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Libertarian
Commentary on The News
Posted August 06, 2012By Nathan A. Barton © 2012 Opening Thoughts The political games AND the Olympic games AND the Montezuma County Fair were all taking place this week, and the Sturgis Rally and Races ALSO started this week! Hooah! What a great time to be around. The political games are the most fun: We have this guy, the First Citizen (or messiah as some prefer) who recently claimed "the private sector is doing fine," and, "If you've got a business -- you didn't build that, somebody else made that happen." Not content with such vote-winning statements, he then talks about Mitt Romney's plan to cut taxes and spending: "[Previous administrations] tried that and it didn't work." [Funny, it even worked for the Democratic Kennedy Administration in 1961-63] But the CROWING POINT is what the First Citizen said next: "Just like we've tried their plan, we tried our plan -- and it worked. That's the difference. That's the choice in this election. That's why I'm running for a second term." Isn't that amazing? After that, who won grand prize for the pinto beans and the Lego creativity and the 100-meter butterfly swim and the 5-mile stock 150cc race and the grand Hill Climb just has lost all its excitement and joy. Self Defense Gun carrying man ends stabbing spree at Salt Lake grocery store (prisonplanet.com) Citizen with a gun stopped a knife wielding man as he began stabbing people Thursday evening at the downtown Salt Lake City Smith’s store. Mama's Note: I'm sure this kind of thing happens a LOT more often than we ever hear about. Self Defense First working 3D-printed firearm built (gizmag.com) As the technology improves, 3D printers are being used more and more to create a wide variety of objects, some incredibly useful (like skeletal implants) and some just for fun (like custom robot figurines). Is this the END of arms control? If anyone with a 3D printer able to make steel tools or hinges or brackets can also design and make their own zip-gun, working replica of a Sten gun, an improvement on the stamped-metal AK-47, or anything from a Brown Bess to a Taurus 24/7 OSS, then what hope is there of control? Do like Meth and make illegal to own certain kinds of metal alloys or the ingredients needed to make smokeless powder? Or just try to controll the brass needed for shells? Virtually everything has been tried in the past and has failed. Don't think it will work now. Mama's Note: Yes, in the end all prohibition will fail. So far, all the printers can produce are the plastic parts... but it probably won't be too long befor they can "print" metal, or plastics that are as good. That genie is already out of the bottle, just as is the magic of the internet. Self Defense - Mainstream Media Media Covering Up Gun Self-Defense Stories (politicaloutcast.com) "I was talking to a friend recently about the whole Colorado theater massacre. We were lamenting about how our culture is so obsessed with these psychopathic murderers and that we never hear about the heroes, because sadly, in our dying culture, there..." We DO hear more today because we are NOT depending on the Media, but on other methods. And no, in popular culture, MOST people will never hear about the real heroes - not because of too much coverage of psychopathic murders, but because of too much coverage of psychopathic "celebrities" who are too fat, too thin, too stupid, too greedy, too egotistical, or too hyper. You know - politicians! Self Defense Concealed weapons save lives By John Lott (nydailynews.com) The evidence is clear: Massacres are stopped by legally armed citizens. A good article and well worth reading - and taking notes to explain to people. Local tyranny Kid's Hot Dog Stand Shut Down by City Officials Before It Even Opens (reason.com) This summer, 13-year-old Nathan Duszynski wanted to make some money to help out his disabled parents—his mom has epilepsy and his dad has multiple sclerosis. So he decided to open a hot dog stand. Poverty and bad luck are no excuse for avoiding abuse by local tyrants - or any reason for local tyrants to tell the truth when someone tries to get a business started. Home front National birthrate lowest in 25 years (Arizona Republic) "Twenty-somethings who postponed having babies because of the poor economy are still hesitant to jump in to parenthood -- an unexpected consequence that has dropped the USA's birthrate to its lowest point in 25 years. The fertility rate is not expected to rebound for at least two years and could affect birthrates for years to come, according to Demographic Intelligence, a Charlottesville, Va., company that produces quarterly birth forecasts for consumer products and pharmaceutical giants such as Pfizer and Procter & Gamble." [editor's note: Not just the economy; how about the continued likelihood of providing cannon-fodder for the empire's expansion, no matter who sits on the throne? - SAT] (07/25/12) This is one of those examples of Steve Trinward's incredible bias and stupidity. With 310 million Americans, the US doesn't need a few hundred thousand more "cannon fodder" and birthrates aren't going to make a difference to his "empire." Indeed, a declining birthrate makes it EASIER for a Tranzi empire to get its cannon fodder as it has been doing in Mexico, Columbia, and for Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere: enticing immigrants and wanna-be immigrants to step forward, or just using "civilians" (Mercenaries) without regard to nationality. Monday, July 30, 2012 High tech - World wars Rats to the Rescue? Army May Use Rodents As IED and Landmine Detectors (CNSNews.com) It has been discussed and studied for years, and surely beats using humans - and probably better than machines. But don't expect this to happen: PETA is sure to come unglued. But for Americans fighting tyranny, this may be very useful. Politics 2012 Taxing the Wealthy Not a Top Priority for Either Obama or Romney Supporters, Poll Finds (CNSNews.com) But the media will not report that is the case with the First Citizen. And even this headline, coming from a generally conservative source, seems to conflate "raising taxes" with just plain taxing people. The wealthy pay a LOT in taxes, as study after study have shown: their percentage of the total tax income is MUCH greater than their percentage of the population. That fact is usually buried in the small type. Mama's Note: Class envy is always a popular political ploy. Most people forget that one man's poverty is another man's wealth. The poor of Calcutta would consider themselves in heaven to live like the "poor" in any