|
Libertarian
War on the News, 27 April - 03 May, 2008
Welcome
to May!
Afghanistan hit the news with a big splash, but a lot of news stories
this week have to do with our beloved Congress. Fuel prices keep on climbing,
but the real crisis of the week is food, at least according to the UN.
The evil US is once again to blame for most of it, of course: food, fuel,
Afghani and Mesopotamian troubles, Tibet, and all the rest. On to the
news!
Afghan
front:
Afghanistan:
Karzai survives assassination attempt
Guardian [UK]
“President Hamid Karzai survived an assassination attempt yesterday
when Taliban militants fired gunshots and rockets at a military parade
in central Kabul. Three people, including an MP, were killed. … Live
coverage on state television showed two turbaned MPs slumped in their
seats, one about 30 metres from Karzai. One died later, as did a minority
leader and a 10-year-old girl. … The Taliban claimed responsibility,
saying the attack disproved Nato claims that the insurgency was weakening.”
(04/28/08)
A
single attack like this, especially an unsuccessful one, proves nothing,
especially not that the “insurgency” remains strong. It does
send a message to US allies – that it is dangerous to be a friend
of the US.
Afghan
front:
US may seek more control
in Afghanistan
MSNBC
“Pentagon officials are quietly considering a significant change
in the war command in Afghanistan to extend U.S. control of forces into
the country’s volatile south. Such a move, partly linked to an expectation
of a fresh infusion of U.S. troops in the south next year, would in effect
mark a partial ‘re-Americanization’ of the combat mission in
Afghanistan.” (04/30/08)
As in “Iraq,”
the occupation is NOT going well, but there seems to be little choice
but to keep US and European involvement to prevent a resurgence of the
Taleban or other Islamic imperialist organizations and allow them to operate
outside Afghanistan itself. As with other places, the destruction of one
threat was not enough by itself: and the US action in Afghanistan has
simply failed to address the root problems which make the people and society
a threat to freedom and the rest of the world.
Mama's
Note: I don't buy that for a moment. One of the greatest threats to the
entire world is continued US military occupation of other countries.
Afghan
front:
Afghan officials: Al Qaeda link in
assassination plot
Citrus County Chronicle
“The weekend plot to kill Afghan President Hamid Karzai was masterminded
by militants with links to al-Qaida members who reside in Pakistan’s
lawless tribal areas, an Afghan intelligence official said Thursday. Saeed
Ansari, a spokesman for the Afghan intelligence service, said that one
of those killed during a raid on a militant hideout in Kabul on Wednesday
was also linked to a deadly suicide attack on the city’s luxurious
Serena Hotel in January.” (05/01/08)
Is this
a surprise? Of course not. The Islamic imperialists will act against any
American ally or puppet (take your pick). It will do so in a manner intended
to demonstrate the US and those associated with it are incompetent, ineffective,
and evil. Even a failure (as was this attempt) is still going to create
fear and accomplish some of these goals.
Mama's
Note: Too bad all of the US and Islamic imperialists can't be dumped together
on a desert island. Then they could fight to their heart's content without
murdering and robbing the rest of us. Oh wait! They need the rest of us
to provide the swag and warm bodies for their insanity. They couldn't
manage it long on their own.
Afghan
front:
Afghanistan:
Militants blow selves up in standoff
Guardian [UK]
“Five suspected Taliban militants blew themselves up in Afghanistan
today, after the house they were holed up in was surrounded by security
forces. The explosion followed a gun battle between the militants and
government forces in Kabul’s old city. The militants blew themselves
up to avoid capture, an Afghan interior ministry official told Reuters.”
(04/30/08)
I guess
the Taleban didn’t kill enough enemy and so are taking to doing themselves
in…I remember Patton’s saying, “Your job isn’t to
die for your country…”
Asian front:
Chicoms
jail 17 for resisting Tibet occupation
BBC News [UK]
“A court [sic] in Tibet has jailed 17 people for taking part in
riots [sic] in the capital Lhasa last month, Chinese state media has said.
The prison terms are reported to range from three years to life. Anti-China
protests led by Buddhist monks began in Lhasa on 10 March and gradually
escalated into rioting. China says at least 19 people were killed by the
rioters — but Tibetan exiles say that nearly 100 were killed by the
Chinese security [sic] forces.” (04/29/08)
Murdering
thugs killing people; courts that have to stop bouncing up and down on
their hind legs only long enough to sign the convictions, and 58 years
of tyranny.
