Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here's the very first James O'Keefe video, in which a young O'Keefe persuaded a university administrator to ban Lucky Charms as "offensive to Irish." He went on to create Project Veritas, and later O'Keefe Media Group, both of which produce undercover videos on corruption and left-wing political bias. … [Read more...]
Iranian Women: Defying The Clerics And Winning Freedom
The hijab is compulsory by law for all Iranian women. In 2017, the online group My Stealthy Freedom was formed to reverse this legislation and allow women choice in how they dress. It's part of a broader simmering of discontent with the government's authoritarian rule that has spilled out into anti-government protests. Gutsy Iranian women have been removing their hijabs in … [Read more...]
Happy Bill Of Rights Day!
December 15th is Bill of Rights Day. I was delighted to find this short educational video performed by middle school students from the excellent Meritas private school network. It explains the Bill of Rights to the tune of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off." Teachers: The Bill of Rights Institute offers free lesson plans and activities for middle and high school students, … [Read more...]
Private Property Defended: Glitter Bombs vs. Thieves
Two million packages are stolen from porches and doorways in the US every year. Ex-NASA engineer Mark Rober is doing his bit to take on these thieves with his brilliantly-designed "glitter bombs," fake packages that explode with glitter and noxious smells, and best of all -- record the entire experience via hidden cameras. There are some definite law-enforcement possibilities … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving: a Celebration of Property Rights?!
Journalist John Stossel explains how Thanksgiving would have been (and nearly was) "Starvation Day," but for a change in policy from communal planting to...private property. [4 min/ Anti-socialism, Econ 101] Reason tells the the true story of how the introduction of property rights by Governor Bradford saved the Pilgrims. [3 min/ Anti-socialism, Econ 101] The … [Read more...]
Daylight Saving: Libertarian Video Shorts
Daylight saving creates chaos among the populace. [2 min] Comedian Michael McIntyre jokes about daylight saving time. [1 min] A short segment from the John Oliver show mocks daylight saving time. [3 min] The standard opening to Perry Mason is finally explained as a daylight saving error. [1 min] Harvard School of Public Health experts … [Read more...]
If People Spoke Like Politicians
A humorous clip from the Australian TV channel Viceland, on the double-speak of politicians. … [Read more...]
Simpsons Kang And Kodos Mock Two-Party System
In this classic clip from The Simpsons, the predatory and malevolent aliens Kang and Kodos win the Republican and Democrat nominations for president. So, given that the US has a two-party system, they are the only choices available that are likely to win. After all, as libertarians have been cautioned many times, voting for a third party would be a "wasted vote." The … [Read more...]
Boatlift: An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilience
Tom Hanks narrates the epic story of the 9/11 boatlift that evacuated half a million people from the stricken piers and seawalls of Lower Manhattan. This short film is a good example of how free people respond in a crisis. Per the Huffington Post, "As panicked crowds rushed to find refuge from the area around the World Trade Center, many soon found themselves at the water’s … [Read more...]
The Film Editor Who Removes Scenes for China
There are multiple reports now of US films made in Hollywood being edited to please Chinese censors (1,2,3,4,5). Why? Because these films are sold on a world market and China is a very large part of that market. These censors object to many things: topics that put the Chinese government in a bad light, overtly gay content, anything that reminds the world that Taiwan is a … [Read more...]