city of the US. East Asian front - Tyranny Forget ‘Foolish and Silly’ Hopes of Reform, Says North Korean Regime (CNSNews.com) Is this really that much different than what the governments of the rest of the world are telling their people? Kim's regime is just more open about the "we know best; you are all dumb animals to be used and cared for as we see fit." Nazguli-in-Chief - Self Defense Justice Scalia on 2nd Amendment Limitations: 'It Will Have to Be Decided' (CNSNews.com) Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia says "yes, there are some limitations that can be imposed" on the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. It's up to future court cases to determine what those limitations are, he said on "Fox News Sunday." Some limitations "undoubtedly" are permissible, Scalia said, because limitations existed when the Constitution was written: "For example, there was a tort called affrighting, which if you carried around a really horrible weapon just to scare people, like a head ax or something, that was, I believe, a misdemeanor," he explained. "I mean, obviously, the (2nd) amendment does not apply to arms that cannot be hand-carried. It's to 'keep and bear.' So, it doesn't apply to cannons. But I suppose there are hand-held rocket launchers that can bring down airplanes that will have to be -- it will have to be decided." Scalia said he would consider the limitations society observed when the Constitution was written -- and then "see what those limitations are as applied to modern weapons." I do not know if I agree with this or not: it requires some though and study. And surely such "limitations" must apply as much to OTHER rights as to the right to keep and bear arms. I don't think I have heard this interpretation from a Nazgul-in-chief before. Of course, there is a big difference between a misdemeanor for carrying a head-axe to scare people and what current "limitations" have turned out to be. Mama's Note: What's to think about? In the first place, nothing in the constitution or BOR can negate the inherent right of all creatures to self defense. That's not negotiable. Second, how is it somehow rational to "limit" people to guns they can carry when anyone can buy a multi ton vehicle, up to and including equipment taller than some buildings... tractors that can crush a whole lot full of cars, buildings or most anything else. There are literally thousands of ordinary tools, substances and common items that can be used to harm other people. Why doesn't anyone scream about "match" control? The problem isn't that guns might be used to harm innocent people... not at all. The problem our would be overlords have with guns is the fact that they are the most effective tool to resist tyranny. And THAT's what they can't tolerate. Government war on religion Pope Names 'Father of Proposition 8' Archbishop of San Francisco (CNSNews.com) A nice, in-your-face sort of move: too bad even HE is unlikely to hold local political officials who are Catholic responsible for their attacks on religion and on the Roman Catholic Church. Politics 2012 - Islamic wars: Canaanite front Romney Declares Jerusalem to Be the Capital of Israel (CNSNews.com) Actually, all he did is repeat what the US Congress and the President (Clinton) decided well over a decade aga: to let Israel dictate where its capital was to be. It was the Israelis (for good or bad) that decided that Jerusalem should again be its capital, as it had been millennia in the past. Politics 2012 - Islamic wars: Canaanite front Oh, Mitt! Romney hints Jewish culture superior to Palestinians', who call remarks racist (New York Daily News) Mitt Romney told Jewish donors Monday that their culture is part of what has allowed them to be more economically successful than the nearby Palestinians, outraging Palestinian leaders. Well, count the votes, people! Even if it were not the truth: as ANY unbiased observer can see: compare Cairo and London (both capitals of dead empires), or Baghdad and Mexico City. Or some unnamed village in Syria with a village near Beersheba or Nazareth. And for the record, the "Palestinians" are NOT a race, even by modern twisted definitions. Arabs (of which they are a part) might be, the way we abuse the term. Government war on religion - Nazgul Judge Temporarily Stops Administration from Forcing Christian Family to Act Against Faith (CNSNews.com) U.S. District Judge John L. Kane issued an injunction Friday that temporarily prohibits the Obama administration from forcing a Christian family in Colorado to act against its faith in the way it operates its heating, ventilation and air-conditioning business. The injunction spares the family from complying with an Obamacare regulation while the judge decides on its merits the lawsuit the family has brought contending the regulation violates their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius finalized the regulation earlier this year. It requires health care plans to provide--without cost-sharing--sterilizations and all Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives, including those that induce abortions. A temporary reprieve at best, of course, since the SCOTUS has already decided that the thing is basically legal. Mama's Note: Religion should have no part in this. No person should be forced to do anything against their will, for whatever reason... or NO reason at all. Politics 2012 Bill Clinton Slated for Starring Role at Democratic Convention (CNSNews.com) Yes, they have to find one of their "successful" presidents to try and make up for the poor performance of the current First Citizen, and it surely isn't Jimmy Carter. LBJ, JFK, and FDR are all dead. Islamic war: Afghan front - Theft by government U.S. Audit: $200M Wasted on Iraqi Police Training (CNSNews.com) Can ANY money spent on the Iraqi government be considered anything BUT waste? With the possible exception of a few bribes? Tuesday, July 31, 2012 Stupid people tricks Deadly game of Russian roulette shatters peace of small Pennsylvania town (Fox News) The attitude of the authorities is incredible: prosecuting these two boys (or the others hinted at) will do nothing to prevent this from happening again, and will do more to destroy the lives of these families than the original death has. What does the DA gain on this? What does the community? Putting these boys in JV for years - or worse, in adult prison costs everyone a LOT. Justice should be tempered with mercy. Mama's Note: Just terrible... the boys were evidently not taught enough about gun safety, and the natural tendency of teens to think themselves invulnerable took over - just messing around. The