|
|
Libertarian
Commentary on The News 10 - 16 Jan
MondayBy Nathan A. Barton © 2010 World wars India and Pakistan exchange rocket fire: media stories conflict Examiner India fired four rockets into Pakistan in retaliation of Pakistan launching four of its own – two of which landed and exploded on Indian farmland while the others went undetonated. However, each country is accusing the other of launching the first attack as news services report conflicting accounts. ... What is interesting is that it appears some of the major news organizations are not exactly on the same page and the truth is still unclear. Nor do they appear to understand the issues and players very well - but that IS the MSM for us: they don't understand a lot of things; as someone recently pointed out, they are the lowest and most amateur level of the entertainment industry - they exist to sell advertising. To some degree, this latest provocation on the India-Paki border is part of the worldwide Islamic war since Pakistan is very much an Islamic state (the only Islamic nuclear power, in fact) and India is a nominally-secular democratic state which is heavily Hindu but with scores of minority religions and ethnic groups; and at least some of the news reports claim that Islamists are behind this, as they were the attack on Mumbai. New religions: environists and world wars (piracy) Sea Shepherd lodges piracy charge against Japanese whalers Christian Science Monitor “Paul Watson and his antiwhaling Sea Shepherd Conservation Society are keeping up the pressure after the collision earlier this week between their high-tech speedboat the Ady Gil and a larger vessel pulling security for a Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean. On Friday, Sea Shepherd filed a legal complaint against the Japanese whaling fleet in the Netherlands, where Mr. Watson’s flagship, the Steve Irwin, is registered. ‘We filed a complaint for criminal prosecution with our prosecutor, requesting the start of an investigation into what we consider to be a crime — piracy, actually — committing violence on the high seas,’ Liesbeth Zegveld, a legal adviser for the group, told Reuters.” (01/08/10) As Mama points out, "Such hypocrites!"Of course! We know who the true pirates are. And of course, the true faithful (that is, the environists) can never be guilty of such a crime - only evil corporations like the Japanese can be pirates, right? Just like Al Gore can emit the carbon emissions of two small African countries just to fly to Copenhagen - HE has a dispensation from G-d. Crash of 2009 (Year 2) China surpasses Germany as world's top exporter Washington Post China overtook Germany in 2009 to become the world's top exporting nation, marking China's rapid rise and growing economic influence, but China achieved the top ranking because its exports fell only 16%, while Germany's exports fell more. This can, of course, change overnight - people buy a lot more of the junk that China makes and exports (you know, toys for Burger King and McDonalds kids' meals. Mama's Note: That is hardly fair. China produces a great many of the quality products we have come to rely on in everyday life. It is not their fault that the US government has made manufacturing so much more expensive here. Stupid government tricks - Crash of 2009 (Year 2) Stimulus Projects Don't Help Unemployment CNSNews.com Ten months into President Barack Obama's first economic stimulus plan, a surge in spending on roads and bridges has had no effect on local unemployment and only barely helped the beleaguered construction industry, an Associated Press analysis has found. Indeed, the government stimulus spending has gone to things that are less than useless, and has delayed things that should have gotten done. And clearly, the money is going into the pockets of those who live/work in districts with political clout. It has just made things worse. Stupid people tricks - Islamic war Tens of Thousands Sign Petition Urging Holder to Move KSM Trial from New York CNSNews.com More than 60,000 people, including members of Congress and three former presidential candidates, have signed a petition calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to move the trial of Khalid Shiekh Mohammed (or KSM) from New York City to a military tribunal. This is, of course, nothing but grandstanding - the Administration and especially Holder have no requirement to pay attention if it were 60,000,000 signatures, and since virtually NONE of these are likely to be Democratic voters, it means that politically they can ignore it, as well. Congress in action - Health Care Panic of 2009 Research Arm of Congress Examines ‘Extraordinary Price Increases’ in Some Brand-Name Prescription Drugs CNSNews.com Between 2000 and 2008, 416 brand-name drug products had “extraordinary price increases,” ranging from 100 percent to 499 percent – and in a few cases, 1,000 percent or more, the General Accountability Office says in a newly released study. I am sure that there are many reasons for this, and quite a few must be laid at the feet of the government - the Clinton Administration and the Bush Administration. First, there is the tried and true tactic of jacking up prices before new government regulations go into effect - especially when the new regs are price