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Libertarian
Commentary on The News
August 30, 2010By Nathan A. Barton © 2010 Monday Politics 2010 Democrats' 'mama grizzly' vs. 'the next Sarah Palin' Washington Post As South Dakota's lone House member, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) wants each of her votes to reflect the wholesome, conservative values of this rural rectangle of a state. So she has artfully tailored her record: no on the health-care overhaul; no on the Wall Street... [Sometimes I have to comment on local (for me) issues, especially when they get national coverage.] Sorry, I don’t buy it - Stephanie’s voting record has NOT reflected “wholesome, conservative” values, but a realpolitick need to keep as much of her base as possible while tap dancing to do what she wants to do in DC: side with the progressives. Of course, the WaPo understands South Dakota politics as little as it understands the geography of the state - or its socio-political-economic situation. Politics 2010 Latest polls are a bad '90s flashback for Democrats Washington Post Is it deja vu all over again for Democrats? Some neutral observers and senior strategists within the party have begun to believe that the national political environment is not only similar to what they saw in 1994 -- when Democrats lost control of the House and Senate -- but could in fact be worse... No, really? With some predicting one-half of all incumbent Democrats out of work after November? With the President’s numbers in the tank? With people actually talking OPENLY about armed rebellion and secession? Really? “Worse” describes it mildly. Mama's Note: The really sad part is that, as far as I can determine, most of the people talking about rebellion and secession STILL have no idea that self government, self ownership and voluntary cooperation are the only viable alternatives to tyranny and economic catastrophe. Far, far too many of them just want a different redistribution of the wealth and a different elite to rule us all. The recent Al Sharpton and Glen Beck rallies are a perfect example of that. Our right to self-defense Texas: Bank allows customers to carry KNTX News "A bank in Chappell Hill is taking the second amendment out of the vault by letting their customers carry guns inside. At first glance, you might not notice anything unusual about the Washington County bank, but take a closer look. 'If you've got a handgun carry license I don't have any problem at all and I encourage you to bring it in the bank,' Chappell Hill Bank President Edward Smith said. Chappell Hill Bank is one of the oldest banks in Texas, and it's also one of the first banks to encourage the right to bear arms. 'I've been looking at what's been happening in this country; lawlessness, and we've been robbed several times, so I changed it to reinforce the second amendment,' Smith said." (08/20/10) I suppose that this is news in some places, but in my circles, it is not that unusual for customers to wear their weapons into the bank, and I don’t think it bothers most bankers any more (at least in the West) to have a private customer wear a pistol in than it would for a police officer or security guard or military personnel to do so. But this CHB president needs to understand that there is NO LEGAL AUTHORITY for a “handgun carry license” in ANY state. Mama's Note: I get few comments and no hassle at all when I enter the bank - or anywhere else here. I openly carry a big, black XD .45 on my hip. Our right to self-defense Embracing the gun; States loosen laws on open and concealed weapons Bend Bulletin "In the red rock and sand of the Arizona desert, just past the retirement villages ... that have made this sun-worshipping city famous, sits the biggest public shooting range in the United States. ... Residents have the right to carry handguns openly, and starting last month residents ... also are able to carry concealed weapons just about anywhere, without the bother of getting a permit. The full embrace of firearms is just as fervent to the north in Montana, where nearly two-thirds of all households have firearms. Montanans feel so strongly about their right to own guns ... that lawmakers passed a measure last year that challenges the federal government's authority to regulate guns made and kept in their state." (08/22/110) Another example, I guess, of media waking up to see that the world is changing. As the nation’s condition deteriorates (well, corpses do that, you know) more and more of us - at least in the West - are more and more concerned about being ready AND ABLE to defend ourselves and our communities. JPFO today launched a survey of its members and affiliates to see what they think that the answer to Claire Wolf’s classic question is, and I look forward to the results. And every day, we see yet another threat. Tyranny by local government Philadelphia Demands Bloggers Obtain Business License Examiner.com In an act that is neither brotherly nor loving, the city of Philadelphia is demanding business license fees from a local blogger. From CityPaper.com : "Between her blog and infrequent contributions to ehow.com, over the last few years she says she's made about $50. To Bess, her website is a hobby. To the city of Philadelphia, it's a potential moneymaker, and the city wants its cut. "In May, the city sent Bess a letter demanding that she pay $300, the price of a business privilege license." This is, of course, Philadelphia that we are talking about - a city nearly as corrupt as Chicago or Boston - which fights crime by blowing up and burning down entire city blocks, and that rapes its citizens AND its employees impartially. This is little different from threatening 7-year-old girls selling lemonade with arrest and court unless they have a “food vendor’s license” and shutting down little old church lady teas because they are assembling without a permit. This “business license” sort of law has been on the books of MANY jurisdictions for decades, but in the past has either been ignored or enforced very selectively to avoid stupid situations like Bess’s. But we ARE seeing and WILL be seeing more of this - even on a weekly basis. Self-defense Georgia: Burglary suspect shot dead by Superior Court judge WRDW News "Deputies say the shooting happened around 4:00 this morning at Judge Overstreet's home on the 2200 block of Cumming Road. That's when investigators say Howard, possibly along with a second person, broke into Judge Carlisle Overstreet's Augusta home. Investigators also tell News 12 Howard was masked when Judge Overstreet confronted him in the home. After the shooting, we're told Judge Overstreet is the one who called 911. ... 