boy who pulled that trigger may never recover emotionally, of course. And none of the macho posturing of the "law enforcement" idiots will ever help anyone. But God bless the attitude of the dead boy's parents. Politics 2012 - Islamic wars: Canaanite front In Israel, Romney wows crowds but puzzles with grasp of Palestinian relationship (Washington Post) Touring U.S. allies this week in his first foreign trip as the likely Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney often appeared to be visiting just another set of swing states, pleasing audiences with parochial promises, puzzling others with off-the-cuff remarks, and raising loads and loads of money. This nasty little piece seems based on the idea that "Romney disagrees with the WaPo so he's wrong and evil." Congress in action - Theft by government Congressional leaders near budget deal to keep government running (Washington Post) House and Senate leaders are nearing a temporary spending deal that would keep the federal government running for the first half of the next fiscal year, which will begin in October, aides in both parties said Monday, an effort to avoid a messy government shutdown fight on the eve of the November election. And would it not be just awful if all these people got sent home without any pay for a few days - or longer? JUST a few weeks before elections? What could happen that could go wrong? The next one tells us a little bit: As ‘fiscal cliff’ looms, debate over pre-Election Day layoff notices heats up (Washington Post) The deep federal spending cuts scheduled to take effect at the start of next year may trigger dismissal notices for tens of thousands of employees of government contractors, companies and analysts say, and the warnings may start going out at a particularly sensitive time... Oh, yes, a sensitive time indeed. But sooner or later, the pink slips MUST start flying from the various offices in DC: wise bureaucrats and other hangers-on must start preparing for this. What is NOT talked about (indeed, IGNORED by the MSM like the WaPo) is the millions more of contractor employees who will ALSO be out on the street seeking whatever they can get. And if only one in 10,000 of these goes postal... Mama's Note: Unfortunately, I've seen no signs at all that there are or will be serious voluntary "cuts" of any kind. They will all go over the cliff in their denial. And yes, I fully expect some of these entitlement spoiled crybabies to "go postal." Politics 2012 - Culture wars: homosexual "marriage" Democrats add gay marriage [sic] to party platform (Washington Post) National Democrats on Sunday approved the drafting of pro-gay marriage language into their platform at this year’s Democratic National Convention, according to a Democratic source. The news was first reported by the Washington Blade. You can tell - although at times it is hard with the WaPo's strident advocacy of so many Tranzi causes. Politics 2012 - First Citizen Why Barack Obama needs Bill Clinton (Washington Post) The news that former President Bill Clinton will play a central role in next month’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte is an acknowledgment by President Obama and his inner political circle of two things. First, that there is no better economic messenger in the party than the former president. And, second, that Obama needs Clinton. Abominable act Rationing Begins: States Limiting Drug Prescriptions for Medicaid Patients (CNSNews.com) Indeed, the grand dance of death begins. Many more will follow, and what happens if there is no new budget authority on 1 October? Mama's Note: The thing that most people will not even consider is the fact that most of these drugs are NOT necessary. More people die from prescription drugs - taken as ordered - than do from any kind of "illegal" drug. There are only a few medications that might present a life threatening problem if stopped... And most of them can be bought privately. The fewer drugs bought by anyone, the better. The big pharma companies want more people to take MORE drugs, so I suspect it's only a ploy to keep people upset and screaming for government to "DO SOMETHING." Home front Napolitano: Terrorists Enter U.S. from Mexico ‘From Time to Time’ (CNSNews.com) I'd have been surprised to hear a claim that none did. Which is WHY Americans must be armed and prepared and practiced and NOT depend on a worthless and ineffective (and soon unfunded?) government! Government-run, Tax-funded schools Record Percentage of HS Kids Last Year Played on Computer 3+ Hrs Per School Day (CNSNews.com) They are bored and have little to do in their institutions: and people are suprised? GRTF schools are increasingly worthless and irrelevant, except for the harm they do to their inmates and to the finances of society. Islamic wars: Afghan front GAO: Less Than 10% of Afghan Forces Capable of Operating Independently (CNSNews.com) It doesn't take a GAO report to show this: ask anyone down to the rank of PFC in a NATO ground force unit and you'll hear the same thing. First it is the growing Islamic orthodoxy (it used to be that Afghans and Kurds were the exception to the debilitating "Inshallah" (God's will) attitude that makes them such incredibly POOR soldiers, but that is changing in Afghanistan: now they follow the common traditional Muslim "way of modern warfare" of "shoot, spray, and pray." Next it is the kind of tribalism and the almost Tranzi-like family/feudal loyalty to tribe and family coupled with an incredibly-low literacy that makes it impossible for them to function even as sepoys: their fear of betraying their tribe, of other tribes, of honoring family ties over morality and liberty all make them very poor. And American and NATO failure to properly respond to these problems has made the last decade-plus a failure. Mama's Note: And what, pray tell, does any of that have to do with US involvement? Nothing. Whatever attitude or aptitude they have for anything is nobody's business but theirs. If they can't defend themselves (and they seemed to do ok against the Russians), so what? That is THEIR problem. First Citizen's minions - Tranzi feverish thoughts Hillary Clinton: People Have the Right to Believe They ‘Possess the One and Only Truth’ (CNSNews.com) “You can’t debate someone who believes that anyone who disagrees with him by definition disagrees with God,” Clinton said. “So let me simply say this: people can believe that they and only those like them possess the one and only truth. That’s their right. “Though they do not have the right to harm those they think harbor incorrect views,” she continued. “But their societies pay a cost when they