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January
02, 2006
Libertarian
Commentary on the News, Week of 25-30 December MMV (2005)
Last week of the year MMV, and on to MMVI! Nasty things happening out
there: freedom is still within our grasp, however. Sadly, that is NOT
the case in much of the world. On a scale of 0 to 10 (tyranny incarnate
to a truly libertarian (anarcho-conservative) society, the best anyone
can do (Switzerland, maybe) is about 3.9 or 4 - the US is maybe a 3, the
UK just dropped to about 2, and much of the world is at 1.0 or 1.1, while
a few sad-sack nations are at 0.002 or so: North Korea, Saudi Arabia,
and Syria.
The
Fall of Europe
We
start with five stories from our neighbors and cousins to the east, the
first one of which is probably the most important - and a warning to Americans.
MMV has not been a good year for Europe in general and for the UK in particular,
as these stories remind us. And don't expect it to get better in the new
year with all this to face.
UK:
Now you can be arrested for any offence
Telegraph [UK]
"Police are to be given sweeping powers to arrest people for every
offence, including dropping litter, failure to wear a seat belt and other
minor misdemeanours. The measures, which come into force on Jan 1, are
the biggest expansion in decades of police powers to deprive people of
their liberty. At present, officers can generally arrest people if they
suspect them of committing an offence which carries at least five years
in prison. They will now have the discretion to detain someone if they
suspect any offence and think that an arrest is "necessary".
The civil liberties organisation Liberty said the change represented "a
fundamental shift" in power from the public to the police and the
state and was open to misuse." (12/29/05)
With the
population basically disarmed, with hooligans running wild (and for that
matter, often running the country), and with the Lords and the Monarch
completely stripped of power, there is nothing that Her Majesty's subjects
can do about this except endure it and pray that someone - Ireland, the
US, Belize, SOMEONE will come and rescue them. Sadly, because of the hooligans
and thugs and Islamicists running around, far too many people are very
much IN FAVOUR of this police state. Furthermore, it is NOT a "major"
change, but (like the proverbial frog, it represents a change from a heat
level of 5 to one of perhaps 6 or maybe 7.
UK:
Battle of Tony's cafe begins Olympic revolt
Independent [UK]
"The bailiffs forced the till shut six months ago and took the
tables and chairs. There is no water or electricity and the roof has fallen
in. But the regulars at Francesca's Cafe on Broadway Market in Hackney,
east London, keep coming back. A dozen locals felt so strongly about plans
to demolish the Italian diner, known as Tony's, that they broke into the
premises on Boxing Day to save it. Protesters now say that they hope to
rebuild it. About 60 of them are occupying it in shifts to stop workmen
from completing the demolition they began last week. This battle is not
really about Tony's cafe, however -- nice as the pasta and roast dinners
may have been. Calogero 'Tony' Platia, the burly 55-year-old Sicilian
who ran No 34 for three decades, has simply become the popular figurehead
for locals fighting against outside property developers keen to cash in
on rising prices." (12/30/05)
Like the
US, the UK has problems with eminent domain and "economic redevelopment."
As in the US, British subjects are becoming a bit more aggressive about
defending themselves against these problems. Sadly, given how much freedom
has already been lost in the UK, I give them little chance of accomplishing
anything. We see a similar process in the pro-hunting protests which also
broke out on Boxing Day. Now, of course, these people can be rounded up
by the coppers and hauled away, under the new laws (see previous and next
article).
UK:
Thousands turn out to defy hunting ban
Guardian [UK]
"Some landowners may be denying police access to fields and woods
in order to shield illegal hunts from prosecution, animal welfare groups
suggested yesterday. The allegation surfaced as tens of thousands of riders
and spectators braved the cold for the first traditional Boxing Day meetings
held since hunting with dogs was banned. The Home Office is now coming
under pressure to strengthen the Hunting Act, which critics on both sides
of the blood sports controversy describe as unenforceable." (12/27/05)
We will
soon no doubt see bobbies killing hunters (or suspected hunters) to prevent
the harassment of foxes, as this stupid idea is "enforced."
And of course, all of these people, their horses, their dogs, and no doubt
their children, drivers, and probably their stable lads and ferriers can
all be rounded up by the bobbies (see the first article in this section).
Europe
"behind on Kyoto pledges"
BBC News [UK]
"The UK is almost alone in Europe in honouring Kyoto pledges to
cut greenhouse gases, a think-tank claims. Ten of 15 European Union signatories
will miss the targets without urgent action, the Institute for Public
Policy Research (IPPR) found. The countries include Ireland, Italy and
Spain. France, Greece and Germany are given an 'amber warning' and will
not reach targets unless they put planned policies into action, the IPPR
said." (12/27/05)
This reminds
me of the parable of the two sons - one of which agreed to do what his
father wanted but did not; and the other who did not accept the instructions
but ended up doing it anyway. Both were condemned. So far, the US is taking
the honorable course, at least - we don't agree with Kyoto (or at least
Congress doesn't) and so aren't playing the game. But I am more interested
in seeing how the nations of Europe respond - if they just shrug off the
targets, they show that Kyoto is really about power, and NOT about mythical
global warming.
