The Freedom Report

"It doesn't matter what I say, as long I say it with inflection..." Today's episode of the Freedom Report podcast focuses in on the story of NBC Anchor Brian Williams and his embarrassing admonition that he lied about being in a helicopter that was grounded by a RPG in Iraq. Our show will explain how the media lies to you, why they lie, and why you love it when they do. Don't blame the media for bad politics ladies and gentlemen. They have an incentive to lie to you. Telling the truth isn't profitable. Why? Because the truth hurts. Because we all prefer to confirm our biases. We prefer sweet lies to the sour truth because everyone would rather not have to change our beliefs and opinions. "There is something amiss... I am being insincere... in fact I don't mean any of this... still, my confession draws you near..." Ladies and gentlemen, today's show may be the most important show we've ever done. Like all the great men of the past, today I stand before you and tell you the plain, unvarnished truth. The story of your own enslavement. I lift the veil on the media, and how the masses get what they ask for. But before we get to the show, here's a message from our sponsors. [divider]Sponsored[/divider] Ever considered running for office? Get our informational packet with all the data that you need to run, and win, an election. Click our sponsor's link below for more information. Click Here! [divider]Sponsored[/divider] "confuse the issue of reform... familiar heroes from long ago..." Yes, ladies and gentlemen, nothing will ever change in the media. Why? Because we prefer to confirm our biases, and stay within our tribe. We punish heretics, and we scapegoat them, driving them from the herd. "You're not a libertarian"?  "But the hook brings you back... I ain't tellin' you no lie" Listen to the Freedom Report podcast, subscribe to us on iTunes, and leave us a 5 star review. Or don't, and think for yourself. 

The Freedom Report podcast invites back one of our favorite beautiful babes of liberty... the Science Babe! Yvette Guinevere comes back on the show to discuss the recent vaccine controversy, the politics of woo, and conspiracy claptrap. Today's show delves into the recent measles outbreak in Disneyland and asks her why several people who were vaccinated still contracted the illness? And why have vaccine courts given settlements to people if they are touted as safe?  Also, should vaccines be voluntary, or mandatory? Science Babe and editor Austin Petersen differ on this point, although both self identify as libertarians. What do you think? Register on the right side of the website here and leave your comments below!  

The Freedom Report podcast takes on the issue of vaccines today. We discuss comments by Senator Rand Paul which set vaccine conspiracy theorists into a tizzy, and pro-science libertarians into a tizzy. Did Paul's anecdotal comments about "hearing stories" of kids harmed by vaccines just deep six his presidential ambitions. Just why do politicians like Barack Obama and others pander to the kook lobby? Probably because they're bored, home alone reading Natural News, and they vote.  Todays podcast pushes back against the anti-vaccine fearmongers, dealing with the question of individual rights, parental rights, and the danger of outbreaks of serious diseases. Do you have a right not to vaccinate your child? Yes. Do you have a right to send that child to public school? Hell no! And as Judge Andrew Napolitano recently said on the topic, "most fears are irrational."  Gloom and doom prophets of disaster have been cooking up lies and legends of vaccines imagined dangers, scaring parents, and terrorizing critics for years. Now after decades of politicians pandering, and professional bullsh** artist conspiracy-theorist radio hosts fearmongering for profit, we see the results on full display: children dead from curable diseases.  All that and more on this hot button issue on today's episode of the Freedom Report. 

