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  • Opinion: Reject all governmental poisons

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Jan 21, 2023

    Why can’t most of the public see how ridiculous it looks to fight over the various forms of government? They argue over whether to be ruled (and to rule each other) with socialism or capitalism, communism or theocracy, by a dictator or by the mob through democracy. It’s like arguing with others over what kind of deadly poison to add to your soup. The right choice is to rule your own life and not try to rule anyone else; to not add any sort of poison to your soup. Each of the...

  • Opinion: Politics is picking fights in acceptable way

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Jan 14, 2023

    Politics seems to appeal to people who are addicted to drama. How else can you explain two years of hand-wringing over an insurrection that never happened? Or the recent election disasters and fights over which side are the real fascists? Those flames are fanned by people who don’t want the drama to end. Political drama turned a new cold virus into a worldwide histrionic meltdown, undermining trust in medicine and related scientific fields. It was a goldmine of drama. Can the...

  • Less government means more liberty

    Kent McManigal, Correspondent|Updated Jan 7, 2023

    You probably hear a lot of complaints about government corruption these days -- especially over these past several years. I don't see any corruption; I see government acting as it was designed to work. When an institution is built on a foundation of theft, power, and coercion why act surprised when those things happen? Even the Constitution is at fault, so you can't fix it by "going back" to the Constitution. As abolitionist Lysander Spooner once said, the Constitution “has e...

  • Opinion: Hope you can make best of new year

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Dec 27, 2022

    As seems to happen more and more frequently, the curtain is dropping on yet another year. Rather than looking back at the year as it winds down, I want to look ahead without trying to predict anything. I don’t know if the past year was a good one for you, but I hope it was. Either way, you’ve about made it through. This is no finish line; only a checkpoint. The good news is, you’re still here and you’re still going forward. If you want this next year to be an even better...

  • Opinion: Censorship only drives evil into shadows

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Dec 20, 2022

    I’ve realized most people don’t understand freedom of speech. Not even experts. Having freedom of speech doesn’t mean you can force anyone to listen. It doesn’t mean you’ll escape consequences of your words. It doesn’t mean anyone -- other than government -- is obligated to let you speak. Of course, I believe corporations are an arm of government due to the cozy arrangements they share. Government puts pressure -- with implied threats of retaliation -- on corporations to ban s...

  • Opinion: Political goggles make things worse

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Dec 13, 2022

    Have you ever heard the term “beer goggles,” where the more you drink, the more attractive someone looks? Politics works the opposite. The more you see things politically, the worse everything looks. Once someone starts looking at things through the distorting lens of politics, there’s no telling what they’ll think they see. Even without politics, people see what they want to see, what they expect to see, or what they’ve been told to see. Politics make this effect worse. Wi...

  • Opinion: No one has right to violate rights

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Dec 6, 2022

    Governments don’t respect rights. Your rights don’t change when you cross a line; not a state line or a national border. Rights are the same everywhere. Only the ways in which your rights are violated differ by location. Rights don’t change over time or due to majority opinion, either. If something is a violation of your rights today, it was a violation no matter how far back in history you go and it would remain a violation into the distant future. No matter what else chang...

  • Opinion: Humans must mature past politics

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Nov 29, 2022

    People are more alike than different. Even those who use politics against you want the same things you want. They want to live their lives the way they believe is best, and they usually believe their way would be best for you, too. The difference is they are pursuing a way you think is not going to work; for themselves or for others. They may prioritize feeling safe over liberty. You may think what makes them feel safe is too dangerous. Maybe they’d put green chilis on e...

  • Opinion: US caught up in 'cold civil war'

    Kent McManigal, The Staff of The News|Updated Nov 22, 2022

    After World War II, the American and Soviet governments entangled themselves in what became known as “the Cold War.” They lied about each other (and told some uncomfortable truths), used dirty tricks, and even killed each other’s people in ways that didn’t quite reach the level to trigger a declaration of war. It wasn’t a good situation and only ended -- if it ended -- when the Soviet Union collapsed. Now I think America is in a cold civil war. The conflict historically called...

  • Opinion: Libertarians aren't splitting vote

    Kent McManigal|Updated Nov 15, 2022

    After the election, I saw a few bitter Republicans on social media blaming the failure of Republican candidates to get elected -- the fizzled “red wave” -- on libertarians. It’s a silly complaint. Libertarian candidates don’t take votes from Republicans any more than they take votes from Democrats. Most people who vote for Libertarians aren’t going to vote for any of the other candidates no matter what. If I were a voter and I only had a choice between a Republican and a Dem...

  • Opinion: Don't base your life on politicians

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Nov 8, 2022

    Why would anyone bother confronting politicians? Do they really believe politicians matter in their daily life? You protect your rights by exercising them -- by putting them into practice -- not by begging others to respect them. I’m not going to a politician’s office to try to convince them of anything. Not to beg them to stop violating my rights nor to ask them to violate someone else on my behalf. You won’t find me at a protest, a political rally, or in a voting booth for t...

  • Opinion: Promises of politicians impossible

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Nov 1, 2022

    Politicians are always promising to do things politicians can’t do. Either they believe they are magic, or they want you to believe they are. Sometimes they promise things they can’t legally do -- things that violate the Constitution -- and other times they promise to do things that aren’t possible within the laws of physics in our universe. Do they believe you are gullible enough to fall for it? Probably. Often they promise to violate economic reality, which is nearly as im...

  • Opinion: Swapping politicians pointless change

    Kent McManigal, The Staff of The News|Updated Oct 25, 2022

    It might surprise you to learn this, but I don’t like change. Well, that’s not completely accurate: I don’t like pointless change. I have tolerated uncomfortable situations simply to avoid the pain of going through a change I couldn’t see as improving anything. However, if something is broken and I can see a solution, I want to change it. This is why I try to save people from their addiction to political government and all its various manifestations, such as police, taxatio...

