Reason Morning Links: The Moldovan Revolution Will Be Tweeted, Government Excess in the U.K., Fawning Over Castro

- Anti-communist protesters in Moldova organize with Twitter and Facebook.

- Federal judge orders criminal probe of prosecutors in the Ted Stevens case.

- The Economist editorializes in favor of Sen. Jim Webb's (D-Va.) efforts to reform the criminal justice system.

- Brits aghast after learning politicians were charging taxpayers for personal home renovations, $800 sinks, and porn.

- U.S. politicians slobber all over Castro. Let's just hope none of them gives a speech in Chile.

- More news from the U.K.: British government to archive every email, photographers rally to oppose sweeping new anti-terror law they say could prevent them from photographing public officials.

Comments

[Pro Libertate]

How anyone can be elected to Congress when he/she gushes over a tyrant is beyond me. Of course, how people vote for Bobby Rush (for one) at all is befuddling.

Here's what he had to say if you can't read the article:

"It was almost like listening to an old friend," said Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Il.), adding that he found Castro's home to be modest and Castro's wife to be particularly hospitable.

"In my household I told Castro he is known as the ultimate survivor," Rush said.

[Kyle Jordan]

:shaking head:

Castro...

Boy, we're just starting the day off right aren't we!?

And damn, the UK seems like it's going down the shitter incredibly quickly these days.

[jtuf]

I like that America is addressing violence in prisons and the incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders, however I am concerned about some of the details in Senator Webb's bill. First, will the commission stick to federal prisons or will it micromanage state and local prisons, preventing them from trying out a range of new improvements? Second, will it be a step towards medicalizing the criminal justice department?

In the mental health system, patients are not charges with any crime, so the staff does not acknowledge their right to remain silent, their right to cross examine testimony, or their right to speak to the judge and plead their case. A doctor could list a refusual to answer a question as "obsessive compulsive behavior" and justify forced medication or electroshock treatment to "cure" it.

[Taktix?]

More new from the U.K.: British government to arhcive every email, photographers rally to oppose sweeping new anti-terror law they say could prevent them from photographing public officials.

"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

[JP]

Pro Lib, I was just about to post that very same excerpt. Really, WTF?

In other news, Eva Braun kept a tidy home and always made her guests feel welcome at the Berghof.

[Huge Chavez]

Our circle of friends is growing and all you haters can suck it.

Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Ca.) said Castro was receptive to President Obama's message of turning the page in American foreign policy.

"He listened. He said the exact same thing" about turning the page "as President Obama said," said Richardson.

Richardson said Castro knew her name and district. "He looked right into my eyes and he said, 'How can we help? How can we help President Obama?'"

[Kyle Jordan]

The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

Hey that's all well and good mang but then Alderaan got blown the fuck up...

I don't want to see the UK go nuking Switzerland or some shit like that.

[Xeones]

jtuf: All unmutual behavior is hereafter to be considered a sign of mental illness, and anyone exhibiting such symptoms is to undergo treatment until deemed cured. Simple. It's for your own good.

[Kyle Jordan]

"jtuf: All unmutual behavior is hereafter to be considered a sign of mental illness, and anyone exhibiting such symptoms is to undergo treatment until deemed cured. Simple. It's for your own good."

I wish I were joking in saying that the thought of what you typed seems to grow more and more plausible by the day, but I'm not.

Hopefully I'm just being paranoid here.

[Jerry]

So if a UK cctv makes pictures of policemen clubbing a newstand man, who moments later dies of a heart attack, they will just erase the video? How convenient.

[Art-P.O.G.]

jtuf: All unmutual behavior is hereafter to be considered a sign of mental illness, and anyone exhibiting such symptoms is to undergo treatment until deemed cured. Simple. It's for your own good.

The Prisoner! What do I win?

[The Angry Optimist]

So now we have Democrats acting like obsequious bastards with Castro and the President scraping to the King.

Yikes.

