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Libertarian
Commentary on The News
Posted July 16, 2012By Nathan A. Barton © 2012 Culture Wars: Same-Sex "Marriage" Presbyterian church rejects same-sex marriage [sic] (Christian Science Monitor) "Presbyterians debated for more than three hours Friday whether to change their definition of marriage. In the end, they preserved the traditional meaning, upheld a ban on officiating gay weddings, and sustained related tensions that have roiled their denomination for years. With a 52-percent majority, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shot down a bid at its Pittsburgh meeting to redefine marriage in the church constitution as 'a covenant between two people.' ... The vote means Presbyterian clergy who officiate at gay weddings, even in states and other jurisdictions that recognize same-sex marriages, violate protocol and risk censure." (07/07/12) No doubt "libertarians" will condemn both the Presbyterian Church and myself for this and my comments. Actually, I DO condemn the Presbyterians for their corruption of what they claim is God's church into a governmental and political organization which is nothing but another form of rebellion against God - in which matters like this are decided by the Satanic device of "democracy," with a 52-percent majority. Instead of doing what is moral, they do what is politically expedient. War on Some Drugs Government-sponsored study destroys DEA's marijuana classification (The Raw Story) "A government-sponsored study published this month in The Open Neurology Journal concludes that marijuana provides much-needed relief to some chronic pain sufferers and that more clinical trials are desperately needed, utterly destroying the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) classification of the drug as having no medical uses." (07/03/12) The word desperate will not, of course, be considered by the NIH or whatever political body sponsored the study, and will (of course) be used to discredit the study by both DEA and Congress. Not that Congress really matters any more: once they create the agency and establish the law that forms the skeleton of modern bureaucracy, the organs and flesh are strictly whatever the First Citizen and the bureaucrats (many jack-booted thugs) want them to be. Trivial things like FACTS and LIBERTY no longer matter. That is usually the case in most nations, not just the States and the FedGov, but the next story shows that once in a while, something weird happens. War on Some Drugs Uruguay legalizes marijuana to fight crime (Latin American Herald Tribune) "Uruguay's government has opted for the 'regulated and controlled legalization' of marijuana in the South American country as a crime-fighting measure and pledged to lobby against the current global drug-war strategy in international forums. The prohibition of 'certain drugs' in Uruguay is creating 'more problems than the drugs themselves,' Defense Minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro said Wednesday, noting that other similar situations in neighboring countries have had 'disastrous' consequences." [ hat tip -- Joey B. King] (07/03/12) "Regulated and controlled." That is probably the death knell of this proposal. Regulation and control still allow the corruption, still allow the backstabbing and under-table dealing, and still all too often lead to violence. Witness liquor and tobacco, two of the most highly regulated substances on the planet. And of course, if it is government-approved, many people will look for a substitute just to be contrary: indeed, public consumption MIGHT drop a tiny bit. Still, this is a rare sighting of that most rare of birds, the Administratio Vulgaris Sensus (Government Common Sense). I suspect that fewer Uruguayans will die prematurely, as a result. Culture wars: killing babies - Nazgul Mississippi: Abortion law temporarily blocked by federal judge (Fox News) "A federal judge on Sunday temporarily blocked enforcement of a Mississippi law that could shut down the only abortion clinic in the state. U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan in Jackson issued a temporary restraining order the day the new law took effect. He set a July 11 hearing to determine whether to block the law for a longer time. 'Though the debate over abortion continues, there exists legal precedent the court must follow,' Jordan wrote." (07/02/12) What the news story, even on Fox, does not specify is that the law that is blocked simply requires that doctors in this abortion clinic meet the SAME specialty certification and education requirements that doctors in other specialty fields are required to meet in order to practice. It seems to be a valid attempt to prevent the kind of mass murder that Philadelphia is now famous for. East Asian front Hong Kong: Pro-democracy protesters take to streets (Times of India) "Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong hours after Chinese President Hu Jintao swore in the city's new leader and urged him to resolve what he called 'deep disagreements' among the islanders. The by-now annual July 1 demonstration -- marking the end of British colonial rule in 1997 -- was the biggest in years as people took advantage of Hong Kong's laws that make it the only place in China where public protests are permitted. This is interesting, given the reports of more and more upheaval and unrest and economic problems in China, and the fact that Hong Kong is so critical to the success and