Imagine the local sheriff or police chief issuing an arrest warrant for the President of the United States.

Imagine that the majority of the citizens in that local jurisdiction agree with the arrest warrant, and in fact take to the streets to support its issuance.

Imagine that other local sheriffs and police chiefs band together to push back against dictates or laws enforced by the government in Washington, and accordingly mount a popular campaign to stop the President in his tracks.

In the American system of government, this possibility is quite remote, but other institutionalized federal systems around the world have done just that.

On Friday, leaders from the Federation of Greek Police, the largest police union in the country, threatened to issue arrest warrants for European Union and International Monetary Fund officials.

To the casual observer on the American continent, this may seem quite bizarre. Why would Greeks be trying to arrest people who are trying to help them get back on course, especially people who have no direct say in the government?

In much the same way as local sheriffs have no control over the President’s actions, the same exists for Greek police—or even the Greek people.

For a better understanding of federalism, it is fitting to examine three systems in three different contexts. This will include political power, economic power, and legal power in the examples of the European Union, the United States, and Canada.

THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE

After years of successful treaties between European nations, the new form of government for the continent is one in which multiple nations have delegated away much of their individual sovereignty in order to secure a “common market” for all Europeans to enjoy.

Accordingly, Europeans are permitted to travel freely on the continent, as well as have access to the markets in other countries.

All the treaties were negotiated only by a few leaders of participating states, and individual populations were rarely, if ever, given the right to weigh in democratically on the new power structure sought by pro-European (as opposed to nationalist) negotiators.

In fact, whenever the treaties have been voted on publicly, they have been largely voted down. France and the Netherlands voted against the Constitutional Treaty in 2005, while Ireland initially voted against the latest Lisbon Treaty in 2009.

For the supranationalists of Europe—those pledging allegiance to a system of government where power is delegated to a higher authority above already existing states—the hope has always been for a kind of “United States of Europe,” as first imagined by Winston Churchill. This would follow the model of the United States of America, with a central government presiding over individual jurisdictions known as states.

While some would view this as a measure of natural evolution of confederated power, there are many other consequences that Europeans must deal with in this new federated system.

In the newly-constructed federal system of the European Union, laws and regulations are no longer solely decided by an elected legislature in the capitals of democratic nations.

Instead, close to 70% of all laws enacted in Europe are handed down by the EU bureaucracy, known as the EU Commission and headquartered in Brussels. The Commission is heavily staffed, adequately funded, and freed from the burdens of election cycles.

This means that individual populations have  no democratic control of the majority of the laws passed in their country. Even the makeup of the national budgets will be decided by the EU in the next few years.

According to the newest treaty compact, all European nations will be barred from producing any budget deficits larger than 0.5 percent.

And now, as Greece attempts to restructure its debt and pay back lenders who have sustained their grossly-enlarged welfare state for the past thirty years, the harsh decisions are not being made by the accountable politicians sent to Athens by the Greek electorate—all the power rests in unelected centers of power who have complete authority to dictate without repercussion.

Similarly, while the United States of America represents a union of closely-knit communities with a common history, language, and culture, the history of Europe is populated with a plethora of ethnic, linguistic, and historical groups.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Referring to the example entertained in the first section, it has always been assumed that the President of the United States enjoys an executive power which places the position far above the fray of local and state jurisdictions.

In the current American model, the most distinguishing factor is the growing centralization of political decision-making above local, county, and state levels.

And nothing is more evident than in the amount of money the government claims from its citizens.

In the last budget signed by President Obama, the federal government planned to spend $3.7 trillion. 

Considering the USA’s $14.58 trillion gross domestic product, this means that the Federal government in Washington, D.C. consumes 25% of all money earned.

For state and local governments, if spending and economic output are averaged across all 50 states, then each state’s spending  is approximately equivalent to 40% of total average GDP.

More simply put, if an average American works a full 12 months out of the year, then approximately 6.5 months’ worth of wages are paid directly to the the government, depending on the tax bracket.

At least for state government, more reasonable arguments exist for proportional amounts of public spending.

If the people elect certain politicians to spend a specific amount of money on programs, the ratio of electorate to elected officials should naturally determine that unpopular programs or spending will lead to new people being elected into office–the most basic premise of modern democratic government.

All politics is local. This is why local government is always more responsive to local concerns, whereas the highest level of federal government often exercises authority that large numbers of the population do not support. A public backlash against a county-wide health care plan, or even Romneycare, would be repealed much more easily than Obamacare, for example, because the political will against the bill is uniformly lacking across all 50 states.

This is a symptom of the significant amount of capital has been allocated to the central government in Washington, the federal system has overwhelming favored more expansive authority in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the government.

The trend of the American federal system now leads to greater centralization, whether seen in education, health, or environmental concerns. This has been precipitated by the growing regulatory burdens passed by Congress, the unprecedented claims of power by the executive, and the nationalization of issues by the federal judiciary.

Viewed objectively, it is a very different system envisioned by the writers of the Constitution over 200 years ago.

The relatively simple, limited set of rules established by the founding fathers was to give preference to local jurisdictions and states, stringently holding centralized power to account.

Now, in the age of federalizing local police departments, nationalizing the simplest of regulations, and funding world history’s largest military ever assembled, the central government holds impressive weight in the balance against states, far ideal of a decentralized union championed so many years ago.

CANADA

The lessons of the American Civil War, which ultimately took close to half a million lives, were especially powerful in the formation of a new country in British North America.

Confederated in 1867, the nation of Canada sprung from the formation of two powerful political jurisdictions managed by the British Empire, later known as Québec and Ontario. By creating its own constitution, the newly-minted nation hoped to reclaim full sovereignty from the British crown, allowing it to eventually grow large enough to become the second-largest landmass nation in the world.

