Penn & Teller on the PATRIOT Act

A funny, 17-minute clip from the comic magicians and myth debunkers. I'll grant that it is more "entertainment" than "journalism," but still informative. Warning: Showtime is what it is. There is profanity and nudity (for the purposes of a sting operation).

At the same site, the comments section has some Penn & Teller bashing because they are LIBERTARIANS. And don't we all know that libertarians are evil, utopians, or both? But the comments area also links to comments ON the comments at Reason's Hit & Run.

Libertarians have for 25 years been lumped with the anti-tax, de-regulate platform of the Republican Party, are frequently "guilty by association" with the Republicans and are too often perceived as defenders of runaway corprorate irresponsibility.

The reality, however, is that libertarians want a free market, and corporations do NOT want a free market. That is why the Libertarian Party does not get much financial support from corporate PACS or multi-millionaires. Corporate interests prefer fat government contracts, and regulations and taxes that proportionally impose greater overhead costs on smaller competitors. Corporations use government to protect themselves from competition. The State is the means by which the rich & powerful stay rich & powerful.

Libertarians are also anti-war and very much pro-civil liberty. Most libertarians despise President Bush and many are joining the Democrats to oppose the Republican agenda.

And it is precisely this libertarian, non-partisan suspicion of government that makes Penn & Teller a breath of fresh air. Our republic would be a lot healthier today if more media sources were as skeptical of government claims.