Libertarian Commentary on the News, 02 - 08 March, 2008

Medical front (UK):
UK: Hospital waiting times rising
Daily Mail [UK]
“Hospital waiting times are longer than under the Conservatives, despite £90 billion being ploughed into the health service this year alone. The average wait for treatment in hospital is now 49 days, up from 41 days in 1997, the year Labour took power with a promise to ’save the NHS’.” (03/05/08)

As with government-run schools, money does nothing but make the situation worse. The problem is not the money, it is the government control.

Medical news (UK):
UK: Younger dentists deserting the NHS
Independent [UK]
“The boom in teeth-whitening and capping has led to a further drain on young dentists who appear to be switching from the NHS to highly lucrative private cosmetic treatment. Gordon Brown is among those who are said to have their smiles improved by professional teeth-whitening but the growth in the business could be exacerbating the lack of availability of NHS dentists. Figures produced from the NHS Information Centre showed that dentists under 35 years old in 2000-01 earned 65 per cent of their income from the NHS but, by 2005-6, that had nearly halved to 36 per cent.” (03/05/08)

Well, if their patients could, they’d desert too.

Mama's Note: Swell... you can have the whitest rotten teeth in the world... But I wonder how many other little things are taken care of under the table during those "cosmetic" sessions. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Medical news:
GA: Vaccine case draws new attention to autism debate
CNN
“The parents of a 9-year-old girl with autism said Thursday that their assertion that her illness was caused by childhood vaccines has been vindicated by the federal government’s decision to compensate them. ‘We are very pleased with the government’s decision,’ Hannah Poling’s father, Dr. Jon Poling, a neurologist in private practice in Athens, Georgia, told reporters Thursday. ‘It has been eight difficult and heartbreaking years since our daughter’s injury.’ A federal program intended to compensate victims of injuries caused by vaccines concluded last November that Hannah Poling’s underlying illness that had predisposed her to symptoms of autism was ’significantly aggravated’ by the vaccinations she received as a toddler and that her family should therefore be compensated.” (03/06/08)

All treatment has potential side-effects, but it should be a decision for the patient (or their parents) and the doctor, NOT a government-mandate to give or not give the treatment. Nor should a government (or anyone else, really) withhold the data needed to properly decide.

Mama's Note: As I've been writing for many years, it is not just the mercury or danger of autism that should make parents very careful about vaccines or other medications, especially for babies. Children under a year old do not have well developed immune systems, and vaccines may very well damage what they do have rather than stimulate any kind of needed response to the target illness. Children today get far more colds, flu and other infections than my generation did as children. There are many factors involved, but the massive number of vaccines and antibiotics given to children over the last 30 years can't be ignored. We need some independent studies on this whole subject, and soon.

Medical news:
Global health worker shortage hits Africa hard
MSNBC
“Deploying workers like Kiconco trained in key tasks but without the range of qualifications of a nurse or doctor is one way of addressing a global health care shortage that is hitting African and other developing nations hardest. Experts gathered in Uganda this week to discuss the problem also considered asking rich countries — which often benefit from the migration of health care workers — to compensate poorer nations for the staff they recruit and to pay to train health workers in the developing world.” (03/06/08)

Gee, this sounds like midwives or the wide variety of practical nurses or –gasp- corpsmen in the military: an alternative specialist prohibited by developed nations’ licensing schemes. As for “compensation” for migrating workers – these people are NOT the property of some government (whether it is some trumped up little socialist dictatorship/failed state in Africa or the US government itself!). Nor are they slaves or baseball players. Besides, a good many immigrants send a lot of their earnings back home, and that would certainly count as compensation.

Mesopotamian front:
Double bombing in Baghdad leaves 53 dead
Houston Chronicle
“Two bombs went off within minutes of each other in a crowded shopping district in the capital today, killing at least 53 people and wounding 130 — a reminder that deadly attacks are a daily threat even though violence is down. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. But back-to-back bombings — designed to maximize carnage — became the hallmark of attacks on civilians by al-Qaida in Iraq during the worst of the violence in Baghdad in 2006.” (03/06/08)

Nice to see a major military target was hit by the enemy, instead a lot of peaceful civilians going around doing their daily shopping and work. Americans and the various peoples of the region are so fortunate to have so gallant and noble a foe and to have the horrors of combat replaced by the peace of the marketplace and everyday life.

Mesopotamian front:
Iraq [sic]: US claims al Qaeda leader killed in Mosul
MSNBC
“A U.S. Military helicopter fired a guided missile to kill a wanted Saudi Arabian al-Qaida in Iraq leader who was believed responsible for the bombing deaths of five American soldiers, a military spokesman said. U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Gregory Smith said Jar Allah, also known as Abu Yasir al-Saudi, and another Saudi known only as Hamdan, were both killed Wednesday in Mosul. Al-Saudi headed up the al-Qaida network in southeast Mosul, an insurgent hotbed where U.S forces wage daily battles against the group.” (03/02/08)

If he killed five Americans, you can be sure that he killed many hundreds of Arab, Kurd, and other people, most innocent civilians. The problem is, even the best guided missile is still all too likely to kill civilians in crowded urban situations.

