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Libertarian
War on the News, 24 February - 01 March, 2008
Although it is not in the news much, we are seeing some tremendous
changes in the national and world economy. The inflation due to exploding
energy costs is hitting hard, and it is this as much as other factors
that is causing the crash in real estate prices and the continuing devaluation
of the “dollar.”
This is NOT, say again NOT, necessarily bad news. It opens some tremendous
opportunities for each of us and the cause of human liberty and freedom.
At
the same time, the great DC gun case is nearing its oral arguments in
front of the Supremes (in mid-March) and more and more is coming out about
that. A good thing about this kind of business is that you get a much
better idea of who your enemies and friends are – and just as important,
it helps make OTHERS aware that some so-called friends are anything but.
The position that the Bush Administration is taking should make it clear
to a good many reluctant people that GWB is no friend of liberty, and
has demonstrated to more and more people that he is not a conservative.
And perhaps there is hope even for the most evil, as Cheney’s break
with GWB might (MIGHT!) indicate. Other things come out too, as the lead
story today illustrates.
But
it is also time (past time!) to start thinking about “what if”
situations. The Supremes are likely to do one of three things: “YES”
– the Second Amendment applies to individuals and is NOT a collective
right. “NO” – the Second Amendment is a worthless waste
of words and the states and Feds (including DC local) can do whatever
they want. “WEASEL” – make some esoteric decision based
on technicalities and not really answer the question regardless of how
they decide on DC powers to tyrannize its inhabitants.
IF
the answer is YES (and I’m not counting on it, nor should any of
us), the Supremes are no magic bullet. First, we can expect the hoploclausts
and hoplophobes to immediately begin a massive campaign to REPEAL the
Second Amendment, either directly or indirectly. At the same time, we
can expect BORE (See L. Neil Smith “Bill
of Rights Enforcement”) to further slip from the consideration
of anyone in power, and for the Constitution to be ignored more than ever.
Unless… and it is a big “but” … immediate action is
taken to force EVERY antigun law on the books from federal interstate
transport to local school “zero-tolerance” policies to be wiped
out. Quickly: there will be a limited window in which the worst can be
wiped out. Don’t hope for every one – after all, how many battalions
does the Supreme Court have? WE, the believers in liberty, DO have the
battalions, but it will take work, hard work, especially with Gun Control
Inc. and the rest of the Dark Side lining up and going on a counteroffensive.
IF
the answer is NO, then what? For one brief moment, there will be thousands,
millions, of people who realize that the Supreme Court has categorically
demonstrated that the Constitution is (to quote G. W. Bush) Stop throwing
the Constitution in my face. It's just a
g**d****ed piece of paper!" (NOV 2005, ). And that means ALL
of the Constitution, not just the Second Amendment, can mean whatever
the powers-that-be want it to mean. There are, to name just a few, some
5 million men and women, active, reserve, and retired, who took an oath
to “defend the Constitution… against ALL enemies, foreign
AND DOMESTIC…” (my emphasis), who cannot in good honor
accept this insult and destruction of what they have sweat and bled and
watched comrades die for. So what then?
There
are at least two possibilities (besides to “no-action” alternative
of being submissive little subjects of a growing tyranny): a “legal”
rebellion unless the House of Representatives immediately impeaches and
the Senate immediately tries the majority of the Supreme Court who just
gutted the Constitution, probably followed by a new War between the States
or even a true Civil War; OR just go straight to the Rebellion - the Rebellion
to Restore the Constitution and Liberty. The Bush and Obama Administrations
will not just be criminal, not just be evil, but will be counterrevolutionary:
they will be obviously (not just covertly) seeking to overthrow the American
Revolution, in a way that Lincoln was able to avoid appearing to do.
To
answer Claire
Wolfe’s immortal question, it WILL be time to shoot. It may be
that Montana will start the ball rolling, based on this
news story, in which case the temptation will be for “patriots”
to rally to Montana, only to find that Montana still has some massive
government problems and to make it easier for the PTB to round up the
rebellious slaves. Hopefully, people will instead immediately start working
in their OWN states to get the “piece of paper” canceled, revoked,
obsolete and start, at a minimum, to form a NEW union of liberty: one
in which the relatively minor issue of racial slavery cannot be used as
an excuse to denigrate it and make it despised.
Why
do I say a “true” Civil War? In 1860, the split was along sectional
and usually existing political boundary lines. What is incorrectly called
the “Civil War” (and is officially called, by the Federal Government
“The War of the Rebellion” and by Southerners and pro-Constitutionalists
either the “War Between the States,” the “Second American
Revolution” or the “War for Southern Independence” was
NOT a civil war, but in fact DID include a number of civil wars, most
especially in Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia, Texas, and perhaps Arizona-New
Mexico. Unlike 1861, a war over our right to keep and bear arms (although
many other issues, including abortion and the occupation of much of the
world, land use, federal lands, and more, would quickly be added to the
list) will be far less sectional and far more divisive. In this “Restoration
Rebellion” the dividing lines will not be state lines or rivers,
at least not at first. Northern California (true Northern, not the Bay
Area) will not submit to a trumped-up European actor or a local congress
of baboons in Sacramento, any more than eastern Washington State or Oregon
will agree with Olympia or Salem (the tails wagged by liberal Seattle
and Portland) to accept giving up of guns and self-defense for a police
state. But I cannot see 80% of New Mexico (by land area) getting Santa
Fe and Taos and maybe Albuquerque to resist the Feds in support of gun
rights, any more than I can see Boulder or Denver doing so with the rest
of Colorado (or Vail, Aspen, or Durango, sadly). It will be the same in
Virginia, Georgia, Texas, and possibly Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri. We
will see a dozen civil wars, instead of just a few.
It
is a civil war that likely the Restoration side will win, at least militarily.
The majority of trained military personnel will be on the Restoration
side, and unlike in 1860, there is a worldwide market for arms today and
a blockade (even if the Navy and Coast Guard go mostly to the Counterrevolutionary
side) will not be possible: the same methods used to bring heroin from
Afghanistan, cocaine from Columbia, meth and pot from Mexico will be perfect
to bring additional weapons and ammo to the Restorationists, not that
they need as much as the South did in 1861. The Restorationists are already
pretty well-armed, and hopefully the gun stores will be sold bare in the
days after the Supreme Court’s NO is announced, to further arm those
who need to defend themselves against this counterrevolution. And it is
the Restorationists that are willing to fight, whereas the Boulders, Berkleys,
Santa Fes, Kansas Citys, Arlingtons, New Yorks, and such will expect the
“military” (including the police and similar goons) to do the
fighting for them – or hire Blackwater and its ilk to bring in African
and Asia and Russian mercenaries. But do not think it will be easy.
But
there IS hope, regardless of what the Nazgul decide. Liberty is NOT dead
and it will not die.
On to the
news.
A1-list:
Our right to defend ourselves:
'Any
person' has right to gun, state says Montana claims 2nd Amendment questions
already resolved
World Net Daily
…officials in Montana, including dozens of state lawmakers as
well as Secretary of State Brad Johnson, have joined together in a statement
that the U.S. already has determined the application, and 2nd Amendment
rights apply to "any person." In a joint resolution from the
Montana leaders, including Congressman Denny Rehberg, they caution that
should the Supreme Court decide to change the U.S. interpretation of the
2nd Amendment and allow those rights to apply only collectively, it would
violate the contract under which Montana entered the union as a state.
"The Montana Resolution cautions that a collective rights decision
would violate the Montana contract for statehood because when that contract
was entered the collective rights interpretation had not yet been invented
and the individual rights view was an accepted part of the contract,"
an announcement from the leaders said. "A collective rights decision
in [the pending court case] Heller would not only violate Montana's contract
for statehood, but also Montana's customs, culture and heritage. We hope
the Supreme Court will recognize and credit the contract argument, an
argument unmentioned in any of the briefs submitted in the Heller case,"
said Gary Marbut, the president of the Montana Shooting Sports Association.
The Montana contract is archived as Article I of the Montana Constitution.