20-year-old John Howard was killed by one shot from the judge's pistol. Investigators believe burglars broke in thinking nobody was home, but quickly found out otherwise and it ended deadly." (08/20/10) Didn’t this judge just take the law into his own hands? How can he do this - play the vigilante like this? Did he bother to ensure that the man’s rights were protected, that he had an opportunity to defend himself in court? Of course not - which shows that not ALL judges are stupid. Stupid border tricks - Islamic war Texas: Weapons Charge Reveals “Jihadist” Books Houston Channel 2 A traveler from India has been arrested on a weapons charge at Bush Intercontinental Airport, and police said the man was carrying extremist books that refer to "jihad" and "infidels," ... The man also had a large amount of cash and a portable computer storage device [thumb drive] capable of holding documents and data, officials said... He has been booked into a Houston jail on charges of possession of a prohibited weapon after brass knuckles were found in his checked luggage. .. Kumar was pulled out of the Terminal E security screening line for a closer look after TSA behavioral detection officers noticed he was sweating and fidgeting. Speaking of stupid! Does this stink to anyone else? Books? Brass knuckles? Fidgeting? A thumb drive? Stupid government tricks In Wake of Recall, FDA Calls for More Authority Houston Channel 2 Food and Drug Administration chief Margaret Hamburg says her agency is limited by law to a mostly reactive stance on food safety and argued that it needs a more "preventive approach." This Egg Panic is just that - stupid people doing stupid things and allowing themselves to be stampeded into MORE foolish acts. ANY food has a potential to make you sick - or even kill you under the wrong conditions. It is a fact of life - indeed, it is NECESSARY for life. The FDA is not - but if we give the FDA the kind of power it wants, we will see food prices doing what education prices and medical care prices have done for the last 30-40 years: explode and explode again and again, while service (or results) collapses. Islamic war - Canaanite front Memories of Past Failures Hang Over New Push for Mideast Talks CNSNews.com With the first direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders since 2008 due to begin on Sept. 2 in Washington, there is no sign that either side is ready to compromise on the issues that divided them at the Camp David talks in 2000. At least the First Citizen knows SOME history and techniques (although they are political techniques, and he IS good at that stuff). When things are really bad domestically and in the rest of the world, buff up your image by getting the Israelis and the Arabs together for a photo-op and so they can pretend to talk to each other. I think it has worked for every president since Ike. Hasn’t HELPED any that we can really see, at least not for the Arabs or the Israelis, at least in the long run. But who knows - maybe the pig WILL learn to sing! Islamic war - Mesopotamian front U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq [sic] After the Last Combat Troops Withdraw CNSNews.com An American soldier was killed in Iraq [sic] on Sunday, three days after the last combat brigade left the country ahead of the month-end deadline for the formal end of combat operations. The death brings to four the number of U.S. deaths in combat so far this month, making August even with April as the deadliest month in Iraq since last fall. It is not going to be the last one - the Mesopotamian occupation has never involved just “combat troops” having to fight, and just because the last “combat brigade” has gone somewhere else does not mean that various groups will stop attacking US troops. Because, even with “less than 50,000” boots on the ground (notice, no one has said how many US contractors and civilian employees remain in-country), it is STILL an occupation, and the wars among the inhabitants of the region and goons from all over continue. This “withdrawal” will probably reduce the chances of a new united nation of “Iraq” forming. And we will still be burying soldiers for a long time to come. Stupid people tricks Musician John Legend Compares Disapproval Of Ground Zero Mosque To Opinions On Segregation in 1960's CNSNews.com Grammy award-winning musician John Legend told CNSNews.com that he does not “care” about polls showing that the majority of Americans do not want a mosque built at ground zero, saying “You can’t let the majority have tyranny to the point where minorities are oppressed.” I appreciate Mr. Legend’s point about minorities and majorities - which is supported by Dr. Ron Paul and many others. I do NOT agree with his attitude that he doesn’t care: even if people are wrong on a matter, you are not going to convince them to do the right thing if you don’t care what their opinion is. But rights are not the only issue here. It is clearly the right of Muslims or any other group to build a place of worship (or a community center, or a flophouse) anywhere they wish. There are two other big factors here that Mr. Legend does not address, and that Dr. Paul is choosing to ignore in favor of pushing other (important - perhaps even MORE important) points. First, the group which has pushed this site shares Mr. Legend’s attitude: they don’t CARE what people think about this - at least not they way they should IF they were doing this project for its stated purpose. They are NOT pushing this because of any need for a Muslim place of worship or community center at this location (there are lots of mosques, lots of community centers, and lots of other locations available), but to make a point. They apparently WANT to make the US out to be Islamophobic. IF they were interested in their stated goal of “reconciliation” there are many ways that they could have approached it - and this is not one of them. I refuse to believe that they are that stupid. Secondly, many people perceive that NYC shares the Muslim group’s and Mr. Legend’s attitude - the City doesn’t CARE what people want. So they give the appearance that the City is submitting to the demands of the Muslim group even while it is rejecting requests by Christian groups (the rebuilding of the only church building destroyed during the Bloody Tuesday attacks) and appears to be biased in favor of the Muslims and their desires. I have a right - the liberty - to do MANY things, as Paul the Apostle once wrote. But sometimes it is not WISE to do something I have a right to do. That might be calling a politician a foul name, or eating a piece of pork. But if I am trying to convince that politician not to do something, the foul name calling is really stupid. And if I have gout, or am trying to get a group of Muslims or Jews to pay attention to what I am saying, eating that pork chop is really stupid. What the Muslims and NYC - and the First Citizen - are doing is “really stupid” IF their goals and objectives are as they have stated. If their goal is to do something else, like push other people to do something stupid, or to cause wars (internally or externally), then they are doing a lot to push those goals. As it is, the entire situation is tainted and has helped to further divide the nation. But, as Dr. Paul pointed out, this DOES seem to help identify those politicians who are more interested in pandering than in doing what is principled and right. Tuesday Africa’s Collapse At Least 150 Women Raped in Weekend Raid in Congo New York Times The United Nations, Congo and Rwanda began a military offensive against the group in early 2009, but since then, humanitarian organizations say, cases of rape have risen drastically. “It’s awful,” Ms. Trassari said. “The numbers are quite worrying.” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited eastern Congo in 2009 to raise awareness about widespread rape in the region, calling it “evil in its basest form,” and the United States pledged $17 million to the Congolese government to fight sexual violence. Mama’s Note: Not a word, of course, about making sure every one of these villagers was armed and trained to use them. Wouldn't probably take 17 million either. If they would use those guns, the rapes would stop very quickly. But what I wonder is how these men could rape the women like that without any reprisal from their families. Don't their husbands, brothers, sisters, etc. have knives, stout sticks, ANYTHING? Or don't they really care? Nathan’s thoughts: Clinton and Trassari care nothing about the women - else as Mama says, they’d see that the women and their families got weapons to defend themselves. No, as with rape itself, this is about power and domination: the rapes are being used to establish domination, and the rapes are being used as an excuse to pay off the various thugs who are the “official” rulers (by UN and US definition, at least) to do what the US and UN want them to - whatever that is. I suspect that the menfolk of these women have been emasculated already: disarmed, beaten, enslaved, killed, and that the UN, Congo, and Rwanda troops are probably doing a fair amount of rape on their own - we know that African Unity troops and UN “blue-helmet peacekeepers” have done and tolerated a lot of rape as well - because it IS about power. Islamic war ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ Imam Viewed Sanctions Against Iraq As an Act of Terrorism CNSNews Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the Muslim cleric at the center of the controversy over the mosque near Ground Zero, was quoted as saying four years ago that economic sanctions impacting civilians amounted to an act of terrorism. Previously, in July 2005, Rauf was quoted as saying, “We tend to forget, in the West, that the United States has more Muslim blood on its hands than al-Qaeda has on its hands of innocent non-Muslims.” Ah, yes, demonstrating his “moderate” credentials, indeed. But America, we are told is not at war with Islam. And I agree - but that doesn’t mean that Islam (defined as the vast majority of the members and sects of that religion - the “Ummah” or “Dar Al’Islam”) is not at war with the United States and with the “West” - and with every religion that calls itself “christian” or “Judaism. The enemy to fear is the enemy that we do not understand is an enemy - and the American government and at least a “working majority” of American citizens do not understand that we have an enemy which is a “religion” but is also a society, a governmental and legal system, an ideology, and a system of conquest and totalitarian rule. Stupid government tricks Obama Justice Dept. Argued in Favor of Using Race As a Relevant Factor Among Others to Justify Immigration Stops CNSNews In at least three court cases, President Obama’s Justice Department has argued in favor of federal law enforcement officers using race as a factor in determining whether to stop someone for a suspected immigration violation. It has done so despite the fact that the Justice Department and the Homeland Security Department report that they do not engage in “racial profiling.” Indeed. Some people might say that there is just the tiniest whiff of hypocrisy and political posturing here, given the vicious attack (spoken, so far) on Arizona. This should embolden the people and government of Arizona to do what is right and demand that the US Government (1) obey the Constitution and (2) fulfill its responsibilities to defend its members. Arizona’s attempted action will probably NOT solve the problem (though it may help some) and it has some serious problems as far as the provisions for society and even for personal liberty. But the alternative of doing nothing is definitely worse. The current judicial injunction against the Arizona law is illegal, BECAUSE THE JUDGE HAS NO JURISDICTION. The only body that COULD issue such an injunction would be the Supreme Court of the United States, because such a suit by the FedGov against a State must be filed ONLY in the Supreme Court. Arizona has to announce, and take action, to IGNORE this injunction - this illegal injunction. It has to train its citizens (each other, that is) and its citizens’ employees - the cops and all the rest - to do what is necessary AND respect and protect people’s liberties. And it CAN be done. What will the FedGov response be? Will they send in troops (or try to)? Or will they just send in marshalls to try and arrest the governor and legislators and people of the state? Or will they do what this Administration has already demonstrated that it is willing to do: brand the State of Arizona a “terrorist state” and issue execution orders on the state’s leadership? Order its goons and thugs to kill American citizens, and at the same time vilify them and steal everything - not just the usual 50% or more taxes - that they own? Abominable Act Americans Losing Confidence in ObamaCare’s Promise of Lower Costs and Medicare Guarantee CNSNews Americans are less confident they will be able to afford their health care now than they were before President Barack Obama signed the $1 trillion health care overhaul package, according to a poll released on the five-month anniversary of the president’s signature. The poll is the latest indicator of sustained public disapproval of the Democrats’ health care reform law. Most people do not fully understand just how bad it will be, because it will take several years to kick in. The hope is that enough people will see at least some of it, now while there is still time to change. But I fear that it is too little and too late, in this, our dead republic. World Wars – First Citizen Obama Administration Tells U.N. It’s Committed to Closing Gitmo, ‘Fixing’ Immigration CNSNews In the first ever self-assessment of America’s human rights record, the Obama administration has informed the U.N. that it remains committed to closing the detention center at Guantanamo Bay and to “fixing our broken immigration system.” A report delivered to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Friday describes the “great strides” the U.S. has made towards ensuring equality of