New Religions: climate change:
Hope from the Czech Republic?
The Spectator
After two days of toiling through an ocean of charts, graphs and complicated mathematical equations, attendees of the Heartland Institute's 2008 International Conference on Climate Change in Manhattan were provided a starker, significantly less esoteric warning from the president of the Czech Republic over breakfast Tuesday morning. "It is not about climatology," the recently re-elected, Mises and Hayek-quoting Vaclav Klaus intoned darkly. "It is about freedom."

One more voice of sanity, crying in the wilderness. Oh, if only more would heed his cry!

New religions: environists:
WA: Luxury homes burn in apparent eco-attack
Lafayette Journal and Courier
“Three seven-figure dream homes went up in flames early Monday in a Seattle suburb, apparently set by eco-terrorists [sic] who left a sign mocking the builders’ claims that the 4,000-plus-square-foot houses were environmentally friendly. The sign — a sheet marked with spray paint — bore the initials ELF, for Earth Liberation Front, a loose collection of radical environmentalists that has claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks since the 1990s.” (03/03/08)

Terrorists? If their intent was to create fear among those who would otherwise buy these McMansions, I think so. The ELF certainly fits the bill of a terrorist organization – look how closely their actions resemble those of government.

New religions: Global warming:
CA: State scrambles to fund global warming fight
San Francisco Chronicle
“California’s landmark legislation to fight global warming has been on the books for more than a year, but it still lacks stable, long-term funding to help meet its ambitious goal to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest budget proposal calls for a stopgap, two-year effort that relies on borrowing money from a state beverage container recycling fund to run the program. On Monday, members of a joint legislative committee raised questions about funding for AB32, the high-profile measure that seeks to cut the state’s carbon emissions by about a third by 2020.” (03/04/08)

As several other stories report, even as more and more evidence to debunk this scam (global warming by human action) and even question the existence of global warming, the statists are using it as an excuse for more and more taxes and more micromanagement and control by the government of the economy, society, and daily life. Now, as is common among state-level baboons, they are looking for ways to steal the money, as well, to use to accomplish these wicked objectives.

North American union:
Canada: Government probes Obama leak
Springfield News-Leader
“Canada’s conservative government said Tuesday it was investigating the leak of a memo that suggested Barack Obama’s harsh words about the North American Free Trade Agreement were for political show. The memo circulated within the government and obtained by The Associated Press said Obama’s senior economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, discussed the debate over free trade in the Democratic presidential primary campaign with Canadian officials in Chicago.” (03/04/08)

Please tell me that no one REALLY believes that either Obama, McCain, or Clinton would do anything to change NAFTA or drop it.

North American union:
US border thug says he killed in “self-defense”
Porterville Recorder
“A U.S. Border Patrol agent said Tuesday before testimony concluded in his trial that he fatally shot an illegal immigrant from Mexico because the man threatened him with a rock. Agent Nicholas Corbett told jurors he shot Francisco Javier Dominguez Rivera, 22, in self defense after Dominguez raised his arm to throw a rock at him. He said he was holding Dominguez off with his left arm with his handgun pointed downward in his right hand when he fired.” (03/04/08)

Is a rock being _thrown_ enough of a threat to justify deadly force, especially for a civilian? Even assuming that Rivera was doing something that justified being detained in the first place.

Our British cousins:
UK: Doctors, teachers to be among first issued ID cards
Independent [UK]
“Millions of teachers, doctors, nurses and carers could soon be issued with identity cards, Jacqui Smith disclosed yesterday as she moved to inject ‘new momentum’ into the controversial plans. The Home Secretary was accused of forcing the scheme on Britain by stealth after she set out a detailed timetable for its gradual introduction. The Government now envisages that the biometric details of the majority of the population could be held by the state by 2017, some five years later than originally planned. A move to compel remaining ‘refusniks’ to register could follow towards the end of next decade, if Labour is still in power.” (03/07/08)

Not sure why teachers and medical personnel are the first, but perhaps something drastic is planned for the educational and medical establishments (both national agencies) and they don’t want the guilty or victims able to escape.

Mama's Note: I would guess that these are two of the most highly regulated parts of the population already, and are more apt to comply than others. It's a numbers game, and the more they can show it is accepted and used, the more likely others will be to follow them.