At the time the then-territory's "Compact with the United States"
was agreed to by Congress, the Montana Constitution included the "right
of 'any person' to bear arms," the group said.
I missed
this story when it came out last week, but I think it is important for
several reasons. First, it clearly refutes, even in post-War Between the
States America, the idea that the Second Amendment is some kind of “collective”
right. Secondly, it means that IF the Supreme Court rules as the White
House (if not Blair House) wants it to, that Montana’s contract with
the Federal government is, in effect, null and void: Montana would no
longer be part of the Union. And if Montana can leave, then so could Wyoming,
or South Dakota, or Colorado or Idaho. It becomes more clear than ever
that our right to keep and bear arms in our own defense is not about hunting,
not about defending ourselves just against criminals, but defending ourselves
against the tyranny that calls itself the Federal government, and even
those many petty tyrants called States.
Afghan
front:
McConnell: Karzai only controls 1/3
of Afghanistan
Shreveport Times
“More than six years after the U.S. invaded to establish a stable
central regime in Afghanistan, the Kabul government under President Hamid
Karzai controls just 30 percent of the country, the top U.S. intelligence
official said Wednesday. National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell
told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the resurgent Taliban controls
10 percent to 11 percent of the country and Karzai’s government controls
30 percent to 31 percent.” (02/27/08)
The lead
is, of course, bogus. The US invaded Afghanistan to bring DOWN a “stable
central regime,” which is what the Taleban was, because the Taleban
supported and encouraged and sheltered the Al-Qaeda leadership. Based
on that, the US-led invasion has been 89 to 90 percent successful, as
of 2008. As with Iraq, it might be in the best interests of the West to
keep Afghanistan fragmented, and spent most of their effort fighting each
other, rather than riding out on jihad to take on the rest of the world.
Mama's
Note: Perhaps, but the US has no more right to do that than the Supreme
court has to decide that ordinary people can't keep and bear arms. We
just can't have it both ways. The people of Afghanistan have the same
rights to life and self defense as anyone else. They also have the same
responsibility to eliminate tyrants. If the jihadists attack anyone, they
have the right and duty to defend themselves, but preemptive actions are
aggression.
Baboons:
Senate advances bill to cut Iraq funding
Fremont Tribune
“In an about-face, Senate Republicans on Tuesday agreed with Democrats
to advance an antiwar bill because they said the debate would give them
time to hail progress in Iraq. The change of heart came after months of
blocking similar measures. But unlike most of last year, security conditions
in Iraq have improved, and Republicans say they now feel they have the
upper hand on the debate.” (02/26/08)
And the
GOP is gearing up for the actual election season, in which both economics
and national security are going to be big items.
Baboons:
Bush vows veto of foreclosure prevention
bill
USA Today
“The White House promised on Tuesday to veto a bill seeking to
follow up the recent economic stimulus package with several proposals
to shore up the struggling housing market and reduce foreclosures. Senate
Democrats had hoped to begin debate on the housing bill on Tuesday but
action has been put off until later in the week, if not later, as Republicans
kept the subject on Iraq.” (02/26/08)
Funny,
I thought it was the Dems that wanted the focus to be on Iraq. This explains
the previous story, no? Once more, the nanny-state is hard at work here:
these people went into these mortgages with their eyes wide open, and
they are, frankly, getting what they deserve.
Mama's
Note: We can't even hope that Bush really understands the problem, let
alone the real solutions, but it's nice to see him do something right
for a change. I suspect, however, that he won't be able to stop it. So
much for the "imperial presidency." This will illustrate very
clearly that the congress is the major cause of the problems, and could
so easily be the cure if they had any integrity or dedication to the job
they are supposed to do.
Baboons:
Pelosi wants Bush aides investigated
San Francisco Chronicle
“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked the Justice Department on Thursday
to open a grand jury investigation into whether President Bush’s
chief of staff and former counsel should be prosecuted for contempt of
Congress. Pelosi, D-Calif., demanded that the department pursue misdemeanor
charges against former White House counsel Harriet Miers for refusing
to testify to Congress about the firings of federal prosecutors in 2006
and against chief of staff Josh Bolten for failing to turn over White
House documents related to the dismissals. She gave Attorney General Michael
Mukasey one week to respond and said refusal to take the matter to a grand
jury will result in the House’s filing a civil lawsuit against the
Bush administration.” (02/28/08)
Gee, I
guess she better investigate a LOT of us. What is Congress’ approval
rating these days? It may still be above the single-digits, but not far.
I freely confess, Miz Pelosi, to having the uttermost contempt for the
baboons, including yourself, who infest that glorious building and the
tenements which flank it. Of both parties and whatever persuasion you
can think of.
Baboons:
House votes to cut oil tax breaks,
subsidize alt energy
Wall Street Journal
“The House of Representatives voted to repeal $18 billion of tax
breaks for oil and gas producers, and to use the savings to finance tax
incentives for wind-power projects, solar panels and more energy-efficient
cars. The bill, which passed by 236-182, faces long odds amid opposition
in the Senate and a White House veto threat. But it allowed House Democrats
to promote renewable energy as an alternative to high-priced oil, and
to take aim at the oil industry, which is in the midst of a profit boom
as prices keep rising.” (02/28/08)
With petroleum
prices at $103 a barrel today (Friday) and claims of $4/gallon gas by
summer, all we need is for the oil companies to pass on another $18 billion
in taxes, while the Baboons are stealing that money to fund more bogus
pork-barrel “energy” projects that cannot and will not replace
petroleum. Meanwhile, GOVERNMENT profits from fuel continue to roll into
DC and state capitals unabated, except in those states that have recently
RAISED the tax rate. We are being had, folks.
Canaanite
front:
Israel:
Temperatures rise over weather query
Yahoo! News
“A Jewish settler’s query about the weather has raised a
small storm in Israel around the charged issues of land and identity.
The settler wrote to the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA), to ask why
its national Channel 1 television did not include Jewish enclaves in the
occupied West Bank in its weather forecasts. Palestinian cities also are
not mentioned. The IBA said its ombudsman, Elisha Spiegelman, replied
that Judea and Samaria — the names used by some Jews for the West
Bank — ‘are not part of the state of Israel’ and so were
not cited in national TV weather reports.” (02/26/08)
No doubt
this excites many people. As far as the regional names being used by “some
Jews” – well, they are used by millions and millions of Christians,
too. The areas were Judea and Samaria a whole lot longer than they have
been the West Bank, for sure.
Mama's
Note: I can't figure out why anyone would really care, unless the weather
reporting in Canaan is a lot more accurate than it is here. All they have
to do is buy a thermometer and look out the window... just like us.
Canaanite
front:
Israel steps up Gaza airstrikes after
Hamas rockets
Reuters
“Israel stepped up air strikes in the Gaza Strip on Thursday,
killing five Palestinian gunmen after the first death in Israel in nine
months from a rocket attack launched from the Hamas-controlled territory.
… A total of 16 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip by
Israel since Wednesday, when a rocket strike on the border town of Sderot,
an attack claimed by the Islamist Hamas group, killed an Israeli civilian
for the first time since May. Most of the Palestinian dead were militants
but also included a six-month-old child killed in an air strike on the
Hamas-run Interior Ministry.” (02/28/08)
Both sides
are killing the innocent as well as the guilty, and show no remorse about
doing so. It isn’t going to stop soon, no matter what US politicians
hope. Maybe the problem is that the wall isn’t high enough to keep
the missiles and aircraft on each side.
Culture
wars: brain-washing:
Study: Child-spanking
related to later sexual “problems”?
Fox News
“Children who are spanked or given some form of physical punishment
by their parents may be more likely to have sexual problems as adults,
a new study finds. An analysis of four studies by Murray Straus, co-director
of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire-Durham,
found that children who suffer physical punishment in the form of spanking,
hitting or slapping are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior
as adults, it is reported by USA Today. The study, presented Thursday
to the American Psychological Association, suggests that spanked children
also are more likely to be ‘physically or verbally coercing’
to a sexual partner and engage in masochistic sex, including arousal by
spanking, later in life.” [Editor’s note: It’s unclear
whether this means they get to LIKE that pleasure/pain border, or just
want to “get even” - SAT] (02/29/08)
No, spanking
is not brainwashing, propaganda like this is. This group, the APA, has
a very long history of opposing all forms of corporeal punishment, even
while applauding sexual acts (hmmm, like spanking and bondage) by adults
as being “healthy” and “liberating.”