choose to look at others with hate or disgust.” Clinton then said the way to “religious harmony” is through “tolerance and respect.” Gasp! What spirit has taken over this woman's mouth? At least, that is what I thought in reading the headline. But no, she is doing her usual Tranzi litany. I can refrain from attacking others and still NOT respect OR tolerate them. And I can look at someone's beliefs or practices and be disgusted without hating. And although I am taught and try NOT to hate them I CAN hate their religion, their beliefs, and their practices; Indeed, I should and MUST hate their religion if it destroys or seeks to destroy life and liberty, those great gifts of God. That does not give me either the authority or "right" to harm them - but it does not take away from my right to DEFEND myself (and others) from their evil. Religious freedom is not what this woman apparently thinks it is. And that should worry us all. First Citizen's minions State Dept.: Religious Freedom is Under Government Attack in ‘Nearly Half of the World’s Countries’ (CNSNews.com) No fooling? Does that include the former United States? And speeches like Mrs. Clinton gave in the above story? Mama's Note: Freedom is under attack everywhere. The religious have no greater need for or right to freedom than anyone else. How dare anyone tell the truth? Gallup: Economic Confidence Declines to Lowest Level Since January (CNSNews.com) Must have gotten a bad sample, here, folks. The First Citizen tells us all his plans for economic improvement have worked and that is why he is running for a second term. There is a word for these kinds of spoilers (like Gallup) which I cannot recall; a phrase used in the Soviet forces and in Communist movements worldwide for decades: they are betraying the proletariat, acting as counterrevolutionaries or even fake revolutionaries. How can Gallup be allowed to publish things like this? Politics 2012 - Islamic wars: Canaanite front (2 stories) Candidate Obama Also Called Jerusalem Israel’s Capital, Then Backtracked (CNSNews.com) On a lot of other things, too. But he said what he needed to, to get elected. And no doubt will do the same thing this year. White House Differs with Romney on Jerusalem as Capital of Israel (CNSNews.com) I am shocked - totally shocked! - that the WH would go against the inspired word of their messiah before he was elevated to the Oval Office. Politics 2012 - Culture wars: homosexual "marriage" Democrats Move to Formally Back Homosexual 'Marriage' in Party Platform (CNSNews.com) Even if the candidates (much less the elected officials) pay no attention to their party platforms, this shows a major milestone in the evolution of Democratic Party politics: the blue dog socially conservative wing is near death or dead; ideology dominates and the drive to claim the center is nothing but a vast bluff. Stupid cop tricks - Stupid people tricks WA: Criminal charges for outburst over plane's reading light? (Fox News) "A 50-year-old Tacoma man could face criminal charges after an outburst over a reading light during a flight from Honolulu to Bellingham International Airport. Washington State Patrol spokesman Keith Leary tells The Bellingham Herald authorities responded when the Alaska Airlines plane touched down early Saturday. Leary says the man had asked a female passenger to turn off her reading light so he could sleep on the flight. When she declined, it set off an argument. Leary says the man did not make explicit threats to hurt anyone but shouted expletives at people on the plane." (07/30/12) Obviously people's right to not be offended by cuss words and a bad temper totally overrides such trifles as free speech, at least in the eyes of the State Patrol in Washington. Guess the man should be grateful they didn't taser him or just take him out on the tarmac and execute him. Islamic wars: Central Asian front Police: Rebels in Tajikistan surrender weapons (Culpeper Star-Exponent) "Tajik soldiers are gaining the upper hand over armed opposition groups along the Afghan border, with a growing number of rebels surrendering their weapons in hopes of gaining amnesty, police said Monday. But Tajik authorities are still seeking one gang's leader, whom they blame for the death of a top security official." (07/30/12) Is the Tajik army to be trusted? Are their other enemies to be trusted? It would seem a dangerous move. Hoploclastic stupidity Colorado: Armed man arrested at Thornton Movie Theater (Denver Channel) "Thornton police arrested a Northglenn man Sunday after they said he walked into a movie theater with a handgun strapped to his waist. James G. Mapes, 48, went into the Cinebarre theater at 10001 N. Grant Street with a handgun in an open carry position, said police spokesman Matt Barnes.... Mapes was arrested for investigation of possession of a dangerous weapon in a liquor and beer establishment, Barnes said. The theater has a bar. Mapes told 7NEWS he has carried a gun, both concealed and in the open, to the Cinebarre in the past without any problems." (07/30/12) Sounds like panic. Of course, what kind of theater has a bar? Unless we change stupid laws like that, we are just asking for more theater shootings - and shootings in bars and saloons and Wal-Marts. Colorado: Holmes charged with 24 counts of first-degree murder and 116 counts of attempted murder (Chicago Tribune) I still do not understand how 12 dead equals 24 counts of 1st decree murder. I could see alternate charges and specifications (barely, in this case). But not double. Do they doubt that they can prove premeditation, with just the evidence that they have? Or is the evidence NOT very strong? (Those who think this was false-flag can discuss that.) And where is the thirteenth victim: the unborn child whose older sister was killed outright, who died in his mother's womb a couple of days ago? Mama's Note: Just the usual media circus... It wouldn't matter if they charged him with one or a million murders. He is innocent until proven guilty, and must be convicted by a jury of his peers before any of it makes much sense. The key is with an honest investigation and court proceeding, something I find seriously unlikely. Wednesday, August 01, 2012 African Collapse Togo’s prime minister forms new government (Atlantic City Press) "Togo's new prime minister has put together a transitional government following months of political turmoil in the tiny West African country. An announcement read on national television Tuesday confirmed the formation of the 29-member government, which includes many of the same members as the previous one." (07/31/12 Mama Liberty: New boss ... same as the