April 23, 2013
What Is a Terrorist?
In the wake of the Boston attack, I thought I would share my view of what makes someone a terrorist. Defining terrorism has proven especially daunting. The main reason is…
All posts in: Current Events
April 18, 2013
The End of an Era: The Kiobel Decision
Yesterday the Supreme Court issued a ruling that virtually ended more than 30 years of human rights litigation in United States courts. Starting with the landmark Filartiga case, foreigners have…
April 16, 2013
Patents, Property, and Genes
Yesterday the Supreme Court heard oral arguments about whether human genes may be patented. The case centers on a dispute between a group of researchers and patient advocates and Myriad…
April 06, 2013
A Questionable Argument for Paternalistic Legislation
Following Mill, libertarians have condemned paternalistic legislation. Examples of such legislation are the criminalization of drugs, and the failure to wear motorcycle helms or seat belts. Mill’s argument is that…
April 03, 2013
No Ship Nor Shore
Recently a Canadian student was stopped three times in two weeks while crossing the border into the US. According to her account of the experience, the border guards were particularly…
March 30, 2013
Mmm, these bullets I’m biting are yummy.
Some conservative libertarians oppose expanding legal marriage to include same-sex marriage. (For example, see here.) Like the author in the link, a number of them have made the following argument:…