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August
06, 2004
Commentary
is on Rational
Review News Digest while FMN is on vacation.
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Certainly one of the ten basic rules of fighting for liberty, and why
FND and RRND put out their daily compendiums. The author of this commentary
doesn’t pretend to have the smarts of Tom, Mary Lou, Sunni or their
aides, but believes it is almost as important to interpret the news as
to read it – hence this column, with the views herein being my own,
and not necessarily those of anyone else. But I ask that you share my
opinion of the good work these folks and Mama Liberty (here at TPoL) do,
and support them with kind words and cold cash.
1) Iraq:
Car bomb kills five; clashes in Najaf and Mosul
Reuters
I don’t doubt that at least some of these civilians were killed by
Americans, and that is very regrettable. But many are being killed by
their own countrymen, not because they are collaborators, but just because
they were in the way, or because they are in the wrong sect. Unless we
can get at the root causes (and third-world conditions or poverty is not
a cause, but an effect), this killing will continue, whether the Allies
are there or not.
2) Afghanistan:
Two aid workers killed
Richmond Times-Dispatch
As in Iraq, so in Afghanistan. Remember even in the early days of the
US, elections were frequently fraught with violence, but it was not this
kind of terrorism. The culture is the difference – and the culture
is based on a religion that, sadly, appears to be totally unfit for a
free people. As with Iraq, until the root causes are dealt with…
3) Bush,
Kerry converge on Iowa battleground
Seattle Times
Nothing yet in this election campaign has shown the 90% similarity in
the two candidates: a percentage that seems to be growing as election
day nears – and we still have to put up with this for almost THREE
months! Fortunately, most if not all states will have an effective “none-of-the-above”
alternative to these two by voting for Badnarik.
4) Missourians
approve anti-marriage amendment
Houston Chronicle
While I certainly would not call this an “anti-marriage” amendment,
I believe most strongly that the government needs to get out of the marriage
business entirely –seeing as how it never belonged in it in the first
place. Based on the experience of Colorado and other states attempting
to prevent granting of special privileges to other so-called “minorities,”
all this will do is give federal and state courts another chance to lord
it over the electorate.
5) Illinois
GOP asks Keyes to run for Senate seat
Indianapolis Star
Keyes would certainly be in interesting choice, and a good addition to
the Senate, although he certainly would not make the impact that Ron Paul
has in the House the last few Congresses. I may be wrong, but he seems
to have a combativeness that most Republicans in Congress has forgotten
exists.
6) Won't
get fooled again: Badnarik dismisses Hastert tax plan
PRWeb
The Hastert proposal has certainly excited a lot of people, including
many libertarians, but Michael Badnarik is absolutely right to poo-poo
the entire effort’s sincerity. Based on past GOP record (like the
“Revolution of 1994”), this will turn into another “gee,
you guys there in the IRS need to be nicer, but bring in the bucks to
fuel the pork-barrel.”
Mama's
Note: See Devvy Kidd's HASTERT'S
RED HERRING
7) Musicians
stumping against Bush
Norristown Times-Herald
An article in this week’s Army Times discusses how country-western
singers and groups in particular are growing more pro-military, right-wing,
and pro-war, in response to this more blatant style of politicking by
more and more entertainment industry figures. It is likely we will see
this reaching all-time highs of political involvement, especially as various
incumbents seek for an ever-more-elusive “mandate” from the
people. Sadly, much of the population (look at the circulation figures
of “People”, “Us”, and “Star” to see what
I mean) is perfectly willing to elevate entertainers to godhood and slavishly
follow them like children and rats to the piper’s tune.
8) ACLU
quits federal donation program
CNN News
My compliments to the ACLU for standing to principle for once. Ironically,
they are joining a movement started by many conservative and religious
groups which have already decided that CFC (the federal employee’s
version of the United Way) isn’t worth the loss of independence.
Next time you hear someway say how important the Patriot Act is, and how
misguided people fighting against it are, point this out to them, and
ask if they want THEIR name submitted to a government list because they
volunteer for an organization that is part of CFC.
9) Fualaau
asks court to lift Letourneau no-contact order
Seattle Times
Any surprise here? I’m certain only a nanny-court really could rationalize
that this guy feared his paramour, anyway. But tyranny is often blind.
10) Gun
owners did not forget governor's veto
US Newswire
Good news for the Missouri Republic – nice to see MO voters showing
a bit of gumption. I hope that it can carry on for a while, and to other
matters at hand. A new western rebellion could use a strong eastern fortress.
11) Nobody
really knows (... If Current Terror Alert is Real or Not)
Capitol Hill Blue
Nice to know so many of us apparently called this one right. And how many
people will hear the truth?
12) Crime
lab evidence again questioned
Houston Chronicle
It is obvious that Hoover’s legacy of forensic science, long seen
as a crowning achievement of the FBI, is as full of little specks of decay
as a bag of peanut M&Ms is full of nuts. Or perhaps we should just
brand it another example of government science like Lysenkoism, created
only to serve tyranny.
