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Libertarian
Commentary on The News
February 22, 2010By Nathan A. Barton © 2010 "President's Day" was this Monday; how much better to honor "Patriot's Day" (19th April) than to idolize government leaders! And I, for one, am getting sick of government holidays: New Years, (M.L.) King (Jr) Day, President's Day, etc. Didn't we get by for decades with almost NO "government holidays?" Mama's Note: Sure, but in those days there were very few government employees to enjoy them anyway. None of the rest of us can afford to take off work on those "holidays." Dead Leader Monday (Presidents Day/Rosenmontag) National defense - Brain-dead leaders? Biden vs. Cheney on terror policy Washington Post Vice President Biden and his predecessor, Richard B. Cheney, engaged in a virtual debate Sunday that highlighted how little progress has been made over the past year -- and across consecutive administrations -- in resolving the central national security questions raised by the attacks of Sept. 11... Most of this squabble is pure politics - the "outs" and the "ins" fussing. But it is important to remember that our national security has left its fundamentals, abandoned its bedrock foundation: the simple statement: "A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed." We all know that in the past nine years, we have departed still further from this requirement. It is worth reading this brief editorial from six years ago. Neither of these men bothered to go back to this. Politics 2010 Here's one Democratic idea the Republicans are adopting Washington Post For much of the past decade, Republicans jealously eyed the outside organizations built by Democrats -- groups that operate independently of the party's elected officials to provide polling, messaging and policy advice. Those organizations played no small part in the Democrats' takeovers of the W... I find it amusing that the WaPo is taking such a contrarian approach to this - according to a good many mainstream media, progressives, and Democratic operatives, the GOP is run by the "outside organizations" like the talk-show hosts and big business coalitions and fronts, and such. If the GOP is now imitating the form (not the substance) of these Democratic Party front organizations, it is because too many of the GOP leadership are seeking ways to recover their party's status without presenting any clear alternative in policies and principles. Although I often attack the GOP's ancestry, heritage, history, and leadership; theoretically even the GOP could become a party of clear and understandable policies - and even a strict "conservative" stand would be preferable to the watered-down internationalist statism that passes for a guiding concept for the national GOP. First Citizen - Politics 2010 Better focus, faster response part of Obama communications plan Washington Post White House officials are retooling the administration's communications strategy to produce faster responses to political adversaries, a more disciplined focus on President Obama's call for "change" in Washington and an increasingly selective use of the president's time. Take a deep breath - that is PANIC that you smell. Instead of concentrating on a better communications strategy and response time to national crises, the White House is concerned about how quickly they can spin the news. This is usually something a presidential campaign morphing into an administration can do without a second thought, in the first weeks after taking office; NOT something to be done 14 months later. Stupid government tricks - Home front Bomb suspect was read Miranda rights nine hours after arrest Washington Post The 23-year-old Nigerian man accused of attempting to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day was read his Miranda rights nine hours after his arrest, according to a detailed chronology released Sunday by senior administration officials. Funny how no one seems to have the First Citizen's itinerary clear during that time, to see if he ordered or knew about the decision. See the previous story for why that is important: They've had seven weeks to get their story straight, and they CAN'T. African collapse - Stupid FedGov tricks Liberia's Charles Taylor, no stranger to Washington Washington Post UNITED NATIONS -- Charles Taylor, the former Liberian warlord and president on trial in The Hague on war crimes charges, saw the value of purchasing a good reputation in Washington. "The best Congress money can buy," eh? The people in DC can never get straight the difference between maintaining good diplomatic relations and letting these petty little foreign thugs dictate the terms of the relationship. First Citizen's ministers Obama’s New OIC Envoy Defended Activist Who Aided Terrorist Group CNSNews.com President Obama’s newly appointed envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference was quoted in 2004 as saying an American who aided a Palestinian terrorist group was the victim of “politically motivated persecutions.” Rashad Hussain was quoted as telling a Muslim students’ event in Chicago that if U.S. Muslims did not speak out against the injustices taking place in America, then everyone’s rights would be in jeopardy. Sometimes "politically motivated persecutions" are fully justified - as self defense! This little pipsqueak was right about everyone's rights being in jeopardy, but not because Muslims did not speak out - the threats to our liberties often ARE Muslim - together with people like him with power in DC. This position, and this appointment to this position, are evidence of the threats our freedoms face. If we HAVE to have an envoy to the OIC, why not someone that really rubs their nose in it: that Supreme Court Justice from California would be perfect: relatively conservative, black, a woman, and apparently tough as nails: just the kind of person to lay down the law to these followers of Allah. World wars - Stupid government tricks Concerns About U.S. Passenger Send Jumbo Jet Back to U.K. CNSNews.com Concerns about an