Our British cousins:
UK: Tories promise more prison places
BBC News [UK]
“Five thousand extra prison places would be built by the Tories to beat overcrowding in jails in England and Wales, the party has said. Under its new prison policy plans, older prisons would be sold to the private sector — with the money raised paying for the building of new jails. The party also wants more work and training for prisoners, and more transparent sentencing.” (03/02/08)

Based on the way Her Majesty’s government is sentencing people for victimless crimes and actions that may be illegal but not immoral, this wouldn’t solve anything for every long. Rather work on replacing incarceration with restorative justice for those crimes that have victims (other than the person themselves) and get the state out of the people warehousing business (not that private business should be engaged in such activities, either).

Our British cousins:
UK: Prisoner seriously assaulted every 45 minutes in Britain
Independent [UK]
“One serious attack takes place every 45 minutes in the overcrowded jails of England and Wales as prison staff struggle to cope with soaring levels of violence. Ministry of Justice figures reveal the number of assaults on prisoners by cellmates have rocketed from 1,790 in 1996 to 11,826 last year, a rise of 561 per cent in just over a decade. The total has risen every year since the mid-1990s, and an inmate now faces a one in eight risk of being attacked by another prisoner in a year.” (03/03/08)

As the previous story relates, the Tories claim to have a solution (the wrong one in my estimation) to this overcrowding which is blamed for the attacks – rather than the preying of the true criminal class on the people who really don’t belong in prisons. If only common sense could prevail.

Persian front:
Ahmadinejad to US: Get out of Iraq [sic] now
All Headline News
“Ending his two-day visit in Iraq, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent out a message to U.S. troops still in the area, telling them that they are unwelcome in the region. The statement was made after Ahmadinejad agreed to loan Iraq $1 billion, one of his attempts to start ‘a new chapter’ of relationship between the two former enemy nations. ‘We believe that the forces that came from overseas and traveled thousands of kilometers to reach here must leave the region and must let the people of this country rule themselves,’ said Ahmadinejad during a news briefing at a Baghdad villa. … Iraqi President Jalal Talabani revealed that aside from the loan, the two nations have already formed an alliance ‘to secure heir borders in order to prevent infiltration of terrorists and smugglers,’ reported the Chicago Tribune. This allegiance between the two countries, however, had been receiving cold comments from some Iraqis, in the context that getting in between the fight between Iran and America was not something they were willing to be involved in.” (03/04/08)

Hmm. Are we sure this is being translated correctly? Supposedly, everything else I-need-a-job has been saying is misquoted and translated in a twisted way. Maybe he is urging the Coalition forces to enjoy themselves and visit neighboring countries while they are stationed in “Iraq” and not stress out over the situation in Baghdad and elsewhere.

Persian front:
UN sanctions Iran anew over nuclear program
MSNBC
“The U.N. Security Council approved a third round of sanctions against Iran on Monday with near unanimous support, sending a strong signal to Tehran that its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment is unacceptable and becoming increasingly costly. For the first time, the resolution bans trade with Iran in goods which have both civilian and military uses and authorizes inspections of shipments to and from Iran by sea and air that are suspected of carrying banned items.” (03/03/08)

Funny, I thought the US intel report said that Tehran wasn’t doing this sort of thing… but then, the UN is more messed up than the US Intel community, which is saying something!

Persian front:
Iran: New UN sanctions “worthless”
Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald
“Iran vowed to push ahead with uranium enrichment Tuesday, a day after the U.N. Security Council passed a third round of sanctions that Tehran called ‘worthless’ and politically biased. The council approved the measures in a 14-0 vote, but unity among the major powers faltered Tuesday when Russia and China blocked an attempt by Western nations to introduce a resolution on Iran’s nuclear defiance at a meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency.” (03/04/08)

Gee, another time I agree with Iran. But of course, what fruit is going to come from a worthless source like the UN?

Our right to defend ourselves
WY: Senate passes “Castle Doctrine” bill after debate
Local News 8
“The Wyoming State Senate today (Monday) gave preliminary approval to a bill that would specify people wouldn’t have to retreat before using deadly force to repeal a criminal attack. The bill also would specify that a person who uses deadly force against an intruder who enters their home could not be found liable for civil damages. The Senate passed the so-called ‘castle doctrine’ bill on its first reading by a vote of 20-9.” (03/03/08)

As MamaLiberty and I have pointed out before, it is amazing that this has taken so long. Of course, for centuries, it was assumed (correctly) that this WAS a basic human right in Wyoming.

Our right to defend ourselves
ID: Idaho gun shop takes on federal weapons inspector in court
Magic Valley News
“A Twin Falls gun shop stripped of its license by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had repeated chances to fix problems but failed to, a bureau inspector testified Tuesday in federal court.’It was just a lack of internal controls _ things were just overlooked,’ John Hansen told U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge. But the owners of Red’s Trading Post tell a different story _ that any violations were inadvertent and unintentional, and that simple human imperfection virtually guarantees a minor error in paperwork now and then. Terry Horsley and her son Ryan Horsley, who run the shop, sued Richard Van Loan, the bureau’s director of industry operations, in 2007 after the bureau revoked the license.” (03/05/08)

Based on information about the callous disregard for the law, for freedom, and for their employers (the people) by JPFO and others, I know whom I believe in this case. The BATFE has demonstrated how evil it is, and how wicked its people are, and this just is going to point that out, IF the truth is allowed in court.