Keeping in mind the large size of the territory, as well as the disastrous Civil War to the south, the founding principles of Canadian Confederation rested on the idea of a powerful central government, authoritative enough to  manage affairs of the English and French-speaking populations spread out over millions of acres of territory.

After a century and a half of institutional evolution, as well as a formal legal separation from the UK in a new constitution in 1982, Canada stands proud as one of the most decentralized federations in the world.

Most functions of government are reserved for the provinces, such as healthcare, education, environmental legislation, and mining rights.

The federal government funds the military, federal police, and provides services for the aboriginal population.

If any constitutional question is brought before the Canadian Supreme Court, the presumption is always that the provinces have essential authority.

The provincial premiers (similar to state governors) exercise great authority in all realms of life (unlike state governors).

Juxtaposed with the American and European federated systems, the Canadian model is represents a proportional balance between major functions of government and equally powerful democratic accountability.

CONCLUSION

As long as states have been instituted among men, there have been restrictive arguments on how they should be ordered.

The major federal systems of today provide adequate examples where either too much authority has been centralized or where the discretion of the democratic majority has been purposefully avoided so as to bring out a government favoring certain groups.

If the populations of democratic republics wish to continue to honor the traditions and foundations which have overseen so much wealth creation and protection, they would be open to considering the true virtues of federalism in public life.

 DIRECT LINK TO MP3

This 06. January 2011 show was broadcast from the Sovereign Southern Studio  on the Liberty Radio Network and the No Agenda Stream.

Specifically we looked at the fixed Super Bowl, the Facebook IPO, Megaupload, anti-ACTA rallies, the braindead Piers Morgan, Chinese building our infrastructure, Afghanistan fallacies, Drone Wars, and much more.

Enjoy alternative media and consider donating to the program to keep Liberty In Exile alive.

Links for the latest show

THE SUPERBOWL IS FIXED

Website error hands Super Bowl to Giants – thestar.com

FACEBOOK IPO SMACKDOWN

Facebook Is Using You – NYTimes.com

Austrian Law Student Faces Down Facebook – NYTimes.com

DRONE WARS

Congress Calls for Accelerated Use of Drones in U.S. | Secrecy News

Obama confirms U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan | The Raw Story

$$$

CBO: Taxes Will ‘Shoot Up by More Than 30 Percent’ Over Next 2 Years | CNSnews.com

California To Run Out Of Cash In One Month, Controller Warns | ZeroHedge

States consider alternative currencies of gold and silver – Feb. 3, 2012

Obama Tells Woman It Is “Interesting” Her Unemployed Husband Can’t Find Job | RealClearPolitics

U.K. gov’t skeptical of $3B platinum shipwreck – CBS News

RON PAUL REVOLUTION

Ron Paul: Stop taxing tips – Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012 | 2 a.m. – Las Vegas Sun

Ron Paul Interview On ABC This Week After Nevada 02-05-12 – YouTube

Best Ron Paul Ad_ 1-10-12 Tim Tebow – YouTube

Paul camp cries fraud over Nevada Caucus results – National Independent | Examiner.com

Ron Paul “The People Are Growing Tired Of Wars” – YouTube

Ron Paul on Piers Morgan Tonight in Las Vegas, NV – February 3, 2012 – YouTube

Rep. Paul: Repeal Patriot Act, NDAA – Washington Wire – WSJ

THE POLICE STATE

The Local – Breathalyzers to be compulsory in all cars

NYPD Muslim Spy Scandal Grows With Newly Revealed Plan to Target Shiite Mosques

US ‘no-fly’ list of suspected terrorists doubles in 12 months | World news | guardian.co.uk

THE EUROPEAN DEBT UNION

BBC admits receiving millions in grants from EU and councils – Telegraph

What is the new EU ‘fiscal compact’? | euronews, world news 

Greece on ‘Razor’s Edge’ as Debt Talks Drag On – Bloomberg

Young, Wired and Angry: A Revised Portrait of Hungary’s Right-Wing Extremists – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International 

WIKILEAKS

Noam Chomsky: “Julian Assange should be congratulated for carrying out the responsibilities of a citizen in democratic societies”

Karl Rove key player in Swedish WikiLeaks probe

Julian Assange Appeals Extradition To Britain’s Supreme Court – YouTube

MEDIA DECEPTION

Why do we ignore the civilians killed in American wars? – The Washington Post

“The 9/11 Argument Is Growing A Bit Stale!” War Profiteering MIC Stooge SMACKDOWN! – YouTube

Jack Keane – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Army Officer Challenges Pentagon’s Afghanistan Reports – NYTimes.com

Full Show: How Do Conservatives and Liberals See the World? | Moyers & Company

CNN’s John King calls Mitt Romney, “Governor Mormon” – YouTube

Joe Biden Advised Against the Osama Bin Laden Raid – ABC News

Nevada caucuses: State GOP rolls snake eyes – Reid J. Epstein – POLITICO.com 

LEGALIZE IT

Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Measure Falls Short By Roughly 3,000 Signatures

IRANIAN WAR DRUMS

Pacifists protest possible war against Iran | The Raw Story

Israel Warns US Jews: Iran Could Strike Here – ABC News

PressTV – Turkey defies US, EU ban on Iran oil

PressTV – Ahmadinejad calls for new world order ‎

“Iran Flexed Its Muscle Taunting Israel & The U.S.” – YouTube

“WIPED OFF THE MAP” – The Rumor of the Century by Arash Norouzi

Iran plans oil export ban to ‘hostile’ European countries | euronews, world news

PM: Iran ‘chatter’ detrimental to sanctions – Israel News, Ynetnews

Santorum Scary Tactics or Fair Warning? Rick Warns Iran Wants To Nuke Missouri – YouTube

Panetta isn’t commenting on report that he believes Israel will attack Iran in the spring – The Washington Post

THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE

Santelli: Here’s What’s Wrong With the Jobs Number

U.S. Bridges, Roads Being Built by Chinese Firms | Video – ABC News

Kazakhstan Now Sees Strike at US-Linked Oilfield | EurasiaNet.org

Protesters turn up the heat on Putin in Moscow | euronews, world news

CLAIM THE INTERNETS

Why the FBI thinks you (and I) may be terrorists | ZDNet

Feds: We obtained MegaUpload conversations with search warrant | CNET News

Anti-Acta sentiment in Slovenia, Greece and Poland | euronews, world news

PRISON SCHEMES

Florida Republican Stripped Of Senate Chairmanship For Opposing Prison Privatization Scheme | ThinkProgress

CLIMATE DISRUPTION FUNCTION

Deadly cold Europe | euronews, perspectives

Science behind the big freeze: is climate change bringing the Arctic to Europe?

Article from 2000: Snowfalls are Now Just a Thing of the Past

___________________________________________________________

 DIRECT LINK TO MP3

This 30. January 2011 show was broadcast from the Sovereign Southern Studio  on the Liberty Radio Network and the No Agenda Stream.

Specifically we looked at the Obamer’s SOTU, Iranian Warmongering, Minority Report in New Jersey, Who is Rachel Maddow?, Ron Paul get some respect, Guantanamo Bay Prison Anniversary, money in politics, Megaupload bust, internet piracy, and much more.

Enjoy alternative media in the new year, and consider donating to the program to keep Liberty In Exile alive.

Links for the latest show

DRONE WARS

Pakistan Helps U.S. Drones Campaign: Reuters

Is The NYPD Experimenting With Drones Over The City? Evidence Points To Yes « CBS New York

Iraq Is Angered by U.S. Drones Patrolling Its Skies – NYTimes.com

Obama Team to Break Silence on al-Awlaki Killing – The Daily Beast

GUANTANAMO

Guantanamo: 10 years on – YouTube

Platt Amendment – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

$$$

Advertising spending online expected to surpass print this year – latimes.com

3 Reasons Not to Get Worked Up Over Super PACs – YouTube

Report: Generous leave costing Cincinnati ‘millions’

RON PAUL REVOLUTION

Ron Paul Highlights in 26. January Debate

Ron Paul in Maine looking for delegates – YouTube

Ron Paul To CNN “I Don’t Know How Long You Wanna Beat A Dead Horse!”

Outside of the Jacksonville Debate: 01/27/2012. – YouTube

WaPo’s Ron Paul Newsletter Informer Stays Anonymous to ‘Avoid Criticizing Former Employer,’ Then Criticizes Away

THE POLICE STATE

300 Arrested At Occupy Oakland Protest – YouTube

Red Lights Newest ‘Precrime’ Technique – YouTube

Human Rights Watch says Iraq became ‘budding police state’ during year of Arab uprisings – The Washington Post

Peacemaker: Lauderdale police put trouble spots under surveillance – South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

THE EUROPEAN DEBT UNION 

Germans float direct EU control over Greek budget

Greece presses EU to ease Iran oil sanctions – FT.com

Croatian police clash with anti-EU protesters ahead of referendum — RT

NATION OF SPOOKS

Ex-CIA terrorism analyst charged with classified leaks, disclosing covert ID | The Envoy – Yahoo! News

Family ‘just coping’ as intelligence officer faces espionage charges – The Globe and Mail

Former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor had US spy agency ties – Boston.com

MEDIA DECEPTION

Press Freedom Index 2011-2012 – Reporters Without Borders

Who is Rachel Maddow?

LEGALIZE IT

Washington State House Passes Bill to Legalize Gold and Silver as Money

Cocaine shipment ends up at United Nations headquarters in New York | News | National Post

One Mexican State Bordering The US Was Deadlier Than All of Afghanistan Last Year | CNSnews.com

Sativex, Pot-Based Prescription Drug, Seeks FDA Approval

Legalization Of Marijuana On The Ballot In November In Washington State! (Get Registered To Vote!) – YouTube

IRANIAN WAR

Pentagon Seeks Mightier Bomb vs. Iran – WSJ.com

Israel warns time is running out before it launches strike on Iran – Middle East – World – The Independent

There Is A New US Commando Team Operating Near The Strait Of Hormuz

France’s Sarkozy: Military strike on Iran would trigger Middle East war – Haaretz

THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE

Army report: Suicide rate sets record; some alcohol abuse up 54 percent – CSMonitor.com

Pentagon wants commando “mothership” – The Washington Post

U.S. won’t cut carrier fleet to fix budget, Panetta says – Yahoo! News

For CIA family, a deadly suicide bombing leads to painful divisions – WashPost

“He Says One Thing And Does Another”: Ralph Nader Reviews Obama’s State of the Union Speech – YouTube

How France’s threat to pull out of Afghanistan could impact NATO – CSMonitor.com

Military killed my son with prescription pad| The Daily Caller

CLAIM THE INTERNETS

British tourists arrested in America on terror charges over Twitter jokes | Mail Online

In 2006, Gingrich backed censoring the web – POLITICO.com

Police Cut Way Into Mansion To Arrest Megaupload Founder

If feds can bust Megaupload, why bother with anti-piracy bills? – CSMonitor.com

Investigate Chris Dodd and the MPAA for bribery after he publicly admited to bribing politicans to pass legislation. | The White House

Copyright Industry Calls For Broad Search Engine Censorship | TorrentFreak

Hawaii may keep track of all Web sites visited | Privacy Inc. – CNET News

Megaupload Indictment

BBC News – EU proposes ‘right to be forgotten’ by internet firms

BRAVE NEW WORLD

Topless protest against DSK in Paris | euronews, no comment

Millions were in germ war tests | Politics | The Observer

CLIMATE DISRUPTION FUNCTION

Woman Claims Neighbor’s Energy Efficient Windows Are Melting Her Toyota Prius « CBS Los Angeles

Cruise ship’s death toll mounts

___________________________________________________________

Too often, the talk has been solely about repealing Obama-care (which won’t happen), ending Obama’s socialistic “reign” in office (which has been corporatist if anything), and threatening more enemies abroad (which Obama himself has done all too well).

