Category:Civil Liberties
Marijuana taxation will undo the benefits of legalization
December 8, 2021 | Post
Legalization makes marijuana safer for consumers, but taxation can undo these benefits, rendering legal markets unable to compete with street dealers
Legends of Liberty: Lenny Bruce
December 3, 2021 | Post
E.M. Forster once said, “How do I know what I think until I see what I say?” He was observing that, in our brains, thoughts often bounce and jump around frenetically; for many of us, we have to verbalize — or write down — our thoughts before they gain clarity. So, in a sense, the […]
The China model is the antithesis of liberty
October 27, 2021 | Post
The Chinese regime inherently rejects the ideas and values of individual liberty, meaningful economic freedom, transparency and human rights
7 shocking incidents created by lockdown restrictions
September 9, 2021 | Post
Lockdown restrictions have disrupted normal life and led to to a range of shocking and bizarre incidents and developments as governments take on new powers
Australia’s draconian lockdown restrictions must end
August 25, 2021 | Post
The Australian government’s heavy handed response to dissent against its draconian lockdown restrictions is unacceptable for a supposedly free society.
The fight for freedom in Cuba
July 29, 2021 | Post
Recently, Cuba has seen an unprecedented wave of protests against the ruling communist regime. Could freedom be on the horizon for Cuba?
What’s with the self-identified “libertarians” on the far-right?
July 15, 2021 | Post
Self-identified libertarians have a variety of core principles, and different stressors can push some towards more nefarious ideologies, like the far-right
How can Immigration boost Liberty?
April 28, 2021 | Video
Lesson 10 of our Law 201 Course: Prof. Ilya Somin returns to explain how Immigration promotes and even secures liberty, not only for migrants themselves but also for natives. He talks about improving the lives of people fleeing dictatorships, authoritarian regimes, and poverty and how this movement reflects (positively) in the economy and society of more open countries.
3 Different Ways Constitutionalism Affects Liberty
April 28, 2021 | Video
Lesson 4 of our Law 201 Course: Find out how the separation of powers, federalism, and judicial affect liberty, and how those aspects compare to other systems of government.
Pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar suffer brutal repression
March 10, 2021 | Post
Since the military coup on February 1, pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar are suffering brutal repression and human rights violations.
Does Heckling Violate Freedom of Speech?
January 22, 2018 | Video
When someone tries to disrupt a public speaker, are they making an assault on freedom of speech, or just utilizing their own freedom of speech? Prof. Angus Johnston and journalist Brendan O’Neill share their thoughts. Excerpted from Spiked Magazine’s ‘Unsafe Space Tour’ panel discussion at New York Law School.
The Sweet Cakes case: Let the market give discrimination its just desserts.
January 18, 2018 | Post
The Oregon-based Sweet Cakes bakery has been ordered to pay $135,000 in damages for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple for their ceremony. In December of 2017, the Oregon State Court of Appeals upheld the decision to force the bakery to pay the couple for damages.
Bret Weinstein: Left and Right Libertarians Should Unite
January 15, 2018 | Video
Bret Weinstein, evolutionary biologist and former professor at Evergreen State College, makes the case that those who value liberty—whether we lean right or lean left—should unite in its defense. Excerpted from Spiked Magazine’s ‘Unsafe Space Tour’ panel discussion at New York Law School.
What is Section 702?
October 26, 2017 | Video
A panel of experts from TechFreedom, the ACLU, R Street, and the US Naval Academy discuss Section 702, the controversial warrantless mass-surveillance provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
Edward Snowden: Surveillance Is about Power
September 21, 2017 | Video
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden says government surveillance is taking away our privacy AND our security. Click to watch his full speech.
Reddit AMA with Professor Ilya Somin of George Mason University
September 12, 2017 | Post
Ilya Somin is Professor of Law at George Mason University. His research focuses on constitutional law, property law, and the study of popular political participation.
Vaping bans: How the FDA is making it harder to quit smoking
July 27, 2017 | Post
Nullifying the FDA’s vaping ban would save the lives of smokers who would like to quit cigarettes.
What’s wrong with gun control? The same thing that’s wrong with immigration restrictions.
May 31, 2017 | Post
The advocates of immigration- and gun -control policies are promoting a standing law enforcement body to go around violating freedoms in the hope that a greater gain in freedom will happen down the road…
Ritual sacrifice of chickens: religious freedom vs animal cruelty laws
May 26, 2017 | Post
Can states legally prohibit religious chicken sacrifice? What about spiritual snake handling?
Confident Pluralism: Reinvigorating the freedom of association
May 4, 2017 | Post
True tolerance does not require us to approve of beliefs or practices that we find unacceptable. Rather, we should accept the legitimacy of groups with widely divergent views, even as we attempt to convince them that their beliefs are wrong.
Debate: Is Ayn Rand right about rights?
April 16, 2017 | Post
If my life is the standard of morality, then why should I refrain from interfering with your freedom if doing so will advance my interests?
Let’s take back the meaning of “pro-choice”
April 12, 2017 | Post
Truly supporting choice means supporting the right of individuals to choose.
Happy birthday to René Descartes, father of methodological skepticism
March 31, 2017 | Post
Once he entered the intellectual fray, things would never be the same.
Entitlements driving Washington to trillion-dollar deficits
March 29, 2017 | Post
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released the “The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2017 to 2027.” This annual report provides the federal government’s most comprehensive analysis of the current state of federal spending, taxes, and debt. It also provides a framework within which to analyze the President’s budget proposal and upcoming Congressional legislation. The news is […]