August 14, 2006

Libertarian Commentary on the News, 10 - 12 August, 2006
Again, a partial week's news and my "abbreviated formatting. Mama Liberty was on the road last weekend, and your correspondent is this week. By the way, your comments and suggestions are VERY much wanted. Let's look at world issues first!

WORLD WARS: Australia: $3.2 billion a year for war on drugs
Melbourne Herald Sun
"Australia's fight against illicit drugs costs about $3.2 billion a year, with more than half blown on drug-related policing, a hard-hitting report has found. An ambitious independent report has calculated for the first time how much money state and Federal Governments spend on drug prevention, treatment and the consequences of addiction. ... researchers involved with the project are concerned the governments are 'running blind' -- spending money with no clue of the return on their investment." (08/11/06)

Like any war, no one counts the cost until afterwards - and the profiteering is horrendous.

WORLD WARS: Chertoff: Airline Travel Is Safe, But...
CNSNews.com
"Pack as lightly as possible" and minimize clutter in your carryon baggage; and place all liquids and gels in checked baggage, where they won't be mistaken for liquid bombs, the Homeland Security chief says -- as a new terror threat emerges in a post-9/11 world...

Remember the opening scene for the movie "Josey and the Pussy Cats" on the inanity of teen fads? That is what I am reminded of, looking at pictures of people dutifully pulling shampoo, hair spray, deodorant gel, and anything else out of their carryon baggage and throwing it away because they are told to. "Black is the new red." And of course, it is the height of insanity in more ways than one. Adequate liquid explosive in a piece of checked baggage (or in twenty pieces of checked baggage) detonated by a calculator in someone's seat will do just as much as the claimed "one ounce" of fake whiteout (according to an NPR expert - that would be enough to cause a plane to crash because of explosive decompression - where do they get these guys, at the local Job Service office?).

WORLD WARS: Plot Has Global Dimensions, Police Say
CNSNews.com
As the search for would-be airplane bombers continued Thursday morning in and around London, authorities said their investigation shows the "alleged plot has global dimensions."

Sure it does, but the question is, which plot? Is there a real plot to blow up a dozen planes? Or a plot to use a so-called plot as an excuse to crank down the screws of security just that much more?

WORLD WARS: US-Bound Flights Targeted in Foiled Bomb Plot
CNSNews.com
United Kingdom authorities are calling it the biggest security threat since 9/11: a "well-advanced" plot to blow up aircraft in flight. One Scotland Yard official called it an "attempt to commit mass murder on an unimaginable scale."

Unfortunately, one should point out, "mass murder on a scale previously imaginable only to those thug groups known as human governments and those trying to become governments." Even if there were 20 aircraft, each with 600 passengers and crew, that would be "only" 12,000 people: how many were processed through Bergen-Belsen? Or the killing fields of Cambodia? Or the forests of Serbia? Or the temples of Mexico City? There is NO "unimaginable" scale when it comes to government killing, and killing by those who want to be governments.

WORLD WARS: UK/US flight terror level at "red" per alleged plot
Capital Times
"The terror scheme disrupted in London is 'suggestive of an al-Qaida plot,' the Bush administration said Thursday as it issued its highest terrorism alert ever for commercial flights from Britain to the United States and raised the threat level for all domestic and international flights. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said there was no indication of plotting in the United States but said officials cannot assume that the terror operation in Britain had been completely thwarted. ... British authorities said the plan envisioned bringing down a number of aircraft with midflight explosions. ... Terrorists specifically had targeted United, American and Continental airlines, two U.S. counterterrorism officials said."

Of course, dozens of others were not so dainty - it is claimed that al-Qaida is arisen! The Brits are expected to roll over on everything that Blair and crew have dreamed up, and everything that they CAN dream up. Expect hairspray and shaving cream to join pistols, rifles, b-b guns and knives as illegal for Her Majesty's subjects to even think about. The airlines (American, of course) will no doubt require three forms of ID and immediately triple your boarding pass fees to pay for guards to watch guards and pay for haz-waste disposal of that stuff that everyone so voluntarily threw away and will throw away - unless their new "everything-a-dollar" store divisions can use it. I know, I don't sound serious. But seriously, folks.

WORLD WARS: Swiss court lets US get banking info
Sheboygan Press
"Swiss authorities will provide the United States with details from bank accounts U.S. investigators suspect of being used for terrorist funding, a Justice Ministry official said Wednesday. Ministry spokesman Folco Galli said the documents will be handed over this month now that Switzerland's highest court has approved the transfer. In the ruling disclosed Wednesday, the Federal Tribunal approved the request of the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Virginia, which had been pending since 2002 as part of an investigation into money laundering and support of terrorist activities." (08/09/06)

Sad as it is that the Swiss have rolled over on this one, it makes me think (knowing the Swiss) that this time there might be fire under the smoke. The Swiss get very hard-nosed about the bank secrecy laws.

WORLD WARS: Nine charged in Asia-US prostitution ring
Joplin Globe
"Authorities said nine people were arrested Thursday as investigators broke an international sex-trafficking ring that smuggled Asian women into the U.S. in shipping containers. Seven conspirators in a 'highly organized national network prostitution ring' were arrested in Seattle and two in Los Angeles, the U.S. attorney's office said. According to court documents, Yong Jun Kang, 36, of Seattle, operated brothels in Portland, Ore., and Seattle, where he and others would bring Asian women, most of whom were in the United States illegally." (08/10/06)

This is part of the global wars we wage - a hidden one fighting against that ancient evil, slavery. This isn't about illegal immigration, but about keeping women (in this case) in chains and involuntary servitude - for sex in this case.

Mama's Note: As with so much of the "black market," this is caused by the fact that government makes it very difficult for willing transactions to take place. A free market would drive this kind of thing out of business by making it uneconomical to import women, chained or otherwise.

WORLD WARS: Sri Lanka strike leaves scores dead
USA Today
"Violence in Sri Lanka left at least 50 people dead Monday, most of them schoolgirls killed in what Tamil Tiger rebels say was a government air raid on a children's home in rebel territory. The government denied attacking a children's home, insisting it struck a rebel base. The violence appeared to dash what little hope was left for a quick end to fighting that has steadily worsened over the past four weeks, undermining an already shaky cease-fire." (08/14/06)

This nasty little fight is worse than either Iraq or Lebanon, when you look at the relative populations and impacts, but doesn't have the advocates that fighting in Iraq or Lebanon does.

WORLD WARS: China to ban foreign cartoons
Melbourne Herald Sun [Australia]
"China will ban foreign cartoons on prime time television from next month in a bid to protect the domestic animation industry, state media reported today. The ruling Communist Party is worried about the effect of foreign pop culture on the minds of the country's youth. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has decided to ban all foreign cartoons during 'golden hours' from 5pm to 8pm daily from September 1, Xinhua news agency and the Beijing News said. The ban has not been officially announced but local networks have been informed of the new regulation, which allows foreign cartoons such as The Simpsons and Mickey Mouse to appear only after 8pm." (08/14/06)

This is as much about "protecting" them from "propaganda" as it is about encouraging the domestic industry, of course. Sounds like France.

Mama's Note: Look for expansion of the ban too. With current recording technology, there is no way to limit exposure to certain times, so an outright ban will probably be next. I wonder what they can do about satellite signals, however. I suspect the cat is out of the bag on this one, for good.