Our right to defend ourselves
UT: House permits open carry of loaded guns except on campus
Deseret News
“The House passed a bill Monday allowing a person with a valid concealed weapons permit to openly carry a loaded gun in some public places. The measure, HB473, was amended, however, to forbid a person from openly carrying a loaded gun on school campuses. Legislators declined to support a second amendment requiring a concealed weapon to be concealed in all places, saying it was an affront on the Second Amendment.” (03/05/08)

Of course, one question we have to ask is why ANYONE needs to have a permit to openly carry. It is actually easier to understand how concealed carry might be more restrictive than open-carry, because of fears that a person intent on injuring or killing someone would be more likely to conceal their weapon – that was the reasoning behind the constitutional ban of concealed carry in Texas, for many years. Sadly, some states DO make it mandatory for a person with a concealed carry permit to ALWAYS conceal their weapon, and accidentally showing it is sometimes considered a felony. Fortunately, Utah avoided THAT mistake, but the open carrying of weapons DOES deter crime and make people think twice about doing things which might be seen as threatening or harmful to others – especially in schools.

Mama's Note: The idea that crime can be prevented with preemptive "laws" is a delusion that just won't seem to go away, regardless of the history which shows it to be worthless. People who want to hurt people already don't care about any laws against what they plan to do! Most of the time, all they care about is doing it and not getting hurt or caught themselves. If someone is bent on killing others and doesn't care if they are killed themselves, it seems obvious that no "law" is going to influence them one way or another. All it will do is hamper those who would otherwise be able to defend themselves.

While carrying concealed is a rational choice in many situations, there simply is NO intelligent reason for a government permission slip to do so.

Our right to defend ourselves
OK: Teen robber shot
Tulsa World
“A 15-year-old boy was in serious condition Tuesday night after being shot while allegedly trying to rob a restaurant, and a man was shot in the face earlier Tuesday in what a detective said could have been a parking-lot robbery attempt….. The restaurant had just closed and an employee had stepped out the front door when two armed juveniles confronted him, Litterell said. While one pushed the employee to the ground, the other entered the restaurant, he said. When the owner saw the armed youth enter, he drew a gun and fired twice, hitting the teen once, “before he could be fired upon,” Litterell said.” (03/05/08)

Two events in the same city, in the Heartland, to boot.

Our right to defend ourselves
“Most-wanted” arms dealer arrested in Thailand
CNN
“For years, Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout made millions of dollars delivering weapons and ammunition to warlords and militants, officials say. On Thursday, Bout and his associate, Andrew Smulian, were arrested in Thailand after a series of events that officials said could have come straight out of a spy novel.” (03/06/08)

The prohibition of non-governmental weapons trade is one of the most hypocritical actions of modern governments. The big merchants of death are the governments themselves, of course, and they cannot stand the competition.

Our right to defend ourselves
UK: “Chicken droppings catapult” protects premises from arsonists
Daily Mail [UK]
“A businessman in the UK has come up with a novel way to deal with potential thieves: firing chicken***t at them from a 30-foot catapult. Joe Watson-Webb, a retired showman, had the iron trebuchet left over from his days as a showman, and gets his avian ammo from the farm next door. Local cops have said that they will prosecute Watson-Webb if he uses the catapult to defend his property against arsonists and robbers …. Watson-Webb is also the proud owner of a 20-foot-long cannon, out of which he used to fire his wife! … in spite of the police’s stance, the 70-year-old is standing firm. ‘I’m not out to kill anyone or even hurt them,’ he says. ‘I just want to keep yobs off my land.” (03/05/08)

Speaking of hypocritical! This sort of stupidity on the part of the cops is insane.

Our right to defend ourselves
IN: Council says no to weapons ban
News Dispatch
“The [Michigan City, Indiana] Council killed an ordinance Tuesday night aimed at prohibiting citizens from carrying weapons into city buildings, despite an eloquent attempt by one councilman to persuade council members to jump to his side. ‘I’m not fooling myself. Opposition is strong to this,’ 2nd-Ward Councilman Marc Espar said. ‘There are arguments that it will deny the citizens their 2nd-amendment rights and would make buildings less safe.’ … Espar wrote the ordinance … more than a month ago with Milsap’s support. The two feel by letting the community know weapons are illegal inside city buildings, people with evil intentions will think twice about bringing a gun inside. Seven of the nine council members, however, disagreed.” (03/05/08)

Gee, seven were against this piece of stupidity? That must set a record for Indiana politicians.

Mama's Note: "...people with evil intentions will think twice about bringing a gun inside." Which, of course, flies in the face of all known facts and the most basic common sense.

