Acton Institute Powerblog

Promoting free societies characterized by liberty & religious principles

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June 19, 2006

Toward a government-run gambling monopoly

Radley Balko, blogging at Cato@Liberty (he also blogs at The Agitator), writes about the creeping campaign in Washington state to crack down on internet gambling. A new law would impose “up to a five-year prison term for people who gamble online,” but since passage has also been used to “to go after people who merely write about gambling.” Continue Reading...
June 16, 2006

A quick misanthropy quiz

Before reading the rest of this post, let’s try a little experiment. Here are a set of quotations…your job is to decide who said it, a real-life scientist or Agent Smith from the Matrix trilogy (see answer key below the jump): 1. Continue Reading...
June 16, 2006

Pulled pork

I’ve noted before the ballooning and bipartisan feeding at the public trough conducted by this Congress, for projects of dubious value. Brian Riedl reports on NRO today that there is at last some good news. Continue Reading...
June 15, 2006

Inconvenient expertise

During this year’s hurricane season, global warming will likely become a topic of discussion at dinner tables across the United States (and likely in other countries as well). Al Gore recently released his documentary on climate change. Continue Reading...
June 14, 2006

The ties that bind: cabled Christianity

Pro-family and church groups are battling over a proposed policy that would allow viewers to select their cable TV plans on an “a la carte” basis. But why are they asking the federal government to referee this fight? Continue Reading...
June 14, 2006

Penitence in the penitentiary

Joe Knippenberg, who blogs at No Left Turns, provides a thoughtful and engaging analysis of the particulars of the recent Iowa court decision finding against InnerChange Freedom Initiative, an outreach of Prison Fellowship Ministries. Continue Reading...
June 14, 2006

Follies of the Wise

Here’s a link to the introduction to Frederick Crews’ new book, Follies of the Wise, which includes the following statement: Having made a large intellectual misstep in younger days, I am aware that rationality isn’t an endowment but an achievement that can come undone at any moment. Continue Reading...
June 12, 2006

Evangelicals and cable TV

A story over the weekend in Washington Post gives a good overview of the mixed motives behind evangelical campaigning for and against a la carte pricing of cable channels, despite the poorly chosen title, “Evangelicals vs. Continue Reading...
June 09, 2006

A different view of immigration

I haven’t been uncritical of American bishops’ statements concerning immigration. But I wouldn’t go *quite* as far as Pastor Ralph Ovadal of Pilgrims Covenant Church, for whom the terms ‘antichrist,’ ‘Romanist,’ and ‘Reconquista’ fairly roll off the tongue. Continue Reading...