WORLD WARS: In UN Bid, Taiwan Stresses Its Separate Identity
CNSNews.com
As it prepares to fight once again for a place at the United Nations, the government of Taiwan is trying to draw a clear distinction between itself and China. Denying its people representation is a human rights violation, it argues...

Taiwan should be viewed as an example for the future - as big empires (and few are left now) break up. Taiwan could be one of many newly-restored nation-states: Corsica, Scotland, Hawaii, Zanzibar, Sicily, and Long Island all come to mind.

CULTURE WARS: Psychologists Disagree Over Therapy for Homosexuals
CNSNews.com)
Protesters from pro-family groups and therapists who specialize in helping homosexuals change their sexual preference picketed the American Psychological Association convention in New Orleans Friday. They complain that the APA will not reconsider its opposition to what is known as "conversion therapy."

This is an example of playing your opponents game - the APA is virtually certain to not change, as their history for the last four decades shows that they have firmly committed themselves to one side of the battle - this is like picketing the Smithsonian or National Geographic Society in hopes of getting them to stop trashing creationism in their publications.

THE COMING FALL OF EUROPE: UK: Civil liberties "made for another age?"
Guardian [UK]
"John Reid yesterday accused the government's anti-terror critics of putting national security at risk by their failure to recognise the serious nature of the threat facing Britain. 'They just don't get it,' he said. The home secretary yesterday gave the thinktank Demos his strongest hint yet that a new round of anti-terror legislation is on the way this autumn by warning that traditional civil liberty arguments were not so much wrong as just made for another age. 'Sometimes we may have to modify some of our own freedoms in the short term in order to prevent their misuse and abuse by those who oppose our fundamental values and would destroy all of our freedoms in the modern world,' he said." [FND editor's note: "Those who would give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" (Pennsylvania assembly to the governor, 1755) - MLS] (08/10/06)

Clearly, it is Reid who doesn't get it - he is the heir of at least 16 centuries of work towards the goal of human liberty free from tyrants and he wishes to restore the Roman Empire.

THE COMING FALL OF EUROPE: Terror alert: Blair to force through 90-day detention
The Scotsman
TONY Blair is planning to push through 90-day detention without charge for terror suspects following the alleged plot to murder thousands of airline passengers by blowing their jets out of the sky.

Anyone else see the complete and utter lack of logic to this? These people are being arrested (detained) because of (supposedly) a specific plot in which they were engaged to kill hundreds or thousands of people aboard aircraft - and there are a DOZEN different charges that could be made against each of them - but Blair (and his crony, Reid) see this only as a plausible excuse to take away the rights of ALL Britons. Something is sick in Whitehall - and it is not these liquid-bomb plots.

THE COMING FALL OF EUROPE: UK: Physics in downward spiral
Guardian [UK]
"The study of physics in schools and universities is spiraling into decline as many teenagers believe it is too difficult, academics warn in a damning report today. Just days away from the publication of A-level results in England and Wales next Thursday, the analysis by researchers from the University of Buckingham shows that the number of A-level exam entries in the subject has halved since 1982. One in four universities which had significant numbers studying physics have stopped teaching the subject since 1994, they say. Even in the 26 top universities with the highest ratings for research, the trend has been downwards." (08/10/06)

I don't suppose that the deadening hand of government has anything to do with this - nor is the fact that with Britain's welfare system, there is little incentive to excel in a difficult area.

HOME FRONT AMERICA: Home Countries of US Illegals Often Refuse Repatriation
CNSNews.com
Foreign governments whose citizens violate U.S. immigration law and then commit crimes while in America should be forced to pay restitution to the victims of those crimes, according to Texas Republican Congressman Ted Poe...

It is an interesting idea, but how? For one thing, all these countries have sovereign immunity - just like the US and all fifty states. We don't pay any reparation for any crimes our citizens commit (unless they are in uniform or work for our government otherwise, and then very reluctantly and only if they get caught), and while we may repatriate a few now and then, it isn't policy - we let most of our citizens rot in foreign jails. So we aren't a very good example!

HOME FRONT AMERICA: Sailor charged with espionage
Ashtabula Star-Beacon
"A sailor accused of taking a Navy laptop containing classified information and peddling its contents to foreign governments is being held for possible court-martial, the military Wednesday. The Navy said that Petty Officer 3rd Class Ariel J. Weinmann gave the classified information, containing national defense data, to an undisclosed foreign government before he destroyed the computer." (08/09/06)

Every so often, in these degenerate days, we find some trooper or sailor who has done this - or has been accused of doing this. Let's see what a jury says.

Mama's Note: How in the world did a PO3 get his hands on important security information anyway? Something fishy here, far as I'm concerned.

HOME FRONT AMERICA: Homeland Security: Windows sucks
San Jose Mercury News
"The Department of Homeland Security issued an advisory Wednesday urging people to immediately apply a security patch for vulnerabilities in all supported versions of the Microsoft Corp. Windows operating system. Windows is the No. 1 operating system for personal computers in the world. ... The MS06-040 advisory involves several vulnerabilities which, if exploited, could allow a hacker to install programs, view changes, delete data or create new accounts with full user rights." (08/10/06)

So now we have government getting involved in what has previously been the domain of private business. Wonder who Microsoft bought this time? I'll continue to trust Norton, McAfee and the others first, thank you.

HOME FRONT AMERICA: VA: Judge won't dismiss Israel spy case
Houston Chronicle
"A federal judge rejected claims Thursday that two former lobbyists' constitutional rights would be violated if they were prosecuted under a World War I-era espionage law for receiving and disclosing national defense information. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III ruled that the 1917 Espionage Act is not unconstitutionally broad and vague when it seeks to bar receipt or disclosure of 'information related to the national defense.' The indictment against Steven Rosen of Silver Spring, Md., and Keith Weissman of Bethesda, Md., alleges that they conspired to obtain classified reports on issues relevant to American policy, including the al-Qaida terror network; the bombing of the Khobar Towers dormitory in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel; and U.S. policy in Iran. Rosen and Weissman, former lobbyists for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, are accused of sharing the information with reporters and foreign diplomats. No trial date has been set." (08/11/06)

This is interesting because a good many people have considered exactly this sort of court challenge to defend various other people arrested on terrorism-related charges. Even for allies, spying like this properly is illegal.

HOME FRONT AMERICA: SD: Cameras let law enforcement spy
Argus Leader
"With the punch of a button and a twist of his wrist, the sheriff focuses in on a food vendor sign announcing deep-fried veggies at the Sioux Empire Fair. 'We can zoom in pretty good with this,' said Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead. ... A homeland security grant meant for infrastructure protection paid for the the camera system, he said .... While some fairgoers said they felt strange about being on camera, others didn't mind. 'It doesn't bother me at all,' said Jesse Freeburg of Brookings. 'It's Sioux Falls, so I feel safe anyways.' Kim Rebis of Sioux Falls said in her mind, a clear conscience was the key to not caring about the cameras. 'If you're not doing anything wrong, there's nothing to worry about,' she said." (08/09/06)

Yeah, it's got a South Dakota dateline, but I've wanted to sell Sioux Falls - shucks, the entire "Sioux Empire" (a six-county region of South Dakota) to Minnesota or Iowa for a decade or more - they are more like the socialist paradises of Scandinavian Minnesota, Farm-Labor-Union Iowa, and German-Wisconsin than they are like Pierre or the Black Hills or the Rez - as this story points out. Classic answers here, and no questions. Too bad.

