June 06, 2005

Let's Put Military Recruiters In Churches
By Doug Newman

Joseph Sobran, with whom I almost always agree, recently wrote a column on the absence of any real contemporary anti-war movement. In it, he cited three differences between 2005 and 1968.

Now, we hear that the Army and Marine Corps are having trouble meeting their recruiting goals. We are witnessing an anti-war “movement” of a different type. (Read the rest here)

Deep Throat Reveals Pension Fraud
By Ed Henry

You’ve all heard about the crisis facing Social Security. It’s the basis for the entire debate over how and why to change the system now. We are told that at some time in the future, distant and not so distant, Social Security will have to rely on its trust fund in order to pay full benefits promised to retirees. Unless changes are made now, the supplemental retirement system will go progressively deeper and deeper in doo-doo until it finally, according to George Bush, goes broke or at least cannot pay more than eighty percent of benefits.

Since the whole Intragovernmental Holdings (IH) portion of the national debt is composed of 143 trust funds in the same boat as the Social Security trust funds, holding nothing but “special obligation” Treasury bonds, all we have to do is look at one of the other entitlements already in trouble. (Read the rest here)

The Advantages of Republicanism and Negatives of Consolidation
By Jeff Adams

"We are descended from a people whose government was founded on liberty.but now the American spirit assisted by the ropes and chains of consolidation is about to convert this country into a powerful and mighty empire; if you make the citizens of this country agree to become the subjects of one great consolidated empire of America, your government will not have sufficient energy to keep them together; such a government is incompatible with the genius of republicanism."

- Patrick Henry

The above words were spoken by Patrick Henry at Virginia's convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Of course, his 'country' he refers to was Virginia, not the United States. Some of the framers of the Constitution had the idea and desire to build an empire, while many of the founders understood the problems with empire, and even democracy. That is why republicanism was so heavily pushed by most of our colonial forefathers. (Read the rest here)

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Libertarian Commentary on The News
By Nathan A. Barton © 2004

What can we do to show up government for the con game that it is? Well, the kind of actions being taken in New Hampshire may be a start, as are some of the things we are seeing nationwide, like the first article today. But it takes more than action; it takes telling other people (and not just libertarians) about them, in a positive manner, and making sure that people who do these things are told we appreciate their efforts. That will make these efforts effective, in my opinion (not necessarily anyone else's, to be sure).

NJ: Developer attempts to get revenge on DEP
My Way News
PENNSVILLE, N.J. (AP) - Rather than simply welcoming drivers to the Garden State, a new billboard greeting people entering New Jersey over the Delaware Memorial Bridge slams the state's business climate. "Welcome to New Jersey. A horrible place to do business," reads the billboard message. The glaring, red capital letters represent the revenge - misguided, according to officials - of a developer upset with the state's environmental regulators. The Garden State business world isn't exactly lining up in support of Juliano's stance. The state Chamber of Commerce gives the DEP generally good reviews for its officials' willingness to listen to businesses. And in a state with plenty of red tape, it's unfair to single out the DEP, said Michael Egenton, an assistant vice president at the chamber.

The state Chamber, of course, has to live with the buro-rats on a daily basis, so of course it will say that - but NJ is known nationally in the environmental consulting community as being a "front-runner" state: where the biggest and newest fads are put into regulations and law, and where the burden on business (or just plain on landowners) is nearly intolerable. Apparently the state is contemplating what legal action they can take against Mr. Juliano - free speech doesn't extend to slighting state buro-rats on the freeway. (Read the rest here)

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