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Libertarian
Commentary on the News, 15 -21 April, 2007:
For some people, this has been a bad week. Hoploclasts are worried
(sick, I hope) that a madman’s murder of 32 people in a remote Virginia
school will help more and more people to realize the utter foolishness
of gun control laws – ironic in that Virginian leaders once helped
pioneer for the world the idea that God gave us the right to defend ourselves.
People are literally making themselves sick by going ballistic over this
crime while completely ignoring the fact that the very next day, seven
times that number of innocent people in the former land of Iraq died equally
violently, because instead of one madman, there are a hundred thousand
butchering madmen running wild and claiming that they are killing for
Allah and His Prophet.
But for
some folks, it is a good week, too. A lot of people kept bad things from
happening to them or others by using guns wisely and well. A lot more
information about various types of government corruption is now public
knowledge. And even some well known graffiti got cleaned up in various
parts of the world, despite whining by “art-lovers.”
Since I
could have put the VA Tech incident in several categories (Our right to
defend ourselves, government-ruined/theft-funded schools, and stupid people
and government tricks), and it did dominate the news (or as my son put
it, “got run into the ground 24-7”), I start off with four stories
and commentary about it.
VA:
Gunman allowed to kill 32
Fremont Tribune
"A gunman massacred 32 people at Virginia Tech in the deadliest
shooting rampage in modern U.S. history Monday, cutting down his victims
in two attacks two hours apart before the university could grasp what
was happening and warn students. The bloodbath ended with the gunman committing
suicide, bringing the death toll to 33 and stamping the campus in the
picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains with unspeakable tragedy, perhaps forever.
Investigators gave no motive for the attack. The gunman's name was not
immediately released, and it was not known whether he was a student."
(04/17/07)
This version
of the story, unlike many, points out it is the “deadliest”
in “modern” history – most stories ignore the fact that
both as a “shooting rampage” and just as a slaughter of the
innocent, there have been far worse: the principal who bombed his own
school and killing nearly a hundred back in the 1920s being one example,
Waco (where government agents killed at least 82) and Oklahoma City being
two more examples. This time, however, dozens of prominent voices have
joined the argument pointing out that the school made itself a target
by accepting and promoting state policies and laws which disarmed victims.
Even so the victims themselves, though innocent blood, essentially failed
to take any action which would have made them more difficult targets for
a maddened killer. The public outcry, though expected and inevitable,
is hideously inappropriate and hypocritical when compared to the general
lack of public outcry for the more than 200 killed the very next day in
Baghdad and surrounding areas, or the four times that number killed across
Mesopotamia this week (including students and a professor at a Mosul college);
or the 112+ killed in Somalia by government thugs this week; where is
the wailing and demand for prevention and protection for those victims,
most as innocent as these 32, in the Middle East.
Mama's
Note: Wouldn't it be wonderful if the US cleaned up its own house and
became the shining beacon to the world of liberty and justice for all,
free trade with all and entangling alliances with none? We can't really
do anything to stop the carnage anywhere else, except refuse to participate
or fund their wars.
Rules
should have barred weapon purchase
Palm Springs Desert Sun
“A judge’s ruling on Cho Seung-Hui’s mental health should
have barred him from purchasing the handguns he used in the Virginia Tech
massacre, according to federal regulations. But it was unclear Thursday
whether anybody had an obligation to inform federal authorities about
Cho’s mental status because of loopholes in the law that governs
background checks. Cho purchased two handguns in February and March, and
was subject to federal and state background checks both times. The checks
turned up no problems, despite a judge’s ruling in December 2005
that Cho ‘presents an imminent danger to himself as a result of mental
illness.’” (04/20/07)
One of
many, many attempts to “prevent” the next Columbine or Va Tech
– and doomed to fail because it addresses neither causes nor effects,
but just something that made it a bit easier. Nevertheless, expect attempts
to tighten up background checks – even though most criminals don’t
worry about such things.
Mama's
Note: And then there's the little problem of expecting a judge to practice
psychiatry and make decisions like this at all. There are millions of
people in this country who have contemplated suicide, or even murder at
one time or another, yet they retain the basic human right to defend themselves.
When the contemplation crosses the line into aggressive action, THEN others
have cause and right to intervene, not before.
Yes,
this is a very difficult concept for most people. We've been brainwashed
that we can, somehow, anticipate wrongdoing and prevent it. History should
demonstrate clearly that this isn't even possible, let alone desirable,
but most people simply ignore the facts and cling to their fantasy.
VT
shooting: Black mark on an otherwise growing reputation
Christian Science Monitor
“The student shooter was from South Korea. The professor who died
while trying to stop him was a Romanian-born Jew. The man who captured
some of the deadly pistol shots on his cellphone was a Palestinian. One
reason Monday’s massacre at Virginia Tech university has become such
an international incident is that the university itself has been transformed
from a small college populated by what founding president Charles Minor
called ‘plain lads’ into a diverse and increasingly international
institution. Last year, some 565,000 foreign students attended US colleges
and universities. Even here at Virginia Tech, nestled in the deep folds
of the Appalachian lowlands, 7 percent of the nearly 28,500 students come
from abroad. In some departments, 60 percent of the graduate students
are foreign-born. At stake now is the reputation of the university, set
in what faculty call a ’social island’ in the Scotch-Irish enclave,
and in some ways, of Virginia itself.” [Editor’s note: This
is such collectivist c***! The issue is not the ethnicity of the madman,
but the disarmament (as well as the apparent passivity?) of the victims!
- SAT] (04/19/07)
Steve’s
point is right. At the same time, it is precisely the government’s
actions that has created these running sores in societies called government
schools, whether we are talking K-12 or “Higher” education.
We create little islands of unreality and then when they explode in our
faces, we look for who to blame and ignore the fact that government control
and socialist mini-states with all the trappings of 1984 and Brave New
World have made such explosions inevitable.