HOME FRONT AMERICA: Wife: Men with 1,000 phones just reselling
Chicago Sun-Times
"The wife of one of three Texas men arraigned on terrorism-related charges in Michigan says her husband and his relatives are not terrorists, but are simply trying to make money by reselling cell phones. 'They're locked up in jail for something that they didn't do,' 20-year-old Lina Odeh said Saturday. Her husband, Louai Abdelhamied Othman of Mesquite, along with his brother, Adham Abdelhamid Othman of Dallas, and their cousin Maruan Awad Muhareb of Mesquite, are charged with collecting or providing materials for terrorist acts and surveillance of a vulnerable target for terrorist purposes. Police found about 1,000 cell phones in the men's minivan. ... the police chief in Caro, Mich., where they were arrested, said cell phones can be used as detonators. ... Odeh said the men were buying the phones to sell to a man in Dallas for a profit of about $5 per phone. She said they were in Michigan because so many people in the Dallas area are doing the same thing that the phones are often sold out." (08/14/06)

Anything can be construed as "terrorism" if you look hard enough - and no doubt, once the "terrorism" charges are dropped, these people will be indicted on some other bogus charges like smuggling or "profiteering."

OUR IMPERIAL COURTS: Judges consolidate telecom spy lawsuits
USA Today
"A federal panel of judges has consolidated 17 lawsuits throughout the United States filed against telephone companies accused of assisting the Bush administration monitor Americans' communications without warrants. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred the cases to U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who last month declined to dismiss one of the lawsuits brought against the federal government and AT&T Inc., according to an order released Thursday." (08/10/06)

This consolidation, of course, delays any action and further makes it unlikely that any judge will find for the people filing the lawsuits, since now the feds and the companies can concentrate their legal talent and political pressure.

LOCAL TYRANNY: IN: Zoning may "allow" private windmill, or not
Greater Lafayette Journal and Courier
"Joe Zygas says there's nothing quixotic about his plan to erect a windmill on his property to generate electricity. A year ago, when he moved into a house about twice the size of his previous one, he was dismayed at the cost of his electricity bill, he said. So Zygas, a truck driver for IMI/Irving Materials Inc., began looking for ways to get power other than from a utility company. The cheapest option was a windmill, he said. 'I've been taking a look at my electrical bill and decided we needed to do something,' he said. 'A lot of what I've read is saying the windmill is probably going to be the cornerstone of what you're going to do. If you are going to do it, you might as well start with that.' But before he starts, he'll have to clear the one obstacle preventing him from erecting the windmill: It is unclear if county zoning laws will let him." (08/14/06)

Anyone want to bet that the town says it is illegal?

Mama's Note: Anyone want to bet that the town is the entity selling the electricity? Of course they don't want any competition!

LOCAL TYRANNY: MN: Arrest of "zombies" sparks criticism
Twin Cities Daily Planet
"Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis features all kinds of musical 'street performers' -- one of the joys of a Minnesota summer. Was it paranoia induced by the Department of Homeland Security or sheer incompetence that prompted Minneapolis police to arrest street dancers 'armed' only with recorded music? Aiming for a playful protest against the American obsession with shopping, seven youths danced down Nicollet Mall on Saturday, July 22, around 8 p.m. Faces painted ghoulish white and black, they wore backpacks outfitted with clearly visible speakers playing music, calling themselves the 'Zombie Dance Party.' They inspired some passersby to join them. However, someone at the 1st Precinct decided they should be arrested. ... 'When we got to the 1st Precinct, Sergeant Ed Nelson said, 'I don't give a goddamn about your f--king constitutional rights!' That's when things got nasty,' she pauses. 'Later he said 'If I see you with wires coming out of your backpack, we're ordered to shoot you in the back of the head.'" (08/06/06)

This sort of behavior is anathema to far too many local politicians and local cops, so the DHS garbage becomes an excuse to crack down - Nelson is this month's winner for Jackbooted Thug of the Month.

LOCAL TYRANNY: CT: Teen's worm sales squished by government thugs
Yahoo! News
"For the last three summers, 13-year-old Joey Cadieux has headed outside with his flashlight on rainy nights to collect nightcrawlers from his yard. Purchased by passing fishermen for $2.50 a dozen, the wriggling worms brought him $7 to $10 in a good month, just enough for bike trips to his favorite neighborhood pizza joint. But when a town official recently objected to his stenciled black-and-white 'nite crawlers' yard sign, Joey's business got the hook. The move has set off a flurry of protests from residents of this suburban central Connecticut town who have been calling and e-mailing officials to stick up for the budding entrepreneur. ... The brouhaha started in July when Al Diaz, a town Planning and Zoning Commission member, mentioned during a meeting that the sign did not conform with Cromwell's rules and should come down. A town zoning officer sent a letter last month ordering Joey's stepfather, August Reil, to take down the sign and stop selling nightcrawlers. 'I actually laughed when I opened it. I couldn't believe they were serious,' Reil said. But they are. If Joey's sign, now hidden from passing motorists, goes back up, the family could face penalties for violating town zoning rules." (08/11/06)

Sadly, most "progressives" would support this stupid little tyrannical act - for the protection of the children and because he is "imposing" on his neighbors by not having a conforming sign and actions.

Mama's Note: With a little bit of effort, those who support this young entrepreneur could easily quadruple his income and thumb their noses at the "town." All they have to do is pass the word via fishing magazines, websites, person to person, and make a point of stopping by this house to buy their bait. In addition, if the parents really support this young man, they could take him and his "catch" to local fishing holes to sell them. I suspect he could do very well by actually raising the worms as well, which is very easy to do. Hopefully, he won't let this sad experience stop him.

MIDDLE EAST TARBABIES: US forces repel attack on base in Afghanistan
Baltimore Sun
"U.S. soldiers and warplanes drove off an insurgent attack on a new American base early yesterday, reportedly killing 19 militants in an area where rebels are trying to resist a push by coalition troops into remote mountains of eastern Afghanistan. In the volatile south of the country, suspected Taliban rebels hanged an elderly woman and her son from a tree, accusing them of spying for President Hamid Karzai's government, officials said." (08/10/06)

Clearly the Taliban is getting more confident, even as they exhibit their evil and intent to tyrannize whoever is left when the Coalition forces leave.

British troops "in worst fighting since Korea"
Independent [UK]
"British soldiers in Afghanistan are engaged in the most intense conflict faced by the UK since the Korean War, according to the Nato commander in the country. The comments by Lieutenant General David Richards, the British officer in charge of Western forces in Afghanistan, came with the news that another soldier had been killed -- the 11th to die in eight weeks. ... Lt-Gen Richards spoke of British troops involved in 'days and days of intense fighting, being woken up by yet another attack when they have not slept for 24 hours. This sort of thing has not happened so consistently, I don't think, since the Korean War or the Second World War.'" (08/10/06)

In other worse, it is worse than the Falklands war - in part I am sure because the Argies crumbled so quickly in their invasion attempt. There was a reason that Kipling wrote all those poems about fighting on the Northwest Frontier, folks.

Iran leader: UN serves US interests
USA Today
"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blames the U.S. for growing violence in the Mideast, saying fighting has continued in Lebanon because the United Nations only serves U.S. interests. In an interview airing Sunday on 60 Minutes, Ahmadinejad said it was Hezbollah that had a right to defend itself in its war with Israel. Even so, he said Iran joined others in calling for an immediate cease-fire only to have it thwarted by U.S. support for Israel." (08/13/06)

Iran is back in action directly, now that things are slowing down in Lebanon where their surrogates have been hotting the headlines.

