Libertarian Commentary on the News, 14 -21 May, 2006 -- Page 2

Our Right to Defend Ourselves
Creativity, these days on a national scale, all too often seems to be limited to ways to make life miserable and uncertain for people who believe in a right to defend ourselves. Hoploclasts are very prolific in coming up with new ideas to bedevil us. Fortunately, as usual, thanks to Mary Lou at FND/RRND and others, there are a lot of stories to share with people about how people DO defend themselves effectively and morally: a key part of liberty that must always be emphasized.

Anti-Gun Groups Demand Access to Gun Trace Data
CNSNews.com
Gun control groups are targeting "rogue" gun dealers who "sell guns on street corners to thugs, across kitchen tables to drug dealers, and on playgrounds to violent teens." But Second Amendment supporters believe the gun control groups would misuse federal gun-trace data for their own purposes...

Just one more excuse to crack down on individuals who have guns for their protection and because we have a God-given right to defend ourselves and our loved ones.

NY: Bloomberg files frivolous antigun suit
USA Today
"The city is suing 15 out-of-state gun shops it says supply a significant portion of the guns that flow into New York, including some that end up in the hands of criminals. The lawsuit being filed Monday asks the federal court to order supervision and extra training for the dealers in Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia. It also seeks some damages and compensation. 'By and large, most gun dealers respect and follow the law, but the small group of dealers that do not should be held accountable,' Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement. The city's law department singled out the 15 gun shops after hiring private investigators who fanned out to dealers in the five states over the past several weeks. Wearing hidden cameras, the investigators entered stores in teams of two and attempted 'straw purchases,' in which the buyer completes the paperwork and passes the background check, but later hands over the weapon to someone else who is not allowed to own a firearm." (05/15/06)

Tyranny (like freedom) must be exported or it dies. This is the latest attempt to do so.

Air Canada alienates customers
Enter Stage Right
"Air Canada recently announced a new policy effective June 1, 2006: unloaded firearms will be subject to a $65 one-way handling fee because the airline views them as 'dangerous goods.' An interesting claim, given the guidelines from Transport Canada, which regulates air travel safety among other things, states in its Dangerous Goods Standard Notice No. 17 Item No. 4: 'The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (TDGR) does not regulate the transport of unloaded firearms as there are no dangerous goods present.' When questioned on the new policy, Air Canada Customer Solutions Representative Ryan Dickson stated 'The new firearms handling charge per one-way journey brings firearms handling in line with other special baggage that requires incremental manual handling.'" (05/15/06)

Stupid is as stupid does. Follow the money and see what either the management or the banks are doing to push this.

IN: Robbery suspect killed
WTHR News
"Gunfire between security guards and a robbery suspect last night inside the Village Pantry at 71st and Georgetown Road. The robbery suspect, a 53 year-old Indianapolis man, died from the gunshots. Investigators say the suspect entered the store, showed a gun and told the clerk and another man in plain clothes to get behind the counter. When the suspect realized the man in plain clothes was a security officer, he fired two shots at him. A second security guard then opened fire." (05/16/06)

Things are bad in Indiana, clearly, if there are plural "guards" in a convenience store. Clearly, the guards had every right to respond as they did.

WA: Family confrontation ends in man's shooting
Everett Herald
"A Bothell man was reportedly shot in the stomach in Marysville early Monday morning after a confrontation with his girlfriend's family. The victim, 20, was reportedly shot with a handgun, Marysville police Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux said. No arrests have been made. ... Before the shooting, a confrontation had occurred between the man and his girlfriend, Lamoureux said. 'When the boyfriend brought the girlfriend home to where the father and uncle lived, they confronted the boyfriend,' he said." (05/02/06)

This is one of those few shootings that deserves more of a look - was this actually self-defense (by which I include defending the girl) or was this some form of an "honor" shooting?

OR: Pendleton store owner pulls gun on robber
The Oregonian
"A Pendleton storekeeper demonstrated today that robbing stores might not be a wise occupation in the Eastern Oregon rodeo town where he lives. When a man entered the Double J Drive-Through convenience store about 9 a.m. and demanded money, owner James Dean Zellers, 60, pulled a revolver and held him for police. ... The robber didn't have a gun and no shots were fired. 'I think by his actions and body language he was deeply surprised that the store owner had a weapon and pulled it on him,' Swanson said." (05/17/06)

Stupidity is the only capital crime. Fortunately, this shopkeeper did NOT immediately respond with use of deadly force, which was clearly not needed in this case.

Chicago led New York on frivolous gun suits
New York Daily News
"Mayor Bloomberg isn't the first big-city boss to pull a sting operation on gun dealers. In a 1998 probe dubbed Operation Gunsmoke, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley had undercover cops posing as gang members go into area gun stores. Grainy video shot by investigators seemed to show gun merchants gladly allowing straw purchases -- the practice of legally authorized citizens buying guns for others. The sting was a public relations success, with footage shown on '60 Minutes' and elsewhere. But the operation had less success in court, where it was used in a civil case and several criminal prosecutions. ... The sting was initially to be the centerpiece of Chicago's landmark $433 million civil suit blaming the gun industry for urban violence. The suit was dismissed by the Illinois Supreme Court last year." (05/18/06)

Funny, all too often the final victory never actually makes it back to the media limelight, does it?