Economy:
Economists: US recession more likely
in 2008
Bloomberg
“The proportion of economists who forecast a U.S. recession this
year more than doubled in three months, to 45 percent, according to a
survey by the National Association for Business Economics. Of those, a
majority expect the downturn to be ‘relatively muted,’ according
to the poll of 49 professional forecasters taken Jan. 25 to Feb. 13. Less
than 20 percent predicted a downturn in the previous poll completed Nov.
6. The spillover from the biggest housing slump in a quarter century,
turmoil in financial markets and higher energy prices will cause growth
to slow to an annual pace of 0.4 percent this quarter and 1 percent in
the second quarter, the survey found.” (02/25/08)
Frankly,
for the nation as a whole, these people are wildly optimistic: “muted”
is not a very good description for what seems to be developing.
Euro-front:
Serbia: Demonstrators break into US
embassy, set fire
Asheville Citizen-Times
“Angry Serbs broke into the U.S. Embassy and set fire to an office
Thursday night as rioters rampaged through Belgrade’s streets, putting
an exclamation point of violence to a day of mass protest against Western
support for an independent Kosovo. At least 150,000 people rallied in
Belgrade, waving Serbian flags and signs proclaiming ‘Stop USA terror,’
to denounce the bid by Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority to create
their own state out of what Serbs consider the ancient heartland of their
culture.” (02/21/08)
Sadly,
too many people in the world are like these: they cannot bear that someone
might be free.
Gov’t-run,
theft-funded:
WI: Mixed results for Milwaukee
voucher plan
New York Sun
“The Milwaukee, Wis., private school voucher program, the nation’s
largest, is saving the state’s taxpayers $25 million a year in school
costs, but it is pushing property taxes higher for that city’s residents,
a new study of the program released yesterday concludes. Although it came
to no bottom-line consensus on the program’s educational impact,
the report did unearth some new details about the Milwaukee program, which
uses taxpayer dollars to send more than 18,000 low-income students to
a group of more than 120 participating private schools, including many
religious schools.” (02/26/08)
Huh? How
can it be this way unless the financing is so messed up – but then,
I answer my own question. Obviously, the situation can be solved quite
simply: set all the schools free and get rid of the property taxes, letting
people pay in various voluntary ways.
Mama's
Note: Remember that politicians assume that ALL the money (and our very
life) actually belongs to them in the first place. Leaving people alone
to make their own decisions just isn't part of their glorious plan for
our lives.
Gov’t-run,
theft-funded:
Home-school pitch pits personal choice
vs. government role
Omaha World-Herald
“State Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln has proposed a bill to recast
Nebraska’s generally loose regulations over homeschool students.
Her bill would require homeschool students to take state-mandated tests
or have their schoolwork assessed by an outside evaluator. If students’
progress falls short academically, they would be sent to public or private
schools. Nebraska’s homeschool system developed amid controversy
in the 1980s. Since then, families have been able to opt out of public
and private schools with little oversight from state government.”
(02/24/08)
It is here
that organizations like HSLDA must work carefully and indirectly to fight
a stupid, insane idea like this. The nanny-state is alive and well in
Nebraska.
Mama's
Note: This is another area where many people are starting to seriously
question the role of government, and many realize that there is NO role
for government in the education of their children - and never has been.
Gov’t-run,
theft-funded:
UK: Truancy reaches record levels
Daily Mail [UK]
“More than 63,000 pupils are playing truant from school every
day despite Labour’s £1billion blitz on the crisis. Youngsters
are missing 12.6million school days a year — an increase of around
three million since Labour came to power in 1997. Children’s Minister
Kevin Brennan tried on Tuesday to shift the blame on to parents and heads
for turning a blind eye to term-time holidays.” (02/26/08)
Gee, you
don’t suppose the rise to power of the socialist Laborites and the
rapid Islamization (or Dhimmi-conversion) of the UK has anything to do
with this? Obviously, the UK needs the draconian police-state measures
of Germany to force these kids back in school – either their local
school or a psychiatric ward’s classrooms.
Gov’t-run,
theft-funded:
Virtual teachers outperform
real thing
MSNBC
“Never let schooling get in the way of your education, Mark Twain
supposedly said, and the latest advances in psychology and behavior science
take that to a new dimension — virtual reality and the digital domain.
Virtual characters and digital tutors are helping children and adults
develop advanced social and language skills that can be tough to learn
via conventional approaches, according to researchers who briefed reporters
here last week at the annual meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science.” (02/21/08)
Giving
yet another reason to dispense with “public schools” which are
supposed to be so “vital” to “socialization” –
as though we can’t grow up if we don’t have to deal with regimentation,
bullying, and casual abuse from our peers.
Gov’t-run,
theft-funded:
Teachers
strike back at students’ online pranks
Christian Science Monitor
“Tech-savvy teenagers are increasingly paying a heavy price —
including criminal arrest — for parodying their teachers on the Internet.
Tired of fat jokes and false accusations of teacher-lounge partying or
worse, teachers and principals are fighting back against digital ridicule
and slander by their students — often with civil lawsuits and long-term
suspensions or permanent expulsions. A National School Boards Association
(NSBA) study says that as many as one-third of American teens regularly
post inappropriate language or manipulated images on the Web. Most online
pranks deride other students. But a NSBA November 2006 survey reported
26 percent of teachers and principals being targeted.” (02/24/08)
One more
piece of evidence that “public” schools have outlived their
usefulness (whatever use they may have had). The problem is that the students
are not under the thumb of the wardens – excuse me, “faculty
and staff” – for as much as 18 hours a day, to do all this mischief.
If they were in proper “secured” dormitories, this wouldn’t
be as much a problem, would it?
Gov’t-run,
theft-funded:
UK:
Political interference is damaging children’s education
Independent [UK]
“The biggest inquiry into primary education for 40 years concluded
yesterday that Labour’s tight, centralised control of England’s
primary schools has had a devastating impact on children’s education.
Micromanagement, meddling and a succession of ministerial edicts have
killed the spontaneity in the nation’s classrooms. Teachers have
been stripped of their powers of discretion. And the net result of a decade
of new Labour “reform” has almost certainly been a decline in
the quality of education that the young receive. ” (02/29/08)
Gee, you
think? You don’t have to read “Harry Potter and the Order of
the Phoenix” to understand this. As I pointed out in last week’s
column, the Labourite government has done its job well.
Home front:
FCC mulls “net neutrality”
rules
eSchool News
“In a move with significant implications for how easily researchers,
educators, students, and others can transfer large files online, federal
regulators on Feb. 25 said they are ready to discipline internet service
providers who secretly favor certain types of data traffic, such as web
surfing, over others, such as file sharing. At a hearing over allegations
of internet traffic discrimination by Comcast Corp., the Federal Communications
Commission chairman said the complaints underscore the need to enforce
the FCC’s current broad principles intended to promote so-called
‘net neutrality.’” (02/26/08)
We all
thought this was dead, but heaven forbid that the nanny-state leave even
a semi-free market. Some baboon in Congress is also looking at this. Look,
if I don’t have many tons of freight, I can’t expect my cargo
to have priority on the UP, BNSF, or CSX, and the same thing applies on
the Internet: if government starts controlling the pipeline, we are going
to find ourselves rationed.
Home front:
AZ: Polygamist leader faces charges
New York Post
“Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs was handed over to Arizona
authorities Tuesday to face sex charges stemming from the arranged marriages
of two teenage girls to older relatives. He already has been convicted
in Utah in connection with one of those cases, involving a 14-year-old
girl.” (02/26/08)
So much
for “double jeopardy,” at least for those who have been declared
enemies of the state. Funny, isn’t it? The states go after Jeffs
(with Federal help) but they consider the bin Saud family (rulers of Saudi
Arabia) to be their best friends and allies – even though the Sauds
do this sort of thing all the time and have for decades.