American passenger prompted U.S. officials to bar a British Airways flight from U.S. airspace on Friday. The plane was heading from London to Mexico City when it was forced to turn around. Seems that if it was a US citizen causing the problem, the US officials should have handled it, not behaved like idiots. The handling of this case is just more proof that the FedGov does not and cannot manage our own national defense against terrorists - and you wonder about any other threat... Mama's Note: Well, from the article it would seem he WASN'T causing any problems at all, just had his name on one of the government's queer lists. Why anyone still wants to fly is a mystery to me. Health Issues POLL SHOWS ERODING SUPPORT FOR HEALTH REFORM BUSINESSWEEK (via Daily Policy Digest) Americans may have lost confidence in Congress and the White House to fix health care, says John C. Goodman, President, CEO and the Kellye Wright Fellow of the National Center for Policy Analysis... Hardly the ONLY thing that government is "trying to do" that the people have lost confidence in. What else? The economy; the war by Islam on the West; education; the list goes on and on. New Religions: Global Warming WORLD MAY NOT BE WARMING, SAY SCIENTISTS SUNDAY TIMES (via Daily Policy Digest) New research, including work by British scientists, is casting doubt on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's claim that global temperatures are rising inexorably because of human pollution, say scientists... THERE HAS BEEN NO GLOBAL WARMING SINCE 1995 DAILY MAIL (via Daily Policy Digest) The scientist at center of Climategate admits: There has been no global warming since 1995... As more and more secrets are revealed, it is obvious that we are the subjects of a gigantic Nigerian-style scam. But don't worry, as information later in the week showed, they aren't letting a little thing like the truth keep them from pushing their gospel. Environment Issues USE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ALFALFA UNNECESSARILY HELD HOSTAGE GENETIC ENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY NEWS Adoption of sophisticated agricultural technologies, including biotechnology and genetically modified crops, will contribute to the protection of the environment, says Gregory Conko, a senior fellow with the Competitive Enterprise Institute... Here we see two different wings of the Tranzi movement at odds with each other; on the one hand, many of the multinationals see genies (genetically engineered organisms) as being a bright hope for more control and more market share and more profits. But the international green types; the true believers in Gaia and all the rest, have been allowed to develop this ativistic fear of the same; similar to that knee-jerk reaction seen to nuclear power, to hydrogen fuels, and to pesticides; so they have to walk a fine line - actually, sit on the fence. Mama's Note: I hope it is a rough redwood board fence and they get plenty of splinters. Government-ruined, theft-funded schools "Public" schools face cash crunch as "stimulus" scam winds down MSNBC "The nation's public schools are falling under severe financial stress as states slash education spending and drain federal stimulus money that staved off deep classroom cuts and widespread job losses. School districts have already suffered big budget cuts since the recession began two years ago, but experts say the cash crunch will get a lot worse as states run out of stimulus dollars." (02/14/10) As during the 1930's, the slush fund spending just apparently has delayed the inevitable, and prevented any serious attempt at reform. Terrible Tax Tuesday (Shrove or Pancake Tuesday/Mardi Gras/Fasching) Ah yes, welcome to the end of Carnival (Goodbye to Meat; Latin carnem levare, meaning "to take away the flesh"), Shrove Tuesday. For modern lovers of liberty, this day and its history has a lot of meaning. Originally, saying goodbye to meats, fats (hence, French "Mardi Gras" or "Fat Tuesday); was a fact of life: in ancient and medieval times, you finished eating the last of the fresh produce (meat-includinig fats, vegetables, sugar, fruit, etc.) from the last Harvest. In a pre-freezer/refrigeration society, and even before the invention of modern home-canning, that day came inevitably, and you were reduced to the preserved stuff. You had to make sure that you didn't eat eggs that needed to be next season's chickens; that you had enough left to provide the next generations of animals and protein for the spring planting (and wartime) before the new litters were big enough to be able to eat. You had to eat everything up before it went bad: it was better to store as fat in your body than as something moulding and stinking in the root cellar. As it so often did, the medieval (Roman Catholic) church made virtue out of necessity, and dictated that there was to be no consumption of meat, eggs, and sweets during the forty holy days leading up to the Spring festival of Easter; which became Lent. So the three days before the official beginning of Lent (Ash Wednesday) and its contemplation and fasting was supposed to be a period of preparing yourself for the Lenten feast: clean out the house, use up the last of the prohibited foods (the last slices of meat were traditionally eaten on Collop (Slice or Chop) Monday (Rosenmontag) and the fat saved until Tuesday to cook pancakes in), and go see the priest to shrive yourself - hence the English term "Shrove Tuesday" (Also known as Pancake Tuesday, to use the last of the jams and preserves and fat and eggs.) The clearing out of the foods became (especially for the upper classes, who didn't have to worry as much about starving to death in the next six weeks before the winter wheat and other crops came available and the litters started dropping) an excuse for feasting - and feasting of course means parties. The shriving on Tuesday evening was an excuse to go out and be quite debauched - since the priest would be told everything and "forgive" everything shortly, and you entered the holy season in a state of grace. But. Three