survival of China's economy. Are they going to be allowed to continue? And will these spread, legal or not? Better Living through chemistry Scientists find gene behind ripe, tasteless tomatoes (Red Orbit) "Researchers at University of California Davis and Cornell University have unraveled the mystery behind those tasteless tomatoes in your salad that lack sweetness and flavor yet look perfectly ripe. ... In other words, most commercial tomato growers breeding their fruit for visual attractiveness and ease of harvesting have been preventing their fruit from reaching its fullest flavor potential." (06/29/12) The thing that scares me about research like this is that they will use it to ENSURE that they are tasteless, but just last longer and longer in the store. Mama's Note: So what? The market will prevail. Those who like their fruit to sit in tasteless stasis for a month will buy these, the rest of us won't. More and more people are growing their own these days too. I'm madly eating tomatoes I canned last fall so I'll have jars available for this summer's crop. It's a nice sort of emergency! New Rebel State? The ‘New Gestapo’? Maine Gov. Blasts Massive Expansion of IRS Agents (The Blaze) Governor Paul LePage of Maine is making news for allegedly referring to the IRS as the “new Gestapo” Saturday, after blasting the president’s overhaul of our health care system. Would he act, not just speak! If even one or two states would resist, including arrest of IRS agents and a flat refusal to collect taxes or to forward the money and collect the data, how much better would it be - how much easier to get rid of the Abominable Act. War on some drugs Global report: Decriminalization does not increase rates of drug use (Raw Story.com) A new report by the U.K.’s “national centre of expertise on drugs and drug laws” says that drug decriminalization does not lead to an increase of drug use. ANOTHER nail in the coffin of the War on Some Drugs - except that the War is not yet in its coffin. Logically, this follows, IF you have age restrictions on sales, and if you have fairly tight regulation of sellers. Mama's Note: Not sure what you mean here, Nathan. Government has no more legitimate part in "regulating" drug use than they do guns or education - regardless of future use patterns. But most market analysis of this indicates that use, especially by young people, would actually diminish sharply over a year or two. And, more important, those who did choose to use drugs would have better, safer and reasonably priced choices. Old Rebel State? Alaska: AKDOT Construction Signs Hacked To Read 'Impeach Obama' (KTUU.com) ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Several electronic road construction signs around Anchorage were hacked late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, according to the state Department of Transportation. Fun, huh? Lots of ways to do this, I know. Interesting that someone would try hard to do this and run the risk of getting caught (you KNOW there has to be a stiff fine and maybe jail time involved). Would that MORE people would call for this, but inevitably he will be replaced by someone very similar, just bad in different ways. Politics Obama’s two-pronged economic problem (Washington Post) President Obama has a two-pronged economic message problem as he heads into the fall of his reelection race, a conundrum that his campaign must solve in order to have a chance at a second term on Nov. 6. Actually, he has more than two. History shows that severe economic problems like this usually cause the fall of a regime: the voters are so against the incumbents that the vote fraud cannot be used effectively. The question is, has the First Citizen (well, his "advisors") found a way around this, to be able to slide by? Apparently, the WaPo thinks so. Theft by government States, Congress rallying for an e-sales tax (Washington Post) Online shopping in the Washington region is about to become more expensive. A wave of states, including Virginia, have passed laws that will require consumers to pay sales tax on all Internet purchases as soon as next year. Other states and the District are pursuing similar measures. And in Maryland, Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) wants to go further and levy a tax on songs and other digital products bought through popular sources such as iTunes. The more desperate for new sources of loot that the bureaucrats and the politicians get, the harder that they grasp, and the more will slip through their fingers - overall. Some places (and the DC region comes to mind) are so corrupt and so cowed that they seemingly will accept anything and just suffer under it. Nazgul Should Supreme Court justices Google? (Washington Post) Justice Antonin Scalia’s angry dissent from the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down parts of Arizona’s tough anti-illegal-immigrant law outraged liberals even more than his biting words normally do. If I understand this correctly, the position is that it is WRONG for judges and justices to have information that has not been obtained through approved and accepted methods: the data must be censored and they cannot be allowed anything else. This IS, of course, a tactic that the progressives have used since the insane Egyptian hieroglyphics were invented and forced on an unsuspecting population three thousand years ago. It was a tactic that the corrupt priesthood of the Vatican used by denying the Bible (and most other writings) to the laity