NRA asks chiefs, mayors to sign gun seizure pledge
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Alarmed by the way authorities confiscated guns in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the National Rifle Association called on all police chiefs and mayors Thursday to sign a pledge they will never forcibly disarm law-abiding citizens. 'Mayors and police chiefs have already sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States in their oaths of office. So signing this pledge should be just as effortless,' NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre said a day before the 4 million-member group opens its annual convention in Milwaukee. The nation's most powerful gun lobbying group also said it would support state and federal legislation making it a crime to forcibly disarm law-abiding citizens." (05/18/06)

The NRA is once again demonstrating a tiny bit more resolve in getting back on the side of liberty as far as arms are concerned. Yes, this is symbolic, and they are certain to break their promise whenever it benefits them, but it does make a good statement. At the same time, this might be the beginning of a true "Bill of Rights Enforcement" culture and process which will allow citizens to hold officials accountable for breaking their oath to the Constitution.

SC: Charges dropped against son in slaying
Springfield News
"The physically abusive history between Howard and Teresa Ayers was a factor in their son Shawn Ayers' fate and led South Carolina prosecutors to drop the murder charge against the Springfield teen Wednesday. The charge was filed against Shawn Ayers after he fatally stabbed and shot his father, retired Lt. Howard Wayne Ayers, on Aug. 9 on a family vacation to Myrtle Beach State Park. 'This is a classic case of not only a battered spouse, but the defense of another, and in this case, a tragic defense by a child of his mother,' Shawn Ayers' Attorney Morgan Martin said." (05/18/06)

It must have been a very hard decision for the prosecutors, and I am sure that they were under some extreme pressure to proceed. At the same time, the cause was "politically correct" and that probably made it easier to make the right decision in this case (a rare thing).

WV: Homeowner shoots, kills intruder
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
"One man is dead and another critically wounded after an alleged break-in and altercation at a Ritter Hollow residence in McDowell County. ... The 911 report 'is that two men broke into the house and started fighting with the homeowner, and the homeowner had shot and had killed one man and the other had been shot and left the scene,' McDowell County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Mark Shelton said. Thornton Toby Jones, 43, the homeowner of the house shot the alleged intruders with a 9 mm handgun." (05/18/06)

I suppose even if the dead body is in the house, the guy is still just an "alleged" intruder?

MI: One suspect hit, two sought in store shoot-out
Home Town Life
"With any luck, the two men who were thwarted when trying to rob a Southfield convenience store might be easy to find. They might have been wounded, according to Detective John Harris, spokesman for the Southfield police. 'And all hospitals and doctors are required to notify authorities when they treat a gunshot wound,' he said. On the other hand, the two men may have been lucky and escaped without any bullet wounds -- even though a dozen or more shots were exchanged just before 1 a.m. Sunday, when they tried to rob the Franklin Liquor and Deli in the 28500 block of Franklin. ... The marksmanship of the owner, 29, and his 23-year-old clerk from West Bloomfield, was, however, good enough that a third would-be robber was hit three times, including once in the buttocks. He was identified as Jason Scott Klemas, 24, of Romulus who stood mute when arraigned Monday at a hospital bed in Providence Hospital." (05/18/06)

Sounds like a nasty scene, doesn't it. Any bets on whether the convenience store owner and clerk would have survived the encounter if they hadn't been armed?

CA: Man shot, killed
Red Bluff News
"Tracy Allen Norton heard noises outside his home about noon and observed a man hiding near the residence, Rabalais said. The suspect, later determined to be Scarabello, chased Norton into the residence where gunshots were exchanged between the two men, Rabalais said. Norton then went to a neighbor's home and called 911. Scarabella was one of the suspects in the home invasion robbery in April, Rabalais said. Detectives were seeking Scarabello and held a warrant for his arrest." (05/18/06)

Another instance of someone NOT protected by the state.

Stupid Government Tricks
Spying, corruption, stupid laws, stupid actions by officers of the government, and much more. Remember - here in the US, we elect most of these people, or at least, their bosses. Pathetic, isn't it?

Congressman Seeks Ban on Web Social Sites in Schools
Agape Press
Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick has introduced the Deleting Online Child Predators Act. The bill (HR 5319) would require schools and libraries to institute screening software that would prohibit children from accessing social networking sites like MySpace, Friendster, and Facebook. The Pennsylvania Republican contends the new technology behind such online communities has generated "a feeding ground" for child predators who he says use the sites "as just another way to do our children harm." Fitzpatrick says there is little reason for a child to be accessing such websites at school.

Ah, the combination of stupid government trick and government-ruined, theft-funded schools. Only a congressman could be so brain-dead. You know, given the track record of our public schools, this is most probably the way to guarantee that every student has access to these sites. Of course, something that people might consider is that given the current state of the GRTF schools, these sites might actually be their allies in promoting cultural change - which sometimes seems to encourage just such predation as this guy is supposedly trying to stop. You also know, it never seems to occur to these people that parents might be able to help their children deal with such threats withOUT nannying by the schools.

Mama's Note: Such nonsense might also help push more families into providing a real education for their children, and help the children accept and even campaign for either homeschooling or private school where they can continue to talk with their friends. Community and peer grouping is very important to children, especially teens. This might just be another nail in the GRTF "school's" coffin.