days of partying was too much for the medieval and Middle Ages Catholic Church and Carnival was reduced to just one day (officially - by the way, don't tell the Germans). So people partied harder, just shorter, and the Age of Reason gave an excuse to forget the shriving (and any associated repentence, penance, or restitution). When the tradition was carried from France, Portugal, and other European climes to the Americas, it became more, shall we say, intense or concentrated, and today, we have the BIG parties in N'Orleans and Rio-de, and the smaller parties all over the place - excuses for wholesale debauchery and lewdness and all that even Paris or Lisboa would have shunned. A virtue turned on the wheels of if and became a vice - actually, a whole collection of vices. In the same way, all the virtues of the Republic, here as we enter into an accelerated decline, have spawned vices. As if we know we are entering the Lenten season of the second American civilization, we gorge ourselves to excess, bloated deficits and cataclysmic spending; expansion of military actions and occupations; expanding of government size and "duties" and privileges; new and huge crops of enemies - usually barbarians - internal and external. The emperor (or First Citizen) parades in his new clothes; the whores of L Street occupy their corners and push out into the street, stopping the traffic; the sluts of the legislative branches invite more and more lovers into bed with them and try to outdo their sisters with more and more obscene tricks. Almost totally oblivious to the fact that tomorrow is Ash Wednesday; when not just repentence but penance and punishment come due: the "Little Judgment" is upon us, however unaware we are of its coming. It is ironic, and fitting, that all these days of commemoration, days of remembrance, all fall together this year: Lincoln's Birthday, the Iranian Islamic Revolution, St. Valentine's Day, Lunar New Year, President's Day, Collop Monday and Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. Some predict the end of the "world as we know it," in two and a half-years time, more or less; but the signs of the coming doom are there for us to read. Too many of us are too drunk (or too hungover) to make it to the chapel at midnight and get that cross of ashes marked on our forehead, too blind and too distracted to stop and confess and repent and turn away from the evil of our days; too submersed in the filth of a spiritual and political Bourbon Street to recognize our danger. The meat and fat and sugar and eggs and fresh fruits and vegetables that were laid down in the early days of the Republic, paid for by the blood of tyrants and patriots, has been eaten: the cupboard, the pantry, the cellar, and the silo are all empty - the time of self-denial returns instead to its earlier pagan incarnation as the time of starving and fear and evil expectation: the joy of looking forward to the Eternal's resurrection is not there; because our society's, our civilization's faith is dust. Groundhog or not, shadow or not, the days of winter lay long and heavy before us: and no ordinary political or social or physical winter. No, a fimbulwinter, perhaps, an ice-age winter and spring and summer; a nuclear-winter. Is there any hope? As the Lord told Elijah (I Kings 19:18) - "Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." Even in these days of the First Citizen's Carnival, a circus the like of which has not been seen since Nero Caesar, there are still those people who have not bowed the knee, who will still stand for liberty and our rights as God's children: the heirs of Hebrews and Greeks and Romans and Schweitz and Englishmen and Americans who will keep that heritage. I hope that you and I are among that number: who will wear the ash humbly, repenting and making restitution for what we have and for what we look forward to. As for the rest, well, let me quote Sam Adams: "If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." Speaking of scares and dooms, here are a couple: From Steve Elliott, Grassfire Nation, minus a lot of the rhetoric: In the next three years alone, [Current Administration] plans on increasing government SPENDING over the current law by more than $500 BILLION and ring up real deficits of nearly $4 TRILLION! That would mean Obama would be responsible in just four years for increasing the real debt by $5.496 TRILLION -- coming close to all the debt accumulated under all prior presidents. Plus, [the Administration] has snuck the cap and trade scheme in as a "deficit neutral" item -- hiding another $853 BILLION in new taxes for what amounts to a global warming slush fund off the official budget books. And all the while, [the First Citizen] continues the policies of his predecessors in [doing very bad things to] the Social Security Trust Fund (which is now running its own deficits) to the tune of $1.4 TRILLION. But as bad as all this sounds, one line from "Table S-4" in Obama's budget sent a [warning] about the future of our nation… Interest payments on the national debt will grow from $188 BILLION in 2010 to an unsustainable $840 BILLION in 2020. That's just servicing the interest on the debt, while the total debt continues to spiral out of control. (Warning: financial support appeal) New religions - environism The Story of P(ee): Peak Phosphorus "P" is for phosphorus, the stuff of life, and “p” is for “peak phosphorus” by 2030, ecologists say, unless — presto! — pee can be turned into gold through modern-day alchemy. Another environist scare like "peak oil" or "manmade global warming" or "new ice age" or "the population bomb" or "silent spring"? Or is this for real? Or is it a mix, like the screams over biodiesel and corn-ethanol, where panicked reactions and Chicken-Little syndrome triggered panic? Is this the next excuse for more environmental and economic control? Politics 2010 Nation’s Top Conservatives Will Sign Philosophical Declaration of War against Big Government CNSNews.com The nation's top conservative leaders will gather Wednesday in Alexandria, Va.