1. The Federal Government Leviathan “War on Drugs” has been a total failure. By creating an illegal black market for certain substances, and pouring vast military-style resources into trying to end a human vice, our Federal Government has created a bastion for illegal profits for smugglers, gangs, and pushers, has militarized domestic law enforcement agencies and city police units, has brutalized the basic liberties of its people in a totalitarian way, and has asserted that the violent big brother state is the only way to solve social problems. Now numerous outlaws internationally thrive off of illegal drug profits, millions of non-violent Americans have been incarcerated, and the problem has not gone away. In fact it is likely easier for young people to get certain substances than it would be under a system of age restriction similar to alcohol. In order for our society to move forward in a more healthy, reasonable and peaceful manner, the wholly insane Federal Leviathan War on Drugs must be put to sleep. Similar to what happened when alcohol prohibition was ended, our society will see a decrease in crime and violence if rightful steps are taken to change policy.

2. In a related report, the World Health Organization (”WHO”), in a study of 17 developed countries, found that drug abuse was the highest in the U.S. Imagine that. We have been fighting a “War” for over 30 years and yet, we are still at the top in terms of overall use of the substances we are “at war” against. In order to return ourselves to the realm of reasonable, peaceful, civil society, it is time to do away with the abusive and crass War on Drugs. The people have suffered too long at the hands of this clearly exhibited failure of a policy. At this point, staying the course would be base indication of idiocy and/or evil.

3. Paul Kasriel, one of the most sound-thinking economists working, produces a nice piece illuminating the reality of the current credit crunch we are in. Coming off of one of the most outrageous credit bubbles (if not THE most outrageous credit bubble) in human history, it is no surprise to see that banks have now begun to cut the volume of loans and leases they have outstanding. In order to survive, these institutions are cutting back on the potentially debilitating credit they have issued. Mr. Kasriel presents the picture of the credit crunch.

4. Related to the credit crunch, along with $4.60 per gallon gasoline (up over 300% from $1.00 gas circa 1998), surging food costs, and tumbling construction and manufacturing employment, U.S. auto sales plunged in June, reflecting a further weakening in the post-bubble-post-bubble real economy. With less access to home refinancing and home equity lines of credit, already debt saturated American consumers could be facing the environment that sage analysts have been calling for (in the face of criticism) for quite some time: a tapping of the spend-what-you-don’t-have economy. Bad economics over the long term has put much of the American economy in a significant bind.

5. With fuel costs continuing to surge relative to incomes, and gas guzzlers causing a burning sensation in many consumers’ pockets, Tesla Motors, named after an early 20th Century engineering genius who has been relatively hidden from the American consciousness, is hinting that they will have a sub-$30,000 fully electric vehicle within four years. The cost of running the vehicle is estimated to end up around $0.02 per mile, a significant savings when compared to current fuel prices equaling approximately $0.20 per mile in costs. I, for one, am looking forward to a new technological revolution to get us far, far away from the inefficient fuel regime. Think about how far computer technology has come in 20 years and you mean to tell me, we can’t get more efficiency from our vehicles during this past century? Blame big oil for killing alternatives to maintain their market power.

6. Lew Rockwell decimates the idea that big government is the answer to social or economic problems.

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