old boss. Nathan: Maybe by continuing their incompetent rule, more and more people will just ignore them. Theft by government Corporate Welfare in the Federal Budget (CATO INSTITUTE) Corporate welfare in the federal budget costs taxpayers almost $100 billion a year... I suspect this is only the direct cost: indirectly there are hundreds of billions more. Stupid Government tricks Doctor Shortage Likely to Worsen With Health Law (NEW YORK TIMES) Researchers have estimated that even in the absence of the health care reform law, the shortage of doctors would have exceeded 100,000 by 2025... We told you so! Mama's Note: Everyone has gotten this SOOOO backwards. Far too many people make FAR too many doctor visits, take FAR too much "medicine" and reqire FAR too many medical procedures because they've been brainwashed to think this has something to do with health... and because they think someone else pays for it! When there are no doctors, and nobody can get this "medicine," they may well discover that they can be truly well without all that crap. The key is personal responsibility and taking care of one's own health the old fashioned way. Stupid government tricks Irrational Infatuation with Biofuels (WASHINGTON TIMES) Currently, about 40 percent of the U.S. corn crop is used in the production of ethanol, and this increased demand has resulted in higher prices for the crop... Stupidity has many forms - within and outside government. Ethanol makes a lot of sense, but the intervention of the government into markets the way this has been done has created major problems, and we are starting to pay for it. Same as with solar and wind (which is now a glut on the market). One problem with government intervention on this scale is that it takes so LONG for government to react, as compared to unshackled private business. Government-run, Tax-funded schools The End of Teachers' Unions (HOOVER INSTITUTION) Technology will break teachers' authoritative control over public education, and will simultaneously correct much of the system's performance problem as well... Actually, we're already seeing that: just got an ad for yet ANOTHER virtual academy starting up in Colorado: as brick-and-mortar schools (and their unions) collapse, the alternatives are there! Theft by government Internet Taxes (HEARTLAND INSTITUTE) The only statewide Internet sales tax that has been fully implemented -- in Rhode Island -- has not gained revenue and has actually resulted in a net loss... Death and taxes? Death DUE to taxes - slow lingering death, but then, Rhode Island has been dying for years. Maybe it should do a Singapore. Self Defense Virginia: Woman shoots intruder (WVEC News) "Police have charged a 34-year-old Norfolk woman with killing a man Sunday afternoon in Norfolk. Christel Elizabeth Hain is charged with murder in the death of a man she initially reported as an intruder into her apartment. ... Stephen Shifflett lives nearby. He says he was mowing his lawn when Hain ran over to him. 'She told me she needed to use my phone because she just shot a man,' said Shifflett. Shifflett says Hain explained she was home alone when she heard noises in another room, saw an unknown man standing there, and shot him. Police have not confirmed a motive." (07/30/12) Mama Liberty: If you look at the picture of this gal, she's obviously got serious bruising to her face and two black eyes. One does wonder how she got them... Wish there was a followup to these stories. Something not tracking here if they've charged her. Nathan: I agree with you. What REALLY happened? Tranzi stupidity Harkin: Free Birth Control Mandated Because Women ‘Have Terrible Menstrual Cramps’ (CNSNews.com) Ah, is this a "compassionate" liberal? Or just a really stupid one? What about those folks (including women) who have REALLY terrible migraine headaches? Or really really bad back pain? Shouldn't they get THEIR medication for free also? Abominable Act - Cultural wars: Sexualization of society Under HHS Rules, Obamacare Caters to Sexually Active Women Who Take Risks (CNSNews.com) Just one more focus group, one more core constituency for the First Citizen. He hangs out with tax-gatherers and prostitutes and other sinners, I guess. This makes sense from the Tranzi point of view: women have in virtually all cultures maintained the stability and moral foundation of those societies. The more that the modern equivalent of Livia and Poppaea and Druscilla can be encouraged and made, the more quickly the society will collapse. Politics 2012: Government war on religion Pelosi’s New Archbishop Warns: America Could Be Moving Toward ‘Despotism’ (CNSNews.com) MOVING TOWARDS? COULD BE? Hardly: we HAVE an elected despotism now, and Nancy Pelosi is a part of it. Pelosi's hypocritical attitude and actions show what the real religion in her heart is - and it is not Catholicism! Home front - Culture wars: homosexual "marriage" Black Pastors Launch Campaign Opposing Gay Marriage, Warn Obama We ‘Will Not Stand With You’ (CNSNews.com) But they will STILL cast a racist vote in November? Voting for the man who is doing this? Culture wars: homosexual "marriage" Black Pastors: Banning Chick-fil-A From Cities ‘Same Thing’ As Banning Blacks From Restaurants (CNSNews.com) I would agree at least somewhat. Of course, the Tranzis claim that for Chick-fil-A to even express indirect disapproval for homosexual "marriage" is racist and therefore much the same as banning blacks. Government-run, Tax-funded schools - Culture wars: sexualization of society Public School Moves Free Condom Jar to Back Room – Available to Kids 13 and Up (CNSNews.com) After all, we can't hurt their precious fragile egos by making them walk up to a store clerk and paying for the embarrassing things, can we? Politics 2012 Texas Tea Party Candidate Trumps Republican Establishment in U.S. Senate Race (CNSNews.com) The media touts this as another victory for Sarah Palin - I see it more as another serious crack in the foundation of the GOP: it is starting to lose its ties to the socialism of the Fremont-Lincoln-Roosevelt-Eisenhower-Nixon era. East Asian Front - Government war on religion Chinese Communist Party Members Increasingly Attending Church, State Dep't. Says (CNSNews.com) Now this is a bit of a weird situation: you can see it in Russia with the strong Orthodox tradition of nearly a thousand years, but China? Sadly, I don't think it will make much of a difference vis-a-vis liberty in China very soon: the type of 'christianity' being spread is not truly Biblical, but of the same sort predominant in the US which treats government as an agent of God. But I suspect that eventually Peking will