—at a property that once was the site of George Washington’s River Farm—to sign a document organizers are calling the Mount Vernon Statement. It is designed to signal that a united and resurgent conservative movement is declaring philosophical war against the big government and moral relativism advanced by the nation’s liberal cultural, academic and political establishments. The statement emphatically rejects the type of "change" pushed by political leaders who ignore the Constitution's limits on government power. If this is the best that they can do, there is little hope for their movement. It is a weak rehash and nothing at all like the real course correction the FedGov will need to hope to survive. Stupid government tricks Taxpayers Paid Federal Workers Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Not to Work Last Week CNSNews.com When the federal government closed for four days and two hours last week because of snow and ice in the Washington area, U.S. taxpayers still had to shell out an estimated $425 million to $670 million in wages and benefits to those workers. The federal government was officially shut down on Feb. 8, 9, 10, and 11 and opened for business two hours late on Feb. 12. Sigh; can they try for TWO weeks next time? I sure hope so; I'd rather pay them NOT to do any work than pay for them to past more stupid laws and spend still MORE money. But better yet, pay them to GO HOME! Mama's Note: Funny how all the factory workers and other productive people can wind up with a shut down like this... and they usually don't get paid a dime until they can return to work. Islamic wars Islamic and Leftist Allies Defend Iran’s Human Rights Record at U.N. Gathering CNSNews.com As the U.N. Human Rights Council scrutinized Iran’s domestic rights record on Monday, Western nations raised concerns about abuses including executions, torture and mass arrests, while Tehran’s Islamic and leftist allies lined up to defend and praise the regime. The events once again highlighted the deep divisions in the Geneva-based U.N. body, which the Obama administration joined last year. Human rights as defined by WHAT? What a farce it is for the US to belong to the little frat party. Of course, the same "division" exists in the General Assembly, and it isn't going to change anytime soon. Islamic wars Hillary Clinton Views Previous Iranian Governments as ‘Democratically Elected’ CNSNews.com Expanding her views on Iran “becoming a military dictatorship,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was increasingly filling the space once held by Iran’s clerical and political leaders. Speaking in Saudi Arabia Monday, she suggested that the situation in Iran today has changed from an earlier one in which Iran had “democratically elected governments…which had the support of the Iranian people.” And she tells this whopper with a straight face! Congress in action - mainstream media MSNBC’s Maddow Regrets Misquoting Senator Inhofe But Then Misquotes Him Again, Says Inhofe’s Office CNSNews.com MSNBC news host Rachel Maddow corrected the record for misquoting Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) on her Feb. 9 broadcast -- when she incorrectly claimed that the senator had praised federal economic stimulus spending. But she apparently has misquoted the senator again and, as Inhofe’s office told CNSNews.com, “We appreciate that Rachel is a proud liberal defending the massive government spending bills now flowing out of Washington, but hope she will consider making another correction." You have to laugh - it is so typical. Mama's Note: I have an idea... why doesn't she just shut up and find a job that is within her intellectual capacity? I hear WalMart is still hiring greeters. Home front - Politics 2010 Crow Indian Tea Party seeks to remove tribal executives Tea Party group starts up on Crow reservation The Crow Nation 1825 Peace Treaty Allotee Land Commission joins the Tea Party movement in hopes to end government control on the Crow reservation. HARDIN — Calling for new tribal leadership and a break from the federal government, founders of the first Crow Indian Tea Party movement rallied Monday in Hardin. Leading the new Crow Nation Tea Party was Adrian Bird Sr., a former tribal chairman candidate who recently filed a civil complaint against the Crow executive branch alleging malfeasance for mismanaging tribal funds. .. This entire issue deserves a lot more comment than I have time for this week. Suffice to say, "it is ABOUT TIME that this sort of thing is happening in a lot of Indian Country. I don't have much contact with the Crow (a lot of my work is for their ancient enemies), but I suspect that the Crow government is as corrupt, ineffective, and frustrating as the dozen or so tribal governments that I do deal with regularly. Wasteful Government Wednesday World wars India: Rebels kill 21 policemen Wichita Eagle “Maoist rebels detonated land mines and set a security outpost ablaze in eastern India, killing at least 21 policemen in the worst-ever attack on police in the restive area. An additional seven officers were wounded in the brazen assault Monday by more than 100 communist fighters, who also stole weapons from the security post in Shilda village of West Bengal state, said district magistrate N.S. Nigam.” (02/15/10) Mama's Note: Maybe they ought to write a few more laws making it even MORE "illegal" to kill policemen. I know, why don't they ban land mines? Oh wait... Nathan's comments: While they are at it, why don't they make it illegal to steal guns from the security forces also? India may be the world's largest democracy, but that doesn't stop the rebellions from coming and coming. Kinda makes you wonder about this democracy bit. Stupid unions - Government-ruined, theft-funded schools Unionized Rhode Island Teachers Refuse To Work 25 Minutes More Per Day businessinsider.com Her plan calls for teachers at a local high school to work 25 minutes longer per day, each lunch with students once in a while, and help with tutoring. The teachers' union has refused to accept these