UK:
New crackdown on prostitution
Guardian [UK]
"The government will announce plans next month for a national
zero tolerance campaign against kerb crawlers and street prostitution
after shelving plans to introduce licensed 'red light' zones, the Guardian
has learned. The proposals are expected to form a key part of the next
phase of Tony Blair's drive against antisocial behaviour. Kerb crawlers
will risk having their driving licences confiscated and being named and
shamed in local newspapers. The Home Office minister Fiona Mactaggart
told the Guardian that it was wrong to regard those involved in prostitution
as sex workers. She said tough measures were needed to tackle the markets
for prostitution. 'I'm not tolerant of the view that prostitution is the
oldest profession in the world and there's nothing we can do to reduce
it,' she said. 'Prostitution blights communities. We will take a zero
tolerance approach to kerb crawling. Men who choose to use prostitutes
are indirectly supporting drug dealers and abusers. The power to confiscate
driving licences already exists. We want the police to use that power
more.'" (12/28/05)
It is,
of course, amazing that people still resort to old-fashioned pickups and
assignations - and pay in cash, no doubt. Of course, actions like this
WILL drive it to the web and de facto red light zones, where it will continue
to flourish and be even more likely to become slavery. Notice how the
arguments are the same over and over again, and how many of them are actually
self-fulfilling prophecies. I agree that prostitutes and their johns are
pretty lowlife, but perhaps not as lowlife as those that prey on them,
including the Home Office and drug-dealers.
Government-Ruined,
Theft-Funded Schools
History is a very important part of education - and like every other
part of education, too important to be left to government. Those who write
the histories are those who control the destiny of those that read those
histories, so these two stories should be of concern.
UK:
German history syllabus 'doesn't mention the war'
Independent [UK]
" The Cold War would replace the Second World War in secondary
school classrooms under a syllabus published today on how to teach German
history. The new unit, designed for 11 to 14-year-olds, is in recognition
of the criticism that too much time is being spent on studying Hitler
in history lessons and - as a result - UK youngsters are building up a
picture of today's Germany as being full of goose-stepping Nazis. ....
The new "don't mention the war" syllabus comes a week after
an official report from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority -
the Government's exams watchdog which has devised the new syllabus - repeated
claims that the study of Hitler was dominating GCSE and A-level history
lessons." (12/27/05)
If this
were in Germany, it might make (very twisted) sense (as a similar failure
to mention WW2 in Japan does). Keep in mind that Germany still has essentially
the old Prussian system of education, and the government controls everything
- while home-schoolers are often prosecuted and persecuted, and even private
schools (that are not state-affiliated church-run schools) are almost
nonexistent. There IS no choice, and so we will see the dumbing down continue.
But the
UK is not much better off - and the GCSE applies both to "public"
(what we would call private) schools and to the general school system
- and even to home-schoolers. This will ensure that the consequences of
measures such as the new police powers act will not be learned, and so
can be repeated by British politicians indefinitely.
Mama's
Note: A friend was telling me why it was economically "impossible"
to homeschool or send her three children to private school - besides the
fact that they wouldn't have the sports, music and "social interaction"
they have in government schools. (Of course, she doesn't use the words
"government schools.") She was confident that she and her husband
could teach their children whatever was lacking and instill in them the
moral fiber needed to live a good Christian life.
A few
days later she was sharing with me her concern for her children. Seems
the middle boy - who had been a model alter server and wanted to be a
priest - now hangs out with the wrong crowd and refuses to go to church.
All three children have told her they will not go to church after they
are 18. How sad, and tragic that she refuses to see the connection.
Textbooks
begin judging Clinton impeachment
Fox News
"The impeachment of former President Clinton is in a gray area
of history, too long ago to be a current event, too recent to be judged
in perspective. Yet history is already judging Clinton in the place where
millions of students get their information about him: textbooks. Seven
years after he was impeached in a scandal of sex, perjury and bitter politics,
Clinton has become a fixture in major high school texts. The impeachment
is portrayed in the context of his two-term tenure, a milestone event,
but not one that overshadows how Clinton handled the economy, crime and
health care." (12/27/05)
My own
personal view is that anything that happened less than 20 years ago and
has to do with government, politics, or economics should be taught as
part of classes on government (civics) and economics, NOT as part of history.
History, especially American and US History, should concentrate on events
much earlier - to help students understand more about how we got into
this mess than what a mess we are in. It is an interesting contrast between
the US and UK: we have just enough competition in most of the country
in the education field to keep the No-Hitler history syllabus from becoming
a reality - and enough to keep the liberals from whitewashing Clinton
the way they do FDR and "Honest" Abe But if we ever go to a
"national standard" as the No Child Left Behind Act points,
we will see this kind of debate go away, just as the debate on evolution
is going away in some parts of the nation.
Mama's
Note: Do you really think that we would know anything about the true history
of Europe and Asia if powerful central governments had been able to write
- and teach - ALL the history throughout the last 5,000 years? Most people
learned what history they knew by word of mouth, one generation to the
next. Even so, very little of recorded history is truly complete - or
accurate - and a great deal of it has been totally lost. Remember that
the victors of every conflict write the history.
The
Home Front
Our
internal battles here in the US continue.
Powell
hints that warrants would have aided Bush
Boston Globe
"Colin L. Powell, the former secretary of state, yesterday said
he supports government eavesdropping to prevent terrorism, but that a
major controversy over presidential powers could have been avoided by
obtaining court warrants. Powell said that when he was in the Cabinet,
he was not told that President Bush authorized a warrantless National
Security Agency surveillance operation after the attacks of Sept. 11,
2001. Appearing on ABC's 'This Week,' Powell said he sees 'absolutely
nothing wrong with the president authorizing these kinds of actions' to
protect the nation. But he added, 'My own judgment is that it didn't seem
to me, anyway, that it would have been that hard to go get the warrants.
And even in the case of an emergency, you go and do it.'" (12/26/05)
Well, we
already knew Powell was out of step with this Administration. The constitutional
protections have been gutted, and a tame judge would grant whatever was
"needed" - but now the time has seemingly come when even a façade
is not acceptable and even the appearance of freedom from Big Brother
must be removed.