in the Middle Ages. Why should modern Tranzis be any different? Politics 2012 - Stupid government Keystone oil pipeline finds champions in Montana Democrats eyeing local benefits (Washington Post) The fact that Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has fought so hard for the Keystone XL pipeline underscores the changing politics of oil: A global commodity has become a local issue. It was here that the Founding Fathers made a bad mistake: legislators favoring their own districts and states over everything else - but only when it comes to money. Liberty? Pfath! As long as the money keeps coming in. Politics 2012 Romney, in final stages of ‘veepstakes,’ is weighing when to pick running mate (Washington Post) CONCORD, N.H. —Sen. Rob Portman broke away from his 17-year-old daughter’s tour of his alma mater, Dartmouth College, to venture an hour south of here Saturday to trumpet the virtues of Mitt Romney. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty spent Thursday and Friday shadowing President Obama as he traveled through Ohio and Pennsylvania, taking turns tearing into the president as they stumped in front of “Romney Victory” banners. This is probably yet another joke - but it isn't that funny. Monday, July 09, 2012 Europe's Fall Europe condemns Romania in a vacuum (Adevărul) The suspension of President Băsescu orchestrated by the Prime Minister has triggered several warnings from Europe. These criticisms, though, come down mostly to community power games and should change nothing, writes a columnist. The entire fate of Europe is predicated on nothing but power games, because of a population which has never grown up, which has accepted the state as parent and god. Europe's fall The EU is an empire, and empires mean war (NRC Handelsblad) We are often told that the EU has brought peace to Europe. However, this view is not shared by historian Thierry Baudet who provocatively argues that a process in which nation states give up their sovereignty inevitably results in conflict. That is why he recommends dissolving the euro and restoring national borders. Of course it is, and of course they do. But more to the point, it is a rotted and dying "empire" which the Muslims would love to take over. Stupid government tricks Feds: Airlines Must Let Passengers Fly With Pigs for 'Emotional Support' (CNSNews. com) Up to 300 pounds - ought to help the fuel economy. One more victory for the victim mentality. What a win!!! Mama's Note: Say, that's no fair!! I require a 9mm autoloader in my holster for "Emotional Support." What does a pig have that my sidearm does not... except for all that excess weight, of course. First Citizen ‘I,’ ‘Me’—Obama Uses First-Person Pronoun 117 Times in 1 Speech (CNSNews. com) Well, it IS all about him, after all: Messiah, First Citizen, Imperator, and more. If his ego ain't happy, ain't NONE of us happy. Stupid UN tricks Iran Named to Group Overseeing U.N. Arms-Treaty Conference; ‘Like Choosing Bernie Madoff to Police Fraud’ (CNSNews. com) I suppose so - but more like letting judges paid for by the FedGov decide whether or not the FedGov can collect taxes for doing nothing. Islamic wars: Afghan front, South Asian front Pakistan Reopening NATO Supply Lines, But Cooperation on Counter-Terror Efforts Doubtful (CNSNews. com) Well, not as if they've cooperated much in the past 11 or so years, right? Theft by government Obama Plans to Spend Borrowed Money That Paid for Wars for New Infrastructure, Deficit-Reduction (CNSNews. com) Oh, yes, this makes great sense. Borrowed money will reduce the deficit? What fantasy world is that true in? This is little more than using one credit card to pay off another, and then another. Insane? Yes, more than anyone would have thought a mere generation ago. War on some drugs U.S. DEA Agents Killed Pilot of Drug Flight in Honduras (CNSNews. com) This one is known - how many unknown? And how many here in the US? First Citizen's minions - Hypocrisy incarnate Clinton: Restricting Freedom 'Kills Innovation and Discourages Entrepreneurship' (CNSNews. com) Well, duh. We are seeing that happening right here and now in the dis-USofA. Congress in action Republican Rep. Thaddeus McCotter Resigns from Congress (CNSNews. com) Good riddance to bad rubbish: would the other 534 kindly do the same? Tuesday, July 9th, 2012 First Citizen's minions: lies and more lies Obama Administration Takes Credit for Inspiring Lexus Hybrid SUV--Which Began Production in 2004 (CNSNews. com) Just as George W Bush is able to travel in time to do all the evil things he has done, apparently the messiah/First Citizen can do the same thing! Wow. Home front: stupid (and corrupt) government Chicago Mayor Appeals to Gangsters' 'Values': 'Get Away From That Kid' (CNSNews. com) This is indeed what we would expect. But the famous gangsters of the 1920s and 1930s were angels, compared to both government and the new generations of criminals. Why? In part, I believe it was because of a relatively-informed and -responsible society which was armed and willing to take action to protect the weak and their own families. First Citizen - Theft by government Obama: Keep Tax Rates in Place for 365 Days to Give Business 'A Sense of Permanence' (CNSNews. com) We now know the First Citizen's definition of "permanence" is one year - and in practical terms "until after November." But this is what we expect from this man: deceit and misdirection; lulling business into a false sense of EVERYTHING. Nazguli-in-chief Sen. Hatch: ‘I Still Have a Very High Opinion of Chief Justice Roberts’ (CNSNews. com) This is NOT reassuring, based on Hatch's record. Theft by government Obama Proposal Increases Tax Rates for All Income Brackets by 2014 (CNSNews. com) It isn't until after permanence ends, right? Of course, "by 2014" could mean as soon as next week, and certainly after November. Theft by government - Other government crimes Christie: ‘I Was Glad the Supreme Court Ruled Extortion is Still Illegal ... Even When Done by the President’ (CNSNews. com) So only THEFT is legal. THAT is reassuring. Culture wars: Post-christian religion Episcopal Bishops Clear Way to Ordain Transgenders (CNSNews. com) These people, by failing to abide by the Book and creating this priesthood, have in turn created themselves multiple messes. Indeed, like many if not all of the mainstream denominations, these people demonstrate that their "religion" is post-christian, opposed to all that Jesus taught. Theft by government Obama’s Middle Class ‘Tax Cut’ Would Raise Taxes by $1.3 Trillion Over Eight Years (CNSNews. com) "A word means exactly what I [the First Citizen] say it means, nothing less, nothing more." But it would not be permanent! We'd have a year to go before these go into effect. So it won't REALLY raise taxes, right? He will fool us again, right? (A quote from Mr. Carroll, Through the Looking Glass) "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a 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." Politics 2012 Labor Unions, Some Boycotting the DNC, Plan to Hold 'Shadow Convention' (CNSNews. com) I don't exactly know what this will accomplish; I refuse to believe that the unions are so stupid as to NOT do everything they can to reelect the First Citizen, and this would seem to do anything BUT that. Politics 2012 As Election Approaches, Democrats Suddenly Clamoring for 'Tax Cuts' (CNSNews. com) And clearly the First Citizen is giving them "tax cuts" - after all, he is the messiah and he can define words however he pleases. Environism Pipelines Are Safest for Transportation of Oil and Gas (Manhattan Institute) Pipelines are by far the safest and most responsible means for transporting resources like oil, petroleum and natural gas... This, of course, is totally counter to what the opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline, including Mr. Buffett and the BNSF, want you to believe. AND what the FedGov and the environist Tranzis teach. Medical care The Shortage of Generic Sterile Injectable Drugs: Diagnosis and Solutions (MacKinac Center) The number of times drugs were in short supply almost tripled from 61 in 2005 to 178 in 2010; this figure reached more than 250 in 2011... We are, of course, talking about "legal" drugs - prescription and maybe over-the-counter as well. So why don't people understand basic economics: that if there were a free market, these shortages would trigger increased production to meet demand, and that once demand was met, the prices would drop quickly. Shortages (artificially dictated by government policies) result in increased prices AND in the loss of health and early loss of life. (by the way: the same thing is true of "illegal" drugs.) Crash of 2009 Boondoggle Harvest (The Economist) Farm income is at its highest in almost 40 years, and farm failures are down to a rate of less than one in 200 a year... There are various reasons given for this, but they amount to (a) government interference in the fuel market, (b) government interference in the production sector, (c) government interference in the consumer market, and (d) inflation. In other words, this is the result of manipulation and is likely to come crashing down at any time. Not only that, but who loses? Consumers of food products who are paying more. And frankly, for private business, that is an insanely low rate of failures, which means that inefficient producers are surviving when they should not be: the market will demand a correction sooner than later. We saw this in the 1920s, we saw it in the 1970s, and it WILL happen. Environists End the Department of Defense's Green Energy Foolishness (Real Clear Markets) Using the military as a tool for boosting aggregate demand for unconventional energy sources is foolish and threatens to undermine the military's ability to do its job effectively... This is the other side of the coin of using the military as a way to force and promote changes in society like acceptance of homosexuality. These are due to fail and in doing so will cause the military to fail, at least in its primary purpose: it may still be tool for tyranny, of course. Theft by government -Stupid government tricks Should We Hire Even More Teachers, Cops and Firemen? (Reason Magazine) In 1978 there were 19.3 pupils per teacher in public K-12 schools; in 1998 the number was 16.4, and by 2008 there were 15.3 pupils per teacher... This reminds me of the old-time "cures" for so many diseases: when the body is being ravaged by parasites in the form of bacteria and viruses, they added MORE parasites to the body (like leeches) - and then couldn't figure out why the patient died. During that same period, as for teachers and schools: results declined, troubles in the schools increased, and more and more money was wasted. Similar results can be seen in cops hired and firefighters hired: look at the number of acres burning this year and over the past three decades; look at the crime rates. What HAS made a difference is when OTHER factors - not total employees or total