'First
Line of Defense' Teams Suggested for US Campuses
CNS News
American universities and colleges should consider using students,
faculty and staff who have security backgrounds to provide a "first
line of defense" for their campuses in the event of a terror attacks
or other emergencies, a counter-terrorism expert here said. Monday's massacre
at Virginia Tech has raised questions about the response of the security
forces and university administration. It has also raises the issue of
how campuses - many of which are sprawling and intertwined with surrounding
towns - can be better protected in emergency situations without jeopardizing
an atmosphere of freedom. Campuses could examine enlisting the experience
of students, faculty and staff who have had military experience, said
Ramy Gershon, a former commander of an elite counterterrorism unit in
the Israeli army.
Concluding
my section on the VA Tech killings, this article popped up on Saturday
morning. What the “expert” is calling for is very simple: a
militia. Just like we had at the time of the revolutions (American and
Texan and Second), just like we had on the Indian frontier, just like
the tribal warrior societies. Notice he is not talking about unarmed “CERT”
(Community Emergency Response Teams) or “Medical Reserve Corps”
units or even fire or police reserves: he is talking unorganized militia
(in the constitutional sense) – ARMED people helping people on a
voluntary basis. A simple idea – and one that will go nowhere in
today’s sick American society.
Mama's
Note: What is so special about "military experience?" There
is no "one" answer that will serve everyone except the quaint
notion of leaving people alone to make their own choices and take responsibility
for their own actions.
Afghani
front:
Afghanistan: Suicide bombing
kills 10 police
MSNBC
“A suicide attacker ran onto a police training field and blew
himself up, killing up to 10 policemen and wounding dozens of others Monday
in northern Afghanistan, officials said. The attack happened in the relatively
quiet city of Kunduz, where police were doing their regular morning exercises
in a field, said Abdul Hadi, a security official. Hadi said that according
to preliminary reports, 10 police were killed and 10 were wounded.”
(04/16/07)
Killing
seemed to pick up slightly this week in Afghanistan – no doubt due
to improved weather.
Mama's
Note: Please! These are the "police" who are supposed to protect
everyone else and can't even defend themselves? Were they armed? Was anyone
paying attention to their surroundings? What are they being taught?
Big ideas:
Russia promotes North America rail
link
Spiegel [Germany]
“The Russian government told reporters in Moscow this week that
it will back a $65 billion scheme by a consortium of Russian companies
to build the longest tunnel in the world — which will be an estimated
102 kilometers (63 miles) in length — to link Russia’s vast
energy resources to markets in North America. The plan includes a high-speed
train line, oil and gas pipelines, and a fiber-optic cable network. A
new rail corridor through British Columbia would connect the tunnel to
America’s main rail network, while a corridor through Siberia would
connect it to Russia’s. The tunnel would raise the prospect of a
continuous train ride spanning three-quarters of the world — from
New York to London over Canada and Russia.” (04/20/07)
These seems
to be a proposal to construct the system under the Bering Straits and
then across Alaska and Yukon Territory to BC and Washington State, so
it would require at least three nations’ and two very powerful environist
lobbies: Canada’s and the US’s.
Mama's
Note: The first thing that came to my mind after reading this was to wonder
why such a railroad would even be considered. Of course, there is the
totally impossible job of selling it to the tree huggers and their government
lackeys, regardless of how good or right it might be. And then think of
the "terrorist" implications.
Culture
wars:
Supreme Court upholds “partial-birth” ban
Buffalo News
“The Supreme Court’s new conservative majority gave antiabortion
forces a landmark victory Wednesday in a 5-4 decision that bans a controversial
abortion procedure nationwide and sets the stage for further restrictions.
It was a long-awaited and resounding win that abortion opponents had hoped
to gain from a court pushed to the right by President Bush’s appointees.”
(04/18/07)
Never mind
that partial-birth abortion is essentially infanticide, even to the average
abortion supporter – the court is wrong because it has been “pushed”
to the right by the evil President Bush.
Mama's
Note: The murder of a human being is exactly that, regardless of who does
it or what it's called. It is impossible to understand how anyone can
even attempt to justify the murder of the most helpless and innocent human
beings, under
any circumstances.
Culture
wars:
NH: Governor to sign marriage
bill
MSNBC
“Gov. John Lynch told The Associated Press on Thursday he will
sign legislation establishing civil unions in New Hampshire. New Hampshire
thus will become the fourth state to adopt civil unions and the first
to do so without first having a court fight over denying gays the right
to marry.” (04/19/07)
I suppose
the lack of a nasty and expensive court fight is something to be happy
about, but this is really nothing but an expansion of government power.
Economy:
Sallie
Mae agrees to $25 billion takeover
Business Week
“SLM Corp., the nation’s largest student-loan provider also
known as Sallie Mae, Monday confirmed it agreed to sell the company to
a group of investors for about $25 billion. The buyer is an investor group
led by private-equity firm J.C. Flowers & Co, who will pay $60 per
share for the company. Shares of Sallie Mae were up 15 percent Friday
on rumors of the deal. The stock closed at $46.76 on the New York Stock
Exchange, where shares have traded in a 52-week range of $40.30 to $55.21.”
(04/16/07)
Several
folks had warned me that this was coming, and that worse is ahead for
the “real-estate” secondary market of making money by making
money.
European
follies:
EU to seal deal on “diluted” Holocaust denial law
Independent [UK]
“Holocaust denial will be punishable by jail terms across the
EU — but only if it incites violence or hatred against specific groups
— under measures due to be agreed today. After six years of negotiation,
the agreement is likely to be sealed, despite pressure from Baltic states
for the crimes committed by Stalin to be brought into the scope of the
law.” (04/19/07)
Oh! They
are just taking away “some” of the right to free speech. How
nice.
Mama's
Note: Now, now... It wasn't all that long ago that people were burned
at the stake for saying the earth wasn't flat, or for belonging to the
"wrong" religion, or a lot of other stupid things. Going to
jail is certainly an improvement... (sarcasm, please note)
Fear-mongering:
Study warns of health risk from ethanol
San Francisco Chronicle
“If ethanol ever gains widespread use as a clean alternative fuel
to gasoline, people with respiratory illnesses may be in trouble. A new
study out of Stanford says pollution from ethanol could end up creating
a worse health hazard than gasoline, especially for people with asthma
and other respiratory diseases. ‘Ethanol is being promoted as a clean
and renewable fuel that will reduce global warming and air pollution,’
Mark Z. Jacobson, the study’s author and an atmospheric scientist
at Stanford, said in a statement. ‘But our results show that a high
blend of ethanol poses an equal or greater risk to public health than
gasoline, which already causes significant health damage.’ The study
appears in today’s online edition of Environmental Science &
Technology, a publication of the American Chemical Society.”