The national media’s focus has largely been on the fantasy horse-race that they themselves have put on for the public, demonstrated quite well in hugely-televised debates and distracting scandals exaggerated to fill the empty crevices of the 24 hour news cycle.

It is, in essence, the Greatest Show On Earth. How else could candidates who have no national campaign, or even enough signatures to be on multiple ballots across the country, become the winners of a state primary or caucus? How else could previously defunct candidates, who have failed in the public eye so many times before and now can rely on the media’s attention for their sole support, become legitimate options for a major party’s nomination?

Of late, our ears have been inundated with thoughts of triple marriages, twenty-year affairs, bloated government tax returns, semantic arguments on the definitions of lobbying, long-form birth certificates, foreign bank accounts, gay-bashing, immigrant-bashing, nativism, and any other wasteful human energy that can fit between the fabricated laugh tracks of the morning shows and the redundant propaganda echo chambers which dominate primetime?

How can the national press continue to fuel a political debate of issues which have lost all relevance to actual concerns of the millions of Americans who face an uncertain future of unemployment and debt?

Though I have been clear in regarding Ron Paul and his ideas as the only virtuous avenue in the contemporary national political conversation, I would say that the vast majority of young Americans are frankly exhausted of broad political solutions offered to combat nationwide problems, especially when they have been unambiguously created by political meddling, whether by a Republican or Democratic hand. The problems with our hierarchical system are so heavily entrenched that any status quo politician or solution scheme risks renewing permanent despair.

But instead of channeling the anger and resentment espoused by grassroots movements of all political spectra, the overriding focus only seems to be one of ultimate power acquisition, as a means of forcing unquestioned beliefs on others.

Despite the democratic uprisings during his term, the President has failed to grasp what ordinary youth are frustrated with.

The spirits which spurred the Occupy moment of the past six months have not been erected in vain to support President Obama’s policies of endless taxpayer monies to bankrupt industries or government slush-funds to loyal supporters, no matter how much the Democratic party would love to follow their Republican colleagues’ example of co-opting the Tea Party.

Nor have the voting electorate’s latest preferences for Republicans meant that the last forty years of unfunded war and invasion of foreign nations is a preferable, or necessary, action of government.

The truth is that the solutions to grandiose problems, repeatedly reinforced by the two-party tyranny, will never be achieved by the ballot box or the feel-good rhetoric of a power-happy Presidential figure. The youth know it, and they expect it. Only by revisiting sound principles of balanced economics, respect for personal liberty, sound money, and peace can any hope of a renewal come to pass.

Otherwise, it’s just one side of the same coin, flipped over at the convenience of the landed and monied elite.

Originally posted on FreeYaël

DIRECT LINK TO MP3

This 19. January 2011 show was broadcast from the Sovereign Southern Studio  on the Liberty Radio Network and the No Agenda Stream.

Specifically we looked at the SOPA/PIPA bills, indefinite detention of Americans, Ron Paul and the Golden Rule, Espionage in Iran, Mitt Romney a “murderer”, Pissin’ on Talibans, Old men getting tased, new EU Fiscal treaties, Bill Kristol smack-down, and much more

Enjoy alternative media in the new year, and consider donating to the program to keep Liberty In Exile alive.

Links for the latest show

DRONE WARS

One Nation Under The Drone: The Rising Number Of UAVs In American Skies | TPMMuckraker

Iran Mocks US With Toy Drone – Yahoo! News

Mesa County Sheriff Buys Drone Airplane – Denver News Story – KMGH Denver

Military wife tells off Neocon Kristol – YouTube

THE POLICE STATE

10 reasons the U.S. is no longer the land of the free – The Washington Post

Officer beats 66-year-old man suffering from dementia | www.wftv.com

North Carolina task force recommends $50,000 for sterilization victims – In America

AFP: New York governor urges mandatory DNA samples

Company Hoarding License-Plate Data on US Drivers

The US schools with their own police | World news | The Guardian

New York City plans to curb alcohol sales, bars – NYPOST.com

NYPD developing portable body scanner for detecting concealed weapons 

THE EUROPEAN DEBT UNION

 European nations begin seizing private pensions – CSMonitor.com

UK braced for eurozone meltdown: Hague compares crisis to stricken Costa Concordia cruise ship | Mail Online

Five European Nations to Be Downgraded by S&P: Report – Business News – CNBC

Mafia is now ‘Italy’s number one bank’: report | News | National Post

The World from Berlin: ‘There Is No American Ratings Conspiracy’ – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International

AFP: Ancient Greek sites could soon be available for rent

TERROR THEATRE

DHS takes counterterrorism to the NHL | Campaign 2012 | Washington Examiner

Scotland Yard Report Finds British Citizen Was Tortured in Secret CIA Site – Raymond Bonner – International – The Atlantic

TSA CREEPERS

Does Airport Security Really Make Us Safer? | Culture | Vanity Fair

TSA Admits to Humiliating Old Ladies, Still Can’t Get Its Stories Straight – Hit & Run : Reason Magazine

TSA agents who stole $40K from NY luggage get jail – WSJ.com

MEDIA DECEPTION

Pentagon Finds no Fault In Its Ties to TV Analysts – NYTimes.com

 Army: Bradley Manning coverage ‘negative’, but ‘balanced and factual’ – POLITICO.com