Iran Likely to Thumb Nose at International Community
CNSNews.com
A week before Iran is expected to deliver its response to a carrots-and-stick proposal on its nuclear activities, Tehran looks set to reject the initiative and escalate its standoff with the international community...

Clear the decks - is this perhaps one reason for Hezbollah to accept a ceasefire, so that the next act can begin?

Iraq: 35 killed in shrine attack
Frankfort Times
"A suicide bomber detonated a belt of explosives near a highly revered Shiite shrine in southern Iraq Thursday, killing at least 35 people and injuring 122, an official said. The bomber blew himself up while being patted down by policemen near the Imam Ali mosque in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, said Dr. Munthir al-Ithari, the head of the city's health directorate. ... In other violence Thursday, 18 people were killed across the country, most of them in Baghdad, including four policemen who died in a gunfight with insurgents. Five bodies were also found Thursday. ... The bloodshed has dashed U.S. hopes for an early drawdown in the 127,000-member U.S. military force here. Instead, the U.S. Military is rushing about 12,000 American and Iraqi soldiers to Baghdad." (08/10/06)

One smart bomber - good thing he can only do this trick once, eh? The "rush" of troops, of course, had been planned for about two weeks, but the Media hopes we don't remember that, as they seek to exploit Liberman's defeat.

Iraq: 57 dead in market attack
New Straits Times [Malaysia]
"Insurgents have slaughtered at least 57 people in a bomb and missile attack on a busy Baghdad neighbourhood, officials said, while Iraq's embattled government faced the political fallout of the blitz. As rescuers dragged more bloodied corpses from rubble left in the Al-Qubyasi market by Sunday night's blasts, more car bombs killed three people in downtown Baghdad .... Four Australian soldiers were also wounded Monday in a rocket attack on the fortified 'Green Zone' .... pro-Saddam gunmen shot dead three women in the southern town of Amara. Earlier, Britain's defence ministry said that it was ready to close its Amara base and withdraw 1,000 soldiers from the region." (08/14/06)

More and more blood - this is just an example of what has been going on all week.

Muslim Countries Want Peacekeepers, But Can They be Neutral?
CNSNews.com
Two leading Muslim nations are preparing to contribute troops to an international peacekeeping force in Lebanon, but one of the two is doing nothing to stop local Islamists who want to travel to Lebanon to fight against Israel, and the foreign minister of the other has not ruled out sending weapons to Hizballah...

The two countries, by the way, are Indonesia and Malaysia. By strict "modern" nondiscrimination and political correctness, one can't inquire into the religion of the troops or of their nations, but both of these nations have publicly announced that Israel is wrong and evil. Kind of like trying to use Comanche warriors to set up a security force between a bunch of Texans on one side and Apaches on the other.

Wrong Qana Death Toll Still Being Reported
CNSNews.com
A full week since the death toll in the Lebanese town of Qana was revised -- reduced by one-half -- a number of news organizations are still reporting the original, inaccurate figure as fact. Most glaring is the case of Reuters...

As I mentioned in the last column, concerning the 40:1 ratio of claimed to actual deaths in one village - these media and proponents do their own effort a vast disservice by perpetuating (and sometimes perpetrating) these falsehoods. The truth is bad enough - why bother to lie?

PETA Rescuers Travel to Middle-East War Zone
CNSNews.com
Aiding animals caught in the middle of a war zone is a top priority for the group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, even if it means working with terrorist organizations like Hizballah...

You know what is important with these people - humans and human freedom is pretty low down on the totem pole that PETA worships - probably well below ground level.

Egyptian-Gaza Border Closed Under Threat of Attack
Jerusalem CNSNews.com
The Egyptian-Gaza border was closed on Thursday because of security alerts, as U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan expressed his concern that the Israeli-Hizballah war in Lebanon was overshadowing the Palestinian cause...

Does Annan have to take pills to be this stupid? He must be losing brain cells and it shows up on his bathroom scale. As for the Gaza inhabitants, well, when baiting bears or lions, have you ever noticed how beat-up the bait gets?

UN's Mideast diplomatic efforts falter
Pawtucket Times
"Diplomatic efforts to reach quick agreement on a U.N. resolution aimed at ending the escalating Israeli-Hezbollah conflict faltered Wednesday over differences between the United States and France on the timing of an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. As Israel approved a broader and bigger ground offensive in southern Lebanon, France was backing Lebanon's call for Israeli troops to pull out once hostilities end and Lebanon deploys 15,000 troops of its own. The United States was supporting Israel's insistence on staying until a robust international force is deployed." (08/09/06)

I suppose "faltered" means that the effort was on its hands and knees crawling, but now has fallen to its stomach and is still trying to wiggle.

Israel delays northern push in Lebanon
El Paso Times
"Israel grabbed strategic high ground in south Lebanon on Thursday but delayed a major push northward, as diplomats cited progress toward agreement on a U.N. cease-fire resolution that could soon go to a vote. With Israeli troops closer to Beirut than at any time since the war began, diplomats said they were close to unlocking the stalemate over a U.N. effort toward a cease-fire. The U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton, said a vote was possible on Friday. The United States and France have been trying to bridge differences over a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon." (08/10/06)

The delay lasted only one day, probably due more to operational and logistical concerns than any tendency to accept UN pleas. It is fairly obvious that Israel's withdrawal time table is a simple one - when the missiles stop firing and the last Hezbollah site is destroyed.

Lebanon: Ceasefire begins
Bradenton Herald
"A U.N.-imposed cease-fire went into effect today designed to end a month of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas that killed more than 900 people, devastated much of southern Lebanon and forced hundreds of thousands of Israelis into bomb shelters. In the final hours before the truce, Israeli warplanes struck a Hezbollah stronghold in eastern Lebanon and a Palestinian refugee camp in the south, killing two people, and Israeli artillery pounded targets across the border through the night. An Israeli army spokesman said the military was told not to initiate any action after 8 a.m. (10 p.m. PDT Sunday), but 'the forces will do everything to prevent being hit.' There were no immediate reports of fighting continuing in southern Lebanon." (08/14/06)

Well, finally - it appears that Israel has messed up big time, and we can't begin to imagine the implications for the future now that its invincibility has been proved to be inapplicable to Hezbollah. Although this story reports no new fighting, there were several cases of renewed fighting, but nothing major, in the first 72 hours.

What Went Wrong and How Can It Be Fixed? Israelis Ask
Jerusalem CNSNews.com
While the Israeli-Lebanese ceasefire seemed to be holding on Tuesday, a storm was brewing in Israel over the handling of the war and preparations on the home front. With a huge amount of air power at its disposal and the tacit backing of America, how did Israel fail to crush Hizballah, critics are asking...

Even Israelis practice third-generation war, but Hezbollah is a fourth-generation war-fighting organization, even though it is backed by a state (Iran). And Israel is not the nation it was a decade or so ago - it is decaying along with the rest of the West.

NA Union: Violence in S. Mexican Protest
BBC News
Gunmen have fired on striking teachers marching through the southern Mexican city of Oaxaca, killing one man. Protesters responded by setting fire to a house where the gunmen fled. They blamed Governor Ulises Ruiz for the attack, a charge his office rejected. Tens of thousands of teachers have been on strike for weeks, demanding higher pay and the governor's resignation. Mr. Ruiz is accused of rigging the 2004 election to gain office and of using force to suppress dissent.

While not related directly to the election protests by Obradoristas, this is a warning that Mexico is heating up, and in some cases, the problem has been developing for months or years. Mexico's politics is very, very much different from American norms, and violence is a MUCH larger part of the mix.