(04/18/07)
Forgive
me, but isn’t ethanol exactly the same active ingredient as gin,
vodka, and beer? I thought it was only secondhand smoke that the health-nazi’s
were het up over, but obviously if ethanol (either in raw form or the
exhaust products thereof) is dangerous, secondhand liquor must be controlled
and if possible, banned. (Yes, the ethanol used in gasohol is “denatured”
– the water is removed. However, ethanol is hydrogolic and will absorb
water from the air, whether in liquid or vapor form – so it can’t
really be considered differently than the exhalations of a drunk, wino,
or social drinker, can it?)
Mama's
Note: For crying out loud, don't give anyone ideas!!! I'm sure it's only
a matter of days before some outfit decides that it would be good to blow
up the sun because people are getting "too much" skin cancer...
the possibilities are endless.
Freedom
fighters:
Yahoo
sued for betraying Chinese dissident
PC World
“The wife of an imprisoned Chinese dissident has sued Yahoo Inc.
for divulging information about her husband’s Internet activity,
which allegedly led to his arrest and torture. The suit was filed by the
World Organization for Human Rights USA on behalf of Yu Ling, the wife
of Wang Xiazoning, said Monique Beadle, refugee project director for the
organization. Wang was arrested in September 2002 on charges including
‘incitement to subvert state power.’ Ling is seeking damages
under the Alien Tort Claims Act and the Torture Victims Protection Act,
two statutes under which U.S. companies have been sued for allegedly aiding
in human rights abuses overseas, Beadle said.” (04/19/07)
Much as
I dislike this sort of case, I can’t help but hope that she wins
– what Yahoo did was sick and reprehensible.
Mama's
Note: My only thought was to wonder how money extracted from Yahoo is
going to make any difference. He'll still be in jail and they'll still
be in business. I doubt the amount of money involved will even bother
them.
Freedom
of the road:
TX: Man says traffic camera falsely
accused him
Galveston Daily News
"A black Acura 32T slid through a Dallas intersection after the
light turned red on a Monday morning last month. That intersection happened
to be monitored by one of Dallas' traffic cameras, which captured a video
of the culprit car. Nine days later, League City resident Richard Gregory
got a ticket in the mail, with photos of the car passing through the intersection
with the red light above it. The problem is, Gregory has never owned an
Acura. He doesn't own a black car. He wasn't in Dallas at 7:15 a.m. that
Monday -- he was at his South Shore Harbour home. ... the ticket was issued
to him because his license plates seemed to match the photos, even though
the black Acura clearly didn't match the white Chrysler the plates were
registered to." (04/15/07)
Duh! Heaven
forbid the facts interfere with bringing this evil criminal to justice.
What effrontery for him to go to such lengths to try to avoid a moving
violation! No doubt he is tempted to do what the Brits did (next story)
but in both cases it is the goons behind the cameras that are the real
threat.
Freedom
of the road:
CA:
Muni is watching
Examiner
“A picture may be worth a thousand words, but in San Francisco,
a snapshot may soon be worth $100. That could be the cost for drivers
caught on cameras installed on Muni buses if their vehicles are caught
double-parked in bus-only lanes. … Later this month, a bill by Assemblywoman
Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, authorizing The City to mount forward-facing
cameras on buses to enforce parking violations is expected to be heard
at a legislative committee. Ma is carrying the bill at the behest of Newsom
and MTA officials who say that parked vehicles in bus-only lanes are one
of the biggest hurdles to Muni’s elusive on-time schedule. Legislative
approval is necessary because while the state vehicle code authorizes
the use of red-light cameras and police radar for speeding tickets, it
does not allow the use of cameras for parking enforcement.” (04/19/07)
I suppose
that this makes sense – but only if the bus system owned those spaces.
Still, this is a far better use of cameras than the other examples we
have this week. The problem with this bill is that it expands use of a
clearly police-state tool. When will the camera on the front of the bus
be used to record vehicles with unrenewed license plates, broken lamps,
or bumper stickers viewed as threats to the state?
Freedom
of the road:
UK: Crushed by the council
Daily Mail [UK]
“It was Mendoza Stewart’s pride and joy. A 1972 hand-crafted
Bristol 411 — one of only 287 ever made and worth £30,000.
But the vehicle’s status as a classic car was apparently lost on
parking officials at Lambeth Council in South London. Despite it being
legally parked, they towed it away and crushed it. … The aluminium-bodied
vehicle, built by British manufacturer Bristol Cars, was in good condition
and was exempt from road tax because of its status as a classic car. Mr.
Stewart, who insists a special ‘nil payment’ disc was clearly
displayed in the windscreen, took legal action against the council after
the incident in December 2004. But more than two years on, despite the
council admitting liability, he has still not received a penny —
and he has been reduced to driving an aging van instead of his treasured
Bristol.” (04/10/07)
Petty local
tyranny. The worst kind. Stupid bureaucrats who hate people and always
look for ways to injure and hurt and threaten and abuse. And then, of
course, we have their enablers: the MPs or Congressional thugs who try
to regulate every second of life.
Freedom
of the road::
UK: “Vigilantes” burn speed
camera
Stamford Today
“The camera, on the A16 Deepings bypass, near Spalding Road was
attacked during the early hours of Saturday. A spokesman for the Lincolnshire
Road Safety Partnership, which comprises the police, local authorities
and interested bodies, said: ‘We have been forced to take it out
of action. It is difficult to say how much damage has been caused, but
it is somewhere between £20,000 and £40,000.’ The camera
will be replaced as soon as the full extent of the damage is known.”
(04/17/07)
Yet another
example of the hideous attacks on cameras that threaten modern British
society. It is good to know that there are some people left in the UK
who believe that Big Brother is evil and needs to be fought.
Mama's
Note: One wonders just how long it will be until the lamp posts are used
for their ancient alternative purpose... to sharply reduce the number
of government predators...
