Kenn Jacobine

The View from Abroad
by Kenn Jacobine (libertarian)

Supreme Court will Uphold our Right to Gun Ownership
Published: March 11, 2010
The 2nd Amendment to the Constitution is one of the most debated portions of that document. For generations the controversy in question is whether the Founders intended to give the right to keep and bear arms only to militias or also to individual citizens not serving in the military.

Washington Can’t Even Run a Mail Delivery System
Published: March 3, 2010
How can Uncle Sam run national healthcare when it can’t even run a mail delivery system?

Executive Orders, Nullification, and Recess Appointments
Published: February 17, 2010
With no political capital left and much of his legislative initiatives dead in Congress, President Obama’s administration recently announced that he intends to use executive orders to advance his agenda.

Privatize Booze
Published: February 8, 2010
Whoever says that state budget crises are all bad doesn’t know what they are talking about.

Senate Republicans Reward Bernanke with New Term at Fed
Published: February 1, 2010
Last week, the Republicans in the Senate once again showed that they are a big part of what is wrong with Washington.

Help Haiti Privately not Publicly
Published: January 16, 2010
The headline said it all, “US takes charge in Haiti - with troops, rescue aid”. The President announced that “it will take years for America to rebuild Haiti”.

Solve Problems, Repeal the 17th Amendment
Published: January 10, 2010
The 17th Amendment (direct election of senators) to the U.S. Constitution should be repealed.

An Open Letter to Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Published: December 27, 2009
Dear Senator Hagan, It is with great disappointment that I contact you about your support of the Senate’s version of healthcare reform.

You Should be Furious!
Published: December 16, 2009
There are certainly a lot of things that Washington does that should make the average American citizen furious.

“Sic Semper Tyrannis”
Published: December 6, 2009
The government run schools in America were founded with the goal of indoctrinating the masses to become good citizens of the state.

It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again
Published: November 25, 2009
Ben Bernanke has apparently added a little stand-up comedy to his bag of tricks.

Hassan Attack Could Have Easily Been Avoided
Published: November 16, 2009
The primary responsibility of government is to protect its citizens from internal and external threats. Last week, that basic trust was shattered with the attack by Major Hassan on his comrades in arms at Fort Hood.

Congressman Watt – Charlatan or Economic Imbecile?
Published: November 8, 2009
Congressman Mel Watt (D-NC) is either a charlatan or ignorant of basic economics. Either way he is unfit to serve in Congress let alone serve as chairman of the Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology Subcommittee.

Using the Criminal Justice System to Reward Political Support
Published: November 1, 2009
Last Wednesday, President Obama signed a bill into law which adds acts of violence against the disabled, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender folks to the list of federal hate crimes.

New Federal Medical Marijuana Policy Fraught with Peril
Published: October 23, 2009
On Monday Deputy Attorney General David Ogden issued a memo to federal prosecutors in 14 states regarding the Obama Administration’s position on medical marijuana.

Bernanke is between an Overheated Printing Press and a Hard Place
Published: October 17, 2009
Recent actions of the world’s central banks have sent a warning shot across the bow of the ship known as the Federal Reserve.

The Nobel Peace Prize has become a Politicized Joke
Published: October 10, 2009
The inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel, stipulated in his will that a huge part of his fortune would go toward a peace prize awarded “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses.”

Trillions More in Debt with Nothing Good to Show for It
Published: October 4, 2009
It is easy to get caught up in all the hype of the media pundits, Ben Bernanke, Joe Biden and Barack Obama that the economy is slowly but surely recovering from the worst recession since the 1930s.

Obama Violates the First Amendment
Published: September 27, 2009
Famous Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black once stated, “I am for the First Amendment from the first word to the last. I believe it means what it says.” In part, what it says is that, “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech.”

Peter Schiff for U.S. Senate
Published: September 21, 2009
For the first time in a long time, Connecticut voters will actually have a real choice when voting for their U.S. Senator.

Dennis Kucinich: Poster Child for Non-Existent Constitutional Rights
Published: September 12, 2009
Last week I blogged on how non-existent Constitutional rights granted by Congress and presidents alike were responsible for the bankruptcy of America. Thus, over the years, some of us have been given the right to a job, a certain wage, free food, retirement income, financial bailout for irresponsible behavior, and so on and so forth.