spending - changed: concealed and open-carry laws and increased purchase and ownership of firearms by private citizens; improved building and fire prevention codes and better management of forests instead of working against nature. The same solution will work for education - would if they were not rejected immediately and never considered by the educrats. Theft by government -Stupid government tricks Scranton mayor slashes pay for all city workers—including police and firefighters—to minimum wage (Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News) ...cash-strapped Scranton, Pa., has slashed pay for all city employees—including police and firefighters—to minimum wage, sparking furor among unions that now say they plan to sue in federal court. A lawyer representing three unions told Scranton's Times-Tribune he will file several motions, including one to hold Mayor Chris Doherty in contempt of court for violating a judge's order to pay full wages. This is a very stupid move, because it unites these unions and is in essence a publicity stunt: most likely the courts will continue to support the employees (and unions) and the administration can say, "Hey, we tried," and then continue blithely down the primrose path to bankruptcy and a bailout by the state. Still, it is an intriguing idea! Quotes of the week "The system of banking [is] a blot left in all our Constitutions, which, if not covered, will end in their destruction... I sincerely believe that banking institutions are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity... is but swindling futurity on a large scale." -- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President, Source: stated in 1811 when President Jefferson refused to renew the charter for the First Bank of the United States (the 2nd central bank chartered by Congress in 1791) "By a declaration of rights, I mean one which shall stipulate freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of commerce against monopolies, trial by juries in all cases, no suspensions of the habeas corpus, no standing armies. These are fetters against doing evil which no honest government should decline." -- Thomas Jefferson "I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground that 'all powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are preserved to the states or to the people.' ... To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible of any definition. The incorporation of a bank, and the powers assumed by this bill (chartering the first Bank of the United States), have not, been delegated to the United States by the Constitution." -- Thomas Jefferson Source: in opposition to the chartering of the first Bank of the United States (1791). BOY, did he ever get it wrong. Wednesday, July 11th, 2012 Local Tyranny - War against religion by government 60 Days In Prison And A $12,180 Fine For Hosting A Home Bible Study In Arizona (Prison Planet) The war on home Bible studies and house churches is heating up again. Down in Phoenix, Arizona a man has been sentenced to 60 days in prison and has been fined $12,180 for hosting a Bible study in his home. Since 2005, Michael Salman and his wife have been hosting gatherings of about 15 or 20 people where they share food, fellowship and discuss the Bible. Unfortunately, that kind of thing is against the law in Phoenix, Arizona apparently. At one point, nearly a dozen armed police officers raided their home and “evidence” of their “crimes” was gathered. Michael Salman was found guilty of 67 “code violations”, and now he is going to be ripped away from his family and put in prison for two months. This seems to be true (I take what I read on Prison Planet with large grains of salt) and shows the degree to which local tyranny has progressed. Of course, since the FedGov can do it (the mandate for contraception forced on Catholic institutions), then why can't the City of Phoenix? Nazguli-in-chief Supreme Court Is OK with US$ 675,000 Copyright Fine for 30 Songs (www.thedailybell.com) Supreme Court Lets Stand Student's $675,000 Penalty For Downloading ... Without commenting on the merits of the case, the Supreme Court this morning let stand a $675,000 jury verdict against a 25-year-old Boston University student who downloaded 30 songs nearly a decade ago and then shared them with others on a peer-to-peer network. The court denied Joel Tenenbaum's "write of certiorari," which means his appeal of a lower court's ruling and the judgment were turned down. – NPR It would seem to be an excessive fine and certainly intended to scare people into giving up all rights. I suppose if the FedGov can tax anything, then a court can fine a person whatever they please, up to more money than exists. I'm curious about what the jury instructions were in this case! TSA Thuggery TSA Agents at Louisville Airport Steal Deaf Man's Candy, Call Him "F***ing Deafie" (reason.com ) A man returning from a conference for the deaf suffered ridicule at the hands of the TSA. They told him he was not allowed a bag of candy on his flight, confiscated it, ate it in front of him, then laughed and called him a "f***ing deafie." Stay classy, TSA. Of course, this matches reports of the kind of thugs that TSA hires to begin with: the class bully who has never grown up: the people who think that the Gestapo and the Stasi and the KGB were all kinda cool, and the ones who pull the wings off flies and throw baby kittens in paper bags into rivers. Mama's Note: No idea where I saw it now, but there was a