Pentagon
snooping fits state's post-9/11 pattern
San Mateo County Times
"President Bush's authorizing warrantless wiretaps within the
United States grabbed headlines last week, but a pattern of domestic snooping
stretches back to California and the weeks after 9/11. Almost daily, it
seems, new revelations emerge about domestic surveillance programs. U.S.
News & World Report reported Friday that the government has been secretly
monitoring radiation levels at mosques and other private Muslim buildings
in six U.S. cities outside California. The New York Times reported Thursday
that undercover city police had infiltrated political protest groups in
New York City. A week earlier NBC News reported that the Pentagon had
assembled a 400-page database listing "threats" from domestic
protesters, including the Quakers. The document listed 1,500 "suspicious
incidents" over 10 months in 2004 and MMV (2005). An eight-page excerpt
posted on the MSNBC Web site includes six entries in California, including
protests at military recruiting offices at the University of California's
Berkeley and Santa Cruz campuses. " (12/27/05)
As I point
out in the last article's commentary, the velvet glove is wearing mighty
thin. This is typical of America's wars, unfortunately, from the American
Revolution on - a very few wars have NOT seen this rise in tyranny and
dehumanization of both the enemy and those Americans seen as soft on the
enemy, from raids and lynching of Tories in the Mid-Atlantic and New England
in the American Revolution through killing of "Injun-lovers"
during the Indian Wars, to the abuse of Copperheads during the War Between
the States, the tarring, feathering, and killing of German-speaking Americans
and pacifists in the Great War, the internment of Japanese in World War
Two, and the cries of "Babykiller" during 'Nam. And it is NOT
all government, by any means - much is due to the perverse nature of humans
which only liberty and responsibility can seem to contain and protect
us from.
Mama's
Note: Which wars did not see tyranny and dehumanization - on both sides?
Tyranny and dehumanization are among the words that define "war"
to start with.
New
Orleans: Police chief backs shooting
CBS News
"The knife-wielding man shot to death by police in a daylight
confrontation that was caught on videotape had a long arrest record, the
police chief said Wednesday. Anthony Hayes, 38, was shot Monday after
allegedly lunging at police with a 3-inch blade. Part of Hayes' confrontation
with 18 officers, though not the shooting itself, was videotaped by at
least three bystanders. Hayes is seen waving his arms and brandishing
the knife." (12/28/05)
Can someone
explain how big bad cops should be so afraid of a guy with a three-inch
blade in broad daylight that they have to gun him down? Of course, what
we've seen of NO police, they would probably have been unable to defend
themselves without artillery to back them up.
Phone
giants mum on spying
Orlando Sentinel
"In the days following revelations that the Bush administration
ordered the National Security Agency to spy on domestic telephone and
Internet communications without a court order, one involved party has
remained silent. The nation's telephone giants--which control the data
pipelines--have neither commented on nor denied their reported participation,
nor have they reacted to the charge that they may have been complicit
in violating privacy rights. But historically the telecom companies have
cooperated with the government on wholesale wiretapping, and the Bush
administration's anti-terrorism programs appear to be no exception. Without
commenting directly on a classified topic, industry officials--when asked--suggested
that they would not stand in the way of a request for help." (12/29/05)
Nothing
new here - anyone who understands the system knows what is going on.
World
Wars
Our Home Front and the Mideast Tarbabies are just part of a larger, global
series of conflicts, which we are all involved in, like it or not. Fighting
isn't limited just to the States, or just to the Middle East. Some of
these stories are related directly to those conflicts. But the fight for
liberty and for tyranny continues around the world.
Guantanamo
hunger strike numbers surge
National Nine News [Australia]
"The number of Guantanamo Bay prisoners taking part in a nearly
five-month-long hunger strike has surged to 84 since Christmas Day, the
US military says. Forty-six detainees at the prison for foreign terrorism
suspects at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, joined the protest
on the key Christian holiday last Sunday, said Army Lieutenant Colonel
Jeremy Martin, a military spokesman. ... 'There's been a significant increase
in the number that have been added to the hunger strike,' Martin said.
Lawyers for some of the detainees call the strike a protest of the conditions
in which the prisoners are being held and their lack of legal rights.
Medical personnel were force-feeding 32 of the hunger strikers with plastic
tubes inserted into the stomach through the nose, the military said."
(12/30/05)
Through
history, most prisoners of war ("detainees") have not had the
opportunity for hunger strikes, since usually the problem has been not
getting enough to eat to stay alive - look at North Vietnam, various Stalags,
or Andersonville or one of the dozens of Federally-run POW camps during
the War Between the States. This is, of course, the fault again of the
FedGov, which can't decide whether these people are criminals or prisoners
of war (or both, as the Soviet Union decided that Wehrmacht prisoners
were during WW2).
Mama's
Note: I'd like someone to explain exactly what the government expects
to gain by keeping these people prisoners at all, much less under inhuman
conditions. What ARE the actual conditions? Then, what is this "hunger
strike" all about and what do the prisoners hope to gain by it? With
all that information out on the table, maybe we could begin to discuss
all of this more rationally.
Pentagon
shakes up emergency hierarchy
Yahoo! News
"Heading a military service isn't quite the position of power
it used to be. In a Bush administration revision of plans for Pentagon
succession in a doomsday scenario, three of Defense Secretary Donald H.
Rumsfeld's most loyal advisers moved ahead of the secretaries of the Army,
Navy and Air Force. A little-noticed holiday week executive order from
President Bush moved the Pentagon's intelligence chief to the No. 3 spot
in the succession hierarchy behind Rumsfeld. The second spot would be
the deputy secretary of defense, but that position currently is vacant.
The Army secretary, which long held the No. 3 spot, was dropped to sixth.
