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Webathon

Donate Because Reason Is Consistent in the Chaos

Saturday is a great day to give to the magazine of free minds and free markets—and double your dollars!

Katherine Mangu-Ward | 12.7.2024 8:00 AM

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the arm of the statue of liberty over a reason magazine logo | Lex Villena
(Lex Villena)

It's messy out there. Chaotic, even. Like, really chaotic. Legacy media is giving up the ghost. Artificial intelligence is about to turn our economy and culture upside down (maybe in a fun way?). Cabinet members are swapping in and out like 1970s wives. As the political spectrum morphs into a Möbius strip, perhaps you long for something that makes sense. 

Reason is a consistent voice in a chaotic world.

If you value intellectual honesty and consistency, consider donating today. And thanks to a generous challenge grant from Reason Torchbearer Daniel Shuchman, every $1 you donate turns into $2 for the next $30,000 of contributions.

Consistent isn't always popular.

For decades, we've defended the radical reworking of entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare, a project now broadly rejected by both parties as inconvenient and unpopular. We've made the case for free trade even as the tide turns against globalization for both labor and nationalistic reasons. We've advocated for criminal justice reform, sticking up for unsympathetic defendants and inmates because we believe they have rights too. We've told the stories of all kinds of immigrants, who deserve to have their rights respected. We've defended school choice in the face of allegations of profiteering and worse. 

Consistent doesn't mean predictable. 

cover of Reason's debate issue | Reason
(Reason)

You might not agree with all of these arguments. Heck, there are plenty of people on staff who don't agree with all of these arguments. We publish those disagreements, too. Because we value being a place where even unpopular arguments that come from strong libertarian principles get their day in the sun. 

Consistent can be lonely.

We don't think politics should be covered like a team sport. Instead, we're honest about our values and fair in our reporting, but we don't like taking a side. (Though we're excited to be hosting a debate in a couple of weeks about that very question!) We're outside the political binary—just like so many of you, our donors, readers, listeners, viewers, and doomscrollers. 

As part of our 2024 Webathon, we're asking for your help to keep Reason consistent and independent. Your donation will help bring Reason through its sixth decade as the voice in media for free minds and free markets. 

Your support (which gets doubled thanks to a generous matching grant!) isn't just helping us keep the lights on—you also get swag! You'll look great rocking our "Abolish Everything" t-shirts or cozying up with a Reason blanket while you listen to our latest podcast. And donations of $50 or more get you a Reason Plus subscription with early online access to every new issue. 

Thanks to all of your generous donations, last night we exceeded our $400,000 goal.  Our new goal is $600,000!

Today is the day to donate if you like the consistent defense of freedom and/or cozy blankets.

Start your day with Reason. Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup.

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NEXT: New Salmonella Rules Could Kill Small Farms

Katherine Mangu-Ward is editor in chief of Reason.

WebathonReasonCriminal JusticeEntitlementsSchool ChoiceArtificial IntelligenceMediaJournalismPolitics
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  1. VULGAR MADMAN   6 months ago

    “Legacy media is given up the ghost!”

    So much for self awareness.

    1. Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)   6 months ago

      I wanted to say that. The Reasonistas are the legacy media.

      1. Earth-based Human Skeptic   6 months ago

        Yeah, but they cosplay libertarians at the legacy media cocktail parties and feel edgier.

        1. Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)   6 months ago

          Political hipsters. And everyone loves hipsters………

        2. Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)   6 months ago

          For Reason writers libertarianism is a way of announcing that you’re a contrarian, but that you’re socially progressive and totally cool with the way that sex and drugs works for the American upper-middle class elite. It's just a pose while they audition for the Atlantic and Washington Post. The free speech and civil liberties aspect is meaningless to them.

          For example look at Shikha and Dave Weigel as soon as they got their real gigs.

          1. Earth-based Human Skeptic   6 months ago

            Do we have to?

          2. Ersatz   6 months ago

            Where are they now?
            I was about to ask if anyone from here has gone to those places.

            1. Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)   6 months ago

              Weigel went and worked for Semafor, The WaPo, Slate, and Bloomberg Politics.

              Shikha indulged her inner Nazi and became President of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism, and Founder and Editor of The UnPopulist. It won't surprise you to learn that of course the authoritarian is somehow Trump and totally not the deep state. Now that I think about it, Shikha being a glowie makes sense too.