case recently of some punks who duct taped a young dog's mouth shut, so bad that part of its tongue had to be amputated. TSA thugs in training. Stupid government tricks Questioning the Messianic Conception of Smart Growth (New Geography) Housing prices are typically higher under strict urban planning regimes, says Wendell Cox, an adjunct scholar with the National Center for Policy Analysis... Yes, indeed. MORE government interference with the market makes prices higher: the builders are ecstatic: more revenue (BUT more costs, and more revenue for governments). Who loses: the buyers and owners of houses. Stupid government - Abominable Act Innovation Unable to Thrive in U.K.'s NHS (The Economist) Innovations do not spread in Britain's health sector because the National Health Service has no mechanism for ensuring they do, or for rewarding the inventive... Lesson? It will happen in the US too, even if the doctors and nurses don't all put on NHS unforms but continue to be "private" to put it another way, the British method is "socialist" - the government owns AND controls the system. the ObummerCare system is "fascist" - the "ownership" is still private but the government calls the shots. Why does it fail regarding innovations? Because the best and usually ONLY mechanism for spreading and rewarding innovation that works is competition in the market - the FREE market. Stupid government - Government-ruined, theft-funded schools Hidden Barriers to Achieving Both Quality and Profit in Early Care and Education (American Enterprise Institute) It is difficult for formal for-profit education centers to compete with free or reduced-cost public options for four-year-olds, as they lack the financial reserves made available by government funding... Which IS, of course, the same reason most communities and therefore most parents do NOT have any real alternatives when it comes to PS-K-12 schools as well: government subsidies make it impossible for private competition to compete. Even worse, the very core of the private school market is forced to pay for the GRTF school AND shell out for the private tuition and costs: a double whammy. This is little different than the problem with the NHS in the UK: government stinks. Theft by government. Energy-Related Tax Preferences and Job Creation (Manhattan Institute) Each wind-energy-related job costs taxpayers between nine and 39 times as much as a job created by the oil and gas sector... Why? Because despite all the claims about subsidies of the oil and gas sector, and despite the intense regulation, the oil and gas producers are still somewhat private business, where risk is a daily part of life and competition exists in some kind of market. On the other hand, wind-energy is a fascist (privately owned, government controlled) AND government subsidized system. The CFO of a $300M annual revenue corporation involved somewhat in wind and solar power told me a few days ago that wind-generated electricity is a glut on the market because the infrastructure (the grid) cannot transport the power from where it is produced. This is typical of central planning, government planning: it killed the USSR. Theft by government Balancing Budget at Current Spending Would Take Record High Taxation (CNSNews.com) This in reality is saying it is impossible, because the level of spending WOULD lead either to outright revolt or economic collapse - or both. Politics 2012 - Lies and more lies ICE Chief Says Suspension of Immigration Enforcement Program in Arizona Was ‘Not Political’ (CNSNews.com) Of course not. HE's gonna get a little something extra in his paycheck, of course. Department of wishful thinking House GOP on Obamacare Repeal: ‘Democrats Will Join With Us’ (CNSNews.com) Of course a few will; they know what will get them the votes to stay in office and what won't. But at this point, does it matter? Like many others, I do not believe that the GOP will do ANYTHING that really is a repeal, but will continue to do what they've always done: more big government but not quite as much as the Dems, not quite as fast. Congress in action Republican Congressmen Re-Launch Revised ‘Stolen Valor’ Bill (CNSNews.com) This is, frankly, just another distraction: LET them lie, they will get caught sooner or later. But we've done without this for 236 years, why now? Stupid UN tricks U.N. Salary-Setters Meet in New York, Amid U.S. Complaints of Excessive Pay (CNSNews.com) Right, like Congress and FedGov bureaucrats have anything to say about excessive pay. Government parasites, the lot of them. First Citizen's minions - Lies and more lies AG Holder on Texas Voter ID Law: 'We Call Those Poll Taxes' (CNSNews.com) A pathological liar, obviously. Texas' law on Voter ID provides for free issue of ID cards to those who don't have or want a drivers license (which has ALWAYS had a fee attached). But the truth never seems to be involved when this man says anything. Theft by government - Stupid unions 'Kids Working at Ice Cream Stands Earning More Than Their Fathers' in Scranton, Union Complains (CNSNews.com) I am glad to hear that - the kids are being productive workers in the free market (I THINK a free market in ice cream sales still can be said to at least partially exist) and aren't parasites on the body politic like their city-employee parents are. BUT if the ice cream stands are able to pay more than minimum wage (which is what the Scranton parasites are getting paid) then either the economy is doing better than we thought in Scranton OR the