The changes, announced last week, are the second in six months and reflect
the administration's new emphasis on intelligence gathering versus combat
in 21st century war fighting." (12/29/05)
I suppose
this might also be likened to "rearranging deck-chairs on the Titanic."
Others might liken it to deciding which kindergartner takes over the classroom
when the teacher is gone. Assuming Congress has not dictated the order
(their typical micromanagement), it seems to be the boss's prerogative
who goes first, etc. Since competence is not a requirement for political
appointments (which all of these are), then loyalty is as good a factor
as any, I suppose.
Libyan
court orders retrial of Bulgarian nurses
Sydney Morning Herald
"Libya's Supreme Court has overturned death sentences against
five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor and ordered them retried
on charges of infecting children with the HIV virus, in an attempt by
Libya to resolve a case that has poisoned its ties with the West. Libyan
leader Muammar Gaddafi is believed to have been looking for face-saving
way out of the standoff over the case, which brought condemnations from
Europe and the United States and stalled his campaign to bring his country
out of its international pariah status. The verdict, welcomed by Bulgaria,
came after European and Libyan negotiators reached a deal by which the
West will provide aid to families of the 426 children infected in the
1990s with the virus that causes AIDS. About 50 of the children have reportedly
died." (12/26/05)
This is
a sick little "government" deal to try and regularize relations
with Gaddafi, at the expense of a number of people who were in the wrong
place at the wrong time, trying to help a population that wants them dead
- sort of like American and other coalition troops in Iraq. Children who
have AIDS or have died of it because of dark-age medical procedures and
a complete lack of decent infection control supposedly are the victims
of an urban-legend style plot to kill off the Arab people. While this
court has ordered a new trial, a rescue may yet be needed.
Russia:
Dozens treated after apparent chemical attack
Sydney Morning Herald [Australia]
"More than 70 people were sickened by an unidentified gas released
in a store in Russia's second-largest city on Monday. Boxes with wires
and timers attached to containers possibly holding gas were found in other
outlets of the chain, officials said. A spokesman for the Emergency Situations
Ministry, Viktor Beltsov, said 78 people sought medical care and 66 of
them were hospitalised." (12/26/05)
This was
due, or so it is claimed, to "business rivals" and NOT to terrorists.
But if you have business rivals that are willing to poison customers to
get them to go buy from them, it seems to me that they are still thugs,
yes, and terrorists. Who has taught businesses to compete like this? Government,
of course.
Mama's
Note: I smell a very large, dead rat here. Nobody in business gets any
benefit whatsoever from dead or sick customers! The entire story is so
crude and stupid that it is impossible to believe. Russia is famous for
this kind of thing.
Sri
Lanka: Ten soldiers killed by mine
Reuters
"Fueling fears of a return to civil war, suspected Tamil Tiger
rebels killed 10 soldiers in the island's far north on Tuesday in the
second mine attack in less than a week, the military said. The blast followed
a string of guerrilla ambushes on the military and the assassination of
a pro-rebel member of parliament at a Christmas mass that are straining
a 2002 truce to breaking point." (12/27/05)
How short
our memories are! A year ago, Ceylon was trying desperately to recover
from one of the worst natural disasters of the last century, and Tamils
and other folks working together, but today, the damnable desire of some
humans to have power over others is leading back to a mess.
Israel:
Air raids target Gaza Strip
International Herald Tribune
"The Israeli military on Tuesday fired a barrage of artillery
and missiles at the Gaza Strip, hitting two offices of the militant Al
Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and a bridge the army said was used by militants
to reach areas where they fire rockets. Hours later, about two dozen armed
Al Aqsa militants took over the governor's office and two other government
buildings in northern Gaza -- the latest outbreak of lawlessness that
has undermined the rule of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Israel's
pre-dawn aerial strikes were part of the army's attempt to halt rocket
fire on Israeli towns bordering Gaza. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has
approved a buffer zone in northern Gaza, although the army said it has
not yet implemented the plan. Enforcement -- including firing at anyone
who enters the area -- is not likely to begin in the coming 12 hours,
the army said." (12/27/05)
Speaking
of messes, it is now obvious that once again the Israelis have been suckered
in by the Palestinian "leadership" and their unreliable American
allies. I am at a loss to suggest just how to resolve this situation,
because inevitably one (or both) sides will have to lose - and losing
means annihilation.
Chile:
Pinochet ruled fit to stand trial
Washington Times
"Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is fit to stand trial
for the 1975 disappearances of six dissidents, judges have ruled. The
Chilean Supreme Court on Monday rejected calls from Pinochet's lawyers
that the 90-year-old was unfit to stand trial because he suffers from
a number of maladies including dementia, El Mercurio newspaper reported
Tuesday." (12/27/05)
While I
think this is a fruitless effort and will accomplish nothing except a
vague sense of "closure" for millions of taxpayer dollars, it
does give one hope that one day, Clinton and many others will be brought
to justice as well.