controls. Secondly, inflation of medical costs in general (driven in large part by government regulatory costs and insurance costs) includes medicine costs. Thirdly, limits in the time before generic drugs can be introduced (another government mandate) mean that the costs of research and testing must be recouped more quickly. The First Citizen's ministers Obama Maintains Confidence in Embattled Treasury Secretary Amid AIG Questions CNSNews.com President Barack Obama has full confidence in Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, now under scrutiny for e-mails that suggest the Federal Reserve Bank of New York pressured the bailed-out American International Group (AIG) to conceal information. “Secretary Geithner was not involved in any of these e-mails,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters at the White House. “These decisions did not rise to his level." Just like Henry II didn't have his name on any orders regarding Thomas a Beckett... As for Mr. Geithner's level, well, let's not go there. Tranzi Cops Obama’s Interpol Order Won’t Send ‘Blue Bereted Officers’ Onto American Streets, Expert Says CNSNews.com An executive order signed by President Barack Obama on Dec. 16 extending certain legal exemptions to the international crime clearinghouse Interpol may limit civil oversight of the organization, including preventing citizens and citizens’ groups from gaining access to its records through the Freedom of Information Act. But it will not mean "blue bereted officers" will operate freely on the streets of America's cities, said an expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation. “There are already too many unaccountable, opaque organizations operating in the United States, most obviously the United Nations,” one Heritage Foundation analyst told CNSNews.com In other words, they don't HAVE to wander the streets in such uniforms (which INTERPOL doesn't wear, anyway). Heritage isn't pooh-poohing the concerns, just pointing out that there are a LOT more things to worry about than INTERPOL. Still, it is one more protection of our liberties lost, especially when there is cross-deputization in so many cases. Tuesday Home front - war on Islam Not Realistic to Screen 400,000-Plus Names in Current Terror Database, ACLU Expert Says CNSNews.com Former FBI agent Mike German, now a terrorism expert with the ACLU, says it is “fundamentally ridiculous” to think the Terrorist Screening Database of 400,000-plus names is not flawed. The terrorist watch-list system is “broken,” he said on Monday. But the IRS can screen MILLIONS and MILLIONS of names to find out who "owes" them. RRRIGHTTTT. First Citizen and his ministers - government-run, tax-funded schools Obama, Democrats Put Politics Above Educating D.C.’s Disadvantaged Youth, Black Leaders Say CNSNews.com Black leaders say that President Obama, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and members of Congress have put politics ahead of low-income children in the District of Columbia by refusing to support a program that allows 1,700 children to go to private schools, including the school that Obama’s two daughters attend. Congress did not reauthorize funding for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program in the 2010-11 federal budget, thus ending a program that has helped thousands of disadvantaged children attend some of the best schools in the nation’s capitol [sic] since its inception in 2004. Congress and the Administrations have ALWAYS put politics in front of DC's children and anything else to do with DC, which is one BIG reason that DC has so many "disadvantaged youth" and resembles a third-world country more than virtually any other major urban area (except maybe Detroit and New Orleans). First Citizen - Politics 2010 No Comparison Between Reid’s and Lott’s Remarks, White House Says CNSNews.com White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Monday that racial comments by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, and former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, a Republican, are not comparable. “I don’t understand exactly how one draws the analogy to a former majority leader expressing his support for the defeat of Harry Truman in 1948 so that Strom Thurmond would be president running on a State’s Rights ticket,” Gibbs said. Obviously no comparison at all - not that they are accurately reporting what Lott said, of course: he is not a liberal, not a Tranzi, and therefore can be blackened - whoops! - condemned as necessary to further their agenda. New religions: Global warming Scientist: Global COOLING in near future Fox News "From Miami to Maine, Savannah to Seattle, America is caught in an icy grip that one of the U.N.'s top global warming proponents says could mark the beginning of a mini ice age. Oranges are freezing and millions of tropical fish are dying in Florida, and it could be just the beginning of a decades-long deep freeze, says Professor Mojib Latif, one of the world's leading climate modelers. Latif thinks the cold snap Americans have been suffering through is only the beginning. He says we're in for 30 years of cooler temperatures - a mini ice age, he calls it, basing his theory on an analysis of natural cycles in water temperatures in the world's