Your Property is Guilty Until Proven Innocent
We’ve called civil forfeiture “the beast that won’t die,” characterized it as a “war on your wealth,” and warned that cash is especially vulnerable to this despicable legal process. Police…
Searching for Truth in the Age of Partisanship and Fake News
Last week, I went to dinner with a group of liberty-minded friends to discuss the topic of censorship. One member of our party had recently volunteered to assist in the…
You May Have More in Common with Britney Spears than You Think…
We’re not exactly dedicated followers of pop culture, but it was hard to miss the sensational headlines last week following Britney Spears’ impassioned statement to a probate judge. And while…
Domestic Spying Is Even Worse Than We Feared
We haven’t been shy over the years in highlighting the threat to our privacy and wealth that Uncle Sam’s wars on (some) drugs, (some) terrorists, and (some) money launderers pose.…
Insurance Companies Monitor Your Every Move
I’ve had the same car insurance agent for over 20 years. About five years ago, I called to let him know I had purchased a new vehicle. During the call,…
Another Reason to Keep Wearing Your Mask
Do you have an “expectation of privacy” when it comes to your facial features? That’s an unfounded assumption in the good ol’ USA. . In this “land of the free,”…
The Battle for Electricity
Americans have long been accustomed to reliable and (relatively) affordable electricity. We consume an immense amount of power annually – approximately 3.8 trillion kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity in 2020. The…
Is the Crypto Party Over?
Bitcoin, along with other cryptocurrencies have been on an upward tear since the COVID pandemic began. On January 1, 2020, bitcoin traded at $7174.74. By April 15, 2021, its price…
Who’s the Terrorist Now?
It’s been over four months since January 6, 2021, when a mob broke into the national capital in Washington, D.C. Investigating “domestic terrorism” has now become a priority of the…
Identity Theft is Still Ridiculously Easy
Identity theft and the threat it poses to Americans has long been one of our recurring concern here at The Nestmann Group. The first time I mentioned identity theft in…
Biden’s Tax Hikes and You
We’ll say this much for President Joe Biden‘s plan to make the “rich” pay their “fair share”: He’s not subtle about his intentions. In a speech to a joint session…
How Do You Spell B-U-B-B-L-E?
Would you pay $69.3 million for this image? A hedge fund financier who goes by the handle “Metakovan” did last month at a Christie’s auction. In case you’re wondering, the…
US Medical Privacy Laws are Junk
It’s a truism to state that your medical records are extremely sensitive. Health care files could include details of treatment for a sexually transmitted disease, depression, or drug addiction –…
The Next COVID Lockdowns
As we publish this week’s Notes, America is in the process of fully reopening after months of back-and-forth loosening of mandates related to the original COVID-19 lockdowns. Here in my…
What (Other) Wars Will Biden Get Us Into?
At the moment Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th US president on January 20, American military forces were deployed in more than 150 countries. In at least 14…
Defunding the Police: A Bad Catchphrase for a Good Idea
George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis cop last May rekindled a debate over policing that’s been simmering for years. And, like everything else in our hyper-partisan society,…
The TSA’s “Mission Creep” Threatens Us All
Shortly after the January 6 attack on the nation’s capital, incoming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to add those protestors identified as participating…
Is it Time to Break up Big Tech?
A slugfest is underway, with Uncle Sam and the states joined in a rare show of bipartisan unity against “Big Tech.” Both political parties are eager to unleash the government’s…
The Folly of “Universal Basic Income”
Last month, Republican senator and former presidential nominee Mitt Romney unveiled a proposal he calls the “Family Security Act.” The plan seemed shocking at first, especially coming from a solidly…
How Uncle Sam Outsources Surveillance to Launder Your Data
East Germany’s Ministry for State Security, better known as the Stasi, competed with the KGB for the title of world’s most feared intelligence agency during the Cold War.
What Larry King and Prince Had in Common
Former legendary talk show host Larry King died last month at 87 years. At first glance, he might not appear to have much in common with pop star Prince, who died in 2016...
Why People Are Fleeing California (and Some Other States)
We recently discovered a study analyzing migration patterns within the United States over the course of 2020.
How Much More Debt Can We Handle?
By the time you read these words, Congress will be putting the finishing touches on President Biden’s COVID-19 relief package, with American taxpayers footing the bill to the tune of $1.9 trillion.
The Next PATRIOT Act
“A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.”
While this statement was first attributed to Stanford economist Paul Romer in 2004, politicians have long used crises to justify new laws that crush peoples’ rights.
The Case for Informed Consent in Vaccinations
We’re hesitant to wade into the already heavily debated vaccine conversation, if only because of the near-unbelievable enmity both pro-vaxxers and anti-vaxxers have for each another.
Civil Forfeiture is the Beast That Won’t Die
We’ve long criticized the barbaric (yet legal) practice of civil forfeiture, in which police or other authorized government agencies seize your property and then make you prove that the property is “innocent” to have it returned.
We’re All (Hyper) Keynesians Now
In 1971, President Richard Nixon supposedly told an ABC News reporter that he was "now a Keynesian in economics."
The Big Hack
At this point the “hack” doesn’t look like a hack as we usually think about it. The responsible parties didn’t try to damage anything, at least based on the incomplete knowledge we currently have.
Thank Congress for a New Year of Pork Barrel Spending
In this season of giving, it’s important that the holiday spirit moves us to thank Congress and the many taxpayer-funded federal agencies throughout the country for their support of so many worthy causes.
Is It Time to Buy Bitcoin?
Only a decade ago, cryptocurrencies, also known as “cryptos,” were virtually unknown. Since the invention of the first crypto (Bitcoin) in 2008, thousands more cryptos have been developed.