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Pension Funds: The $4 Trillion Problem
A new assessment of state pension obligations suggests the problem is even worse than it already appears. How much worse? EMPTY COOKIE JAR: Pension …
3 Important Lessons from a Canadian Border Crossing
I was at the Canadian border, headed toward the freedom that exists a few feet beyond the last security check. I was gently waved …
The Untrustables
I have come to the point that I cannot believe a thing President Obama says. That’s not quite the same as saying I don’t …
In Praise of Government Gridlock
Our “Crash Alert” flag warns of a crash in U.S. stocks. Readers are advised to proceed with caution. But since the start of September, …
What TSA Really Stands For
Fort Meade, MD – The United States, the least unfree country on Earth, is fighting a major invasion of the Blueshirts. The most visible …
“Privacy” Held Hostage By “Security” – Public Unimpressed
Sometimes, the news of the day causes me to say, “Huh?” The New York Times revelations last month about NSA programs and activities to …
The U.S. Really Wants a War With Syria
Apparently, global markets rallied overnight on hopes that a conflict may be avoided if Syria gives up its chemical weapons. If that’s the case, …
The “Domestic Terrorist” You Can Call a Hero
I dreamed I saw Bernard von NotHaus, alive as you or me. Said I, “But Bernard, you’ve been jailed two years.” “I never was,” …
You Don’t Deserve Your Privacy
U.S. and British intelligence agencies have successfully cracked much of the online encryption relied upon by hundreds of millions of people to protect the …
Inside Scoop on the Next Fed Chairman
Following an extensive investigation, The Martian can reveal that it is neither Lawrence Summers nor Janet Yellen who will be the next chairman of …
Paul Krugman is Wrong… Again
Writers sometimes worry if a day will come when they have nothing more to say. As long as Paul Krugman is around, I will …
How to Fake a Fast Food Strike
Oh, how the media love a good strike. Look at these fast-food workers and peasants standing up to the owners of capital! They aren’t …
Syria and the Perpetual War Economy
Whether you agree or not that the U.S. ought to strike Syria, there is one reason it will: Because it has to. (Indeed, the …
The Martian Obtains Its U.S. Journalist License
Like all great historical ideas, the project of licensing journalists so that they may benefit from the First Amendment was born in a very …
Anarchy: The Basis for a Civilized Society, Part 2
The position that there need be a state is too often taken for granted. The main body of Sartwell’s book Against the State is …
Anarchy: The Basis for a Civilized Society
Crispin Sartwell is someone you should know. He is doing important work in recovering forgotten greats in America’s anti-authoritarian tradition. Among other works, he’s …
We’re All Edward Snowden Now
In the last several days, I’ve had three phone conversations with friends — completely normal people who have their wits about them — during …
Citizen Obama’s Middle-Class Vacation in Martha’s Vineyard
From the moment Barack Obama, the president of the United States, arrived at this plush resort community for a family vacation after another year …
Welcome to the “Click, Print Anything Revolution”
Today, like most days, I fired up my computer. I read freely available information on the latest developments in technology that would, in the …
Obama’s 2009 Promise of Cheaper Health Care Has Morphed Into 2013 Price Hikes
Remember when President Obama promised back in 2009 that his health care reform plan would cut insurance premiums for the average family by $2,500? …
If You Have Nothing to Hide, Be Very Worried
Many people do not seem to mind the government peeping into their “metadata” or even into their emails, Internet habits, or phone calls. Mark …
An Empire in Panic
A cornered rat has a deadly bite, or so says the lore from the 19th century, when rat baiting was common sport. The same …
Regulatory Outrage
Just when you think government couldn’t be more outrageous, you read a story like the one in The New York Times last weekend about …
Thank You, TSA, NSA, FBI, and CIA!
Today, we take time out from our regularly scheduled programming to thank the people who rule us. To the TSA agents at airports… to …