I'm willing to give the congresscritters a pass, though...if we can get Cuba to look like it was in say, Godfather II and I can go party there with beautiful Cuban women and coke, then Bobby Rush can change Castro's bedpan, for all I care.

[Kyle Jordan]

TAO,

I hadn't thought about that. You're on to something there.

[BakedPenguin]

...if we can get Cuba to look like it was in say, Godfather II and I can go party there with beautiful Cuban women and coke, and force Bobby Rush can to change Castro's bedpan, for all I care that would be the ultimate outcome.

FTFY

[Lester Hunt]

That article on the Black Caucus and Castro was really, seriously disgusting. It almost makes me want to support the embargo. I have to keep telling myself that you can't judge a political or economic position by the creepiness of those who support it.

[GinSlinger]

When did reason readers come to support the embargo?

Sure, the language is silly and over the top, but dropping the embargo and travel restrictions is the right thing to do.

I dunno, let them worship the Old Man in the C all they want--the enemy of my enemy is my friend, for the time being.

[Aaron]

Is it just me, or is the UK now a totalitarian state? Security cameras on every street corner, no taking pictures of police, archiving private emails? This is getting a bit out of hand....

Meanwhile: Cuba. The sooner we can open borders, the sooner we can get some economic traffic and transform Cuba into the Chinese brand of communism: the kind that just pretends it isn't actually capitalist....

[James Ard]

The CBC's Castro love is nothing new. I found out who Maxine Waters and Shiela Jackson Lee were thanks to Elian Gonzales. I don't think there is a black, or half black, politician in Washington that isn't a socialist at heart.

[GinSlinger]

The CBC's Castro love is nothing new. I found out who Maxine Waters and Shiela Jackson Lee were thanks to Elian Gonzales. I don't think there is a black, or half black, politician in Washington that isn't a socialist at heart.

Wow, just wow.

And James Ard reminds why not to go into the comments.

[Xeones]

Is it just me, or is the UK now a totalitarian state? Security cameras on every street corner...

It's so they can upload SCORPION STARE and take down the brain-sucking horrors when CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN goes into effect.

[Abdul]

Sure, the language is silly and over the top, but dropping the embargo and travel restrictions is the right thing to do.

But.... they support dropping the embargo for the wrong reasons. They don't want to drop it because they love free trade, but because they love Castro. See?

Sheesh, you're right. We sound like those girlfriends who argue that not only should you have taken out the trash, the real problem is that you should have wanted to take it out the whole time.

[R C Dean]

Sure, the language is silly and over the top, but dropping the embargo and travel restrictions is the right thing to do.

My recollection is that the embargo was imposed, in part, as a response to the massive theft-by-nationalization of the Castro regime.

If lifting the embargo were conditioned on reparations, would that work? Or should theft-by-nationalization go unremarked?

[GinSlinger]

My recollection is that the embargo was imposed, in part, as a response to the massive theft-by-nationalization of the Castro regime.

According to the Great and All-Knowing Wiki, that may be the reverse of what happened.

The Castro government gradually expropriated all foreign-owned private companies after the Cuban Revolution of 1959. Most of these companies were owned by U.S. corporations and individuals. Bonds at 4.5% interest over twenty years were offered to U.S. companies, but the offer was rejected by U.S. ambassador Philip Bonsal, who requested the compensation up front. Only a minor amount, $1.3 million, was paid to U.S. interests before deteriorating relations ended all cooperation between the two governments.

Besides, is there more to be gained by trade with Cuba than the value of assets seized in 1959? I mean interest aside.

[High Every Body]

We sound like those girlfriends who argue that not only should you have taken out the trash, the real problem is that you should have wanted to take it out the whole time.

Wow, that ex of mine sure got around!

[J sub D]

Federal judge orders criminal probe of prosecutors in the Ted Stevens case.

Because the people charged with the resposnsibilty of investigating corruption by federal prosecotors can't be counted on to pursue justice if a club member is suspected.

If only the right people? were in charge of the DOJ.

[James Ard]

My guess is after we end the embargo, the CBC will insist on a free trade agreement with Cuba, despite being opposed to every other free trade agreement.