union is continuing to suck dues off their own members at minimum wage. I suspect it is the union bloodsuckers. Theft by government - Stupid government San Bernardino Is Third California City to Opt for Bankruptcy Protection (CNSNews.com) The third of thousands, hopefully. The best thing that could happen to a LOT of California cities is to go bankrupt and be dissolved, allowing their residents to find other, more efficient ways of providing essential services. Because, of course, most of what the cities provide is NOT essential, just boondoggles and corruption and local tyranny. Private security, private libraries, private firefighting, private utilities, and even private courts would be a whole lot better. Mama's Note: I lived in San Bernardino for a number of years and they were always in trouble. It's a miracle they lasted this long. The county of San Bernardino probably isn't too far behind. Thursday, July 12, 2012 Self defense California: Clerk scares off armed robbers (KION News) "Hollister police are asking the public to help identify two armed men caught on surveillance video who entered Pacheco Liquors in Hollister Saturday night, demanded money and exchanged gunshots with a store clerk. ... the two suspects entered the store and one of them pointed a gun at a clerk and demanded money. A second clerk produced his own handgun, and shots were exchanged between the clerk and suspects. No one is believed to have been hit." (07/12/12) Mama Liberty: Obviously he doesn't get enough range time. That's probably very difficult to get these days in California. Nathan: At least they survived to GET more practice. One role of police in a society where their services are provided by private firms through contract WOULD be to help train and ensure that their clients ARE trained and in practice. Islamic wars: Arab street revolts Syria: Opposition claims 220 killed in regime attack (National Post [Canada]) "More than 200 Syrians, mostly civilians, were massacred in a village in the rebellious Hama region when it was bombarded by helicopter gunships and tanks and then stormed by militiamen, opposition activists said. If confirmed, it would be the worst single incident of violence in 16 months of conflict in which rebels are fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad and diplomacy to halt the bloodshed has been stymied by jostling between world powers." (07/12/12) Don't necessarily believe this: it could easily be disinformation, and the reality much different. But if this was a massacre, then the West, by attempting to prevent weapons in the hands of ordinary civilians to be able to defend themselves against this sort of evil tyrannical government, can accept some of the guilt for the deaths. And it would be typical for the Arabs and Muslims in general: they kill far more of each other than they do anyone else. Theft by government US: Politicians spent $904.2 billion more than they stole through June (Myrtle Beach Sun News) "The U.S. budget deficit grew by nearly $60 billion in June, remaining on track to exceed $1 trillion for the fourth straight year. Through the first nine months of the budget year, the federal deficit totaled $904.2 billion, the Treasury Department reported Thursday." (07/12/12) The headline is Freedom News Digest, not the Sun Times, but I agree. Who allowed this? Congress - specifically the REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Yes, they can (and should) blame the First Citizen as well, but THEY were not forced at gunpoint (to my knowledge) to vote for these spending bills. Theft and MORE theft - from future generations. A crash is what we deserve. Mexican civil war Mexico: Obrador will ask electoral court to invalidate election results (Minneapolis Star Tribune) "Leftist presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Thursday that he will ask Mexico's electoral court to invalidate the results of the July 1 presidential ballot, charging there was vote buying and campaign overspending by the winner of official vote counts. He said the formal petition would be filed with the Federal Electoral Tribunal by Thursday night." (07/12/12) Ah, Mexico, how God must hate you, being so close to the Gringos and so filled with corruption and evil and worse. Of course, God has nothing to do with it - they did it to themselves, and continue to do so. Amazing what a difference true liberty makes - even when it has been mostly extinguished as in the lands of the Gringos and Canadians to the north. Self defense Ivory Coast: Regime starts evil religious ritual (Myrtle Beach Sun News) "An official says authorities in Ivory Coast are starting to destroy hundreds of small arms collected since the end of the postelection violence that claimed some 3,000 lives. Spokeswoman Laetitia Dia Allou of the West African nation's commission against arms proliferation said the destruction of some 600 weapons started Thursday." (07/12/12) Again, Freedom News Daily and NOT Sun News headline: but again, right. Like voodoo, apparently these authorities think that the tools are evil and sympathetic magic will prevent future deaths. So they disarm 600 more potential victims and create a greater demand for firearms to come into the country. Magic bogus science Study: "Native American" [sic] migration came in three waves (Arizona Republic) "Native Americans streamed into the New World in at least three waves of migration starting more than 15,000 years ago, a gene study released Wednesday suggests. North and South