INTERESTING: GLenn Beck does the Nolan chart

Friday, February 26, 2010

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/36981/

Glen Beck is “doing” the Nolan Chart.

Wonder if he’s going to mention the Zero Aggression Principle?

# – # – #

http://www.ncc-1776.org/whoislib.html

*** begin quote ***

Who is a libertarian?

Zero Aggression Principle (“Zap”)

   “Zero Aggression Principle”:

   A libertarian is a person who believes that no one has the right, under any circumstances, to initiate force against another human being for any reason whatever; nor will a libertarian advocate the initiation of force, or delegate it to anyone else.

   Those who act consistently with this principle are libertarians, whether they realize it or not. Those who fail to act consistently with it are not libertarians, regardless of what they may claim.

   — L. Neil Smith

   Formerly called the “Non-Aggression Principle”, or “NAP”

*** end quote ***

Or Amendment Zero?

*** begin quote ***

I propose a Constitutional Amendment providing that, if any public official, elected or appointed, at any level of government, is caught lying to any member of the public for any reason, the punishment shall be death by public hanging.

— L. Neil Smith

*** end quote ***

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QUOTE: Communist

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

“How do you tell a communist? It’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. How do you tell an anti-communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin.”

—-Ronald Reagan

# – # – #

Very applicable to the District of Corruption and all the various inhabitants.

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POLITICAL: Answer the Census; question 1 only!

Monday, February 22, 2010

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=125279

My 1-question census form
Posted: February 17, 2010
Walter E. Williams

*** begin quote ***

Americans need to stand up to Washington’s intrusion into our private lives. What business of government is the number of times a citizen has been married or what he paid for electricity last month? For those who find such intrusion acceptable, I’d ask them whether they’d also find questions about their sex lives or their marriage fidelity equally acceptable.

What to do? Unless a census taker can show me a constitutional requirement, the only information I plan to give are the number and names of the people in my household. The census taker might say, “It’s the law.” Thomas Jefferson said, “Whensoever the General Government (Washington) assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force.”

*** end quote ***

Prof Williams challenges us to fight for our rights.

You have only the rights you are willing to fight for.

Buzz off!

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RANT: Schools and the Fourth

Thursday, February 11, 2010

http://www.thestatenj.com/engine/2010/02/do-constitutional-rights-end-at-the-schoolhouse-door/

Do Constitutional Rights End at the Schoolhouse Door?

John Witherspoon February 4th, 2010  

*** begin quote ***

This week, the NJ State Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion upholding the ability of a school administrator to search a student’s car parked on school property using a reasonableness standard of proof, rather than the more stringent, probable cause standard that would apply to a police officer’s search.

*** and ***

Another nugget of fact appears from a close reading of the opinion. The Egg Harbor Township High School, where the events leading up to this case occurred, utilizes a school resource officer, employed by the Egg Harbor Township Police Department. After the school administrator searched the student’s vehicle, the officer took possession of the evidence and transported the student to the police station. So the officer was available to take the student into custody, but couldn’t be available to perform the search. Is that because the officer would be held to a higher standard of proof before he could perform the search?

*** end quote ***

Unfortunately, if we were being true to the Constitution, then the school, which is the gooferment disguise, MUST observe the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment!

Why do we have gooferment skrools again?

To allow the gooferment to propagandize the yutes so they always vote the “right” way!

Silly sheeple, just do what your betters tell you to do. Or, else!

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POLITICS: Name a gooferment program that works

Monday, January 11, 2010

http://libertyunbound.com/article.php?id=449

Bridging the Two Libertarianisms
Carl S. Milsted, Jr.
What does the nonaggression principle really mean for libertarianism?

*** begin quote ***

People routinely send mail by government post, drive on government roads, rely on government food inspections, walk on government sidewalks, and enforce contracts in government courts.

*** end quote ***

I once heard on Free Talk Live http://freetalklive.com/ one of the host expressed the paradigm: “Name one program that works? And, if we can agree it does work, how much does it cost? How much should it cost?”.

So let’s look at your examples:

  1. Mail: Even with funny accounting — they don’t count the cost of capital assets like real estate and equipment depreciation — the cost is absurd. And, they have to enforce the first class mail franchise with a law enforcing their monopoly. (The famous one dollar minimum for express delivery services.) It’s laughable when the USPS compares themselves to FedEx for package delivery since in some areas they subcontract to FedEx. And, let’s talk about lost mail. We have very little statistical information but that doesn’t mean they are flawless.
      