apparently onerous demands. Mama's Note: Unfortunately, they will just hire more of the same. sigh. Nathan's comments: Can we at least hope that THIS time they will not just repeat the same error? Maybe they can just close the schools and let the private sector provide. Stupid government tricks - liberty in our homes CT: Bill would tie child, animal abuse files Associated Press “Connecticut lawmakers are considering a proposal to require child abuse investigators and animal control officers to inform each other when they find something potentially amiss in a home. The General Assembly’s Select Committee on Children is considering the bill, which would add Connecticut to the list of states that require animal control officers to report child abuse when they know or suspect it is occurring. Similar provisions are in place in California, Colorado, Ohio, and Maine. Connecticut’s proposal would go a step further, though, by requiring the state Department of Families and Children to notify the state Department of Agriculture, which works with local animal control officers, about homes where pets might also be vulnerable to maltreatment.” (02/16/10) More nanny state micromanagement. Oh, and more surveillance too, of course. It is very typically done even without a law requiring it: the environmental regulators, from EPA through every state and tribal agency, call it "multi-media" enforcement: to get a federal storm water construction permit, you have to demonstrate that you are complying with cultural resources and endangered species rules; a man inspecting your paperwork on hazardous materials will note down and report you to the air pollution office if there is "too much dust" or "too much smoke" or if the permit number isn't legible; a woman inspecting your water discharge point will report to the solid waste regulators if you aren't recycling what she thinks you should be recycling. The nanny state net surrounds and swallows and chokes us all. The purpose is (1) to increase their own power; (2) to increase the power of the state; (3) to increase fines and fees to support that growth and their own pay increases; and (4) when possible, for many of them, to keep anything from being done. Everyone is considered a criminal, doing illegal things; the hammer is there when desired to make us fall in line or keep us from doing what we want to with our own money, our own land, and our own lives. Congress in action Bayh's criticism of Congress: Overstated or spot-on? Washington Post Sen. Evan Bayh's surprise decision not to seek reelection touched off a debate Tuesday among strategists and scholars about whether the Indiana senator's depiction of the "brain dead" politics and hyper-partisanship of Congress is accurate or overblown -- and, if accurate, whether walking away was... Another quitter, whining his way home - not that I mind these people quitting. But like others in recent years (the ND senator, the CO governor, etc.) he can't tell the truth: that he is very likely to lose the election and ACORN and SEIU and AFGE can't corrupt the election count enough to overcome the likely spread. And although I can't say it (remember, UCMJ charges if I am not nice enough about Congress), I like the lie he told - because it is NOT a lie to describe Congress the way he did. It just is not the reason he is quitting. Home front War game reveals U.S. lacks cyber-crisis skills Washington Post Scene: The White House Situation Room. Event: A massive cyber attack has turned the cellphones and computers of tens of millions of Americans into weapons to shut down the Internet. A cascading series of events then knocks out power for most of the East Coast amid hurricanes and a heat wave. And the US government can do... nothing. Read The Last Centurion by John Ringo to see what this will become; and how government makes it worse, not better. "Cyber-skills" are the least of it. First Citizen - Crash of 2009 White House to mark stimulus anniversary with progress report Washington Post The White House is releasing its first annual report on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Wednesday, summarizing its progress on the first anniversary of President Obama's signing of the massive, politically contentious economic stimulus package. First Citizen - Crash of 2009 Theft by government Obama’s Budget Deficit Could be Trillions of Dollars Higher Than CBO’s Outlook CNSNews.com Republicans railed against the Obama administration last month when the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicted a $6 trillion dollar deficit over the next decade. But an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), a taxpayer watchdog group, of President Obama’s proposed budget baseline for fiscal year 2011 points out it actually could spur more like $8.5 trillion in deficits… This is hardly news, is it? That the First Citizen has again (1) broken campaign promises and (2) lied about the effect of some policy (or combination of policies)? Like the man dying of cancer, who has to smoke through the ventilation tube in his hospital bed, because he will not give it up: he is too addicted. So too are Federal bureaucrats and legislators too addicted to spending; they will see the US financially in the gutter first. Politics 2010 New Initiative to Attract Latinos to Conservative Movement Mirrors Liberals’ Policy, Critic Charges CNSNews.com The American Principles Project (APP) has launched an initiative designed to bring Latinos into the conservative movement by “supporting policies that are welcoming to immigrants,” but critics said one of the policies - the pathway to citizenship plan - is identical to the open border stance of President Barack Obama and other liberals… Once more we see an area in which apparently the two parties see and have no differences - they both will prostitute themselves as much as necessary to get votes, apparently. But it is more than just opportunism: both parties are led and dominated by Tranzis to whom this is almost as important as the sacrament of abortion... First Citizen's Ministers - Culture