Asian front:
CIA director: China not an “inevitable
enemy”
CNN
“The director of the CIA told an audience at Kansas State University
on Wednesday that China is ‘not the inevitable enemy’ of the
United States. Michael Hayden spoke about three main challenges facing
the United States: burgeoning populations, China’s increasing economic
power and America’s prickly relationship with Europe.” (04/30/08)
It may
not have been inevitable, but it IS an enemy: not just of the United States
but of freedom, liberty, and western culture. China is, despite a lot
of “reforms” of the economy, a Communist government ruling an
Asian society which is virtually the opposite of western society and the
values of individual liberty and freedom.
Asian front:
Tibetan
envoys head for “informal” talks in China
Agence France-Presse
“Two Tibetan envoys will arrive in China on Saturday to start
‘informal’ talks with the country’s leadership after bloody
riots in Lhasa, a spokesman for the Tibetan government in exile said.
The meetings will be the first reported face-to-face contact between the
two sides since unrest erupted in Tibet on March 10 followed by a Chinese
crackdown. … The government in exile, based in the northern Indian
town of Dharamshala, says 203 people were killed and some 1,000 hurt in
the unrest and crackdown. At least 5,715 people have been arrested since
the protests began, according to figures which the government says have
been extensively cross-checked. China said 20 people had been killed by
Tibetan ‘rioters’ until Monday, when state media for the first
time said police shot dead a Tibetan pro-independence ‘insurgent.’”
(05/02/08)
It appears
as though the entire conflict is starting to shift, as Chinese communists
seek to justify themselves more to the West and brand Tibet as another
terrorist organization.
Mama's
Note: As would the US government if any real protest groups began to make
significant differences here.
Baboons:
Congress foils economic solutions,
Bush says
USA Today
“President Bush used a Rose Garden news conference Tuesday to
pronounce the state of the economy anything but rosy and blame Congress
for blocking his solutions. The president’s dual goals — assuring
Americans he understands their plight and challenging Congress to act
— were on display as he cited evidence of ‘tough times’
and recited his proposals that lawmakers have blocked.” (04/29/08)
Yes, Congress
needs to act, but NOT in the way that the Administration wants them to.
We don’t need to print more money (electronic or otherwise) and we
don’t need more consumer protection regulations. What we need is
a Congress that will (1) control spending, (2) control taxes, (3) control
regulations, and (4) get out of the world-babysitting business.
Baboons:
CA: Ballooning deficit could help
gov’s reform push
San Francisco Chronicle
“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s startling revelation that the
state’s budget deficit could grow to as much as $20 billion comes
two weeks before he unveils a revised budget plan for the coming year
that likely will include deep cuts in education, health services and prisons.
The new deficit figure — 30 percent higher than the latest estimates
by lawmakers — reflects a deepening fiscal crisis that has polarized
the budget debate in the state Legislature, with Republicans vowing to
fight tax increases and Democrats saying they won’t settle for cuts
only. Schwarzenegger, while maintaining he won’t support raising
taxes, also wants to make fundamental changes in California’s budget
process, and experts said today that the governor’s deficit estimate
this week could help his campaign for budget reform.” (04/29/08)
California
is seriously messed up, and its legislature is the poster child for the
mess. For all Schwarzenegger’s faults, he is both more competent
and more effective than the baboons.
Baboons:
Conyers threatens to subpoena Ashcroft,
Yoo, Addington
Associated Press
“The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee on Monday threatened
to serve subpoenas on former Attorney General John Ashcroft and two others
associated with the Bush administration’s interrogation policies
if they don’t agree to testify. If the three — including John
C. Yoo, the former assistant deputy attorney general, and David Addington,
Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff — do not reply by
Friday, ‘I will have no choice but to consider the use of compulsory
process,’ Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., wrote in letters to them.”
(04/28/08)
Regardless
of their roles, I would never think that any of these people should voluntarily
testify before the baboons.
Baboons:
FL: State
moves to ban fake testicles on vehicles
Yahoo! News
“Senate lawmakers in Florida have voted to ban the fake bull testicles
that dangle from the trailer hitches of many trucks and cars throughout
the state. Republican Sen. Cary Baker, a gun shop owner from Eustis, Florida,
called the adornments offensive and proposed the ban. Motorists would
be fined $60 for displaying the novelty items, which are known by brand
names like ‘Truck Nutz’ and resemble the south end of a bull
moving north. The Florida Senate voted last week to add the measure to
a broader transportation bill, but it is not included in the House version.
