As the Obama administration and Congress continue to rack up trillions of dollars in debt while the Federal Reserve conjures ever-greater sums of fiat currency into existence out of thin air, lawmakers in Texas have officially become the latest policymakers to openly explore the potential consequences. Legislation filed recently in the Lone Star State would, among other points, require a study on the effects of having to become partially or completely independent of the federal government in case Washington is unable to function due to financial chaos.

Known as the "Texas Self-Sufficiency Act," House Bill 568 does not call for secession from the United States — a proposal that has been gaining increasing popularity among some segments of the Texan population fed up with an out-of-control central government.

Earning widespread applause from activists, analysts, and Tea Party groups nationwide, state lawmakers in the Virginia House of Delegates passed several important resolutions this week on issues that have been gaining increasing prominence in recent years. The measures, which mostly passed with broad support, deal with everything from restraining an out-of-control federal government and United Nations to ensuring that Virginians are protected in the event of a collapse of the increasingly unstable Federal Reserve fiat dollar system.  

A new coalition of law-enforcement officials and liberty-minded organizations led by former Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack is joining forces to defend freedom, with goals that include supporting the hundreds of constitutional sheriffs across America who promise to defend the rights of their constituents from the Obama administration’s lawless assault on the Constitution. As one of its primary projects, the alliance is sending letters to every sheriff in the United States to find out and publicize where they stand on the Second Amendment.

In a major victory for taxpayers in Iceland, an obscure transnational court ruled against the European Union and a similar supranational body last week, deciding that the tiny population of the island nation was not responsible for the massive liabilities of a private Icelandic bank that went bust during the 2008 economic meltdown. Establishment analysts blasted the decision as a “blow to global banking,” but Icelanders and proponents of the free market celebrated the verdict as a big win for the people and market principles — after all, they argue, citizens should not be forced to pay for the reckless and potentially criminal actions of a few bankers, widely criticized as “banksters” in recent years.

Corporate giant Monsanto, known for its controversial business model, lobbying, and its widely criticized genetically modified organisms (GMOs), has officially joined the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a group of powerful interests including major banks and Big Oil backing the United Nations “Agenda 21” scheme for so-called “sustainable development.” Critics, however, expressed alarm over the announcement, saying the global “sustainability” push is really a transparent plot to centralize power in the UN and enrich special interests at the expense of private property rights, national sovereignty, and individual liberty.

In an ironic but predictable development that has establishment analysts scratching their heads and human-rights organizations up in arms, brutal communist dictator Raul Castro of Cuba just assumed the rotating presidency of a regional “integration” body that touts itself as being in favor of “democracy.” Upon assuming his new role, the Marxist tyrant, who leads one of the most oppressive regimes in the world and will now be charged with running the supranational CELAC bloc, celebrated what he called "a common vision for the Latin American and Caribbean homeland.” 

A series of recent military exercises in major cities including Miami and Houston have alarmed residents and even local officials, many of whom were reportedly unaware that the drills would be taking place in their jurisdictions. The Obama administration's controversial “urban-warfare” scenarios included low-flying black helicopters firing blanks out of machine guns, heavily armed troops rappelling onto buildings, and more.

If the government were to pass an unconstitutional law purporting to ban firearms, two thirds of Americans with guns in their household say they would defy the lawless legislation and refuse to comply, according to a recent poll conducted by Fox News. Even the majority of Democrat and liberal gun owners would refuse to surrender their weapons, the survey revealed. Most Americans also believe that more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens — not gun bans — would help reduce crime.

Facing a dramatic decline in support for his party due to its continued, albeit half-hearted, support for the controversial European Union, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron finally promised British subjects a referendum on whether or not to leave the EU — in five years. However, despite the tsunami of public opposition to the union, establishment figures from around the world, including the Obama administration, are using transparent fear-mongering tactics warning Britons to stick with the embattled super state or face dire consequences.

If Americans needed any further evidence of the blatant bias and disregard for the truth displayed by the increasingly discredited establishment press, the coverage — or lack thereof — of two recent demonstrations in Washington, D.C., provided a perfect illustration. One tiny protest was seeking more gun control and was promptly plastered all over the front pages. The other march, which was virtually ignored by the press despite record-breaking attendance, sought protection for the lives of unborn children.