NA Union: Castro turns 80, sends a sober message
Norwalk Hour
"Fidel Castro sent Cubans a sober greeting on his 80th birthday Sunday, saying he faces a long recovery from surgery -- and warning they should be prepared for 'adverse news.' But he encouraged them to be optimistic and said Cuba 'will continue marching on perfectly well.' As a newspaper printed the first pictures of Castro since his illness, his younger brother, Raul, made his first public appearance as Cuba's acting president. State TV showed him at the airport greeting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on his arrival to celebrate Fidel's birthday." (08/13/06)

Clearly, Chavez sees himself as Castro's replacement in Latin America - indeed, in all of the Americas.

Mama's Note: Nobody has mentioned the word, but it seems very likely to me that Castro has colon cancer and the surgery was simply a way to gain a little time. There is actually still a very good chance that he is already dead. It will be very interesting to see if and when he makes another personal appearance.

CAMPAIGN 2006: Tough Road Ahead for Lieberman, Expert Says
CNSNews.com
After Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut lost the Democratic primary Tuesday and officially announced he will run as an Independent to keep his seat, a prominent political scholar said Lieberman will have a hard time doing so...

No kidding? It takes a "scholar" to state this? Gee, those of us who've run as Libertarians know what kind of a row he's gonna get to hoe.

CAMPAIGN 2006: TN: Metro, activists butt heads over property tax
Nashville City Paper
"Following a nearly yearlong campaign, a band of hardy low-tax activists hauled a cartload of signature cards into the Davidson County Election Commission on Tuesday and strutted their 15,000-signature petition that would let Nashvillians determine whether or not Metro can raise property taxes. Later in the afternoon, Metro issued a legal opinion saying the idea is, most likely, unconstitutional. 'A tax increase is a pay cut for my family budget -- for everybody's family budget -- and I think we've gotten kind of cavalier about that fact,' said Ben Cunningham, whose Tennessee Tax Revolt organization led the petition drive, to reporters Tuesday morning as he announced the signature count.. Robert Lee, general council for the Tennessee Comptroller, opined . "State law requires that the [property tax] rate be set by the governing body and does not allow for a referendum," citing a recent state Attorney General's opinion to back him up." (08/09/06)

TTR has done the first, and only the first, step, but they have done it! And Davidson County (and the folks up in the State House) seem not to be too happy about it! And it appears that democracy may just be illegal in Tennessee. If the TN Supreme Court declares this charter amendment to be illegal, I suggest the Corinth solution - a few hundred armed men and women should be able to clean (State) house in a few weeks - especially if they have enough good rope as well. (I'd suggest using the lamp posts on the loop highway around Nashville for maximum teaching power.)

CAMPAIGN 2006: Richardson calls on Lieberman to step aside
CNN
"New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson became the first prominent national Democrat to call on Sen. Joe Lieberman to drop his independent bid for reelection in Connecticut. Richardson, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association and a possible 2008 White House contender, called Lieberman 'a good friend of mine' and a 'true public servant.' But he said in a statement Thursday that he was backing Ned Lamont, the man who defeated Lieberman in this week's Democratic primary. 'I look forward to supporting Ned as he fights to help Democrats take back the Senate, and I call on Joe Lieberman to respect the will of the voters and step aside,' Richardson said. Lieberman lost Tuesday's primary to Lamont, a millionaire cable executive, 52 percent to 48 percent." (08/11/06)

Richardson, of course, like most Democratic politicians, believes that only Democratic voters should have their "will" respected. I see this as another crack in the façade of the old-party dominance of the political market.

CAMPAIGN 2006: TN: Court nixes man's middle name for ballot
La Crosse Tribune
"A man running for governor and the U.S. Senate does not have the right to use his middle name, 'None of the Above,' on the November ballot, a court ruled Friday. David Gatchell filed a lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court after the State Election Commission voted to nix his middle name from the ballot. The court handles lawsuits against state agencies." (08/11/06)

It was worth a try, I suppose.

CAMPAIGN 2006: Videotaping the Opponent Pays Off for Democrat
CNSNews.com
"Politics is a contact sport," says the campaign of U.S. Senate candidate James Webb, and it's certainly getting rough and tumble in Virginia, where Webb's campaign has sent a volunteer to videotape all of Sen. George Allen's campaign appearances. The effort paid off on Friday...

Remember it is not just the Internet that can influence politics - I wish that I'd had a videocamera taping me when I was arrested at the South Dakota State Fair four years ago - and ANYTIME someone is doing political work these days, a videocamera (and they are getting much smaller) is a wise idea.

OUR RIGHT TO DEFEND OURSELVES: TX: Suspect wounded in robbery attempt
Dallas Morning News
"A man trying to rob a store was shot and wounded by the store clerk in southeast Dallas on Monday night, police said. The shooting took place about 9 p.m. at Mr. C's Food Mart in the 3700 block of Simpson Stuart Road. A man walked into the store, grabbed a box of candy bars and demanded money, police said. The clerk pulled a gun and chased him out of the store, firing and hitting him. The man collapsed on the sidewalk across the street." (08/08/06)

This one bothers me a bit - apparently the clerk shot him even though he was not being threatened. Is a box of candy bars worth a man's life? This is NOT, in my opinion, self-defense; it is overreacting to a situation where he should have let the crook go once the potential threat was abated.

Mama's Note: On the other hand, what happens if shoplifters can't be detained? If they get the idea that they can steal with impunity, just as long as they don't actually threaten anyone, private property ceases to mean much. No, a box of candy isn't worth the life of a person, but that person had the choice NOT to risk his life for it either.

OUR RIGHT TO DEFEND OURSELVES: KY: Armed homeowner scares away intruders
WBKO News
"Kentucky State Police want to find two men who tried to force their way into an Allen County home early Tuesday morning. The alleged home invasion happened around 3:00 AM at Gordon Absher's house at 3440 old Bowling Green Road in Scottsville. Absher says someone rang the doorbell. When he looked outside he saw two men with their faces covered holding shotguns. Absher opened the door and pointed a pistol and one of the suspects, then grabbed his gun. Absher says the two men ran down the driveway to their truck, leaving the shotgun and other evidence behind." (08/09/06)

I wonder if they will let Absher keep the shotgun?

OUR RIGHT TO DEFEND OURSELVES: NC: Resident kills intruder, shoots another
News 14
"Officers were dispatched to a break-in in progress call on Dearborn Drive at 1:40 a.m. Wednesday. When they arrived, the residents told them that two men had kicked in the front door and entered the house. At least one of the men was armed with a gun. The resident shot and killed one male, who was pronounced dead at the scene. He has not been identified at this time. The resident also shot and wounded the second male, who fled from the house. A short time later, Rashaad Cox, 19, showed up at the Duke University Hospital emergency room for treatment of a gunshot wound to his arm. Cox was treated at the hospital and released. He was later charged with first-degree burglary and robbery with a dangerous weapon."

Unlike the c-store situation (above) this is clearly a case of self-defense - it was at night and they had already initiated violence by breaking in the door and were armed.

OUR RIGHT TO DEFEND OURSELVES: PA: Teen thug shot by homeowner
Pittsburg Post-Gazette
An intruder was shot in the leg last night in Lincoln-Lemington when the homeowner caught the young man inside his home. The intruder, identified as a juvenile, attempted to enter a home in the 1400 block of Paulson Avenue. Police believe the intruder was armed, but a weapon was not recovered from the home last night. The young man was taken to Children's Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Police said it was unlikely the homeowner would be charged.