The National Review's Kevin Williamson penned a biting essay attacking pornstar Miriam Weeks (AKA Belle Knox) for her views on politics. Williamson's article attempts to paint Weeks' views as irrelevant due to her age, and her chosen profession. In a time when Islamist Jihadis are blowing themselves up due to lack of good sexual options, such as the porn Ms Weeks produces, it's about time to put on the armor of the White Knight and ride to the defense of m'lady. Today's episode of the Freedom Report podcast discusses the Williamson piece, and discusses whether the problem isn't that Weeks is speaking out on politics, but that she isn't speaking out on the right kind of politics. Conservative politics. She's a libertarian, and of course the big government conservatives at the National Review are not going to be happy about that. Not only does she threaten their cultural values, but their political values as well. Where the libertarian says, "it's my hot body, I do what I want," the conservative says, "maybe, unless I can pass a law, and I'm also going to publicly stone you if given the chance." And that's a shame, considering the parable of Jesus and the adulteress. "Let he who is without sin..." Pornography may not be the most noble of pursuits, but it's not necessarily ignoble either. We'll play devil's advocate for a moment and say that perhaps we wouldn't want our wives or daughters to get into the industry. And while some of these instincts are patriarchal in nature, some truly aren't. Our desire to protect the women we love and care for generally leads us to try and keep women away from such pursuits as might put them in danger. And the creation of pornography does come with some risks. Yes, what you can do and what you should do are oftentimes two separate things. That's the truth. And yet, pornography can be a good thing. Yes, it absolutely can. When people can act out their baser instincts without fear of retribution. When Islamists can get off instead of blowing up. When women can take full ownership of their bodies, and men can enjoy the delights of a totally liberated woman, then we are talking about positive societal benefits from something universally denigrated. Pornography can be helpful for couples looking to learn new ways in which to express their love for one another. It can be fun, funny, and a positive way to let off steam. It's not for everyone. But if you don't like it. Don't watch it. Today's Freedom Report is an orgiastic discussion of pusillanimous prudes, and negative-nancy neocons. Listen in and subscribe to the Freedom Report on iTunes. Also, register for our new communities and discuss and debate the show with fellow libertarians right here on The Libertarian Republic website!

Lt. Colonel Anthony Shaffer rejoins the Freedom Report podcast, and today he's the man of the hour. After a statement on Fox News to Bill O'Reilly claiming that Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl would be charged for desertion, Rear Admiral John Kirby is openly denying his report. Shaffer stands by his statements, and the pressure is on the Obama administration to answer whether or not Bergdahl will indeed be charged with a crime.  And today we learn that the militants who were traded for Bergdahl in the prisoner swap have been suspected of attempting to return to the fight against the United States. The Libertarian Republic questions former spy Shaffer on whether or not secret prisons such as Guantanamo Bay actually serve the nation's interest, or provide adequate justice.  Also, who does Shaffer see in the GOP field with the most realistic foreign policy? And what does Lt Colonel Shaffer think of Senator Marco Rubio's desire to extend the PATRIOT Act's bulk collection of American citizen's data indefinitely? Is that really the most effective way to guard against terrorism, to sacrifice liberty for security?  All that and more on the Freedom Report podcast! Subscribe on iTunes!

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) penned a lengthy op-ed at Fox News calling for the PATRIOT Act's unconstitutional mass surveillance program to be extended indefinitely. The Florida senator has staked his claim as an anti-privacy 2016 Presidential candidate, and firmly cemented himself as an enemy to libertarians.  Now Rubio applies his limited critical thinking skills to the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program, saying:  "This year, a new Republican majority in both houses of Congress will have to extend current authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and I urge my colleagues to consider a permanent extension of the counterterrorism tools our intelligence community relies on to keep the American people safe," Rubio wrote in a Fox News op-ed. Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) took a swipe at Rubio, asking if the Florida senator wouldn't mind offering himself up for government surveillance.  "If Senator Rubio believes that millions of innocent Americans should be subject to intrusive and unconstitutional government surveillance, surely he would have no objections to the government monitoring his own actions and conversations," Polis said. "Maybe after his 2016 strategy documents are accidentally caught up in a government data grab, he'll rethink the use of mass surveillance." Today's episode of the Freedom Report podcast debunks many of the myths from government fearmongers about the realistic fears of terrorism. Should we sacrifice our liberty for a false sense of safety? Or should we protect the constitution, the 4th amendment, and the right to be secure in our persons, places, and effects from unreasonable searches and seizures? Listen and subscribe to the Freedom Report on iTunes.    