  2. Roads: In New Jersey, the roads are a disgrace. And, we had a gas tax trust fund that was raided by the goofenors of both parties to fund their pet projects. We have no way to know if there is a better way since no one is allowed to try a different way. We can look at the road in Disney World and other amusement parks that are in relatively perfect condition. Hard to imagine that a consortium of WalMart, UPS, and others couldn’t do as well. As a proxy, look at the Air Traffic Control System, that is run totally be the Federal Gooferment. Vintage 1950 computing causes massive delays. The roads are comperable. Where’s the innovation like in computers that makes roads better.
  3. Food Inspections: We can point to the fact that most “inspections” are either not done or don’t protect the people. A recent press story said that the gooferment accepts 10 or 20 times the level of filth in meat than McD’s does. We have no idea how much this “gooferment inspection” costs, but are people relying on that or the fact that they trust WalMart to sell them good stuff.
  4. Sidewalks: Sorry, but those are foisted on the property owner. Even when the gooferment destroys them, the land owner gets stuck fixing them. (I know personal experience.)
  5. Courts: That’s why we have Judge Judy on TV. The gooferment’s courts are backed up and capricious. And, heaven help you, if the gooferment has an interest in the suit. Sue the gooferment in it’s own court and be surprised at the result.

And on, and on, and on.

I have yet to see a gooferment program that works. Or even not working, do it at a reasonable cost.

I notice that the author didn’t cite: schools, dmv, health insurance, health care, foreign policy, DoD, and on, and on, and on.

My solution is to be pragmatic.

Let’s have an exit plan. It may take decades to “unwind” these programs, but let’s start.

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POLITICAL: Start the journey towards liberty

Sunday, January 10, 2010

http://www.michnews.org/2010/01/a-libertarian-vision-for-michigan/

A Libertarian vision for Michigan

*** begin quote ***

Troy – How should we as Libertarians craft our campaign theme for 2010? Here are my thoughts on the subject. I would certainly appreciate yours, too. As a political party we must articulate a positive, persuasive, simple and appealing campaign theme for our candidates in 2010.

*** and ***

# Fair. No bail outs. No hand outs. No special deals for businesses, unions or individuals. Instead, cut spending now by eliminating all incentives, benefits, and programs that don´t benefit the average voter or business. Cut government costs by eliminating all agencies and regulations that impede the creation of jobs and businesses, competition and personal freedom. Eliminate tax abatements, exemptions and discounts for the few preferred businesses, unions and individuals, and cut the tax rates paid by all.

*** end quote ***

“cut spending now by eliminating all incentives, benefits, and programs that don´t benefit the average voter or business”

That don’t benefit “ALL” voters.

The problem is that when gooferment tries to pick winners and losers, funny how they always pick the politicians’ friends.

A libertarian government should be extremely small. Prevent force or fraud. AND, that’s IT!

You don’t need a lot of taxes when you’re not doing a lot!

Slash the spending and taxes and step out of the way. Privatize any “service” or “product” that the government produces.

If it CAN NOT be done immediately, then let’s have a transition out of it. Five, Ten, … heck … even Forty Year plans.

Let’s start the journey to liberty!

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POLITICAL: No consequences for prosecutorial and investigative malpractice

Saturday, January 9, 2010

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/45956.html

The FBI, Bullying, and Sloppy Investigations
Posted by Bill Anderson on January 1, 2010 10:56 AM

*** begin quote ***

By empowering police and prosecutors and providing them with immunity from their wrongdoing, the government is encouraging investigators to be sloppy and incompetent. As we have seen in the two linked examples, bullying investigators have managed to botch these investigations, and it is no accident. The political classes tell us that we have to give the “authorities” near-absolute power to keep us “safe.” (Read any of the conservative websites and you will see what I mean. There is near-worship of the police, prosecutors, and federal investigators.) Guess what? When there are no consequences for being wrong, we can expect the police and FBI and others to be wrong, as it is much easier for them to make up their own narratives and then bully people into “agreeing” with them.