Mideast
Tarbabies
News
from the "center" of the planet in so many ways continues to
sound very bad. The end of the year is a good time to remember that so
much good and so much evil has come from the Middle East in the past -
and is today
Israel:
Frantic search for kidnap victims
Guardian [UK]
[Late news item from WND on Friday: this woman and her parents were
freed by their captors. No word on what was given to get them released]
"Palestinian investigators and British consular officials were
last night urgently trying to make contact with the Palestinian group
who abducted a British aid worker and her parents in the Gaza Strip, more
than 24 hours after they disappeared. Unlike previous kidnappings of westerners
in Gaza, usually resolved within hours, the kidnappers made no contact
with the authorities to make demands or arrange for the release of Kate
Burton, 25, and her parents Hugh and Helen. They were snatched by seven
armed men in Rafah, a deprived town in a very poor area. ... Palestinian
police set up roadblocks throughout the southern Gaza Strip and representatives
of all sectors of Palestinian society, including Hamas, demonstrated for
the release of Miss Burton and her parents." (12/30/05)
How like
the Islamicists that lord over the so-called Palestinian lands - someone
is there, with her family, idealistically trying to help, and so they
are kidnapped for their efforts. Of course, this is a "deprived"
and "very poor" area - like 99% of Arab lands and people in
general, because of the thugs who rule. At the same time, these tactics
are typical of anti-western guerilla movements of the past century, whether
communist or some other flavor of totalitarian extremism. And generally
they have worked well against the West - and don't work well against those
who do this sort of thing or nonwestern societies, for two reasons: first,
they don't produce the kind of aid volunteers that the West does; second,
their "aid workers" are always armed because that IS the kind
of aid they provide; and third, they don't care what happens to individuals
just because they are people.
Iraq:
Sunnis, Shiites decline talks, fighting continues
AM 940 Montreal [Canada]
"Sunni Arab and secular Shiite groups refused Thursday to open
discussions with the Shiite religious bloc leading in Iraq's parliamentary
elections until a full review of the contested results is carried out.
... In insurgent violence on Thursday, a suicide bomber detonated his
explosives belt on a street near the Interior Ministry, killing one police
officer and wounding four, police said. Earlier police said four people
had been killed. Also in Baghdad, gunmen assassinated an Iraqi driver
working with a French company, and a university student in northwestern
Baghdad was killed in a drive-by shooting, police said. U.S. air strikes
launched by two F-16 fighter jets in Kirkuk province killed 10 insurgents
on Tuesday, the military said Thursday." (12/29/05)
Bloodletting
continues. When you consider how blessed we are here in the United States
and even in Canada to have avoided these sorts of situations for most
of our history (the American and Texan Revolutions and the War Between
the States (including Bleeding Kansas) being the notable exceptions),
we should indeed be grateful. Imagine if Lee and the other CSA generals
had NOT surrendered gracefully, or if the Nisei had opted to stay and
fight for their homes in California. Or if Young and Conner had not sat
down and negotiated in 1857.
Mama's
Note: "Surrendered gracefully?" I don't understand that comment
in the least. They surrendered under great duress because they refused
to see the remnants of their people killed, perhaps not realizing the
brutal treatment and degradation they would be subjected to afterwards.
That "war" continued to be fought for many long years, and in
some ways has never really been resolved. The bogus "free the slaves"
idea has obscured the fact that every person in Confederate territory
became a slave of the state upon that surrender.
Israel:
Suicide bomber kills IDF soldier, civilians
Fox News
"A Palestinian homicide bomber trying to enter Israel blew himself
up Thursday at a military checkpoint in the West Bank set up to foil the
attack, killing an Israeli soldier and two other Palestinians. The army
said it had set up the checkpoint shortly after receiving warnings that
a homicide bomber was headed toward Israel. The bomber was traveling in
a taxi that was stopped at the roadblock for a security check."
(12/29/05)
As in Iraq,
so in Israel. This seems to have been the "good news" in a proper
response to a threat: the bomber could have set himself off in a crowded
market instead of a remote temporary checkpoint. A later news story reported
that the target was a children's Hanukah party. So much for "freedom
fighters."
Kuwait:
Death sentences for six in terror plot
Voice of America
"A Kuwaiti court handed down death sentences Tuesday, to six Islamists
linked to the al-Qaida terror network. The six condemned men were among
a group of 37 people accused of plotting to attack Kuwaiti security forces
and U.S. troops in the Gulf emirate." (12/27/05)
Really
al-Qaida, or just caught in the wrong place? Whichever, these people are
very unlikely to be around long enough to get a Tookie Williams type sendoff,
or to file charges for abuse and maltreatment as US detainees are able
to.
Iraq:
Inmates, guards killed in prison shootout
Reuters
"Four inmates and five security personnel were killed in a shootout
at a Baghdad high-security jail after at least one prisoner grabbed a
weapon and opened fire, the U.S. and Iraqi armies said. An American soldier
was among six people wounded. There were varying accounts of casualties
from other sources. ... Gunmen killed two soldiers and wounded seven in
an ambush on an Iraqi army patrol .... A family of four, including two
daughters and the parents, were stabbed to death by assailants in Hilla
.... A civilian was killed and two wounded when U.S. forces shot at their
car in Khalidiya, 85 km (53 miles) west of Baghdad, police said. The U.S.
military said it was unaware of the incident. ... Three policemen were
wounded when a car bomb attacked their patrol in the town of Samarra ..."
(12/28/05)
The bloodshed
continues, just as here in the US. I wonder if the family was even armed,
or had they been stripped of their weapons by their religious opponents
or some misguided occupation authority?
Our
Imperial Courts
An
important aspect of the "Home Front" is the battle for the judicial
system. Five stories today point out some of the issues that we will see
exploited or challenged in MMVI (2006).
Justices
rule against woman who spanked
Rapid City Journal
Without ruling that spanking an unruly child with a belt goes beyond
the boundaries of a state law allowing corporal punishment, the South
Dakota Supreme Court decided that a Huron woman went overboard in correcting
her daughter. The unanimous decision Thursday upheld an earlier ruling
by Circuit Judge Jon Erickson, who said it was child abuse when the girl
was struck several times on the buttocks with a belt.
It is almost
as if this case were intentionally done to encourage South Dakota voters
to approve a constitutional amendment initiated and just certified to
be on the MMVI (2006) General Election ballot, called "J.A.I.L."
