From Magic Mushroom to Forbidden Fungus (and Back)
Half a century ago, Congress declared that there is no legitimate use for psilocybin. State and local governments are finally challenging that judgment.
March 2021
Features
Is There a Future for Fusionism?
In the years since the Cold War, conservatives have lost sight of the relationship between liberty and personal responsibility.
The Mushroom Moment Manifesto
Contemporary psychonauts are looking for insight, relief, fun, escape, and a million other things to make their lives more interesting and bearable.
A Practical Wish List for Joe Biden
Some doable libertarian ideas for the new president
In 2020, Teachers Unions and Police Unions Showed Their True Colors
It's time for the left and the right to take a hard look at their favorite public-sector unions.
Interview
The Economist Who Says Schools Are Safer Than You Think
When the feds failed to track COVID-19, Emily Oster stepped in.
Topics
Legal Pot Doesn't Seem To Increase Teen Use or Addiction
Two studies published in November found that legalization has not been associated with increases in adolescent marijuana use or addiction.
Should Biden's Choice for Secretary of State Discourage Libertarians?
President Joe Biden's promised return to normality will unfortunately extend to his administration's foreign policy.
No Facial Recognition Tech for Cops
A sloppy panopticon is almost as dangerous as an effective one.
TikTok After Trump
TikTok may have outlasted the Trump administration, but whether it will find another enemy in Biden is unclear.
Sotomayor Invokes Scalia on Fourth Amendment Protections
Does the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable seizures include the right to be free from an unreasonable attempted seizure?
New York City's Outdoor Dining Doom
Preserving the country's greatest restaurant scene in the midst of a pandemic feels like an afterthought.
Will Biden 'Listen to the Science' on GMOs?
The USDA under the Trump administration streamlined some outdated and scientifically unwarranted regulations of modern biotech crops.
The Not-So-Peaceful Transfer of Power
Our long record of peaceful transfers of power now has an asterisk on it.
Parents: Don't Be Boring, Relentless Teachers
No need to follow the stultifying advice from Parents magazine on how to "Supercharge Every Storytime."
Biden Says His Immigration Policy Will Be Better Than Obama's
President Barack Obama's government deported more people than any other administration in history.
Little Green Men Caught in Red Tape
When a metal monolith was discovered in the desert, all federal officials could see was a zoning violation.
Will New York Lead the Way in Screwing Up School Reopening?
Remote learning continues to be the norm for more than three out of four New York City public school students.
Culture
The All-American Arms Dealer
Samuel Cummings built a global weapons empire in Washington, D.C.'s shadow.
Books
A Radical History of Tennis?
Despite some interesting tidbits, a new history of the game falls short.
Was the Reagan Revolution Really Reagan's?
While we're at it, was it really a revolution?
Reviews
Belly of the Beast
A new documentary explores forced sterilizations in California's women's prisons.
Hillbilly Elegy
Unlike the book, the film is not a political story.
The Queen's Gambit
The protagonist's speedy evolution into an anti–Cold Warrior is the better subplot.
Substack
The paid online newsletter service allows writers the opportunity to keep more of the fruits of their labors.
How To Fix the Internet
Each episode explores how to fix laws that entrench privacy-violating practices.
The Mandalorian
The show offered a revived vision of Star Wars as a playground for elaborate narrative and worldbuilding.
ETC.
Walter Williams, RIP
The free market economist and iconoclast died in December at the age of 84.
Brickbats: March 2021
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world
