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Category: Free speech

Thursday links

At The Zelman Partisans, Nicki lauds the young Pakistani professor who used his firearm to protect his students from a terrorist attack. Killing the golden goose of capitalism. And speaking (as we were earlier this week and above) about the way bad law and regulation ultimagely discourage everyone and everything, NHTSA regulators are trying to destroy the Elio before it even goes into production. (H/T jed) Okay. I’m sure this is humorous. Now, this, on the other hand I’m not so certain about. (Both links courtesy of Y.B.) No wonder college students are so eager to destroy free speech and…

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Wednesday links

Wow. But not surprising. The ATF and the Obama administration, via Fast & Furious, supplied drug lord El Chapo with .50 cal weaponry. Zombie ships ply the ocean in hopes of paying just the interest, not the principle, on shipowners’ debt. One more place all that central bank bubble capital has been going for the last eight years. Right analysis? But completely crazy proposed solution to global bubbles. With state legislatures in session, it’s become political silly season. Most of the goofy new bills will never pass, so you can stop sending me alarming emails about junk that might not…

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What is lost when a civilization wearies

Commentariat member Dana got me reading Thomas Cahill’s How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe. It’s short, lively, and even if it’s not totally satisfying in describing how the Irish did the saving, it’s full of smack-upside-the-head insights.

The best material is on Rome’s collapse. (The first chapter was so persuasive it darned near made me feel sorry for tax collectors.) Before I return the book to the library, I want to post a couple of paragraphs. In the first, Cahill is mostly quoting from Kenneth Clark’s Civilization (spelling Americanized).

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Monday links

The five “best” drug scares of 2015. This year’s weirdest science stories. Fourteen — maybe 15 — ways to avoid the Obamacare tax. (Per A.G. in comments.) Thirteen things credit card companies know about you that might make you cringe. Well, thank heaven it wasn’t “gun violence.” Another Darwin Award nominee, courtesy of absorption in mobile device. How embarrassing to die of pure stupid. But hey — at least it wasn’t “gun violence”! In praise of Glock. Ross Douthat on cracks in the liberal order. Not meaning “liberal” as in that thing that “progressives” don’t want to be called these…

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Friday links

Of the new Omni-bust budget deal Jim Bovard sez: “Republican congressional leaders are like a football coach who believes the secret to winning is to punt early and often.” Rand Paul sez stop the bill — and he has some fairly decent ideas for alternatives. OTOH, Marijuana.com sez there are a couple of decent provisions in the 2,000 page monster sellout. On the other other hand, the USPS announces a completely unsurprising but curiously retro policy on carrying publications that contain — gasp! — ads for the dreaded Demon Weed. One wonders why they couldn’t have just kept their mouths…

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Everything not forbidden is compulsory

Does anybody — anybody? — remember just 22 years ago when microbrewers Bert and Sherry Grant were hounded mercilessly by the ATF for daring — those foul, vile, deadly criminals! — to put nutritional labels on their ale? Well, this time next year the FDA is going to start mercilessly hounding microbrewers who — those foul, vile, deadly criminals! — fail to put nutritional labels on their products. (Via Tam). Ah, the land of the free and the home of the overgoverned! Ain’t it grand? I wonder if the FDA checked first with the ATF to see whose contradictory book…

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Weekend links

In the wake of the foul jihadist murders in San Bernardino, we now have two new categories of weapons, according to politicians and the media. First comes “assault clothing” (H/T DB). Deadly outerwear is followed by “multi-automatic round weapons.” No word yet on what a M-ARW may be. Or on how clothing can kill. But be on the lookout for these new dangers. These are truly perilous times. “When ‘suspected’ is close enough.” Scott H. Greenfield is a little behind the curve in some of his information here. But his heart and head are certainly in the right place (Tip…

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Thursday links

The barebones truth about life in the trackless woods. (H/T MJR) Well, that’s one reason to join ISIS. Larry Pratt: time to make it clear that we will not comply. Crybullies, crymobs, and the left’s whiny war on free speech. That last paragraph is a doozy. (Tip o’ hat to D.B.) Court rules for husband (and contract) in frozen embryos case. (Having a baby — or not having one — is a lot more complicated than it used to be.) The Che Cafe is in the red and fans want California taxpapers and university students to go on subsidizing it.…

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Tuesday links

Wow. You know that woman who drove into the parade crowd in Oklahoma? Apparently at least some of the media seems more than usually pre-programmed to blame the non-existent gun. David Codrea points out that the car-killer babe is apparently an Obama fan, too. I don’t know about you, but this sort of vague, ill-reported United Nations “science” makes me want to go right out and eat bacon. Maple flavored. Crisp. Oh, I have no doubt processed meats don’t qualify as health food, but I also doubt that the big bacon and sausage eaters dying of cancer are otherwise noshing…

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Sunday-Monday links

“Mommy, am I going to die?” Cop shoots four-year-old after he showed up to “help” her injured mother. Clearly all in a day’s work for this callous dude. Missed the family dog, though. Drone defense on a budget. “I want one,” says MJR, who sent the link. White House aide shoots at her cop boyfriend. Much has been made of the fact that this babe is a “special” assistant to Obama, but apparently in WH parlance, “special” is as in “rides the short bus.” Barfetta Barvetta Singletary. Don’t ever ask that woman out on a date. Per Shel in comments,…

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