Our right to defend ourselves
TN: Clerk scares off robbers
News Channel 5
“A convenience store employee shot into the parking lot to prevent two men from breaking into the business. … After the men smashed a large rock through a window, a cook picked up a gun and started shooting. The men thought no one was inside the business. ‘I was scared, but I think anger took over,’ said Donna Blanks. Blanks is a cook and arrives early to prepare meals for customers. She said she started to shout and shoot. ‘I scared them like they scared me. No [sic] quite as much. They got gone,’ she said.” (03/05/08)

Good story, good ending, bad idea: shooting blindly back is almost always incredibly stupid.

Our right to defend ourselves
AZ: Homeowner kills intruder
KOLD News
“A deadly shootout between burglars and a homeowner took place Thursday night just after nine on Tucson’s east side, near I-10 and Wilmot Road. Police say three men busted into a home in a quiet new neighborhood. They then shot the homeowner in the arm; the homeowner returned fire and hit one of the burglars, who later died at a hospital. According to Tucson police, when they arrived the 29 year-old home owner and his two year old daughter had taken refuge in a bathroom. The home owner suffered minor injuries, and the little girl was not hurt.” (02/29/08)

“Quiet new neighborhood?” Can’t tell it by me. But maybe this will serve as a warning to thugs and new residents alike that the community needs to and will defend themselves.

Our right to defend ourselves
CA: Boy, 13, shot man in self-defense
Visalia Times Delta
“A Visalia woman whose common-law husband was shot and killed Wednesday was moving out of the couple’s south Visalia home when the incident occurred, neighbors and police said. Witnesses said Joe Ray Martinez, 38, tried to stop the woman from doing so and got into an altercation with another man. ‘That’s when [Martinez] drew a gun and threatened to shoot everyone, including kids,’ said Terry Anderson, a neighbor in the quiet cul-de-sac on South Thomas Street near Paradise Avenue. One of the ‘kids’ at the home was a 13-year-old boy. The boy emerged from the home and shot Martinez in ‘a clear case of self-defense,’ Visalia Police Department Sgt. Ernie Villa said.” (02/29/08)

Want to bet that “child protective services” still swallows this brave young man up whole?

Mama's Note: Maybe, but not nearly as sure a thing as it would in one of the metro areas, north or south. There are a lot of independent, self reliant folks around Visalia. I used to have good friends there and visited frequently.

Our right to defend ourselves
Citizens’ group vs. ammunition coding campaign
Liberty For All
“The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today is calling on lawmakers in the states of Washington, Arizona, New York, Illinois, Hawaii and several other states to scrutinize legislation that would require ammunition coding, because it mandates a [sole] source monopoly for a Seattle-based company that owns the technology. Based on a story in the new edition of Gun Week, and a look at virtually identical legislation that has been introduced in several states, CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb said there are serious questions that need to be addressed about these measures, and the effort to pass them into law.” (03/03/08)

Does this sound a little bit like the all too successful campaign to mandate HPV vaccines for pre-teen girls? A monopoly seeking an assured market is almost always an evil sign. It is another idiotic attempt to control guns which can be easily overcome by crooks. Yeah, the ballistics on your bullet might be a bit off if you “fix” the micro-coding, but most criminals aren’t shooting people at long distances.

Mama's Note: And most criminals are not going to be shooting guns or ammunition "registered" to THEM anyway!!! They STEAL the guns they use, or buy on the black market. This is more of the same sort of muddled thinking that produces the above story where the city hall inmates think passing a no gun law will make criminals "think twice" about committing their crimes. Of course, the real agenda is to make guns, ammunition and shooting sports so terribly restrictive and expensive that few or none will even bother with it.

Our right to defend ourselves
National parks gun ban may be eased
Twin Cities News
“The country’s never-ending debate over guns is heating up again. This time it’s fueled by news the Interior Department may relax a 25-year ban on loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges, leaving the issue for states to decide. In a decision the National Rifle Association has applauded, the department announced it will issue a new set of rules by April 30. ‘Under this proposal, federal parks and wildlife refuges will mirror the state firearm laws for state parks,’ said Chris Cox, the NRA’s chief lobbyist. ‘This is an important step in the right direction.’” (03/02/08)

Ah, but I so dislike the rhetoric in articles like this. It is an issue which is well overdue to fix, even if this is only a partial fix. What they don’t point out is that there is a very sound reason behind this action: violent crime levels are increasing in national parks. This is only to be expected with ANY “victim disarmament zone.” Of course, there is also an increasing wildlife problem, as predator populations expand (supported by explosive increases in herbivore populations caused by prohibitions on hunting in national parks). Lions, wolves, wild dogs, and bears are all potential adversaries for which a gun is virtually a necessity.