wars Obama’s Faith-Based Adviser Harry Knox Bashed Pope and Catholic Church For Many Years, Records Show CNSNews.com Harry Knox, who serves on President Barack Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and who has said the Pope is “hurting people in the name of Jesus,” has a record of making anti-Catholic statements… Well, what do you know? The latest killer-suicide; already held up as a poster child by the media and Tranzis, has something in common with the First Citizen's appointment: they both hate the Catholic Church. Whether or not Knox remains in power or not, his agenda is clearly winning: the Catholic Church in DC has given up fostering and aiding placement of children, as the government has decided that they can do that ONLY if they give up their freedom of religion. First Citizen's Ministers - Islamic war Publication Denies Cover-Up on OIC Envoy, Implies Anti-Muslim Bias Lies Behind Story CNSNews.com A Washington-based publication said Tuesday that it incorrectly quoted President Barack Obama’s newly appointed envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference as saying in 2004 that an American who aided a Palestinian terrorist group was the victim of “politically motivated persecutions.”… Why do we need an envoy to a bunch of criminals and thugs - when we already have one directly to the individual governments that make up the OIC? Or does the First Citizen intend to have the US join, since we are "one of the largest Islamic nations," as he claimed over a year ago? Islamic war Dubai Government Issues Warrants for Mystery Killers of Hamas Terrorist CNSNews.com Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said Tuesday they were issuing international arrest warrants for 11 people – traveling on British, Irish, French and German passports – suspected of assassinating a top Hamas terrorist in a Dubai hotel room last month… Blood is thicker than water - they should give these people a reward, or at least a pass, instead of trying to track them down. Mama's Note: Maybe... but two can play that game. Once the doors are wide open, it might be very hard to close them. Culture wars WI: Atheist group sues to end ministers' tax breaks Tennessean "A nationwide atheist group is asking religious leaders to take Jesus' advice and render unto Caesar what is Caesar's -- especially when it comes to taking the federal tax break on their housing. The Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation says the housing exemption gives churches an unfair advantage because they can compensate their leaders with tax-free housing. Other nonprofits, such as the foundation, can't do that. So it's suing the federal government to outlaw the housing allowance. 'We think the law is rotten at the core,' said co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor. 'It is not constitutional, it is not fair, and it is not necessary.'" (02/16/10) Oh, such fun! First, until they start putting the First Citizen's picture on the coins or bills, Jesus' words about Caesar don't track - and technically, the US Gov didn't create that phony money - the Federal Reserve did - and everyone knows that the Fed isn't a "Government Agency." Rightttt. Secondly, what competition? You can't compare a "minister of the gospel" to someone who runs "Pets-R-Us" animal shelter. Constitutional? Yes, because taxing churches on their property and anything else is infringing on the "free exercise of religion" as the Constitution states - the Constitution doesn't have to include "taxes" as something defined in "infringement." There is no "Congress shall not infringe on freedom of non-profits" or even "Congress shall not infringe on freedom of charities." Mama's Note: I disagree with the last, Nathan. There is no Biblical justification for any of the current taxes, and only one (tariffs) has a shred of constitutional legitimacy. Since all taxes are theft, the proper thing to do is eliminate all of them so everyone would be treated equally. Tyrant's Bane Thursday Theft by government - Home front $30 Billion buys little "security" Centre For Public Integrity Since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, the federal government has mounted an unprecedented domestic effort to protect America from terrorist threats. Part of that effort involved a massive reorganization of government; in March 2003, some 22 federal agencies were combined into a new Cabinet-level entity called the Department of Homeland Security. But the initiative also involved new money — stacks of it. Some of that cash was spent by DHS itself or its new component agencies. Another $30 billion or so has also been awarded in special anti-terrorism and emergency preparedness grants to states and local communities for fighting extremists and bracing for catastrophes. Thanks to Tim for this info. For each state see this. The attacks of Bloody Tuesday have been a wonderful opportunity (excuse) to spend trillions and expand government massively; I dare say that 99% of the money spent has ultimately been wasted. Home front - Defending our liberty NIGHTFALL IN AMERICA Daily Policy Digest President Obama's large federal deficits are part of a strategy to Europeanize America, to make the government larger, broader and in charge of almost everything, says Pete du Pont, Chairman of the National Center for Policy Analysis and a former Governor of Delaware... Once more I find myself agreeing with a member of the GOP on a problem - just not on the solution. We are past the time when only "reform" is sufficient: it is necessary (at a minimum) to RESTORE government: probably going back to about 1840 or so - as far as structure and relative size; that is a good first step. It is not enough to stop increasing government, we must roll back 95 percent to begin with - then work on whittling down the rest. Congress in action - Government-ruined, theft-funded schools Lawmakers to launch bipartisan effort to redo No Child Left Behind Washington Post Senior House Republicans and Democrats plan to announce Thursday that they will team up to rewrite the