  • Opinion: Prohibition has opposite effect

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Oct 18, 2022

    Isn’t it better to not create a problem in the first place than to try to fix it after it happens? I appreciate those organizing a trash pick-up day, and those who took time out of their week to participate. I appreciate the people who don’t toss their trash around in the first place. and those who regularly pick up litter whenever they see it, even more. If there is a pre-existing problem, make sure any solution you try isn’t going to have the unintended consequence of makin...

  • Opinion: Don't care about fake laws, crimes

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Oct 11, 2022

    Being political leads to unfortunate outcomes. Politics never makes people act smart. I don’t think federal agents -- FBI or anyone else -- have any business digging for things over which to prosecute Hunter Biden. I don’t find federal agents credible. When someone is targeted for political reasons, whether Donald Trump or Hunter Biden, it makes those targeting them look unintelligent and corrupt. Maybe because they are unintelligent and corrupt -- as bad as their target, or...

  • Opinion: Be glad about what's not going wrong

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Oct 4, 2022

    It’s easy to focus on our problems; on what’s going wrong. It’s harder to notice what’s not going wrong right now. It’s good to find a balance between the two. I’m thankful we didn’t have a devastating hurricane blow through this area last week. I’m also glad we aren’t in the middle of a violent war, trying to defend our homes from the military of an invading government from a neighboring country. Not everyone in the world can say the same. Shouldn’t we be grateful for the pr...

  • Opinion: Don't make enemies over politics

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Sep 27, 2022

    Politics divides. If you distrust your neighbor because of political differences, it’s not your neighbor -- or you -- who’s at fault. It’s politics. Some would have you believe we are at war with each other, but your neighbors aren’t the enemy, even if they follow the enemy. Or if you do. Don’t let politics make you hate each other -- that would be a tragedy. I’ve heard people claim “everything is political.” This is not a healthy way of looking at life -- it’s not even a...

  • Opinion: Politicians aren't better than you

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Sep 20, 2022

    It seems it should be obvious to everyone by now: those who seek positions of political power can’t even run their own lives; they certainly shouldn’t be allowed to run yours. No one is less qualified to do so. Just look at the news. Locally, nationally, and internationally -- those with political power are drawn to criminal behavior like Junebugs to porch lights. They are not better than you. They are not smarter or wiser, more moral, or more expert. They aren’t entit...

  • Opinion: Liberty trumps rule of the majority

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Sep 13, 2022

    According to a recent poll, a majority of New Mexico voters approve of stiffer anti-gun legislation. This is why the U.S. Constitution exists, and why America was established as a republic, not a democracy: to protect individual rights from majority opinion. It places human rights beyond the reach of politics. You don’t get to vote on liberty. Whether or not this works in practice could be the subject for another conversation. Invariably, the anti-gun faction claims that ...

  • Opinion: Decide what's most important to you

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Sep 6, 2022

    Do you only care about some things because you’ve been manipulated into caring? There are many things you can’t change about the world. Caring too much about those is going to make your life worse. You could lose your mind obsessing over things you can’t control, even if they are important. Should anyone care that the president gave a more dark and divisive speech than usual? Will caring about it accomplish anything? Are there other things you’re being told to care about, but...

  • Opinion: People have responsibility for actions

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Aug 30, 2022

    Is it my imagination, or do many people run from responsibility as fast as they can? If you cause harm to a person’s life, liberty, or property you need to take responsibility. Don’t wait for someone else to hold you accountable. Step up and accept it. If it was an accident, it can’t be a real crime, no matter how bad it was or what government says. You still owe restitution, but government has no stake in the matter. It’s between you and the one you harmed. Punishm...

  • Opinion: Government not worth trade-off

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Aug 23, 2022

    Do you believe you need to be governed? I mean you, as an individual. If you didn’t feel like government was watching over your shoulder all the time, would you steal, kidnap, or murder? I’m betting you wouldn’t. Neither would I. If you’re saying you would commit crimes if not for government, I’m guessing you commit crimes anyway. By “crimes” I’m not talking about the counterfeit “crimes” that are only called crimes because government made up an arbitrary rule that says so....

  • Opinion: Government waging war against you

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Aug 16, 2022

    Have you realized yet that the U.S. federal government is waging a one-sided war against you? The IRS plans to hire around 87,000 new armed IRS employees -- the exact number is disputed; what they are being hired to do is not. The job posting, before they edited it, said new hires must be willing to use deadly force -- against you. Think about it: they will only be hired if willing to use deadly force against their bosses. They are being hired to “Sheriff of Nottingham” you...

  • Opinion: Cannabis not an excuse to kidnap

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Aug 9, 2022

    An American basketball player was recently arrested and imprisoned in Russia for possession of cannabis. Some people are outraged over this; others claim she deserved to be arrested because she broke Russian law -- a “law” without any ethical basis; a fake law that goes against natural law, as does most legislation. The Russian government imprisoning an American for marijuana possession isn’t more wrong than the U.S. government encouraging local governments in America to do...

  • Opinion: Needs should be met by the people

    Kent McManigal, Local columnist|Updated Aug 2, 2022

    People see me say I don’t want government doing something and often jump to the conclusion I don’t want that thing done at all. Sometimes they are right, as in the case of legislation enforcement. More often they are wrong, as in the case of environmental protection, security, or justice. Government is more likely to make a mess of it. I love the natural environment, which is why I oppose letting government control it or set rules concerning it. I’ve seen what happens when...

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