Colbert Super PAC Ad – Attack In B Minor For Strings – YouTube

Debate Fatigue? 5.48 Million Watch FNC Debate – TVNewserMedia in Slovenia start charging for online access – CNBC

LEGALIZE IT

No long-term lung damage from marijuana: study

World News: Mexico’s drug war kills more than 47,000 in 5 years – thestar.com

The ecstasy and the agony – Colby Cosh – Macleans.ca

Study: A Joint May Be Easier On Lungs Than A Cigarette : Shots – Health Blog : NPR

RON PAUL REVOLUTION

CNN Poll: Obama tied with Romney & Paul in November showdowns – CNN Political Ticker – CNN.com Blogs

Poll: Obama %48 – Paul %46, CNN Baffled, Asks College Students Why Ron Paul? – YouTube

Ron Paul Highlights – South Carolina Debate 01/16/12 – YouTube

Ron Paul flying first class for congressional trips? – Video on mnsbc.com

Bill Kristol “Ron Paul Hangs Out With People Who Believe 9/11 Was An Inside Job” – YouTube

CNN’s Dana Bash is Worried About Ron Paul – YouTube

Ron Paul – Three of a Kind – YouTube

Blatant CNN Media Bias New Hampshire Debate Focus Group – YouTube

Fox News: ‘Ron Paul didn’t just do well, he did the best’

IRANIAN WAR

Iran’s nuclear scientists are not being assassinated. They are being murdered | Mehdi Hasan | Comment is free | The Guardian

Over 1000 students apply to change major to nuclear physics, engineering

False Flag – By Mark Perry | Foreign Policy

Iran Threatens U.S., Persian Gulf Cities with Missile Attacks – US News and World Report

Sunday Times: Mossad agents behind Iran scientist assassination – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

Use of force tops agenda on Iran – FT.com

Why Is A “U.S. Coast” Guard Ship Off The Coast Of Iran? – YouTube

EU ministers plan Iran oil embargo, IAEA team to visit | Reuters

THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE

Breitbart.tv » Perry Defends Marines Who Urinated On Corpses

U.S. Marines Urinating On Taliban Martyred Bodies In Afghanistan – YouTube

Taliban claims it shoots down helicopter in Helmand province – Telegraph

Military Cutbacks: Thousands of US Soldiers Set to Leave Europe – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International

Saudi Arabia, China Ink Nuke Cooperation Deal

Capitalism in crisis: Perilous path to prosperity – FT.com

 CLAIM THE INTERNETS

SOPA becoming election liability for backers – Jennifer Martinez – POLITICO.com

Microsoft Patents ‘Avoid Ghetto’ Feature For GPS Devices « CBS Seattle

Microsoft App To Guide Users Away From High-Crime Areas Proves Controversial « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

Facebook: Making Your Political Opinions Less Private Since 2012 » Blog of Rights: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union

BRAVE NEW WORLD

Killer flu doctors: US censorship is a danger to science – Science – News – The Independent

Over-hygienic parents could be cause of diabetes | euronews, futuris

Discerning germs: ‘Hygiene hypothesis’ favours exposure over manic cleanliness | Life | National Post

NASA in legal battle with veteran astronauts – Americas – Al Jazeera English

American caffeine addiction races full speed ahead – Washington Times

One in three US adults is obese: study

CLIMATE DISRUPTION FUNCTION

CBC News – Harper says pipeline debate should be left to Canadians

CRUISE BLUES

Video: Cruise disaster: Captain ordered dinner as ship sank – Telegraph

Cruise ship’s death toll mounts

___________________________________________________________

DIRECT LINK TO MP3

This 10. January 2011 show was broadcast from the Austerità Italiana Studio in Genoa, Italy on the Liberty Radio Network and the No Agenda Stream.

Specifically we looked at the NH primary race and the Ron Paul Revolution, Italian austerity, observations from Italian trip, more war mongering in the Middle East, innocents in Gitmo, Slavery mathematics, chickenhawks, and much more.

Enjoy alternative media in the new year, and consider donating to the program to keep Liberty In Exile alive.

Links for the latest show

DRONE WARS

Chances of Central New York drone flights improve as new law allows six national test sites | syracuse.com

CIA likely to resume drone strikes – The Express Tribune

THE POLICE STATE

Feds find failures in Cook Co. homeland security project – Chicago Sun-Times

UK police smuggle fake bomb onto Olympic site – Yahoo! News

My Guantánamo Nightmare – NYTimes.com

Third Grade Homework Assignment Contains References to Slavery

‘Europe’s Guantanamo’: Öcalan Lawyer Discusses PKK Leader’s Detention – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International

 THE EUROPEAN DEBT UNION

Clock ticking as Greece races to avoid default – FT.com

As economies teeter, leaders in Europe warn against extreme populism – CSMonitor.com

Greece should quit euro unless massive funding given: Czech | Reuters

France and Germany push controversial Tobin tax | euronews, Europe

Germany’s stance on financial transaction tax risks French rift – Telegraph

Daniel Hannan on Russia Today TV – YouTube

Furor in Greece Over Pedophilia as a Disability – ABC News

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/new-iron-lady-orders-cameron-to-win-back-powers-from-brussels-6285111.html

EU financial pact ‘by March 1st’ – YouTube

LEGALIZE IT

U.S. Agents Aided Mexican Drug Trafficker to Infiltrate Ring – NYTimes.com

Michigan Marijuana Amendment Would End Debate Over Medicinal Use

Snoop Dogg to W.H.: Legalize pot – Patrick Gavin – POLITICO.com

RON PAUL REVOLUTION

Huntsman accused of video conspiracy to smear Ron Paul | The Raw Story

Ron Paul: Moment of Truth – YouTube

Phil Donahue On Ron Paul “How Many Wars Do You Want To Have In YOUR Lifetime!” – YouTube

Remember, CNN & Dana Bash Are Scared of Ron Paul…(She Admitted it live on CNN) – YouTube

The Republican Reality Show: Fox News Takes Center Stage in Primaries – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International

» Huntsman Supporters Admit Creating ‘Racist’ Video To Smear Ron Paul?

