By Matthew Hayward  As trust in the electoral process faces a global crisis, the search for a reliable, transparent, and secure voting system becomes paramount. This blog aims to explore how blockchain technology— a decentralized digital ledger system— can be deployed to bolster the integrity of elections in a constitutional republic, such as ours, by ensuring a trustworthy and verifiable vote count. Blockchain technology has already demonstrated its transformative potential across various sectors, from finance to supply chain management. When leveraged for voting systems, blockchain offers several substantial benefits aimed at enhancing security, transparency, and accuracy in our electoral processes: Tamper-proof Voting Records: By recording votes as unalterable transactions on a distributed ledger, blockchain voting systems ensure that each vote remains secure and immune to alteration, deletion, or duplication, mitigating the risk of fraud and reinforcing the integrity of the ele...

By Matthew Hayward 5/3/2023 Updated: 9/29/2025 In the digital age, warfare has shifted from trenches to timelines. The front line is now our minds, and the weapons are information, disinformation, and manipulation. This  5th Generation Warfare (5GW) . The goal is not territory or treasure, but thoughts, emotions, and perceptions. Alongside this, we face the growing dominance of what some call the “Imperial Administrative State” and the “Uniparty.” Power is concentrated among elites who manipulate politics, commerce, and culture for their gain, often branded as " The Great Reset ." One tool is “Swarm Consensus.” Online swarms converge on a narrative that feels democratic but is engineered to steer opinion. In this fog, accountability disappears. How to fight back: Sharpen Critical Thinking and Media Literacy Question sources, cross-check facts, recognize bias. Understand how platforms profit by manipulating attention. Engage in Civic Life Vote, communicate with officia...

By Matthew Hayward In the realm of classified information leaks, it is important to differentiate between three distinct categories: accidental negligent leaks, deliberate acts of espionage by true traitors, and whistleblowers. As a civil libertarian, understanding these distinctions is crucial to maintain national security and civil liberties. Accidental negligent leaks occur when individuals inadvertently expose classified information without malicious intent. While such leaks can potentially harm national security, the lack of intent to cause damage should be considered when determining the appropriate punishment. An example of this type of leak is the recent case of Jack Teixeira , a young Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified documents. Teixeira's actions are more in line with reckless behavior rather than a deliberate attempt to expose government wrongdoing or engage in espionage. In contrast, true traitors are individuals who deliberately sell classified infor...

By Matthew Hayward To paraphrase George Orwell, “All unionized teachers are equal; it’s just that some are more equal than others.” Once upon a time, teachers’ unions were established with the noble goal of protecting the rights of educators by advocating for higher pay and working conditions. The sales pitch also included heartfelt assurances that improved compensation for teachers would attract better-qualified candidates and produce better education outcomes. Over time, the unintended consequence for teachers is that, as the union grows, it becomes less transparent and less responsive to its members. Unions in general, and teachers’ unions in particular, eventually become more concerned with their own self-preservation and the accumulation of power than the well-being of their members, let alone satisfying students or their parents. And some teachers have become more equal than others. Union leaders often use their influence to protect the interests of veteran teachers who’ve been r...

In a legal battle that has lasted for years, This Friday, you can watch the Oral argument in T690 v. LC on Sept. 18 @ 1000,   here , under Division III.    This will certainly not be the end, but will there ever be an end?   Summary of a modernized Charles Dickens novel, Bleak House , about Jarndyce and Jarndyce transformed into a real court case in interminable legal proceedings. Lincoln County v Teamsters 690 or (Jarndyce v Jarndyce) concerns the fate of many a man's livelihoods. The case has dragged on through generations of legal counsel, leaving workers to work without a contract, legal costs amounting to far more than would have ever been granted by contract, and no end in sight. Teamsters, like other unions, take their foe to the Chancery, knowing it would be better to "Suffer any wrong that can be done you rather than come here!" “Jarndyce and Jarndyce drones on. Over time, this scarecrow of a suit has become so complicated that no man alive know...

Typically my focus on organized labor has to do with public-sector unions , their lack of transparency , and forced dues as a condition of employment. Private-sector unions rarely appear on my radar, but I take exception to the latest outrage in my hometown. Joint Base Lewis McCord’s 555th Engineer Brigade worked with the city of Olympia to find a building to demolish for training purposes. There are plenty of old eyesores in Olympia, so a suitable candidate for demolition wasn’t a problem. A building on the contentious Isthmus, a skinny stretch of land separating Capital Lake and the base of Puget Sound, was chosen. JBLM was excited to work with the city of Olympia to get on-the-ground training for overseas missions. Meanwhile, the city, which struggles to keep revenue above spending , was happy to have JBML donate its services. The money isn’t there to clean up Olympia, and bringing down all the buildings is expensive, so any help we can get is welcomed and needed. To the ...

By Matthew Hayward Under current law, Washington’s governor can engage in secret, closed-door contract negotiations with more than 25 unions whose impact on taxpayers equals hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer expenses. The problem is these same unions contributed to the governor’s campaign to $5.8 million dollars. There is clearly a conflict of interest in allowing elected officials to negotiate how to spend tax dollars with their campaign contributors, especially during secret meetings. Notwithstanding the fact our current governor promised salary increases even before negotiations ever started, what kind of negotiating is that? In 2002 , a law passed under Gov. Gary Locke that exempts state negotiating sessions from the Open Public Meetings Act. This means state-level collective bargaining is not required to be done in public. On the other hand, nothing is saying they couldn't be. It’s time to turn on the cameras and microphones and hold our representative...