In a spirited debate laced with double entendre, Senate lawmakers questioned
whether the state should curtail freedom of expression in vehicle accessories.”
(04/25/08)
What a
stupid waste of time!
Mama's
Note: Funny, I've not noticed anybody in Wyoming who thinks they need
a pair of fake plastic testicles on their vehicle. Indeed, most of them
would probably be horrified at the very thought. All the men I know here
have a lot more important things on their minds, and honest work to do.
Waste of time, indeed - and very sad for manhood and the human race, but
if these fools want to play such stupid games they certainly have a right
to do so.
Baboons:
US eyes
shift away from corn ethanol
Christian Science Monitor
“America’s love affair with corn-based ethanol is cooling
— at least in Washington. Some legislators blame the rising use of
corn as a biofuel as a key factor behind high food prices. Others want
to freeze the federal mandate on biofuels production at current levels,
reversing legislation passed just a few months ago that increases it through
2022. Still others are pushing to shift tax incentives away from corn-based
to cellulose-based ethanol in the nearly completed farm bill. These moves
represent a dramatic backlash against corn ethanol, which until a few
months ago was widely viewed as a boon for both farmers and consumers.”
[Editor’s note: A view so incredibly myopic, it could only have
come under the present administration … or any of the previous few!
— SAT] (05/01/08)
These are
the same baboons who, as few as four months ago, voted to require four
times as much ethanol and other biofuels within a few years. Panicking
and fearful of the economic woes (which they in large part created), they
are now believing a pack of lies. Steve, don’t blame the administration
for this – the blame is squarely on Congress, and BOTH parties are
to blame.
Baboons:
Congress passes
anti-genetic discrimination bill
Miami Herald
“Congress sent President Bush a bill Thursday forbidding employers
and insurance companies from using genetic tests showing people are at
risk of developing cancer, heart disease or other ailments to reject their
job applications, promotions or health care coverage, or in setting premiums.
” (05/01/08)
Is this
really necessary? Is this really right? If I drink, and especially if
my drinking is not kept separate from my driving, should I be expected
to pay more for car insurance because I am at greater risk of being in
an accident? Most people would say yes, but a lot of people claim that
susceptibility to alcoholism is a result of genetics. If my father, grandfather,
and great-grandfather all died of testicular cancer, would my health insurance
company be justified in charging me higher premiums since I am likely
to have a similar problem? Even if my ancestors medical records are not
available but genetic tests are? But most people consider it wrong for
a company to refuse to sell me a good or service because I am black, or
red, or a woman: all of which are “genetic” conditions.
Mama's
Note: As usual, the answer does not rest with what government "allows"
or not, but with the free and voluntary exchange of the market. Then people
would decide among themselves what criteria are to be used, and new entrepreneurs
could easily arise to fill in the holes where previous business was unwilling
to go.
Baboon-wannabes:
CA: Cindy Sheehan files to take on
Pelosi
San Francisco Chronicle
“Peace activist Cindy Sheehan wants to snatch House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi’s congressional seat from her in November, but first she’s
going to need the help — and signatures — of 10,198 friends
and supporters. Sheehan was at San Francisco City Hall on Friday to take
out papers for her independent run for Congress, but without those signatures
from voters in the district, her name won’t show up on the ballot.
‘It’s an uphill battle,’ said Sheehan, who vowed to run
against Pelosi in July after the speaker refused to start impeachment
proceedings against President George Bush. ‘But I’m excited
about the signature-gathering process. It’s going to be an opportunity
to talk to people about our campaign.’” [Editor’s note:
Here’s hoping she makes Nancy’s life miserable, for as long
as she can! - SAT] (04/27/08)
Oh, of
COURSE Sheehan would make a better congress-crittur than Pelosi. Of course.
Frankly, would there be any difference? At the same time, I am so sorely
tempted to agree with Steve on this one.
Canaanite
front:
Gaza: Four young
siblings among six killed in IDF strike
Haaretz [Israel]
“Israel Defense Forces troops shelled a house in the northern
Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun on Monday, killing at least six Palestinians
including four young siblings, medical officials and resident said. Officials
said a seventh was in critical condition following the blast. Among the
dead were four siblings who ranged in age from 6 down to 15 months. Residents
said an Israeli projectile smashed through the ceiling of a one-story
house where a family was having breakfast.” (04/28/08)
It appears
that Hamas and other groups are continuing to use civilians as shields,
and share the responsibility for these deaths with the Israelis.