One more example.

OUR RIGHT TO DEFEND OURSELVES: Philippines: Crime spurs push for gun ownership
Yahoo! News
"Philippine lawyer Johnmuel Mendoza vividly recalls the day his gun saved his life. He was sitting in his pick-up truck in a Manila suburb when a deranged man appeared out of nowhere and started attacking his car with a metal pipe. 'As he was about to smash my windshield I took out my gun and told him to stop,' Mendoza recalls. At the sight of the gun the man came to his senses, dropped the pipe and fled. Today, Mendoza uses the lessons of that incident as president of PROGUN, perhaps the only organization in Asia fighting for the right of private citizens to own guns." (08/10/06)

Freedom can and does spread to other places.

OUR RIGHT TO DEFEND OURSELVES: NY: Man jailed for self-defense
Democrat & Chronicle
"When Matthew L. McDonald tried to rob Stuart D. Miles at gunpoint, Miles responded by shooting and killing McDonald with a .38-caliber revolver. Now Miles is in trouble for illegally possessing the gun he used in self-defense. Miles, 25, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the May 1 slaying of McDonald, 18, on Jefferson Avenue. If convicted, Miles could be imprisoned up to 15 years. Monroe County Court Judge Patricia D. Marks ordered him held without bail in County Jail." (08/10/06)

What else should we expect from New York? This man is so dangerous that he can't be bailed - because he threatens the power of the state by defending himself. And perhaps because they are afraid that other states of the Union, with increasing enforcement of the right to keep and bear arms, might view Miles as a political refugee and refuse to extradite him?

Mama's Note: What I still don't understand is WHY people who believe in the right to defend themselves STAY in New York and such places! Why don't they go where they can live and protect themselves and their property? New York, etc. are not apt to change any time soon, but if enough people vote with their feet it might happen a lot sooner than otherwise. Come to Wyoming, folks. You can even CARRY a gun if you like, and there is so much less crime it ought to be a slam dunk to decide.

OUR RIGHT TO DEFEND OURSELVES: OR: Wife won't be tried in husband's death
Oregon Live
"A 50-year-old Milwaukie woman who said she killed her husband during an argument over a child he'd fathered with another woman will not be prosecuted. A spokesman for the Clackamas County district attorney's office said Wednesday that after a seven-month investigation by police and prosecutors his office believes Rose Perez killed Juan Gabriel Perez Solis, 36, in self-defense as he was beating her with a stick. ... Authorities learned Juan Perez was dead after a hysterical Rose Perez ran to a neighbor's house about 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 to say she'd shot her husband with a rifle .... Juan Perez was found dead from a bullet wound to the chest in the couple's kitchen. He was holding a wooden dowel or stick in his hand, and Rose Perez's hair was intertwined in his fingers as though he'd pulled it from her head, Horner said. Rose Perez told investigators that she and her husband had been arguing because he told her he was going to move out of their home and into the home of their daughter-in-law, who was pregnant with Juan Perez's child. Horner said the couple's argument was considered as a possible motive for murder, but investigators also saw that Rose Perez had been badly beaten." (08/10/06)

Clearly, there is a lot of history to this sad case, but at least the victim was not killed.

Mama's Note: I'll bet this was not the first beating either, probably for either woman involved. Too bad she didn't kill the scumbag before he was able to sire another child that way. This kind of vermin needs to be exterminated - by the victims - as quickly as possible.

OUR RIGHT TO DEFEND OURSELVES: WA: Shot suspect may face charges

Longview Daily News
"Longview police have requested that Kelly Charles Foster Smith, who is recovering from a gunshot wound, receive a court summons on a charge of second-degree burglary once he is released from the hospital. Smith, 44, of Castle Rock, was shot near the left shoulder and the bullet exited through the front of the sternum, police said .... Police said that property owner Frank Perry Amadon, 61, called 911 early Monday morning to report he shot a suspected burglar in his warehouse in the 1300 block of Beech Street. Amadon lives in the building, police said. Police said they found Smith yelling and moaning, lying in a pool of blood at the base of a large metal sheet. Police noted an opening had been made in the wall. Wire was placed near the opening and stacked outside the opening, and die grinders and other equipment were nearby, police said." (08/09/06)

I wonder if he will learn his lesson? Probably not.

Mama's Note: "May" be charged? There should be no maybe about it!

OUR RIGHT TO DEFEND OURSELVES: TX: Homeowner in Parade shooting not indicted
Longview News Journal
"The homeowner who fired the shot that killed a 15-year-old boy during the burglary of a Parade of Homes residence in June was not indicted; however, a burglary indictment was returned Wednesday against a 17-year-old man in connection with the break-in. ... Although police have not named the homeowner, James Pitre was listed as the victim in the case, and property records show that his wife, Lorrie, and a construction company own the home." (08/11/06)

Well, this only took two months!

OUR RIGHT TO DEFEND OURSELVES: NC: No charges for home's occupant
Raleigh News Observer
"Durham police said the man who shot two men who broke into his home early Wednesday was protecting his family and will not be charged. ... 'This man was defending his life,' Cates said. 'I think probably if he had not had a gun, he would have been [killed], as well as the female in the house, and possibly the baby. ... Nobody won in this case.' The incident happened at 1:40 a.m. Wednesday, when the man and woman were at home with their 15-month-old son, police said. Two men, at least one carrying a firearm, kicked in the door, police said. The resident grabbed his gun and shot both intruders." (08/12/06)

Another case - but much more quickly resolved.

STUPID GUVMINT TRICKS: MA: State's auto insurers to seek 3.7% rate cut
Boston Globe
"Massachusetts automobile insurers plan to seek a 3.7 percent reduction in their rates for 2007, according to three officials involved in the deliberations, making it the second year in a row the companies have asked state regulators to cut the size of their premiums. The industry request means drivers will be guaranteed a rate reduction next year, and the odds are very good that the size of the cut will be much bigger when the state insurance commissioner sets the final rate in December. A reduction of 10 to 15 percent is possible, which would shave $100 to $149 off the current statewide average premium of $995." (08/09/06)

Isn't this amazing - they have to ask govmint PERMISSION to cut their rates? Of course, nearly a thousand bucks isn't too bad to begin with, to my surprise - depending, of course, on what kind of deductible and other features are included.

Mama's Note: The problem is state set rates, of course. Insurance should be a contract between the company and the individual, period. Without government control, rates would be set by free market competition and would probably be much lower for most people.

STUPID GUVMINT TRICKS: BetonSports buckles to US thugs
Fox News
"BetOnSports PLC, the British-based Internet gambling company that has been charged with fraud and racketeering in the United States, said Friday it will shut down its services for American gamblers. BetOnSports said it plans to stop operating in Costa Rica and Antigua -- from where it accepted wagers from tens of thousands of customers in the United States -- as soon as possible following a U.S. federal court order for the company to stop taking bets from the country. Shares in the company were temporarily suspended on the London Stock Exchange." (08/11/06)

As I've pointed out in the past, this is another example of where government is essentially using its power to shut down a competitor. As with numbers rackets (which actually pay back a higher percentage of bets than the state lotteries they compete with), the more money that is bet online with these companies, the less government can skim off. Expect government lotteries to expand more into internet gambling in coming months.

