Power, Inequality, and Politics

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)

https://bleedingheartlibertarian.substack.com/p/power-inequality-and-politics

The Ascent of Mediocrity

Source: Brownstone Institute
by Russ Gonnering

“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)

https://brownstone.org/articles/the-ascent-of-mediocrity/

Iran: Police allegedly murder man after abducting brother for Starlink use

Source: Euronews [EU]

“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)

https://www.euronews.com/2026/05/02/businessman-dies-after-alleged-beating-in-custody-over-brothers-starlink-detention

The Irrationality of Police-State Libertarian Anarchists

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)

https://www.fff.org/2026/05/01/the-irrationality-of-police-state-libertarian-anarchists/

Austria: Police arrest suspect in connection to rat poison found in baby food jars

Source: CBS News

“Police in eastern Austria say a 39-year-old suspect has been arrested after rat poison turned up in some HiPP baby food jars on supermarket shelves in central Europe. HiPP, which recalled some of its baby food jars in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic after the case came to light last month, said in a statement Saturday it was ‘greatly relieved’ by the arrest, and would provide a further updates as verified details come in. The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office, under the direction of prosecutors, said a probe was launched after poison turned up in a baby food jar purchased at a supermarket in the city of Eisenstadt on April 18.” (05/03/26)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hipp-baby-food-rat-poison-suspect-arrested-austria/

America’s Post-Deliberative Wars

Source: Cato Institute
by Brandan P Buck

“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)

https://www.cato.org/commentary/americas-post-deliberative-wars

Turning Civil Rights Inside Out

Source: The American Prospect
by Robert Kuttner

“In Louisiana v. Callais, the Roberts Court has continued its war on civil rights [sic] in the name of civil rights. The cynicism of the 6-3 majority decision in Callais is staggering. According to the majority decision by Justice Samuel Alito, the long-standing interpretation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, requiring minorities to have opportunities to have representation in rough proportion to their population, has been overtaken by events. What has changed? Nothing, except Alito’s ability to cobble together a majority based on his disingenuous [sic] claim that this ruling is merely an ‘update.’ As recently as the Court’s 2023 ruling in Allen v. Milligan, Justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh voted to uphold a lower-court order requiring an additional majority-minority district in Alabama.” [editor’s note: Fascinating how the Dramacrat narrative has so entirely overwhelmed “progressive” pundit thought on this issue – SAT] (05/01/26)

https://prospect.org/2026/05/01/turning-civil-rights-inside-out-supreme-court-voting-rights/