              Very libertarian career paths, anyway.

              1. JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)   6 months ago

                Harsanyi went to Federalist and noe Washington Examiner.

  2. Longtobefree   6 months ago

    Well, it is true that the chaos here has been consistent.

  3. MasterThief   6 months ago

    The consistency in Reason the past decade or so has not been positive for logic or libertarian thinking. They're down to maybe 3 writers who offer relatively grounded takes that deviate from mainstream narratives.

  4. Fist of Etiquette   6 months ago

    Our new goal is $600,000!

    Thank you, Trump economy.

  5. Chipper Chunked Chile Con Congress (ex NCW)   6 months ago

    I wonder if she felt any shame in writing or posting this. Or self-awareness of any sort.

    1. Stupid Government Tricks   6 months ago

      They probably ramped up the AI which was trained on KMW's voice to train it on her writing.

      As much as I detest how KMW has ruined the rag, I never expected such bafflegarb as "If you value intellectual honesty and consistency".

      "Consistent doesn't mean predictable"??? What does that even mean? I suppose one could take spherical geometry as your example in saying "parallel doesn't mean straight", but that's the kind of nonsense I expect from lawyers, not people with principles.

      1. MasterThief   6 months ago

        The only way that works is if the consistent principle hasn't been properly communicated. You can be pro-life and in favor of capital punishment for murderers. The catch is that you're in favor of innocent life.
        Reason has a very strong pro-immigration bias. It isn't pro-legal immigration. Their articles make it clear they just want more people from anywhere else regardless of the effect on the native population. The nuances of a point are where consistency is admirable or betrays the base position.

        1. Chipper Chunked Chile Con Congress (ex NCW)   6 months ago

          Which itself contradicts the "intellectual honesty" part of the quote. And yeah, it was that exact line that set me off as well.

        2. Ersatz   6 months ago

          ^very good observation^

    2. Wizzle Bizzle   6 months ago

      One would hope they are all embarrassed. But given that they continue to run out the same Democrats-with-guns bullshit week after week, I wouldn't hold your breath.

  6. nobody 2   6 months ago

    They consistently wrap regime propaganda in a thin layer of libertarian rhetoric.

    1. Wizzle Bizzle   6 months ago

      Extremely thin. That's why you can see through it.

  7. Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment   6 months ago

    Close the DC office, find space in Santa Barbara. At one time, Reason was a positive value; no more.

    1. Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)   6 months ago

      Fuck, even if they went down the road to Baltimore or Richmond. Just get yourselves out of Babylon and see what the rest of the world does.

    2. Earth-based Human Skeptic   6 months ago

      Santa Barbara? How much closer is that to the real world? How about Nebraska?

      1. Stupid Government Tricks   6 months ago

        I believe that's where they used to be. Still better than DC.

  8. sarcasmic   6 months ago

    Free minds and free markets? Hogwash! Free minds back Trump and attack Biden, and you can't have free markets without lots and lots of tariffs!

    1. JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)   6 months ago

      Self deluded garbage and idiocy. That's all you are lol.

      1. sarcasmic   6 months ago

        Go take your meds.

        1. JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)   6 months ago

          Lol. Everyone sees it. Even when I don't respond to you people call your idiocy and defense of the left out.

          You're just so self delusional you don't see it.

          Zero posts of value on average from you. Usually defending the left. It is hilarious. Why you're laughed at.

        2. Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)   6 months ago

          Go take your meds

          I was going to suggest the same for you, Sarkles. Ask your doctor (or at least your dealer) about Naltrexone, Disulfiram and Acamprosate.

          1. Fire up the Woodchippers! (5-30 Banana Republic Day)   6 months ago

            He would have to stop drinking. And e earl know that would never happen.unless he’s in lock up again for something he did on his rotgut field drunken adventures.

    2. Don't look at me!   6 months ago

      So many ideas™ !

  9. Earth-based Human Skeptic   6 months ago

    Can we donate just to the comments sections support fund?

    1. JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)   6 months ago

      You're already likely paying for sarcs benefits through taxes.

    2. Wizzle Bizzle   6 months ago

      If you actually set this up, it would outdraw the Reason fund by multiples. I would contribute on that basis alone.

      1. Earth-based Human Skeptic   6 months ago

        Hey Reason, are you listening?

