Free Republic

Billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist Richard Branson said Thursday that taxing the rich "makes sense," arguing the extremely affluent have a responsibility to tackle some of the biggest problems in the world, including wealth disparities. "People like myself are incredibly fortunate," the Virgin Group founder told CNBC's Morgan Brennan in an interview. "I suspect there should be higher taxes for the wealthy around the world and I don't think they would object to that." Branson — with a net worth of $4.1 billion, according to Forbes — is part of the growing circle of elite business leaders questioning wealth disparity in...

An Al Qaeda-linked group fighting in Syria has released video of the first American to carry out a suicide attack in the country's civil war, showing him smiling and saying he looked forward to going to heaven. The Nusra Front released the new video late Friday showing American citizen Moner Mohammad Abu-Salha, 22, with other fighters before the May 25 attack that targeted several army positions at the same time. Abu-Salha appears smiling in the video and speaks in broken Arabic. "I want to rest in the afterlife, in heaven. There is nothing here and the heart is not resting,"...

In a surprising ruling, a federal judge has determined that convicted terrorist, Jose Padilla, can sue former Department of Justice lawyer, John Yoo, over Yoo’s legal opinion that led to Padilla being held as an enemy combatant. US District Judge Jeffrey S. White of the Northern District of California based in San Francisco, denied a Department of Justice motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Padilla’s lawyers contend that Yoo’s legal opinions allowed the US military to detain Padilla as an enemy combatant which led to Padilla being subjected to torture. As reported by local TV station KTVU: The lawsuit alleges the...

Vido of warning? by ACLU about freedom.

One of the more tiring duelling refrains of the presidential campaign is that: 1) John McCain was not born in the United States, and cannot, under the Constitution, serve as president, and, 2) Barack Obama says he was born in Hawaii, but cannot show a birth certificate. As tired as the line of reasoning on both fronts may be, it keeps showing up in the reader-comments on postings here in the Swamp. So we're here this morning, a little more than a week from the election of the 44th presient of the United States, to assure readers that both of...

Today, at 11:00 am, I took the oath to become a citizen of the United States of America. It's still sinking in, but I'm ecstatic as well. And i just wanted to share this with you.

For the majority of my adult life, both in and out of our Armed Forces, I have lived and worked in many other countries. I was not an immigrant, that is, a settler or refugee, yet in all cases, I was subjected to common resident requirements and limitations placed on all émigré’s. Here is a simplified list. In all cases, I had to have permission to enter, that is, military orders, a passport and/or visa. Issuance of a visa was often based on the completion of a complete physical exam. In all cases, I was required to carry copies of...

<p>Liberal singer Madonna is considering lending her support to right-wing British political party the Conservatives, by attending its annual winter ball in London on Tuesday. The Material Girl and husband Guy Ritchie are expected to go to the Grosvenor House Hotel as guests of Guy's dad John and stepmother Shireen, who is the chairperson of the exclusive Kensington and Chelsea Conservative Association.</p>

WorldNetDaily Commentary The erosion of American citizenship Henry Lamb Posted: September 6, 2003 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com Who would deny that Indians were treated badly by the first settlers in this country? The era of black slavery is an embarrassment to our "enlightened" society. Irish immigrants were singled out for mistreatment, as were people from Poland. Jews were horribly mistreated. So were the Mormons. Should each of these groups be given a sovereign land within the United States and allowed to govern as they choose, free from taxes paid by others and free to engage in activities denied to others?...

Peter Jennings takes up U.S. citizenship After pondering the idea seriously for a decade -- and weathering a recent controversy in which his Canadian roots were an issue -- ABC News anchor Peter Jennings has become an American citizen. The Toronto-born journalist, who was raised in Ottawa and still retreats from fame every summer to a farm in the nearby Gatineau Hills, said yesterday the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S. and his recent travels throughout the country have made him feel "much more connected to the Founding Fathers' dreams and ideas for the future." Mr. Jennings, who...

America's most famous Canadian, Peter Jennings has announced that he will be seeking American citizenship.

U.K. Citizen/Human Shield/High Rantress Ms. Uzma Bashir AKA "Baghdad Betty" Title: "A Lady With Real Attitude" By Paul Belden BAGHDAD - On the first night of bombing in Baghdad, I recall having written about a much-loved young peace activist named Uzma Bashir who had gone to Iraq to serve as a human shield, and whose many friends had gathered in an Amman hotel to hear the latest news from Iraq. They were all very frightened for her safety, I wrote.They needn't have bothered. As it turned out, the bombing campaign didn't hurt Uzma one bit. It did, however, really...