Liberty Beyond Borders
As Jimmy Carter once said, “This war has been motivated by pride or arrogance, by a desire to control oil wealth, by a desire to implant our programs.” Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, by John Perkins, illustrates this concept perfectly.
With his own life story, Perkins connects the dots between U.S. policy and cronyism abroad. This “corporatocracy” generates privileges that undermine free enterprise and equality under the law.
As of last week my one million dollar law suit for smoking in my own condo in Washington D.C. was settled.
This libertarian vs. petty Washington bureaucrat showdown started about a year ago. My neighbors, Mrs. Bratt (maiden name), an administrator at George Washington University, and Mr. Powers, who works at the Federal Election Commission, spent a year complaining to the condominium board, and hired a “secondhand smoke expert” to conduct tests and write a 150-page report. Then they finally sued me for one million dollars for smoking in my very own, fully owned, condo — in a building that is not a non-smoking building. Let me repeat: not only did I not break any laws, but I didn’t even break any condominium rules.
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Guests: Milton Mai (3:55), Jeff Johnston (24:10), Marianela Toledo (41:30).
“Catalunya no és Espanya.”
More than just a slogan, it’s become a rallying cry for the nearly 7.5 million Catalans who wish to demonstrate to the world that their culture, history, and language are far removed from the traditional concept of Spain.
As a recent visitor to the city of Barcelona—the capital of Catalonia—I deliberately took interest in the sentiment of separation because of the region’s similarities with my own birthplace, the Canadian province of Québec, which also hosts a vibrant independence movement.
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Guests: Mikhail Sebastian (3:42), Jim Braman (23:50), Zachary Caceres (43:56), Dayna Martin (1:01:15).
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