STUPID GUVMINT TRICKS: Passengers can expect double screening
Detroit Free Press
"Beginning Friday, airline passengers will go through double screening to make sure they're not carrying liquids onto planes, the head of the airline industry's largest trade group said. Passengers and their carryon luggage will be checked not only at the main security checkpoint, but also a second time at the boarding gate. The stepped-up screening in response to a new terrorist threat began Thursday at 25 airports where planes leave for Britain." (08/10/06)

We have about 20 men (not women, not children, not families, not grandparents, but men, mostly young and all with Muslim names and backgrounds) who were going to disguise a liquid explosive as a sports drink and blow it up with their calculators, reconfigured to act as a detonator. So NO ONE can take ANY liquid on board, not even a sealed can of Coke, tea or a half-ounce bottle of mouth spray, for fear - right. Stupid, stupid, stupid - the only thing it does is submit people to one more indignity, one more violation of privacy, one more case of "you are a potential terrorist," - and one more chance that a few dozen angered, non-male, non-Muslim passengers will decide, "okay, if they think I am, then I'll become one." And then what will happen?

STUPID GUVMINT TRICKS: TSA relaxes rules for some carry-ons
MSNBC
"U.S. security officials had long anticipated the kind of terror threat that threw global air traffic into an uproar last week -- they'd even stepped up training to head off terrorists trying to sneak improvised explosive devices onto airplanes. But when British authorities announced they had foiled such a plot, the Transportation Security Administration had only one option in its playbook: a sharp crackdown at security gates, with new stringent rules restricting carryon baggage." (08/13/06)

Government "security" bosses are handling this very well - playing "carrot and stick" for all they are worth, and almost everyone is going for it. This certainly distracts from news stories about pawing women and children and TSA employees charged with stealing from baggage.

Mama's Note: I don't know about "almost everyone" going for it. I spent some time in an airport this weekend, waiting for someone to come off a flight, and I heard a lot of dissatisfaction with the "security" nonsense from others who were waiting. Many of them agreed with me that they were done flying altogether until the gestapo are removed from the procedure. I even read where many short flights are being discontinued because more and more people are deciding to drive it, in spite of rising fuel costs.

STUPID GUVMINT TRICKS: Letter Carriers' Union Sees National Security Threat in Outsourcing
CNSNews.com
The head of the letter carriers' union is warning the U.S. Postal Service not to outsource mail delivery to private contractors - because doing so would weaken the nation's defense against terrorist attacks. The union leader mentions a "right-wing temptation to contract out letter carrier work."

Well, another pressure group figures out how to jump on the "homeland defense" bandwagon. But being unionists, they don't realize that some people might take offense at being branded like this.

Mama's Note: I wonder if the price of stamps has to hit a dollar before people will figure out that there are better ways to do business and contact friends. I've noticed a BIG decrease in my junk mail, for instance, over the last two years. I suspect it won't make a difference what this idiot union thinks or wants... people are getting tired of the monopoly, and there are better options available for most things. The union "suits" might as well put on their dino outfits and get ready for the tar pits. They'll be extinct soon, thank God.

STOOPID PEOPLE TRICKS: Religion-related fraud getting worse
Baton Rouge Advocate
"Randall W. Harding sang in the choir at Crossroads Christian Church in Corona, Calif., and donated part of his conspicuous wealth to its ministries. In his business dealings, he underscored his faith by naming his investment firm JTL, or 'Just the Lord.' Pastors and churchgoers alike entrusted their money to him. By the time Harding was unmasked as a fraud, he and his partners had stolen more than $50 million from their clients, and Crossroads became yet another cautionary tale in what investigators say is a worsening problem plaguing the nation's churches." (08/13/06)

I would say that this sort of problem has been going on in organized religion for about 6,000 years; there is just something about con-men and organized religion that clicks. I hardly think it is getting worse, either - it is just that new tools make it easier for some big strikes like this to happen. (To those who are concerned that I am bashing religion, and have suddenly changed my tune - fear not. I have always opposed manmade religions and hierarchies and clergy - for many reasons. To quote Scripture: "Pure and undefiled religion" is NOT con-men, hierarchies of priests and arch-priests and high-priests, etc. Or for that matter, "mega-churches" and denominations and such.

THEFT BY GOVERNMENT: MD: Schools, owner fight for stolen property
Howard County Times
"As construction crews worked on the steel skeleton of a new elementary school in Ellicott City this week, 2 miles away lawyers battled over 1.3 acres of land officials will need to finish the school before its scheduled opening a year from now. ... The trial is the result of the Howard County Board of Education's September 2005 decision to use eminent domain to [steal] a small parcel on Montgomery Road for the school after the landowner, Ellicott City resident and developer Chris Pippen, refused to sell the property to the school system. Officials say the parcel represents the best place on which to build a driveway to the new school .... Pippen this week said he might continue to fight the system's effort to take his land, no matter the outcome of the current trial, potentially drawing out the process in appeals. He argues that the driveway could be built elsewhere on the school property and that school officials inappropriately closed a deal to turn over the bulk of his 1.3- acre parcel to a neighboring YMCA." (08/10/06)

This is a good example of how sweetheart deals benefit "the community" until some old sorehead (like Pippen) refuses to play their game. I honestly believe that most eminent domain cases have some element of this sort of corrupt behavior in them.

THEFT BY GOVERNMENT: WV: Hatch finds political prisoner gig taxing
13 WHAM TV
"The food might be good and the inmates might be friendly at the Robert F. Kennedy Federal Correctional Institution, but 2000 Survivor star Richard Hatch just can't seem to settle in. 'I'm doing lots of intake stuff, like clothing and getting to know the place ... but I don't think I will adjust to any of this until I can prove I was unethically prosecuted,' he said Wednesday during an exclusive phone interview with The Dominion Post. Hatch arrived at the minimum security prison on Green Bag Road July 25, after a Rhode Island judge sentenced him to 51 months for failing to pay taxes on the $1 million he won in the first season of Survivor." (08/10/06)

He is, of course, far from the only person in such straits - but his notoriety might help other people realize what is going on.

Mama's Note: Hmmm, don't know how they do it in WV, but I've heard from some contestants in Hollywood that the tax people are right there on stage to collect, and in the case of merchandise prizes, one must prove that the tax can be paid on any winnings BEFORE a person can even be a contestant! In any case, it was my understanding that the taxes were taken out of a cash "prize" before the contestant ever saw it, so I can only think that the prize money put this guy into a higher tax bracket and he "owes" on the rest of his income. I'll bet that's what really happened.

THEFT BY GOVERNMENT: AZ: Court to hear Prop 207 challenge
Arizona Republic
"A judge is being asked to whether a ballot measure on eminent domain and government regulation of property will appear on the state's November general election ballot. Proposition 207 would place new restrictions on Arizona governments ability to compel the sale of property for private use through eminent domain. It also would require compensation for government actions that reduce property values. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge scheduled a hearing Monday for arguments on a lawsuit filed by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns. ... The league contends that Proposition 207 would produce costly litigation and hamper redevelopment efforts." (08/14/06)

Notice the league's argument - not anything to do with freedom, except for the freedom to spend taxpayers' money on what they want, not what the people want. If they don't want costly litigation, then don't file eminent domain!

TECH AND MEDICAL ISSUES: Google promises all searches stay private
USA Today
"Google CEO Eric Schmidt has a message for Google users: Your searches are safe. AOL has been in hot water this week for inadvertently releasing customer searches for a research project. But Schmidt, speaking at an industry conference here, says Googlers have nothing to worry about. 'Our No. 1 priority with our users is trust,' Schmidt told some 2,000 attendees at the Search Engine Strategies conference. 'It won't happen. We have systems in place that won't allow anything like that to happen.'" (08/09/06)

I'd like to believe them, I really would. But if not a headspace timing problem (brain-dead employees), what about govmint demands?

