la liberté avant tout
In Times of Repression, Leaving Your Country May Be Best By YAËL OSSOWSKI | PanAm Post Usually, individuals look for ways to be freer. Among individuals already aware of the mounting problems of ever-repressive tax, police, and social policies of Western governments, the focus is on practical fixes more than philosophical questions. Though many may turn to political…
I was invited by famous Canadian podcasters Ed & Ethan to sit in on one of their recent shows to talk about Quebec’s election and other topics of interest. Enjoy! (My part starts at 25:50)
Provincial Leader Debate Shows PQ’s Turn to Irreverent Populism By Yaël Ossowski | PanAm Post In 1995, Quebec premier and Parti Québécois (PQ) leader Jacques Parizeau declared in his speech following the province’s failed referendum on secession that the battle was lost due to the “ethnic vote.” Almost 20 years later, his party has taken that message…
On the weekend on the 14-16 of March, 2014, a new European generation of freedom-loving youth assembled in Berlin, Germany for the 3rd Annual European Students For Liberty Conference. It was an event which united over 570 students and young professionals from 40 countries. Apart from the rich experience of uniting hundreds of individuals interested in…
By Yaël Ossowski | PanAm Post Worthless, invisible, and impractical. Impossible for the poor to use. A fantasy of the privileged. For devotees of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, these pessimistic criticisms are ceremoniously raised in conversations and articles invoked by skeptics. In the viral YouTube video “Shit Bitcoin Fanatics Say,” the rudimentary objections to the digital currency are laughingly…
By Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org When President Barack Obama chooses to enforce select portions of federal law, is he playing the part of chief executive or skirting around Congress and, by extension, the U.S. Constitution? That’s the question House Republicans put forth in a House Judiciary Committee meeting Wednesday, stacking the witness panel with four fellow House GOP members and three law professors all too…
By Yaël Ossowski | PanAm Post In Ukraine, the citizen uprising is beyond bloody. In Venezuela, it’s a full blown crisis. All across the world, people are rising up against their governments and demanding a change to the status quo. In several Latin-American countries, the anger against government is just as strong; citizens are frustrated with corrupt politicians, deteriorating security,…
The immediate casualties of war and conflict are measured not only in blood and treasure, but also in historical truth. And 69 years to the day since the Allied firebombing of Dresden, we are reminded that no particular event has been more neglected in the popular Western narrative of the Second World War than the…
By Yaël Ossowski The immediate casualties of war and conflict are measured not only in blood and treasure, but also in historical truth. And 69 years to the day since the Allied firebombing of Dresden, we are reminded that no particular event has been more neglected in the popular Western narrative of the Second World…
Canada’s Electoral Reform Answers Critics and Shapes Up System By Yaël Ossowski | PanAm Post As per usual in Canadian federal politics, a genuine reform bill is tabled in the House of Commons and an onslaught of doom-and-gloom scenarios are painted by opponents to the Conservative government of Stephen Harper. When Minister of State for Democratic Reform…
By Yaël Ossowski | Vermont Watchdog With an office and desk housed within the Vermont Department of Taxes, Gloria Hobson is not your average salaried government employee. In fact, based upon her job description and title, one would argue her work serves as the ultimate paradox: a “taxpayer advocate” with a state government paycheck. Since 2001, Hobson has acted…
By Yaël Ossowski | Vermont Watchdog On the trail of scammers, Vermont aims to set up financial guard dogs to sniff out companies offering high-interest predatory loans to elderly pensioners. A proposed state law would put a stop to companies offering seniors quick cash for their monthly pension checks. “I was approached by AARP over the off-season talking about…
PanAm Columnist Presents Cryptocurrency to Austrian Libertarian Movement Yaël Ossowski writes the “Question the Narrative” column with the PanAm Post, and he is a true international man — dividing his time between Canada, the United States, and Europe. Recently, he introduced bitcoin to a mixture of libertarians and economics enthusiasts in Austria. Here is that presentation. Ossowski says…
One of my stories about Executive Order 12333 made it into the Washington Examiner newspaper. Mad about government spying and snooping? Look at Ronald Reagan’s executive order YAËL OSSOWSKI • | JANUARY 22, 2014 AT 7:07 PM American uproar over revelations of mass government spying has provoked a significant revision of the actions of U.S. spy agencies across…
Government Thwarting Potential to Be Energy Powerhouse By Yaël Ossowski | PanAmerican Post As a progressive party with green tendencies, the Parti Québécois minority currently at the head of the Quebec provincial government is no friend of the natural gas industry. And that’s to the detriment of ordinary Quebecois. It was made self-evident from the moment of…
By Yaël Ossowski | Vermont Watchdog In keeping with Vermont Watchdog‘s mission of keeping state government accountable, a quick peek at the state payroll is always important. The state of Vermont has 7,805 public employees, according to the Department of Human Resources, a number that has stayed relatively stable for a decade. The average state employee in Vermont is 47…
By Yaël Ossowski | Vermont Watchdog All of the problems in Vermont seem bad enough to warrant paying big for mental health professionals. A recent examination of the employee state compensation database in Vermont shows the highest-paid public employee in the state is a “private secretary” for the Department of Mental Health. While he’s not actually a secretary, his job…
By Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org American uproar over revelations of mass government spying has provoked a significant revision of the actions of U.S. spy agencies across the board. While ire has been focused at the Obama and Bush administrations, such snooping was given the green light by none other than former President Ronald Reagan over 30 years ago. As revealed in testimony during…
By Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org The dominoes are falling all across New England. The New Hampshire House of Representatives made history last week when it became the first state Legislature to vote in favor of a bill to legalize the sale and possession of recreational marijuana. “Polls show 60 percent of voters in the state support (the bill), and…
American Embargo Impedes the Means for Bottom-Up Change By Yaël Ossowski | PanAm Post (En Español) In the freezing slush and rain of winter, the vacation posters represent total serenity and warmth. “Check out Cuba’s glamorous vacations deals,” reads one. “Glorious beaches, ocean, and relaxation,” reads another. In the frigid arctic shelf nation of Canada,…