Non-Existent Rights Have Bankrupted America
Published: September 4, 2009
Back in May, President Obama rightly said that our current deficit spending as a nation is “unsustainable”.

Obama Couldn’t Care Less What America Thinks
Published: August 28, 2009
Barack Obama showed his true colors in a recent trip to Montana. The president was in Bozeman, Montana earlier this month to conduct a town hall meeting with “citizens” on his healthcare reform plan.

A History of Cost Overruns Should Squash Government Run Healthcare
Published: August 21, 2009
Why on earth would anyone believe that the federal government running healthcare will cure the high cost problem in the industry? I mean what has government ever run that even works well?

End of Slavery, Equal Rights, and Abolishing the Fed, Not Radical Ideas
Published: August 9, 2009
The Federal Reserve system needs to be abolished – placed on the scrapheap of financial/economic history. I realize this is a radical, you might even say a fringe idea. But, it you think about it, it is no more an extreme idea today than the abolition of slavery was in the 1840s and equal rights were for black Americans in the 1950s.

Government's Benevolence Equals Higher Costs
Published: July 31, 2009
Have you ever noticed that our federal government is always venturing out of its jurisdiction in trying to make things more affordable for all of us? Our paternal/maternal leaders in D.C. never pass up a chance to try to do something to make our lives easier.

The Minimum Wage is Subterfuge, Repeal It!
Published: July 22, 2009
The Greenspan/Bernanke recession has made things bad all over. Last Tuesday, I drove to my local Convenience Center for Collecting Residential Trash and Recycling only to find it closed.

Uncle Sam is a Subprime Deadbeat
Published: July 13, 2009
As of this month, California is insolvent. It does not have enough money to pay its bills and has resorted to covering its expenses by issuing IOUs to creditors. Washington is also insolvent.

Cap and Trade is Obama’s Smoot-Hawley
Published: July 2, 2009
History repeats itself. It is amazing how similar the 1920s and 2000s have become. First, were the unsustainable economic booms; then came the busts. Of course the easy money policies of the Federal Reserve caused both busts.

HR 1207 Must Become Law!
Published: June 14, 2009
Contacting your congressperson to ask them to cosponsor legislation you believe in does work. Oh, we are always told that members of Congress care about the views of the folks back home.

House Republicans Must Be Joking
Published: June 8, 2009
Thomas Jefferson said, “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”

Could Fed Style Banking Save California?
Published: May 30, 2009
As was mentioned in this column last week, given the defeat of tax hike propositions in California, the state is in a real quandary to find $24 billion dollars by July to close its budget gap.

Let California Fail
Published: May 24, 2009
It is ironic that the federal government is substantially meddling in the financial affairs of other entities given the dilapidated state of Washington’s own finances.

Rothbard as Prophet Part 2
Published: May 16, 2009
As documented in Rothbard’s classic piece America’s Great Depression, the similarities of the 1920s and 2000s did not end with the beginnings of each crisis in 1929 and 2008 respectively. It gets much scarier than that.

Rothbard as Prophet Part 1
Published: May 10, 2009
Federal Reserve Bank chairman Ben Bernanke is touted as an expert on the Great Depression. Many would say we are fortunate to have him heading our central bank at this time when our economy is suffering through its worst crisis since that dreadful epoch 80 years ago.

Obama and Doublethink
Published: May 1, 2009
Happy May Day weekend everyone! Just a salutation to get you used to the observance of a communist based holiday in light of the fact that the process to turn the U.S. into a totalitarian state is accelerating under our new comrade Obama.

Ballot Access Laws are Detrimental to America
Published: April 26, 2009
This past week a panel of judges in North Carolina heard the appeal of a 2005 case filed by the state’s Libertarian Party over its loss of ballot access following the 2004 elections.

End the Embargo and Bring Back the Cigars
Published: April 19, 2009
On February 2, 1962, President John Kennedy called his press secretary, Pierre Salinger, into his office and instructed him to immediately find and purchase one thousand of his favorite Cuban cigars - H. Upmann Petit Coronas.

An Open Letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
Published: April 13, 2009
Dear Secretary Napolitano, It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter to you. I am an American citizen who has lived and worked overseas for the last eight years. My wife and I teach for American international schools.