Tax Bill Will Boost Economy, Republicans Say
CNSNews.com
President Bush on Wednesday will sign a $70-billion tax-relief bill that Republicans see as an economy-booster and Democrats view as a budget-busting gift to the wealthy...

It is, of course, not even a pittance, but ANY tax relief is worth fighting for. However, remember that the Democrats believe that anyone who makes more than the minimum wage is "wealthy" unless, of course, they get an allowance from a trust or earn a government paycheck. And once more, the relief is "temporary" and subject to termination the next time the Demos get a majority in either house, or when the GOP continues to act like a minority party.

Australia: Belt up, hang up, or get busted
The Age [Australia]
"Motorists who talk on mobile phones while driving and refuse to wear seatbelts will be the focus of a police crackdown on driving offences in the city. The blitz on CBD streets and major city-bound arterial roads will be held one day this week, although police are refusing to reveal exactly when and where they will target drivers. 'It's going to be a surprise, but we are giving people that warning to say ... get your act together, get off the phone, belt up and hang up,' a police spokeswoman said. Police conducted similar operations in February and April, busting 249 motorists for talking on mobiles while driving and 131 people for not wearing seatbelts, the spokeswoman said." (05/15/06)

As Clair Wolfe and others point out, it is inevitable that powers given to police (and government in general) to combat "serious crime" are quickly used to do naught more but exercise the petty tyranny of the common low-level bureaucrat or the common cop on the beat. When you hire and give thugs power, and they act like thugs, what else can we expect?

Scotland: Three freed in robbery case as judge rules human rights breached
The Scotsman
THREE men who were on trial for armed robbery walked free from court after a judge ruled that their human rights had been breached when police listened in to conversations in their cells.

I don't know who is the more stupid here: the cops for listening (they seemed to have enough evidence without that), the judge for letting them go and for NOT having the police join them in prison, or the robbers for gabbling about their robbery in jail. They stole more than $300,000 and are apparently getting away with it scot-free (so to speak). Stupid, stupid, stupid.

TN: House votes on $6.15 minimum wage
Tennessean
"The state House of Representatives could vote as early as this [Wednesday] afternoon on raising Tennessee's minimum wage to $6.15 an hour, a buck more than the federal standard. But it's unclear how legislators will work out various points of disagreement, including how to enforce the higher pay rate and whether to exempt any jobs from the higher hourly standard. As it left committee, the bill says the higher minimum pay doesn't apply to farm workers, nursery workers or college students working at their schools on grant programs. Business groups oppose a higher minimum wage, saying it's not needed and will hurt small businesses in the state." [Editor's note: Yet another state buys the rhetoric from the unions, who are the only beneficiaries of raising the "minimum" wage - SAT] [additional Editor's note: Actually, the minimum wage is bad for unions; never have figured out why they argue against themselves so - TLK] (05/17/06)

I include this primarily to remind us (and new viewers) that minimum wages are a form of punishing the poor, minorities, and the young, supporting union attempts at monopolizing the work force, and are generally bad for the economy and for everyone in the economy. They keep young, inexperienced people out of the workforce, make it hard for new businesses to get going, and often lead to unskilled workers losing the jobs they have, not getting more pay.

Mama's Note: Unless the US Congress plays this same game, Tennessee will soon find that a lot of people are voting with their feet and leaving the state. The combination of high taxes and all the rest of government nonsense daily becomes good reason for people to find a better place to live. Yes, that is much more difficult for the poor and elderly, but it can be done. It just depends on what is important to them, doesn't it?

Korea targets corruption at automaker Hyundai
Christian Science Monitor
"A massive financial scandal surrounding one of South Korea's most powerful tycoons has exposed the machinations by which they perpetuate their power -- but appears unlikely to undermine the family-run conglomerates that dominate the economy. As Chung Mong Koo, chairman of the Hyundai Automotive Group, was indicted Tuesday on charges of establishing an enormous slush fund to bribe officials, and then of embezzling funds to beef up his son's shares, corporate loyalists and critics debated the implications for the conglomerates, known as chaebol." (05/17/06)

It sounds to me like they forget that it takes two to tango - a slush fund does no good unless there are corrupt government officials to accept the payoffs, and a need to hide assets from the thieves-in-office who steal more and more.

Rumsfeld reveals split over interrogations
San Francisco Examiner
"Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said for the first time Wednesday that officials are at odds over whether a new Army manual should endorse different interrogation techniques for enemy insurgents than are allowed for regular prisoners of war. The debate hinges on whether suspected terrorists or other insurgents can be treated more severely than captured members of an enemy army. There are concerns such a distinction could fly in the face of a law enacted last year, pressed by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that explicitly banned cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of prisoners by U.S. troops." (05/17/06)

I am very glad to hear that many senior people are fighting any attempt to treat "insurgents" worse than normal POWs - nothing else is morally supportable. Whether protected by international law or not as combatants, these people deserve to be treated humanely. But it is sad that the issue has even come up. Later news this week prominently featured a British judge and a UN panel condemning the US for holding de facto prisoners of war in Gitmo without trial - but if these people were brought to trial, I expect these same people would be condemning the US for the shaky legal position taken in trying to treat combatants (even if "illegal" combatants under international law) as common criminals. To try these people as criminals today would be as inappropriate as it would have been to charge and try captured German troops during WW2 for wanton destruction of US Government property because they shot up US Army tanks and aircraft on the battlefield. (Of course, if we really wanted to rile people, we could judge these people under the traditions of shari'a - in which resistance to "authority" is virtually always punished by a death sentence or the amputation of limbs or similar nasty actions: "Thus it is not permissible for one to rebel with the sword against an unjust ruler." Statement #27 of Al-Maturidi.)