*** end quote ***

If we can fault the Dead Old White Guys (and that’s hard to do given their level of understanding at that point in time), then it would be for not putting a penalty in for ALL the INDIVIDUALS who violates some Constitutional rights.

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Just say “no” to any gooferment official

Saturday, January 2, 2010

201001011251.jpg

http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2009/12/31/tsa-withdraws-subpoenas-over-leaked-security-directive/

*** begin quote ***

From my own experience with having federal agents at my door, let me say this: Remember that if law enforcement shows up at your door, you are in no way obligated to speak to them, and in no way obligated to hand over anything immediately if they hand you a subpoena. You can and should challenge (move to quash) such a subpoena in court, if you receive one. You only have to surrender anything immediately if they have a search warrant, and only if the thing is named on the search warrant. Other than that, say absolutely nothing until you can consult a lawyer. Be polite, of course, when you ask them for their business card and send them on their way.

*** end quote ***

Good advice for any interaction with the gooferment at any level.

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UPDATE 2009.01.03 1600 ZULU

http://www.target.com/Come-Back-Warrant-Doormat/dp/B00020O572

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GUNS: Everyone NEEDS an AK47

Sunday, December 27, 2009

http://www.lewrockwell.com/maloney/maloney19.1.html

Automatic for the People: The AK-47
by C.J. Maloney

*** begin quote ***

Alexander Hamilton wrote in The Federalist No. 29 that should the federal government ever turn despotic it “can never be formidable to the liberties of the people while there is a large body of citizens, little, if at all, inferior to them in discipline and the use of arms.” If every American family had an AK-47 hanging on the wall over the 46” wide-screen plasma, that’d force enough to give any army pause.

So next May Day, assuming you remember it at all, take a moment to honor the memory of the millions slaughtered over the lethally stupid idea of communism, but give a nod to God’s great mercy, to His mysterious way that willed that very same idea to birth the AK-47. It gave to the working masses the ability to defend themselves from the more virulent strain of politicians; it is the sword of the common man. Of all the firearms yet dreamed up by mankind, it is the automatic for the people.

*** end quote ***

Why you might ask?

One: Do you think the politicians or the police fear the people?

Two: See the rising crime rate in unarmed Britan? And the number of home invasions?

Third, See the Tea Party rallies? Congressional Town Halls? They do any good?

Fourth. Dial 911 and die!

Nope, it’s time to defend yourself!

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QUOTE: Jefferson “If the American people ever allow the banks … …

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

http://www.visandvals.org/Jefferson_s_Warnings.php

Jefferson warned, “If the American people ever allow the banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers occupied … I sincerely believe the banking institutions having the issuing power of money are more dangerous to liberty than standing armies.”

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LIBERTY: Citizens’ Pledge of Mutual Support for the Principles of the Declaration of Independence

Friday, November 20, 2009

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/feature/2009/11/16/pledge_of_allegiance

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. And for the support of these principles, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

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INTERESTING: Gooferment goof for liberty

Sunday, October 25, 2009

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125597721400194603.html?mod=yhoofront

EUROPE NEWS
OCTOBER 21, 2009
Did Brinkmannship Fell Berlin’s Wall? Brinkmann Says It Did
Reporter Claims He, Not an Italian Competitor, Caused an Apparatchik to Err and Open Border
By MARCUS WALKER

*** begin quote ***

Pressed on the meaning of the new travel policy — When did it come into force? Did it apply to West Berlin? Did people need a passport? — the flustered apparatchik rustled his papers and gave confusing answers that led the news media to believe the border was open, with immediate effect.

The result, once East Berliners had seen that night’s news on West German television, was chaos at border crossings across the city.

At Bornholmer Strasse, one of the main checkpoints in central Berlin, confused border guards couldn’t get clear orders on how to deal with the crush, and debated whether to open fire. Instead, they opened the barrier, and the Berlin Wall was history.

*** end quote ***

I love a good “gooferment” story. Especially when it means a victory for liberty! LOL!!

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POLITICAL: Messing with the DOWG’s design

Sunday, October 18, 2009

http://channel-surfing.blogspot.com/2009/10/dispatches-filibuster-filibuster.html

*** begin quote ***

The issue here is the filibuster itself. It’s time to end this archaic procedure and take away the ability of a group of small-state Senators to hold the American people hostage.