13) Disney
"Tigger" acquitted of fondling teen
San Francisco Chronicle
This appears almost to be a case of jury nullification, as the raw data
seemed to support the prosecution, as ludicrous as the entire thing seems.
14) GOP
asks for grassroots participation in 2004 Platform
Talon News
Obviously demonstrating what many have known for a long time, that platform
writing has no real function other than to distract the inept and embarrassing.
15) University
"clarifies" its policy on course
Washington Times
Needless to say, no matter how CU backed water on this one, any “non-minority”
(as defined by the PC CU administration) who signs up for this course
may not be a “first-generation” college student, but will likely
receive a grade that will put him on the path to being a “non-grad”
from CU. Frankly, anyone who goes to school in Boulder deserves anything
they get – the school is known for its intense competition with Berkeley
for winning the annual designation as “America’s Most Liberal.”
Even if limited to state schools (now a bad choice as well), Colorado
has a dozen other schools that are only faint imitations of the cesspool
under the Flatirons.
16) Official
suspended after county meeting terror drill
San Francisco Chronicle
Sounds like realistic enough training, and of a kind done for decades,
but in today’s decadent conditions, sure to be a great way of needing
to seek new employment. If this lack of coordination is a hallmark of
the director’s skills, though, he’s not in the right job, anyway.
17) US
refuses to steal patents, lower price on AIDS drug
MSNBC
A good move, but is it a case of “doing the right thing for the wrong
reason”? It certainly isn’t consistent with most of the fedgov’s
looter/Robin Hood mentality.
18) Court
decision could "allow" guns in courthouses
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
It would be nice if it were a liberal, eastern state that began cracking
this particular example of statist reckoning, since virtually every state
has this abominable practice: a recent case in Colorado found that the
District Attorney himself, actually in theory and practice an officer
of the court, could not carry his pistol in the halls of the courthouse.
Of course, the paucity of the gun-banners’ arguments is obvious –
“someone” might come to court drunk? Please.
19) Los
Alamos probe widens
Dodge City Daily Globe
Every time this happens (say, every three or four years), the pundits
claim that the world is coming to an end. Like our vaunted DHS, do you
suppose LANL and its critics are crying “wolf” a bit too much?
20) "Tribunals"
weigh Guantanamo detainee cases
Detroit Free Press
Allowing prisoners to refuse to appear is a bit of a change from the usual
style of a kangaroo court, at least – and offers some hope for these
detainees and for our own adherence to the rule of law.
Mama's
Note: Hmmm, but it seems that if they don't appear, the court can simply
do anything they want to them. It would fit adherence to the rule of law
far better if these people were heard by a real court with at least some
real legal representation.
21) Brain
device offers hope for some mental disorders
Boston Globe
I’m glad this is being viewed with “caution” because it
sounds way too much Soviet and National Socialist to me to let anyone
agree to it, even on a “volunteer” basis. Of course, this is
coming from someone who isn’t thrilled with the idea of contacts
touching an eyeball, but there is a lot of difference between open-heart
surgery and cardiac pacemakers, and a “brain pacemaker.” I don’t
object to the development, but certainly am concerned about WHO is doing
the development.
Mama's
Note: Indeed! Just WHO is deciding what is a "mental disorder"
and why? That's the problem, not the technology.
22)
Iraqi gunmen free four Jordanian hostages
Las Vegas Review-Journal
I will take this as an optimistic sign that some Iraqis are finding that
foreigners are, indeed, human and deserving of fair and kind treatment.
But it could be a purely tactical ploy with no compassion – a very
scarce commodity in any Islamic nation, and especially Iraq today.
23) Some
Nevada seniors find protection in owning guns
San Diego Union-Tribune
Obviously, from the article, part of a growing trend, and a good sign
– too often we think of the elders as being brainwashed statists
eager for another increase in social security and more Medicare benefits,
as victims rather than elders – wise and experienced, and able to
take care of themselves, if not forcibly prevented from doing so.
Mama's
Note: You bet! Where I live, it's well known that I'm a shotgun granny.
I've never been threatened and I doubt I ever will be - at least by ordinary
criminals.
24) American
valour? All hogwash, say Indian truckers
Rediff.Com
Based on other reports (which, admittedly, could be propaganda themselves),
this is a curious little piece of disinformation. Like stories of Americans
stealing babies for body-parts, it is sure to spread across the third
world, which is, after all, its purpose: to build more contempt for Americans.
25) US
vows not to give ground to Iraq hostage-takers
USA Today
Given the success of various terrorists so far in getting formerly-Allied
countries like Spain and the Philippines to cave in, I think we can expect
the various groups to look for opportunities to test the Fed-gov’s
resolve in this matter, a situation as sure to influence the election
in November as the Iranian Hostage Crisis did 24 years ago.
Nathan
A. Barton is a libertarian writing from the beautiful Black Hills, and
welcomes comments, challenges, and questions. He also encourages remembering
the people who are bringing you this commentary and the news being commented
upon. FND is not being published this week, so the comments are on RRND
– and I’m not certain if the commentary is plain, or aggravated.
(Use
feedback form below to contact Nathan. If you want an answer, please include
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