Source: ProSocial Libertarians
by Andrew Jason Cohen
“I realize the news media has to struggle to report on everything these days with some policies seeming to change daily, but I am nonetheless surprised and disturbed by the lack of reporting or commentary on the recent deal between Nippon Steel, US Steel, and the US federal government. It is, at the very least, a step toward nationalization of the United States steel industry. … The Republican Party hasn’t been a free market party in ages (if ever), despite claims to the contrary, so it’s not like the deal has Republicans giving up a part of their standard platform. But it is — or should — nonetheless be disturbing to everyone, especially libertarians.” (06/25/25)
“NATO agreed to boost members’ total [military] spending target from 2% to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035, the most decisive increase in the alliance’s security ambitions since the end of the Cold War. In a joint declaration, the alliance agreed to spend at least 3.5% of GDP on defense and 1.5% on security and other critical infrastructure in what NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described as a ‘quantum leap.’ US President Donald Trump also praised the move, assuring allies that Washington remained committed to mutual defense at its annual summit in The Hague.” (06/25/25)
“Many libertarians claim that morality is an objective, universal code that dictates right from wrong. They believe objective morality exists as a universal principle that applies regardless of personal beliefs, people’s cultures, or historical context. This view asserts that morality is fixed, binding on all people universally. In contrast, subjective morality argues that moral values are shaped by unique experiences, cultural norms, and human reasoning varying across time and space. I believe objective morality is contrary to libertarianism.” (06/25/25)
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday signed an accord with pan-European rights body the Council of Europe for establishing a special tribunal to try top officials responsible for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The court would prosecute the ‘crime of aggression’ in the invasion, which Russia launched in February 2022, and could, in theory, try senior figures up to President Vladimir Putin. … The 46-member Council of Europe is not part of the EU and members include key non-EU European states such as Turkey, the UK and Ukraine. … European foreign ministers endorsed the creation of the tribunal in a meeting in Lviv in western Ukraine on May 9.” (06/25/25)
“It’s not difficult to attract the attention of government officials, especially if you have a relatively high profile in business, political activism, or journalism. That can lead to difficulty crossing borders, even in countries with relatively firm civil liberties protections, such as the United States. Officials at border crossings often have powers beyond those of police within the country, meaning that even returning citizens might have to submit to searches of their possessions and their electronic devices. But travelers can take steps to keep information safe and beyond the reach of nosy enforcers.” (06/25/25)
“U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal charges accusing her of assaulting and interfering with immigration officers outside a New Jersey detention center during a congressional oversight visit at the facility. … A nearly two-minute video clip released by the Department of Homeland Security shows McIver at the facility inside a chain-link fence just before Baraka’s arrest on other side of the barrier, where other people were protesting. McIver and uniformed officials go through the gate, and she joins others shouting that they should circle the mayor. The video shows McIver in a tightly packed group of people and officers. At one point her left elbow and then her right elbow push into an officer wearing a dark face covering and an olive green uniform emblazoned with the word ‘Police.'” (06/25/25)
“Bad models and bad data created a killer pandemic of uncertain gravity that was later supposedly solved by shots tested with bad data and whose efficacy was further demonstrated by awful models and data. There is surely a lesson here. And yet the romance with bad models and bad data is not entirely over. There is evidence that a very similar scenario unfolded with regard to the claim that Iran was constructing a nuclear weapon, resulting in a hellfire of bombs and death in both Iran and Israel. The same sketchy claims, obscured in shape-shifting language that blurred crucial distinctions between intentions and realities, were generated by an AI model.” (06/25/25)
“Gunmen killed 10 people including children in an attack on a house in a central Mexican city plagued by cartel-related violence, authorities said Wednesday. Several others were wounded in the shooting on Tuesday night in Irapuato in Guanajuato state, the municipal government said in a statement. … Local media reported the shooting happened during a religious celebration, according to the Reuters news agency.” (06/25/25)