Mama's Note: Read the privacy policy statement at Google. That says it all. They will comply with government demands, you can bet on it.

TECH AND MEDICAL ISSUES: Children less likely to encounter online predators
USA Today
"Despite the rise of social networking sites such as MySpace, a smaller percentage of young people are being sexually solicited online than five years ago. But children ages 10 to 17 are being increasingly bombarded with online porn and are being harassed and bullied more -- often by peers, a study finds. The long-awaited report, to be released Wednesday, is the only national study of its kind. ... About 13% (3.2 million) said in 2005 that they had received an unwanted request to engage in sexual activity or conversations in the previous year from either adults or other children. Five years earlier, it was 19%." [FND editor's note: Note the mixing of "from either adults or other children" ... and consider how conveniently it confuses what was once perhaps confined to "hair-pulling" with this alleged "predator epidemic" - SAT] (08/09/06)

This strikes me as part of the widespread campaign to get more controls placed - and to let government control more of the Internet.

TECH AND MEDICAL ISSUES: Leak is latest of Alaska's pipeline woes
Christian Science Monitor
"When oil began flowing south from Alaska's North Slope to the port at Valdez nearly 30 years ago, it was a new era for US energy production and distribution. From the start, it was a TECHnologically daring and politically controversial project. As evidenced by this week's shutdown of a portion of pipeline in the Prudhoe Bay oil field due to a spill, it remains so today. Despite what industry supporters say are more environmentally friendly ways of detecting and extracting oil from the North Slope today, the means of transporting the liquid gold south is old and -- critics say -- becoming dangerously decrepit. In some places pipeline walls have lost as much as 80 percent of their thickness as a result of corrosion, industry officials say." (08/09/06)

Nothing is forever - and the very environmental regulations which are supposed to protect us (well, Alaska) from the Alyeska Pipeline, dating back to the mid-1970s, has also prevented any modernization and proper maintenance. But notice how CSM deftly turns this into essentially a statement that "they are lying to us when they say they can do it better today, and ANWR shall not fall!" But CSM has no problem with NASA sending up human sacrifices in another piece of 1970s TECHnology - the Space Shuttle.

TECH AND MEDICAL ISSUES: Cat parasite may change human society
Terra Daily
A common parasite found in cats may be affecting human behavior on a mass scale, according to a scientist based at the University of California, Santa Barbara. While little is known about the causes of cultural change, and biological explanations often stimulate social and scientific debate, a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey published in the August 2 issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Biology, indicates that behavioral manipulation of a common brain parasite may be among factors that play a role. "In populations where this parasite is very common, mass personality modification could result in cultural change," said study author Kevin Lafferty, a USGS scientist at UC Santa Barbara. "The geographic variation in the latent prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii may explain a substantial proportion of human population differences we see in cultural aspects that relate to ego, money, material possessions, work and rules."

Okay, someone is nuts here - and it could be us. Although the article did not name the countries/societies where this parasite is common in the human population, the symptoms in rats are "more risky, less cautious" behavior which make it more likely for them to be caught and eaten by cats, thus allowing the parasite to complete its life cycle. It does best in lowland, warm climates with few freeze-thaw: sounds like most Arab lands fit in that category, as do a good many Latin lands - the whole Med, in fact. And the Deep South. And DC. And Crawford Texas - wonder if someone has checked to see if Mr. Bush has cat parasites living in his brain?

Mama's Note: How convenient! Another excuse for not taking personal responsibility for our lives and choices. Such BS!

TECH AND MEDICAL ISSUES: NOAA: U.S. Experienced Its Second-Hottest July On Record; Drought Conditions Worsening
Environmental Protection Daily
Coming as no surprise to U.S. residents sweating out the summer, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration stated on Aug. 7 that the continental United States suffered through its second-hottest July on record.

Second, mind you - not first. (#1 was in 1936, and the old #2 was in 1934 -hardly due to "global warming.")

GENERAL: THE THREE LIBERTARIANS
Front Page Magazine, Tim Carney
"(Texas Rep.) Ron Paul (R)...has been a lone 'No' vote against all sorts of government expansions over 100 times in the last decade. He is one of the two or three true libertarians in Congress. As a result, Paul gets almost no corporate money. He sits on the Financial Services Committee and gets almost no banker contributions. (Arizona Rep.) Jeff Flake (R) and (Oklahoma Sen.) Tom Coburn (R) are the two best besides Paul."

I have to warn you, of course, to take this with a grain of salt. It comes courtesy of Chuck (thanks, Chuck) but it is always hard to tell with a serving politician.

GENERAL: James A. Van Allen, 1914-2006
Detroit Free Press
"Physicist James A. Van Allen, 91, a leader in space exploration who discovered the radiation belts surrounding the Earth that now bear his name, died Wednesday. In a career that stretched for more than a half-century, Van Allen designed scientific instruments for dozens of research flights, first with small rockets and balloons, and eventually with space probes. Van Allen gained global attention in the late 1950s when instruments he designed and placed aboard the first U.S. satellite, Explorer I, discovered the bands of intense radiation that surround the Earth, now known as the Van Allen Belts." (08/10/06)

A giant has fallen.

TODAY'S QUOTE: American Spectator Online
HYPOCRISY, THY NAME IS GOVERNMENT
"By a vote of 317 to 93, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that seeks to curb or eliminate the practice of Internet wagering by blocking the use of credit card and wire-transfer transactions. Supporters of the bill call online betting the 'crack cocaine' of gambling, an immoral practice that constitutes a threat to 'the children.' "The lotto menu of my own state of Connecticut offers Powerball, Classic Lotto, Cash5, Mid-Day3, Mid-Day4, Play3, and Play4; not to mention 115 instant scratch-off games. There are currently 41 such states whose lottery-type games raked in a cool $49 billion in 2004 alone. "...Your good old-fashioned neighborhood bookie has been harassed and jailed as an immoral blight on the purity of the nanny state, while our surrogate mother herself continues to suck the blood out of her poorest citizens." - Columnist Lisa Fabrizo

American Spectator isn't my usual reading material, but Chuck pointed this one out to me, and how true it is. Government specializes in taking things that are deemed illegal and immoral when done by individuals or private organizations or voluntary associations or "non-state institutions" and making them an "essential" part of their "services" provided to the "citizens." You name it: killing, kidnapping, stealing land, splitting up families and stealing children, stealing money, gambling, prohibiting religious practices - the list goes on and on.

More News and Commentary First part of Commentary, posted 8/10/06

Nathan Barton is writing this from a wonderful place in the West, which might be in the Black Hills of South Dakota or Wyoming, or might be in one of the Four Corners States. Exactly where it is, the breezes blow with the scent of liberty, and the sound of the pines or the pinions is the sound of freedom. For thousands of years, people have fought and died for the liberty that Americans in the great spaces of the West enjoy, and he writes these commentaries in the hopes that continued generations will be able to do so, until the end of Time.

Be sure to visit my blog, Liberty's Outpost.

Special Feature! Add your signature to the NEW Declaration of Independence
By Robert Greenslade

Several people have asked about buying Gadsden Flags (the rattlesnake "Don't Tread on Me flags used by the June 23d Movement and other Property Rights Organizations: you can get them for $10.00 plus shipping here.

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