The story is told in a national park area with both grizzlies and brown/black bears, of briefing back-country hikers or protecting themselves from the bears. They were told that brown bears were the most commonly run into, and using little bells on their hiking shoes (to alert the bears of a human presence) and pepper spray to ward off the small bears would be adequate, which is why no guns were allowed. As for grizzlies, the hikers would have to watch for signs of their presence and immediately leave the area. When asked by a hiker how to distinguish the scat of grizzlies from that of the smaller bears, the ranger says, “Well, look for scat that has little bells in it and smells like pepper spray…”

Mama's Note: If it wasn't so true, it would be a lot more humorous... We have a resident mountain lion in the area where I live. I've seen his tracks, and he's a big one. He's been here over two years and has never harmed anyone or any livestock that I know of... but he is here, and he's a wild animal that could potentially badly injure or kill me, so I don't even go out to the trash enclosure unarmed. Being on some sort of "state land" or a park would not change that.

Our right to defend ourselves
PA: Taxi driver shoots passenger during attempted robbery
Philadelphia Inquirer
“Police say a Pittsburgh cab driver fatally shot a passenger who allegedly tried to rob him. Authorities say the shooting occurred Saturday night in the city’s Hill District after the passenger had been picked up downtown. During the robbery attempt, the Yellow Cab driver pulled out a gun and a struggle ensued over the weapon. Police say the passenger was shot and killed during the struggle and the cab driver suffered an injury to his arm. The driver was taken to a hospital for medical treatment. Police did not release the name of the driver or the passenger. The driver was licensed to carry a gun.” (03/02/08)

Of course, the driver should need no license to bear arms and use them in his own defense or that of his company’s property. No one should need a license in this country, if the Second Amendment were worth the paper it is printed on.

Mama's Note: Nobody should need a government "permission slip" to defend themselves, regardless of any "amendment" ever written.

Russian front:
Russia: Putin, Medvedev pledge to collude in tyranny
Las Vegas Review-Journal
“Dmitry Medvedev, the man Vladimir Putin hand-picked to be his successor, scored a crushing victory in Russia’s presidential election Sunday, a result that was long anticipated but that still raises questions about who will run this resurgent global power. Medvedev had more than 70 percent of the vote with 97 percent of the precincts counted, according to the Central Election Commission. He is expected to rule in concert with his mentor, an arrangement that could see Putin calling the shots despite his constitutionally subordinate position as Russia’s prime minister.” (03/02/08)

As expected, Medvedev’s victory ensures the continued power of Putin, a situation more reminiscent of Soviet practice than anything else. And the Russians get to keep their man on a white horse.

Mama's Note: Then they will reap what the sow...

South Asian front:
Pakistan: US to train military officers
San Francisco Examiner
“U.S. trainers will travel to Pakistan this year to teach military officials counterinsurgency techniques to aid soldiers along the Afghan border in the fight against al-Qaida and Taliban militants, U.S. officials said Sunday. The training will also leave the Pakistani border force better able to cooperate with U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, a U.S. military official said.” (03/02/08)

I don’t know whether to view this as an opportunity to properly train an ally or as a stupid action training an enemy in all but name; whichever it is, the bad part is that the US military presence in yet another country is increasing, growing the “empire” and costing the taxpayers ever more.

Stupid cop tricks:
IN: Police chief faces civil rights charges
MSNBC
“The police chief in the violence-plagued city of Gary assaulted two people he suspected of burglarizing his home and had them and two others wrongfully locked up for three days, prosecutors said Thursday. Police Chief Thomas Houston and two top aides surrendered to U.S. marshals on Thursday and were released on $20,000 bond each, one day after they were indicted on federal civil rights charges.” (03/06/08)

Hmm, taking the law into his own hands, eh? And I bet he is against “civilians” owning weapons to defend themselves with.

Mama's Note: And it is most certainly against the law to lock people up without due process. I hope these criminals get the book thrown at them.

Stupid government tricks:
IL: Chicago may ban little baggies
Chicago Sun Times
“Tiny plastic bags used to sell small quantities of heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and other drugs would be banned in Chicago, under a crackdown advanced Tuesday by a City Council committee. Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd) persuaded the Health Committee to ban possession of ’self-sealing plastic bags under two inches in either height or width,’ after picking up 15 of the bags on a recent Sunday afternoon stroll through a West Side park. Lt. Kevin Navarro, commanding officer of the Chicago Police Department’s Narcotics and Gang Unit, said the ordinance will be an ‘important tool’ to go after grocery stores, health food stores and other businesses. The bags are used by the thousand to sell small quantities of drugs at $10 or $20 a bag.” [Editor’s note: Sounds like what’s needed is a ban on aldermen with more time on their hands than brains in their heads - TLK] (03/05/08)

This guy obviously can’t get a clue if it assaults him in broad daylight.

Mama's Note: Oh my goodness... do they think nobody would dare to use a larger bag if, somehow, these idiots could manage to make all the little ones vanish off the earth? And, of course we all know that grocery stores and health food stores are a mortal danger to society - all because of these itty bitty bags... Such insanity.