Government-ruined,
theft-funded schools:
UK:
Ministers aim to turn secondary schools “green”
Independent [UK]
“Every new secondary school will be ‘green’ under a
radical initiative being planned by the Government. The Education Secretary,
Alan Johnson, has won £100m from Chancellor Gordon Brown’s
comprehensive spending review to ensure all new secondary schools are
designed to be carbon neutral or at the very least substantially reduce
carbon emissions. Ministers are planning to refurbish or rebuild every
secondary in the country by the end of the next decade.” (04/16/07)
They are
war zones, they breed the hopeless that makes drugs the natural way of
escape, they teach their inmates little of value, but wow – they’re
going to be “carbon neutral.” At least until they burn down
in the riots and revolution being nurtured in them.
Government-ruined,
theft-funded schools:
MA: School police, saying halls meaner,
seek bulletproof vests
Boston Globe
“Boston School Police officers say they want to start wearing
bulletproof vests and carrying batons and pepper spray to protect themselves
from increasingly brazen students who attack police officers as they break
up fights. The officers are fearing more for their safety as violence
in the city’s streets spills into the schools, their union president
said. The bid for such equipment worries some school officials. One headmaster
said a more heavily equipped police presence would send the wrong message
to parents and students and could turn schools into combat zones, a common
concern as schools ponder how far they need to go to protect teachers
and students.” (04/14/07)
Odd that
this article would appear only a few hours before the VA Tech killing
spree. What about the safety of the students? One state, at least (South
Dakota) actually prohibits even cops on patrol in schools from carrying
weapons. As for turning schools into combat zones – that happened
decades ago. I recall billy-club armed cops in Denver high schools in
the ‘70s as student gangs fought each other.
Government-ruined,
theft-funded schools:
36 California schools
under lockdown
MSNBC
“Authorities put all 36 schools in 12 Northern California school
districts under lockdown Thursday as police searched for a man who claimed
he was planning an armed attack that would ‘make Virginia Tech look
mild.’ Local officials said Jeffrey Thomas Carney, 28, called his
pastor at the United Methodist Church on Wednesday evening and said he
was armed with an AK-47 rifle, improvised explosive devices and poison
and would seek to provoke a confrontation with police to ‘commit
suicide-by-cop.’” (04/19/07)
Hundreds
if not thousands of copycat hoaxes followed the Cho killings-suicide in
VA Tech as flies swarm around roadkill. This guy appeared to be more vocal
than most.
Mama's
Note: Those who announce it are rarely the ones who carry it out...
Home front:
Padilla
trial to begin
Houston Chronicle
“Five years after his arrest at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport,
Jose Padilla heads to court — but with no mention of the ‘dirty
bomb’ allegations that first made headlines. … Padilla, held
for 3 1/2 years as an enemy combatant, and codefendants Adham Amin Hassoun
and Kifah Wael Jayyousi face charges of conspiracy to ‘murder, kidnap
and maim’ people overseas and of providing support to terror groups.
All three pleaded not guilty. They could face life in prison if convicted.
In 2002, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft announced Padilla’s
arrest and said authorities had thwarted an al-Qaida plot to detonate
a radioactive ‘dirty bomb’ in a major city. Those allegations
have been dropped. Padilla was hastily added to an existing case in Miami
in November 2005, a few days before a Supreme Court deadline for Bush
administration briefs on the question of the president’s powers to
continue holding him in military prison without charge.” (04/16/07)
Another
show trial, in which whatever real threat these people posed (and they
no doubt did, to some degree) will be lost in governmental posturing making
a mountain out of a molehill.
Home front:
DoJ sues We the People
MSNBC
"Just in time for tax season, the U.S. Justice Department is suing
the founder of a charitable organization for allegedly peddling a national
tax-fraud scheme that it says has cost the government $21 million.
The government charges in its lawsuit filed earlier this month that Robert
L. Schulz of Queensbury, N.Y., used the charity, the We the People Foundation
for Constitutional Education, to falsely tell donors that they could legally
avoid having federal income taxes withheld from their paychecks. Schulz,
a high-profile tax protester, denies any wrongdoing and maintains that
the foundation simply educates people about the U.S. Constitution."
(04/16/07)
Schulz
and company were, of course, expecting this – the surprise is that
it took so long. And they don’t expect a fair trial, either.
Mama's
Note: Let's see... if handing out questionable advice is now "illegal,"
can we expect to see trials of IRS agents any time soon?
Home front:
Alleged Iraqi "sleeper agent"
convicted
Watertown Public Opinion
"An alleged Iraqi 'sleeper agent' sent by Saddam Hussein to spy
on dissidents in the United States was convicted Monday of lying about
his ties to the former Baghdad regime. Sami Latchin, 59, was taken into
custody minutes after the federal jury verdict, which could send him to
prison for up to 40 years. Prosecutors warned that Latchin would be a
flight risk if allowed to stay free until sentencing." (04/17/07)
Undoubtedly,
he spied for Saddam’s regime – but to put him into prison for
doing so, four years after that regime collapsed, and leaving him in prison
until 44 years after, would be like putting a German or Japanese spy into
prison in 1949 and not releasing them until 1989 – a complete waste
of taxpayer’s money for the sake of what?
Mama's
Note: I have a much better idea... send him back to Iraq.
Home front:
Hackers used e-mail access
to government computers
MSNBC
“A break-in targeting State Department computers worldwide last
summer occurred after a department employee in Asia opened a mysterious
e-mail that quietly allowed hackers inside the U.S. government’s
network. In the first public account revealing details about the intrusion
and the government’s hurried behind-the-scenes response, a senior
State Department official described an elaborate ploy by sophisticated
international hackers.” (04/18/07)
Cyber-war
is an ongoing conflict that will grow more vicious as time passes. This
week’s Blackberry failure may indeed be part of the same war.
Home front:
VT: Impeachment activists grill legislative
leaders
Times Argus
“They will not take no for an answer. More than 125 Vermonters
from 56 communities congregated at the Statehouse Tuesday and sought to
pressure legislators from both chambers and of all political persuasions
to act on a resolution calling for President Bush’s impeachment this
session. The demonstration culminated with a testy and antagonistic 30-minute
exchange with the state’s top two Democrats whom impeachment supporters
say are blocking the resolution from moving forward. ‘You are breaking
down a cornerstone of democracy,’ said one woman to Senate President
Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, and House Speaker Gaye Symington, D-Jericho.