    3. Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)   6 months ago

      Yes, but then trolls like Sarc and Pluggo would expect to be paid for generating engagement.

      1. Stuck in California   6 months ago

        What about trolls like Bohm or Sullem. Or even Fiona.

        Seriously, their writing is so unselfaware that it HAS to be ragebaiting so people come to the comments section. Any publication back in the old dead-trees days of news media would have fired them years ago for lack of quality, so they have to be here for something.

  10. JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)   6 months ago

    Headline is bullshit.

    See coverage of covid, censorship, and lawfare.

    1. Wizzle Bizzle   6 months ago

      Wait, but there wasn't any coverage of those things? Oh.....

      1. JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)   6 months ago

        They largely defended masking and vaccines, even attacking DeSantis for giving an individual right to be vaccinated. No criticism really against vaccine mandates or ability to fire people over vaccines. Bailey, more testing needed.

        Defended censorship as much private companies until after Twitter files broke. Even as the commenter's were putting in comments the information of censorship. Has ignored raids on Okeefe and other journalists. Ignored Mackey.

        Sullum has literally supported all but one of the lawfare attacks and impeachment. Even defending Biden for classified records. Pushing DoJ photo ops of the cover sheets they brought. Ignoring details of the problems.

        So they had stories. Primarily against the libertarian position.

        1. Rick James   6 months ago

          Don't forget, Reason was indignant that mask mandates were being 'banned' in an exactly-so-backwards-you-can't-make-it-up fit of retardation. Free minds means government officials being free to enact mandates!

          1. Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)   6 months ago

            Hey, it's okay for the government to violate civil rights as long as its via government-funded NGOs and putting pressure on corporations. The My Private Company defense.

            1. Peter Kreeft taught me LOGIC, BEWARE !!!!!!!   6 months ago

              But why stop there, it was the money behind the government that is the orginating cause. Yes, Biden is a weak and lazy man. But the teacher's union told him during COVID: Do not re-open the schools (though he was sure that he should re-open them)

          2. DesigNate   6 months ago

            Banning government action is a violation of the NAP. Next thing you know you Trump cultist are going to be advocating driving around with bears in your trunks!

            1. Vernon Depner   6 months ago

              The government has First Amendment rights!

              1. Peter Kreeft taught me LOGIC, BEWARE !!!!!!!   6 months ago

                If it did you would not pretend to speak for it.
                But you do.

    2. Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)   6 months ago

      The last five years were the biggest assault on libertarian ideals by the government since WW2, and Reason under KMW did everything they could to deliberately ignore it and occasionally defend it.

      1. Rick James   6 months ago

        Hey, the FBI agent with an office next to Jack Dorsey should be free to block and screen any offensive material they want-- in good faith and without consequences!

        1. Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)   6 months ago

          Sarcjeffplug and the Reasonistas have reliably assured me that as long as the in-house FBI agent forced Dorsey to utter the orders instead of doing it himself, it's the choice of the private company and thus totally libertarian.

          1. DesigNate   6 months ago

            They didn’t have to be coerced because they believed the same things the FBI agent was gently telling them to do.

            Why did the FBI have to have an agent there if they were true believers? That’s none of your concern.

  11. Peter Kreeft taught me LOGIC, BEWARE !!!!!!!   6 months ago

    Reason consistently opposes true freedom. Which requires morality and constants and first principles.
    Start here

    If I were a Christian, nothing could make me more indignant than that: the notion of sacrificing the ideal to the nonideal, or virtue to vice. And it is in the name of that symbol that men are asked to sacrifice themselves for their inferiors. AYN RAND
    what a load of sht that is.

    No, unitl you quit you whining about eveyrthing but Freedom of Religion , you are making the world WORSE

  12. Rick James   6 months ago

    Because masks aren't just talismans, man.

  13. AT   6 months ago

    If you value intellectual honesty and consistency

    She says as she employs:

    Jacob Sullum
    Eric Boehm
    Emma Camp
    Elizabeth Nolan Brown
    Billy Binion
    Charles Oliver
    Joe Lancaster
    Fiona Harrigan
    Robby Soave
    CJ Ciaramella
    Matthew Petti
    Christian Britschgi
    Jack Nicastro

    Tell you what. I'll put forth personal effort here in the comments to try to crowdsource further donations, and then match them - for anyone on that list that you summarily pink slip by EOD Monday 12/9. Deal?

