The LAVA Flow | Libertarian | Anarcho-capitalist | Voluntaryist | Agorist

Did the latest election make you or your fellow citizens more free? Find out all the details here. What's in the News with stories on government murder, Jeff Sessions is gone, jury nullification, Right to Bear Arms, taxation is theft, and bad cops. And, a Statists Gonna State segment on a bevy of news from the FDA. This episode is brought to you by ZenCash, now known as Horizen, a cryptocurrency that infuses privacy, anonymity, and security, done right. Also, brought to you by SmartCash, an easy to use, fast, and secure cryptocurrency that supports everyday use for everyday transactions.

As you guys know, last week was election day. I encouraged you to join the growing number of people who decide voting is a waste of time. You know voting is useless when everyone is touting this last week's election as a "massive turnout" when less than 47 percent of the voting-eligible population cast a vote at all. But, taking the entire population into account, only 33% of people in the country chose your rulers and laws for you this year. Consensus my ass. 

As with any election season, there were of course, good and bad that came out of it.

In government murder news, US-led coalition airstrikes killed 14 civilians in Eastern Syria.

In good riddance news, Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned from his office after more than a year of public criticism from his boss.

In Jury Nullification news, a federal judge advocated for jury nullification after being shocked by an overzealous child pornography prosecution.

In Right to Bear Arms news, I have two news stories for you. First, the First Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled there is no right to bear arms outside of your home.

The second story is horrifying. Police in the statist haven of Maryland shot and killed a man in his home while serving a "protective order" under a new law which allows them to seize people's guns without due process.

In taxation is theft news, now, even using your Playstation is taxes in the People's Republic of Chicago.

In bad cops news, a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was arrested on drug charges after a heist at a pot warehouse.

There was a bevy of stories on the FDA recently, most just terrible, of course. However, let's start with a good one. 

President Donald Trump signed the controversial "right-to-try" bill into law on Wednesday, which bypasses drug regulators to give gravely ill patients access to experimental medicines.

The Food and Drug Administration approved a powerful new opioid Friday, despite strong criticism and accusations that it bypassed its own advisory process to do it.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes as early as next week, senior agency officials told the Washington Post yesterday (Nov. 8).

But, apparently, the FDA is going after menthol cigarettes as well. Citing senior agency officials familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Commissioner Scott Gottlieb may be looking to begin a potentially multi-year process to have menthols banned.

Today is election day. I'll be washing my hair instead of voting yet again. Don't legitimize the bastards! What's in the News with stories on John Gatto dies, government murder, Julian Assange update, cannabis in Mexico, bad cops, and free societies. And, an Ancap Apps segment on Smartcash, the latest advertiser on The LAVA Flow. This episode is brought to you by ZenCash, now known as Horizen, a cryptocurrency that infuses privacy, anonymity, and security, done right. Also, brought to you by SmartCash, an easy to use, fast, and secure cryptocurrency that supports everyday use for everyday transactions.

Today is election day, 2018. The day you can make your voice heard, or so we're told.

Around this time, two years ago, my episode was called "To Vote or Not to Vote." I made the case there that, for the first time in my adult life, I would not be going to the polls, even to vote for a very good friend of mine, Darryl W. Perry, for President of the United States. You can listen to that episode at thelavaflow.com/48. Going back to that episode myself, I can clearly see the evolution of my thoughts on voting. And, if our thoughts aren't evolving, then we are stagnant.

And now, two years later, my thoughts have evolved more. Now, I am solidly in the non-voting category. A lot of that evolution is because of the work of Carl Watner, Wendy McElroy, and Goerge H. Smith in the newsletter The Voluntaryist at Voluntaryist.com and the book "Neither Bullets Nor Ballots: Essays on Voluntaryism." I had the honor of narrating the audiobook for that book and you can get a copy at thelavaflow.com/nbnbaudio. 

In sad news, John Taylor Gatto has passed away.

In government murder news, a US airstrike killed a family of five in a Syrian border town.

In Julian Assange news, he says that Ecuador is trying to kick him out of its London embassy and hand him over to the US.