Mitt Romney, 19, demonstrated in favour of Vietnam War draft | Mail Online

John McCain Says He’s Confident “President Obama Will Turn This Country Around” – YouTube

IRANIAN WAR

Panetta admits Iran not developing nukes | The Raw Story

EU Ready To Ban Import Of Iranian Oil – YouTube

Iran looks for friends in Latin America – The Washington Post

UAE pipeline to skirt Strait of Hormuz ‘ready by June’ – Yahoo! News

Atomic humour as Ahmadinejad meets Chavez | euronews, world news

Venezuela rejects World Bank arbitration in dispute with ExxonMobil

Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, Former U.S. Marine, Sentenced To Death In Iran

THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE

Noam Chomsky- Recognizing the “Unpeople”

CLAIM THE INTERNETS

FCC’s Genachowski proposes broadband reform – Post Tech – The Washington Post

Rep. Paul Ryan warns anti-piracy bill may lead to Internet ‘censorship’ | The Raw Story

CLIMATE DISRUPTION FUNCTION

Companies Face Fines for Not Using Unavailable Biofuel – NYTimes.com

___________________________________________________________

This 31. December 2011 show was broadcast from the Freiheit Studio in Vienna, Austria on the Liberty Radio Network and the No Agenda Stream.

This was a special end-of-the-year program, highlighting the state and evolution of liberty in the year 2011.

Clips of audio from previous shows was mixed together to present a great review of important issues and events which have transpired in the last year.

Each category is available for individual download.

Enjoy alternative media in the new year, and consider donating to the program to keep Liberty In Exile alive.

Links for the latest show:

ULTIMATE DRONE WARS

DRUG WARZ

THE EVOLUTION OF FREE SPEECH

THE STATE OF PERSONAL LIBERTY

THE CRUMBLING OF THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE

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DIRECT LINK TO MP3

This 22. December 2011 show was broadcast from the Sovereign Southern Studio on the Liberty Radio Network and the No Agenda Stream.

Specifically we looked at the college debt scam, cops above the law, McCain and the Military Industrial Complex, Pat Robertson and his orgies, the lies about nuclear Iran, Ron Paul winning the day, Drone Wars, and much more.

Links for the latest show:

HOOKERS N’ BOOKS

Desperate British students ‘turning to prostitution’ | The Raw Story

Nearly a Third of Americans Are Arrested by 23, Study Says – NYTimes.com

US students struggle with cost of education – YouTube

COPS ABOVE THE LAW

Families of crash victims speak out – YouTube

Sheriff Reacts To Deputy Accident That Kills Two Pedestrians – North Of The River News Story – KERO Bakersfield

Local Cops Ready for War With Homeland Security-Funded Military Weapons – The Daily Beast

States spend billions on local homeland security | America’s War Within

DRONE WARS

Secrecy defines Obama’s drone war – The Washington Post

Exclusive: Iran hijacked US drone, says Iranian engineer – CSMonitor.com

Police departments could soon have easier access to airborne drones: report | The Raw Story

My Way News – Iran says its delayed news of US drone capture

Drones: A deeply unsettling future – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

The Secret Lives of Killer American Drones | Mother Jones

New Police Drones in Houston- YouTube

Overstretched U.S. drone pilots face stress risk | Agricultural Commodities | Reuters

THE SURVEILLANCE STATE

Surveillance and Privacy Issues – C-SPAN Video Library

POLICE STATE UK – Police Show Off Plastic Bullets As Future Rioters Face Tougher Response – YouTube

Are you being watched? It’s your fault. | OregonLive.com

NEWS: Protesters against ‘disgusting’ NDAA 2012 arrested at White House

Company Who Lobbied for the NDAA Indefinite Detention Bill Given 23 Million Dollar Contract for Night Raid Equipment 

MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL-CONGRESSIONAL COMPLEX

 In Rare Move, Aggressive Hawk John McCain Denounces Military-Industrial Complex

Senator McCain Wars: BEWARE of the Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex p.1

Senator McCain Wars: BEWARE of the Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex p.2

Senator McCain Wars: BEWARE of the Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex p.3

Todd S. Purdum on Military-Industrial Complex- Vanity Fair

Opposition to privatised US immigrant prison – YouTube

Breitbart.tv » McCain On Iraq: ‘History Will Judge’ Obama’s Leadership ‘With Scorn And Disdain That It Deserves’

THE EUROPEAN DEBT UNION

Crisis — what crisis? German firms upbeat | euronews, world news

Analysis: ECB cash to give indirect boost via banks | Reuters

40,000 euro coins spill on German highway – YouTube

PIRATES IN THE MEDIA

The RIAA Pirated $9 Million Worth of TV Shows

British Phone-Hacking Scandal, Piers Morgan Testimony, Part 1 – C-SPAN Video Library

British Phone-Hacking Scandal, Piers Morgan Testimony, Part 2 – C-SPAN Video Library

LEGALIZE IT

Survey: More teens using synthetic drugs – USATODAY.com

Barney Frank schools George Will, Paul Ryan on marijuana legalization | The Raw Story

Marijuana Use Growing Among Teenagers – NYTimes.com

Get a Medical Marijuana Card, Lose Your Second Amendment Rights – Reason

RON PAUL REVOLUTION

Will Ron Paul kill the caucuses? – Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns – POLITICO.com

“Ron Paul Win In Iowa Is The Best Thing That Could Happen For Mitt Romney” – YouTube

Ron Paul “I Challenge Everybody From The Military Industrial Complex To The Banking System!” – YouTube