Chief Liberty Officer of Liberty.me Jeffrey Tucker joins the Freedom Report podcast today to discuss his new book "Bit by Bit," as well as current events of interest to libertarians. Tucker and TLR editor Austin Petersen have a wide ranging discussion about Senator Rand Paul and his relationship to his father Ron Paul, as well as the rights of individuals.  Do some libertarians hate government more than they love liberty? Is secession legal? Is it moral? Can it be both illegal and immoral? Can it be illegal and moral? Tucker's anarcho-capitalist view of the world is put to the test with a debate about how individuals can be free of coercion, whether state or non-state.  Today's Freedom Report is a fascinating insight into the events currently roiling the liberty movement. A little inside baseball, but sometimes we must engage one another in order to find out what it is we truly believe. Don't miss this special episode and don't forget to subscribe on iTunes and leave us a 5 star review!   

The Freedom Report podcast today analyze the relationship between Rand Paul and his father Ron Paul. A new Washington Post article carried the provocative title, "Daddy Issues: Are Ron Paul's hardcore stands a problem for son's presidential bid."  Our podcast today analyzes the piece, which focuses on comments the elder Paul made regarding secession.  Is Secession legal? Is it moral? Or is it illegal and immoral? Can it be illegal and immoral? Today's show will delve into that. We'll also discuss "disaster porn," fearmongering for profit, and the differences between a libertarian optimist and a libertarian pessimist. If we tell the American people that they have no future unless the government collapses, will people be likely to want us in positions of influence? Maybe there's a good reason that libertarianism isn't very popular?  Plus, this show tells the very true story of a Democrat who approached editor Austin Petersen about selling out the movement. Beware the mountebanks and fraudsters who wish to profit off our momentum. Charlatans abound when there's money to be made.  All that and more on the Freedom Report podcast! 

TAANSTAFL - There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lunch Why is it selfish for me to want to keep my own money, but it's not selfish for you to take it from me? Frederic Bastiat once said that government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else, and Obama's College Plan fits that bill to a T. The only problem is that the bill for his "free college" plan is going to be paid for by you and me. Today's episode of the Freedom Report podcast dissects President Obama's "free college" plan he mentioned in last week's State of the Union Address. In this show we will analyze what Obama means when he says "free," and also pin down the problems of raising taxes on 529 college savings accounts. The president made a flowery speech about helping students, but the reality is that these kinds of plans are really just giveaways to the schools themselves. Students spend more on books than they do on classes, and the schools just use the new funds to raise rates, thereby canceling out any benefit that might have been derived. Don't forget to subscribe to the Freedom Report on iTunes and leave us a good review. Also, if you missed my appearance on Stossel last week responding to the State of the Union, you can see my highlights here. Have a great weekend!

Drones. Libertarians hate em. Presidents love em. Terrorists hate em. Terrorist propagandists love em. But is the use of drones in and of themselves unethical? Why do I care if I get shot with a drone or an M-16? Is the use of drones really the problem? Or is it how we administer justice to terrorists? Today's episode of the Freedom Report podcast dissects the inherent legal and ethical issues with the use of drones for foreign and domestic policy purposes. Is the drone the problem, or how it's used? What can we do to ensure due process before we deploy such lethal technologies? And can drones ever be used ethically by domestic governments in order to cut costs and reduce dramatic police chases which endanger civilians? It's a foreign policy frag-fest. Destroying dogma and obliterating orthodoxy right here on the Freedom Report podcast!

Today's episode of the Freedom Report podcast examines first world feminism's campaigns against making sandwiches and wrapping Christmas presents. Our special guest talks about men's rights, Marxist feminism, free speech, big government, and circumcision. My guest today is Janet Bloomfield, also known as the Judgy Bitch. She’s a columnist at A Voice For Men, a mother to three and wife to one. She’s a woman against feminism, and she’s part of a growing backlash to first world feminists who perceive that the greatest threat to modern women is that they might have to wrap presents or god forbid, make their husbands a good home cooked meal. Listen in and don't forget to subscribe on iTunes! 