Mama's
Note: As have most of the cultures and nations around the world. Read
the history of the world... Most women have never been free to marry -
or not marry - as they choose, even in America, until the last century.
Home front:
White House: Illegal wiretaps back
on “for now”
Yahoo! News
“The Bush administration said on Saturday U.S. telecommunications
companies have agreed to cooperate ‘for the time being’ with
spy agencies’ wiretaps, despite an ongoing battle between the White
House and Congress over new terrorism surveillance legislation. The Justice
Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued
a joint statement saying wiretaps will resume under the current law ‘at
least for now.’” (02/23/08)
Oh? I thought
the law had expired. I smell some dead fish here.
Mama's
Note: And fishing expeditions are all these wiretap things are anyway.
If there were the slightest proof that some particular surveillance was
necessary, they would have NO trouble getting an instant court order.
The very fact that they don't want to bother should tell anyone that they
have no real interest in anything BUT the fishing...
I just
finished reading "1984" and have a whole new perspective on
this problem. Have you read it? Recently? The STATE doesn't just want
your property and your life... they want to own your soul.
Home front:
AZ: Arrested migrants urged to be
silent
Arizona Republic
“Community groups are responding to a controversial crackdown
on illegal immigrants with a controversial plan of their own: They are
giving undocumented people advice on how to avoid being deported. Immigration
advocates say they are simply trying to protect the rights of illegal
immigrants, not teach them how to beat the system. Critics say the advice
amounts to helping people who have broken the law. ‘It shows blatant
contempt for the rule of law in this country and blatant contempt for
local police working with federal authorities to clean up this mess,’
said Chris Simcox, president of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, a civilian
border-watch group.” (02/24/08)
Sounds
like the people who don’t like this idea believe that defense attorneys
are evil, too. (Well, they are, but not because they are trying to help
people who break the law.)
Islamic
imperialists:
Network of terrorist camps
in rural England
MSNBC
“Clad in mud-smeared combat fatigues, the young Muslims trained
on picturesque British farmland, hurling imaginary grenades, wielding
sticks as mock rifles and chopping watermelons in simulated beheadings.
A four-year inquiry, which came to a close Tuesday with guilty pleas from
the last two of seven gang members, has exposed a network of alleged British
terrorism training camps meant to prepare recruits for mass murder.”
(02/26/08)
Peace loving,
indeed. I know that some people will compare this camp and these people
to the “Christian Resistance” and other radical “Christian”
groups. The difference? Virtually every “Christian” denomination
condemns those sorts, and points out exactly where their beliefs and practices
do not match the Bible. Virtually NO Islamic sect or group condemns this
sort of training, and the Quran specifically demands the kind of actions
for which they are training.
Mama's
note: Personally, I want to see the proof of this before I worry about
it. The government of the UK does not have a sterling reputation for telling
the truth, any more than do the criminals of DC or any other government.
Islamic
imperialists:
Pakistan lifts block on YouTube
CNN
“Pakistan’s telecoms regulator said Tuesday it has lifted
restrictions on the YouTube Web site that led to the knocking out of access
to the popular video-sharing site in many other countries for a few hours
over the weekend. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority ordered 70
domestic Internet service providers to restore access to the site after
removal of what government officials had deemed a ‘blasphemous’
video clip.” (02/26/08)
Now to
my way of thinking, this is an example of aggression that needs to be
opposed, vigorously, by YouTube and everyone else. I’ve no doubt
that there is a lot of stuff that is blasphemous, obscene, vulgar, idiotic,
and even fattening on YouTube. I’ve now and then found some stuff
that raised the hair on the back of my head. But is it Musharif’s
responsibility or power to take things off, any more than it would be
the Pope’s. And when the unintended consequences of the attack do
further damage, as this did, some response is necessary.
Mama's
Note: Response by whom? Congress? The US military? I'd say the response
must come from those who have been harmed. The people of Pakistan are
the only ones who can rightfully respond, or do anything about their "rulers."
Local tyranny:
MA: Banning banks in town center?
Boston Globe
“Last summer, when Concord residents fought to keep a multinational
bank from opening a branch downtown, Belmont residents and officials were
watching closely. For years, many in Belmont have worried that banks were
eating up valuable retail space in their small town. Now, some officials
in Belmont are taking steps to exert more control over the number of financial
institutions moving in, proposing a zoning change that would require such
establishments to apply for a special permit before they can set up shop.
‘Banks opening up is an issue in a lot of places, including Belmont,’
said Jay Szklut, Belmont’s planning and economic development manager.
‘They do not add to the vitality of a downtown.’ Bank officials
dispute that assertion.” (02/25/08)
One suspects
that we are nearing the real-world equivalent of the “shoe event
horizon” from “Hitchhiker’s
Guide to the Galaxy” – when a single kind of business becomes
so ubiquitous that they drive out everything else. Although I have no
evidence to support it, I cannot help but think it is a phenomenon related
to the continuing devaluation of our currency and the forewarning of economic
collapse of much of the nation. But that still does not excuse this silly
exercise of governmental power.
Massa wannabes:
McCain
“not qualified” to be Prez?
Townhall
[New York Times] suggest that John McCain might not even be qualified
to run for president. Why? Because he was born on a military installation
outside the United States while his father was serving there (in the Panama
Canal Zone).
Yeah, right.
Actually, learning that McCain is a Zonie gives me a bit more (but not
too much more) sympathy for him. All Zonies are a bit tetched in the head,
according to several friends who are of that particular breed themselves.
The thing is, sadly, it was racism (mostly NORTHERN, not Southern, racism)
that kept Panama from becoming the 49th state, back in 1914; when it would
have made sense to do just that. Shucks, even with the US government (specifically,
the Panama Canal Company, or PCC, a USG-owned and –operated company
like today’s USPS) owning all of the Canal Zone in fee simple, Panama
would have had less federal land than either New Mexico or Arizona, the
47th and 48th states. And as many English speakers, too.
Mama's
Note: Of all the things we might discuss as qualifications, this is most
certainly the least important. The man is a fascist war monger, very happy
to destroy our liberty and economy, so why should anyone even care where
he came from?
Massa wannabes:
OH: Clinton, Obama clash over tactics
in debate
CNN
“Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama sparred with each
other over negative campaigning, health care and free trade Tuesday, a
week before key primaries in Texas and Ohio. Those contests could either
effectively seal the nomination for Obama or throw the contest wide open
again with a strong Clinton performance. Debating at Cleveland State University,
Clinton repeated angry claims from the campaign trail that Obama mischaracterized
her stances on health care and NAFTA in political material mailed to voters
in Ohio. … Obama said the mailings are common practice in political
campaigns and raise valid differences between his stances and Clinton’s.
He said he, too, has been targeted by negative Clinton advertisements.
… With Obama having won 11 statewide contests in a row and a recent
set of national polling suggesting he has the support of 50 percent of
Democrats to her 40 percent, Clinton has sharpened her attacks on Obama
in the past week.” (02/27/08)
Oooh, Miz
Hillary is showing her dark side, and I don’t mean just her liberal-populist
side. I am already hearing talk of a “fusion” ticket in which
Clinton is Prez candidate and Obama is the Veep one. In which case, if
they win (and that is highly likely against McCain, I believe), I assume
both the White House and Blair House will need to fund and authorize a
staff position of “food taster.”
Mama's
Note: Her dark "side?" The dark is all she has - on all sides.
Massa wannabes:
Polls find wide gains for Obama
Cleveland Plain Dealer
“In the past two months, Sen. Barack Obama has built a commanding
coalition among Democratic voters, with especially strong support among
men. He is now viewed by most Democrats as the candidate best able to
beat Sen. John McCain, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News
Poll. After 40 Democratic primaries and caucuses, capped by a winning
streak in 11 contests over the last two weeks, Obama has made substantial
gains across most major demographic groups in the Democratic Party, including
men and women, liberals and moderates, higher- and lower-income voters,
and those with and without college degrees. … The national polls
are not predictive of the Democratic candidates’ standings in individual
states, notably Ohio and Texas, which hold the next primaries next Tuesday.