the law for all Americans. It also acknowledges that work remains to be done. The blindness of this Administration - or at least, an incredible myopia - and of too many Americans and even too many libertarians - continues to astonish me. America’s fight for human rights ultimately has virtually NOTHING to do with “broken immigration system” or an enemy combatant detention center in Cuba - it has to do with restoring either the Constitution of 1787 OR creating something better to protect the freedoms, the liberties, of ALL people. We are NOT doing more to “ensure equality” IN LIBERTY as every day in Congress demonstrates - the equality is the equality of slavery, of oppression, of domination. It is the equality that the children of Israel in Egypt enjoyed. Stupid government tricks - Slavery Enforcement Against Human Traffickers Improving, State Department Official Tells Prosecutors CNSNews Law enforcement officials at the local, state, federal and global level have done more to combat human trafficking over the last 10 years than ever before, said Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, head of the U.S. State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking In Persons. Speaking at a conference on child abuse, CdeBaca explained how the U.S. approach has changed over the years. This man is an idiot - he is nothing but a propangadist. He cannot be as ignorant of history as he seems to be, but history tells us that the fight against slavery (“human trafficking” is such a stupid ephemism) has been fought for thousands of years, and has been fought in America - and in the United States - for centuries. And far more was done in MANY “ten year” periods than 2000-2010: from 1776-1786, 1787, 1808, 1860-1865, 1939-1945, and others. Like the overall fight for liberty and godliness, the fight against slavery will never end, because there will ALWAYS be evil people who want to own other people - and TOO MANY OF THEM are sitting in seats of power in DC - not just in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and Iran and North Korea and China and Vietnam and Syria. The fight for liberty takes place in suburbs of Denver, in the deserts of the Four Corners, in the grasslands of West River, and in the mountains of the Paha Sapa, the Appalachians, the Sierras and the Rockies. New Religions: Global Warming China, India, Indonesia, Brazil Can’t Estimate Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Complicating Push for Climate Treaty CNSNews Even as the Obama administration seeks to negotiate an international treaty to cap greenhouse gas emissions, many of the world’s most egregious producers of greenhouse gasses cannot accurately estimate how much gas they currently emit, according to a recent report from Government Accountability Office. I have to cheer for anything that delays passage of this insane treaty and cripples the Administration’s efforts to finish the destruction of American industry in the guise of “saving the environment.” It is obvious that (1) India, China, and the other nations will NOT refuse to cripple their growing industry, and (2) they are not just unwilling to track those emissions, but cannot due to technology and to the fact that many of their people do not have the luxuries we take for granted, like cheap and easily obtained electricity, natural gas, and dependable automobiles and refrigeration. Is it not arrogance to demand this of them - and to demand that Americans must REDUCE our standard of living, for a myth? Wednesday Crash of 2010 US stocks lose big on home sales shock CNN Money "U.S. stocks closed sharply lower Tuesday after a report showing showing a worse-than-expected plunge in existing home sales reignited fears about an economic slowdown. The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) sank 134 points, or 1.3%, the S&P 500 (SPX) lost 15 points, or 1.5%, and the Nasdaq (COMP) composite fell 36 points, or 1.7%. ... Disappointing economic news has sent investors flocking to the perceived safety of Treasurys and the Japanese yen, which hit a 15- year high against the dollar early Tuesday." (08/24/10) Folks, this depression is far from over - indeed, we are likely far from the bottom. And government - especially the FedGov - are doing things to make it worse and NOT end it. And all too many of us are too foolish to realize that running into the arms of the government (by buying MORE government debt in the form of Treasuries) is incredibly stupid. Are you prepared? American front - War on some drugs - Fifth Mexican Civil War Texas: Drug war sends bullets whizzing across US-Mexico border Naples Daily News "The first bullets struck El Paso's city hall at the end of a work day. The next ones hit a university building and closed a major highway. Shootouts in the drug war along the U.S.-Mexico border are sending bullets whizzing across the Rio Grande into one of the nation's safest cities, where authorities worry it's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt or killed." (08/24/10) There was worse news from this war front later in the week. For whatever reasons (and I think a very well-armed population is a big part of it), El Paso has had no - get that, NO homicides so far in 2010. That is an incredible record for a city with at least a half-million residents (not counting military personnel stationed there or border jumpers or people in the suburbs) in ANY place in the world, much less the United States. But El Paso has a front-row seat on the war in Mexico: a multiple-sided war between a corrupt and increasingly tyrannical government, rogue agencies, and multiple competing drug “cartels” which have no recourse to civilized ways of resolving their disputes. A war which, we MUST admit, is caused in large part by an insatiable Norte-Americano demand for recreational drugs - and the refusal of the US government to recognize that prohibition and a war on some drugs is far FAR more destructive of life, liberty, and domestic peace than the real problems associated with much drug use would cause. A refusal fueled in large part by supposedly “legitimate” business interests who know that illegality increases their profits and their control of that government in illicit ways. And a condition made worse by the refusal of American government and too many Americans that “good fences help make good neighbors.” It will not be long before the war in Mexico spreads north of the Rio Grande even more - to say nothing of Arizona and California and New Mexico. These states - and their citizens, have a right to self-defense - a right EXPLICITLY guaranteed by the US Constitution of 1787. They are nearing the time, if it is not already here, to exercise that right. Nazgul - Our right to defend ourselves Georgia: Judge refuses to block ban on guns in church Atlanta Journal-Constitution "A federal judge on Monday declined to block enforcement of a new Georgia law that bans guns in places of worship. 