Stupid government tricks:
China: Climate control an Olympic endeavor
Arizona Republic
“As they prepare to host the Olympics — an event whose very purpose is to push the limits of human beings — the Chinese are trying to do what man never has: Control the weather. With just months to go before the Summer Games come to Beijing, Chinese scientists say they are confident they can keep rain away from the opening ceremony, or summon a storm on cue to clear the city’s choking pollution. It’s a bold — and, according to scientists, dubious — bit of stage management. At installations like one called Fragrant Hills, outside Beijing, peasants with antiaircraft guns and rocket launchers, blast the sky with silver iodide, hoping to shock rain from the clouds.” (03/02/08)

Another example of “socialist science” once very common in the Soviet Union.

Mama's Note: Sure, but I'll bet there are some happy peasants while it lasts. Can you imagine a bunch of fast food workers being given stuff like that to play with in the US?

Stupid people tricks:
Army to revise online courses to stop cheaters
Boston Globe
“The US Army plans to overhaul its largest online education program following revelations that thousands of soldiers have openly cheated on training exams to get promoted, according to an Army spokesman. General William S. Wallace, the head of Army training, ordered the overhaul recently after an internal review confirmed the findings of a Globe investigation last year that revealed the training command knew as early as 1999 that cheating was widespread. The investigation revealed soldiers were obtaining exact copies of tests and answers for the more than 1,000 online correspondence courses. The new measures — including randomized test questions, individual test access cards, and limits on the number of courses a soldier can take in a given period — are expected to cost millions of dollars.” (03/04/08)

It is a shame that it has taken this long to fix the very well-known problem.

Mama's Note: The tests can change, and the situation, but as my late husband used to say, "It's not what you know that counts, it's who you know." There have been cheats and tricks to getting promotions since the first army formed at the dawn of history. Not only is it nothing new, but it won't ever get "fixed" either, as long as human beings are involved.

Stupid people tricks:
MN: Anger management homework used as weapon
Ananova [UK]
“A US man is facing a jail term after he attacked another man with his anger management homework. Justin Boudin, 27, was on his way to an anger management class when he assaulted a 59-year-old woman at a bus stop. He hit her in the face after she took out a phone to call the police when he started shouting at her. When a 63-year-old man tried to stop him, Boudin hit him with a blue folder, which fell on the ground, and ran off. Police who investigated the assault, in St. Paul, Minnesota, tracked him down through the folder which officers said included his anger management homework.” (03/04/08)

Facing a McCain presidency, we should take the warning of this little incident seriously. Of course, this also reminds us of Heinlein’s law: “An armed society is a polite society.” Would this thug have been so likely to have hit her with his homework if she’d had both a pistol AND the phone?

Mama's Note: Something tells me his class isn't doing him much good, for starters. Would he have left the others alone if they'd been visibly armed? Who knows? This might just be one of the crazy ones...

Stupid people tricks:
FCC wants probe of 60 Minutes “blackout”
Reuters
“A U.S. Federal Communications Commission official is seeking an inquiry into the blacking out of a politically charged segment of the CBS News magazine ‘60 Minutes’ by a local television station in Alabama. FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said he had asked the chairman of the FCC to open an inquiry into the February 24 incident at WHNT, a CBS affiliate in Huntsville, Alabama, in which civil rights footage from the 1960s was blacked out. ‘The FCC now needs to find out if something analogous is going on here,’ Copps said at a luncheon with media watchdog groups. ‘Was this an attempt to suppress information on the public airwaves, or was it really just a technical problem?’” (03/03/08)

It seems to me that this is a case for viewers or for the local businesses to vote with their dollars and their time, and NOT for some federal agency.

Stupid people tricks:
Golfer faces charges in hawk killing
Clarksville Leaf Chronicle
“An animal rights group wants the PGA Tour to take action against player Tripp Isenhour, facing charges for hitting a hawk with a golf shot because it was making noise as he videotaped a TV show. ‘Because of the high profile nature of this case, the PGA needs to take steps to address its interest and to make it clear that they don’t condone animal cruelty,’ said Dale Bartlett, the Humane Society of the United States’ deputy manager for animal cruelty issues.” (03/06/08)

Is the PGA now a law-enforcement agency? Is this really a crime any more than killing a sparrow or a grackle attacking your pets or eating your garden would be? I have to admit I’m amazed he could hit and kill a bird with a golf-ball – what club did he use, anyway?

Mama's Note: Do you see how more and more ordinary behavior is being called criminal? It seems that almost everything someone doesn't like is now called "abuse," or "cruelty." Some people would like to make rat poison "illegal" because they've decided it's cruel to the rats!!! Of course, they've never lived where the rats wind up getting far more to eat than the people do.

