WEBVTT 00:02.700 --> 00:06.720 Hello, everybody, and thank you for tuning in to the Weekly Report. 00:08.580 --> 00:12.340 War Abroad at Authoritarianism at Home. 00:14.040 --> 00:16.520 War is the health of the state. 00:17.520 --> 00:26.260 That phrase, coined by Randolph Born, explains why opposition to war is a priority of many 00:26.260 --> 00:27.440 libertarians. 00:28.960 --> 00:37.520 War allows governments to increase spending, taxes, and regulations in order to feed the 00:37.520 --> 00:38.340 war machine. 00:39.720 --> 00:45.740 Wars can justify measures that remain in place long after the war ends. 00:46.760 --> 00:54.400 An example of this is the income tax withholding that was created to fund World War II. 00:55.780 --> 01:03.340 The use of war as a justification for increased interference in the market is reason enough 01:03.340 --> 01:05.980 for libertarians to oppose war. 01:07.740 --> 01:12.560 However, war also enables the government to violate liberty. 01:13.540 --> 01:22.300 During the Civil War, President Lincoln suspended habeas corpus, shut down newspapers, and 01:22.300 --> 01:24.300 instituted a military draft. 01:25.400 --> 01:32.220 The draft was also used in World Wars I and II, as well as Korea and Vietnam. 01:33.040 --> 01:40.200 During the World War I, Congress passed the Seditions Act, outlawing criticism of 01:40.200 --> 01:49.100 the government, widespread violation of liberty, or a hallmark of the ongoing war on terror, 01:49.250 --> 01:57.160 An infamous example of war being used to justify violations of liberty is the internment of Japanese 01:57.160 --> 01:59.680 Americans during World War II. 02:01.510 --> 02:09.040 Given this history, it is not surprising that the Iran War may lead to crackdowns 02:09.040 --> 02:10.220 on free speech. 02:11.040 --> 02:17.640 Following criticism of the media's coverage of the Iran War by President Trump and Defense 02:17.640 --> 02:27.440 Secretary Pete Hegseth, Federal Communications Commission FCC Chairman Brandon Carr made a post 02:27.440 --> 02:35.820 on Twitter telling broadcast networks that the FCC has the power to revoke their broadcast 02:35.820 --> 02:43.360 licenses if they do not fulfill their responsibility to act in the public interest. 02:44.320 --> 02:51.320 This was clearly a threat to revoke the license of any broadcast network whose coverage of the war 02:51.320 --> 02:59.760 displeased the Trump administration, threatening to use the FCC's power to shut down broadcast 02:59.760 --> 03:06.100 networks that the president dislikes is a blatant violation of the First Amendment 03:06.100 --> 03:07.900 by Chairman Carr. 03:09.080 --> 03:17.300 Chairman Carr may think that he can get a court to approve revoking a broadcaster's license for 03:17.820 --> 03:22.540 its war coverage by claiming it is endangering national security. 03:23.520 --> 03:31.380 This would hardly be the first time the government's used national security as an excuse to censor 03:31.380 --> 03:32.180 its critics. 03:37.560 --> 03:44.220 Since the U.S. is waging the Iran War in collaboration with Israel and the Trump administration 03:44.220 --> 03:51.760 supports defining criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism, it is not out of the realm 03:51.760 --> 03:59.240 of possibility that opposition to the war will be labeled as anti-Semitic hate speech 03:59.240 --> 04:00.500 and be banned. 04:02.500 --> 04:10.920 Thousands of American troops are being deployed to the Middle East with no end to the war in 04:10.920 --> 04:18.480 sight and the U.S. military taking on the task of ensuring oil tankers have safe passage 04:18.480 --> 04:26.060 through the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military may soon need a major increase in troops. 04:27.420 --> 04:34.540 White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt has refused to rule out the possibility that 04:34.540 --> 04:37.920 President Trump may reinstate the draft. 04:39.180 --> 04:46.900 The fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act makes implementing the draft 04:46.900 --> 04:55.140 easier than ever before by automatically registering every 18-year-old man with the 04:55.140 --> 04:56.020 Selective Service. 04:57.000 --> 05:02.720 The draft assumes rights or gifts from the government that can be revoked at the whim 05:02.720 --> 05:03.700 of government. 05:06.740 --> 05:10.800 Violations of liberty come along with wars. 05:10.800 --> 05:17.060 Therefore, opposition to wars unrelated to the legitimate security needs of the country 05:17.060 --> 05:21.960 must be a priority for all who value liberty. 05:23.280 --> 05:24.560 Thanks for listening.