House ethics committee launches bribery probes
CNN
"In a burst of activity that ended 16 months of political gridlock, the House ethics committee Wednesday launched a flurry of investigations -- focusing on a Republican linked to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and a Democrat at the center of a separate bribery probe. The bribery investigations of Reps. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, and William Jefferson, D-La., will determine whether they violated House rules, but the probes only add to their legal woes. The Justice Department already is conducting bribery investigations of Ney and Jefferson, both of whom have denied wrongdoing." (05/17/05)

Justice delayed is justice denied, and in this case, it is the American voters and taxpayers that are being abused by this lengthy inactivity. These people almost certainly voted for and got their share of pork, and made votes as payoff for their bribes, that should be vacated - but of course, they won't. (Curious question: has anyone ever sued to vacate laws passed by a board or council which was illegally elected or which were found to be corrupt?)

FBI digs for Hoffa's body
Detroit Free Press
"FBI agents began digging on a farm in Milford Township late Wednesday looking for fresh clues in the 1975 disappearance of former Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa. FBI spokeswoman Dawn Clenney confirmed that agents were executing a search warrant in Milford Township, but wouldn't say whether they were looking for Hoffa's body or other evidence in the case. Investigators are looking for 'evidence of criminal activity that may have occurred under previous ownership' on the property, Clenney told the Associated Press on Wednesday." (05/17/06)

Stupid Government Tricks!!!! Yeah!!! Look folks, Jimmy Hoffa is in perfect health: I saw him earlier this week at a health spa near Durango, behind all the body guards, right there with Elvis Presley and ol' Uncle Adolf himself, just laughing and waving at the National Inquirer reporterettes. These guys are blowing smoke up our noses, or just sucking it in really, really deep.

Congress may make ISPs snoop on you
CNet
"A prominent Republican on Capitol Hill has prepared legislation that would rewrite Internet privacy rules by requiring that logs of Americans' online activities be stored, CNET News.com has learned. The proposal comes just weeks after Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Internet service providers should retain records of user activities for a 'reasonable amount of time,' a move that represented a dramatic shift in the Bush administration's views on privacy. " (05/16/06)

More foolishness? Isn't this the same thing as the phone logs that everyone in Congress seems to be screaming about? Why doesn't Congress make us all start maintaining contact logs of everyone who visits our homes, and businesses, as well?

Mama's Note: Quite aside from the privacy issue is the realization that all this would be totally ineffective in preventing any real crime or terrorism. This is like fishing in a barrel of mud, and expecting to find any live fish. Just another waste of time and money for everyone - but job security for those who would do the snooping, of course.

Few Countries Contribute to UN Democracy Fund
CNSNews.com
The newly established U.N. Democracy Fund has been inviting funding proposals for projects around the world, but its own funding situation remains little changed, with few member states -- apart from the U.S. and several other notable exceptions -- pledging much, if anything, to the project...

This strikes me very much as donating money to Hamas to encourage more tolerance of Arabs by Israel.

CA: Landlords, homeowners targeted
USA Today
"Landlords who rent to illegal immigrants could face $1,000 fines, and homeowners who hire undocumented workers could have their cars impounded under a measure being voted on today by the San Bernardino City Council. A group opposed to illegal immigration in the city of 200,000, located 70 miles east of Los Angeles, collected more than 2,200 signatures to force the council to consider the tough proposal. If the council doesn't approve the measure today, the issue will go to voters on a citywide ballot. Four of the seven council members said in interviews that they expected the measure to fail today because of concerns over enforcement costs and court challenges. 'Cops don't need to be checking under mattresses to see if some landlord is renting to some illegal immigrant,' Councilman Dennis Baxter said." (05/15/06)

Expect our imperial courts to swiftly throw this thing out on its ear, vote or not. Like any law of this sort, it becomes another way for someone to get back at someone - as a hammer, either by the city government or by a neighbor.

Mama's Note: This kind of thing could just possibly get in under the radar, however, since it gives the local governments the power to confiscate even more private property. The lust for this stolen property is what has corrupted every "law enforcement" agency already, and more of the same wouldn't be hard to sell them.

AR: Hunt fails to find elusive woodpecker
The State
"An intensive search of the Big Woods area of Arkansas last fall and winter failed to produce confirmation that the much-sought ivory-billed woodpecker still exists. Ron Rohrbaugh of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which has led the search, said Thursday that there seemed to be no resident ivory bills in the Bayou de View area of the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, where the initial sighting was made. The Fish and Wildlife Service is lifting restrictions on visitors to that area." (05/19/06)

Wonder how much taxpayers' money went for this little boondoggle? The Endangered Species Act, basically in effect now for decades, constantly leads to foolishness like this: I've seen $1 million dollar projects become $2 million dollar projects just because it was necessary to fund academic welfare recipients by conducting exhaustive and widespread evaluations for a species of beetle or a rare plant.