oceans." (01/11/10) Oh really? Hey, the Tranzis don't care whether it's warming or cooling, as long as it is a crisis that they can use to further the cause of the Great God Government... He will no doubt find an anthropogenic cause of the cooling - perhaps because the Third World isn't being industrialized fast enough to have greenhouse gas emissions available locally to insulate the oceans - or perhaps because there are fewer fish in the ocean, they are not swimming enough and thus disturbing the various layers enough and not generating enough waste products to keep the oceans warm enough. Thanks to Scott for this one - it is a great laugh! Stupid politician tricks - Politics 2010 Hickenlooper announces bid to become Colorado governor Denver Post Mayor John Hickenlooper announced his gubernatorial bid this afternoon, saying "I love Colorado every bit as much as I love Denver." Watch video from the announcement Read more. Stupid politician tricks - Politics 2010 Sen. Reid and son Rory running at odds in Nevada campaigns Washington Post LAS VEGAS -- As if Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) didn't have enough problems, say hello to Rory Reid, his eldest son. Looks just like him. He's running for governor of Nevada. Reading this story triggered an old, funny thought: the roots of the word "politics" - from the Greek: "Poly" meaning "many" and "Ticks" - nasty biting creatures very hard to get out from under your skin. All we need is this kind of nasty political dynasty - I don't care WHAT Little Reid says about being distinct from what his father is doing. What kind of political dynasty would the Reids make? Get this: "[Harry Reid] with his wife, Landra, raised four boys and one girl, all of whom became lawyers." This is despite being in Nevada, where they could have chosen more honorable professions, like whores, pimps, faro dealers, or a nice job in enforcement for the Mob. Politics in History New papers show Nixon targeting Edward Kennedy Washington Post In newly released papers from his presidency, Richard M. Nixon is shown preoccupying himself with the finest details of dividing friend and foe: directing a purge of Kennedy-era modern art, which he calls "these little uglies"; ordering the freezing-out of hostile journalists; and fussing over Wh... Excuse me, but what do you expect? First he loses after serving under Ike for 8 years to the little boy whose father bought him a Senate seat with bootlegger's profits, courtesy of a crooked Chicago politician (no, not the current one sitting in DC - he wasn't even born yet in Kenya or wherever). Then, as he's getting ready to make his big comeback, the NEXT brother in line decides its time to fulfill Daddy's fantasies and go for it (only to be taken out by an early-day Islamic terrorist type). So of COURSE he is looking daggers at the youngest brother. I saw an old magazine cover with a young (1969) Teddy Kennedy, and he really was quite handsome and even dashing - it is sad what booze and politics can do to someone. Politics 2010 and Health care panic Health overhaul puts Obama in union bind Washington Post President Obama sought on Monday evening to assuage organized labor's misgivings about the health-care overhaul, even as several key union leaders warned that the bill's final outlines could severely dampen their enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket in this year's elections. Nice subtle threat there, I'm sure. Of course, the Demos can't do without the unions this year - but maybe in 2012? Theft by government Obama weighs a new fee on banks Washington Post The budget that President Obama submits next month is likely to include new fees on financial firms as the White House seeks to recover the full costs of its $700 billion bailout of the banking industry, officials said. Of COURSE we are going to "recover" all the costs, of COURSE we are. Let us see the banks steal more from their customers - especially families and small businesses - to pay back government. Mama's Note: That only works if people continue to let the banks have their money! A general boycott of banks would be a wonderful thing right now. Well, except for all the dumb schmucks who OWE money to banks. War on some drugs NJ: Legislature approves medical marijuana KYW News Radio "Legislation allowing the use of medical marijuana in New Jersey now awaits the governor's signature, after passing both the state assembly and senate Monday. Governor Corzine has already said he'll sign the legislation before he leaves office next week. That will make New Jersey just the 14th state to legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes." (01/11/10) "Just the 14th state" is meant to be dismissive, but that is an excellent record considering the meager resources and the stiff opposition. And 14 is one more than the number of states that rebelled against the British, and three more than rebelled against Old Abe and the evil Congress of that day. (Imagine things would have been a mite different if Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri had all been able to join the Confederacy.) And that is two more than needed to ensure that a Constitutional Amendment to outlaw medical cannabis would be ratified, assuming the court system gets straightened out. Mama's Note: Something doesn't smell right about this. Everything is "illegal" in New Jersey! Why would they want to make an exception for this? Weird... Islamic war - Canaanite front Israel: Regime unveils details of border fence Times Online [UK] "Israeli officials gave details yesterday of the fence they are planning to build along the Egyptian border to thwart migrants and arms smugglers. The Defence Ministry said two fences would seal about 70 km of Israel's 270km southern border, with one surrounding the south western border with Gaza, and another protecting the southern town of Eilat. The fences will include radar equipment that will alert the military of intruders. Radar devices and barbed wire will be placed along the rest of the border, though defence experts said the rough desert terrain was unlikely to be used by infiltrators." (01/12/10) It may be "rough desert terrain" but I recall that as many as several million "illegal immigrants" (actually, technically, "illegal emigrants" - runaway slaves) were able to get across that same border region about 3400 years ago, although likely they came in through the Jordanian/Saudi Arabian side of the border and not the Egyptian side. Point is, despite comparisons to the IGB and Berlin Wall, this is a wall/fence to keep people OUT and not to keep them in. (Admittedly, the choices for someone wanting to leave Egypt without going by ship or air are really REALLY poor: Libya and Sudan? Please! But the kinds of people trying to get from Egypt to Israel subrosa are NOT looking for better paying jobs or better living conditions. WEDNESDAY Stupid people tricks Poll: Most Americans would trim liberties to be safer McClatchy Newspapers “After a recent attempted terrorist attack set off a debate about full-body X-rays at airports, a new McClatchy-Ipsos poll finds that Americans lean more toward giving up some of their liberty in exchange for more safety. The survey found 51 percent of Americans agreeing that ‘it is necessary to give up some civil liberties in order to make the country safe from terrorism.’ At the same time, 36 percent agreed that ’some of the government’s proposals will go too far in restricting the public’s civil liberties.’ The rest were undecided or said their opinions would depend on circumstances.” (01/13/10) Mama Liberty: We know most of these polls are fairly meaningless, but I don't remember many offering an option for "depends on the circumstances." Nathan: This poll (assuming it is accurate) is just one more proof of the evils of democracy, because fundamental laws of Creation are not subject to popular vote (God be praised!). It would not matter if 51%, 67%, 75%, 90%, 99% or 99.99% of the people believed that rights - liberties, freedoms - can be subordinated to "safety and security," such a position will always be wrong. Would that we could live in a land where people could be taught this basic fact. Crash of 2009 On the Hill, bankers torn on crisis role Washington Post A year after the financial system nearly went over the brink, the congressional commission investigating the roots of the crisis confronted four of the world's most powerful bankers on Wednesday and challenged them to take more responsibility for their role in upending the global economy. Oh, if only these bankers would have answered, "Of course, as SOON as you people in Congress admit your own dastardly roles, as well." Politics 2009 Senate race in Massachusetts getting uglier Washington Post BOSTON -- Massachusetts Democrats and their allies have rolled out a series of negative TV ads over a 48-hour period, a striking departure from what has been a polite Senate campaign as polls show the contest tightening. Scrape off the nice shiny paint from 99 of a hundred main party politicians and get sick at the rotten smell that is revealed, eh? First Citizen - Health Care Panic Obama joins leaders in talks to work out health-care kinks Washington Post President Obama spent several hours with congressional leaders Wednesday in a marathon negotiating session aimed at resolving outstanding differences between the House and Senate Democrats over health-care legislation and pushing his top domestic priority through to final passage. Ah, the scent of desperation is in the air, isn't it? Can we hope that this little game is getting a wee bit strained? World wars U.S. faces long odds in improved relations with Asia Washington Post HONOLULU -- In her first year as secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton went to East Asia three times -- more than any other part of the world. It was her first destination, and until the earthquake in Haiti, she was set to return to the region this week on the lead-off trip of her sophomore ... The Red Chinese are getting a wee bit antsy about the fate of the trillions that they have invested in the United States - no wonder she's having to go hold their hand time after time. Mama's Note: EEUW, what a horrid mental picture. Can't imagine the Chinese being happy about having HER hold their hands. Must be more to it than that. Stupid Tranzi Government Tricks FDA post elevates food safety Washington Post A year ago, Michael Taylor was sitting in his office at George Washington University, considering a basic mission of the federal government: making sure food is