[J sub D]

I'm all for ending the ineffctive, even counterproductive, embargo on Cuba. That the congressional black caucus feels publicly fellating a murderous thug should accompany that effort is simultaneously amusing, embarassing and frightening.

[Pro Libertate]

I'm with J sub D--lift the embargo and the wholly inconsistent-with-liberty travel restrictions, but call a spade a spade. Castro is a tyrant and is oppressing and has oppressed millions.

[P Brooks]

Castro is a tyrant

But he means well.

[Rationalitate]

In case anyone's interested in following the Moldovan revolution live on Twitter, click here:

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23pman

It's mostly in Romanian, but people generally translate/retweet the interesting stuff into English.

[dbcooper]

In other UK news, 1 in 20 one pound coins may be counterfeit.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7988001.stm

[BakedPenguin]

If lifting the embargo were conditioned on reparations, would that work? Or should theft-by-nationalization go unremarked?

Even if Ginslnger's wiki has it wrong, it's been 50 years. Should we give back all the land to the Indians, too? At some point, the statute of limitations kicks in.

[GG]

? Mark Sanford doesn't "believe in preemptive war," except for when he does.

[SugarFree]

dbcooper,

I would love the hear of someone paying a fine with only fake pound coins.

Who's making fake coins in such quantity and such quality as to slip past vending machines and bank counting machines? The manufacturing costs of fake (everyday) coins would leave such a low margin if you couldn't mass produce them.

[High Every Body]

SF,

Who's making fake coins in such quantity and such quality as to slip past vending machines and bank counting machines? The manufacturing costs of fake (everyday) coins would leave such a low margin if you couldn't mass produce them.

You are now a replicator denier, in addition to your other sins?

[Xeones]

but call a spade a spade

RACIST!

[Pro Libertate]

Oops. I clearly need re-education.

[Taktix?]

In other UK news, 1 in 20 one pound coins may be counterfeit.

It would be a lot harder to counterfeit if it were made of, oh, I don't know, ACTUALLY RARE METALS!!!

Although, since trying to go back to the gold standard was almost Churchill's undoing, I might want to steer clear of foreign currency debates...

[dbcooper]

Who's making fake coins in such quantity and such quality as to slip past vending machines and bank counting machines? The manufacturing costs of fake (everyday) coins would leave such a low margin if you couldn't mass produce them.

You would think, but someone is certainly making a lot of them. For some idle speculation - North Korea is apparently big in the counterfeiting game, and they certainly have cheap labour ...

BTW, on the european "substitutes" beat, organisations are selling synthetic cannabis now in germany, france etc - smokable incense sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids:

(access to ACS journals required)

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ac900564u

[R C Dean]

Even if Ginslnger's wiki has it wrong, it's been 50 years.

Nothing wrong with saying he got away with it, fair and square. If that's where you want to plant your flag, so to speak.

I imagine that if your family had been robbed by Castro, you'd probably sing a different tune, of course. But, national policy is all about sacrificing the interests of the few for those of the many.

I was just wondering how many libertarians would respond positively to the idea of reparations, protection of property rights, not sacrificing the interests of the few, etc.

Not many, apparently. Odd.

[BakedPenguin]

RC - if the Bay of Pigs had succeeded, I would have been all for reparations (had I been alive then). At some point though, it becomes counter productive. Hence my question about giving land back to the Indians. And yes, he did get away with it. Whether or not I like that is of no consequence.

Also, at this point, the commies have essentially destroyed nearly all the wealth of Cuba. They have no wealth to give. What would be positive is for Cuba to adopt rule of law and private property, not to try to make amends for 50 year old crimes by starving their already nearly starving citizens.

[R C Dean]

Perfectly valid arguments, BP. Can't say I disagree with you.

I'm kind of at a more meta level here, right now, observing the dead silence from when one of their hobbyhorses (no more embargo on Cuba) is put up against their principles (property rights, restitution, etc.). That's all.