‘If the Democratic Party won’t listen to us, maybe we should
just leave the party,’ yelled one man during the meeting. Shumlin,
who supports impeachment, and Symington, who does not, kept their cool
during the exchange. But the two state Democratic leaders reiterated that
a House resolution does not have the committee support to proceed and
there is no longer time in this legislative session to pass a Senate resolution.”
(04/18/07)
Guys, 125
isn’t nearly enough: 1250 or even 12,500 is really going to be necessary
to make the legislature pay attention. Even then, you’ll find they
have more excuses for why not to do this than Carter has little pills.
Mama's
Note: A true exercise in futility in any case. As someone pointed out,
if Bush is impeached, that leaves us with Cheney for president... some
improvement! And if both Bush and Cheney are impeached, that leaves with
Pelosi in the Oval Office!!! Would you like to be hung, shot or drowned?
Home front:
MT:
Schweitzer signs Real ID rejection
Billings Gazette
“Gov. Brian Schweitzer signed a law Tuesday rejecting national
driver’s licenses for Montanans, saying the message to the federal
government was ‘no, nope, no way, hell no.’ The bill the governor
signed rejected implementing the Real ID act in Montana, a federal law
that sets a national standard for driver’s licenses and requires
states to link their record-keeping systems to national databases. Montana
joined two other states, Idaho and Arkansas, in enacting laws that outright
refuse to comply with the federal law, according to National Conference
on State Legislatures. Washington’s legislature has also passed a
similar bill and Maine and Hawaii have passed resolutions opposing the
Real ID act.” (04/19/07)
Hopefully
the first of many states to do this.
Mama's
Note: Indeed, though these wimpy"resolutions" don't do much
for freedom. Too bad Montana didn't leave in the "nullification"
part of what they did pass. Guess we'll have to be grateful for what backbone
they did show, and I'm ashamed that the Wyoming legislature avoided it
altogether.
Home Front:
‘Security
Technology Still Faces Liability Risks Abroad’
CNS News
Legislation intended to protect U.S. security firms from litigation
in the event of a terror attack is a gift from the government to the private
sector, a Department of Homeland Security official said on Wednesday...
An incredibly
stupid gift. It removes normal commonsense liability from manufacturers
and private users of various types of security and defense technology,
instead replacing the normal litigation process by a certification process
run by DHS – it is compared to the “Good Samaritan Law”
that shields people responding in an emergency from getting sued because
they fail to save a life, limb, or something else, but it is really more
like a get-out-of-jail card for government contractors and agencies. Bad,
bad idea.
Korean
front:
Report: North Korea may shut down reactor
Denver Post
"North Korea may be preparing to shut down its main nuclear reactor,
news reports said Tuesday, renewing hopes that Pyongyang will comply with
a disarmament agreement days after it missed a deadline to shutter the
facility. The Yongbyon reactor was still in operation, but there was a
high possibility that movement of cars and people at the site seen in
satellite photos could be linked to a shutdown, South Korea's Yonhap news
agency reported, citing an unnamed intelligence official." (04/17/07)
More posturing
and jockeying for position – I’m sure North Korea will come
up with a new way to extort money from the rest of the world in a matter
of days.
Mesopotamian
front:
150+ dead
in Wednesday attacks
BBC News
At least 157 people have been killed in a string of attacks in Iraq's
capital, Baghdad, security officials say. In the deadliest incident, some
115 people were killed in a car bombing in a food market in Sadriya district.
An attack on a police checkpoint in Sadr City and several other explosions
left at least another 42 people dead. The attacks came as Iraqi Prime
Minister Nouri Maliki said Iraqi forces would assume control of the country's
security by the end of the year.
Sadr’s
work, undoubtedly, using blood to put pressure on the Coalition and “Iraqi”
government to bow into his demands. As the worst attacks since November
of last year, the butchers have certainly made their point.
Mesopotamian
front:
Iraqi [sic]
soldiers, police killed as Sadrists exit regime
Miami Herald
“The radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers in the
Cabinet to abandon their posts on Monday, the head of the cleric’s
parliamentary bloc said, blaming the Iraqi leadership’s refusal to
respond to demands for a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal. The order, while
unlikely to topple Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s regime, deals
a significant blow to the U.S.-backed leader, who relied on support from
the Sadrists to gain office. … At least 13 Iraqi soldiers were killed
Monday when gunmen ambushed their military checkpoint near the northern
city of Mosul …. In Ramadi, U.S. forces mistakenly killed three Iraqi
police officers Monday during a raid targeting al-Qaida in Iraq members
…. Two explosions rocked central Baghdad midmorning - apparently
the sound of mortar shells slamming into a schoolyard at Baghdad University
…” (04/16/07)
A number
of careful observers predicted this – and from the US point of view,
good riddance to bad rubbish: he and his minions have been nothing but
tools of Iran.
Mesopotamian
front:
Iraq [sic]:
Seven US troops, numerous Iraqis killed
CNN
"A dump truck loaded with a nitric acid and explosives overturned
before carrying out an attack on a joint U.S.-Iraqi post in a small village
north of Baghdad Monday, according to the U.S. military. The coalition
patrol captured the driver, who confessed he had been paid to detonate
a truck bomb at the Joint Security Station in the village of Mashada,
30 miles north of Baghdad .... In Mosul, gunmen killed the dean of the
Political Science College and a professor at the city university's College
of Arts .... In addition, police found six bullet-riddled bodies across
the city .... Police also found seven unidentified bodies with shots to
the head in southern Falluja .... South of Mosul, gunmen with machine
guns killed 13 Iraqi soldiers and wounded four .... In the nation's capital
itself, a pair of roadside bombs exploded along a commercial street in
central Karrada district Monday, killing eight people and wounding 23
others .... police said they found 30 bullet-riddled bodies across the
capital on Sunday .... The U.S. Military announced the deaths of seven
U.S. troops. Three soldiers were killed in Baghdad and two Marines were
killed in Anbar province on Monday, and the other two soldiers were killed
Saturday in Falluja, commanders said in a written statement."