safe. He'd devoted his career to food safety, working in and out of government, and he was finally in academia where he could think deeply... Excuse me? A "basic mission" - and just WHERE in the Constitution is THIS little assignment given to our masters in DC? This scam by the academic-governmental mafia continues, and people are so fearful that they let them do it, when much of the problem with food safety was created by and supported by the federal government itself. Stupid government tricks - World wars Director of Terror Watch List Says Full List Could Be Screened Before Passengers Board Flight CNSNews.com While less than one percent of the 400,000 people named on the terrorist watch list would be prohibited from boarding an airplane because the people are on the “no fly” list, it would be possible to screen the entire list at airports, a top counterterrorism official told CNSNews.com on Wednesday. I see no reason why this is not possible and fairly easy at that, though I certainly don't like it. This does NOT match what other government agencies claim, however. For example, it has been said that MILLIONS of people are on the lists, and that there are constant errors that cannot and have not been corrected in 6-8 years (like the boy born AFTER Bloody Tuesday who started getting patted down when he was two years old - and still has it done to him six or seven years later). Secondly, WHY are people who are on the watch list THERE if they are allowed to fly? The FAA has the name and date of birth of every person who flies on a commercial aircraft; if they just want to track these people it could be done while they are in the air - if they are not tabbed as being not allowed to fly. This isn't about protecting the airways and passengers, this is about control and the rule of fear. First Citizen's ministers - Health care panic White House Won’t Advocate Posting Health Care Bill 72 Hours Before Vote CNSNews.com The White House, which has avoided answering questions on whether health care negotiations should be broadcast on C-SPAN, claimed the public would have “ample” time to review the legislation. However, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Wednesday declined to say whether President Obama would advocate posting the final negotiated bill on the Internet for 72 hours before a final vote by the House and Senate. "I’m sure people will have an opportunity to see what is in the legislation,” Gibbs said. Right, Mr. Gibbs, just like we could watch the conference committee meetings (including the "marathon negotiating session" with the First Citizen) on this bill on CSPAN, as ALSO promised by the First Citizen before his election. More lies, Mr. Gibbs, more lies. Mama's Note: The real problem being that we've pretty much already seen what this is all about and a clear majority of the people have said they don't want it. (For whatever that's worth, really.) So, the question isn't about seeing the final bill for a mere 72 hours... it is the fact that it would make absolutely no difference, even if there was time and mechanism available to protest it. Bend over, America... here it comes. Islamic war - Afghan front Taliban Strongest in Southern Afghanistan, Where Most 2009 U.S. Casualties Were Concentrated CNSNews.com Southern Afghanistan is "the center of the activity" right now in the ongoing war, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who joined a delegation of Republican senators on a fact-finding trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan over the congressional recess. "This is where we’re seeing more of the Taliban presence and unfortunately we don’t have as many (Afghan) police forces coming from the south as we do from the north,” she added. These are the Pashtun areas - as documented by Rudyard Kipling over a century ago: "When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains, And the women come out to cut up what remains, Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains / An' go to your Gawd like a soldier." Their ancient tribal traditions tied with the 1400-year-old fanaticism of the Islamic jihadi makes for a hideous combination that mere patrols and recruiting will not defeat. Home front - the First Citizen Poll: More Americans Now Say Obama is ‘About the Same’ or ‘Worse’ Than Bush, as Independents Sour on Him CNSNews.com A Quinnipiac poll, released Wednesday, shows that a majority of respondents said Obama’s performance in the last year is comparable to that of President George W. Bush, who suffered some of the lowest approval ratings in history. Quinnipiac asked: “Do you think Barack Obama has been a better president than George W. Bush, worse, or about the same as President Bush?” Forty-three percent of voters said he was a better president, 30 percent said worse, and 23 percent said “about the same.” Yes, the bumper sticker "O=W" applies to more than just the wars in Mesopotamia and Afghanistan, doesn't it? But don't worry, he is no longer needing to fool so many people now that he is in power - this won't cause him to fail to carry out all his plans that really mean something. THURSDAY Stupid people tricks East Boston cat called to jury duty 7News "Anna filed for Sal’s disqualification of service. However, the jury commissioner was unmoved and denied