From Q Anon to Q Identified: Masks Off!
Q has been identified, and it is exactly who one would expect. QAnon is a curious entity. Like many things in 2020, it has similar antecedents, but the extent strength and power of its influence is almost without precedent. Recessions have happened before, but not like this. Pandemics have happened before, but not like this.
Boris the Nero
Brexit is at an impasse. This is not news. Things have not progressed at all in the UK in what feels like years. The EU is ready for all scenarios, come-what-may. Michael Gove is telling the world that the EU is not interested and unwilling to talk about Brexit. The EU is saying that, and
Journalist Saboor Nadem: Why I Fled Afghanistan
Saboor Nadem (front) walking in Macedonia during his journey from Afghanistan to Switzerland By SABOOR NADEM There are all too many reasons to escape from Afghanistan. Over the last four decades, Afghanistan has had more than 3 million people killed, wounded and displaced. The country was and still is plagued by hundreds of terrorist groups,
The Quiet Energy Revolution
We are currently experiencing something very remarkable. This is something that is either deliberately overlooked, or simply not considered to be part of the debate by individuals organisations and movements such as Greta Thunberg, Greenpeace, and the Extinction Revolution. For some reason it is not making any headlines at all. Fantastic and unbelievable advances have
Bitcoin: In G-D, and Beanie Babies, we Trust
Bitcoin has suddenly become all the rage at the time of writing at the beginning of 2018 and 5778. Although it is not something new, having been around since 2009, and far from the only cryptocurrency around Bitcoin has garnered a lot of attention in recent times. At the time of writing, there are
How Belarus Tackles The ‘Drug Problem’
By KSENIYA TARASEVICH The civilized world is moving fast to legalize, or at least decriminalize, cannabinoids. Meanwhile in Belarus, owning just 1 gram of marijuana can get you 2 years in prison — which, in actuality, means up to 8 years. This is how the Belarusian drug policy is failing the people of Belarus. The
Racist Fliers As Liberal Traps
Al Stankard, aka Harlem Venison By OMAR KHAN A civil war sparked from racial tension is the last thing on my mind — that is until I met a hippy-looking man preaching unity and found out he is an avowed “racist.” Then anxiety heightened into fear. It looks like the alt-right isn’t just
Refugees In Switzerland Suffering From Lack Of Access To Sex
By SABOOR NADEM I interviewed many refugees of different nationalities in Lucerne, Switzerland. When I asked about their current lives, they spoke only about sex. Many kinds of refugees, including teenagers and adults, who are from countries ranging from Ivory Coast to Pakistan, complained of lack of access to sex. They said in Switzerland they
Just Press Record: Looking Back On 3 Years Of Travel And Reporting
Reporting from Rila Today, November second, marks three years to the day from my first and most recent trip to Bulgaria’s Rila Monastery. It so happens I will be returning to the monastery today. To refresh my mind about the intrigue and the significance of the place, I watched the video I filmed
What’s Your Top Excuse For Not Traveling The World?
I thought I would be running from toilet to toilet with diarrhea. Upon returning from my first multi-country adventure several years ago, my stomach was ready to explode. I thought I was permanently restricted to living in the U.S., where I could maintain control of my diet. After all, I have gluten intolerance and other
The Failure Of The Centralised Healthcare System In The United Kingdom
By NIKOLAY FILIBEV The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK was created after the end of WWII as the crown jewel of the British Labour Party. Even though being among the most developed countries, UK has its fair share of problems with regards to healthcare. These problems are far bigger than what the politicians
A Cannabis Revolution Is Taking Place In Lithuania’s Anarchist District
By ROBERTA DOMBROVSKYTE The Vilnius street artists that brought us murals like “the Putin and Trump kiss” and “The party is over” have decided to tell us all the truth about cannabis. On the 15th of August, the assumptions day, the anarchist district Užupis announced it is liberalizing cannabis. The mural was unveiled in a
FreeManCast: The Making Of Fake News And Where The Refugees Came From
Overtly false news published and packaged for profit. Government propaganda and information warfare. Highly questionable reporting that is accepted as fact and spread by mass media institutions. What exactly is fake news and how is it made? In a FreeManPost podcast, FMP publisher Josh Friedman and editor Brent Sanders look to the small Balkan
Climate Change Vs. The Paris Climate Accord
The exit sign atop the Arc de Triomphe in Paris By GARY KIRKLAND This essay concerns two separate issues that many have conflated to obfuscate both issues. One is whether rich people or countries should give money to poor people or countries. The second issue is whether the climate is changing because of global
Postmodernism In Geopolitics: Obscure Philosophy Makes Inroads At The Kremlin, White House And Bilderberg
Henry Kissinger exiting the 2016 Bilderberg Conference By JOSH FRIEDMAN Though not commonly associated with political movements, the philosophy of postmodernism is becoming increasingly apparent in geopolitics and now seems to be penetrating circles of establishment and anti-establishment figures alike from the United States to Russia. The result is a general state of
Getting Paid And Managing Your Life In Bitcoin
By FABIANO DIAS What is it like to receive wages and manage your life using bitcoin? It has been more than a year now since I started receiving 100% of my wages in bitcoin. I can state for sure I'm not the only one, since I work for Bitwage, an American Company that allows professionals to
Turkey Travels
Travel along with Josh Friedman across Turkey east to west. As noted in the first video, a constitutional referendum is taking place on April 16, and thus there is a lot of activity in the country at the moment. April 13: The trip begins up in the mountains near the Iranian and Armenian borders where
Travel As A Geopolitical Act: Is Now The Time To Go To Turkey?