'It's not at all discouraging,' said John Monroe, the attorney who filed a lawsuit on behalf of a minister at a Thomaston church and GeorgiaCarry.org, gun-rights advocacy group. U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal, in a 30-minute hearing, said he would base his final decision on the outcome of the lawsuit only on the writings submitted by Monroe and the attorney for the state and Upson County .... Royal's ruling on the case likely won't occur this summer. Whatever his decision, legal analysts expect it to be taken to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and eventually to the U.S. Supreme Court." (08/23/10) This is an affront to MULTIPLE freedoms of all people - and once more shows the arrogance of federal judges (and the legislatures who pass illegal “laws” like this) in dictating to free people and to free churches what they must (and must not) do. Mama's Note: And, in the meantime, everyone who is really interested in defending themselves and others from criminals will continue to carry concealed... just as they always have. Politics 2010 More candidates hunting votes with guns National Public Radio "Jesse Kelly, a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona, is wielding an assault rifle in his political ads. Russ Carnahan, a Democratic congressman from Missouri, is pictured in a home state newspaper pointing a pistol at a target. ... So far, 2010 'has been a big year for guns in political ads,' says Darrell West, director of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution.Well, it is a scary world. And voters are looking for can-do leaders who can solve complex problems easily. But there is the question of whether a parade of politicians pictured with guns makes us feel safer, or even more frightened." (08/23/10) I love the way NPR enjoys twisting the knife (metaphorically, of course) in stories like this, but it is not hard to argue with the general idea that a politician with a gun in their hands is a scary image. But it is (like so much that politicians do) a mostly bogus image: politicians virtually never are willing to do their own killing - even if they can do so from ambush. No, politicians deal with death, wholesale or retail, at well beyond hands-length. They are perfectly willing to pass laws and accept or issue regulations or “executive orders” that lead directly to the deaths of dozens, grosses, or tens of thousands of people - but always at a distance. And we should always remember that campaign ads have as much to do with reality as the latest issue of “Archie’s Pals ‘n’ Gals.” But then, the same can be said for the NPR story. As an aside: As identified by RRND, NPR is “[US State Media]” but I’d disagree with this - it is liberal, but no more “state” than ABC, NBC, CBS, or CNN - all of which behave as though they were a fourth branch (and the controlling branch) of government. But the truth is, that NPR does things that in our system, a truly government-controlled media would not be able to get away with. And not “good things” from the point of view of lovers of liberty. Self defense PA: Deliveryman shoots robber Penn Live "As he was being punched in the face and beaten with a glass bottle, a Chinese-food deliveryman grabbed his pistol and fired at the two robbers attacking him, striking one of them -- a 16-year-old boy -- in the shoulder, police said. The news comes on the heels of a push by gun rights supporters to get the so-called 'castle doctrine' into state law. The proposal would give gun owners the right to fire rather than flee when threatened in their homes, cars or any public place where they have a right to be." (08/20/10) No question of the media bias in this story: the “castle doctrine” will lead to more 16-year-old boys being shot (poor boy, right!). Never mind that this deliveryman had little or no chance to “flee” his beating. Culture wars - Islamic war ‘Burn the Quran Day’ Plan Prompts Warnings of Anger, Unrest CNSNews The Organization of the Islamic Conference has joined the growing condemnation of plans by a Gainesville, Florida church to burn copies of the Quran on the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. The OIC said it hoped the U.S. government would “take appropriate steps to protect the sacred religious sentiments of Muslims of America and of the Muslims across the world.” This idiots and fanatics just don’t get it, do they? America HAS no laws against private individuals or organizations burning books (unless it violates open burning or air quality protection laws - and this is unlikely to do that, is it?). As offensive and “in-your-face” as this is, there is nothing illegal about it. And there never should be. Now, admittedly, these people run a risk of being targeted by Muslims (and Tranzis) but the people who will likely die as a result of this are Muslims, in riots in Pakistan and Indonesia and Egypt, as they protest this unknown church in Florida. The panicked reaction of Americans will be that Muslims will swarm to Gainesville and attack this church’s building. That may be why their mortgage holder (a bank) and their insurance provider are against the burning, and perhaps why the fire department denied their outdoor burning permit. Or is there more to it? My question is, why did they need a permit for a religious ceremony? Do Catholic Churches have to get permits for burning candles - even hundreds of candles at a time? Do Santaria churches have to get permits for sacrificing chickens? For that matter, does your normal church potluck have to get a permit to fire up the old grill and offer burnt offerings of ground cow meat and sliced pig meat and zucchini? And why should their insurance or bank care whether it is propane or charcoal or paper that is being burned? Unless (whisper) it is because they are afraid that enough Muslims in the world ARE fanatic, extremist, bloody-handed people and NOT the “moderates” that supposedly are the vast majority in the world and the US? Natural disasters - Islamic war Islamist Leader in Pakistan Says Accepting Flood Relief From U.S. and India Is Like ‘Poison’ CNSNews Accepting emergency aid from the United States or India amounts to taking “poison,” the head of one of Pakistan’s leading Islamist political parties said Tuesday. The remarks by Syed Munawar Hasan, head of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), evidently were intended to apply new pressure on a government already torn between dealing with the flood crisis and antagonizing radical elements. Oh dear, you can’t be too careful these days - do you realize that some of that money might have actually been put in a collection basket and PRAYED over by - goodness, it could have been Baptists or Lutherans or Catholics (a PRIEST, even!) or even an LDS bishop or ... it could have been donated in an American Humanist Association meeting of atheists or used to buy (whisper) drugs! And that food might not