the request." Thanks, Carl, for the story and these comments: Okie dokie... "Mr. Foreman, what has the jury decided?" "Meow." Stupid expletive commissioner. But this IS Boston. Sounds like the script of a bad cat food ad. Mama's Note: The cat owner had listed the animal on her census form, an obvious mistake. Several people have said they were quite sure jury lists were made from voter's registrations, so they wonder how that could have made a difference. I don't know. If you have information, please tell us! Islamic war - Afghan Front ‘Remains to Be Seen’ If Afghanistan Can Stand Alone After U.S. Troop Withdrawal, Republican Says CNSNews.com “Well I think if we’re successful in our mission, that we will be able to see...the Afghan government begin to assert the control both through the military and police forces, but I think that remains to be seen,” Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) told CNSNews.com on his return from a trip to Afghanistan. In other words, this GOP turk... piece of... "leader" thinks that a police/military dictatorship is what the US needs to leave behind it in a bit under 18 months in Afghanistan, after a decade of tearing up the place. Mama's Note: Ah yes... the most vital thing... control, especially via the military and police forces. Crash of 2009 U.S. Chamber CEO Calls Obama's Bank Fee Plan A ‘Bad Idea’ CNSNews.com Tom Donohue, CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the Obama administration’s plan to charge banks a fee to recoup some of the TARP funds used to bail out the U.S. financial sector is misguided. “It’s a bad idea,” Donohue told CNSNews.com at a news conference following his State of American Business address on Tuesday. There are, I am sure, many reasons why this "fee" (tax) is a bad idea, but the mere fact that it is being proposed is proof that the TARP has failed: supposedly the TARP concept would result in the banks paying back the funds together with a significant amount of interest - did not the First Citizen promise a "profit" to the taxpayers? New religions - global warming Environmentalists Say Cold December Temperatures Could Provide ‘Lesson’ About Global Warming CNSNews.com December was one of the coldest on record, but that does not undermine the science on global warming, which is “settled,” according to representatives from the National Wildlife Fund and the National Resources Defense Council. NRDC Director of Government Affairs David Goldston told CNSNews.com Tuesday that the “cold winter” weather could teach people a “lesson” about global warming -- that “weather and climate aren’t the same thing.” The environmentalists said month-to-month variations do not affect the long-term warming trend. Like those people who make predictions that Christ is returning on day X and then wake up the next morning to find that He has not yet returned, the prophets (profits) of global warming are trying to distract us from the fact that they lied and are lying. It is not the weather that shows them up for the freaks and fanatics that they are - it is the last decade's worth of data, their own manipulations, and the false data now revealed that exposes them. But like the evolutionists and the socialists and the regular run-of-the-mill environists, they will not give up, and since their religion furthers the cause of the Tranzis and government-lovers in general, we will see this nonsense continue. Congress in action MLK's Niece: What Reid Was Really Saying is 'Now We Have a White House Negro' CNSNews.com The niece of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. has denounced racially charged comments Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) made about Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign. She described Reid's way of thinking about black people as "sadly outrageous." I have found this silly little morality play quite entertaining and ridiculous, as the Democrats have opened themselves up for the exact same treatment that they have subjected scores of Republicans to over the past few years. Sadly, the GOP does not make the most of its opportunity, else we should again be reminded (as we need to be) of the sorry, sick tale of Robert Byrd of the Klan, of the Democratic Party in the post-Reconstruction South, and of Gore Sr. and dozens of others. It has been and continues to be the modern Democratic Party AND the modern GOP that fan the flames of racism and hatred in this nation, as has been the case since the 1850s. Mama's Note: The "Negro" now in the White House is no better or worse than the last few Texans or anyone else who has polluted that building in the past. It needs a thorough fumigation, and then to be sold to the highest bidder. Maybe they can turn it into a theme park or something - or an honest brothel. Stupid government bureaucrat tricks IRS Commissioner: ‘I Find the Tax Code Complex, So I Use a Preparer’ CNSNews.com The commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, Douglas Shulman, told C-SPAN on Sunday that he uses a tax preparer to do his federal income tax return because he finds the tax code too "complex" to handle the job himself. Too complex to do THAT job himself, just complex enough to ensure that he makes a good living and has as much power as he can handle by being the boss thug-in-charge. A living example of the Peter Principle. Natural disasters - magnified by human disasters Haiti: Quake's death toll feared to exceed 100k New York Daily News "A city lay shattered and its people struggled without the most basic medical help Wednesday as officials predicted the death toll from Haiti's cataclysmic earthquake would top 100,000. ... The capital Port-au-Prince was largely destroyed. Shrouded bodies lined the streets as dazed survivors scrabbled in the debris for loved ones. 