House votes to keep offshore drilling ban
Honolulu Advertiser
"The House rejected an attempt late Thursday to end a quarter-century ban on oil and natural gas drilling in 85 percent of the country's coastal waters despite arguments that the new supplies are needed to lower energy costs. Lawmakers from Florida and California led the fight to maintain the long-standing drilling moratorium, contending that energy development as close as three miles from shore would jeopardize multibillion-dollar tourism industries." (05/18/06)

One more failed attempt - one more piece of evidence that they are happy with the US importing most of its energy.

Couple jailed for asking cop for directions
Officer.com
"Baltimore City police arrested a Virginia couple over the weekend after they asked an officer for directions. WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team reporter David Collins said Joshua Kelly and Llara Brook, of Chantilly, Va., got lost leaving an Orioles game on Saturday. Collins reported a city officer arrested them for trespassing on a public street while they were asking for directions . 'In jail for eight hours -- sleeping on a concrete floor next to a toilet,' Kelly said. ... Hopelessly lost, relief melted away concerns after they spotted a police vehicle.' I said, 'Thank goodness, could you please get us to 95?' Kelly said. The first thing that she said to us was no -- you just ran that stop sign, pull over,' Brook said. 'It wasn't a big deal. We'll pay the stop sign violation, but can we have directions? What she said was 'You found your own way in here, you can find your own way out.' Kelly said." (05/18/06)

Yeah, I know that a great many cops are not thugs, but this guy gives that 1% a bad reputation.

Stupid People Tricks
Since governments are made up, ultimately, of people, like them, people do a lot of stupid things. Here are a few items this week that show that, sadly, too many people don't understand that liberty requires responsibility for your actions. And a few items just for fun.

Athlete tent gives druglike boost
Christian Science Monitor
"All athletes dream of reaching great heights - but in a minivan? Top US mountain biker Carl Wecker says his first mentor used to drive up to the top of a nearby mountain every night and sleep in his car to get the endurance benefits associated with high altitude. 'It's not too big a price to pay when you're training hard,' says the Oregon native and four-time participant in the mountain biking world championships. 'It just sounds weird.' Today, Mr. Wecker has a more convenient solution: an altitude tent, which simulates thin mountain air right in his bedroom." (05/12/06)

Druglike? Careful, laddies, they'll make it illegal, or at least disqualifying. At the same time, it is a reminder that sports, even of the most marginal type, have become a dominant aspect of modern American society: a level that Roman emperors with their circuses never dreamed of.

Mama's Note: Sure, and the spa, massage, and sauna would be next because they can give a "druglike" euphoria and relaxation, obviously a no no. We must all remain as tense and uptight as possible to please our government nannies. But the really insane thing is that these same government types see nothing wrong at all with the DRUGS prescribed by government controlled doctors for every sort of stress reaction - including for a vast number of small children!!!

Teens' online postings are new tool for police
Boston Globe
"When Judge Brian Boatright of Jefferson County, Colo., found a 16-year-old Evergreen High School student standing before him guilty of a weapons charge last month, the strongest evidence hadn't come from a police search, a neighbor's tip, or even a wiretap. The evidence had been supplied by the teen, who this year had posted pictures of himself surrounded by guns on his page of the social networking website MySpace.com. MySpace and its cousins, Xanga and Facebook, have, in little more than two years, attracted more than 100 million users, most of them young people creating their own pages to show off to friends. Law enforcement officials, however, have another use for them: They are fast becoming a crucial source of evidence in crimes involving young people ranging from pornography to drugs to terrorist threats." (05/15/06)

It would appear, would it not, that this is self-incrimination? Of course, this is an extremely stupid thing for the kid to have done. Very stupid indeed. Of course, based on some of the predators cruising MySpace and other similar sites, the cops probably fit right in.

High Tech, Low Tech, and Health
A few interesting items this week, including some that have significant potential for promoting liberty. Remember that any technology is nearly always neutral, and can be used for freedom or for tyranny. Let's start with something really neat.

Scientist Revs Up Power of Microbial Fuel Cells in Unexpected Ways
Terra Daily
Amherst MA (SPX) May 15, 2006 - Scientists have boosted the power output of microbial fuel cells more than 10-fold by letting the bacteria congregate into a slimy matrix known as a biofilm. The research, led by microbiologist Derek Lovley of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, suggests that efficient technologies for generating electricity with microbes are much closer than anticipated.

Good news - slimy batteries will no longer be a thing of horror to find when you finally locate that flashlight under the back carseat. Seriously, bacterial fuel-cells sound even better than methane-fuel-cells for everything from laptops to motorbikes and flashlights.

Mama's Note: I always found my younger son's collections of rotting worms, etc. to be quite shocking, but never saw them as potential energy for a flashlight. Wonders never cease!

Face Of Outdoor Advertising Changes With New Airship Design
Terra Daily
Orlando FL (SPX) May 15, 2006 - The Lightship Group has announced that its new A-170 Video Lightsign airship. This revolutionary new technology can potentially be used to broadcast live TV, Internet sites, stock tickers, slide shows or virtually any other media on its full-color 30' X 70' LED screen.