What Happens When Ron Paul Wins Iowa? – YouTube

IOWA GOP FEARS RON PAUL VICTORY! – YouTube

Why Is The U.S. Mainstream Media So Afraid Of Ron Paul – YouTube

Got (Raw) Milk? | Video – ABC News

Paul’s Raw Milk Freedom Pitch Reflects Offbeat Campaign on Rise – Bloomberg

GOP will take off the gloves if Ron Paul wins Iowa | Campaign 2012 | Washington Examiner

“Will This Strategy Of Pretending Ron Paul Doesn’t Exist Work For The Republicans?” – YouTube

Ron Paul quits CNN interview after being asked about racist newsletters | The Raw Story

Ron Paul Town Hall Meeting – C-SPAN Video Library

WAR IS PEACE

Arab League Syria Team To Visit On Thursday

Russia urges probe of Libya civilians killed by NATO – Yahoo! News

Manning Hearing Moves Into ‘Secret’ Sessions — News from Antiwar.com

Iraqi Vice-President: ‘I’m ready to stand trial’ – YouTube

U.S. Forces-Iraq Flag Returns to Home Soil – YouTube

Vladimir Putin calls John McCain ‘nuts’ in outspoken attack – Telegraph

This Disturbing Photo Has Sparked A New Probe Into What Happens To Dead Troops

Just Back From Iraq, US Troops Ordered to Afghanistan — News from Antiwar.com

September 11 | Iran | Federal Judge | The Daily Caller

TSA TOUCH-A-THON

TSA screenings aren’t just for airports anymore – latimes.com

On the Spot: Tips for airline travel this holiday season – latimes.com

TSA Chorus raise their voices in concert at LAX – latimes.com

Military May Get Faster Airport Screening

BEATING THE WAR DRUMS

Panetta: Iran will not be allowed nukes – CBS News

Playing with fire: Obama’s threat to China – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

Phone Hacking: News International Paid Total Of Hundreds Of Thousands In Settlements To Celebrities | UK News | Sky News

THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE

No Stocks Under Tree: Investors End Year Fleeing Equities For Bonds – Fast Money – CNBC – CNBC

World economy at a ‘very dangerous juncture’: IMF chief

G.O.P. Monetary Madness – NYTimes.com

US asks banks to keep more cash at hand

CLAIM THE INTERNETS

Twitter Use by Shabab in Somalia Incites U.S. – NYTimes.com

India moves to restrict online content – Central & South Asia – Al Jazeera English

Illegal Gun Sales Run Rampant On Internet

Justice Department Probing Verizon Deal With Cable Companies

CLIMATE DISRUPTION FUNCTION

 Highest Court In Europe Rules ALL Airlines Flying Into Europe Must Pay For Their Carbon Emissions – YouTube

NCDC data shows that the contiguous USA has not warmed in the past decade, summers are cooler, winters are getting colder | Watts Up With That?

COMEDY HOUR

Al Qaeda Populating U.S. With Peaceful ‘Decoy Muslims’ – YouTube

Bill Hicks – Waco Massacre – YouTube

Christopher Hitchens – The Best of the Hitchslap – YouTube

BBC News – Kim Jong-il death: ‘Nature mourns’ N Korea leader

Obama: Ask Osama If I’m An Appeaser – YouTube

John DeStefano, New Haven, Connecticut Mayor Seeks To Let Undocumented Immigrants Vote

Propaganda war rages over North Korea’s future – YouTube

 ‘WAR’ ON CHRISTMAS

Pat Robertson Bashes On The Way Americans Celebrate Christmas! – YouTube

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LIBERTY IN EXILE BOOK CLUB

Throughout his congressional career, Senator McCain has made his name defending nearly every military conflict, using his political and rhetorical prowess to justify each invasion as “necessary” to American freedom and democracy. In staunchly defending this brand of military adventurism at home,  McCain is also often the first American of political notoriety to fly into theaters of war, demonstrating his support and reiterating the importance of the mission.

The most recent example is the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, a civil war strongly supported by Senator McCain and other congressional leaders as a measure to “ouster” the long-time Libyan ruler. Once NATO bombing campaigns and Western-supported ground assaults by rebels were near conclusion, McCain traveled with a delegation to the rebel-controlled Tripoli, hoping to praise the newly-crowned Libyan Transitional Council.

While this particular visit is not significant in its own right, it does shed light upon the irrational aims of American foreign policy and how much it is influenced by domestic contractors of weapons and military gear, a common trope of the post-WWI era.

This is further demonstrated by a similar meeting in 2009, when Libya was not a sworn enemy of the world, but rather a willing customer of Western arms and bombs. McCain joined several other senators on a grand diplomatic trip to Libya to secure contracts with Colonel Gaddafi, revealed by both Wikileaks and Senator McCain’s own tweet to his followers.

Diplomatic trips to theaters of American intervention, in this context, are not new for McCain, and they reflect his strong hawkish stance of American foreign policy. Examples of his favored interventions include Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Libya, Iran, Somalia, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Yemen, Syria, Georgia, Cuba, Egypt, and much more.

It was to this author’s bafflement, therefore, when Senator McCain recently took to the Senate floor to heed President Eisenhower’s warnings of the “Military-Industrial Complex”, or as coined by McCain, the Military-Industrial Congressional Complex.

Bewildering indeed, McCain expounded for close to 40 minutes on the skewed incentives of congressmen in promoting bloated defense spending, the revolving door of the Pentagon and defense industry, and the vast waste perpetuated by uncountable contracts to build weapon systems. His most poignant remark referenced Eisenhower’s warning directly, conceding that it had, in fact, become all too real:

The fiftieth anniversary of President Eisenhower’s address presents us with a valuable opportunity today to carefully consider, have we heeded President Eisenhower’s admonition?  Regrettably and categorically, the answer is, no.  In fact, the military-industrial complex has become much worse than President Eisenhower originally envisioned: it’s evolved to capture Congress.  So, the phenomenon should now rightly be called, the ‘military-industrial-congressional’ complex.