'Please take me out, I am dying,' came a woman's voice from under the remains of a kindergarten. 'I have two children with me.' Haiti's Senate president was among those believed to be trapped alive in the rubble of the parliament building." (01/13/10) This of course has dominated the hourly news bleeps this week, together with claims by Pat Robertson (the current peak of tele-evangelist hubris and evil) that Haiti was being either punished by God or awarded by Satan for their devil-worship, but not with the claims by Danny Glover that this was Gaea's punishment on the United States for not taking global warming as a serious religion. This magnitude of earthquake would be catastrophic in ANY place - and if God were really trying to punish a nation for turning their backs on him, this would have been another San Andreas or New Madrid quake. But what makes it the killer that it apparently is (I still am not sure that the panicked reports of hundreds of millions dead are not just journalistic excess as they were in Katrina and many other places and events) is NOT God and NOT Nature - it is mankind's follies. Haiti is one of the worst pest holes on a world filled with them - a combination of prehistoric Taino tyrannies (tributary kingdoms), Spanish colonialism then French piracy, colonialism, culture and slavery combined with the usual consequences of a successful slave rebellion and a history of evil exported straight from Africa and then carefully cultivated by decades of "benevolent" American meddling has made this nation (10 million people on just over 10,000 square miles of land) a by-word for poverty, tyranny, and misery. It is a sinkhole for money, and Haiti's upper and ruling classes have set a world standard for corruption and skimming off incredible wealth from coerced and voluntary donations from around the world. Now it is an excuse for the First Citizen to burnish his foreign policy reputation with the voters and the world. FRIDAY Home front Mining fatalities fall to all-time low in 2009 Aggregates Manager Preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) indicate that mine fatalities in 2009 fell to an all-time low for the second straight year. Metal/non-metal mines recorded 16 mining deaths, and coal mines recorded 18 mining deaths for a combined total of 34 mining deaths nationwide and a significant drop from last year’s total of 52 deaths. Of the 34 fatalities reported, 11 coal miners and 14 metal/non-metal miners died at surface mines, while seven coal miners and two metal/non-metal miners died at underground facilities. Seven coal miners and five metal/non-metal miners died in accidents involving powered haulage, the leading cause of all fatal mining accidents in the United States during 2009. Good news, and although MSHA (and therefore government) claim all the honor for this low rate, all too often, they distract from the serious business of operating safely, and all too often, the fatalities are caused by nothing that MSHA and all the inspectors in the world can eliminate or reduce. All too often, MSHA does little but cause people to panic over paperwork violations and agonize over interpretations of the law while serious problems do not get adequately addressed, and human stupidity has free rein. First Citizen's ministers Obama’s TSA Nominee Characterized Groups That Were Domestic Security Threats CNSNews.com Erroll Southers, nominated by President Barack Obama to head the Transportation Security Administration, described groups that were a domestic security threat as being "anti-abortion" and “Christian-identity oriented." The continued blackening of various groups opposed to key elements of the Tranzi governing policies leads to things like this. Congress in action Rep. Barney Frank: Multi-Million Dollar Bonuses to Freddie, Fannie ‘Too High’ CNSNews.com The Obama administration recently approved base salaries of $900,000, plus $3.1 million in deferred payments, and another $2 million in bonuses for the CEOs of the failed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. When asked if tax dollars should pay those bonuses or if they should be canceled, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), told CNSNews.com that the bonuses were “too high” but “nothing can be done now.” My, oh, my. Does this mean that they didn't give him enough campaign contributions this year, or is this just a ploy on his part to make sure that they increase them sufficiently in 2010? Either way, it is clear that he doesn't plan to do anything about it. Crash of 2009 - First Citizen GM, Chrysler, Fannie, Freddie Exempt from Obama’s Proposed Tax on TARP Recipients CNSNews.com Even banks that have already paid back their portion of the $700-billion federal bailout would be subject to a special tax under a