Much has been said about David Davis's motives for doing what he's doing. He is vain. He is mad. He is bored. My opinion? He is a politician. Politicians are vain, often mad. Politics is mostly very boring. I say: Who cares what Davis's reasons are for saying what he is saying, and doing what he is doing? What matters is what messages he is sending out and what impact, if any, they will have….

From Samizdata.net

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

Yesterday, the supreme court announced that the constitution actually means what it says, and that it’s OK if we want to exercise our pre-existing and fundamental rights… at least most of the time, presuming we follow the allowed restrictions…
Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy about Heller, and I think it’s a better ruling than […]

From The Liberty Papers

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

So the Supreme Court's opinion in Heller really has me wondering. Will this have any effect on the practice of so many police departments, especially big city ones with bright shiny SWAT teams, to use middle of the night no-knock raids when a less dramatic approach might have been a better choice? Will it encourage better investigations of exactly who's home they are breaking into before they begin battering down doors? I suspect but haven't…

From Samizdata.net

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

A new movie about the doings of special agents and local French Resistance folk in the days leading up to, and beyond, D-Day is out. I might go and see it - the reviews look quite good and the cast looks impressive. Lots of delicious French actresses - hardly difficult to turn down, really. At the Imperial War Museum - always worth a visit if you have not been there - there is a section…

From Samizdata.net

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

A forceful article in the Times today stating that the pessimists are wrong. In Iraq, in Afghanistan and at home, the death-cultists of Islamism are on the run. What is also clear that if this progress is lost, it will not be because of the lack of bravery or skill of the US, British and other allied forces. They have been magnificent. No, the weak link in the chain remains, in my view, the craven…

From Samizdata.net

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

This morning, I’m noting a lot of ill informed …or perhaps just informed by misunderstanding of the text… opinions and statements regarding the historic Heller ruling on the scope and applicability of the 2nd amendment.
This of course is unsurprising when many people of varying levels of knowledge about law, history, and firearms have just a […]

From The Liberty Papers

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

Given that the D.C. vs. Heller ruling is a historically important ruling for the Second Amendment and given that the next president could appoint between two and three Justices to the Supreme Court over the next four years, I think the responses from Bob Barr, John McCain, and Barack Obama might give us some insight […]

From The Liberty Papers

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

After nearly two centuries of silence, the Supreme Court today struck down a District of Columbia gun ban and affirmed that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms:
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices’ first major […]

From The Liberty Papers

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

The day before yesterday, while travelling on the London Underground, I came across an interesting little news item in one of those free newspapers, about how a visit by President Bush to Britain caused disruption at Heathrow a week or two ago. Heathrow being near to Bush's destination, which was Windsor castle, he or someone decided that he would arrive there, rather than at a military base. Only last night did I remember to chase…

From Samizdata.net

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom

There seems, finally, to be a concerted effort going on to rid Zimbabwe of its appalling President, Robert Mugabe. The disgust felt by the entire civilised world at from the farce of the recent Zimbabwean election, won in the first round by the opposition but now about to be scrubbed out by pure force, was too much even for President Mbeki of South Africa to resist. Today Nelson Mandela made a short speech giving voice,…

From Samizdata.net

Tags: Libertarian, Politics, Liberty, Freedom