Source: The Bleeding Heart Libertarian
by Matt Zwolinski
“Over at Liberalism.org I’ve been working on a series of essays making the case that classical liberals and modern liberals have more in common than either camp tends to admit, and ought to be working together rather than past each other. The first piece draws on the great Chicago School theorist Henry Simons to argue that for liberalism the great enemy is concentrated power, whether public or private. The second extends this line of thought by making the case that classical liberals should care about wealth inequality. Not for the usual reasons modern liberals care about it, but because of its easy conversion to political power. Once private wealth becomes large enough to capture the institutions that are supposed to constrain it, the classical liberal commitment to limited government has nothing left to push against.” (05/01/26)
“Regular readers of Brownstone Journal have been graced with insight provided by many authors of diverse backgrounds and experiences. As a physician, I have found those authored by Dr. Joseph Varon to be exceptionally helpful in their insight into the state of medicine today. In particular, his essay, ‘When Physicians are Replaced With a Protocol,’ struck a chord with me. Perhaps it was my conscience, as I probably bear some responsibility for furthering this viewpoint, at least on a local level. You see, I once was a True Believer. It was plausible. It seemed so believable, so ‘scientific,’ so simple. But it was a vicious hoax that, I am ashamed to say, took me in.” (05/01/26)
“An Iranian businessman has died as a result of being beaten while under arrest, human rights group the Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation reported. The report states that Hesam Alaeedin went to the security authorities to follow up on the status of his detained brother. The rights group added that Alaeddin’s brother had been accused of using Starlink equipment to access the internet, and that he too had been subjected to violence by security agents. … Iranian authorities cut off access to the internet 64 days ago, coinciding with the United States and Israeli military attack. … Iranian officials have warned that owners and users of Starlink equipment face legal action.” (05/02/26)
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“Anarchists — genuine anarchists — favor the abolition of all government. Yet, when it comes to immigration, we have ‘anarchists’ favoring a massive socialist program, one that is enforced by a massive immigration police state. At the risk of belaboring the obvious, a massive socialist program and a massive immigration police state are the opposite of anarchy, which, again, means no government at all.” (05/01/26)
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Rosemary Kelanic
“This will surprise many Americans because Trump and Co. are flooding the zone with age-old misconceptions in order to prevent panic and opposition to the war.” (05/01/26)
“Over the last eight weeks of war with Iran, America’s two deliberative institutions, Congress and the media, have largely abandoned their duty to sustain public debate on the most important question a republic can face — the choice between war and peace. Neither institution performed perfectly during the Global War on Terror. Yet on Capitol Hill there was debate before the initiation of hostilities, and the media made considerable efforts to manufacture consent. By today’s standard, these activities seem almost admirable. The Iran War may be the first genuinely ‘post-deliberative’ war in American history.” (05/01/26)
“Two members of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s party in the north-western Sinaloa state said they would temporarily step down from their posts after the United States charged them and eight other politicians and security officers with drug trafficking. The bombshell indictment against the 10 has shaken Mexico’s political establishment. In a short video announcement at midnight on Friday, Gov Rubén Rocha Moya, the highest-ranking official named in the indictment, denied accusations that he protected the Sinaloa cartel and helped it smuggle vast quantities of drugs into the US in exchange for political support and millions of dollars in bribes. … Juan de Dios Gámez Mendívil, the mayor of the Sinaloa state capital of Culiacán named in the indictment, also said he would take leave and denied the charges.” (05/03/26)