(04/17/07)
When compared
to the VA Tech killings, these make the student butcher seem much the
piker, but instead of demanding that more be done to prevent such things
in the Middle East, Democratic thugs in Congress and others called for
a complete abandonment of efforts to do so – almost with the same
breath that they demanded “something” be done in Virginia and
at other schools in the US.
Mama's
Note: Just what can the US congress do to stop the murder in Iraq? More
of the same insanity we've been doing certainly doesn't fill the bill.
The call for government - ANY government - to "do something"
is the real problem, not the solution.
Mesopotamian
front:
UN
calls on the west to help displaced Iraqis
Independent [UK]
“The Iraq war was supposed to spread democracy throughout the
Middle East, but to date its most palpable result has been to spread Iraqis
throughout the world. UNHCR, the United Nations’ refugee agency,
believes that up to two million have sought refuge outside the country
since the war started, and 1.9 million have been forced to move within
Iraq in fear of their lives. The agency’s chief, Antonio Gutteres,
appealed for help yesterday at the first conference on the refugee crisis,
saying: ‘It is time that the international community responded with
genuine solidarity and aid to displaced Iraqis and to the states housing
them.’ The flood of refugees has put a huge and growing burden on
neighbouring nations, especially Syria and Jordan, which in consequence
are making it more and more difficult for Iraqis to enter their countries.
” [Editor’s note: Hell, I think they should all be sent
here to the US. Preferably to the Bush ranch, and to the homes of his
neo-con buddies who are RESPONSIBLE for this mess - MLS] (04/18/07)
It has
been suggested that the US provide a couple of million illegal immigrants
to repopulate Mesopotamia, introducing a non-religious and Catholic ethnic
element into the country and providing room for the US to accept a few
million former Iraqis to integrate into a relatively peaceful and law-abiding
society.
Mesopotamian
front:
Combat deaths rise in Baghdad, fall
in Anbar
USA Today
“U.S. combat deaths in Baghdad have risen steadily since February,
when the U.S. Military launched an initiative to secure the capital, Pentagon
records show. Meanwhile, a hotbed of the Iraqi insurgency has become significantly
safer for U.S. Troops This month, 56% of U.S. Combat deaths within Iraq
have occurred in Baghdad, up from 27% in February. Combat deaths in the
capital last exceeded 50% in July 2005.” (04/19/07)
Clearly,
the fight is concentrated on Baghdad itself – an indication that
the US strategy might be working. But there is no easy solution for dealing
with the murdering goons who are feasting on human blood.
New religions:
global warming
Canada: Kyoto study
raises alarm
Toronto Star [Canada]
“Canada could face a deep recession, sky-high energy prices and
about 275,000 fewer jobs if it slashes greenhouse gas emissions to meet
its Kyoto targets, according to an economic analysis prepared by the Conservative
government. Environment Minister John Baird presented the report yesterday
to a Senate environment committee that is studying a Liberal bill that
would force a massive cut in emissions — about 270 megatonnes by
2012 — when they are still increasing. Baird said the government
would need to ‘manufacture a recession’ in order to meet Kyoto
as the legislation, Bill C-288, demands.” (04/20/07)
Of course,
this is exactly what many environists hope to accomplish with the “carbon
neutral” economies and lifestyles.
New religions:
global warming:
Claim: “Global warming may put
US in hot water”
Aberdeen American News
"As the world warms, water -- either too little or too much of
it -- is going to be the major problem for the United States, scientists
and military experts said Monday. It will be a domestic problem, with
states clashing over controls of rivers, and a national security problem
as water shortages and floods worsen conflicts and terrorism elsewhere
in the world, they said. At home, especially in the Southwest, regions
will need to find new sources of drinking water, the Great Lakes will
shrink, fish and other species will be left high and dry, and coastal
areas will on occasion be inundated because of sea-level rises and souped-up
storms, U.S. scientists said." (04/16/07)
In a fortnight
with a series of nasty late-season snow storms that left much of the country
in distress (as discussed in the next story), this ridiculous and outrageous
claim seems all the more foolish. These dire predictions ignore the fact
that states have been clashing over water for centuries, and it is exploding
populations and stupid government policies that fail to take into account
the cyclic nature of weather and water availability in much of the nation,
far more than any “global warming” (human-caused or natural)
that creates the mess.
Mama's
Note: Only the free market will properly allocate the resources and drive
the technology needed to solve the problems. A return to the stone age
will certainly solve none of the problems for anyone.
New religions:
global warming:
NV: Global warming rally cut short
by cold weather
Reno Gazette Journal
“More than two dozen demonstrators braved cold, wet weather Saturday
in Reno to attend a rally designed to draw attention to global warming.
The event was cut short by heavy rain and sleet, said organizer Lisa Stiller
of the Northern Nevada Coalition for Climate Change. ‘It’s kind
of disappointing that the weather kept people away,’ Stiller said.
‘But, we still think it (climate change) is something that people
should talk about.’ The storm prevented the use of solar ovens for
a potluck picnic, Stiller said, and caused the planned two-hour demonstration
to break up after about an hour.” (04/15/07)
Gee –
poetic justice indeed.
Mama's
Note: I guess the organizers didn't bother to look at a weather report...
for whatever that's worth. They can't predict the weather for the next
24 hours with any reliability, but we're supposed to believe they can
pinpoint what will happen in 10 and 50 years? Get real.
New religions:
Global warming:
NY: Spitzer plugs green future
Albany Times Union
“Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced plans Thursday to curb the state’s
growing thirst for electrical power and boost output from environmentally
friendly sources like solar, wind and biomass. The governor also announced
efforts to rewrite rules to speed approval of low- and no-emission power
plants, improve the efficiency of furnaces, boilers and appliances, and
help utilities avoid losing money when customers cut energy use. …
Speaking at a Manhattan hotel before more than a thousand business executives
at the monthly Crain’s New York Business breakfast forum, the governor
said revamping the state’s power system could cut utility rates,
which could draw more business and help create or retain 41,000 jobs by
the target date of 2015.” (04/20/07)
Spitzer
is at least trying to put a positive economic spin on this green nonsense.