Istanbul's Golden Horn with the Galata Tower (center) and Galata Bridge (right) Correction: The number of foreign visitors declined by 30 percent, not 10 percent as originally stated By JOSH FRIEDMAN Want to visit Istanbul and stay in a room overlooking the sea for less then $20 a night? Now is your chance,
Government Health Care And Insurance
By GARY KIRKLAND As I write this essay the United States of America National Government is trying to get a “Repeal and Replace Obamacare (Affordable, really the UN-affordable, Care Act).” Congress gave the new bill the “American Care Act,” I think. This bill, just like Obamacare, involves people getting medical insurance. The personal story at
History And Liberty In Immigration
Visigoths sack Rome - Wikimedia Commons By GARY KIRKLAND Immigration is a hot issue right now around the world. This essay will discuss the issue from both a historical and Libertarian perspective. Between 100,000 and 40,000 years ago, homo sapiens sapiens first emigrated out of Africa. By 30,000 years ago, based on archaeological and
Who Are The Refugees? Take An Up Close Look At Europe’s Migrant Crisis
An asylum seeker from Iran who stitched his lips in protest of the Greek-Macedonian border closure By JOSH FRIEDMAN With controversy swirling over U.S. President Donald Trump's refugee admission policy, many people may take interest in discovering who the refugees arriving in the West actually are. Care for an up close look at
Happy NEU Year
By JOSH FRIEDMAN Following a Brexit-dominated 2016, the European Union is seeking to shore up its image in 2017. Existential challenges lie ahead, but EU officials are proposing deeper integration of member states as a way to repair a fragmenting union. Europa building To start the year, some EU officials are moving
2016 In Review
By Josh Friedman 2016 was a year of backlash. Western ruling elites took a beating. Here is a look back at what happened: Events of the year 10. Fidel Castro Death Numerous celebrity deaths grabbed international headlines in 2016, but none of those figures significantly impacted millions of people’s lives the way Cuba’s longtime communist
Trump-fearing Americans: A World Of Opportunity Awaits You
By JOSH FRIEDMAN If you are of the belief that a Trump presidency will be a catastrophe, now is an excellent time to search abroad for new opportunities. And if you are one of the people who threatened to move to a different country in the event of Trump winning the White House, put your
Messy Balkan Democracy
A billboard in the heart of Banja Luka showing Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik urging Bosnian Serbs to vote in the state holiday referendum The following is the second post of a hopefully regularly published blog on the Balkans. Read the first post here. By JOSH FRIEDMAN More than a month into a
Fall in the Balkans: Ethnic Rivalries and Refugees
Josh Friedman in front of the Republika Srpska presidency in Banja Luka, Bosnia Report on the Republika Srpska referendum: The following is the first post of a hopefully regularly published blog on the Balkans. By JOSH FRIEDMAN Summer has ended, but tensions are simmering in the Balkans. Talk of war has erupted for
Brexit: Maybe Not After All
Despite the Leave victory in the British referendum asking to remain or to leave the European Union last Thursday, things might not be so straightforward for an actual process of British separation from Europe. By PHILIPPE ROV The outcome of the British referendum regarding the EU last Thursday showed one thing clearly: there is
Where Does Your Passport Rank?
By JOSH FRIEDMAN Seven countries issue passports that provide more visa-free travel options than the U.S. passport, according to recently released rankings. German citizens have the world's top travel document. Henley & Partners (H&P), a residence and citizenship planning firm, ranks passports based on the number of countries and territories to which they provide visa-free access.