*** end quote ***

Herb, herb, herb, … don’t you realize that the Dead Old White Guys feared democracy as mob rule. Hence, they tried to throw road blocks into the “popular will”.

Lifetime appointment for judges and six year term Senators selected by the State Legislature were just two of the roadblocks they put in as ways to be a “republic”.

They were also concerned that large states would overwhelm the little one. Why would a small state support the arrangement where they are always outvoted.

You “liberals” are always willing to change the rules to get your way. Note the Massachusetts change and rechange how to fill Kennedy’s / Kerry’s seat.

The reason that many states are talking secession is that the don’t want to “play along”. In short order, you may find that Vermont, Texas, Montana, and who know who else may seek to “leave the party”.

Leave filibuster alone. Unless you’re prepared to eventually fracture the Union. Remember in 2010, your precious “virtuous” D’s may be in the minority and need the fillibuster to keep the “villainous” R’s from passing this or that. (As if there was any difference between the two.)

Remember the R’s got the two term limit to prevent another FDR and prevented Ike. That gave us Nixon. And, we see how well that worked out.

Don’t mess with the Dead Old White Guys’ design. Can we now repeal the direct election of Senators? That hasn’t worked out so well either!

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POLITICS: “Climate Change”?

Saturday, October 17, 2009

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/blog-action-day-how-bloggers-can-combat-climate-change

Blog Action Day: How Bloggers Can Combat Climate Change
by Daniel Scocco

*** begin quote ***

Today is Blog Action Day, and I want to talk about how bloggers can act to combat climate change.

But first things first, what is climate change? It is the change in the average weather around the world. In our specific case the weather is getting hotter (hence why people talk about global warming). This charge is partially caused by natural factors (e.g., changes in Earth’s orbit), but the human factor also plays an important role, with the increasing concentration of greenhouses.

*** end quote ***

“Climate change”? How have we gone from “Global Cooling” in the 1970’s to “Global Warming” in the 2000’s and end up at “Climate Change” in 2009? Unfortunately, I don’t know if the climate is changing. It has in the past (i.e., Greenland was green). It may in the future. In the cosmic scale, we are a fly on the elephant’s butt. I do know that the same folks who did the “chicken little” on “global cooling” had the same litany of “cures” — higher taxes, more regulations, limitation on freedom. I think that it’s “sensible” to use less of “stuff”; sensible is a synonym for “cost effective”. It’s irrational to think that “I am saving the planet”; it’s smart to cut the electric bill by eliminating wasteful “phantom loads”. I think that bloggers can bring “common sense” to the discussion. We certainly don’t see common sense in the “old media”, politicians, or bureaucrats. Hypocrites abound (e.g., Gore’s carbon footprint; Prince Charles’ jet set life; UN in everything it does). We need to be “smart”!

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LIBERTY: We should be ashamed

Sunday, September 27, 2009

http://floatingcubans.com/

200909200814.jpg

*** begin quote ***

The original attempt at reaching the United States was done with a converted 1951 Chevy pickup truck on July 16, 2003. The truck’s drive shaft was attached directly to a propeller and the craft could reportedly reach a leisurely 7 knots (8 mph). 55-gallon oil drums were used for flotation. The dozen or so Cubans in the truck were caught just south of Key West after being sighted by a U.S. Customs aircraft.

*** end quote ***

We should put a giant garbage bag over the Statue of Liberty.

It mocks us.

If we eliminated welfare, then we could throw open the “Golden Doors”.

We’d be a better place.

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POLITICAL: DO we need gooferment?

Friday, September 25, 2009

http://tslrf.blogspot.com/2009/09/motivation-and-greed-rant-2.html

Sunday, September 20, 2009
Motivation and Greed, Classism and Perks- Rant #2

*** begin quote ***

The concept that you should be able to keep 100% of your income is a fine one. It would not work because at the end of the day we need some level of government (how much can be debated hotly) and that costs money.

*** end quote ***

I was with you up to that point.

I’m not so sure that is self-evident.

True, with only a few exceptions, we’ve always had “government”. We’ve also had social diseases too. That doesn’t mean we NECESSARILY have to have them.

Government IMHO is the meme that kills. It gets out of control so EASILY and QUICKLY. Maybe we could do without it.

Maybe, just maybe, we could buy insurance. And, insurance companies would buy protection for us.

