Author: Adam Dick

The Berlin Wall was a tool for oppression. It prevented people from exercising a very important right — the right to leave. In doing so it also helped ensure continuing abuse of individuals trapped by the wall and armed enforcers. In November of 1989, gates of the wall were opened for passage and people began to demolish the wall.

Move ahead almost thirty years and prominent American politicians are calling for building a wall on American borders. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump regularly promotes building an American wall. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, even boasted in 2013 that an immigration bill he supported would create “the most militarized border since the fall of the Berlin Wall.”

The purpose many politicians offer for the desired American border wall is to block illegal immigration, not to keep people in. But, once built, such a wall can be used as a tool for oppression in a similar manner as was the Berlin Wall in East Germany.

When my book A Tipping Point for Liberty: Exposing and Defeating Leviathan Government was published in July, I was very happy to see Robert Wenzel offering praise in a post at his website Target Liberty. Wenzel called A Tipping Point for Liberty “a great book to give to anyone you want to introduce to current topics and how it relates to libertarianism.” In the post, Wenzel also referred to me as “the most underrated, underexposed libertarian writer on the planet.” I am a big fan of Wenzel’s writing as well.

Earlier this month, I talked with Wenzel on the audio show he hosts — the Robert Wenzel Show. A significant portion of the interview is dedicated to discussing my new book. Wenzel also asked me questions about my background. So, if you want to know more about how I discovered libertarian ideas or some of the jobs I have had over the years — lawyer, governor campaign co-manager, and aide to Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) in the United States House of Representatives — give this interview a listen. Among other things, you will also hear in this interview my answer to Wenzel’s query about what developments in government most worry me.

Listen to the complete interview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1826&v=fkDfxpK0Es0

Ron Paul Institute Senior Fellow Adam Dick, in a Wake Up Call Podcast interview posted on Friday, argues that Libertarian Party presidential and vice-presidential nominees Gary Johnson and Bill Weld have drug the term “libertarian” through the mud with their advocacy of anti-libertarian positions on matters ranging from their choices for Supreme Court appointments to PATRIOT Act reauthorization to foreign intervention to the use of terror watch lists to outlaw people possessing guns.

Dick addresses the Libertarian presidential ticket during an in-depth discussion of his new book, A Tipping Point for Liberty: Exposing and Defeating Leviathan Government. During Dick’s interview with hosts Adam Camac and Daniel Laguros, the discussion is centered on topics examined in the book, including the development of a police state in America, the war on drugs, and United States wars abroad. It is when the conversation turns to the book’s section dealing with libertarianism that Dick presents an evaluation of the Libertarian presidential ticket.

My in-depth, 46-minute interview on the Wake Up Call Podcast was posted today. In the interview focused on my new book A Tipping Point for Liberty: Exposing and Defeating Leviathan Government, I discuss several topics in detail with hosts Adam Camac and Daniel Laguros. Topics discussed include the development of a police state in America, the war on drugs, United States wars abroad, and the failure of Gary Johnson’s Libertarian Party presidential campaign to present a libertarian message.

You can listen to the interview, and find links to more information regarding some of the things discussed, here.

When Americans vote each four years, they are not directly electing a president. Instead, under the United States Constitution, each state, as well as the District of Columbia (DC), appoints to the Electoral College a number of electors that equals the sum of the state’s allotted senators and representatives in Congress, or three electors for DC. These electors then vote. Win a majority of electors’ votes and you become president.

Typically, electors vote for who won the popular vote in their respective states. In fact, the process in most states is for a state to send to the Electoral College a slate of electors who have pledged to vote for the candidate who won the popular election statewide. But, sometimes electors want to vote for someone else. Kyle Cheney reported Thursday at Politico that in 2012 three of the 38 total Texas electors — all pledged to support Republican nominee Mitt Romney — suggested instead that they might vote for Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) who had run against Romney in the Republican presidential nomination contest:

Steve Munisteri, former chairman of the Texas GOP and the 2012 leader of Texas’ Electoral College delegation, said it’s not uncommon for electors to hint at rejecting their party’s nominee. He said three Texas Republican electors in 2012 suggested they might vote for Ron Paul instead of Mitt Romney. But when reminded of oaths they took when running for the position, all of them eventually cast their ballots for Romney.

A new episode of Five Minutes Five Issues posted on Wednesday. You can listen to it, and read a transcript, below. You can also find previous episodes of the show at Stitcher, iTunes, YouTube, and SoundCloud.

Listen to the new episode here:

Read a transcript of the new episode, including links to further information regarding the topics discussed, here:

The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity welcomes you to Five Minutes Five Issues.

Starting in five four three two one.

A new episode of Five Minutes Five Issues posted on Saturday. You can listen to it, and read a transcript, below. You can also find previous episodes of the show at Stitcher, iTunes, YouTube, and SoundCloud.

Listen to the new episode here:

Read a transcript of the new episode, including links to further information regarding the topics discussed, here:

The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity welcomes you to Five Minutes Five Issues.

Starting in five four three two one.

Ron Paul, interviewed Friday by Stuart Varney at Fox Business, says “trouble has been brewing” around Ukraine since the United States government in 2014 “participated in the coup” in the European nation, resulting in political upheavals including the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych. The coup also set in motion developments leading to secession of Crimea from Ukraine and fighting between the Ukraine government’s forces and people in eastern Ukraine.

Concerning current tensions in the region that could lead to a larger military conflict, Paul cautions that “we should be aware of what NATO’s doing, what the European Union is doing, and what our CIA is doing, and how we’re sponsoring one side over the other without looking at what the people in Crimea and eastern Ukraine are actually wanting themselves.”

People living in some western portions of America with liberalized medical marijuana laws have some extra protection from the United States government prosecuting them for violations of US marijuana laws thanks to a decision issued Tuesday by the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals. However, only congressional action can promptly ensure such protection is provided to people countrywide.

A new episode of Five Minutes Five Issues posted on Friday. You can listen to it, and read a transcript, below. You can also find previous episodes of the show at Stitcher, iTunes, YouTube, and SoundCloud.

Listen to the new episode here:

Read a transcript of the new episode, including links to further information regarding the topics discussed, here:

The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity welcomes you to Five Minutes Five Issues.

Starting in five four three two one.