Dick Cheney, Vice President and Self-Described 'Darth Vader,' Was a Champion of the War State
The former vice president liked being compared to the supervillain as a joke. But he had seriously villainous effects on millions of people in real life.
Obituaries
Assata Shakur Stood With the Oppressors
The fugitive freedom fighter allied with a government known for imprisoning dissidents, curtailing civil liberties, and forging equality in the sense that people are more equally oppressed.
Charlie Kirk, Who Became a Media Titan Because He Wasn't Afraid of Disagreement, Assassinated at 31
The pundit and activist was murdered while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Tom Lehrer Satirized the National Security State From the Inside
The Cold War comedian and rumored Jell-O shot inventor had a lesser known side as an NSA operative.
Ed Clark, RIP
His 1980 presidential campaign put the Libertarian Party on the map in a year rich in libertarian cultural clout.
Brian Wilson Was an Exemplary American
The leader of the Beach Boys is dead, but what he did for his country will resound in our history forever.
How Charlie Rangel Changed His Mind About the War on Drugs
The former congressman, who died this week, transformed from a zealous prohibitionist into a drug policy reformer.
David Souter Shaped the Supreme Court Through the Backlash He Inspired
The late justice was appointed by a Republican but quickly established himself as a judicial liberal.
The Abundant Life of Manny Klausner
The Reason Foundation co-founder took seriously the idea that libertarians should win—not just in the courts but also in the broader culture.
The Liberal Legacy of Mario Vargas Llosa
The Peruvian novelist, who passed away this Sunday, was a lifelong defender of freedom in all its forms.
Remembering Manny Klausner
Bob Poole recalls his Reason Foundation co-founder, a brilliant bon vivant.
Manuel Klausner, RIP
The co-founder of Reason Foundation and former editor of Reason fought for liberty in his legal practice and policy advocacy.
The Role Where Gene Hackman Was State Violence Personified
Hackman's performance as "Little Bill" Daggett in Unforgiven is an unflinching portrayal of how far the state will go to protect its corrupt monopoly on violence.
RIP Jimmy Carter, the 'Passionless' President
The libertarian case for the late Jimmy Carter.
Martin Indyk Got Us Knee-Deep Into the Middle East—and Then Tried To Get Us Out
The late U.S. diplomat helped form America’s policies towards Iran, Iraq, and Israel. By the end of his life, he'd had enough.
What James C. Scott Taught Us About Liberty, Authority, Surveillance, and Resistance
Scott wrote about the ways people resist authority—and the unmapped territories where much of that resistance takes place.
David Boaz, RIP
The longtime Cato Institute executive vice president was one of his era's most effective explainers of libertarianism.
RIP Marc Sandhaus, Whose Obsession With Cannabis Landraces Finally Bore Flower
The far-traveling smuggler turned breeder "never gave up" on his dream of recovering neglected marijuana strains.
Jimmy Buffett, Bard of the Florida Man
Buffett realized that what the consumer thought of him was ultimately more important than what he was.
Backpage Founder, Alt-Weekly Entrepreneur, and Free Speech Warrior James Larkin Has Died
Larkin, 74, took his own life on Monday, just a little over a week before he was slated to stand trial for his role in running the web-classifieds platform Backpage.
RIP Daniel Ellsberg, Who Told the World the Truth About the Vietnam War
The Pentagon Papers leaker risked prison to reveal that American military officials were lying to Congress and the public about Vietnam. He died today at age 92.
How Pat Robertson Shepherded His Flock Into Politics
Farewell to the senator's son who pioneered a TV genre, helped create the Christian right, ran for president, and earned the grudging respect of Abbie Hoffman
I Worked for Hodding Carter III at a Small-Town Mississippi Newspaper
He didn't pay much, we fought a lot, and he was one of the best bosses I ever had.
Martin Morse Wooster's Front Row Seat
RIP to a prolific and colorful Reason contributor and author.
Government Goons Murder Internet-Famous Walrus
The Norwegian government euthanized Freya the walrus on Sunday, citing safety concerns for the crowds that gathered to watch her sunbathe.
R.I.P. David McCullough, Who Saw the Bright Side of History
McCullough didn't just build on academic historians' work—he filled a gap they left.
Christopher Alexander's Utopian Blueprint
There is telling people how to live, and there is maximizing people's ability to live the lives they want.
Randy Weaver Dies
In the infamous Ruby Ridge standoff, federal agents killed his wife and son.
RIP Madeleine Albright, Who Escaped Both Fascism and Communism as a Child
The former secretary of state died today at the age of 84 after a long and complicated career in U.S. foreign policy.
P.J. O'Rourke, 1947-2022
"Libertarianism isn't political...It's anti-political, really. It wants to take things out of the political arena."
P.J. O'Rourke, R.I.P.
"At the core of libertarianism is the idea that people are assets."
Jen Psaki's Snarky Comments Can't Cover for the FDA's Rapid Testing Approval Failures
Plus: RIP to sex entrepreneur Phil Harvey, Elon Musk says Congress should can Biden's spending plan, and more....
RIP Phil Harvey, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Who Expanded Human Pleasure and Human Choice
Harvey, who died last week, dedicated his life to supporting human pleasure along with the power to manage it responsibly.
Donald Rumsfeld, Architect of Disastrous 21st Century Foreign Policy, Dies at 88
Upon his passing, it's worth remembering how badly things can go when a man has such great power, even a man with elements of conventional decency.
RIP Mike Gravel, Unapologetic Opponent of War and Star of Absurdist Presidential Campaign Ads
A heterodox hero and committed antiwar activist, Gravel put the Pentagon Papers in the public record.
John McAfee Found Dead in a Spanish Prison Cell
The software entrepreneur, Libertarian presidential hopeful, and international man of mystery had just been ordered extradited to the U.S. from Spain on charges of tax evasion when he was found dead by hanging.
G. Gordon Liddy: The Hollywood Years
Friday A/V Club: How a Watergate burglar spent the '80s
RIP Mark Schlefer, the Man Who Made FOIA Happen
"In the drafting, we were adamant that you didn't have to have an interest to have access. You could just be a citizen."
The Fairness Doctrine Was the Most Deserving Target of Rush Limbaugh's Rage
He was no libertarian, but he absorbed an important lesson about regulating speech.
Larry Flynt Made the World Freer for Everybody by Pushing Boundaries
Abrasive, tasteless, and uncompromising, Flynt undoubtedly made the world safer for speech of all varieties.
Libertarian History/Philosophy
Walter E. Williams, Free Market Scholar and Iconoclast, RIP
"I just do my own thing," said the George Mason University economist and author of The State Against Blacks.
'I Just Do My Own Thing': Walter Williams, RIP
The self-described "crazy-ass man" and libertarian economist focused on government's role in perpetuating racial inequality.
Eddie Van Halen, Melting-Pot Virtuoso
We don't normally talk about how rock's late, great lead guitarist was an immigrant success story and inspiration to early hip hop, but that's only because he (and America!) were too busy getting rad.
