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  In the digital age, the concept of warfare has evolved beyond traditional battlegrounds. Our minds have become the front lines, and the weapons deployed are information, disinformation, and manipulation. We are now in an era of 5th Generation Warfare (5GW) , where the battle isn't for land or resources but for thoughts, emotions, and perceptions. Coupled with this, we see the rise of what has been termed the "Imperial Administrative State" and the "Uniparty" - power is being consolidated within a small group of elites who are allegedly manipulating political, commercial, and social systems to advance their own agendas. This is often framed as " The Great Reset ." One of the tools in their arsenal is "Swarm Consensus," a form of decision-making in the digital sphere where a "swarm" of opinions converge to form a consensus. However, accountability often gets lost in this process and can be manipulated to shape publ...

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...