New Hampshire Primary Recap
By ARNOLD FRIEDMAN Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, two staunch critics of America's political establishment on the right and left, scored decisive victories in the first national primary election of this year's contest for president of the United States. Trump's 19-point win over his nearest challenger in the New England state of New Hampshire removed
“American Sniper” Spared Fall From Grace Over Fatal Misstep
Court of Public Opinion Fails to hold “American Sniper” Accountable for Fatal Blunder By ARNOLD FRIEDMAN Most Americans recognize the need to keep guns away from dangerously troubled people. Chris Kyle, however, was different than most Americans. As a member of the elite Navy SEALs, Kyle survived four combat tours in Iraq while amassing a
HUMBLED IN IOWA: TRUMP LOSES HIS HEARTLAND GAMBLE
By ARNOLD FRIEDMAN Donald Trump figured he could have it both ways with the American news media in the preliminary round's first vote for president of the United States. It didn't work. Trump's novice campaign has dominated the presidential news coverage, but his risky decision to skip last week's debate with other Republican party candidates
How Notorious Criminals Become All But Forgotten
Voltaire Williams By ARNOLD FRIEDMAN For the foreseeable future, it’s quite likely that the name James Holmes will be infamous in the state of Colorado and perhaps across the United States. Much the same as Charles Manson is in California and nationwide. Holmes’ place in the gallery of infamous mass killers is assured now
TRUMP: TITAN OF THE TINY TENT?
By ARNOLD FRIEDMAN For years Donald Trump flirted with running for president of the United States. In mid-June, the billionaire real estate tycoon and former reality TV host decided that the time had come. Trump joined the overcrowded field for the 2016 Republican Party nomination. Far from entering the presidential race cautiously, the former boss
Freeman Cast: Of Gods, Kings, Wine, and Vodka
In Vino Veritas
Five Reasons Why Your Dreams Are Worth Nothing, and Should Be Given Up
There is a mantra floating around the world at the moment. Everyone seems to be repeating it with absolutely no thought and consideration for the facts. FOLLOW YOUR DREAMs is a lie.If you truly want to follow your dreams, stay asleep. Otherwise, get real, and become aware of the fact that all hope is lost.
Greece’s Odious Odyssey
Greece's Odyssey The saga of the financial trouble in Greece continues. Something that some would have expected to end much sooner, like the journey of Odysseus. To cross from Troy to Greece ought to be a short and straightforward journey. For some reason this was not so. Again, much like the journey of Odysseus, which
Cambodia Takes Your Mum Jokes to the Next Level
Cambodia does not often make the headlines. This time it is for something extremely insensitive and offensive on a level beyond what any normal human being could be considered remotely capable of. The story relates to Autumn Allen. She is a 13-year-old American living in Cambodia. Recently, she sang on national television. At the end
Ding Dong the UKIP Dick Is Gone
Mr. Cameron's Conservative party has won a landslide victory in the recent UK elections. Such a wide majority was expected by very few sources. While not all might agree with the result, this cloud does have a clear silver lining. The leader of the xenophobic UKIP party, Nigel Farage has resigned. This follows the disappointing
“Protect Our Shores Against these Cockroaches with Gunboats”
A few days ago Rupert Murdoch's NewsCorp attracted controversy once again. This time it was not for a phone hacking scandal or anything else which affects our impoverished and eternally persecuted ultra-wealthy celebrities. This time it was for something much, much more worrying. Although we might discount her opinion as that of only one individual,
ECB Protests: Frankfurt Burning
The European Central Bank, also known as the ECB was struck by protests today. The whole affair involved the arrest of nearly 400 anti capitalists with one agenda. They seek to try to make Mario Draghi and their colleagues go back on opening the new ECB headquarters in Frankfurt. Once again the Occupy Movement shows its
North Korea should let its people reap what they sow
The North Korean regime is allowing farmers to exercise a little more control over their farming operations and even keep more of what they produce. Reports indicate that yields are increasing as a result of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un giving farmers limited power to make business decisions. Kim should now accept that agriculture is more productive when
Trump’s Tainted Touch: The Worst Circus in Town
He Ain't No Midas Mark Bryan'sThe Shit Show "In just one term in office, Donald Trump has rendered the United States unrecognizable, and has faced no consequences for doing so. He has carried out a sustained assault on democratic institutions, put his family members in charge of critical government functions during a pandemic, called for