have been properly blessed by the right type of imam and might not be Halel, and might have been prepared in equipment (no matter how clean it was at the time) that had been used to prepare pork or something else that is spiritually poison. And then paid for by that tainted money... Of course, many other Muslim “leaders” have accused the US of giving aid only to increase control over Pakistan, even while claiming that the floods are the punishment of Allah for Pakistan working with the West and not following Shar’ia. Natural disasters - Islamic war Sen. Kerry Urges American People to ‘Do More’ for ‘Pakistan’s Katrina’ CNSNews Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), just home from a trip to flooded Pakistan, says the world “isn't keeping up with the size of the challenge” in that country – and he is urging the hard-pressed American people to help out. “Even as I sit here I'm shaken by the fact that this is Pakistan's Katrina,” Kerry said. So John Kerry wants to poison the people of Pakistan, eh? How much help did Pakistan provide the people of the Gulf Coast after Katrina? No matter how much, I can be absolutely certain that the people and churches and volunteer organizations of the United States have given multiple times more to Pakistan’s people. Not even counting the taxpayer money stolen and given to the Pakistani government (and religion - see story on Friday) by the US government. Even in our times of distress, Americans give and will give to help those in trouble. First Citizen’s minions Biden: NIH Critics ‘Know Nothing About Science’ CNSNews Vice President Joe Biden praised the National Institutes of Health Tuesday, despite the agency’s record spending of tax dollars to study such topics as teaching Chinese meditation techniques to cocaine addicts and “hookah” smoking among college students in Jordan. “I love how our opponents have nitpicked some of the research money that we have given to NIH. It reflects that they know nothing about science,” Biden said. Ah, the pot calls the kettle black. No matter how many “achievements” we can claim government science has made in the last 70 years (since just before WW2), the amount of government WASTE in making those achievements would have, if left in the hands (pockets) of taxpayers, resulted in far more achievement. And might have even found a cure for whatever it is that has turned Joe Biden into what he is. First Citizen Disapproval of Obama Rises to All-Time High, Says Gallup CNSNews For the first time in his presidency, Barack Obama’s average weekly disapproval” rating has hit 50 percent, according to the Gallup Poll. During the week of Aug. 16-22, President Obama’s average approval was 43 percent and his average disapproval was 50 percent. President Barack Obama’s job approval rating among American men has fallen to a record low, hitting 39 percent in the week of Aug. 16-22, according to the Gallup Poll. The week of Aug. 16-22 also marked the first time Obama’s average weekly approval rating dropped below 40 percent for either gender. Poll numbers are fickle, but all the polls seem to show this drop and the panic is spreading among incumbents in general, and Democrats in particular. This also means that more and more Americans are (gradually, of course) learning that their trust in government is misplaced. Culture wars: killing babies - war against religion Catholic Bishops Prod Members of Congress to Support Permanent Ban on Taxpayer-Funded Abortions CNSNews The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is soliciting the support of Congress for the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) at the end of July. In a recent letter to members of Congress, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston/Houston, addressed the assumption that the Hyde Amendment bans all federally funded abortions. Of course, you can imagine the response that this triggers among Tranzis - an attack against “religious interference” with the government. It is critical that the Tranzis eliminate the threat of religion. Just yesterday a comment of mine elicited a foul-language attack which among other things demanded that a “new, good constitution” include “freedom FROM religion.” This quote (from an article by Eric Rauch) helps explain the Tranzi position: “...listen to what political scientist Gary Segura has written (and was used as evidence by the plaintiffs’ opposition to Prop 8 in California): [R]eligion is the chief obstacle for gay and lesbian political progress, and it’s the chief obstacle for a couple of reasons… [I]t’s difficult to think of a more powerful social entity in American society than the church… [I]t’s a very powerful organization, and in large measure they are arrayed against the interests of gays and lesbians…[B]iblical condemnation of homosexuality and the teaching that gays are morally inferior on a regular basis to a huge percentage of the public makes the…political opportunity structure very hostile to gay interests. It’s very difficult to overcome that.[ 2 ] It’s very difficult to overcome only if they actually allow the church to be engaged in the debate. This is why the church is regularly marginalized, ignored, and not invited to be a part of the discussion: the opposition is afraid of this “very powerful organization.” Thursday God’s world - Healing disasters Study: Bacteria ate away at gulf oil plume Washington Post “The Gulf of Mexico ecosystem was ready and waiting for something like the Deepwater Horizon blowout and seems to have made the most of it, a new scientific study suggests. Petroleum-eating bacteria, which had dined for eons on oil seeping naturally through the seafloor, proliferated in the cloud of oil that drifted underwater for months after the April 20 accident. They not only outcompeted fellow microbes, they each ramped up their own internal metabolic machinery to digest the oil as efficiently as possible. The result was a nature-made cleanup crew capable of reducing the amount of oil in the undersea plume by half about every three days, according to research published online yesterday by the journal Science.” (08/25/10) Mama’s comments: I'm just wondering what these little beasts will do when the oil is gone? Are they just going to die quietly? Weird. I guess they wouldn't do any good in some of the other spill areas... seems they only live at great depth and need the cold or something. Weird anyway. Nathan’s thoughts: This again reminds me of what my old friend the geochemist said about the way God made the earth. It also points out what people persistently (and stupidly) refuse to accept - petroleum, crude oil, is a NATURAL substance and has been present in the environment since the creation - or at least since the Flood. Just like arsenic compounds in the soil, silica in sand, and lots of other stuff we define as "hazardous substances" and/or "pollutants." Bacteria (and other critters) have been known to eat