Lawrence Wilkerson: ‘Arrogance of Power’ Behind Arrest of Meng Wanzhou in Canada for US Extradition

Posted on by December 11, 2018

In a new interview with Greg Wilpert at The Real News, Lawrence Wilkerson, a College of William & Mary professor and former chief of staff for United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, challenged the US government pushing the arrest in Canada of Meng Wanzhou. The arrest of the chief financial officer of major Chinese company Huawei Technologies to facilitate her extradition to the US on a charge related to the US government’s Iran sanctions is “an incompetent and unprofessional act,” says Wilkerson, that arose from “the arrogance of power.”

It is “the arrogance of power” that Wilkerson argues makes the US government think it can “dictate, in unilateral sanctions,” what people in another country, such as China, can do in terms of trade.

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Five Minutes Five Issues: Marijuana Reversal, New Liberal Order, Legal Hemp, Boycotting Israel, Marijuana Tax

Posted on by December 14, 2018

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.

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Five Minutes Five Issues: Julian Assange, NJ Marijuana. Saudi Support, War and Debt, RI Marijuana

Posted on by December 3, 2018

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.

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The Free State Project Jumps the Shark

Posted on by November 29, 2018

The Free State Project has shown promise in seeking to improve respect for liberty in New Hampshire by encouraging thousands of advocates for liberty to move to the state, with movers pursuing endeavors including running for office and engaging in civil disobedience. While that promise persists as movers continue to work for liberty in the state, it appears that in those efforts they may face headwinds emanating from the Free State Project organization itself.

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US Destabilizes Iraq for Decades, US House of Representatives Has New Plan for Stabilization

Posted on by November 28, 2018

The United States attacked Iraq in the Gulf War in 1990, followed by years of US bombing of Iraq. Then, in 2003, the US invaded and conquered Iraq in the Iraq War. Since then, many US troops have been stationed in Iraq, along with a huge contingent of US government employees and contractors from a variety of agencies, seeking to mold the country to US wishes. Still, 28 years since all this began (and longer since the previous US assistance for the Iraq government it later overthrew), the US House of Representatives approved on Tuesday a bill titled the Preventing Destabilization of Iraq Act (HR 4591).

The only way this bill title would make sense given the long history of massive US intervention failing to improve the situation in Iraq is if the bill required the end of US intervention. Instead, the bill seeks more intervention.

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Lew Rockwell Challenges President Trump’s ‘Sickening’ Support for Saudi Arabia

Posted on by November 22, 2018

In a brief appearance at the conclusion of an RT news segment regarding President Donald Trump’s Tuesday written declaration of support for the government of Saudi Arabia, libertarian communicator and Ron Paul Institute Advisory Board Member Lew Rockwell presented a succinct summary of reasons for Trump’s “sickening” support.

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President Trump’s Support of Saudi Arabia is Par for the Course in US Foreign Policy

Posted on by November 21, 2018

Many people are condemning President Donald Trump’s continuing support for the Saudi Arabia government and its Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Critics note the killing of Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, the Saudi-led war on Yemen, and widespread rights abuses in Saudi Arabia as reasons to oppose the Trump administration’s support for the Saudi government and bin Salman.

Yet, as Glenn Greenwald explains in an intriguing Wednesday The Intercept editorial, Trump’s commitment to Saudi Arabia is in line with a long history of United States presidential administrations, both Republican and Democrat, supporting governments around the world — including the Saudi Arabia government — that have been doing horrible things, while basing that support, including the providing of military and intelligence assistance, on nebulous claims of “national security.”

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Sen. Lindsey Graham May Play Important Part in Rolling Back Marijuana Prohibition

Posted on by November 20, 2018

Many articles at the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity (RPI) website — often in the “Neocon Watch” section — have subjected Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to criticism for his support for uber-interventionist foreign policy. This is not surprising given that, as RPI Executive Director Daniel McAdams wrote in one of those articles in April of 2016, Graham is “a steadfast member of Washington’s neocon warhawk faction.”

Still, that does not mean that Graham can do no good in the Senate. Indeed, Graham’s apparently likely ascension to the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee could help lead to pro-liberty changes in United States marijuana laws occurring soon. While Graham is not an advocate for full marijuana legalization, his legislative record and past statements suggest that, as chairman of the committee with jurisdiction over much of the US government’s marijuana policy, Graham would be significantly more supportive of rollbacks in US marijuana prohibition than has been outgoing Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

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Five Minutes Five Issues: Bolton Speech, Warmonger Medal, Roadside Surveillance, Marijuana Tax, School Security

Posted on by November 16, 2018

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.

Continue reading →