No Child Left Behind education law, a rare show of bipartisanship in the polarized Congress. Bad news - very bad news. We need this no more than we need a health care "fix" or an invasion of Iran or a "carbon fee." Congress in action Price tag of congressional earmarks rises Washington Post Congressional reformers contend that they corrupt the process, and President Obama has vowed to sharply reduce them. But Congress devoted nearly $16 billion to lawmakers' pet projects in their home states and districts last year -- a slight increase in funding over the previous year... Another campaign promise conveniently ignored: to the victors belong the spoils. Billions and billions for profits and buying votes; not one red cent for paying off debt. Health care panic of 2009 Excise tax has nonunion impact, study shows Washington Post A proposed tax on high-cost health insurance plans, an element of Democratic health-care legislation that has been strongly opposed by organized labor, would actually fall equally on nonunion plans, according to a new analysis. It does not require a formal analysis to discover this - it is a political fact that the Administration intends to squeeze every penny out of everyone; make everyone not in the hierarchy miserable. We must all be equal: the stretching beds and the head-chopping tables to make us all equal height will follow soon. New religions: global warming - the First Citizen's ministers Top U.S. Climate Official: 15 Years With No Global Warming Is Not a Trend CNSNews.com When asked yesterday whether she agreed or disagreed with one of the world’s top climate-change scientists that there had been no statistically significant global warming over the last fifteen years, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Jane Lubchenco would only say “that it is inappropriate to look at any particular short period of time to discern the long-term trend.”… A warm winter in 2002 was enough for Al Gore to point to as "proof" of global warming; fifteen years of data (once the REAL data was found and replaced the bogus data) does not establish a trend that just might disprove their revealed gospel of global warming? Lubchenco demonstrates the modern arrogance of government appointees and civil service bureaucrats. First Citizen - National defense White House Still Can't Say if Obama Knew in Advance on Christmas Day That Underwear Bomber Would Be Mirandized CNSNews.com Almost two months after the attempted Christmas Day terror-bombing on a Northwest airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, the White House still cannot say whether President Barack Obama knew in advance that the suspect would be read his Miranda rights on the same day as the attempted attack and after he had been interrogated for only 50 minutes… "Cannot" seems to be the wrong word - "will not" appears to be the truth of it. Indecision, injustice, and the First Citizen's ministers White House: KSM will be Executed But Civilian Trial Defendants Presumed Innocent CNSNews.com White House spokesman Robert Gibbs agreed that part of a civilian trial is the presumption that the accused is innocent until proven guilty, but Gibbs also said that Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, would be "convicted" and "executed for his crimes."… The Looking Glass: "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master - that's all." Bill Clinton: "It depends on what the meaning of the words 'is' is." and "It depends on how you define alone…" Islamic war - Mesopotamian front U.S. Ambassador Praises Progress in Iraq, Skirts Question on Bush Legacy CNSNews.com The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Hill, said on Wednesday that he is inspired by the upcoming March 7 election in Iraq and that democracy is taking root there, but he stopped short of giving any credit to the Bush administration for Iraq’s transition from a dictatorship to one where people will cast a vote for their future leaders… IF "democracy is taking root" here, I admit to feelings as mixed as watching a valley fill with salt cedar: yeah, it's nice to have SOMETHING growing there to keep the dust down and provide some shade, but it isn't exactly a step forward. Mesopotamia is still an incredibly archaic (or futuristic) tribal society in which there is little liberty and less freedom, in which people will continue to live (such as that life is) and die with little or no hope, no opportunity, and neither peace nor prosperity. That is NOT the fault of the United States; but the United States squandered its opportunity just as the United Kingdom, and the Persian Empire, and the Roman/East Roman Empire, right back to Sargon the Great, all failed to turn a bunch of Arab tribesmen into decent human beings or even a near-facimille of such. Mama's Note: Unfortunate as it is, nobody has a right to attempt to change these people or their society, however much we dislike or distrust it. We have no more right to impose anything on them than they do to impose their religion or culture on us. Fat Chance Friday Stupid government tricks $1.25 billion settlement reached with black farmers Washington Post The Obama administration announced a $1.25 billion settlement Thursday to resolve charges by thousands of black farmers who say that for decades the Agriculture Department discriminated against them in loan programs. With the various people in Congress, we KNOW that this sort of thing came from higher up than USDA. This is little more than a form of "reparations." Health Care Panic of 2009 Medicaid sign-ups surge nationwide, analysis finds Washington Post The recession has fueled the greatest influx of Americans onto Medicaid since the earliest days of the public insurance program for the poor, according to new findings that show caseloads have surged in every state. Medical help is not alone, of course; SSI filings, new Social Security claims for retirement, food stamp applications, and all sorts of things are up - we are in a depression, folks; 10-25 percent unemployment and all the works. None of this stuff EXISTED