Category: Government
Government evils — but I repeat myself
You may have heard that this week Jeff Sessions’ Justice (sic) Department rolled back the Obama-era directive that had curbed one of the worst aspects of asset forfeiture. The federal government will once again be “adopting” forfeitures made by thieving police departments in states that have attempted to curb forfeiture abuse. Cops who want more toys and higher salaries can again thumb their noses at state laws — and of course at the very concept of due process. Says C.J. Claramella at Reason: The Justice Department, rolling back an Obama-era directive, will seize more cash and property from suspected criminals,…
Enjoy the fireworks, to whatever extent your local government allows. Raise a glass to the spirit of freedom, as long as you don’t get on the wrong side of the law for public intoxication. Celebrate the freest country in the world, while being careful not to say anything that might attract the attention of the NSA, FBI, IRS, CIA, or other surveillance agency whose existence is currently being kept secret. Create some joyful booms and bangs of your own, subject of course to those 20,000+ federal, state, and local laws (which surely you’ve memorized), and the completely scrupulously fair and…
My cover gets blown The other day I was depositing the house-loan money in my local bank with a teller I didn’t recognize, a vacation sub who travels from branch-to-branch. We got to chatting, then when I went to leave, she said, “May I ask you something?” “Sure.” “Are you a writer?” I keep my professional life and my town life separate and try to avoid letting locals know what I do. If somebody must know I tell them I’m a totally obscure blogger who does “political and lifestyle” content. Then I change the subject. “Um … yeah. Why do…