Most recent polls there show a neck-and-neck race in Texas and Clinton
with a lead in Ohio.” (02/26/08)
It does
appear as if the “fat lady” is warming up her voice, doesn’t
it. We shall see, but it appears that Miz Hillary is getting nice and
brown.
Massa wannabes:
Democrats seek FEC probe of McCain
Associated Press
“The national Democratic party wants campaign finance regulators
to investigate whether Sen. John McCain would violate money-in-politics
laws by withdrawing from the primary election’s public finance system.
McCain, who had been entitled to $5.8 million in federal funds for the
primary, has decided to bypass the system so he can avoid spending limits
between now and the GOP’s national convention in September. Federal
Election Commission Chairman David Mason notified McCain last week that
he can only withdraw from public financing if he answers questions about
a campaign loan and obtains approval from four members of the six-member
commission. Such approval is doubtful in the short term because the commission
has four vacancies and cannot convene a quorum. ‘John McCain poses
as a reformer but seems to think reforms apply to everyone but him,’
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Sunday. The DNC
said it plans to formally seek an FEC investigation Monday.”
(02/24/08)
I am sure
that we will hear a LOT about this next week. But at the end of this week,
with advertising and speeches, the main target of attacks by Democrats
continues to be other Democrats. Which may drive more than a few into
the arms of the next wannabe.
Massa wannabes:
Nader
declares
Third Party Watch
“Ralph Nader declared his intention to seek the Presidency this
morning on Meet the Press, blasting McCain, Clinton and Obama as candidates
that are refusing to discuss or address issues that the majority of American
Citizens want such as single payer universal health care, reigning in
a wasteful and bloated Defense budget, and taking ‘Corporate Occupied’
Washington DC back for the American people. Through his website, votenader.org,
he said he intends to develop Congressional watchdog groups 1,000 strong
in each Congressional District and build a movement for the people.”
(02/24/08)
Gee, isn’t
it fun to see all the nutcases come out? At least he is honest about being
a liberal and wanting a totalitarian people’s state.
Mama's
Note: How will folks choose the "lesser of two evils" with so
many? Do you want to be hung, shot or drowned? That is exactly the choice
if you insist on electoral politics.
Mesopotamian
front:
Iraq:
Turkey invades in strength
Reuters
“Thousands of Turkish troops have crossed into northern Iraq in
their hunt for Kurdish PKK guerrillas, a senior military source said on
Friday, in an escalation of a conflict that could destabilize the region.
Turkey’s military said the land offensive — the first major
incursion in a decade — had fighter aircraft in support. Turkish
TV said up to 10,000 troops had entered Iraq. … The U.S. military
said it was aware that Turkish forces had launched an offensive into northern
Iraq against members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), considered
a terrorist group by Ankara, the United States and the European Union.”
(02/22/08)
Some months
ago I predicted that it was very likely that the US and Turkey would go
to war as a result of this vendetta, and that seems to be the way things
are heading. More than 30 million Kurds still live in Kurdistan, which
is divided between Turkey, Syria, “Iraq,” and Iran: half in
Turkey. They have been a distinct nationality for at least 2500 years,
made up of dozens of tribes in turn divided mostly by religions and languages.
While the majority are officially Muslim (and Sunni), there are many of
other religions, including the unique Yazdanism, and they are considered
to be apostate by many Sunni, not just Shi’a Muslims, so there are
lots of reasons for Turkey to hate and continue to practice imperialism
against them. In effect, the war between Turks and Kurds is nearing a
century in length, having started up in earnest in 1915 and periodically
flaring up, with millions dead. Even so, Kurds are 20% of the population
of Turkey, and the US and EU declaration of the PKK as “terrorists”
in large part stems from the need to have Turkey as an ally against the
Soviet Union. In other words, it is a mess.
Mesopotamian
front:
Iraq [sic] demands immediate
Turkish withdrawal
MSNBC
“The Iraqi government demanded for the first time that Turkey
immediately withdraw from northern Iraq, warning Tuesday it feared an
ongoing incursion could lead to clashes with the official forces of the
semiautonomous Kurdish region. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said the operation would only end ‘once its goal has been reached.’”
(02/26/08)
The chessboard
is being set up. First, tell the neighborhood bully to bug off, and then
call for daddy to tell him to go away (next story).
Mesopotamian
front:
Iraq [sic]:
Official calls on US to stop Turkish invasion
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“Artillery and gunfire echoed through the mountains of northern
Iraq on Monday during continued clashes between invading Turkish troops
and Kurdish rebels, with Turkey saying that 153 guerrillas had been killed
in four days. Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad Bolani suggested that the
United States should do more to stop the fighting, which has left villagers
stranded by bombed-out bridges. … The conflict between Turkey and
the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) has put American officials in
an uncomfortable position. Turkey is a NATO ally, and the U.S. government
considers the PKK a terrorist organization. The rebels are seeking a separate
Kurdish state. The White House has confirmed that it knew in advance of
Turkey’s latest military operation, which began Thursday night.”
(02/26/08)
As I said,
they (the “Iraqi government,” ha-ha) have run to Big Daddy to
make the bad old Turks stop. The US no longer needs the Turks as allies
as much as in the Cold War (although much of the EU wants Turkey as a
member state) because of stronger alliances with various former Soviet
republics and improved communications, but the US does need the myth of
a unified Iraq. Or does it? The Kurds have been far more faithful allies
and could possibly do a better job of keeping the lid on the pot if they
were a unified country and could welcome 10 or 20 million of their Diaspora
home. So maybe the Turks could be “persuaded” to let Kurdistan
go free.
Mesopotamian
front:
Army, citing strain, calls for reduced
combat tours
USA Today
“The Army’s top general said Tuesday he hopes to reduce combat
tours for soldiers in Iraq from 15 months to 12 months this summer and
would not go back to the longer tours even if President Bush decides to
suspend troop reductions for the second half of the year. Gen. George
Casey, the Army chief of staff, told a Senate panel that the Army is under
serious strain from years of war-fighting and must reduce the length of
combat tours as soon as possible.” (02/26/08)
Good news
for soldiers, provided that units continue to rotate AS units so that
we don’t go back to a WWII/Korea/Nam replacement system, which got
a lot of kids and even older guys killed. All the indicators are up, and
we need those troops home and rested, because more trouble is coming.
Mesopotamian
front:
Iraq:
Bomber kills 63
Reuters
“The death toll from Sunday’s suicide bomb attack on Iraqi
pilgrims heading to a Shi’ite festival south of Baghdad has risen
to 63, a health official said on Monday. The bomber exploded a suicide
vest packed with metal ball bearings in a refreshment tent full of pilgrims
heading to the annual Arbain festival, one of Shi’ie Islam’s
holiest events, in the southern city of Kerbala.” (02/25/08)
I cannot
imagine anyone (except perhaps another Muslim) that would do something
like this: it is as if someone decided to go to Lourdes or Kevelar or
Fatima during a pilgrimage just to kill people of another denomination.
Mama's
Note: Indeed! This aspect of their religion and culture is the most difficult
thing to comprehend, but there are plenty of other such incidents in history
- though none quite as indiscriminate that I'm aware of.
Nazgul
and Our right to defend ourselves:
SCOTUS sets schedule for Heller
oral argument
SCOTUS Blog
“The Court expanded the time for the oral argument scheduled for
March 18 on the scope of the Second Amendment and the right to have guns
for private use, allowing the U.S. Solicitor General to join in the argument.
The Solicitor General asked for 15 minutes of time, apart from the time
allotted to each side (30 minutes each); that is the arrangement the Court
allowed. The Court, however, refused to allow the state of Texas and other
states to share time with the D.C. resident, Dick Heller, who successfully
challenged the D.C. handgun ban in the D.C. Circuit Court. (The case is
District of Columbia v. Heller, 07-290).” [Editor’s note:
So the gun grabbers get 45 minutes, the 2AM protectors 30 minutes. Really
fair - MLS] (02/26/08)
Well, we
already knew they were bucking a stacked deck. I would love to hear their
private deliberations, especially when they consider (or refuse to consider)
the Montana Resolution.