Just in case you thought that there were places to get away from advertising: these things could cruise over (or at least along the borders of) our national parks, wilderness areas, and even your basic security-gated community, ignoring planning and zoning restrictions, sign codes, and everything else except maybe Redeye missiles (and since these are prop-driven with not much exhaust, even your basic heat-seeker might not work).

Russian Lawmakers Don't Trust US-Made Computer Software
CNSNews.com
A group of influential Russian lawmakers has introduced legislation that seeks to rid the country's military facilities and other strategic government institutions of foreign-made computer software...

Well, shucks, do WE trust US-made software? But this sounds like Ruskie legisgators are about as smart and tech-savvy as the US's congrus-kritturs.

FDA urged to limit nanotech cosmetics, sunscreens
San Francisco Chronicle
"Numerous products such as sunscreens and cosmetics contain potentially hazardous nanoparticles but lack adequate warning labels of their possible health effects, two activist groups charged Tuesday. The groups -- Friends of the Earth and International Center for Technology Assessment -- formally petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, demanding that the agency better monitor and regulate products containing nanoparticles -- and said they would sue if the agency does nothing. Their announcement coincided with the release of a report by the groups that highlighted the number of personal care products with nanoingredients, material typically 100 nanometers wide -- far smaller than a red blood cell -- or smaller. Tuesday's filing was 'the first-ever legal challenge on the potential human health and environmental risks of nanotechnology and nanomaterials,' the groups claimed in a statement." (05/17/06)

This is nothing but an expansion of the long-going war on any possible use of technology for human health - going back to those who opposed the smallpox vaccine and vaccines against polio, and seen most recently in the irrational war waged against genies: gene-engineered/modified organisms. As Mama Liberty, R.N., points out, virtually ALL molecules are "nanoparticles." The nanoparticles these environists have their pants in a wad about are generally nothing more than smaller "clumps" of the same molecules that make up these well-known and well-tested products. This makes them more effective at their ability to do whatever it is that they do: screen your skin from the sun, give you that "fresh" smooth skin, etc.

All products, FDA tested or not, need to be used with care by ANYONE when they are using something "new" or "new and improved" because we are all different in our response to various elements, and how those elements are presented. Does this mean we need to panic, as FOE wants us to? Absolutely not - they are interested in nothing more than ending technological progress and taking liberty away from the masses who "can't use it the way we think they ought to."

Aircraft carrier becomes artificial reef
USA Today
"As hundreds of veterans looked on solemnly, Navy divers blew holes in a retired aircraft carrier and sent the 888-foot USS Oriskany to the bottom of the sea Wednesday, forming the world's largest deliberately created artificial reef. Clouds of brown and gray smoke rose in the sky after more than 500 pounds of plastic explosives went off. The rusted hulk took about 45 minutes to slip beneath the waves, about four hours faster than predicted." (05/17/06)

I know there are comments all about how wonderful this "swords to plowshares" routine is, but is this really the right thing to do with the taxpayers' money? And what about the pollution due to sinking this rusting hulk, which is sure to be filled with asbestos and every other sort of chemical? To say nothing of the air pollution?

Mama's Note: I was very sad to see this article. My late husband, who served 20 years in the US Navy, spent a lot of years aboard this carrier and loved her greatly. It does seem that she could have had a more fitting end than this, no matter what precautions they may have taken to remove toxic waste before they sank her. What a shame.

Groups Push For and Against 'Net Neutrality'
CNSNews.com
"Net neutrality" is a hot topic in Washington these days, with some interest groups (conservative and liberal) demanding it - and free marketeers (conservative lawmakers among them) rejecting it. The issue involves the delivery of Internet content - and concerns that broadband providers will offer faster delivery to web sites willing to pay for the favor...

OH, now I understand. The reason that it takes mail just as long to get from Denver to the Four Corners when I pay for "Priority Mail" is "mail neutrality" - I shouldn't be privileged to get my mail sooner just because I pay a lot more for it. This is the same mentality as behind "No Child Left Behind" - in order to make sure that someone doesn't get ahead "unfairly" - we have "school neutrality" and education for everyone must be equally dumbed down.

World Wars
Everything that we are fighting about in the US is something that we (or someone) is fighting about worldwide. Here are a few stories from this week.

Russia Will Not Relapse Into Cold War Era In Relations With West Says Putin
Space War Express
Sochi (RIAN) May 15, 2006 - Russia will be patiently developing relations with the West and will not return to the Cold War period in their relations, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday. "We will be building relations with our Western colleagues with patience and calm," Putin said. "As I said [in the state of the nation address] we will not return to the Cold War era."

It appears that my interpretation last week of President Putin's earlier speech is closer to his idea than to that of many of the nay-sayers and those who hoped for a renewal of the Cold War against the evils of America. Now if we could just convince all sides of the fussin' 'n' feudin' here in the US to approach things with Putin's "patience and calm." I know, there is a fat chance of that, election year or not.

S. Korean Leader Hopes for Summit With Kim Jong-il
CNSNews.com
Risking fresh policy differences with Washington, a senior South Korean government minister has voiced the hope that his country's liberal president would hold a summit with North Korea's Kim Jong-il...

I've seen a number of commentators incensed about this "betrayal" of its ally by the Republic of Korea, and some claims that the US government is ticked off in a big way. Neither makes sense: if Seoul can calm down and then absorb the North, without another big war, and without Kim showing that mental instability is inheritable, then aren't we all better off?