But he fails to take the obvious step: it is the business of business
to improve efficiency, adjust operations, and find new energy sources:
NOT government’s.
Mama's
Note: But, but, but... if governments didn't DO anything, how ever would
they justify their budgets and perks. Really now!!!
New religions:
Global warming:
Sen.
Boxer Promises Carbon Cap Legislation
CNS News
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairman of the Environment and Public
Works Committee, pledged Wednesday to push legislation that would cap
carbon emissions from power plants in an effort to fight global warming...
I guess
this is what you would expect from the new-age thug who has her kind of
track record. I wish that someone would explain to me exactly how you
can “cap” carbon emissions from fossil-fuel burning plants (or
for that matter, from wood or bio-fuel burning plants) without repealing
the laws of chemistry and physics? Boxer and her ilk are nuts. But don’t
worry, look at the article in “Thugs” to see just how insane
this woman is.
Our British
cousins:
UK: Stab-proof
hoodies on sale
Ananova
"An Essex firm is making stab-proof hoodies lined with Kevlar,
the material used in body armour for British troops. Romford-based Bladerunner,
which makes protective clothes for police forces and security guards,
is selling the tops for £65. Boss Adrian Davis claims to be in discussion
with schools in east London about putting Kevlar linings into school uniforms.
'It's all in development but we're at an advanced stage,' he said. 'We've
sent examples of school jumpers to the manufacturers and we're waiting
for the costings. I really believe it's needed,' he told The Sun."
(04/16/07)
This in
the land where guns have been banned and outlawed? Where knives and swords
are being banned and prohibited? How could you possibly need such protection
when Her Majesty’s jailers have made the land safe from such evil
weapons?
Mama's
Note: Something fishy about this story. To the best of my understanding,
Kevlar
does NOT stop a knife. There are other materials that can be added
that do, but the old Kevlar vests worn by so many police in the past do
NOT, which is why they switched to/added other things.
Our British
cousins:
UK: Inquiry into nuke plant organ
retention claims
Raw Story
“The government announced an inquiry on Wednesday into claims
that body parts from nuclear power plant workers who died of cancer were
removed and tested for radiation without their families’ consent.
Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling announced the move in an
emergency statement to parliament, saying there were 65 cases between
1962 and 1991 where tissue and organs had been removed for analysis. He
appointed Michael Redfern, a top lawyer who led a 2001 inquiry into an
organ retention scandal at Alder Hey children’s hospital in Liverpool,
northwest England, to investigate. There, hearts and other organs were
harvested from the bodies of more than 850 babies who died between 1988
and 1996 without the knowledge or consent of families.” (04/18/07)
Of course,
under what passes for British law these days (a far cry from the common
law that once governed a free people on an often-voluntary basis), the
bodies of ALL dead belong to the State.
Mama's
Note: Dead OR alive, what's the difference?
Our British
cousins:
Criminal
Background Check Requirement in UK Criticized
CNS News
London - As Britain moves towards running criminal checks on everyone
who volunteers with children, a civil liberties group has warned that
the step could strangle the nation’s youth groups...
Many American
states already have this requirement, and the group is absolutely correct:
thousands of organizations, from the Boy Scouts to church camps and baby-sitting
services have seen their pool of volunteers completely gutted and have
had to cut back or eliminate services. A DUI charge (not a conviction)
at age 18 (in the old days, remember, legal drinking age in many states
was 18) can see a 50-year-old woman rejected as a volunteer for a disabled-children’s
camp cook; a child abuse charge made for spanking a child 20 years ago
can deny a person access to a day camp. The UK’s thugs-in-charge
(MPs) ought to love this law.
Mama's
Note: Ah yes... as more and more things are made "illegal,"
our every move will be more and more restricted. The voluntary society
will be ruthlessly stamped out -- if we let them get away with it.
Our imperial
courts:
$2.8 million Katrina judgment
against Allstate
MSNBC
"Allstate Insurance Co. must pay a Louisiana man who lost his
home to Hurricane Katrina more than $2.8 million in damages and penalties,
a federal jury decided Monday in a case that hinged largely on whether
it was wind or storm surge that wiped out his house. Allstate spokeswoman
Kate Hollcraft said the company will appeal." (04/16/07)
Clearly
an appeal is in order – but this court case ignores the government’s
insane regulations and subsidies that made this case inevitable. Allstate
was just playing the game by the fed’s rules – however wrong
its actions might have been morally – but the government gets off
Scot-free.
Our imperial
courts:
Judge: You’re
too smart to be abused
Fox News
“A Spanish judge has thrown out a woman’s harassment suit
against her ex-husband on the grounds she has a good education, arguing
that had she really suffered abuse during their 16-year marriage she would
have reported it right away or sought counseling. Women’s advocacy
groups voiced outage over Wednesday’s ruling by a judge in the northern
city of Valladolid, and Spain’s ruling Socialist party asked a judicial
oversight board to review it. The plaintiff, a high school teacher whose
name has not been released, filed the suit last month arguing that her
husband subjected her to psychological harassment throughout their 16-year
marriage. They separated three years ago.” (04/19/07)
Outrageous
as this seems, the judge does have a point. What is a woman who behaves
like this doing teaching children?
Mama's
Note: The judge certainly has a point, and I can't see any real reason
for her to be in court now at all. If the creep is actually a threat,
she needs to take the obvious steps to defend herself. If he's just being
an ongoing creep, she needs a thicker skin, a pair of Dobermans... or
whatever.
The Collapse
of Africa
Somalia: Violent
fighting wracks “capital”
BBC News
At least 113 civilians have been killed and more than 200 injured in
three days of fighting in the Somali capital, Mogadishu… Heavy fighting
is continuing, as Ethiopian troops clash with Somali clan militiamen and
Islamist fighters. The UN says more than 320,000 people have fled the
fighting since February… nearly a third of the population of the
capital and is significantly higher than previous estimates. The UN is
warning of a humanitarian disaster. Most of those who have fled lack food
and water and hundreds have already died from cholera and diarrhoea, UN
humanitarian co-ordinator Eric Laroche said. …There are claims the
transitional government has stopped aid reaching some of those in need.