Nazgul:
SCOTUS snuffs
Maine’s Internet cigarette sales rule
Christian Science Monitor
“States cannot require shipping companies to verify the age of
recipients before delivering tobacco products to a home address. The US
Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down key portions of a Maine state law
aimed at preventing minors from purchasing cigarettes and other tobacco
products over the Internet or through other mail-order services. The vote
was 9-0. At issue was whether the 2003 state law was preempted by federal
efforts to deregulate the shipping industry nationwide.” (02/21/08)
Right decision,
wrong reason.
Mama's
Note: Reminds me of a story I read about early 19th century India and
the native police on the main trunk road. They robbed the travelers blind,
of course, but they suffered no rivals.
New religions:
global warming
Global
cooling?
Daily Tech
Over the past year, anecdotal evidence for a cooling planet has exploded.
China has its coldest winter in 100 years. Baghdad sees its first snow
in all recorded history. North America has the most snowcover in 50 years,
with places like Wisconsin the highest since record-keeping began. Record
levels of Antarctic sea ice, record cold in Minnesota, Texas, Florida,
Mexico, Australia, Iran, Greece, South Africa, Greenland, Argentina,
Chile -- the list goes on and on. No more than anecdotal evidence, to
be sure. But now, that evidence has been supplanted by hard scientific
fact. All four major global temperature tracking outlets (Hadley, NASA's GISS,
UAH, RSS) have released updated data. All show that over the past year,
global temperatures have dropped precipitously.
New Ice
Age, HERE we come! At least that is what the fear-mongers are probably
going to start screaming (again). Notice how this data isn’t showing
up in any stories in USA Today or the “Christian” “Science”
Monitor.
New religions:
global warming:
Indian tribes exercise water rights
USA Today
“For decades, ranchers and farmers across the West have tapped
into rivers and streams on or near Indian reservations. Now, as drought
conditions plague big parts of the region, they’re concerned their
access to those sources could dry up. Although the U.S. Supreme Court
gave tribes the primary rights to streams on their reservations in 1908,
until recently, 19 tribes in the West had not exercised those rights.
This year, tribes in Montana, New Mexico, Idaho, Nevada and California
are on the verge of securing their claims.” (02/25/08)
USA Today
makes this sound like a big deal, so that they can push the global warming
agenda, but in reality, there has ALWAYS been a shortage of water in the
West, and the rule has always been, before the US annexed the area and
now, “use it or lose it.” But for the most part, Westerners
are neighborly and will see that everyone shares. And the truth is, that
while some areas (like West River South Dakota and northeast Wyoming)
are still deep in drought, much of the West will have more water this
year than in a decade or more.
North American
union:
US
says “virtual fence” on border ready for use
Yahoo! News
“A high-tech ‘virtual fence’ on part of the U.S. border
with Mexico is finally ready for service and the technology can fight
illegal crossings all along the frontier, the Homeland Security chief
said on Friday. … The so-called Project 28 ‘virtual fence’
was built near Nogales, Arizona, by Boeing Co, covering a 28-mile (45-km)
stretch of the border. The $20 million project of sensor towers and advanced
mobile communications was supposed to be completed in mid-2007 but was
delayed by software problems …. The Homeland Security Department
is acquiring a fourth unmanned aerial vehicle for patrols and plans to
get two more, he said. It also plans to increase the number of ground-based
mobile radar surveillance systems to 40 this year, from six.”
(02/22/08)
Sounds
like a white elephant to me. Like the Israeli walls, it probably isn’t
going to work, in part because all walls are really good for in terms
of defense is to make it easier to move mobile forces from place to place
to defend them, as the Romans demonstrated about 2,000 years ago. And
if you won’t let the mobile forces do any defense, they are worthless.
Mama's
Note: Can't find it now, but I read somewhere at RRND (I think) that the
new virtual fence actually isn't ready yet, and that quite a bit of it
will have to be replaced because components are not working. And who pays
for all this? Yup, you and me. Just more of the police state with everyone
poorer and nobody any safer. The real answer is the end of the police
state, the welfare state and the nanny state. Then we can all work out
any honest difference in the free market and by mutual agreement or self
defense.
Our British
cousins:
UK: Immigration
points system begins
BBC News
“A long-expected overhaul of the UK’s immigration system
has come into force with the launch of a point-based system for foreign
workers. The first stage of the system becomes operational on Friday -
and will apply fully by the end of the summer. …. Under the system,
migrant workers will need to show they have sufficient skills under new
rules that assess whether or not the economy needs them. Applicants are
given a score based on their abilities, with a special body advising ministers
on how many points to award to certain skills to reflect economic conditions.
” (02/28/08)
Speaking
of government micro-management (see story on UK education muddle). Isn’t
that what we have a market for?
Our right
to defend ourselves - NOT:
NC: Law says self-defense
ends when threat ceases
Fayetteville Observer
“When Stan Moretti saw his wife being threatened by a man with
a knife, he rushed to her defense. He pushed through the door of Primo
Pizza on Yadkin Road and fired two warning shots, Fayetteville police
said. The man dropped his knife and ran, police said. Police say the 41-year-old
Moretti then jumped into his GMC Yukon and chased down the man, identified
as Aaron Lazarus McLeod. Investigators say that when Moretti caught McLeod,
he ran him down, then drove his car over him twice more. No charges have
been filed against McLeod — who was in UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill
on Monday — but Moretti has been charged with felony assault.”
(02/26/08)
Although
McLeod should be charged with the initial attack, I think that the cops
are right: Moretti was not defending his wife, he was seeking vengeance.
Mama's
Note: Oh brother, this story has some lessons for self defenders. First,
if there is a deadly threat, then "warning shots" are both pointless
and very dangerous. She could have been killed before the "warning"
was perceived. If the threat is great enough to draw the gun and pull
the trigger, those two shots belong in the center body mass of the attacker,
period. And I don't think anyone would argue that chasing, then running
someone down - not to mention driving over them twice again - has any
place in self defense.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
CA: Shop owner
shoots at burglar
KERO News
“Police are still looking for a burglar who may have been shot
by a business owner in central Bakersfield Tuesday morning. The Bakersfield
Police Department said an alarm tipped off the owner at about 4:30 a.m.
at a motorcycle repair shop on Chester Lane. Police said when he arrived,
he noticed someone inside the garage. They said the man then charged at
the owner, who managed to get off several rounds from a pistol.”
(02/26/08)
Clearly
self-defense, unlike the first one.
Mama's
Note: Indeed, but the owner of the shop needs some serious practice and
some training with his gun. He was lucky this time.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
FL: Homeowner shoots intruder
CFN News
“A 17-year-old suspect was shot and killed in Altamonte Springs early
Saturday morning after deputies said he ran from them and into a nearby
home. … Police said he appeared to be selling drugs. When he saw
the officer’s uniform, he ran down the street. According to the sheriff’s
office, Realford ran to a house on the 600 block of Lake Mobile Drive.
The homeowner said Realford removed a locked screen door and was trying
to enter his house through a sliding glass door. The homeowner said he
asked Realford to leave. When he would not, the homeowner told deputies
he shot him.” (02/24/08)
Ouch! It
is a wonder that the cops didn’t kill the homeowner. And I really
wonder if simply being asked to leave was an acceptable amount of warning?
Mama's
Note: I'm not sure what the objection is here. We don't know the details,
of course, but if the intruder removed a locked screen and was trying
to enter, he was clearly the aggressor. I highly suspect the homeowner
"asked him" to leave while holding the gun, which seems perfectly
proper to me. He gave the intruder the opportunity to leave, but it would
seem he did something to constitute a threat and probably had whatever
tool he used to remove the door as a weapon. This one would clearly call
for some sort of investigation, but it appears to be self defense.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
VA: Concealed weapons bill passes
Daily Progress
“The House of Delegates on Thursday passed a bill to allow [sic]
people with a concealed weapons permit to bring a hidden handgun into
a restaurant if they do not drink. The measure sponsored by Sen. Emmett
W. Hanger, R-Mount Solon, won House approval on a 62-36 vote and now goes
to the desk of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine. Delegates in both parties said they
expect Kaine to veto it. A spokesman for the governor said he would have
to review the bill’s details before deciding whether to sign it.”