Mama's
Note: Somehow, it really doesn't make any sense to think that. Just suppose
we were forced to defend ourselves as the true militia. We would not likely
set up obvious military type camps outside of town, and would try to blend
in with everyone else. Those who attacked us with bombs and so forth would
make the same claim, yet they would still be the ones responsible for
attacking us AND for the murder of the women and children. Those who attack
others are never going to take responsibility for such deaths, and will
always find a way to justify it to themselves. Just why should it be different
in Gaza?
Canaanite
front:
UN: Blockade puts Gaza on brink of
serious food crisis
Independent [UK]
“Destitution and food insecurity among Gaza’s 1.5 million
residents has reached an unprecedentedly critical level, according to
unpublished UN findings that they now need ‘urgent assistance’
to avert a ’serious food crisis’ in the occupied Palestinian
territories. The report revealing that Gaza’s population has already
passed the internationally-agreed threshold at which it needs concerted
measures to prevent a ‘deterioration in their nutrition’ has
been drafted on the eve of a donors’ conference to discuss Palestinian
political and economic prospects in London today.” (05/02/08)
Funny,
I thought the entire world was already involved in a “serious”
and “critical” food crisis thanks to the evil American desire
to steal food from people’s mouths to make fuel with. Also very strange:
I didn’t think that Gaza was “occupied” any more: the Israelis
have withdrawn for the most part. Gaza COULD bring food from Egypt or
even (gasp!) by ship from the Mediterranean coastline, but apparently
neither Egypt nor any other Arab country is able to do so, and so the
demonic Israelis are the only source of food and it can only come across
the boarders closed by Israel to limit and try to prevent attacks on Israel.
Culture
wars: environists:
Groups sue to get gray wolves back
on endangered list
Los Angeles Times
“A dozen environmental groups sued the federal government Monday
in an attempt to reverse a decision to remove gray wolves in the northern
Rocky Mountains from the endangered species list. Since the delisting
went into effect March 28, at least 35 wolves have been killed in Idaho,
Montana and Wyoming. … The suit was expected, and wolf management
program representatives for the three states immediately said they would
intervene on behalf of the federal government. Environmental groups also
requested a preliminary injunction to stop wolf kills until the lawsuit
was resolved.” (04/29/08)
Never mind
how many sheep, lambs, even cattle and horses will die, never mind how
many people will be endangered – we must stop this evil persecution
of the innocently-murderous gray wolf. And in a decade, when gray wolves
are munching down on people’s cats and Corgis in upscale neighborhoods
in Chicago and Kansas City and Denver, then we westerners’ll be blamed
for destroying their environment and forcing them to migrate to where
the living is easier… (Don’t think I’m joking: just last
week, they killed a mountain lion from the Black Hills who was stalking
joggers in the suburbs of Chicago. Wisconsin’s last mountain lion
had been seen in about 1908 – but an exploding population of mountain
lions in the Black Hills from years of no hunting has meant that they
are roaming over a very wide area.) How about reintroducing wolves to,
say, the Mall in DC, or maybe Central Park in NYC?
Mama's
Note: Works for me. And I suggest that every single person who objects
to the rational control of wolves be required to take home at least two
or three to roam their own neighborhoods as well.
Culture
wars: environists:
Study: Whale-watching boats put whales
in jeopardy
Boston Globe
“In the lush waters of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary,
whale watching is one of the region’s most beloved — and jaw-dropping
— experiences. … But a new study says whale-watching boats are
going too fast near whales, endangering them and disregarding a decade-old
pledge to slow down. As part of the study, published this month in the
journal Conservation Biology, researchers went undercover 46 times in
2003-2004 on ships owned by New England’s whale-watching companies.
Armed with global positioning system units, the observers recorded time,
speed, and location at 5-second intervals. Every trip exceeded the voluntary
speed limits, sometimes more than threefold, they found.” (04/28/08)
In other
words, these people are being hypocritical opportunists, and the “eco-tourism”
is actually even more damaging than the normal tourism.
Mama's
Note: I didn't see any documented proof of harm to the whales. I suspect
this is made up of whole cloth, like so many other enviro-whacko lies.