Government is the only entity that can force us to buy products and services that we don’t want, can’t use, and at a price we can’t afford.

SOOooo, maybe we can do without it.

It’s interesting that someone will spend millions to get a job that pays thousands. That’s the tip off that there is something very wrong with the whole proposition of government.

imho.

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LIBERTY: Honest money begets success

Friday, September 25, 2009

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/smith-g.f5.1.1.html

How Much Money Do We Need?
by George F. Smith

*** begin quote ***

There will always be people who wish to live at the expense of others. Government does this through taxes and inflation – which is here used as an increase in the money supply – and in modern times, inflation, because it is generally misunderstood by the public, is a politically safer method of confiscation than taxes.

*** and ***

Fiat paper money regimes are not designed to promote a healthy economy. They are designed as a means of wealth distribution for the benefit of a few.

That probably doesn’t include you, and it definitely doesn’t include me.

*** end quote ***

It sure isn’t me!

Here in two paragraphs the author explains the problem with gooferment paper money.

I’m not sure how this all unwinds. We can see in history that: in France, the aristocrats lost their heads; in Germany, Hitler came to power; and in Zimbabwe, the people starve despite the fact that when it was Rhodesia it was Africa’s breadbasket.

As an “old guy”, I may not be here for the final act of this morality play. I think it’s going to make the Great Depression look like fun. All empires pass. And, the passing isn’t pretty for those in the empire.

Argh!

How do we fix it?

Civic virtue. Honest money. No more Ponzi schemes like Social Security. End welfare. End the Psuedo Drug War. Bring the troops home.

Will it happen?

I pray it will.

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RANT: Liberty; not gooferment

Thursday, September 24, 2009

  Anonymous said…

*** begin quote ***

   The consumer is king? No, he’s not. What’s my choice for electricity and gas? PSE&G or PSE&G? Or I have to move to another state. In many cases, one or two companies have a monopoly of a certain type of business or there is often price fixing and collusion between corporations. That is certainly true of the private for profit health insurance industry.

   What the hell is some poor working stiff in West Virginia supposed to do against giant coal mining corporations that are polluting the water, soil and air of their neighborhoods? Oh yeah, they have the option to move from their homes where they may have roots going back generations. We have no choice about how the energy is transmitted to our abodes. The only way to deal with these great polluters is through the power of the government or the legislature. We need a trust busting Theodore Roosevelt and an army of Upton Sinclairs to take on all these giant corporations which are raping the environment and our wallets. Corporate America has too much power, they are unelected but they control the media and have undue influence over Congress and our legislatures, (local, state and federal).

   We need strong unions to give workers a voice and to level the playing field.

*** end quote ***

Blogger reinkefj said…

   >The consumer is king? No, he’s not. What’s my choice for electricity and gas? PSE&G or PSE&G?

   OK, let’s take PSEG. Who gave them a monopoly? The Gooferment. So aim your ire at the “state”! That’s why you don’t have a choice.

   Even when given a monopoly, that still doesn’t completely insulate the monopoly service provider. Comcast was the monopoly. Then, came DirectTv. Then, Dish. Then, Verizon FIOS.

   >In many cases, one or two companies have a monopoly of a certain type of business or

   > there is often price fixing and collusion between corporations.

   There is NO monopoly without GOOFERMENT. Competition disolves “natural monopolies” in a few years. Everyone always cites the Rockyfeller oil monopoly which lasted (I think) THREE years before competitors came in and took percentages.

   >That is certainly true of the private for profit health insurance industry.

   There is NO such industry. The Federal and State Gooferments regulate EVERYTHING about healthcare. AND, those companies LOVE it. It prevents competition. “Regulatory capture”, restriction on suuply, mandated coverages just make it expensive.

   >What the hell is some poor working stiff in West Virginia supposed to do against giant coal

   >mining corporations that are polluting the water, soil and air of their neighborhoods?

   Where’s the Federal and State EPA that are supposed to be preventing that?!? In fact, the gooferment is the biggest polluter. (Check some of the DOD and DOE sites.)

   If you had a fair judicial system, then they’d have a recourse. Read Healing Our World by Dr. Mary Ruwart. http://www.ruwart.com/Healing/chap14.html

   >Corporate America has too much power, they are unelected but they control the media

   > and have undue influence over Congress and our legislatures, (local, state and federal).