In cannabis news, Mexico’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that an absolute ban on recreational use of marijuana was unconstitutional, effectively leaving it to lawmakers to regulate consumption of the drug.

In bad cops news, San Diego police creepily forced strippers to pose for photos, now the city is paying $1.5 million.

In free societies news, a cryptocurrency millionaire wants to build a utopia in the Nevada desert.

As you guys likely heard last week, I have a new advertiser on the show, SmartCash. This is a product I have recently heard about and have become very excited for. When I first talked to one of the staff over at SmartCash, Chris K., at Freecoast Festival a couple of months ago, I knew I wanted to be involved in this project. So, I bugged the hell out of Chris so they would sponsor this podcast to help get the word out!

Why am I so excited about SmartCash? For a lot of reasons. They have taken ideas from several different cryptos, put them together, and made them better. And, they are working hard to be an actual currency system, very similar to Dash, instead of just a place to store wealth.

Check it out at thelavaflow.com/smart

Canada legalized cannabis and here's what you need to know. Is it all sunshine and rainbows? What's in the News with stories on Apple security, government waste, death penalty exoneration, death penalty struck down, building permits, and freedom of religion. Finally, And Yet Another Bad Cop on two really bad cops. This episode is brought to you by ZenCash, now known as Horizen, a cryptocurrency that infuses privacy, anonymity, and security, done right. Also, brought to you by SmartCash, an easy to use, fast, and secure cryptocurrency that supports everyday use for everyday transactions.

Canada legalized cannabis across the board, so let me give you the skinny.

What does the law allow for?

In security news, Apple has managed to prevent the hottest iPhone hacking company in the world from doing its thing. 

In government waste news, the Air Force, under fire for throwing down $1,280 apiece to replace in-flight reheating cups after their handles break, is pledging to use 3-D printing to get that replacement cost down to 50 cents.

In exoneration news, DNA evidence exonerates a man who spent 19 years in prison for the death of his lover. The California Innocence Project helped free Horace Roberts from prison.

In more death penalty news, the Washington Supreme Court unanimously struck down the death penalty last week, ruling that it is "imposed in an arbitrary and racially biased manner."

In government permission news, the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, one of Spain's most famous tourist sites, has agreed to pay $41m to city authorities after going without a building permit for more than 130 years.

In freedom of religion news, two Christian filmmakers appeared before the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul Tuesday to challenge Minnesota state law which they say illegally forces them to produce and create films expressing messages that contradict their core beliefs. 

This time we have two bad cops, both of which are in states that begin with K.

Brian McWilliams asked me to be on his Lions of Liberty show, Electric Libertyland, and we had a ton of fun. This is the first time I've talked to Brian since I thought he was going to die from alcohol poisoning at PorcFest this summer. It's good to know he's still alive!

We start off talking about Kanye’s meeting with Trump, the impact of celebrity before moving on to the purge of many libertarian and police-policing Facebook pages.

Is it their right as a private company, or will there be repercussions in the legal sphere?

The duo then dive into Saudi Arabia and the missing-presumed-dead journalist…who U.S. intelligence knew would be taken.

We also tease a couple of topics that get fully answered in the Patrons only version of the show. Was Brian the destroyer of the mystery shattered mirror at PorcFest, and did he make it right? Did Rodger really get accidentally high while trying to record his latest The LAVA Flow episode? You can get access to all of this and more by being a supporter of The LAVA Flow at thelavaflow.com/support.

The national Libertarian Party has screwed up yet again, tweeting nonsense about the Federal Reserve. Why should we End the Fed? What's in the News with stories on trick or treating is a crime, Florida man faces prison for making grills, do it for the children in California, Afghanistan War less and less popular, inflation in Venezuela, and cops home invasion. And, a Statists Gonna State segment on Facebook censoring information by purging 800 accounts and pages. This episode is brought to you by ZenCash, now known as Horizen, a cryptocurrency that infuses privacy, anonymity, and security done right. Also, brought to you by Free Talk Live, providing you with fresh, pro-liberty content 7 days a week on more than 180 radio stations across the country. 