McCain cited various examples of programs and weapons which have enjoyed profligate support by a bipartisan effort, calling to question the immense size of the defense budget. He decried the “biases” of political and military actors who sign off on “failed” and “costly” projects, while welcoming the new “cultural change” forced by the new condition of fiscal austerity.

The comments (in writing and televised in parts one, two, and three) present the American people with a John McCain that has never before been seen. More explicitly, it is a John McCain seemingly antithetical to any public perception of the Senator in the last 30 years.

How does one who, just months ago, was warning that cuts to the defense budget were a “national security threat” so easily change face, lamenting the rise of the huge military defense machine that has engulfed over a fourth of the budget of the Federal government? What could have inspired such a stark paradigm shift in the man once considered the most hawkish politician in Washington, D.C.?

As perplexing as the speech may be, it is one that is welcomed to those who have denounced the unparalleled rise of the American Empire.

In fact, were John McCain to join the fight against military aggression and blind defense spending, he would most certainly become the most influential and powerful former hawk to take on the defense establishment, adding even more legitimacy to the growing opposition.

While John McCain’s change of heart will not directly end the myopic foreign policy of the American federal government, the  tremendous credence enjoyed by the Senator will do its part to instill some skepticism in the minds of other American lawmakers, a welcomed move in the age of costly, expansionary, and deadly preemptive war.

DIRECT LINK TO MP3

This 14. December 2011 show was broadcast from the Sovereign Southern Studio on the Liberty Radio Network and the No Agenda Stream.

Specifically we looked at the plethora of drone news, indefinite detention, the ‘War’ on Christmas, Ron Paul favored to win, The Great Dictator, Climate Disruption Function, the Brits finally question the EU, and much more.

Links for the latest show:

‘WAR’ ON CHRISTMAS

Fox Business boots atheist for ‘denigrating’ Christ | The Raw Story

Richard Dawkins on Religion: Do you get it now, Prime Minister?

Higgs Boson Search: CERN Releases New Data Said To Narrow Hunt For ‘God Particle’

FreeYaël: The ‘War’ on Christmas

DRONE WARS

Police employ Predator drone spy planes on home front – latimes.com

U.S. Police Using Predator Drones To Help Solve Local Crimes – YouTube

Barack Obama demands Iran return downed US drone – Telegraph

U.S. military drone crashes in Seychelles – Checkpoint Washington – The Washington Post

Growing Concerns About Police Using Predator Drones To Track Citizens Inside The U.S. – YouTube

Iran rejects US request to return spy plane | euronews, world news

THE EUROPEAN DEBT UNION

EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso: UK made compromise impossible at EU treaty summit – YouTube

Nigel Farage: Time for Britain’s Great Escape – YouTube

City of London welcomes Cameron’s EU veto | euronews, world news

EC President sees new fiscal treaty by mid-2012 | euronews, world news

IMF slashes growth forecast for Greece | Business | The Guardian

 TERROR THEATRE

The Drop Off – Spanish – YouTube

National Guard Presence At U.S.-Mexico Border To Be Reduced

INDEFINITE DETENTION

URGENT Indefinite Jailing of Americans, and Others Get It Worse

Indefinite Military Detention Of U.S. Citizens Is A Win For Terrorists, Former Admiral Says

Ron Paul: Defense Bill Establishes Martial Law In America! – YouTube

Proof Obama will sign NDAA 1031 Citizen Imprisonment Law – YouTube

RON PAUL REVOLUTION

Jon Stewart: Ron Paul Did So Well In The Debate The Media Remembered To Talk To Him After

Ron Paul: Obama pushing ‘martial law,’ Holder should be ‘fired’ | The Raw Story

Ron Paul – USA Is Setting Up For A Military Dictatorship *It Happened* – YouTube

You Like Ron Paul, Except on Foreign Policy – YouTube

Ron Paul: Poised For An Upset In Iowa?

WITHDRAWAL THEATRE

Analysts see Iraq War as “forgotten war” – USATODAY.com

What Iraqis Think of the American Withdrawal: Baghdad – NYTimes.com

US troops scramble to hand off last-minute security ‘details’ to Iraqis – CSMonitor.com

TSA TOUCH-A-THON

Broward Considers Airport Body Scanner Ban « CBS Miami

BEATING THE WAR DRUMS

Ex-Middle East adviser: ‘We still have time’ to prevent Iran’s nuclear program – The Washington Post

Iran Building Missile Base In Venezuela! – YouTube

Iran army declines comment on MP’s Hormuz exercise remarks – Yahoo! News

Alleged cyberplot points to Venezuela, Iran, documentary says – CNN.com

THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE

Skills gap hobbles US employers – FT.com

Why ‘temporary’ tax cuts never die: Payroll tax and 3 other examples – Payroll tax ‘holiday’ – CSMonitor.com

Washington Mutual Settlement Lets Former Executives Pay $64 Million Of $900 Million Suit

CLAIM THE INTERNETS

Overkill on Internet piracy – Right Turn – The Washington Post

 CLIMATE DISRUPTION FUNCTION

 Five things to know about the Durban climate agreement – The Washington Post

Canada condemned at home and abroad for pulling out of Kyoto treaty | Environment | The Guardian

NANNY STATE

NTSB recommends full ban on use of cell phones while driving – CNN.com

Gary Johnson: Gingrich ‘proposed the death penalty for marijuana’ | The Raw Story

OCCUPY THE PORTS

Cops Use Chemical Weapons On Protesters At Port Of Seattle! “Cops Were Pushing Pushing Pushing” – YouTube

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LIBERTY IN EXILE BOOK CLUB