Dear Readers,
The ongoing protests, which started in Los Angeles and have since spread to other cities, have sparked a conversation about what freedom of movement and freedom of association really mean.
Over the past several days, federal agents have clashed with protesters. This conflict was brought about by a series of raids conducted by ICE. Tensions rose when President Trump deployed the National Guard despite objections from Governor Gavin Newsom. The president has also proposed that active-duty military personnel, such as the Marines, may be sent in to keep order, which also calls into question the historical constraints on the employment of military force in domestic law enforcement.
For some, the federal response is crucial to uphold order. However, the protests were in no small part due to the systematic lawlessness of immigration authorities, particularly ICE. They have adopted the tactics of secret police, imprisoning and deporting without due process, ignoring the Constitution, and circumventing the legal constraints necessary for the rule of law and a free society.
This does not mean that protestors are free to riot. Violence and property destruction harm innocent people.
This week’s articles give context and opinion on government power, markets, surveillance, and personal freedom. Alvaro Vargas Llosa writes about the Federal Reserve’s role in creating easy money and how it only worsens the issue by buckling to political pressure. In a pair of articles, Ray March discusses trusting the states to make health-related prohibitions and how a lack of transparency and inordinate political control have changed little since the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Craig Eyermann reflects on Musk’s time with DOGE. Nikolai G. Wenzel tackles trade deficits. Finally, I report on a bipartisan privacy reform.
Jonathan Hofer
Managing Editor