The national Libertarian Party has screwed up yet again with a tweet. On October 12th, someone using that account tweeted the following: Libertarians have differing thoughts on whether we should have a Fed, but it is NOT wide for the Fed to become a political football. #Trump/Congress should NOT control it. They can question it and have opinions. But the Fed, if it exists, should be independent from their control."

Wait a minute... IF it exists? What the actual f***? Why does some non-libertarian moron have access to the LP National twitter?

In trick, not treating news, in Virginia, kids over 12 can be jailed for trick-or-treating.

In Florida man news, a Florida Man Faces Prison for Making Grills Without a License.

In do it for the children news, California state lawmakers recently passed a bill forcing restaurants to offer specific beverages to children. Governor Jerry Brown signed the legislation, which passed easily in both the Senate and Assembly, at the end of September.

In war, what is it good for news, with the war in Afghanistan now overtaking the Vietnam War as the longest conflict in America’s history, a new YouGov survey reveals that the majority of Americans would support drawing US involvement to a close and bringing the troops back home.

In socialism news, inflation in Venezuela is projected to reach 10,000,000% next year, as the economy collapses and the government grows increasingly authoritarian.

In bad boys news, two Detroit Police officers are facing home invasion charges after they allegedly stormed into a man's home without a warrant and hauled him off to jail.

This will be a bit of a different take on Statists Gonna State because, while it is talking about a statist organization, it is not a government organization. I am, of course, talking about Facebook and their purge of 800 pages and accounts.

Who was Christopher Columbus, really, and what should he be celebrated for? What's in the News with stories on sex robot brothels, Rand Paul, Pentagon power, new FAA regulations, and California controls companies. Finally, a Statists Gonna State segment on the state of Texas defining pickles. This episode is brought to you by ZenCash, now known as Horizen, a cryptocurrency that infuses privacy, anonymity, and security done right. Also, brought to you by Free Talk Live, providing you with fresh, pro-liberty content 7 days a week on more than 180 radio stations across the country. 

As with most things the government does, government mandated holidays are usually full of bullshit and propaganda. Columbus Day is no different. 

Christopher Columbus may have first left his mark on the Americas in the 15th century, but the United States didn’t establish a federal holiday in his honor until 1937. Commissioned by Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to explore Asia, Columbus instead sailed to the New World in 1492. He first disembarked in the Bahamas, later making his way to Cuba and the island of Hispanola, now the home of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Believing that he had located China and Japan, Columbus founded the first Spanish colony in the Americas with the help of nearly 40 crewmembers. The following spring, he traveled back to Spain where he presented Ferdinand and Isabella with spices, minerals and indigenous peoples he’d captured. It would take three trips back to the New World for Columbus to determine that he hadn’t located Asia but a continent altogether unfamiliar to the Spanish. By the time he died in 1506, Columbus had crisscrossed the Atlantic numerous times.

Native American groups argue that the Italian explorer’s arrival in the New World ushered in genocide against indigenous peoples as well as the transatlantic slave trade.  Essentially, this is a holiday to highlight Western imperialism and the conquest of people of color. The circumstances surrounding Christopher Columbus’ foray into the Americas have led to an end to Columbus Day observances in some areas of the U.S. In such regions, the contributions Native Americans have made to the county are recognized instead. But these places are exceptions and not the rule. Columbus Day remains a mainstay in nearly all U.S. cities and states. To change this, activists opposed to these celebrations have launched a multi-pronged argument to demonstrate why Columbus Day should be eradicated. So, let's look at the controversy and see where I stand on it.

In virtual sin news, Houston City Council members voted unanimously Wednesday to ban a sex robot brothel set to open soon near the Galleria area. The ordinance allows the business to sell the sex robots but not to allow customers to use them inside the business.

In falling far from the tree news, Senator Rand Paul has issued a statement on the Brett Kavanaugh issue.

In Pentagon Power news, Senators, notably Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), are pushing for clarification from the Pentagon about their interpretation of the concept of “collective self-defense,” under which the US military claims a near-limitless power to conduct unilateral strikes on enemies not authorized by Congress.

