Ryan Lau

Editor-in-Chief

Ryan Lau is the editor-in-chief of 71 Republic and a member of its board of directors. He directs the site's coverage and serves as a news reporter covering breaking news, U.S. Politics, and the Libertarian Party. He also contributes to 71 Republic's opinion column and editorials. A Connecticut native, Ryan studied psychology and philosophy at the University of Vermont and then at Trinity College, where he majored in philosophy. He wrote for the Brownstone Institute on public-health policy and appeared on the Connecticut ballot as a Libertarian candidate.

More articles loading. This is an incomplete archive.

World · Middle East

BREAKING: Israel Assassinates Palestinian Jihad Leader, Kills Syrian Civilians

Israel kills an Islamic Jihad commander in Gaza and strikes Damascus, hitting a residential building.

Opinion

Editorial: PR Agent Caroline McAteer Can’t Threaten 71 Republic

McGregor's PR agent demanded we delete the story or face lawyers; our answer: come and take it.

Essays

The Kurdish People Made a Deal With the Devil

America has abandoned the Kurds for a century — while arming every neighbor that boxes them in.

Essays

Biden Blunders: Candidate Forgets Party Affiliation

After a controversial comment about the capital gains tax, the Libertarian Party is trying to groom Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden for their own nomination.

Essays

Vapes and E-cigs 96% Safer Than Cigarettes, Study Reveals

The science says vapes carry four percent of a cigarette's harm — the ban push says otherwise.

Essays

Israelis Had Prior Knowledge of 9/11, FBI Reports Suggest

Released FBI reports yield evidence that the Five Dancing Israelis, who danced and cheered as the 9/11 attacks occurred, knew the attacks were coming.

Essays

DHS' Domestic Extremism Lexicon Calls You a Terrorist

Slipping under the eye of the mainstream media, the DHS' 2009 Domestic Extremism Lexicon labeled antiwar "extremists" as domestic terror threats.

Opinion

Johnson and Johnson Forced to Fuel the Opioid Epidemic?

Oklahoma is taking money from Johnson and Johnson for their role in the opioid epidemic, just to turn around and spend it fighting the brutal war on drugs.

U.S. Politics

Michael Baden: The Man Linking Epstein, MLK, O.J. and JFK

After Jeffrey Epstein's death, Michael Baden, who has investigated the deaths of JFK and MLK, will perform an independent autopsy.

U.S. Politics

Flint 2.0? Lead Crisis Continues in Newark, Despite Filters

Pur brand filters may be failing to remove lead from tap water in Newark, New Jersey as some begin comparing the crisis to that of Flint, Michigan.

Opinion

Mass Shootings Are a Politician's Best Friend

Are politicians just using the media hype of mass shootings in order to further their personal agendas and pass more gun control legislation?

Opinion

Josh Hawley Is Coming For Your... Snapchat Streaks?

Misunderstanding both psychology and the concept of individual freedom, Senator Josh Hawley continues to wage his little war against big tech.

Technology

Siri Just Leaked Your Sex Life to Apple Contractors

We’ve known for quite a while that Siri can record your every word.

World · Latin America

Interview with Venezuelan Libertarian Think Tank Econintech

Rafael Acevedo and Luis Cirocco of the Venezuelan Libertarian Think Tank Econintech sit down with 71 Republic to discuss the nightmare in Venezuela.

U.S. Politics

John McAfee Captured by the Government?

McAfee's campaign manager says the fugitive was boarded at sea — and that a dead-man's data dump is armed.

Opinion

El Chapo Only Got Half the Sentence of Ross Ulbricht

Though El Chapo was actually violent and was guilty of many more charges, his prison sentence is a mere half that of the peaceful Ross Ulbricht.

Technology

Storm Area 51 Now Has a Million Enlistees

The Facebook meme to storm Area 51 has taken the country by surprise, with over a million people now declaring an intention to participate.

Technology

Air Force Threatens 722,000 People Over an Area 51 Meme

After nearly 3/4 of a million people satirically signed up to rush Area 51, Air Force spokeswoman Laura McAndrews threatened those in on the meme.

Essays

The Libertarian Party Can't Even Balance Its Own Budget

The Libertarian Party thinks that they can balance America's budget but in the past two years, the party ran a deficit exceeding 10%.

Essays

"They're Just Doing Their Jobs" Is a Pathetic Excuse for Evil

Though many say that soldiers aren't responsible for wrongdoing because "they're just doing their jobs", this dangerous view takes away responsibility.

World · Europe

Nuclear Sub On Fire: Pence, Putin in Emergency Meetings

After a nuclear sub caught fire off the coast of Russia, killing 14, Mike Pence and Vladimir Putin were both called to emergency meetings.

Opinion

The "Concentration Camps" Have Existed Since Clinton

Though Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blames Trump for opening what she calls concentration camps on the border, they've really been there for decades.

Opinion

Trump Is No Hero for Calling Off the Iran Strike

Saving the lives of 150 Iranians is a noble action, but that doesn't mask the previous deaths that have occurred under President Trump's administration.

Essays

Sudan Meal Project and Politicians Betray You the Same Way

Sudan Meal Project turned mass compassion into a follower count — the same con politicians run with your deference.