   It’s called Facism. Where the State and Business become “bedfellows”.

   >We need strong unions to give workers a voice and to level the playing field.

   Yeah, right. Like the UAW, Teachers Union, or SCIU are weak. Please, don’t make me laugh. They are AS corrupt as the politicians.

   So who’s going to save you now?

   The answer is we have to rescue ourselves. It’s our thinking that needs to change. We have to demand freedom and liberty. We can start by voting out EVERY incumbent. Call it voter imposed term limits. Demand TRUE deregulation. No licenses, no permits, no gooferment oversight. Liberty will protect us.

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LIBERTY: A real single payer

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=109854

How ’bout a real single-payer system?

Posted: September 15, 2009

*** begin quote ***

What did we do, back during the years when most Americans had no medical insurance? I did what most people did. I depended on a “single payer” – myself. When I didn’t have the money, I paid off my medical bills in installments.

The birth of my first child was not covered by medical insurance. I paid off the bill, month by month, until the time finally came when I could tell my wife that the baby was now ours, free and clear.

In a country where everything imaginable is bought and paid for on credit, why is it suddenly a national crisis if some people cannot pay cash up front for medical treatment?

*** end quote ***

We have 310M people with 15M “uninsured”.

So we are going to mess up 295 to possibly “insure” 15?

Sorry, but everyone should just pay their own. And insurance and charity care for the big bad wolf!

Start by making insurance tax deductible for everyone.

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LIBERTY: A slender thread!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

http://www.rutherford.org/articles_db/commentary.asp?record_id=612

Celebrate the Constitution by Becoming an Activist
By John W. Whitehead
9/14/2009

*** begin quote ***

   “I call not upon a few, but upon all: not on this state or that state, but on every state; up and help us; lay your shoulders to the wheel; better to have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake.”–Thomas Paine, 1776

Federal law mandates that all high schools, colleges and universities across the country that receive federal funds host educational events about the Constitution on Constitution Day, September 17. There will also be various festivities in Washington, DC, and in some communities across America celebrating the Constitution.

*** end quote ***

A scrap of paper is all that stands between us and the camps!

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LIBERTY: What crowd?

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

200909162341.jpg

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FUN: Michael Moore can’t sing, but he can bring back memories

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/09/leno-tuesday-ratings-.html

September 16, 2009

Jay Leno’s ratings drop notably for second episode

*** begin quote ***

The Leno episode featured an interview with Michael Moore in the studio

*** end quote ***

I think Michael Moore is a muddled thinker. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed “The Times They Are A Changing”. While he’s no Dylan or PP&M, I can remember singing that in Greenwich Village along with all the other audience of the many folk singers.

For the times they are a changing?

How’s that “hope and change” working out for you?

For the loser now, Will be later to win, For the times they are a-changin’.

“We, The People” have been losing for a long time at the hands of the Political and Elite. Time for us to start winning.

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LIBERTY: How do we get there?

Thursday, September 10, 2009

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/35350.html

September 8, 2009
On Larken Rose, Libertarian Organizations, and the Means to Achieving Liberty
Posted by Karen De Coster on September 8, 2009 09:17 AM

*** begin quote ***

I think, at this point, that nothing can be fixed via the political process. No ballots, no politicians, and no libertarian-lite legislation is going to restore liberty, because the political process has become so corrupt and its agents are immensely wealthy and empowered. We don’t have the political power to defeat them outright, but we do have the individual power – working in concert with one another – to resist them, impede them, protest them, deny them, and ally with others who wish to do the same.

*** end quote ***

She thinks it’s too late for a peaceful solution. Hope he’s wrong.

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LIBERTY: The end of the American Empire?

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

http://justsamachar.com/international/how-lehman-brothers-ripples-spread/?r=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/sep/04/lehman-brothers-aftershocks-28-days

guardian.co.uk
28 days that shook the world
How the collapse of Lehman Brothers pushed capitalism to the brink
The Wall Street titan’s bankruptcy triggered a system-wide crisis of confidence in banks across the globe
Andrew Clark in New York
Friday 4 September 2009 12.14 BST

*** begin quote ***

Barclays picked up parts of Lehman from the bankruptcy courts, salvaging about 10,000 of the bank’s 25,000 jobs. But many still question the wisdom of the US government’s decision to stand by and allow a vast investment bank to go bust, given the intertwined nature of Lehman’s trading relationships around the globe. Larry McDonald, a former Lehman vice-president, says the Bush administration could easily have offered the guarantee needed to help Barclays buy Lehman outright: “They put Lehman Brothers to sleep. They executed her. They put a pillow over her face.”

