Media Watch

A well-functioning government relies on its ability to enact policies that guide society and protect its citizens. Yet, these policies must exist in a delicate balance with individual rights. This article delves into the principles governing legitimate policy creation and enforcement, highlighting the pitfalls of arbitrary rules imposed by individual officials . Effective government policies address a demonstrably necessary government need. This need could be public safety, environmental protection, or economic stability. For instance, traffic laws serve the need for safe and orderly roads. Simply wanting to regulate behavior isn't enough justification. Policies must be demonstrably linked to a legitimate government objective.However, need alone doesn't justify any policy. The chosen policy must be "narrowly tailored" to address the identified need. Here, precision is key. Broad regulations can inadvertently restrict behavior unrelated to the issue at

We live in a global caste system. An aristocracy wrapped in corporate fascism. No matter from whence it's derived, once the malignant advantaged class gets hold of a little special privilege, it locks it away in walled gardens and offers it up in small measures for temporary lease to the lesser classes in consideration for disfavored labor at a disparitive rate. Currency is a human-invented device to horde privilege to the exclusion of others. Parasitic taxes, fees and surcharges are devices to ensure wealth always leeches back to the privileged. Wealth is a function of production. Full stop. As you produce goods and provide material services in fair measure for the good of society, you earn your keep. If a man dutifully and faithfully dedicates and pledges his working years to the betterment of society, he has earned a lifetime of privilege. The man who digs wells and builds homes does so in service to the community so he and others may drink and have shelter. The man who treats s

 Face it. All advertising is propaganda. We can be wiser, better informed consumers if we can understand that. It's in a corporation's best interest to advance sales and maximize profit for its stakeholders. A business model driven exclusively by the balance sheet isn't concerned about what's in society's best interests. With every generation government and corporate marketers have honed their ability to gain advantages over the commoners. The fact is, there are people who want to catalog Americans like cattle so they can be fleeced for their value or led to slaughter. Sometimes both. And make no mistake. The demarcation between corporate American and the government is a shaky one. Take Facebook advertiser "flock safety" as an example of intrusive marketing for a product that might just be the ultimate cataloging tool: neighborhood surveillance. The pitch is simple and scary: it's not safe to live without it. And they use compelling endorsements and te

Mass shootings are complex and tragic events with no single cause. While there's no simple explanation for why someone commits such an act, understanding the contributing factors can help us prevent future tragedies. Here are some key areas to consider: Individual factors: Mental health: While not all mass shooters have diagnosed mental illnesses, some may experience conditions like depression, anxiety, or psychosis. These can exacerbate existing problems and impair judgment. Personal experiences: Traumatic experiences like abuse, neglect, or violence can leave lasting scars and contribute to feelings of hopelessness and rage. Social isolation: Feeling disconnected from others and lacking a support system can increase feelings of alienation and despair. Ideological extremism: Exposure to extremist ideologies that promote violence or hatred can fuel harmful beliefs and justifications for violence. Social and environmental factors: Access to firearms: The easy availability of fi

 In the old days, the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution required police to establish "probable cause" to lawfully conduct certain searches and seizures or perform arrests. As of 1968, police may stop you even without probable cause to believe you committed a crime. In the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Terry v. Ohio, justices formulated from whole cloth the less-than-probable-cause standard they called “reasonable suspicion,” aka "RS", which was comically and pedantically defined as the totality of specific and articulable facts and circumstances, taken together, that leads an officer to reasonably suspect a person may be engaged in criminal activity. Cops never even need to name a specific law they think has been broken, nor do they even have to tell the “subject” the basis for the stop, unless he’s arrested or cited. The court pretended to establish some boundaries by requiring that an officer’s suspicion must be “particularized” and not generalized,