Scholars Grapple with Islam and Human Rights
CNSNews.com
Dozens of academics, policy-makers and others are meeting in Malaysia this week to discuss "human rights in Islam" at a time when Muslims' tolerance levels have come under scrutiny as a result of the Mohammed cartoon ruckus... Another participant, Prof. Masykuri Abdillah of Indonesia's Syariff Hidayatullah Islamic University, acknowledged that "it is true that there are certain Islamic precepts that are not compatible with universal human rights." Others also attributed human rights abuses in Muslim lands to autocratic governments rather than problems inherent to Islam.

What they do not say, in their liberty-hating meetings and attitudes, is that Islam itself is responsible, in large part, for the autocratic governments that virtually EVERY Islamic nation has had for the last 1370-some years. Nor do they explain that the most critical problem with shari'a law is that Muslim males have rights and freedoms that others (Muslim females, "People of the Book" (Jews and Christians), and pagans (everyone else) don't have. Communist constitutions (like modern Euro-trash) at least pretended to give some human rights to everyone; Islam doesn't worry about the pretense.

Indonesia Shows How Democracy Can Undercut Islamic Fanaticism
CNSNews.com
Australia is promoting Indonesia as a key example of how a successfully democratic Muslim country can undercut radical Islamism...

If Indonesia is a "successful democratic Muslim country" then I assume that Italy is an example of a stable democratic government and that "TCBY" is a health-food store.

Brazil: 97 dead in gang uprising
Kalamazoo Gazette
"The unprecedented crime wave that killed at least 97 people and terrified the 18 million residents of South America's largest city seemed to be waning Tuesday as stores reopened and bus service was fully restored. Authorities found the bodies of 13 dead inmates after quelling rebellions at dozens of prisons in and around Sao Paolo and retaking control of the lockups, according to Brazilian media. Local reports also said that three suspected criminals were shot to death in a Sao Paulo suburb by police after they opened fire on authorities and hurled a grenade. The death toll in the spree, set off by a gang's fury at prison transfers, included 39 officers and prison guards killed since Friday and four civilians caught in the crossfire between police and criminals." (05/16/06)

This is one of many (and often contradictory) stories about this nasty little pocket war. The gang was founded by prisoners in the huge complex of prisons this province has, and is claimed to have 100,000 members.

Pentagon releases Gitmo detainees' names
Detroit Free Press
"The Pentagon gave The Associated Press on Monday the first list of everyone who has been held at Guantanamo Bay, more than four years after it opened the detention center in Cuba. But none of the most notorious terrorist suspects were included, raising questions about where America's most dangerous prisoners are being held. The handover marks the first time that everyone who has been held at Guantanamo Bay in the Bush administration's war on terror has been identified, according to Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chito Peppler. A total 201 of the names have never been disclosed by the Defense Department before." (05/15/06)

Is it really everyone? Are they using the same names? Who can tell? This list of names, of course, should have come out a long, long time ago - whether they are criminals or illegal combatants, the release of names is a necessary humanitarian act that we, the US, have failed to do.

Castro denies Forbes report on his wealth
San Francisco Examiner
"Cuban President Fidel Castro denounced a Forbes magazine report naming him one of the world's wealthiest rulers, putting in a special television appearance on Monday to rebut the story he called 'rubbish.' In its May 5 article, 'Fortunes Of Kings, Queens And Dictators,' Forbes put Castro in 7th place in a group of 10 world leaders with 'lofty positions and vast fortunes.' The magazine estimated Castro's personal wealth to be $900 million -- nearly double that of the $500 million of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and just under Prince Albert II of Monaco's estimated $1 billion." (05/15/06)

Of course a good Communist has to deny it - and sometimes you find out the truth and yet can't openly furnish the evidence, so it too bad that Forbes probably won't be able to take Fidel up on his challenge: prove that he has the money (to his satisfaction of proof of course) and he'll resign.

US bans weapons sales to Venezuela
MSNBC
"The United States is imposing a ban on weapons sales to Venezuela because of what it claims is a lack of support by President Hugo Chavez's leftist government on counterterrorism efforts, the State Department said Monday. The Bush administration will also list Venezuela -- the fifth-largest supplier of oil to the United States -- as a 'country of concern' in the war on terrorism, an official told NBC News, speaking on condition of anonymity. The label is not as severe as being listed as a 'state sponsor of terror,' but it reflects what the State Department reported in April about Venezuela in its annual terror report." (05/15/06)

Chavez's actions seem to fully justify this action - which is symbolic only, since there are plenty of ways around the ban. And Chavez will surely recognize a designation as a "country of concern" as a badge of honor.

US to restore relations with Libya
CNN
"The United States is restoring full diplomatic relations with Libya and removing the North African country from its list of state sponsors of terrorism after 27 years, the State Department announced Monday. 'We are taking these actions in recognition of Libya's continued commitment to its renunciation of terrorism,' said a statement from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She also referred to 'the excellent cooperation Libya has provided to the United States and other members of the international community in response to common global threats faced by the civilized world since September 11, 2001.'" (05/15/06)

Out with Venezuela, in comes Libya. Has Libya's chief thug learned a lesson? Doubtful. One piece of evidence is the welcome that Chavez received on his visit to the North African country (see next story). Remember that except for Great Britain, Libya is probably the US's longest-running enemy, having pirated American ships starting in revolutionary times, and graduating to blowing up US aircraft in recent years.