crack down on this 'hideous evil' in their ranks: a good dose of persecution does wonders for helping people see their way to the truth in God's Word. First Citizen - Culture wars: Marriage What Is Obama's Stand on Polygamy? WH Spokesman Won't Answer (CNSNews.com) Of course not: he needs the polyamorists' votes in November, and dare NOT alienate his Islamist supporters. Islamic wars: South Asian front Pakistan’s Spymaster Visits Washington Amid U.S. Concerns About Counterterror Cooperation (CNSNews.com) To me, this is on a par of the US inviting Yugoslavia's spymaster to DC in about 1970 or so. Pakistan is just as Islamist (if not more) than the bulk of the Ummah, just sitting on the fence. At the same time, the US is continuing to make matters worse with our methods of dealing with "terrorism" which just fuel the fires of Islamic hatred and Paki patriotism. Islamic wars: Arabian front Activists Say ‘Gender Apartheid’ Saudi Arabia Should Have Been Excluded From Olympics (CNSNews.com) Actually, I'd as soon see Saudi Arabia excluded from ANYthing but their behavior is no worse - just different - from dozens of other nations. Where is the line drawn? BTW, the poor girls whom Saudi Arabia sent to this year's Olympics were definitely not the cream of the crop. Thursday, August 02, 2012 Stupid people - Stupid GRTF schools USC and Arnold Schwarzenegger to launch policy think tank (Los Angeles Times) The University of Southern California and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday announced a partnership to establish a think tank that will seek bipartisan solutions to environmental problems, economic policy, political reform and other public policy issues. Mama's thoughts: So typically Californian... But the idea of Schwarzenegger leading a "think tank" is almost hysterical. Nathan: Hmmm. Austro-Hyborean-Machine Age New religions: Manmade global warming Kerry: Climate Change ‘As Dangerous’ as Iran’s Nukes and the Possibility of War (CNSNews.com) But not NEARLY as dangerous as a Kerry presidency would have been. Seriously, this guy won't let up, will he? Like Algor and others Politics 2012 Congressman: 'We're Still Home of the Brave, But We're Not the Land of the Free Anymore' (CNSNews.com) I guess I argue with the first: what bravery exists among the general public these days, much less Congress? Or the 50 legislatures? Not much that I can see. Congress in action Republicans Denounce Contraception Mandate, But Hedge on Whether They’ll Agree to Fund It (CNSNews.com) As I've mentioned before, this is hypocrisy. And based on the thoughts of the past article, it is cowardly as well: there is no moral courage in refusing to defund this evil. Theft by government Millions of Taxpayer Dollars Paying for Low-Income Kids to Take Advanced Placement Tests (CNSNews.com) AP programs are great - but why should ANY of this be paid for by taxes? Politics 2012 Will Santorum Speak at Convention? Romney Team Hasn’t Announced (CNSNews.com) Santorum is safe - the real question is whether they dare let Ron Paul speak. Politics 2012 Hensarling on Obama: ‘Go Back to The Great Depression to Find a President Whose Policies Have Failed More’ (CNSNews.com) Oh, I think that the policies of EVERY president have failed: failed to keep us free, failed to let us be as prosperous as we should be; failed to keep or preserve or restore peace. Mama's Note: As long as people believe that any "president" can or should have anything to do with our peace, freedom or prosperity, the decline will continue. Those are individual responsibilities and can't be obtained by legislation. They can certainly be hindered and damaged, but government can't create any of them. Space Iran to Send Monkey Into Space After Ramadan (CNSNews.com) Great news that yet another nation is going to be nearly spacefaring: I think this makes FOUR on their own effort, not counting nations that have ridden on someone else's ships (like the US is doing today). Natural disasters Half of US counties now considered drought disaster areas (CNSNews.com) It has happened before, it will happen again. but it is by God's grace that drought no longer equals famine, and that we (and the world that depends on us, good or bad) pretty much have enough to live on. Congress in action House Republicans Vote to Extend Bush-Era Tax Rates for All Americans (CNSNews.com) Even the rich ones, shocking as that is. Politics 2012 Mitt Romney, in Colorado, returns to the campaign trail (Washington Post) Mitt Romney resumes campaigning Thursday in Colorado, trying to rebuild momentum after a difficult overseas trip that took him away from U.S. voters and raised doubts about how comfortable he is on the world stage. Nice to see the WaPo so concerned about his success. Do you think he got a lot of votes? Really, I'm surprised he didn't visit more troops (US, that is), and that he didn't formally propose a two-state solution to the Canaanite question: the State of Israel with two senators and four or five congressmen; and the State of Samaria with two senators and five or six congressmen. I realize that would deeply cut into the Israeli representation in both Houses of Congress, of course, but it could help overall. (I suppose a three-state solution: split Israel into Judea (South Israel) with two senators and two or three congressmen and Israel (the north) with two senators and two or three congressmen. Why Samaria for the name of the Arab state? Palestine is such a divisive name, don't you know? Gaza? I like "Gaza National Historical and Military Park" pretty much archeologists and tourists, with the only people allowed to live there being those who can prove that their direct ancestors lived there in, say, 1862 - 150 years ago. Everyone else, except credentialed archeologists and their full-time students and employees, would be allowed up to 72 hours visit time every year. Politics 2012 Why Republicans need lower-income voters in 2012 (Washington Post) We’ve spent a lot of time on this blog in recent weeks detailing the fact that a handful of wealthy donors have changed the presidential election game by sending millions of dollars to GOP-leaning super PACs and outside groups. Another snide little slam at the GOP by the WaPo - such fun! As if the Demos didn't have their own "handful of wealthy donors" who are paying millions to re-elect the First Citizen and his ilk. Politics 2012 Debate official on campaign for a female moderator: ‘It’s very hard to find someone who can do that’ (Washington Post) And now, a few words from some presidential debate principals, even as three savvy New Jersey girls clamor for a woman to moderate at least one