The last time I went on one of those tours out of Los Angeles, the whales
frolicked around the boat like kids around an ice cream truck. They got
very close at times and did not seem at all worried about the speed of
the boat or anything else. The boats are actually quite small, and those
whales are incredibly large - and very intelligent as well. This sounds
more like job security for the self appointed "observers."
Culture
wars: political correctness and evolution:
States want
to let teachers challenge evolution theory
Fox News
“The debate over evolution is evolving. Although federal courts
have banned teaching ‘creation theory’ or ‘intelligent
design theory’ in public schools, legislators in several states are
seeking new ways to allow teachers to cast doubt on the theory of evolution.
The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill this week that will
require schools to teach ‘critical analysis’ of evolution. On
Tuesday Michigan introduced a similar ‘academic freedom’ bill.
Louisiana, Alabama and Missouri also have legislation under debate, although
no state has adopted a law yet. Opponents say these bills that allow the
questioning of evolution are a smokescreen for teaching creationism or
intelligent design.” (05/01/08)
While the
ultimate solution is ending the public schools, in the meantime the cultural
battlefield includes the government-run schools. Obviously, I am at odds
with many so-called libertarians who seek to censor ANY scientific or
religious disagreement with their own biases and religious views (and
if you don’t think belief in evolution is a religious view, you’ve
not read any of the world-class evolutionary proponents with an objective
eye). Like global warming, peak oil, and democracy, evolution is part
of the civic religion which is being shoved down our throats at every
opportunity, both in and out of the schools. Evolution is essentially
a totalitarian philosophy which encourages and supports loss of freedom
and the destruction of human dignity.
Economic
news:
Oil nears $120 on supply concerns
Associated Press
“Oil prices hit an all-time high near $120 a barrel Monday after
a weekend refinery strike closed a pipeline system that delivers a third
of Britain’s North Sea oil to refineries in the U.K. The shutdown
comes amid supply outages in Nigeria that have helped to support oil against
a strengthening dollar. … Light, sweet crude for June delivery rose
to a record $119.93 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile
Exchange. The contract eased back to $119.33 a barrel by midafternoon
in Singapore, up 81 cents from Friday’s close of $118.52.”
(04/28/08)
That such
a small event can dictate world prices shows that panic is driving the
market, and provides more evidence that the fuel price MIGHT be a bubble.
(Although the effects of the bursting bubble will probably not be very
fun, either.) The slight rebound of the dollar is, I fear, temporary:
the reasons for its failure have not, and will not soon be resolved.
Economic
news:
Gas tax holiday said dead in US House
United Press International
“U.S. House of Representatives Democrats have told presidential
hopefuls Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain the gas tax holiday proposal
is dead. Both Clinton, D-N.Y., and McCain, R-Ariz., have made the summer
suspension a major part of their campaign. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.,
is against the move.” (05/02/08)
Of course
the porkmeister baboons don’t dare get rid of their own funding sources
for even a short time. Not that an 18.4 cent drop in the price of gasoline
or diesel today would do more than roll back a weeks’ worth of price
increases this Spring. This is fixing a minor problem, NOT the cause.
And of course, encouraging people to say “How wonderful Hil (or Mac)
is; I’m gonna vote for THAT one!” Bleech!
Economic
news:
Fed expands funding, to accept more
securities
MarketWatch
“The Federal Reserve, along with other central banks, said Friday
that it was increasing the funding it provides to banks and that, for
the first time, it was willing to accept bonds backed by auto loans and
credit cards. ‘In view of the persistent liquidity pressures in some
term funding markets, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve and
the Swiss National Bank are announcing an expansion of their liquidity
measures,’ the Fed said in a statement.” (05/02/08)
This measure
sounds like another piece of evidence that the central banks are panicking,
and that the financial crisis triggered by out-of-control government spending
and exploding fuel prices is growing worse.
Free speech:
Colorado College denies appeal in
“violent” parody
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
“Colorado College has denied student Chris Robinson’s appeal
of its finding that he and another student violated the school’s
‘violence’ policy for posting a flyer that parodied a flyer
of the Feminist and Gender Studies program. The school also has decided
not to remove any letters about the case from the students’ files
until after graduation. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
(FIRE) is assisting Robinson in his case against the school. ‘First,
Colorado College trampled over Chris Robinson’s right to engage in
an obvious parody, and now the school has further embarrassed itself by
denying his appeal,’ FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said.”