A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Published: April 6, 2009
Stanford economist Paul Romer has coined the term, “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.” Unfortunately, the statist Obama Administration has adopted this mantra in implementing its radical positions on the rest of us.

Trouble in Paradise
Published: March 31, 2009
All relationships hit rough patches. There is no better proof of this than in our schools. One day the happy young couple is oblivious to the rest of the world as they are lost in each other’s loving gaze.

It’s Washington’s Fault!
Published: March 22, 2009
It never ceases to amaze me how the U.S. government can make a huge mistake, blame it on others, and have a large portion of the American people either believe it or just not care.

No “Change” in Education Policy Either
Published: March 14, 2009
This past week President Obama made a major education speech in front of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The Dollar is Living on Borrowed Time, No Pun Intended
Published: March 7, 2009
It seems that the title of this article is a cheap attempt to attract as many readers as possible. However, anyone who is aware of current trends affecting the greenback’s future value knows that the title is more prophetic than cliché.

Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You: Mexico’s War on Drugs
Published: March 1, 2009
Mexican president Felipe Calderon’s war on drugs has been an absolute failure in that country.

Considering the Future, Because Somebody Should
Published: February 21, 2009
Economic actions are moving fast and furiously in Washington. President Obama railroaded his so called $787 billion “stimulus and “recovery” plan through Congress. Now, the President is moving quickly to address other issues negatively affecting our economy.

Do Fed Officials Read Fed Publications? They Should!
Published: February 12, 2009
It is mindboggling when considering the amount of newly printed money Washington has dumped into our economy in the last ten months or so. The Federal Reserve, Treasury, and the Congress have poured in over $9 trillion worth of stimulus, loans, stock purchases, and loan guarantee money.

Are We Headed for a “Change” in the War on Drugs?
Published: February 8, 2009
Please excuse the teacher in me for a moment, but let’s review President Obama’s performance so far in bringing “Change” to America.

“Change” Has Come to America?
Published: January 31, 2009
The current financial meltdown has its origins in a presidential act that took place in 1971.

Boycott the Banking Cartel, Join a Credit Union
Published: January 25, 2009
It is no secret that this author detests the Federal Reserve Bank and believes it should be abolished in favor of a sound monetary system. However, the chances of that happening any time soon are about as good as former president Bush being appointed Secretary of State in a future administration.

Keynes’ Prophetic Words
Published: January 18, 2009
"By this means [printing money] government may secretly and unobserved, confiscate the wealth of the people, and not one man in a million will detect the theft." John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946), British economist.

Why the Hell Are We Allied with Israel?
Published: January 4, 2009
Abu Gleg was an elderly Bedouin, father of 30. Eight years ago he donated land for an American international school to build its facilities. Within the walls of that facility, an American curriculum and the noble goals of tolerance and peace were taught to the students.

More Money Does Not Necessarily Equal More Wealth
Published: December 22, 2008
I am a billionaire. Well, I would be if I lived a little farther south in Zimbabwe. You could be as well if you moved to the south-central African nation.

Will Obama “Change” U.S. Foreign Policy? Part II
Published: December 17, 2008
As noted in this column on November 8, Barack Obama’s first two presidential acts were not encouraging for those who believed him during the campaign when he said his administration would bring “Change We Can Believe In”.

Russo-Georgian War Revisited
Published: December 6, 2008
On August 17, 2008, I published a blog that decried the reporting of the Russo-Georgian War by the American “mainstream” media. In that piece, I accused our media of disinformation, ignoring the facts and downright lying in its coverage of the conflict.

Congress Has Reached New Depths of Stupidity
Published: November 28, 2008
This week the government reported several statistics that indicate that the $7 trillion Uncle Sam has committed to economic stabilization is having little real effect.

Bankruptcy over Bailout
Published: November 22, 2008
Congress is getting so much pressure and hearing so many tall tales these days that it’s akin to unscrupulous telemarketers battering the simple minded to buy their product.

Paulson: Liar or Misfit?
Published: November 15, 2008
Hank Paulson is a dirty rotten liar.

Will Obama “Change” U.S. Foreign Policy?
Published: November 9, 2008
The national sham, better known as the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, is behind us. 24 months and more than $2 billion later, Barack Obama is our new leader. He ran on a platform of “change”.