Obama-GOP presidential candidate face-off this fall. Being a highly paid, experienced journalist of either sex does not automatically confer the skills needed to pull the best answers from candidates who insist on reciting campaign blather to whatever the question, and won't think twice about accusing a zealous inquisitor of committing lamestream-how-dare-you-ask-about (fill in the blank) journalism. The moderator should also be the least ego-driven person on stage. It seems to me if their pool of moderators is "journalists" (press-whores?) then trying to find a "least ego-driven" is like trying to find a fighter pilot who has slow reflexes. Politics 2012 Influence Industry: Small group makes big dent on super PAC individual donations, study says (Washington Post) It’s no secret that some very rich people support the super PACs and other groups that have inundated the 2012 campaign with unlimited sums of cash. But a study to be released Thursday details the extent to which this kind of donating is the sport of the One Percent. Unlimited? Hardly: they don't have the Federal Reserve to sustain them - nor Congress' supposed bottomless purse. And this is hardly an unbiased report, since the WaPo and its management (and probably owners) are part of the One Percent (by their own definition). The problem has always been NOT the money spent on campaigns but the REASON the money is being spent: the less- and less- limited power of government. Politics 2012 Obama’s new campaign ad on dueling budget plans (Washington Post) “Mitt Romney’s plan? A new $250,000 tax cut for millionaires …increase military spending…adding trillions to the deficit. Or President Obama’s plan? A balanced approach …Four trillion in deficit reduction.” Oh? I must have missed something: the First Citizen wants a "four trillion" dollar deficit reduction? Not that the GOP plan is any more realistic. The crisis is growing closer: I suspect that the states, especially the border states in the south, better be figuring out how THEY and not the Federal forces are going to be defending themselves. Meanwhile, the two parties are doing their usual fine job of cozening the electorate. Friday, August 03, 2012 Crash of 2009 - Economic Failure (four stories) US economy's job engine revved up in July (nbcnews.com) U.S. employers created 163,000 jobs in July -- the most in five months -- but the jobless rate edged higher, leaving the impression intact that the economy is just muddling along. Mama's Note: Yeah, right.... Nathan: That is the MSM view: here is a bit closer to the reality (the next three stories all from CNSNews.com): 195,000 Fewer Americans Had Jobs in July; 150,000 Dropped Out of Labor Force 175,000 Fewer Women Held Jobs in July; 94,000 Dropped Out of Labor Force 4.4 Million ‘Permanent Job Losers’ in July Not good news for the First Citizen - unless he and his supporters can really make Bain Capital and Romney's tax returns into the main (or only) issues of the campaign. But it is REALY not good news for the nation or for most states, event those like North Dakota - they have to be able to find someone to buy their oil and gas and food crops. And I don't think there is ANYone in the national level, GOP or Democrat, who can do what is needed to revive the economy: CUT government: regulations, spending, taxes, and meddling. Now. By MASSIVE amounts: 75 to 80 percent to begin with. Meanwhile we just continue to slide deeper and deeper into a greater depression. Crash of 2009 - America falling? Vacant Detroit becomes dumping ground for the dead: At least a dozen bodies found in 12 months' time (Carlos Osorio / AP) Abandoned lots, alleys and neglected parks in Detroit used to be a favorite destination for discarded tires and trash. But over the past few months they have become dumping grounds for the dead. Mama Liberty: Not just Detroit. I drove downtown yesterday and saw more boarded up businesses, higher prices, more things not available at all. (In Newcastle, WY, not exactly as bad off as much of the nation.) Detroit sounds more and more like a relic of empire: like Rome in the 1000s perhaps, or London in the 600s; of course, not all those cities were eventually restored: Babylon, Carthage, Persopolis all come to mind. But the larger point is that the entire nation's economy seems to be grinding to a Galt-like halt, very, very slowly. Islamic wars: all fronts Sunni Muslim 'Extremists' Committed 70% of Terrorist Murders in 2011 (CNSNews.com) No, really? It isn't poor little government-drones like the guy in Aurora, or right-wing white supremists, oranti-abortion activists, or homo-baiters? Where is the condemnation from the "moderate" Sunni types? From the clerics and the community organizers? Of course, this doesn't include murders by government-employed killers (except maybe some Afghani police or troops which turned against their "allies"). East Asian Front - Culture wars: killing babies (2 stories) Formal Complaint Submitted to U.N. Women’s Rights Agency Regarding Forced Abortion in China (CNSNews.com) Why do these people waste their time and effort going to the UN on this: they WANT these children dead and all this does is waste time and money that could be used to arm those who are willing to revolt against China and other evil regimes. Chen Guangcheng: 'Change in China is Inevitable' (CNSNews.com) Obviously, but the question is - in which direction? Right now, the liberty of the Chinese people is as mixed (and in worse condition) as that of the American people: and their "economic liberty" is failing as crony capitalism (aka fascism-light) sweeps up those bits it didn't have before. As economic conditions worsen, the temptation is growing to crack down on all kinds of liberty and reassert the "dictatorship of the proletariat" which is still their doctrine. Congress in action - Abominable Act (2 stories) GOP Freshman Likens HHS Reg to Pearl Harbor--But Won't Say If He'll Vote to Fund It (CNSNews.com) This guy is even more hypocritical than Boehner in the next story. Boehner Again Won’t Say If GOP Will Defund Obama’s ‘Attack on Religious Freedom’ (CNSNews.com) My bet is he won't defund it. It is fully in keeping with the GOP leadership for 150 years to steal liberty and blame Democrats for it. Why change a winning strategy just because the nation is collapsing? Stupid government tricks - First Citizen's minions Republicans Question Labor Department's 'Misleading' Guidance on Federal Contractors (CNSNews.com) Federal law -- the WARN Act -- requires businesses with more than 100 employees to give employees 60 days' notice of mass layoffs or plant closings. That means notices for mass layoffs