(Judicial Accountability Initiated Law) which would create a special grand
jury and process outside the traditional legal system, to investigate
judicial misconduct. Of course this case started in August 2004, well
before the petition drive even started. The woman spanked the 11-year-old
six or seven times with a belt (no bruises) after the child continued
to throw tantrums and disobey after a variety of other punishments including
time-outs, grounding, and removal of privileges. The girl ran away from
home and reported on her parents to the Department of Social Services,
who prosecuted this woman.
Mama's
Note: All of these people need to spend a few days walking the streets
of downtown Los Angeles or any other major city. Those streets are full
of people and youngsters who are homeless, involved in every kind of crime
and vice, and have no future except for more of the same - or death -
because they had no discipline or moral compas as children. God help them
all.
New
Mexico: "Absurd" ban on Letterman lifted
BBC News [UK]
"A judge in New Mexico has lifted a restraining order on talk
show host David Letterman sought by a woman who said he sent her coded
messages by TV. The Santa Fe resident had obtained the order on the grounds
that Mr. Letterman had caused her mental cruelty for 11 years, forcing
her to go bankrupt. ... She accused the host of using code words, gestures
and 'eye expressions' to send her messages since she began sending him
'thoughts of love' after his Late Show programme began in 1993. One alleged
message was for Ms Nestler to come east to New York to be trained as the
Late Show's co-host." (12/28/05)
Yeah, this
judge has at least some brains - but what about the imbecile who issued
the restraining order in the first place? He has to be nuttier than the
woman. And do you think he might get thrown out of office next time he
comes up for retention? Please, be real.
Foes
cite Alito's stance on liberty
Boston Globe
"During his years on the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit,
Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. repeatedly tried to limit the court's interpretation
of the 14th Amendment's protection of 'life, liberty, and property' --
one of the key legal underpinnings of the Roe v. Wade abortion case. The
appeals court had ruled in a series of cases that the 14th Amendment protects
people against arbitrary decisions by their local government, such as
zoning board officials who deny permits for no good reason. Alito, now
a nominee to the Supreme Court, rejected such rights, writing that 'only
in extreme circumstances is it proper to invoke' 14th Amendment protections."
(12/27/05)
I am of
two minds on this, until I have a chance to study the issue more. The
14th Amendment was part of that hideous package of amendments passed by
the Radical Republicans while their Democratic and Southern foes languished
in jails or POW camps, and so has been tainted from the gitgo as part
of Lincoln's "enslaving free men" program. Too, I know of no
state constitution which does NOT have a bill of rights that provides
for protection of life, liberty and property from local and state government
(and should protect them from the feds, too, if the role of states versus
fedgov were correctly defined).
Debate
looms on citizen babies
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A proposal to change long-standing federal policy and deny citizenship
to babies born to illegal immigrants on U.S. soil ran aground this month
in Congress, but it is sure to resurface -- kindling bitter debate even
if it fails to become law. At issue is 'birthright citizenship' -- provided
for since the Constitution's 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868. Section
1 of that amendment, drafted with freed slaves in mind, says: 'All persons
born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction
thereof, are citizens of the United States.' Some conservatives in Congress,
as well as advocacy groups seeking to crack down on illegal immigration,
say the amendment has been misapplied over the years, that it was never
intended to grant citizenship automatically to babies of illegal immigrants.
Thus they contend that federal legislation, rather than a difficult-to-achieve
constitutional amendment, would be sufficient to end birthright citizenship."
(12/27/05)
I am putting
this in the Court section and not in Home Front because it also is a 14th
Amendment issue, and is as complex as the above one. It should be up to
states to define who is and is not a citizen, and then for the fedgov
to apply the criteria.
Black
Panther case shifts a debate on Alito
Boston Globe
"Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr., who has been accused
by opponents of being hostile to civil rights claims, once urged the Reagan
administration not to try to block a civil rights suit by the Black Panther
Party against former government officials who had spied on the group,
according to records released yesterday. The nominee's supporters said
a 1981 memo by Alito, written while he was a Justice Department lawyer,
cuts against his portrayal by left-wing groups as an ideologue who sided
against civil rights suits whenever he has had the opportunity. Opponents,
however, said the memo doesn't change their view of the nominee, given
his overall record on civil rights matters." (12/29/05)
Both sides
continue to grasp at straws and pour through kindergarten records for
information to support or attack Alito.
Mama's
Note: It's fast getting to the point where nobody but an absolute zero
will be confirmed for anything. Integrity and the rule of law are the
only criteria that should be considered.
Our
Right to Defend Ourselves
We start out with a rare mention of defense rights in the popular media,
and continue on to just a few of the 35,000 times it is estimated that
people used weapons to defend themselves or prevent evil from being done
this week. No question, the right to defend ourselves is on more people's
minds around the world this week, especially here in the US. So, as usual,
it is appropriate to look in some detail at things we can use to illustrations
WHY it is so important, and what is being done to take it away from too
many people.
MTV
Program "Fair to Owners" but Not to Facts
CNSNews.com
A pro-gun lobbying group is complimenting MTV for treating law-abiding
gun owners fairly in its "True Life: I'm a Gun Owner" documentary,
which aired Thursday night. But Gun Owners of America argued that the
producers featured misleading and inaccurate statistics and focused almost
exclusively on antigun anecdotes, giving viewers a false impression about
the effects of gun ownership in America. "Guns are a source of security,
status, enjoyment and pride, but they also destroy lives," the program's
narrator began. "Should one be in your home?" "They very
well answered that question, unfortunately, in the minds of many of their
viewers that 'No, you shouldn't have a gun in your home,'" Erich
Pratt of Gun Owners of America said, "because there were no positive
anecdotes or statistics that were presented."
