Rand Paul’s stealth campaign for Trump

Rand Paul has sunk to rock bottom, sneakily campaigning for Trump. Someone on Google+ found this video. It’s “unlisted,” meaning that YouTube doesn’t show it in search results or suggestions. Private videos are a different category, and only people with authorized accounts can view them.

If Paul had said that Trump is less horrible than Clinton, I could live with that, but he declares:

I signed a document with my word on it, saying that I would support who won. … But I’ve often supported Republican nominees who I wasn’t particularly fond of. Never of us ever have a nominee —  in fact, you probably don’t agree with me a hundred percent on every issue. But the thing is, we support who we agree with the most and we get there.

Speech control at Worldcon?

On several occasions in this blog, I’ve expressed concern about speech restrictions in SF cons’ codes of conduct. An event at MidAmericon 2 (this year’s Worldcon) provides evidence that the threat is real, and that some people on con committees don’t care to allow views they dislike. A Hugo-nominated author named Dave Truesdale was expelled from the convention after making a long, off-topic speech at a panel which he was on.

I wasn’t there, and I’m piecing the information together from various reports, but so far the concom’s actions look hostile to the liberal ideal of open discussion and debate.

The JFK Airport Stampede

I don’t use US airports. The recent stampede at JFK Airport adds to my reasons to stay away. The fact that it was barely news confirms them.

Apparently someone decided that the cheering and applause for an Olympic event on TV sounded like shots being fired. After that, people just started hallucinating armed attackers and spreading panic. Which people? TSA agents.

The New York Times’ Two-Party Bias Gets Absurd

It’s become a standard pattern in the major news media. Instead of presenting people with a poll of the actual candidates in the presidential election, they offer people an imaginary choice between only Trump and Clinton and report the results. Sometimes, several paragraphs down, they’ll add the results where people are allowed to choose from any of the candidates. With Johnson frequently topping 10%, that’s a huge omission. The New York Times has outdone them all, though.

Note on Foundation for Economic Education

The website for the Foundation for Economic Education recently got a complete update. The page on article submissions shows a different structure; there used to be separate categories for Freeman articles and shorter pieces for Anything that’s Peaceful, but that’s gone.

The biggest change, though, is that there’s no longer any mention of payment. FEE has bought many articles from me over the years and even named me to its Faculty Network, but I don’t know if it’s paying any more.

Anti-free speech vandalism in Massachusetts

Trumpists and the anti-free speech left are mirror images of each other. Both hate freedom and want the other side silenced. Trumpists recently booed protesters who silently held up copies of the U.S. Constitution, who were then ejected from Trump’s rally. In Massachusetts, there have been many incidents of vandalism against pro-Trump signs.

Haverhill, a bike ride from where I live, has been a major center of vandalism. One sign provider reports having had to replace more than forty signs just in that city. In some cases, people have vandalized not just the signs but the home of the person displaying them. One of the vandals unashamedly declared she’s part of “the movement.”

“The Impossible Voyage” update

Sorry, my showing of “The Impossible Voyage” next week is off.