on Jan. 2 would have to go out no later than Nov. 2 -- which is just four days before the Nov. 6 presidential election. On July 30, the Labor Department issued "guidance," stating that federal contractors affected by sequestration do not need to provide 60 days' advance notice of mass layoffs. Doing so "would be inconsistent with the purpose of the WARN Act," the guidance said. No, really? Misleading guidance? Just another example of the First Citizen's minions lying (for him) and trying to hookwink voters. Congress in action Rep. King: English Language ‘Binds Us,’ Obama Administration ‘Divides Us’ (CNSNews.com) Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is sponsoring a bill to make English the official language of the United States – a law he said will help “bind” Americans together at a time when the Obama administration is trying to create divisions between people. This is total garbage: it is NOT a language that bound this nation together, it was a love for liberty and a common heritage (even though adopted by most) of freedom, liberty, and personal responsibility. While he is certainly right that the current Administration is dividing the nation, the solution is not an artificial and bogus conformity that has never been necessary before. My American brother or sister in liberty is my brother or sister whether they speak Yankee English or Deep Southron English or New Mexican Espanol or Tex-Mex Spanish or Dineh or Lakota. For centuries, the Swiss have been united in liberty and freedom despite speaking FOUR languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch. Canadians, too, were once united in liberty though speaking English and Spanish and a variety of First Nation languages. I have more in common with a Vietnamese man who speaks not a word of English but fought for his liberty and that of his people against colonialism and communism than I do with a man who speaks English and claims to be a conservative but wants to steal MORE liberty from me. King is wrong, and wasting our time and his majoring in minors. Stupid government tricks Pardon Rain Man? Oregon Gov. Ducks for Cover (CNSNews.com) Gary Harrington of Eagle Point, Ore., was sentenced July 25 in Jackson County Circuit Court to 30 days in jail and over $1,500 in fines for violating Oregon state laws that say all water is publically owned--making the 3 reservoirs on his property used to house rainwater and snow runoff illegal. Since Monday, CNSNews.com has repeatedly contacted the governor’s office via phone and email to ask if the governor has any intention of pardoning Harrington or commuting his sentence. But the governor's office has not responded to any of those inquiries. Steve Buckstein, senior policy analyst at the Cascade Policy Institute in Portland, told CNSNews.com that he doesn’t think the governor would lift a finger to help Harrington out. I am not surprised, and CNSNews and its editors do not understand: this is not a "liberal" OR "environmental" issue but a fundamental (FLAWED fundamental) condition of American water law: there are going to be just as many "conservatives" in favor of slamming Harrington in jail because a pardon would threaten the entire foundation of their water system. Public ownership of water is not "Communism" but "communism" as found in monarchies and empires for millenia. Islamic wars: Arab street revolt - Mainstream media Arab Spring? Egyptian Media Deny and Glorify Holocaust (CNSNews.com) They sound just like the Western MSM: lying out both sides of their mouth. Of course, the Western MSM conveniently overlooks such things as this - and the general Islamic attitude ("moderate" or Islamist) towards Jews, homosexuals, and women, and the treatment that results. Of course, the Western leadership (such as the First Citizen, Chicago mayor Raum Emmanuel, and many many more) have this same "blind spot" or series of blind spots. Hoploclasts - Hypocrites Gun Control Advocate: Daughters Have Bullseye Targets in Their Bedrooms (CNSNews.com) Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), a gun control advocate who has been pushing for an assault weapons ban, especially following the Aurora, Colo., shootings, said her daughters have bullseye targets in their bedrooms after taking gun safety courses through the National Rifle Association. Speaking on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” on Thursday, DeGette said she is a supporter of the Second Amendment but is not a gun owner. She is one of four Democrats calling for a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines. DeGette once more demonstrates not only her hypocrisy (her support of the Second Amendment has been demonstrated to be false numerous times in her political career) but her refusal to rationally think about guns and similar issues. This should serve as a warning to ALL who work for our rights: this sort of bizarre thinking is only enabled by powerful government: the path to liberty is LESS and LESS government: MORE liberty. Islamic wars: Arab street revolt Turkey, Wary About Kurdish Gains in Syria, Deploys Tanks (CNSNews.com) Speaking of hypocricy, Turkey demonstates its own again. Its fear of Kurds (which extends back centuries) drives much of its foreign policy. So once more, the threat of fresh and more war in this region is driven by fear, panic, and ulterior motives. Politics 2012 Romney responds to Reid: ‘Put up or shut up’ (Washington Post) Mitt Romney personally responded to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) today, telling the Democrat to offer some proof of his tax claims or stop making them. “It’s time for Harry to put up or shut up,” Romney told Fox News Radio. Funny, funny. I'm sure that Reid, as a brother LDS agreed to shut up immediately. You know, this does kind of bring to question all those accusations made about LDS ("Mormons") that they will lie, steal, or even kill for another LDS, in preference to any outsider. Reid certainly shows that kind of support for Romney, doesn't he? Congress in action Cybersecurity bill fails in Senate (Washington Post) A bill that would establish security standards to prevent large-scale cyberattacks on the nation’s critical infrastructure — including water supplies and the electrical grid — failed in the Senate on Thursday despite strong endorsements from top military and national security officials. Good, but don't be surprised if this (and some of the attachments, like the "large-capacity magazine") doesn't show up again in a legislative chamber near you. **************** 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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