petroleum for decades - that is one of the mechanisms used when land-farming petroleum-contaminated soil (from spill sites, leaking tanks, etc.). The soil is spread out and aerated and kept moist and broken up to ensure good conditions both for sunlight to break down the hydrocarbons, for the volatiles to evaporate, and for the bugs to eat it. You can reduce the petroleum content of soil from 2000 ppm or more down to 10 ppm in about a year, or less. This bacteria, and other mechanisms, may explain why the big Mexican spills and other spills around the world vanished so quickly. I suspect that they have (as do most bacteria, I understand) a relatively short active lifespan and that the population bloom ends quickly once the food supply is consumed. And I wonder if the use of the chemical dispersants and other attempts to clean up the mess hindered the ability of these organisms to respond to the conditions created by the spill. And of course, this is severe egg on the face of the Administration and all the other doomsayers. Has anyone compared this to War of the Worlds, yet? Local government tyranny - War on some drugs LA: Only 41 medical pot dispensaries can stay open Aberdeen News "Los Angeles officials said Wednesday that only 41 medical marijuana dispensaries can stay open under a city ordinance, and letters were sent to 129 clinics notifying them that they may be shut down. The city attorney's office said it expects a slew of lawsuits and will file a countersuit asking a judge to determine that the city's strict process in interpreting the law was appropriate." (08/25/10) Just in case we thought that “medical cannabis” is “legalized cannabis.” Let us see LA pass a law so that only 41 “regular” drug stores can be allowed to operate - or perhaps that only 41 stores of ANY type in LA can sell liquor or tobacco or Tylenol. American front - War on some drugs - Fifth Mexican Civil War Mexico: Drug warriors find 72 bodies dumped by other drug warriors at ranch Reuters "Mexican marines found 72 corpses at a remote ranch near the U.S. border, the Mexican navy said on Wednesday, the biggest single discovery of its kind in Mexico's increasingly bloody drug war. The marines came across the bodies of 58 men and 14 women, thought to be migrant workers, on Tuesday at the ranch in Tamaulipas state, 90 miles from the Texas border, after a series of firefights with drug gang members." Even the most ardent (but rational) supporter of open borders has to take a different position when there is a war going on across the border. Imaginary line or not, the contrast between this kind of bloody fighting and the relative peace on the Texas side of the border is stark and should make ANYone - even the Democrats in DC - look at what can and must be done to defend the border and our society from the danger. In Mexico, 28,000 people have died in four years of war, and as this story reports, it is getting worse. And as I was informed today, this and some other matters HAVE caused at least one major supporter of open borders change his opinion regarding the need to take effective action (although he still doubts both the effectiveness and some of the associated fallout of the Arizona and similar laws - as do a lot of us). This also reminded me of an old common-law doctrine, that of “attractive nuisance.” That doctrine holds that the owner of a property which has something that attracts people - even foolish and immature people (like children) which can lead them into harm or tempt them to do something even more stupid, that owner has an obligation to prevent access to the property. Merely posting signs or warning people isn’t considered adequate: a physical barrier (such as a fence or wall) is required; sometimes, if the attraction is great enough and the danger is great enough, guards or patrols are required. An example is a quarry where blasting takes place: warnings, fences, and patrols are all considered to be essential to protect small children from nearby houses from being endangered. Is this not a situation similar to the “attractive nuisance” of the United States to the peoples of the southernly Americas? It is something I intend to ponder. Mama's Note: A true dilemma on all sides here. I do wonder, however, just how different things might be if the ordinary people of Mexico were as well armed as we are. These people were murdered because they were helpless - as much as for any other reason. New religions: environism Coal Ash Pollution Chattanooga Times Free Press A new report says water contamination from coal ash is much worse than has been previously estimated, adding 39 additional toxic waste sites from coal-fired electric power plants in 21 states — including Tennessee. The new number brings the total sites with documented problems to 137, analysts said. “We want (state and federal) monitoring at these sites to be more effective,” said Jeff Stant, director of the Environmental Integrity Project and an author of the 21-page report. “The owners of these sites should not be given a perpetual license to pollute.” It is pretty obvious that the “Environmental Integrity Project” is nothing more than an EPA front organization. Not that I totally disagree with them: coal ash, like coal itself, contains many “hazardous” constituents and some of these can enter ground and surface water. However, the “problems” are exaggerated and for the most part, do not pose threats to anyone. The earth’s natural processes (as created by God) can deal with the levels being touted as dangerous - just as is happening in the Gulf with the oil spill. Of course, this author knows that he is blowing smoke when he babbles about “perpetual license to pollute” because that is EXACTLY what the EPA and its little state partners do - issue licenses to pollute: to trespass and damage other people’s property with the air, water, and other pollutants from YOUR property. Of course, the challenge is determining what trespass is acceptable, but the EPA (like its various fronts) is not about determining “acceptable for health and the environment” but what is “politically acceptable” where the dominant factor to be considered is how much more power it gives elected politicians and unelected bureaucrats. This is fine, of course, with the fanatics in the front groups, who want to eliminate as much power production as possible (provided, of course, that THEIR electricity and fuel for travel is not reduced, because THEY are the ELITE and DESERVE all this) and ultimately want to leave their goddess (Gaia) with as few humans as possible to disturb her existence. The rest of us must accept this, and obey. Friday Self Defense South Africa: Taxidermist kills robbers News 24 "Two men were shot dead by the owner of a taxidermy business after they robbed him in Randfontein, Gauteng police said on Tuesday. 