In controlling the air news, President Donald Trump signed legislation passed by Congress that extends FAA policy for another five years. The FAA Reauthorization Bill includes several provisions that will affect air travelers.

In power-hungry news, Companies headquartered in California can no longer have all-male boards. That's according to a new law, enacted Sunday, which requires publicly traded firms in the state to place at least one woman on their board of directors by the end of 2019 — or face a penalty.

Statists literally want to control every single aspect of your life. This is why they tell you how much water your toilet should flush when you take a leak, or, as Texas does, they tell you how you have to define your food.

Anita and Jim McHaney are retirees who moved from Houston to the Texas countryside in 2013. Their plan was to live well and grow food on a 10-acre homestead, earning extra money selling produce at the local farmers market. They grew okra, carrots, kale, swiss chard, and beets. Lots and lots of beets.

And this is where the McHaney's ran into trouble. Like most states, Texas has a so-called "cottage food law" that exempts certain items sold at farmers markets from the state's commercial food manufacturing regulations—foods like bread, produce, nuts, jams, popcorn, and, of course, pickles.

But what constitutes a "pickle," and who gets to decide?

A girl kicked out of school for not praising the state with the Pledge of Slavery, and now the Texas AG is doubling down. What's in the News with stories on a killer cop update, Memphis PD spying, drug arrests up, government debt, disaster relief disaster, and a Cody Wilson update. And, finally Yet Another Bad Cop on a deputy in Florida who planted evidence dozens of times. This episode is brought to you by ZenCash, now known as Horizen, a cryptocurrency that infuses privacy, anonymity, and security done right. Also brought to you by Free Talk Live, providing you with fresh, pro-liberty content 7 days a week on more than 180 radio stations across the country. 

I am thankful that I live in a country that gives me at least some semblance of free speech, and I take advantage of this every chance I get. I sit here and do a podcast every week basically calling for the death of government in all forms, and I have never been threatened or punished in any way for it. I also use my freedom of speech to not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem every time I am surrounded by people who stand for them. I can do that because, compared to people in many areas of the world, I am relatively free. That is not to say I am free. It is to say I am freer than people in say Iran or North Korea. Trust me, I would not be doing this show if I were in Iran or North Korea. Call me a coward, but I have a family to live for.

However, even in this country, where we are supposedly free to say what we want and express our opinions how we choose, that is not close to being the case in all circumstances. Take the case of India Landry in a Houston, TX area high school. Last year, she was sent home from school for refusing to stand during the Pledge of Slavery... oh, sorry, I mean the Pledge of Allegiance. The principal told India's mother that, "she can't come to my school if she won't stand for the pledge."

In killer cop update news, Amber Guyger, the Dallas police officer who faces a manslaughter charge in the shooting death of Botham Jean, has been fired, the Police Department announced.

In my old stomping ground news, the legal team at Facebook has fired off a letter to the Memphis Police Department. The social media giant says MPD needs to stop creating fake accounts to monitor citizens.

In cannabis news, marijuana arrests are rising in the U.S., even as more states legalize cannabis. There is now an average of one marijuana bust roughly every 48 seconds, according to a new FBI report.

In government theft news, the federal government could soon pay more in interest on its debt than it spends on the military, Medicaid or children’s programs.

In disaster relief news, a North Carolina woman was arrested after 27 dogs and cats she took in during Hurricane Florence were confiscated from her shelter, investigators revealed.

In a Cody Wilson update, Defense Distributed announced that founder Cody Wilson had resigned from the company.

Zachary Wester, a 26-year-old Jackson County Florida deputy has been getting many complaints, so much so that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (the FDLE) opened an investigation Aug. 1. The probe is ongoing, and no charges have been filed yet. The allegations are that Wester was pulling over drivers — some with records, many unable to afford their own lawyers — and planting drugs in their cars before hauling them to jail. A number of the encounters were captured on Wester’s own body camera, but it’s unclear how many.