(02/22/08)
Common
sense, right? But not to our politicians.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
AR: Resident fends
off home invaders
Courier
“A Dardanelle man is dead after he and an unidentified accomplice
apparently broke into a residence off State Highway 22 near Dardanelle
late Wednesday night, authorities said Thursday. Yell County Sheriff Bill
Gilkey confirmed one of the home’s occupants shot and killed Mike
Jensen, 44, after Jensen and another man allegedly entered the residence
by kicking in the front door. … Gilkey said authorities do not expect
any charges will be filed against the homeowner — who Gilkey said
used ‘a shotgun’ to deter Jensen — in connection with the
matter.” (02/22/08)
Another
example of an attack in which there is no way that the cops could have
done anything.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
MA:
Turnpike toll takers’ guns collected
Boston Herald
“Gun-toting toll collectors have been stripped of their sidearms
by Mass Pike brass after secretly carrying them for decades without formal
training, the Herald has learned.’I didn’t want to have a wild
west show out there,’ said Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Executive
Director Alan LeBovidge, who ordered the practice stopped. ‘I could
find nothing to show that the employees had state police training that
would make them qualified to carry guns.’But union officials said
they are going to fight to allow the toll collectors to keep their weapons,
even though a Pike review found the guns were not being properly maintained,
with firing pins misaligned and other problems.” (02/27/08)
Secretly
carrying them for decades sure doesn’t sound like it was the “Wild
West” (as envisioned by Yahnkee idjits), does it? As for being “qualified”
to carry guns, I assume that they are (a) human, and (b) American citizens…
what more qualification is needed?
Mama's
Note: What does American citizenship have to do with it? All humans have
the right of self defense, and therefore the right to bear arms. The funny
thing about this story is that government employees are the ones being
disarmed! It would be interesting to find out just what proportion of
these guns were actually not maintained properly. I suspect it would depend
on who owned them...
Our right
to defend ourselves:
Campaign
growing for allowing guns on campus
Mount Vernon News
“Since the tragic string of college campus shootings across the
country, students have organized a national campaign to allow handguns
in classrooms. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, an Internet-based
organization, is claiming to have over 15,000 members nationwide. The
group has already staged ‘empty-holster’ protests in several
states, and 14 Ohio campuses have established their own chapters. Stephen
J. Feltoon, a University of Miami graduate and psychology major, is the
Midwest regional director of the student group. The group started about
two days after the Virginia Tech shootings,’ said Feltoon. ‘We
were just trying to gather like-minded individuals and it just blossomed
into the national campaign.’” (02/27/08)
I really
do hope that this new organization spreads nationwide, and works closely
with SAS, JFPO, GOA, and other effective and committed pro-defense organizations.
Mama's
Note: I know a young man who is active with this bunch and he was complaining
the college wouldn't let them put up flyers on campus. I urged him to
take the flyers into town and post them in as many places as possible.
The business community of a college town have a great incentive to support
the students, and there are many other organizations that could be approached,
such as the Lion's club, Veterans organizations, etc. There is no reason
for this not to make a great impression on both the colleges and the communities.
The students simply have to believe in it enough to go the extra mile.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
NY:
Resident holds purse snatcher at gunpoint
SouthCoast Today
“Mr. Correia, 45, was tucking his 7-year-old son and 8-year-old
daughter into bed. His wife went downstairs to see who was at the door
and found a young man standing outside asking for help. Before opening
the door, she summoned her husband….. Mr. Correia opened the door
and Steven Grover, 18, of New Bedford, reported that his car had broken
down on the interstate. …. Mr. Correia permitted the fugitive to
use the house phone while providing him with hot tea, dry clothes and
hot water to soak his chilled feet.”He made some calls, but he couldn’t
get anyone to come and get him,” Mr. Correia said. “He wanted
to call a cab, but he had no money, so I said I would pay.”By then,
however, Mr. Correia had grown suspicious of his visitor because his story
kept changing as it went along, he said.”It just didn’t add
up, so I called 911 and asked them if they were looking for anyone.”Based
on the description provided by the police, Mr. Correia realized that his
guest was a wanted man.”When it dawned on him that I was talking
to the police, he jumped out of his chair. That’s when I pulled my
gun. I told him to sit back down, that the police were on their way, and
he did.” (02/27/08)
Is this
abusing hospitality? Quite a story. And note: no shots fired.
Mama's
Note: Doesn't seem like the young man ever offered any real threat. This
guy is certainly more trusting than I would be, however. Of course, as
a woman alone, it is highly unlikely I'd let a stranger into my house
- regardless of the story. Not sure just what would be right to do in
a case like this. We all need to think about that sort of thing.
Stupid
government tricks:
EU fines Microsoft record $1.35 billion
Bloomberg
“European Union regulators fined Microsoft Corp. a record 899
million euros ($1.35 billion) for failing to comply with a 2004 antitrust
order, the largest EU fine ever imposed against a single company. Today’s
fine brings the total penalties against Microsoft to 1.68 billion euros
in the case. The company was previously fined 778 million euros for abusing
its dominance in the software market and failing to abide by the antitrust
decision. … Kroes imposed the fine because Microsoft failed to charge
‘reasonable’ royalty fees for patent licenses on operating system
software. A European court upheld the commission’s ruling against
Microsoft in September, meaning the company wasn’t in compliance
for three years. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said in a statement
that it would review the decision.” (02/27/08)
The market,
not government, determines what are reasonable fees, but heaven forbid
that a Euro-govgoon could understand that.
Mama's
Note: Reasonable? According to what criteria? That would mean something
different for each person... hence the free market where people make up
their own mind and then decide to buy it - or not. I'm not sure the free
market ever actually was allowed in Europe, so maybe they have nothing
to compare with.
Stupid
government tricks:
CA: Pet sterilization becomes law
in LA
Juneau Empire
“Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday signed one of the nation’s
toughest laws on pet sterilization, requiring most dogs and cats to be
spayed or neutered by the time they are 4 months old. The ordinance is
aimed at reducing and eventually eliminating the thousands of euthanizations
conducted in Los Angeles’ animal shelters every year.” (02/26/08)
I know
that it can be heartbreaking to see animals starving and being put down,
but is it government’s job? The problem is a lack of predators: otherwise,
these huge populations of cats and dogs would have swept over the cities
long ago. But in the past, people took responsibility for culling the
animals, however cruel that might be, and coyotes, dogs, and even mountain
lions did their part.
Stupid
government tricks:
NE:
Rule may restrict homeless shelters
Omaha World Herald
“Day shelters for the homeless and day care centers for children
would never be next-door neighbors under an ordinance that the City Council
is considering. A proposed ordinance would modify city zoning rules to
prohibit day shelters within 300 feet of day cares. Current rules prevent
a day shelter from being within 300 feet of schools or residentially zoned
property, but no provision exists for day cares.” (02/24/08)
The idiots
on the Council must have weird visions of some “Night of the Living
Dead” type attack on a day-care center by the evil denizens of the
homeless shelters? But what about the kids of the homeless? Should they
be forced to walk so far? And for that matter, just how many homeless
shelters ARE there in Omaha?
Mama's
Note: What is magic about 300 feet? Or 1,000 feet, or any other number?
Homeless people (or the kids) can't walk 300 feet? If they are going to
be a problem, the distance is immaterial. The only protection for the
children are the adults who are charged with their care, of course. They
should be armed and trained to defend themselves and others. Someone bent
on harming the children isn't going to mind walking that far... and they
certainly won't care what the law says, any more than did the last school
shooter.