Potholes Ahead for Main Street
Published: November 2, 2008
Congress, the Administration, and Federal Reserve Chairman have repeatedly told us that they are working hard to fix the economy for the American people.

Hoovernomics Revisited
Published: October 26, 2008
Herbert Hoover is recognized as one of the worst presidents in American history. The historical depiction of his non-handling of the Great Depression is legendary.

Congress is a Rotten, Stinking Corpse
Published: October 13, 2008
Congress is a rotten, stinking corpse. It has worked against the will of the American people, legislated against the best interests of our country, and totally abdicated its sacred responsibilities by giving the President, Treasury Secretary, and Federal Reserve chief carte blanche in further ruining our economy all in the name of political expediency and campaign contributions.

Congress Has Sold Us Out to the Big Banks
Published: October 6, 2008
Ronald Reagan said, “Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it”.

A Call to Arms
Published: September 29, 2008
Any member of Congress who votes for the bailout package is betraying their constitutional oath, violating the public trust and abusing their fiduciary responsibility to the American people.

In Defense of Capitalism
Published: September 21, 2008
Capitalism is not to blame for the current financial crisis

Fascism in America
Published: September 15, 2008
Folks, we have real problems in this country. You are probably thinking that I am going to talk about the endless wars we are fighting, the high incarceration rate of our citizenry or the economic collapse that is just around the corner.

A Government Bailout that Is No Joking Matter
Published: September 8, 2008
Will Rogers once said, “I don't make jokes, I just watch the government and report the facts.” Spoken in the 1920s, his words are still true today.

Equal Protection of the Law and Minor Parties
Published: August 31, 2008
The constitutional right to equal protection of the law is one of the most important tenets of the American democracy.

Potpourri
Published: August 26, 2008
Barr is up, Mwanawasa death is a loss, central banking strikes again

The Other Side of the Russo-Georgian War Story
Published: August 17, 2008
There has been a great deal of disinformation, ignoring of facts and downright lying on the part of the Bush Administration and members of the media this week pertaining to events in the Caucasus region.

Hypocrisy, Delusion, and an Entangling Alliance
Published: August 10, 2008
The Bush Administration’s position on the Russo-Georgian War is indicative of a foreign policy that is inflexible, archaic, and downright stupid. It is based on contradictions and an alliance that is not worth preserving.

Good News for the Constitutional Amendment that Ensures All the Others
Published: July 31, 2008
There have been several pieces of good news lately relating to 2nd Amendment rights in the United States.

Sell Fannie and Freddie, Now
Published: July 18, 2008
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the quintessential federal government boondoggles.

Fear Tactics and Mistruths of the Drug War
Published: July 11, 2008
Fear is the tool of policymakers and advocates for many causes in our country.

Planned Economies Do Not Work - Part IV
Published: June 29, 2008
Kudos to Congressional Republicans for defending capitalism and rejecting central economic planning.

Planned Economies Do Not Work - Part III
Published: June 20, 2008
The cost of health care in the United States is a perennial issue in presidential election campaigns. Little wonder since money spent on it continues to rise year after year.

Planned Economies Do Not Work - Part II
Published: June 16, 2008
The Federal Reserve Bank is no less an institution of central economic planning than the politburo was in the now defunct Soviet Union.

Planned Economies Do Not Work – Part 1
Published: June 8, 2008
What we really need from McCain and Obama is a free market approach not an endorsement of continuing government planning in regards to retirement accounts.

Another Reason to End the War on Drugs
Published: June 4, 2008
There is a war taking place at this moment on the U.S. border with Mexico. No, the Mexicans have not invaded Texas in an effort to take back the territory lost in a previous conflict with Uncle Sam. This time Mexican troops are fighting a different foe on behalf of their former adversaries.

The Rumors of a Military Draft Have Not Been Greatly Exaggerated
Published: May 25, 2008
Young Americans beware, Uncle Sam may ask you to join him soon on a worldwide adventure to exotic places to see fascinating sights and to meet interesting people and kill them or be killed by them.

A License to Marry?
Published: May 18, 2008
If narrow religious beliefs were allowed to dictate policy in America, what would make the U.S. different from an Islamic republic?

Are Presidents Above the Law?
Published: May 12, 2008
Presidential immunity from prosecution was certainly not birthed by Bill Clinton. For that conception we go back to that beacon of presidential morality and paranoia, Richard Nixon.