(04/28/08)
A flyer
is “violent” but ripping it down is NOT violent? Colorado College
(a private, not a state school) used to be a bastion of common sense and
good teaching, but today is a poster child for incredibly insane political
correctness and treats its students like inmates.
Government-run,
tax-funded schools:
WV: University dean resigns
in degree scandal
MSNBC
“The dean of West Virginia University’s College of Business
and Economics is resigning in the wake of the scandal over a master’s
degree awarded to the governor’s daughter, the school announced Monday.
R. Stephen Sears is the second high-ranking academic officer to leave
in the case, following Sunday’s announcement that Provost Gerald
Lang is resigning. An investigating panel concluded last week that the
two men were among several administrators who acted inappropriately and
applied ’severely flawed’ judgment in awarding Mylan Inc. executive
Heather Bresch a degree the panel said she did not earn.” (04/28/08)
Corruption
in high places.
Government-run,
tax-funded schools:
Report cards for the Knowledge Is
Power Program
USNews.Com
“The Knowledge Is Power Program — KIPP — an open-enrollment
schooling network that serves more than 14,000 children in 17 states and
the District of Columbia recently released its fifth annual Report Card.
(There is a registration requirement, but logging in is easy and free.)
The report results, based on information from each of KIPP’s 55 charter
schools and two district contract schools, show strong gains at most schools
for the 2007-2008 academic year. The gains may be attributable in part
to long hours: KIPP students spend about 60 percent more time in the classroom
than typical public school students.” (04/30/08)
First I’ve
heard of this program, and will be finding out more to report to readers.
Government-run,
tax-funded schools: Massa-wannabes:
Candidates stump for school choice
World Magazine
“If Barack Obama wins the Democratic nomination, Americans will
have two presidential candidates who are open to school choice measures.
Barack Obama went on Fox News Sunday this week and said, ‘We should
be experimenting with charter schools’ and ‘different ways of
compensating teachers’ — beliefs he’s long held but not
always trumpeted, The New Republic’s Josh Patashnik says. Obama advocated
charter schools and performance-pay for teachers in Illinois, and has
even hinted that he wouldn’t rule out the idea of school vouchers.”
(04/29/08)
Don’t
believe it, from Obama OR McCain. First, these people thrive on expansion
of the state, and there is no way that they are going to cede control
of the “public schools” back to parents or locals. Second, charter
schools are a Trojan horse designed to give the appearance of choice but
keep government control. Third, the true measure of support for “school
choice” is whether they support and encourage home schooling and
private schools – and notice no one is talking about that. Finally,
“hinting” is nothing but a form of lying.
Mama's
Note: And forth, the government - especially the federal government -
has no business whatsoever being involved in any form of education to
start with.
Home front:
AZ: Legislature’s hiring law
changes fail to halt ballot efforts
Arizona Republic
“Leaders of two initiatives that would change the state’s
employer-sanctions law said Monday that they will continue collecting
signatures even though lawmakers approved a bill designed in part to keep
the measures off the November ballot. Meanwhile, Gov. Janet Napolitano
vetoed legislation that would have required local law enforcement to take
a more active role in enforcing federal immigration law. She termed it
an ‘unnecessary, unfunded mandate to law enforcement.’ Bill
sponsor Rep. John Nelson of Litchfield Park shot back, calling the veto
‘a perfect example of Napolitano’s hypocrisy on immigration.’
It was all part of a flurry of action Monday as illegal immigration once
again took center stage at the Capitol.” (04/29/08)
Funny how
Napolitano is so selective when it comes to vetoing laws that are “unnecessary,
unfunded mandates” on other matters, like environmental regulations
and thousands of other laws. While immigration issues are seemingly dead
on the national level due to a preoccupation with economic matters, they
are not in places like Arizona.
Home front:
Vets say they feel misled about GI
benefits
CNN
“Cheated. Baited and switched. That’s how veterans of Iraq
and Afghanistan say they feel about military recruiters who sold them
on how the GI Bill would benefit them. Soldiers, Marines and airmen, speaking
at a Capitol Hill rally Tuesday, said they are not given enough funds
from the bill to cover college expenses as they were promised.”
(04/29/08)
I guess
these people just can’t read – even though they passed test
after test proving that they CAN read. Nor can they do math, apparently.
