"But a trial conducted by the company showed the home test only correctly detected HIV in those carrying the virus 93 percent of the time. The FDA estimated the test would miss about 3,800 HIV-positive people per year, while correctly identifying 45,000, if approved for U.S. consumers. The test could prevent 4,000 new…

Funny how many overlook what words meant at the time. And... the rest of the statement. Well regulated, that states keep and provide for a militia. A militia is a cooperative situation. Able members of society would offer their labor for defensive purposes often including providing their own firearms. To make them…

Anyone wish to compare land logged by companies which got the land usage rights from the government vs. those which own the land and only log private land exclusively? Just like with grazing there are usually distinctly different incentives in those situations which lead to rather different outcomes.

Yes. It is. And if you want to leave out deontological arguments... it's also bad and less efficient from a utilitarian perspective.

"Intellectual property is important. There's no denying that."

"Even worse: any of the Republican candidates, or any leader of the Tea Party carries more nuclear weapons on their back than peaceful thoughts in their heads."

Immigrant Song is available if you look for it.

Natural monopolies don't really exist. This article ignores the fact that it's local governments give exclusive aka *monopoly* privileges to these companies to serve their residents. And/or they have given special rights to one company to lay lines or use "public" land. Like Ma Bell. It was no natural monopoly. The…

Yes, manufacturing and selling and buying what you wish is liberty. Not being forced against one's will to do or not do something is the definition of liberty. Buying and using incandescent bulbs do not harm others. If you have a problem with pollution created by the manufacturer or electrical power plants then go…

Thanks for covering this. It was my arrest that lead to this lawsuit and settlement. Julian Heicklen, the man who I was arrested for filming on federal court property was just indited for jury tampering.

I understand how those at Twisted Pixel feel... but really... if no code was stolen, no artwork lifted, etc... I don't believe they have a case. Or perhaps I should say I don't agree they should have a case. Lots of game are blatant rip-offs... so? That's what competition entails.

@manimatr0n: Yes... because libertarian beliefs (which by definition is opposed to aggressive violence, some forms to the point of passivism) caused this guy to snap. It couldn't have been that he was just nuts or the fact that politics is based on violence and prone to blowback.

@Jerm Deeks: I believe you meant "Once we kill corporatism." True, economic capitalism is really a super-set of free market economic structures.

@RadderthanRad: "happy medium" = "I have no ideological consistency." Not that many do.

@Bicko: No one is screwing anyone. If a company doesn't like the way the products are being used... don't sell them. Find new ways to market them. Add some form of DRM. it's a voluntary agreement between them all.

I feel like David Friedman has it right on privacy. Don't fight (much) tech that makes surveillance easier... use encryption tech to create separate identities. He talks about it in Future Imperfect: [www.daviddfriedman.com]

@MichaelPalin: WRT Pandora. It's not vaporware. It's shipping now.