This week, we focus on questions central to a classical liberal perspective: war powers and intervention abroad, the role of government in public services, the growth of surveillance, and transparency in political institutions—all with an eye toward advancing peace, prosperity, and limited government.

When U.S. and Israeli bombs fall on Iran—and retaliation follows against American bases and even civilian sites abroad—it certainly looks like war. But under our Constitution, who actually has the authority to wage it? On the latest episode of Independent Conversations, Ivan Eland, Williamson Evers, and Graham Walker dive in to the implications of Trump’s foreign policy.

Closer to home, the San Francisco Bay Area’s major transit systems—BART, Muni, and Caltrain—are facing severe budget shortfalls and the prospect of major service cuts. Calls for additional public funding are growing, but Walter E. Block offers a different view, arguing that the deeper issue lies in the long history of what he terms “transportation socialism,” rather than a lack of subsidies.

Meanwhile, as most drivers focus on the road, a growing network of cameras is focused on them. A recent federal court decision in Virginia has lowered the bar for government tracking. Pegah K. Parsi outlines the weaknesses in the court’s reasoning, and I offer a separate estimate of how widespread automated license plate readers may be in California.

On foreign policy, Sam Jenson assesses the trajectory of Donald Trump’s second term, contrasting campaign promises of restraint with a $16.5 billion opening move in Iran. That same question—what kind of war, and on what authority?—is also central to this week’s Independent Conversations discussion.

Finally, when both parties in Congress align behind a policy proposal, it is worth examining the details. A ban on congressional stock trading may appear to be a clear ethics reform, but Scott Beyer argues it could function as a smokescreen for reduced transparency elsewhere.

Thanks for reading.

Jonathan Hofer
Managing Editor