Not actually in this issue, but definitely worthy of note: a fascinating article at "Swing Dance Alaska" http://swingak.net/doc/his/zootriot.htm —said link uncovered by the lovely and talented Cathy Smith—discussing the fascinating history of an unusual Los Angeles County ordinance and the origin of a couple of popular retro-swing songs. Quoting our esteemed Publisher, "... even in the celebrated midst of the Great Patriotic War, there were large numbers of Americans who didn't give a damn about it."

In this issue and equally worthy of note: check out Kent van Cleave's latest "Homeland Security" poster at the top of this page.

The Editor

Letters To The Editor
from Robert Shea, Mark Etanerkist and Jason P. Sorens
• FULL STORY

The Future According To Bush
by L. Neil Smith
I often wonder, when I hear people expressing political opinions, what sort of future they imagine the fulfillment of their wishes will produce.
• FULL STORY

Dis-Mything 9-11 Part 1: Protected My Ass
by L. Reichard White
After the bombing of Afghanistan had begun—and the Bush Administration, despite Colin Powell's pledge, had failed to produce the "white paper" proving that bin Laden and al'Qaeda—let alone the Taliban (or the more than 3,500 ^[1] Afghan civilians killed by U.S. operations, ~86% of whom disliked the Taliban) were behind the 9-11 attacks (and before we knew that National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice had plans for attacking the folks in Afghanistan on her desk on September 10 - - the day before 9-11) [2]—a well- known libertarian friend of mine told me, "Well, the government should go after these guys. That's what they get paid for—to protect us."
• FULL STORY

The Menace of the Libertarian Materialist
by Bob Wallace
"What if everyone believed it and acted on it?" is one question I always ask. If everyone followed "Do not murder" and "Do not steal" only good would come from it. You could say, "As you sow, you reap." People can believe what they want; they should be very careful before they act on it. Ideas have consequences, as Richard Weaver wrote. The truth, I believe, produces goodness. False ideas produce evil. The Truth, as the saying goes, will set you free. Simple cause and effect.
• FULL STORY

Anarchists, Who Cares Which Wing?
by Patrick K Martin
Okay, I admit it�s been fun to watch the Anarchists around here try to tear a patch off somebody else�s ass for a change, but I just have to get in here. Manuel Miles in his article about right-wing anarchy stirred the pot pretty well. To be honest, he lost me a couple times, and I did tend to agree with his critics about some things (the fact that Nietzsche was wrong a lot should not relegate him to the �Satanic� dustbin, hell even Marx got a couple things right. Which just shows that even a blind marksman will hit the target every once in a while), but on the whole Mr. Miles is on the right track.
• FULL STORY

The Demise of Public Schools? You�d Better Hope So!
by Caleb Paul
Mark Lamoree's article, "Public Schools", was certainly thought provoking, and I agree with him on a number of points. However, I believe some of his points are incorrect or that he doesn't think through the problems enough in a libertarian fashion.
• FULL STORY

A Challenge To The Drug Warriors
by James J Odle
If you are a typical American, you probably believe that prohibition ended with the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment. You would be wrong. Only the illegal status of alcohol ended. Prohibition never ceased against other mind-altering substances. In short, we have been fighting the War on Drugs now for some 80+ years.
• FULL STORY

It's Time To Privatize Marriage
by Wendy McElroy
"Why is marriage declining?"—the question buzzes in the news. I believe one reason is because marriage has become a 3-way contract between two people and the government, which is regulated by the State from wedding vows to divorce decrees. Marriage should be privatized. Let people make their own marriage contracts according to their conscience, religion, and common sense. Those contracts could be registered with the State, recognized as legal, and arbitrated by the courts but the terms would be determined by those involved.
• FULL STORY

I Sentence You To Death By Four Thousand Rules
by Vin Suprynowicz
As the market slumps, Republicans who have held some measure of congressional power since 1994 must now expect to hear a predictable braying from the other side of the aisle: "See, we told you profligate tax cuts and the wanton slashing of wise and prudent government regulations were bound to lead to trouble!"
• FULL STORY

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