'The 36-year-old male business owner that had been tied up along with workers this morning, managed to free himself and ran outside to where the men were leaving the house with money they had stolen,' police spokesperson Captain Appel Ernst said. 'Shots were fired and the owner killed two robbers with his own rifle.' One of the men was on the list of the 10 most wanted criminals in the West Rand, for house robbery." (08/24/10) This is, apparently, self-defense, although the man was incredibly stupid to rush outside following them. The robbers saw him, turned and fired at him, and he fired back: self-defense. Now, would a jury agree? Maybe not. The real question is why he and his workers were not prepared to defend themselves against the invaders in the first place, especially with this kind of thug wandering around. The answer? The government won’t let them. The surprise is that he was even allowed to have a rifle, much less a handgun. Medical Technology Survival Differences After Injuries "Alarming" Reuters Survival rates for individuals who experience a traumatic injury vary widely across North America, possibly suggesting the need for new treatment standards, according to a study published in the Annals of Surgery... Doesn’t this sound good? Don’t we want ALL Americans to have the same opportunity to survive their injuries? Don’t we KNOW that the government - and the wonderful Department of Health and Human Services, implementing (with the help of the IRS, of course) the ObamaCare plan, will fix this problem? Of course! Seriously, people, this study includes six US and three Canadian locations - and the vaunted Canadian health care system had both the best and the worst of the nine sites. Without going into detail, the evidence is strong that GOVERNMENT is NOT the solution to better trauma care outcomes. Mama's Note: The greatest factor for survival after traumatic injury is PROMPT control of blood loss and shock. Just imagine the doctors being required to process the paper work and wait for "permission" to treat you. Yep, the survival rate will drop like a large rock. New religions: environism - Our right to bear arms EPA denies bid to ban lead ammo SRN News The Environmental Protection Agency has denied a petition by five environmental groups to ban lead in hunting ammunition. The agency said Friday that it did not have the authority to enact the ban under the Toxic Substances Control Act, as the groups had requested. But the EPA says it's still reviewing another part of the petition, to ban lead fishing sinkers. This was an environist (enviro-nazi) attempt and NOT an administration attempt - though no doubt a lot of EPA staffers were disappointed that they could not support it. Good news - but don’t think that the environists and the hoploclasts (and no doubt the radical vegetarian/PETA lobby) will give up on this: they'll come up with something else, not the least of which would be attempts in Congress. Sadly, a lot of well-intentioned people just flooded the internet with another set of e-mails (on Saturday) talking about how this was Obama’s end run around the defeat of HB45 and other gun-grabber efforts. Even more sadly, certain political groups (I can name names but won’t for now) seize on this sort of thing to wave the bloodly flag and raise money. Mama's Note: And the gun folks had better work just as hard and make just as much noise to stop the fishing sinker ban as they did the ammo ban. Stupid government tricks - Unthinking people Recently Introduced Bill Opposed by Highway & Trucking Interest Groups AASHTO Journal Advocates for highway and trucking interests are speaking out against a bill introduced in the Senate last month that would create a strategic plan for freight transportation, establish a special freight planning and development office within the U.S. Department of Transportation, and set up a freight infrastructure grant program, arguing the legislation focuses too much on other modes of transportation to the exclusion of highways. It is good that these advocates are speaking out against this “strategic plan” being pushed through Congress - especially the grant program. But they are doing it for the WRONG REASON: this plan, this grant program is NOT something that is the responsibility of government - Congress has NO AUTHORITY to do this. AND if nothing else, there is the sure expectation that Government will make a mess of the freight system as it has everything else it has tried to do, and freight is too important to let government touch it any more than it has already damaged the system. Stupid government tricks - Islamic war US Funds Mosque Restorations Yahoo News (AP) The good will tour of the Middle East by the imam behind the proposed mosque near ground zero is just part of the U.S. government's efforts to reach out to the Muslim world. This year, the Obama administration will spend nearly $6 million to restore 63 historic and cultural sites, including mosques and minarets, in 55 nations, according to State Department documents.Under a program established by Congress in 2001, the department will fund at least five projects in as many countries at a cost of more than $271,000.The contributions include $76,135 for the 16th century Grand Mosque in Tongxin, China, and $67,500 for the 18th century Golden Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan. An additional $62,169 will be spent on restoring a 19th century minaret in Mauritania's ancient city of Tichitt; $50,437 for the Sundarwala Burj, a 16th century Islamic Monument in New Delhi, and $15,450 to restore the 18th century Gobarau Minaret in Katsina, Nigeria. Is there just a whiff of hypocrisy here? Just a touch of unconstitutionality to this spending? It is not JUST the current Administration, it is Congress and it is past and current administrations that are responsible for this. At the same time that the courts have decided that monuments quoting the Ten Commandments and judges quoting the Bible and juries referring to New Testament verses are illegal, money stolen from taxpayers is used to restore Islamic shrines - and not even in the United States. They claim it is “important” to foreign affairs and therefore it is acceptable to have government money (stolen from taxpayers) used to support religious sects. Of course. Of course. QUOTES OF THE WEEK: "People unfit for freedom -- who cannot do much with it -- are hungry for power. The desire for freedom is an attribute of a 'have' type of self. It says: leave me alone and I shall grow, learn, and realize my capacities. The desire for power is basically an attribute of a 'have not' type of self." --American writer and philosopher Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) "The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants, and it provides the further advantage of giving the servants of tyranny a good conscience." --French Algerian author Albert Camus (1913-1960) 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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