MTV is
definitely one of the best propaganda methods available to big government,
big business, big environment, and big labor, so it is no surprise to
see this result. Pratt gave a fair response, but his response will never
be seen nor heard by MTV viewers, who are left with (as usual) a biased
and incomplete picture of a vital issue.
Australia:
Murder trial for woman who shot robber
Sydney Morning Herald [Australia]
"The security guard Karen Brown will stand trial for murdering
a man who bashed and robbed her outside the Moorebank Hotel in July last
year. A magistrate ruled on Friday that although it could be said she
had a strong defence for killing William Aquilina, there was a reasonable
prospect that a jury would reject her defence and convict her of murder."
(12/24/05)
Of course,
the jury will be "instructed" to follow the law and NOT to find
what is right - the original purpose of the English jury. It doesn't matter
if your own life or those of loved ones are in danger - in Australia,
the wielder of a gun is evil incarnate.
Alabama:
Man kills brother in DeKalb shooting
Huntsville Times
"A DeKalb County man was killed and his brother and sister-in-law
were hurt in a gun battle Friday morning in Collinsville, a Sheriff's
Department spokeswoman said. Gary Kenneth Craig, 57, died after being
shot once or twice during a gunfight with his brother, James Earl Craig,
62, said investigator Rhonda Jackson. The brothers were neighbors in Collinsville.
.... Jackson said an alcohol-related dispute led to James Craig removing
his brother from his home. Gary Craig then got a rifle from his pickup
truck and fired through his brother's front door, striking his brother
and sister-in-law. James Craig returned fire, killing his brother, Jackson
said." (12/24/05)
What a
horrible incident! Drinking leads to so many troubles, of which this shooting
is just one example. Fortunately, drinking like this usually, quickly
or in the long run, leads the irresponsible drinker into a capital offense
(stupidity defined as such). Still, I really feel the horror of having
to shoot your own brother, even when there appears to be no choice.
Texas:
Dallas store clerk shoots robbery suspect
Dallas Morning News
"A convenience store clerk shot a man who was trying to rob the
store Tuesday afternoon in Old East Dallas. About 1:45 p.m., two men entered
a Shell convenience store off Interstate 30 near Winslow Avenue and began
to act suspiciously, police said. When the clerk saw one man reach for
gun near his belt, the clerk shot him in the chest. The man was hospitalized
in critical condition, and the other suspect fled." (12/27/05)
It happens
every day, and far too many store workers are NOT armed, and so get hurt,
killed, and robbed.
Washington:
Suspect killed in failed robbery attempt
KXLY TV News
"Kootenai County sherriff's deputies were called to Lew's Smoke
Shop at 6891 W. Seltice Way inside the Stateline Village Shopping Center
at approximately 10-minutes before 8:00pm Monday. That's [sic] when the
store clerk called to report that he had shot an attempted robber. When
the officers and medical personnel arrived, they found an adult white
male, wearing a ski mask, lying dead on the floor of the store, with a
weapon inside the waist of his pants." (12/27/05)
As I've
said above, too many store employees are getting shot and robbed - this
kind of culling of the criminal population is sadly necessary.
Oklahoma:
Teen shoots mom's estranged husband
KOTV News
"Authorities say a teenager shot his mother's estranged husband
in the face when the Duncan man showed up at their home near Marlow. Stephens
County Assistant District Attorney Dennis Gay says the woman had been
granted a protective order against the shooting victim, whose name wasn't
released yesterday. Gay said police weren't sure what led the 15-year-old
boy to believe his mother was in danger but he told police he fired on
the man to protect her." (12/27/05)
Apparently
it was NOT his father - a sad situation in so many families today where
relationships are so bizarre as to resemble the worse of past historical
societies. Still, this kid had the guts to protect his loved ones.
Mama's
Note: Here we go again with the criminal being called a "victim!"
Words have meaning, and we need to do what we can to point out when words
are used falsely or in the wrong context.
California:
S.F. city attorney, NRA agree to delay for part of gun ban
Mercury News
"San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said today that the
city will delay the implementation of part of an ordinance banning handguns
for two months as part of an agreement with the National Rifle Association.
Proposition H, which was approved by San Francisco voters by a margin
of 58 to 42 percent on Nov. 8, had been scheduled to go into effect Jan.
1. Under the agreement announced today, part of the ordinance won't go
into effect March 1. .... Under terms of the agreement, the NRA will refrain
from seeking a temporary restraining order in the case, and accept a briefing
schedule that will assure a hearing on the merits of the law in the San
Francisco Superior Court by mid-February, according to the city attorney's
office. Without such an agreement, a likely scenario would have required
three court hearings: one on a temporary restraining order, another on
a preliminary injunction, and still another on the merits of the legal
challenge, according to the city attorney's office. Referring to a recent
court ruling, Matt Dorsey, a spokesman for Herrera, said in a news release,
'After losing its case in the California Court of Appeal, the NRA finds
itself unable to challenge Prop H before its effective date without resorting
to procedural roadblocks.' "(12/29/05)
It is staggering
that this is happening, and I was completely astounded to find that there
is NO right to keep and bear arms in the California Constitution, which
has in my opinion, the most lawyerly of any bill of rights or declaration
of rights of any American constitution I have ever read - and "lawyerly"
is NOT a complementary adjective as I use it - weasel-worded to the Nth
degree. Still, even under the federal constitution, I cannot understand
how New York's Sullivan Act or this piece of tripe can be upheld by any
court, no matter how crooked.