Dealing with High Gas Prices - The Sequel
Published: May 4, 2008
Sure enough, the politicians are at it again. This week cries went out from presidential candidates to Congressional leaders that something must be done to alleviate the ill effects of high gas prices on the economy. Of course, instead of being honest and considering what Washington has done to create the problem, the politicians are focusing on oil companies and a gimmick.

The Origins of High Gas Prices
Published: April 27, 2008
We are all concerned about the rising price of gasoline and how it makes us all feel the pinch. The politicians and media want us to believe that the oil companies are to blame. The proof is clear: the blame for higher gasoline prices should be placed on Uncle Sam.

Guns and Defense Against the State
Published: April 20, 2008
Present day Zimbabwe is a perfect example of what the founders of the United States had in mind when they devised the second amendment right to own guns. Let’s face it, Zimbabwe is suffering from mischief at the hands of Robert Mugabe and is in dire need of a revolution.

Taxing Times
Published: April 13, 2008
This week, we celebrate Tax Day. While most Americans accept April 15 as a consequence of citizenship, I view it as a national holiday that symbolizes how far we have strayed from Constitutional government. The whole tax code is a complicated web of waste and corruption. If they were alive today, some of our most revered leaders would share my view.

A Golden Opportunity
Published: April 10, 2008
This week the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced plans to sell a portion of its gold reserves. It seems the IMF is not needed as much as it use to be – many developing countries in Asia and Latin America possess large reserves of foreign currency, alleviating the risk of economic crisis and consequently the need for emergency loans from the IMF.

End Foreign Aid. Now!
Published: April 6, 2008
The fact is that foreign aid does not work and is a waste of money. While there have been some success stories in the developing world since independence movements swept across the globe in the 1960s and 1970s, those countries probably would have become successful without foreign aid anyway.

Easy Money, Fraud, and Stupidity
Published: April 1, 2008
CNN recently aired a program entitled “Mortgage Meltdown”. The show featured panelists sitting at a card table in a casino discussing the subprime crisis. As they talked about the various culprits responsible for the current financial mess, three recurring themes were evident – easy money, fraud, and stupidity.

Hakuna Matata – Tidbits from Tanzania
Published: March 26, 2008
Tanzania is actually a lovely country. Some blogable moments came from our visit and I would like to share them with you.

Mad at the Fed
Published: March 17, 2008
You should be as mad as hell. All Americans should be outraged. The Federal Reserve after causing the current economic crisis is now using our currency, the lifeblood of our economy, to bailout investment houses that have been grossly irresponsible in their business practices.

Lock em Up and Throw Away the Key
Published: March 13, 2008
However, this article is not about advocating for the decriminalization of drugs. It is about comparing the two civil rights reports that were released recently. One shows a country with still a long way to go in guaranteeing civil rights for all its citizens. But from other indicators, specifically economic, it is a country that is headed in the right direction as far as building a society based on middle class values and liberty. The other report names the country that imprisons more citizens than any other in the world. But from other indicators, specifically legislative, it is a country that is headed in the wrong direction as far as restoring a society based on middle class values and liberty.

Why Does the Whole World Hate the United States?
Published: March 12, 2008
Last month, while discussing the turmoil in Serbia and the assault on the U.S. Embassy, with my class, one of my eighth graders, a Dutch student, asked, “why does the whole world hate the United States?” I thought for a minute and then realized that the whole world does not hate the United States, quite the contrary, they simply hate our government. I must say it is with good reason.

The Surge is Working?
Published: March 10, 2008
There is no doubt the U.S. government is hunkered down for a long stay in Iraq. Our leaders are no longer keeping that a secret. Their plans will come to fruition easier if they can keep public sentiment at bay. Telling us the surge is working is a means to that end. However, according to Ed’s briefing, the surge is not working.

Book Review - Murray Rothbard's "What Has Government Done to Our Money?
Published: March 9, 2008
It is not often that a book about economics is both brilliant and easy to understand by the lay economist. Professor Rothbard’s book is such a book. He clearly laid out monetary theory and the history of the state’s destruction of it. Originally written in 1963, his analysis of money is timeless. This book is a must read for anyone at all concerned about the future of our country.

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