Stupid people tricks:
MA: Moms for more taxes
Boston Globe
“You could call them the Override Moms — politically powerful suburban women who lobby for property tax increases to pay for teachers, new schools, and better classroom gear for their school-aged children. Think soccer moms, with an activist bent. In one community after another, these mothers have banded together in common cause. They are nimble and they are quick, often performing with the agility and strategy of an expert strike force. With at least 40 Eastern Massachusetts cities and towns planning to ask voters for more than $50 million over the next few months, this is the make-or-break season for thousands of these young mothers dedicated to persuading neighbors to vote themselves a tax hike.” [Editor’s note: As usual, the perspective is force others to subsidize you, rather than convincing them to donate to a worthy cause - SAT] (03/02/08)

These people disgust me – they are always willing to make everyone else pay for their priorities.

The African collapse:
Americans fire missiles into Somalia
International Herald Tribune
“American naval forces fired missiles into southern Somalia on Monday, aiming at what the Defense Department called terrorist targets. Residents reached by telephone said the only casualties were three wounded civilians, three dead cows, one dead donkey and a partly destroyed house. Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman in Washington, said the target was a ‘known Al Qaeda terrorist.’” (03/04/08)

Both reports could be right: most Al-Qaeda operatives ARE civilians. At the same time, what business does the US Navy have acting like a bunch of pirates?

Theft by government:
Houston: Brothers allege “fast one” in land theft scheme
Houston Chronicle
“Houston veterinarians James and Jock Collins envisioned a nest egg for their retirement when they bought a house in the Galleria area in 1982. Instead of enjoying the proceeds from their investment, however, the 75-year-old twins are locked in a battle with the city of Houston. In an unusual use of its eminent domain authority, the city has condemned the property to develop a small ‘pocket park’ on the edge of a large, upscale redevelopment project. The brothers are challenging the city’s action in court, arguing that the park is a pretext for the city’s true purpose: to assist a prominent local developer who has amassed most of the property around theirs for a 21-acre mixed-use development known as BLVD Place.” (03/06/08)

It is hard to think of what to say about a disgusting situation like this. Don’t these old men understand that they have an obligation to just die and get out of the way of the development of more park space for the good of their community? Don’t they believe that such selfless public officials and developers deserve to get their little piece of land as a reward for their civil service? Don’t they understand that Houston must constantly seek out ways to abuse and tyrannize their citizens, especially the elderly and the weak?

Theft by government:
Top Iraq contractor skirts US taxes offshore
Boston Globe
“Kellogg Brown & Root, the nation’s top Iraq war contractor and until last year a subsidiary of Halliburton Corp., has avoided paying hundreds of millions of dollars in federal Medicare and Social Security taxes by hiring workers through shell companies based in this tropical tax haven. When Texas pipe-fitter Danny Langford applied for unemployment compensation after being let go by Service Employers International Inc., he was rejected, he was told, because he worked for a foreign company. More than 21,000 people working for KBR in Iraq — including about 10,500 Americans — are listed as employees of two companies that exist in a computer file on the fourth floor of a building on a palm-studded boulevard here in the Caribbean. Neither company has an office or phone number in the Cayman Islands.” [Editor’s note: If KBR had not, along with its former overlord, scammed American taxpayers at levels still uncertain, while treating their “mission” like mercenary Visigoths (even reportedly among their own ranks?) … we liberty-lovers might actually applaud this news - SAT] (03/06/08)

Frankly, I wish MORE companies could find a way to help their employees avoid being robbed blind by the government. It is, seriously, the responsibility of an employee to know what benefits come with the job and what the real employer is.

Theft by Government:
CBO Report Says Carbon Tax Is Most Efficient
Environmental News Daily
The Congressional Budget Office says a tax on emissions would be the most efficient incentive-based option for reducing carbon dioxide emissions...

Another indicator that “global warming” isn’t about “saving the earth” (unless saving the earth for the government goons is what you mean). It is about increasing the power and wealth of the governments and those who control the governments.

Theft by government:
CO: Eminent domain hovers over woman’s property
Gazette
“For 30 years, Georgia Ward has lived on 40 picturesque acres south of town, the perfect place for horses to roam and graze and drink from Monument Creek. But a Monument road could one day run through Ward’s land, dividing it in two and leaving the eastern two-thirds of it cut off and useless, Ward said.’Who would ever want it then?’ Ward said last week. The town wants to connect Mitchell Road, which dead-ends at the south end of town, to Forest Lakes Boulevard, which curves north from Baptist Road west of Interstate 25. To make way for the road, the town plans to use eminent domain to seize an 80-foot-wide strip of land crossing Ward’s property.” (03/03/08)

I am somewhat familiar with this area, between Denver and Colorado Springs. The town is infamous for its insane restrictions on development and virtually impossible zoning requirements, but they can do whatever they want to. After all, THEY are acting in the best interests of the “community.” She should be grateful to be able to contribute to this wonderful community in this way.

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