Researching a recently published book on Lehman’s failure, “a colossal failure of common sense”, McDonald interviewed more than 45 Lehman executives. They insisted that they warned both Bush’s treasury secretary, Henry Paulson, and the then chairman of the New York Fed, Timothy Geithner, of the consequences of inaction: “They were begging Geithner and begging Paulson. They were saying to Geithner ‘you’re going to unleash the forces of evil on the global markets – you don’t understand what you’re doing!'”

That is not to say that Lehman can shirk blame for its predicament. With $18bn of core equity on its balance sheet, the bank had taken positions of an astonishing $780bn in mortgages, stocks, bonds, oil, gold, derivatives and other investments. It had leveraged its books by an astonishing factor of 44 and it had opted to take a particularly huge punt on America’s teetering home loans market.

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This writer hits the 64k$ question, but doesn’t or can’t answer it.

Why does Lehman go under but everyone else gets rescued?

Perhaps the reason is Geithner and Paulson close relationship with Goldman?

Goldman makes out like a bandit in the chaos.

Not hard to leap to a conclusion there.

Bottom line: the taxpayer got screwed.

And, it began a series of actions to compromise “capitalism” and our liberty.

Misquoting Churchill: “the the American Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their worst hour.'”

Will this single event, the 2008 financial crisis, and the Bush administration’s response to it, be the single event that marks the beginning of the end of the American Republic?

Like the The Reichstag Fire, that allowed Hitler to accelerate the banning of the Communist Party, is Bush’s TARP1 the “October surprise” event that allows Obama to come to power and dismantle the American experiment.

Sad to think. Sadder still to think an old injineer see something that the political elite choose to ignore.

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POLITICS: Van Jones is the tip of a very big iceberg

Sunday, September 6, 2009

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9AHL8O80&show_article=1

Obama ‘green jobs’ adviser quits amid controversy
Sep 6 02:19 AM US/Eastern
By WILL LESTER
Associated Press Writer

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WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama’s adviser Van Jones has resigned amid controversy over past inflammatory statements, the White House said early Sunday.

*** and ***

Fox News Channel host Glenn Beck repeatedly denounced Jones after a group the adviser co-founded, ColorofChange.org, led an advertising boycott against Beck’s show to protest his claim that Obama is a racist.

James Rucker, the organization’s executive director, has said Jones had nothing to do with ColorofChange.org now and didn’t even know about the campaign before it started.

Jones, well-known in the environmental movement, was a civil-rights activist in California before shifting his attention to environmental and energy issues. He is known for laying out a broad vision of a green economy.

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THe AP is playing politics with this report. Beck called him out as a “communist” BEFORE the boycott.

Having followed Glen Beck’s indictment of the “Czars”, this fellow was imho a racist communist.

One down and a slew of Czars to go.

Obama was known to 100% “liberal” before he was elected, why is anyone surprised at the people in his administration?

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: What is our gooferment doing?

Sunday, September 6, 2009

http://www.reason.com/news/show/135830.html

George Will is Right
It’s time for the U.S. to leave Afghanistan
David Harsanyi | September 2, 2009

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Or is victory achieved when we finally usher this primitive tribal culture, with its violent warlords and religious extremism, from the eighth century all the way to modernity? If so, we’re on course for a centuries-long enterprise of nation building and baby-sitting, not a war. The war was won in 2002.

If the goal is to establish a stable government to fill the vacuum created by our ousting of the Taliban and al-Qaida, we’ve done quite a job. Most Americans can accept a Marine’s risking life and limb to safeguard our freedoms. But when that Marine is protector of a corrupt and depraved foreign parliament—one that recently legalized marital rape and demands women ask permission from male relatives to leave their homes—it is not a victory worth celebrating.

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Put the girls and boys on the next thing coming home.

Why do we have troops in 170 countries?

We can’t afford that any more than we can afford Obamacare.

Let’s finally end the welfare warfare state.

Switzerland is an excellent model!

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