The Agitator with more on the Maryland Wiretapping Case

The Agitator, who is the best in the business at uncovering and writing about these matters, provides more on the Maryland Case wherein Anthony Graber was arrested for posting video and audio of his arrest on YouTube.

The best part is here:

The issue is important not just in order to keep law enforcement transparent and accountable, but in that it raises fundamental questions about the nature of individual rights in a free society. The way Marylandofficials are interpreting the state’s wiretapping law, government agents—in this case on-duty cops— have privacy rights in public spaces that ordinary citizens don’t. But state employees acting as state employees don’t have rights. Citizens have rights. Governments and their employees have powers, and only to the extent that those powers have been delegated to them by the people they’re governing.

True dat. (My version of Glenn Reynolds' "indeed")

Big Beer suffering because of lack of competition?

Good Post about beer and anti-trust over at reason. Why is it that big advertising brewers are losing market share to craft beers?

Random Happening

I was walking down the sidewalk minding my own business the other day when someone decided to park illegally right near me. I have no problem with people parking illegally (in public streets) so long as it doesn't block someone's access to their private property. Hell, I understand it completely. Parking in Baltimore is a joke (though D.C. is the worst ever).

However, if you do park illegally in front of me, why do you feel the need to get out of the car and ask me if I think you can park there. You already know it's not a valid spot. Is there anything I can tell you that will keep you from getting ticketed or towed. Now if you do get a ticket, somehow it's my fault?

C'mon people.

Why genetically altered food is good.

You know what might save millions of lives in Africa? If we encouraged them to have "Big Farming" and told them that genetically modified crops (that are resistant to common diseases) are good things.

Instead, we tell them to stay small, dump our leftovers in their markets (making farming unprofitable), and other such nonsense. We do that because we have an idealized view of what the simple life should be. I'd prefer it if we made their lives better by giving them a sustainable agricultural economy and stopped the famines that occur throughout the region. Big Farming would do that.

Canada is reassessing its healthcare program

Who knew it would cost so much.

MIRROR IMAGE DEBATE

In some ways the Canadian debate is the mirror image of discussions going on in the United States.

Canada, fretting over budget strains, wants to prune its system, while the United States, worrying about an army of uninsured, aims to create a state-backed safety net.

Healthcare in Canada is delivered through a publicly funded system, which covers all "medically necessary" hospital and physician care and curbs the role of private medicine. It ate up about 40 percent of provincial budgets, or some C$183 billion ($174 billion) last year.

Spending has been rising 6 percent a year under a deal that added C$41.3 billion of federal funding over 10 years.

But that deal ends in 2013, and the federal government is unlikely to be as generous in future, especially for one-off projects.

It sure would have been nice if we actually had a debate about the real causes of healthcare failures in the U.S. Instead, we're copying unworkable models - you know, just because.