Chavez Visits Gadaffi As US Embraces Libya
CNSNews.com
Fresh from London, where he basked in the adulation of leftists and accused President Bush of genocide, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez headed Tuesday for Libya, a country on the verge of restoring diplomatic relations with the "empire" Chavez loathes...

Chavez's choices seem to be on a par with the rest of his behavior - quirky, unpredictable, and just plain weird: the Michael Jackson of "world" leaders. This is right up there with his best - apparently still baiting the bear (or eagle) and seeking to create mischief. This little visit of him will no doubt be the subject of his tirades, perhaps to claim that the US now has another reason to send hitmen after him.

Libyan Model Won't Persuade Iran, Experts Say
CNSNews.com
Iran is not likely to follow Libya's example in giving up its nuclear ambitions in exchange for U.S. acceptance, experts here said on Tuesday...

It doesn't take an expert to see this is the case: Libya is at best a fringe player in the Dar al Islam and at worst mostly just another Arab province, while Iraq is the only serious challenge to the Arabic Nation for world leadership of the Ummah.

US opens arms to Dutch Muslim MP
Toronto Star
"Former Dutch legislator Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a prominent critic of fundamentalist Islam, will be welcome in the United States regardless of her immigration status in the Netherlands, the U.S. State Department's number two official said Thursday. The Somali-born Hirsi Ali resigned earlier this week after the Dutch immigration minister said she lied about her name on her asylum application when she fled an arranged marriage to come to the Netherlands in 1992. ... Hirsi Ali has lived under police protection since a film she wrote criticizing the treatment of women under Islam led to the murder of its director, Theo van Gogh, by an Islamic radical in November 2004." (05/18/06)

The US is still the natural refuge for victims of tyrants, even if we suck up to those tyrants at the same time - as this present President and Congress do to Islam on a daily basis. And clearly, if we are getting ready to pardon perhaps 20 million people for lying, trespassing, stealing, and breaking all kinds of other laws in order to get to the US, we would be even more hypocritical than we are to refuse asylum to a person because she lied about her age and name.

North Korea Nuclear Issue Back in the Spotlight
CNSNews.com
After months of stagnation, efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis appear to have returned to the front burner. The U.S. reportedly is ready to discuss a historic peace treaty with the Stalinist regime on a track that runs parallel to nuclear talks...

Peace with North Korea is slightly more distasteful than the continued state of "truce" in hostilities. Don't we ever learn from history and what we did with Joe Stalin himself, and what Chamberlain did with Adolf? Meanwhile. (Next story)

Gov'ts Look Into North Korean Long-Range Missile Test Reports
CNSNews.com
Reports in East Asia Friday said North Korea may be preparing to test fire a long-range missile, but the Japanese and South Korean governments said they could not confirm the claims...

Whether it carries nukes, bio-weapons, or just propaganda, this is not good news.

Chile: Fujimori freed on bail
St. Petersburg Times
"A smiling Alberto Fujimori left jail Thursday after almost seven months when Chile's Supreme Court granted the former Peruvian president bail as he fights extradition to face corruption and human rights charges. 'I feel confident and I am going to be patient,' Fujimori, 67, said as he left the detention center where he was held under arrest since his surprise arrival here from Japan in November. He had said he was ending five years of exile in order to run in Peru's presidential elections. ... Peru has filed 12 formal charges against Fujimori, including sanctioning a paramilitary death squad accused of murdering 25 people, illegal phone tapping, diverting public funds to the intelligence service, bribing legislators and transferring $15-million to his spy chief. Fujimori has called the charges an effort to block his political comeback." (05/19/06)

Tyrants can be elected - they don't have to seize power illegally or by force. Fujimori is just such a one.

Judge dismisses case
MSNBC
"A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by a German man who said he was illegally detained and tortured in overseas prisons run by the CIA, ruling that a lawsuit would improperly expose state secrets. Thursday's ruling by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III makes no determination on the validity of the claims by Khaled al-Masri, who said he was kidnapped on New Year's Eve 2003 and detained for nearly five months before finally being dumped on an abandoned road in Albania." (05/18/06)

And where was the jury in this case, so that we could find out the truth?

Nepal: King stripped of political powers
Independent [UK]
"Nepal's parliament has voted to strip King Gyanendra of his constitutional powers and reduce him to a ceremonial figure. The vote represents a decisive victory for pro-democracy protesters who took to the streets in huge numbers last month after a year in which the King had ruled with absolute power. Parliament removed the King as commander-in chief of the Royal Nepalese Army, which will be renamed the Nepal Army. Soldiers will cease to swear an oath of loyalty to the King, and the chief of staff will be appointed by parliament. Removing his command of the army was widely seen as the crucial step to prevent King Gyanendra trying to seize absolute power again." (05/18/06)

These may be pro-democracy protesters, but they are not necessarily pro-liberty or even pro-republic forces. Knowing what a roaring success Parliamentary government has been in the UK (I am being sarcastic, I hope readers will recognize), you would think that the Nepalese might understand there is as little chance of true liberty with a parliamentary tyranny as with a monarchical one.