White House proposal that opponents call punitive. But the failed and government-controlled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would not be subject to the tax, although they also received bailout money. President Obama blasted "obscene bonuses" on Wall Street Thursday. When coupled with the previous article, I wonder just how these people expect us to believe their rantings. "Listen to what I say and not to what I do," appears to be both Mr. Frank's and the First Citizen's motto right now. Islamic war - Afghan front NATO Commander Says Afghan's President Karzai Not Concerned About U.S. Withdrawal in July 2011 CNSNews.com NATO’s top military commander for Europe, Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, indicated Wednesday that Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is not concerned about the planned U.S. troop withdrawal, which is supposed to begin in July 2011. But other Afghan officials expressed uneasiness about the U.S. troop withdrawal in conversations with a U.S. congressional delegation that just visited the country. Karzai figures he can get a ride out early in the process and not have to worry about a seat on the last helicopter to leave... Politics 2010 Race is on for Mass. Washington Post BOSTON -- Shaken by polls showing Republican Scott Brown surging in the Senate race that could decide the fate of President Obama's agenda, Democrats on Friday scrambled to shore up the battered candidacy of Martha Coakley, the state attorney general whose once-commanding lead appeared to vanish... There is no indication that electing Brown, from the other wing of the Establishment (Boot on your neck) Party will do anything to help the nation, even in the health care joke in front of the Senate right now. But people continue to hope forlornly... Natural disasters - magnified by human disasters Haitians in U.S. illegally are given temporary reprieve Washington Post The Obama administration will allow 100,000 to 200,000 Haitians living in the United States illegally to stay for 18 months because of Tuesday's earthquake. Here we have another example of a bad situation made worse by stupid government actions. It would seem that returning these people to Haiti to help in the rebuilding would be a good idea - since unlike many of those who stay in Haiti, these immigrants (illegal or not) seem to be willing to work and apparently have some skills. I know, I am not showing much sympathy, am I? But Haiti has itself created its own hideous mess, with some help from the outside (France, Dominican Republic and the US and UN, being the worst). For more sickening details, see this. Haiti, supposedly the product of a "successful" slave rebellion, today has at least a quarter-million recognized slaves and probably several times that number. Indeed, 85% of the nation appears to be slaves to some degree and live on LESS than $2/day, while the top of the pyramid (as represented by former dictator "Baby Doc") have incomes amounting to more than 30 million dollars per year. Stupid government tricks HALF OF WASHINGTON SMOKES TO BE ILLEGAL WITH PROPOSED TAX HIKE Daily Policy Digest A $1.00 per pack increase in cigarette taxes would increase Washington state's smuggling rates from 39.3 percent to 51.5 percent, says Michael D. LaFaive, director of the Mackinac Center's Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative... No, really? More than one of three cigarettes smoked in Washington State is smuggled? Incredibly stupid behavior - on the part of government. I wonder if their tax revenue will actually even increase?  Your comments and feedback are welcome! Now PoL has its own forum at The Mental Militia! Check it out
Nathan Barton is writing from either the Four Corners or the Black Hills - two places where there is still a hope of liberty and freedom for the 21st Century and beyond. He is a libertarian (a lover of liberty) because he is a Christian; a follower of Christ Jesus, Who came to make all men free in all ways. He was born, by God's grace, a Westerner, an American; he is a Christian, and therefore a libertarian, again by God's grace and his own free will and choice. Nathan's writings and words and life seek to live up to the potential of all these things, knowing that he can never achieve perfection on this earth in any of those things, but never giving up trying. Be sure to visit my blog, Liberty's Outpost. Special Feature! Add your signature to the NEW
Declaration of Independence Several people have asked about buying Gadsden Flags (the rattlesnake "Don't Tread on Me flags used by the June 23d Movement and other Property Rights Organizations: you can get them for $9.00 plus shipping here. Check out this website for all kinds of flags and many other items with the Gadsen and other liberty themes.
Please note: Information about readers is never given or
sold to anyone for any purpose. Remember, however, that many people can
read and recover anything posted to web sites or email unless it is
carefully encrypted. Please take personal responsibility for what you
post anywhere. MamaLiberty) |
Your comments and feedback are welcome! Now PoL has its own forum at The Mental Militia! Check it out. Links
to Previous [Some article sources require registration, use this link)
|
|||||||||
 |
|
|