America were totally empty of people until the first arrivals from Siberia crossed a land bridge into Alaska, spreading in a few thousand years to the tip of South America. The genetic study may help settle a debate between a long-held view that the peopling of the continents came as one event instead of the more recently supported notion, backed by this study in the journal Nature, that the migration happened in three distinct waves." (07/12/12) I do not buy any of this: not the dating, not the time frame and NOT the "three waves" ideas. People would NOT take thousands of years to go from Alaska to Patagonia, even on foot. A few hundred, maybe, but not thousands. The 15,000 years is based on bogus science and an assumption of uniformitarianism which is not supported by real analysis or evidence, but only by preconceptions and a biased and blind scientific establishment. As for three waves, well, people don’t behave like that and there is evidence that there have been a LOT more than just three waves: people have been coming here since the time of Noah, I suspect, just as they are today. These fake scientists want to put all humanity into neat little packages: this is the Ancestral Pueblo Basketmaker II culture and this is the Moundbuilder VI culture and this is.... and life isn’t like that. The point is, for millennia, people have been coming to the New World for liberty and freedom, sometimes followed by those who want to again enslave us. If there were three waves, then the “fourth wave” began in the early 1500s on a large scale, and really took off about 1600. Freedom is as necessary to REAL life as air and water and food, and people will go to the ends of the earth and beyond to reclaim it or find it. Theft by government - Abominable Act Democratic Leader Explains Obamacare: 'There's No Tax on Anybody Unless They Refuse' (CNSNews.com) Nein, we don't torture anyone unless they refuse to do what we tell them, yah? First Citizen's chief lackey - Government-ruined, theft-funded schools Biden, Who Went to Private School: 'Tell That to All Those Private Schools' (CNSNews.com) Ah, but that was a liberal (Tranzi) private school for the elite- those are different. Friday, July 13th, 2012 Stupid government tricks - World wars The new terrorists --- they're all of us (Jewish World Review) Obama's Department of Homeland Security, ever on the scout for opportunities to blow taxpayer money, commissioned one of those "studies" so popular among college professors, to find clues that would identify prospective terrorists before they blow up airplanes, bring down skyscrapers and otherwise wreak havoc. Yes, you are! We all are. Just by browsing to this site. Just by saying "rights" or "liberty" or ""gun" you are in there. Ain't it nice? Be prepared, join the r3voLution now, and help your state secede and succeed. Stupid government tricks US Education Secretary pushes to Devalue College Degrees (Godfather Politics) Today, ... there are thousands of young people graduating from college with no real employment future ahead of them. A fortunate few will find a job in their trained profession, but the majority end up in some other field like retail, manufacturing and construction, if they can even find these jobs. There is no doubt that there is a glut of college graduates in our country that can’t find jobs related to their degrees. So why would U.S Secretary of Education Arne Duncan challenge governors across America to increase the number of people obtaining a college degree? What’s more ridiculous is that he wants every state to strive to get a minimum of 60% of their citizens to obtain a college degree. The answer, of course, is that is what governments do: they destroy value. They destroy the value of their "money" and they destroy human lives, both literally and by destroying careers, families, work, neighborhoods and more. Of course, government has effectively already destroyed the public school system, PK-12, and is busy doing the same to "higher education" through insane student loan programs which warp the market and inflate prices. And now are doing the same to the under-Kindergarten crowd. What is left? Local Tyranny California: Santa Monica bans smoking in residences, (American Vision News/LA Times) Smoking is already banned at beaches, parks, restaurants and near buildings in Santa Monica, but Tuesday night the city council sought to expand that prohibition and voted 4-2 to ban smoking for all new tenants of apartments and condos inside their residences – with one exception. “It also requires existing residents to designate their units as smoking or non smoking and from then on it will be prohibited to smoke in a non smoking unit,” said Adam Radinksy, head of the Consumer Protection Unit in Santa Monica. What can I say? So much for the castle doctrine, or any personal liberty. Remember when it used to be liberals that hated economic liberty and supported personal liberty? No more. Government is evil. Distilled evil. **************** Your comments and feedback are welcome! Now PoL has its own forum at The Mental Militia! Check it out Nathan Barton Written from the Four Corners, a land and community which has some (but not much) freedom left, but where even that liberty hangs by a thread. Nathan is a christian, a free-market anarchist, military officer, engineer, and writer. Feel free to contact him through The Price of Liberty. 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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