Stupid
government tricks:
UK: All new homes to be “pensioner-friendly”
Daily Mail [UK]
“Every new home must be designed to suit older people under plans
unveiled by ministers yesterday. By 2011 developments will have to conform
to 16 specifications for an ageing population, such as stairs wide enough
for stairlifts. Campaign groups broadly welcomed the changes, though they
questioned why private sector developers would not have to conform until
2013.” (02/25/08)
The nanny-state
promoters NEVER have enough: they constantly seek more and more “accommodation”
and forced welfare.
Stupid
government tricks:
US
spies looking for terrorists in games
Wired
“Having eliminated all terrorism in the real world, the U.S. Intelligence
community is working to develop software that will detect violent extremists
infiltrating World of Warcraft and other massive multiplayer games.”
(02/22/08)
There has
to be a word more satisfying than “incredibly, unbelievably, stupid”
for this action.
Mama's
Note: That's three words... and I can think of many others, but they all
boil down to "1984." Chilling.
Stupid
government tricks:
NV: Legal hurdles high
for voter petitions
Las Vegas Review-Journal
“Assemblywoman Heidi Gansert proclaimed she stood for the public’s
right to change law through petitions when she introduced a bill to clear
up confusion caused by two petitions voters rejected in the November 2004
election. Gansert, R-Reno, sponsored the bill that now limits petitions
to a single subject, requires a 200-word summary of their intent and sets
up a procedure for opponents to challenge them in court before signatures
are collected. … But since her bill became law, three petitions to
increase the gaming tax rate have been tossed out by judges after the
Nevada Resort Association complained they violated the single-subject
rule. Two others to limit property taxes were jettisoned by sponsor Sharron
Angle before scheduled court dates because of AFL-CIO objections to their
summaries. Only two petitions, one to legalize marijuana and another to
restrict government’s use of eminent domain proceedings to acquire
land, have qualified for placement on election ballots since Gansert’s
bill became law in 2005. Today petition circulators complain that legislators
have blocked any chance average citizens have of changing laws or the
state constitution through the initiative petition process.”
(02/25/08)
I would
say that she has accomplished her unspoken goal, to reduce the influence
of those pesky citizens on state law. Perhaps she can introduce further
reforms, I mean, it is so MESSY to have to make ALL the voters decide
on who should be in the legislature, instead of just having the legislature
appoint a committee to find and select replacements. And the legislators
are certainly going to do a better job of appointing a proper governor
than all that wasteful campaigning and costly elections.
Stupid
government tricks:
Poland: Taxmen
want blood
Ananova [UK]
“Polish taxmen are offering Poles the chance to pay their tax
bills in blood. Every donation to the local blood banks will allow Poles
to write £30 off their tax bill. Donors have to get a certificate
from the hospital for every litre donated that can then be sent to the
taxman and written off against their final tax demand.” (02/22/08)
The taxman
have always been bloodsuckers, anyway. Of course, it is harder to convert
the blood to pork, so maybe this isn’t ALL bad.
Mama's
Note: I immediately thought about someone with a HIGH tax bill... and
the phrase "bled dry" came next. But I wouldn't be so sure there's
no pork in this... depends on the amount of tax exchanged for the blood,
and the price it can be sold for later. Might be a tidy profit in it -
as long as they don't get too greedy and start to bleed people dry, at
least too often.
Stupid
people and government tricks:
Perilous rescues, at a price
Boston Globe
“An hour after fielding the call last Saturday, the third of its
kind in less than a month, Lieutenant Todd Bogardus stood at the edge
of a steep trail, barking orders to gathering officers and volunteers
in a race to save yet another hiker trapped in the White Mountains. With
winds howling at 40 miles per hour, the sun slipping over the horizon,
and temperatures plummeting into the single digits, the leader of the
state’s rescue team traced the GPS signal from the victim’s
cellphone. He radioed the coordinates to the National Guard crew hovering
nearby in a Black Hawk helicopter, which soon afterward spotted the hiker’s
headlamp in the high, fog-shrouded snowdrifts of the Pemigewasset Wilderness.
From 150 feet above, the crew in the helicopter lowered a cable carrying
a crewman, who snatched up Benjamin Davis, 28, a Suffolk Law School student
suffering frostbite. If it weren’t for the rescue, he almost certainly
would have died.” (02/24/08)
We used
to let people who were stupid like this die: “Stupidity is the only
true capital crime.” Now we spend millions (and often kill other
people) to try and rescue them from themselves. Perhaps people who do
stupid things like this ought to be providing insurance to cover the cost?
Or maybe just sign a “do not rescue” form?
Mama's
Note: Now, why would they sign a form like that if they know they can
be stupid on someone else's dime?
Stupid
people tricks:
Ethanol
poses challenge to firefighters
Boston Globe
The nation's drive toward alternative fuels carries a danger many communities
have been to slow to recognize: Ethanol fires are harder to put out than
gasoline ones and require a special type of firefighting foam. Many fire
departments around the country do not have the foam, do not have enough
of it, or are not well trained in how to apply it, firefighting specialists
say. It is also more expensive than conventional foam [ by 30%].
Unintended
consequences! With ethanol, everyone pays more: fuel consumers, food consumers,
firefighters, and (for E85, at least) buyers of cars. But like any fairly
new technology, these things are common, and will soon work themselves
out IF the market is not messed up.
Stupid
people tricks:
War on Wikileaks
hits a bump
Christian Science Monitor
“Internet activists this week gave a Swiss bank and a San Francisco
judge a powerful demonstration of the ‘Streisand Effect.’ That’s
Internet jargon for any effort to suppress online information that backfires
by drawing much wider publicity. In this case, the Julius Baer Bank sought
an injunction against Wikileaks, a website that anonymously publishes
whistleblower documents, for posting papers purporting to show money laundering
and tax evasion schemes at the bank’s Cayman Islands branch. A federal
district judge late last week took the unusual step of shutting down the
entire site instead of removing just the bank’s documents. What followed
was an explosion of interest in the relatively obscure website, with many
online activists helping to redirect curious eyes to alternative sites
where the content had been reinstated.” (02/22/08)
Hoist by
their own petard! No wonder more and more old-fashioned mainstream media
are in a panic about the Internet.
Stupid
people tricks:
Campus text alert systems
slow to catch on
MSNBC
“The massacre at Virginia Tech last year sent colleges nationwide
scrambling to improve how they get alerts to students during crises on
campus. One solution: Text messages sent to cell phones. But while hundreds
of campuses have adopted text alerts, most students are not embracing
the system — even in an age when they consider their mobile phones
indispensable. Omnilert, a Northern Virginia company that provides an
emergency alert system called e2Campus to more than 500 campuses, reports
an average enrollment rate among students, faculty and staff of just 39
percent.” (02/28/08)
While this
is NOT the real solution (allowing armed students and staff to be armed
and removing the bullseye painted on virtually every campus), nevertheless,
this isn’t a bad idea, and certainly should be encouraged –
but again on a strictly volunteer basis. The problem is that someone has
to start the alert process, and most college administrations have not
enough sense to come in out of the rain, much less determine what constitutes
an emergency sufficient to trigger an alert. I can see alerts launched
to celebrate victories over rival schools, “Amber” alerts, and
text messages about poor attendance at the V**** Monologues.
Mama's
Note: An "alert" has to be something that stands out and is
noticed. My 13 year old neighbor girl has a cell phone with these text
messages, and she's already so bored with it that she rarely even looks
at them. Not much help in an emergency. She says most of it is just stupid
stuff. (Very smart girl!)
The African
collapse:
Chad holds secret talks with rebels
Rockford Register Star
“Chad’s foreign minister said Tuesday the government is holding
secret discussions with rebel groups who support peace and national reconciliation
following a coup attempt earlier this month. But Foreign Minister Ahmad
Allam-Mi said the government is not negotiating with any of the rebel
leaders who attacked and destroyed much of the capital, N’Djamena,
in a failed attempt to oust President Idriss Deby that left hundreds of
civilians dead.” (02/26/08)
“Jaw-jaw
is better than war-war,” at least. But don’t expect peace to
break out.
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