The Ethiopian government strongly denies this, saying there is a need
to monitor aid operations to prevent attacks.
Government
attacks those it is supposed to be helping; but that’s okay, it has
an excuse.
Mama's
Note: Read some of the detailed history of the "War between the states."
Or read details of the US government relationship with the American Indians
- or any real history. The toll of that "help" is almost total
disaster, despair, lies, fraud, murder and injustice. I'm not sure government
is actually capable of anything else.
The Collapse
of Africa:
US push for Sudan sanctions opposed
Las Vegas Sun
“Britain and the United States said Wednesday they will propose
new U.N. sanctions to pressure the Sudanese government and rebels to stop
the fighting in Darfur, but Russia, China and South Africa opposed any
new measures. The push for new sanctions was announced after a confidential
U.N. report charged that Sudan’s government has been flying arms
and heavy military equipment into Darfur in violation of Security Council
resolutions and is impeding peace efforts by using aircraft with U.N.
markings.” (04/18/07)
Never mind
that tens of thousands are dying – the UN has more important things
to worry about, like “global warming” and whether Castro is
better or not.
War on
Some Drugs:
Britain's
fight against drugs "a total failure"
Guardian
"Government attempts to persuade thousands of young people to
stay away from drugs have failed and done nothing to curb the soaring
popularity of illegal substances, a devastating report will warn this
week. The number of young people using cocaine and cannabis has increased
rapidly over the past 20 years despite high-profile campaigns, such as
the £9m 'Frank' initiative aimed at 11 to 15-year-olds, according
to an in-depth examination of official efforts to tackle Britain's chronic
drug problem. It is also expected to claim that Britain's 'unusually severe
drug problem compared with that of our European neighbours' is linked
to social and economic deprivation, that punitive laws have had little
effect and that police efforts to disrupt the drugs trade have also failed."
(04/15/07)
In the
hopelessness that pervades much of the United Kingdom today, as in American
cities and suburbs and rural areas, this is exactly what can be expected.
Studies and history going back hundreds of years (opium in Manchu China,
alcohol on US Indian reservations, vodka in the Soviet Union) show that
this is what happens. Trying to fix effects and not causes (generally
linked directly to idiotic government actions) is a waste of time and
effort.
War on
some drugs:
Meth
materials theft threatens town
April 16, Associated Press
Thieves likely trying to steal liquid fertilizer to make methamphetamine
broke a storage tank valve, releasing a dangerous plume of ammonia gas
in Lisbon, ND, police said. The cloud hovered for several hours Sunday,
April 15, before dissipating. The leak of about 300 gallons of anhydrous
ammonia was reported early Sunday by a man driving to work who saw the
white plume of gas hugging the ground. An alert was broadcast on local
radio telling residents of the southeastern North Dakota town to seal
their doors and windows to prevent exposure to the gas. A newspaper carrier
was treated at a hospital and released. No other injuries were reported.
Lisbon,
in SE North Dakota about 50 miles from Fargo and 80 from the Sisseton-Wahpeton
Indian Reservation, is not exactly your high-threat environment, but this
shows now the War on Some Drugs continues to expand to engulf the nation.
War on
some drugs:
Republicans
Won't Let Government Negotiate Drug Prices
CNS News
Senate Republicans successfully blocked a Democratic effort to make
a key change in the Medicare prescription drug program on Wednesday...
At least
not negotiate directly – indirect pressure and control of drug prices
continues, for prescription, over-the-counter, AND illicit drugs. Actually,
this was a key piece of legislation – call it “Phased Hillary
Care.” Good it is dead.
World wars:
Chavez backs Iran in nuke dispute,
warns US
USA Today
“President Hugo Chavez defended Iran’s ‘legitimate right’
to develop nuclear power for peaceful uses, warning the U.S. On Sunday
not to attack Venezuela’s ally in the Middle East. Under Chavez,
Venezuela has cultivated ties to Iran and other nations at odds with Washington,
including North Korea and Syria. ‘We demand that the North American
empire respect the Iranian people and the peoples of the world,’
Chavez said Sunday …” (04/15/07)
Ever the
opportunist! Chavez, like N. Korea and Iran, knows how to tweak the nose
of the US and the West for his own personal gain and that of his supporters.
World wars:
Australia, US to transfer refugees
Florence Times Daily
“Australia and the United States have approved a plan to move
a few hundred refugees to each other’s jurisdiction, the two countries
said Wednesday. Australia said it was a bid by both nations to deter asylum
seekers, but critics charged it would likely spur an even bigger wave
of migrants. Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said in a statement that
the mutual assistance arrangement was signed Tuesday, but U.S. State Department
spokesman Sean McCormack called the deal an ‘informal agreement’
that ‘does not create legal obligations.’” (04/18/07)
Kind of
like trading baseball players, I guess. Or those chain-letter jokes about
trading off unwanted preachers.
World wars:
Philippines: Abu Sayyaf murder seven
Bangkok Post [Thailand]
“Al-Qaeda-linked Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels have beheaded seven
hostages and delivered the heads to the army in the southern Philippines,
the military said Friday. The decapitated heads of the seven men —
six road workers and one factory worker — were delivered to two army
outposts in Parang town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila,
on Thursday. Brigadier General Ruben Rafael, head of an anti-terrorism
task force, said the Abu Sayyaf rebels blocked two vehicles and forced
the drivers to deliver the heads, which were placed in sacks. … President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo condemned the executions and vowed the military
will wipe out the Abu Sayyaf group.” (04/20/07)
Funny –
the US isn’t involved in the Philippines, so according to the liberals,
there should be no reason for al-Qaeda to attack the Philippines. Of course,
we know better – the Philippines is part of the hated, infidel West,
and therefore deserving of attack: besides, much of the Philippines used
to be part of the Ummah (the Islamic World), at least according to the
Islamists, therefore, it must all be conquered by whatever means are necessary.
Mama's
Note: The obvious answer is to give up trying to disarm the Philippine
people and let them take care of any threats naturally.
Page
2 Click HERE Link checked!
Our Right To Defend Ourselves and Lots of other good stuff on page 2!
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.
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