaching half a year as our commander-in-chief, I feel as if we can begin to judge his actions thus far and project his future measures. I have been met with much dissent upon my criticism of Obama, usually from his supporters who claim I shouldn’t expect him to solve all of our problems within a few measly months. For those who use this excuse, I would like to point out that this type of argument is a red herring that would be very characteristic of the typical Bush supporter.

I am, of course, not expecting him to fix all of our country’s problems within 6 months. To be honest, judging by his rhetoric and campaign promises, I never expected Obama to fix anything. However, very complex problems, such as the ailing economy, aside, we can begin to evaluate Obama based on the approaches he has been taking compared with his promises.

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The Washington Post is reporting that the White House, worried about Congress curtailing efforts to close Guantanamo, is trying to drum up support for a reassertion of an executive order that would once again give the president the authority to incarcerate “terrorist suspects” indefinitely. 

Such an order would embrace claims by former president George W. Bush that certain people can be detained without trial for long periods under the laws of war. Obama advisers are concerned that an order, which would bypass Congress, could place the president on weaker footing before the courts and anger key supporters, the officials said.

As Glenn Greenwald points out, this Washington Post article is only calling attention to a policy still being considered and is unable to point out specifics. However, gathering information from Obama’s speech he hypocritically gave in front of the original US Constitution, we already know he wants a preventative detention system put in place giving him the authority to hold prisoners indefinitely without charges. It’s a sad situation when the American people must now choose the lesser evil of the government’s law breaking. Is it better for the president to break the law himself through executive order, or use Congress to do it?

John Stossel reveals a few myths about universal healthcare in other countries. 

What do Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire all have in common? In the midst of such nationwide uproar, each of these states has passed laws legalizing same-sex marriage. Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire are not currently allowing it within their state, but they have passed legislation putting a date on when the marriages can legally begin to be performed. So what is Mississippi to do about the issue of same-sex marriage?

Well, we have a few options. Either we can repeat our hardened stance against allowing equal rights towards people who are perceived as different, or we can be the first southern state to allow the practice. Mississippi has some bad history when it comes to issues such as this. Our state was definitely a huge obstacle in the civil rights era. Our very own campus played a major role in the movement. Looking back on it now, aren’t we still ashamed of the violence shown towards a black man who simply wanted an education?

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218 is a majority!

HR 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, is Ron Paul’s bill to audit the Federal Reserve. 

“…Federal Reserve, you have a lot of power, you have too much power, you’re spending a lot of money, we have no idea what you’re doing.  We and the Congress have a responsibility to know exactly what you’re doing.  This bill, HR 1207, will allow us once and for all, to have some supervision of the Federal Reserve.”
-Congressman Ron Paul

To learn more, watch this video:

And check out this website.

HR 1207 is now in the House Committee on Financial Services. This is THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP in this legislation! If it doesn’t get out of committee it will not come to a vote! There are 71 members on this committee and they are all listed below. Read the rest of this entry »

After calling for an end to Clinton’s policy of don’t-ask-don’t-tell, Obama has made no move against it, even when given a chance.  By the way, more gays have been kicked out of the military under don’t-ask-don’t-tell than before its inception, when simply being gay was sufficient cause to be chucked out.

Let’s wait and see if Olbermann, moveon.org, Michael Moore, and sundry disciples of The Golden Child speak out against this.  Let’s see if they are principled, as they say, or merely shills for the Democratic Party, as we suspect.

Read about it here.