As the investigation unfolded, FDLE investigators briefed State Attorney Glenn Hess of the 14th Judicial Circuit. He was shown body camera footage in which Wester can be seen holding what appears to be a baggie in his hand before starting a search. Hess said, “I saw a video and I saw still photographs that caused me to do a whole lot of things that state attorneys usually don’t do."

Over recent days, a torrent of motions filed by Hess and Public Defender Mark Sims have been filed in Jackson Circuit Court. Charges have been dropped in at least 48 cases that were initiated by Wester or hinged on his testimony.

Cody Wilson of Defense Distributed is in trouble, big time. What's this all about? What's in the News with stories on Snowden validation, FDA making things worse, cops busted by vice, rape kits, and big money for Space Force. Finally, an Ask Me Anything where I answer your burning questions. This episode is brought to you by ZenCash, now known as Horizen, a cryptocurrency that infuses privacy, anonymity, and security done right. Also brought to you by Free Talk Live, providing you with fresh, pro-liberty content 7 days a week on more than 180 radio stations across the country. 

Cody Wilson screwed up, badly. Let's break this down.

First of all, when you have thumbed your nose at the government the way someone like Cody Wilson has, you have to be on your Ps and Qs, because you know they are gunning for you. Cody did not take that to heart, sadly, and now he is up to his neck in a mess that could have been avoided.

But, I am in no way saying what he did was wrong. We will get to that in a bit. First, let's look at the facts of the case.

In do as I say not as I do news, current and former New York City police officers were found at the center of a major prostitution and gambling ring.

In my old stomping ground news, a 51-year-old man identified by his DNA has pled guilty to three aggravated rapes that occurred more than 16 years ago in the Frayser-Raleigh area of Memphis, TN,

In validation for Snowden news, a European Court Says the Mass Surveillance He Exposed Violates Privacy Rights.

In making things worse news, FDA regulations aimed at discouraging underage vaping may also deter smokers from switching.

In it's not their money news, the U.S. Air Force estimated start-up costs for a proposed U.S. Space Force, a new military service backed by President Donald Trump, will be around $13 billion in the first five years, according to a Department of Defense memo seen by Reuters.

It's been a while since I've done an Ask me Anything segment on the show, so let's fix that right now. Questions range from homeschool and prostitution to voluntaryism and marriage.

The European Union is trying to break the internet by passing sweeping "copyright" laws. What is this all about? What's in the News with stories on government relief, Catalonia secession, bad cops, avoiding WWIII, and a murdering cop. And, a trailer for the latest Pax Libertas Productions podcast called Big L Podcast, your unofficial source for Libertarian Party news, arcana, and information with your host, Libertarian Party insider and the Pink Flame of Liberty, Caryn Ann Harlos. This episode is brought to you by ZenCash, now known as Horizen, a cryptocurrency that infuses privacy, anonymity, and security done right. Also brought to you by Free Talk Live, providing you with fresh, pro-liberty content 7 days a week on more than 180 radio stations across the country.  

One of these days, I plan to do an episode on why copyright is wrong and totally illegitimate. It's been on my radar for a long time, I just keep pushing it back. However, this story about the European Union passing a law under the auspices of copyright that could essentially break the internet is too crazy to pass up. So, what happened?

The EU has voted to approve its hugely controversial Internet Copyright Directive, which has been lambasted by experts across the globe. The overall bill seeks to update Internet copyright laws for the modern era. But two parts of it, Articles 11 and 13, have been criticized for stifling small companies and introducing a “meme ban”. The bill will now need to be signed off by leaders of the EU member states, so it is not formally law yet. Each country will then be tasked with enforcing the law themselves.

In government relief news, hundreds of thousands of water bottles meant for victims of Hurricane Maria are still sitting at a Puerto Rico airport — nearly a year after the deadly storm, according to a report. 

 In Catalonia secession update news, about a million people gathered in Barcelona to renew their calls for Catalan independence and to demand the release of jailed political leaders almost a year after the unilateral referendum that triggered Spain’s worst political crisis since its return to democracy. 

 In bad apples update news, following the shooting death of Botham Jean by the hands of Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger that we talked about last week, multiple search warrants were executed at Jean’s apartment as part of the investigation.  