in 1929 or 1933 - so of COURSE we are setting new records. And none of this stuff will help much; indeed, it will make it worse. Never mind; the mainstream media will emphasize the horrendous need for Medicaid as proof that the First Citizen's health "fix" must be passed; and ignore everything else: no attention will be paid to Social Security, no call to "reform" food stamps; none of that matters. Health Care Panic of 2009 HHS chief decries insurance increases Washington Post The Obama administration stepped up its criticism Thursday of health insurers' efforts to raise their rates, an attempt to harness public aggravation with the industry and rebuild momentum for broad changes to the nation's health-care system. To me it is obvious that the rates are going up because the insurers all hope to avoid the price controls that are part of the Administration's heath care "fix." For once, the WaPo points out the truth, at least in part. First Citizen's Ministers Bill boosts Treasury secretary's role Washington Post The chairman of the Senate banking committee is aiming to release a new wide-ranging bill next week that would overhaul financial regulation, including a provision that could for the first time give the Treasury secretary a direct role in the oversight of individual financial companies, according... If ANYONE is a poster child for an Administration running wild, Mr. G. is that child; but here the Senate wants to give him MORE power. Talk about the definition of insanity. Politics 2010 Romney to Obama: Stop Blaming Others for Failure CNSNews.com Saying that America is not better off than it was $1.8 trillion ago, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said President Obama should stop blaming his predecessor and the American people for high unemployment and growing deficit and failure of the Democratic health care overhaul proposal... I think it amusing how Romney sounds so much more conservative and confrontational today than he did $1.8 trillion ago; but Romney also needs to admit that Bush and the GOP fouled up totally and that Obama is hardly the only scapegoat. Culture Wars D.C. Archdiocese Ends Foster Care Program Over Same-Sex Marriage Bill, Which Allows Homosexual Couples to Adopt Children CNSNews.com The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. has ended its 80-year tenure as a public foster care provider because of a same-sex marriage bill in the nation’s capital that allows children to be adopted by homosexual couples... The lost generation to end all lost generations - what a evil omen for the future of what was once the heart of the nation: DC, the Maryland suburbs, and Northern Virginia will suffer even more in the future than they have. Politics 2010 ‘Both Parties Are Guilty,’ Boehner Says at CPAC CNSNews.com At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) pledged that Americans can count on him to change the way Congress works if Republicans take the House in the coming elections. He also stressed that he is “serious” about listening to “those who are really in charge of this country: the American people.”... Well, this is great that he is at least speaking SOME truth. But HE was part of the problem when the GOP was in control, and he is STILL part of the problem and WILL BE part of the problem. The problem is Congress and its refusal to follow the law, and its "committee-IQ" mentality. Mama's Note: The problem is that all of these people seriously consider themselves above any "law," and truly believe that they can continue to do just whatever they wish, regardless of the consequences. Payback is going to be a real bitch. Islamic war - Persian front Revolutionary Guard Meddling in Iranian Politics Began Decades Ago CNSNews.com The Obama administration is painting Tehran’s failure to respond to its overtures as the result of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) having “supplanted” political and clerical leaders who would otherwise likely have been more open to engaging the U.S... This is, of course, normal for most post-revolutionary regimes - especially those which are "progressive" in nature: it happened in France in the 1790s and 1800; it happened in Russia in 1917; it happened in Spain during the same period; it happened in a dozen Latin American countries (Haiti is an example). Only the US and Texas avoided it (for the most part; remember that Hamilton was an Army officer). This is no surprise and is simply a convenient excuse for the Administration to blame a lack of progress for the past 13 months; the campaign promises have NOT been met. Politics 2010 Cheney Passes Political Torch to His Daughter and ‘The Younger Generation’ at Surprise CPAC Appearance CNSNews.com Former Vice President Dick Cheney made a surprise visit to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, joining his daughter Liz Cheney on the stage, in front of a standing and cheering crowd. Ah, the vitriol which has descended on the Cheneys for this appearance is incredible, absolutely incredible. Even though the current Administration had demonstrated a lack of competence exceeding the G W Bush administration by orders of magnitude, and even though Joe Biden is a laughable, embarrassing clown for his running mate and the rest of the Administration and Congress, the venom still flows when Cheney is mentioned: he is at once Hitler, Tojo; Cardinal Richelieu, and Pontius Pilate all rolled up in one to them. Mama's Note: Cheney used to get a pass from a lot of Wyomingites, regardless of his evil deeds, but even his most "conservative" supporters here are starting to make bad noises. This has just about finished any support Cheney had in Wyoming. Too bad it took so long for people to wake up, but done is done. 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 By Robert Greenslade To Read previous Commentaries, go to the archives page and click onto the link for the week. The commentaries are linked from the weekly front pages. 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) |
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