Mama's
Note: Anyone who cares at all for liberty and justice should get out of
California NOW, while they still can. It won't be long before the unofficial
criminals take over completely, especially in the cities, and honest people
won't have anything but a fingernail file to protect themselves with because
the official criminals will have confiscated everything else.
Colorado:
Burglar falls twice running from armed homeowner
Channel 7 News
"Arapahoe County authorities say a 22-year-old man suffered serious
head injuries Wednesday morning when he tried to run away from homeowner
with a gun. Kris Gibson was taken to a hospital for treatment and then
taken to jail. Authorities say Gibson broke into a home at Olathe Street
and East Maplewood Avenue at about 4:30 a.m. The homeowner -- whose name
hasn't been released -- said a noise woke him up and when he went to check
it out, he saw someone downstairs. He grabbed his rifle and ran after
the man. "The suspect ran from the house. The homeowner pursued him
outside the residence. The homeowner fired a shot into the ground in an
attempt to keep the person here," said Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson
Robinson. While trying to run away, the suspect fell twice. Gibson struck
his head on the floor while running down the stairs in the house and fell
again on an icy driveway outside the house. He left a bloody trail and
was found lying down in a field a short distance away." (12/28/05)
See, sometimes
you don't even have to hit them to hurt them. Kinda like barking squirrels,
I guess.
Idaho:
Smoke shop clerk fatally shoots masked intruder
Seattle Post Intelligencer
"Joseph Kalani Hatchie, 47, facing medical bills and eviction
from his family's rental home in Otis Orchard, Wash., just east of Spokane,
on Monday kissed his wife goodbye before leaving to drive his brother
home. He then allegedly put on a gray ski mask just before 8 p.m. and
walked into Lew's Smoke Shop in this northern Idaho border town and pointed
his son's unloaded pellet gun at the clerk. The clerk reached under the
counter and pulled out a .40 caliber semiautomatic and shot Hatchie 10
times, according to police. Lew's Smoke Shop had been robbed twice before
in the last five years, according to the Kootenai County sheriff's office.
On Tuesday, the department displayed the pellet gun - designed to look
like a Walter P-9 semiautomatic - alongside real weapons. "We wanted
to do this display just so you understand what this poor clerk saw last
night and, in that split-second, what decision he had to make," sheriff's
Capt. Ben Wolfinger said. He said the county prosecutor will determine
whether the shooting was a justifiable homicide or if charges will be
filed against the store clerk, who has not been identified."
(12/29/05)
Ten times
seems a wee bit excessive - this guy needs more training. Still, just
because he emptied the magazine doesn't mean that the shooting was not
justified. This county needs to decide VERY quickly to let this clerk
off.
Wisconsin:
Police treating shooting at club as self-defense
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
"A shooting that left one man dead and another critically injured
in a bar early Saturday is being treated as a self-defense case, police
spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said Tuesday. LaCharles Hester, 27, was killed
and another man, 23, who was not identified, was wounded in the chest
by a bartender .... The bar owner was trying to clear the bar when Hester
pulled out a gun, fired into the ceiling and pointed the gun at the bartender
and other people in the bar, Schwartz said. The bartender, 36, who was
not identified, drew a gun from his holster and shot Hester in the back
of the head, she said. The 23-year-old man then tried to take the gun
away from the bartender and it fired, hitting the 23-year-old in the chest."
(12/27/05)
I expect
that a big deal will be made of the bartender shooting the man in the
back of the head, but this is still clearly within justifiable self-defense
AND defense of his patrons.
Florida:
Man shoots home invader
First Coast News
"Police say a suspect was shot early Thursday morning by a man
who was protecting his home and his pregnant wife. Police are calling
it a home invasion robbery. A 17-year-old boy is in police custody, while
his brother is in the hospital in critical condition. The two men allegedly
parked their vehicle a few hundred yards from a home near a row of trees
in MacClenny. They turned off the electricity to the home and unplugged
the phone connection. Police say the suspects then walked up to the home
and stole an anchor that was inside of a boat in a shed. They say the
pair then used it to break the glass door in the back of the home. According
to a police report, the owner of the home heard a noise and grabbed his
gun from inside the house. Police say he stayed upstairs in the bedroom
with his wife who is pregnant. The suspect then allegedly walked up the
stairs to the bedroom with a flashlight and opened the bedroom door. That's
when, police say, the victim fired his gun and shot the suspect. Officers
arrived on the scene as the 17-year old was running to his vehicle. He
is now in police custody. " (12/29/05)
"Boy"
or "man"? This probably fits into the category of "old
enough to do the crime, old enough to do the time" and the 17-year-old
"boy" should be treated like the mad dog he is. I hope that
a lot of other people learn their lesson from this.
North
Carolina: Would be victim fights back
NBC 17 News
"Two suspected robbers got more than they bargained for Wednesday
night when their intended victim fought back and wounded one of them,
police said. Damian Powell was headed to an apartment on Farrington Drive,
off Six Forks Road in north Raleigh, at about 8 p.m. Wednesday when two
teens approached him, police said. One of the teens flashed a gun, and
they demanded money, police said. Powell wasn't about to become a victim.
He knocked the gun out of the teen's hand and ran to his car to get his
own gun, police said. He and the would-be robbers then exchanged gunfire
in the apartment complex parking lot, and Powell apparently wounded one
of them as they fled, police said." (12/29/05)
Carry your
weapons with you!!!
More
News and Commentary on Page 2
Nathan Barton is a libertarian engineer and writer, enjoying the cooling
evenings in the Rockies and the Four Corners, where "monsoon"
rains cause some creeks to overflow their banks, but nothing like the
mess down in the South. His views are his own and do not necessarily represent
the views of anyone else, including the sources of his news and other
libertarians! Be sure to visit my blog,
Liberty's Outpost.
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