 In avoiding World War III news, a day after reiterating his commitment to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has set out a timeline for the process, saying he intends to get the process done by the end of President Trump’s first term in office.  

 In killer cops news, in June, the taxpayers of Burlington, Iowa were told that they will be hit with a $2 million bill to pay for a police officer who shot and killed an innocent mother. The tragic scenario was captured on video and the fact that most of that video remained a secret was part of the reason the family received the settlement in the wrongful death suit. However, all that has now changed and the video was released this week. 

Now, you guys know I've completely given up on the Libertarian Party as a vehicle for true liberty. However, I know there are many actual libertarians who refuse to give up on the party as easily as I did. I respect that, even though I disagree with them on it. But, that certainly doesn't mean I won't help those real libertarians have a voice. That's what I try to do here. I try to help libertarians use their voice to fill niches in podcasting that need to be filled. And, a new show coming to the Pax Libertas Productions line-up attempts to do just that.

When Pax Libertas Productions was still an idea in the back of my head, I wrote out a list of potential podcast ideas for shows on the network that didn't even exist yet. I still have that list today and I refer to it every once in a while. One of the items on that list from way back is an unofficial Libertarian Party Watch podcast. A note I put beside that idea is "preferable hosted by an anarchist. Tom Knapp? Caryn Ann Harlos?"

And now, this week marks the beginning of that podcast that started out as one idea of many, and, I am so thankful to have one of the hosts from my original list, Caryn Ann Harlos, the Pink Flame of Liberty. 

 The new show is called Big L Podcast, and it is your unofficial source for Libertarian Party news, arcana, and information for the liberty-minded political junky by a political anarchist who is inside the party heavily.

If there is one thing that the September 11th terrorists taught us, it is that blowback is a real thing. Let's do a deep dive into blowback. What's in the News with stories on encryption, First Amendment, death penalty, cop charged with murder, and government indoctrination center nonsense. And, an Ancap Apps segment on a really easy way to use cryptocurrencies to buy and sell called Anypay. This episode is brought to you by ZenCash, now known as Horizen, a cryptocurrency that infuses privacy, anonymity, and security done right. Also brought to you by Free Talk Live, providing you with fresh, pro-liberty content 7 days a week on more than 180 radio stations across the country. 

If there is one thing that the September 11th terrorists taught us, it is that blowback is a real thing. Now, I am in no way defending their actions, of course. I am only saying their actions did not happen in a vacuum, and it had nothing to do with our way of life.

We all know that Osama bin Laden was the mastermind and the moneybags behind the September 11th attacks. It was his baby. This is why the US looked for him under every rock they could in the Middle Easy until they finally found and killed him. So, since he was the genesis of the attack, let's look at why he says he attacked us. 

In encryption news, a global network of intelligence agencies wants easier access to your private and encrypted messages. In a barely veiled warning to tech companies, it has promised to make things tough for those that don’t comply.

In First Amendment news, police body camera footage released today shows two Denver officers told The Colorado Independent’s editor, Susan Greene, to “act like a lady” as they handcuffed and detained her in July for attempting to photograph them as they responded to a call on a public sidewalk.

In death penalty for tickets news, unpaid traffic tickets saw a Nevada woman in jail, where she began to suffer drug withdrawals and seizures. Days later she was dead, after being denied medical care.

In crossing the thin blue line news, a Dallas police officer who authorities said entered an apartment she thought was hers and killed a young man has been arrested on a manslaughter charge.

In government indoctrination centers news, a Memphis middle school teacher’s outrageous bathroom pass for her students has parents up in arms.

This week's Ancap App is a program that I've used many times here in New Hampshire to purchase things at retail locations across the state using cryptocurrency. The app is Anypay and you can find it at Anypay.Global. I've used this to buy lunch, t-shirts, and several other things in New Hampshire. I could use it to buy theater tickets, eyeglasses and contacts, a curiosities ghost tour, jewelry, yoga classes, ballet lessons, smoke and vape items, been, and many other items in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, very close to my home.