    Guys, put up your bids. How much are you willing to donate to see who fired. I'll match it. (Kat, obviously I'll require receipt of their donations first.)

    1. JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)   6 months ago

      I'm in 100 for sullum. Guy is a glowie.

      1. Mother's Lament (Salt farmer)   6 months ago

        So is Boehm and maybe Lancaster.

        1. JesseAz (mean girl ambassador)   6 months ago

          Fine. 100 each.

    2. Chipper Chunked Chile Con Congress (ex NCW)   6 months ago

      100 for Fiona.

    3. Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)   6 months ago

      1 hundo for sullum

      1. Gaear Grimsrud   6 months ago

        I'm in.

  14. Nobartium   6 months ago

    As I've been told (more than one) by a certain chemist, Reason is an opinion site.

    Therefore, they will never get a cent from me.

    Everyone has opinions, and I won't pay for what I can have and do have.

  15. Rick James   6 months ago

    Lot of stuff happening in the Daniel Penny case, Reason... what say you? This intersects with everything you like to report on: Runaway prosecutors, overcharging, lawfare...

    I mean, it's no Priscilla Villareal level of humanity-rendering injustice, but it's still something.

    1. Earth-based Human Skeptic   6 months ago

      Crickets also at the WSJ.

      1. Stuck in California   6 months ago

        Who is Daniel Penny?

        Never hear of him, he must not be at the crux of a remarkably interesting confluence of issues like civic duty, law, self defense, selective prosecution, or anything else that would be excellent fodder for genuinely interesting articles espousing libertarian principles. Otherwise there'd be at least as many articles in a Libertarian magazine as the breathless coverage of a some obnoxious muckracker on the facebook.

        1. MasterThief   6 months ago

          Daniel Perry as well. All we got here was a glowing eulogy for the BLM antifa guy with an AK who threatened him. They turned that guy into some sort of libertarian martyr for about 5 minutes.
          I was actually wondering what happened to that guy and while confirming the name saw that he was pardoned by Texas. We get dozens of articles about that Villareal bitch but can't get anything on these cases?

  16. Kevin Carson   6 months ago

    "Honesty and consistency" from the person who fired Shikha Dalmia for being too anti-Trump for Reason donors. From the editor of a publication that platforms Josh Blackman, who is as authoritarian and reactionary as any Mises Caucus scumbag. The words "honesty and consistency" should burn her mouth.

    1. Stupid Government Tricks   6 months ago

      Josh Blackman is from the Volokh side. You have no evidence of why Shikha left.

      0 for 2. Please don't try harder. Just leave.

    2. DesigNate   6 months ago

      Reason staff (and their sugar daddy) are a lot of things, but crazed Trump supporters isn’t even in the top 100 of them.

      Get a better schtick.

    3. MasterThief   6 months ago

      I'm pretty sure that was Shikha's excuse for being canned. It didn't make any sense even then because she wasn't really any more TDS infected than anyone else and certainly less than Sullum.

  17. Rick James   6 months ago

    I guess Syria fell today.

    1. Gaear Grimsrud   6 months ago

      What's an Aleppo?

  18. Peter Kreeft taught me LOGIC, BEWARE !!!!!!!   6 months ago

    Please publicize Kurt Lash's take on Skrmetti

    I. The Original Constitution Preserved the
    Pre-Existing Authority of Every State to
    Regulate the Practice of Medicine....................... 7
    A. Under the Original Constitution, the
    People in the States Retained the Power
    to Pass “Health Laws of Every
    Description.” .................................................. 7
    B. Between the Founding and the
    Fourteenth Amendment, the People in
    the States Freely Exercised Their
    Retained Constitutional Authority to
    Regulate the Practice of Medicine. ................ 8

  19. Peter Kreeft taught me LOGIC, BEWARE !!!!!!!   6 months ago

    Yet I can't use REASON in the classroom.
    You are sometimes right in your attack but you are almost always on attack. That establishes nothing. That your 'enemy' is wrong does not make you right !!!
    You shy away from religion,natural law, the fundamentals of our Founding (all men created equal...) and so my students get more confused not less. It isn't just you. I know several organizations I belong to that man the turrets and kill the enemy but establish NOTHING. Your take on abortion and Millei and Villareul -- any student can suss out your motives.

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