Are We Really Less Free Today? Sheldon Richman on the State of Liberty

Are we really less free than we used to be? Sheldon Richman, editor of The Freeman, says yes -- and no.

Reason.tv sat down with Richman during the recent Libertopia festival in Hollywood, Calif., to discuss the mixed bag that is the state of liberty today. The nanny state and regulatory state may be growing, but Richman points out that many people, from blacks to women, are freer than they used to be. Richman also highlights the liberating power of technology, which breaks down barriers to creative expression and information.

Richman pretty much nails it in this video.

VIDEO: End of Liberty

This is the latest documentary from the National Inflation Association.

I take issue with the group's characterization of immigration and in some places the video borders on fearmongering, though the facts appear to be accurate even when the analysis of those facts might be extreme.

Overall, however, it is well done and worth the hour and 15 minutes of your time. As in everything, watch with an open mind and verify everything you are told with more than one source. In the end, you have to decide for yourself.

VIDEO: The ABC's of Virginia Alcohol Law

You could probably make a video like this in every state in the union.

If you can't see the above video, find it at http://bit.ly/byxgNL

Happy Independence Day!

It was on this date 233 years ago that the United States was born. On July 2, 1776, the congress, in closed session, approved the resolution of independence.

John Adams thought today would be the day that Americans would celebrate independence based on that vote. On July 3, 1776, in a letter to his wife Abigail, Adams wrote, "The second day of July, 1776, will be the most  memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

Of course, public opinion is sometimes hard to predict. From the very beginning, Americans chose to celebrate independence on July 4, the date shown on the Declaration of Independence.

However, regardless of the date, we need to remember the ideas behind the Declaration of Independence. We were declaring ourselves independent of overbearing government. It marked the beginning of the greatest experiment in self-government in history. The ideas expressed, while not new, were still profound. It set in motion the idea that humans are capable of, and by right should, govern themselves and that the citizens, not subjects, should be free to pursue their dreams, wants and desires so long as they do not interfere in the rights of others to do the same.

Somehow, along the way, we have forgotten that. Our Framers would be aghast of how overbearing today's government has become. And it becomes larger and more intrusive by the day.

Hopefully, Americans will take this Independence Day to reflect on what it really means and how relevant, especially today, the words of the Declaration of Independence are and make a renewed effort of returning our government to our founding ideals.

Happy birthday, Magna Carta

Today marks the 794th anniversary of a monumental event in Western history. It was on this date in 1215 that King John I, under pressure from English barons, affixed his great seal to a document titled "Magna Carta" in the meadow at Runnymede. Large parts of it were actually copied word for word from the Charter of Liberties issued by King Henry I in 1100.

The Magna Carta marked the beginning of the English Parliament with the creation of a council to serve as a check on the monarch. Its influence can be seen in the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Perhaps the most important right to come out of the Magna Carta was the right of habeas corpus, which is receiving a battering in the United States these days as part of the so-called war on terror - er, excuse me, the overseas contingency operation.

Read more!

'Here's to You, Mr. Jefferson'

 This is an awesome video! Enjoy.

The philosophy of Liberty (Extended Version)

 

 

This is an expanded version of the video I posted Thursday. Again, this is a must-see.

The philosophy of Liberty

A great video. All must watch.

Happy Birthday, John Adams

Today is the 271st birthday of our second president, John Adams, aka the American Cato.

While not all he did was agreeable to me, he was truly a great American and a lover of liberty. On this, his birthday, we should all pause to remember exactly what American liberty is supposed to mean and how far we have strayed from the ideals of our founders.

Adams, along with Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and other men who risked their lives for American independence, would be deeply saddened by the state of America today where things such as illegal wars, unwarranted wire taps and domestic spying fail to raise the ire of Americans.

Adams helped light the fire of freedom in this country and we have failed to keep it burning.