Today's episode of the Freedom Report podcast takes at six ideas for how police officers can regain the public trust.  The article from Return of Kings, outlines 6 ideas for how officers can get rid of the bad public image cultivate from events such as the killing of Eric Garner, and the riots in Ferguson. Whether fairly or unfairly, police have to put up with the bad PR that results from having to enforce bad laws. As more and more people are waking up to the corruption in government, police are on the front lines and will be the first to suffer from public rage.  Listen to today's show for these six helpful tips on how cops can reclaim their image as public protectors. 

  Officers of the NYPD have been ordered to write summonses, with the government of NYC now denying all vacation or sick days until the police get back to their revenue collection schemes. From the NY Post:  The lieutenant ordered sector cars from throughout the precinct to converge at Springfield Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue for a driver checkpoint, the officer said. [contextly_auto_sidebar id="cSOWFwyTLQxGviuS9rAnIWYQb1bs7wRf"] No one was to return to the precinct or even take a meal break until two summonses were logged, the officer said. “To have all the manpower utilized for the sole purpose of writing summonses is a very dangerous way to utilize manpower,” he said. “This is not what we’re out here for.” Back at the station house, memos were posted (top) alerting cops that no new days off would be approved beyond already approved vacation days. And there were to be no sick days without a doctor’s note. The Freedom Report podcast takes a look at the general work stoppage by the NYPD in recent weeks. Ticket writing is down 90% according to the New York Post, and officers are complaining that the brass is demanding that they write tickets. We thought that they weren't there to enforce quotas? And of course, conservatives are freaking out over the idea that Islamist terrorists might attack NY and ONLY THE GOVERNMENT CAN KEEP US SAFE! You think we're joking? From Michael Goodwin:  The enforcement slowdown that grew out of the police feud with Mayor de Blasio must be set aside. This is an emergency. New Yorkers are in the cross hairs of Islamist mad dogs, and only the NYPD can keep us safe. Holy horsesh*t Batman! Looks like we've got a lot of fearmongers to kill today. That, and I explain what I meant when I said we should privatize the duties of the NYPD. Listen in and enjoy this special episode of the Freedom Report podcast!  

Editor Austin Petersen returns from exile after a three day Facebook ban silenced his ability to communicate with his followers. While people were dying in France because over free speech, Petersen sat silently watching, waiting for the three day ban to be lifted so he could speak out against Islamic extremism. Are there more things than government that are dangerous to freedom of expression?  Today's episode of the Freedom Report podcast is a freewheeling tour de force of the problems with the current power structure in today's media. Islamic terrorism and corporate political correctness can have a chilling effect on speech that can be just as authoritarian as actual bans. So what's to be done?  This podcast discusses why Petersen was banned, what the impact was on his small business, and why it's dangerous to silence a member of the media while events such as the crisis in France are occurring. Listen in and share on your social network of choice... if they'll let you. 

The Freedom Report podcast today takes a look at the upcoming 2016 presidential election and asks if some Republicans might support Hillary Clinton.  A Politico article from 2014 foreshadowed the fact that many establishment Republicans fear the rising populist sentiment in the GOP. Candidates like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul are shunned over more moderate conservatives such as Jeb Bush by Wall Street Republicans. But if it became a battle between Paul and Clinton, would many Republicans choose to support her over their own candidate?  Sadly, yes. Today's podcast takes a look at just why so many Republicans would prefer Clinton over a Paul or Cruz. We dissect the thinking behind big government GOPers, and analyze what it would take for the true limited government movement to gain ground, avoiding an internal civil war, as we fight the larger battle with the establishment. As FreedomWorks CEO Matt Kibbe says, "Sometimes you have to beat the Republicans before you beat the Democrats."