The GI Bill, as passed in WW2 and as run today, is NOT intended to be
a welfare program – it is intended to help the soldier do things,
not do them for him or her. If they had been serious, they would have
spent less money at the PX and the club and saved more to match with the
GI bill money, which is really nothing more than deferred compensation
for doing their jobs.
Home front:
Army widens probe after finding bad
conditions at Fort Bragg
Jackson Sun
“Army officials said Tuesday they are inspecting every barracks
building worldwide to see whether plumbing and other problems revealed
at Fort Bragg, N.C., last week are widespread. Brig. Gen. Dennis Rogers,
who is responsible for maintaining barracks throughout the Army, told
reporters at the Pentagon that most inspections were done last weekend
but he had not seen final results.” (04/29/08)
The Army
has to tap-dance around this, but the truth is that this message at Bragg
(and I suspect many other places) is the fault of the United States Congress.
It is Congress that approves and then cancels construction projects for
new barracks and other buildings, it is Congress that fails to sufficiently
fund maintenance and repair of barracks and other infrastructure (and
Congress has been underfunding it for at least 30 years, to my personal
knowledge), and it is Congress that instead orders the military to spend
the money on things like ammo and fuel and similar needs for the Congressionally-approved
occupations of “Iraq” and Afghanistan and other places –
and a lot of pork-barrel weapons and procurement actions that do NOTHING
to contribute to the defense of the Union. I wish that a few more flag
officers would tell Congress this truth: you go out and solicit votes
from your constituents by condemning soldiers and bureaucrats for doing
exactly what you yourselves order us to do.
Mama's
Note: I suspect this has been a problem since the first standing army
gathered. The king or congress is always going to be much more interested
in the political aspects of the deal, and will do the best they can to
convince the troops that they must "sacrifice" in order to protect
their countrymen. The lie has always worked, so why should anyone think
it will change?
Home front:
Homeland Security takes pity on terror
list Ted Kennedys
Register [UK]
“The Department of Homeland Security has finally taken pity on
all those people who share a name with someone on the FBI’s ‘terror
watch list.’ Today, as reported by the watch list-obsessed USA Today,
the DHS told US airlines they can go a little easier on people who suffer
from the so-called ‘Ted Kennedy problem.’ Senator Kennedy was
temporarily barred from boarding several flights in 2004 because his name
resembled the alias of a suspected terrorist. If it wants, an airline
can now clear up cases of mistaken identity simply by recording passenger
birth dates. Previously, namesakes couldn’t avoid heavy duty screening
unless they petitioned the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
for redress, and TSA isn’t exactly quick with its responses.”
(04/29/08)
To gain
a little bit of convenience and security, they give up more freedom.
Home front:
VA health head grilled over suicide
data
CBS News
“Lawyers suing the VA say the cover-up of suicide data was widespread.
‘People within the VA who were withholding this information were
not at the bottom of the totem pole,’ said Veterans Rights Attorney
Arturo Gonzalez. ‘This went all the way up to the top.’ Dr.
Michael Kussman, the head of VA health care, was grilled in court about
a series of e-mails written by top VA officials. The documents reveal
how important information about veteran suicide was concealed from the
public — and specifically from CBS News.” (04/25/08)
I’d
like to see this demonstrated in open court. Bad as the VA might be, CBS
has less credibility in my view.
Home front:
AZ: Hiring law snares zero employers
Arizona Republic
“When the Legal Arizona Workers Act passed last year, it was hailed
as landmark legislation that would help law enforcement crack down on
employers who illegally hired ‘unauthorized aliens.’ However,
outside of Maricopa County there have been minimal complaints, with nine
of the 15 county attorneys telling The Arizona Republic they have not
received a single one. Meanwhile, not one civil suit has been filed against
an employer. … Supporters of the law say it’s a deterrent, no
matter how it’s enforced. And, they say, as long as the statute is
making it less comfortable for illegal immigrants to work in Arizona,
it’s working as intended.” (04/27/08)
The question
not asked or answered is WHY there are so few complaints. Is it because
there really is no problem, because the people who would report benefit
so much from the immigrants that they are willing to break the law –
yet again, or because there is some kind of threat that is intimidating
them into not reporting? And what role is law enforcement playing? It
very well may be that law enforcement agencies are so corrupt that nothing
is getting past them.
Home front:
AZ: Truck
carrying immigrants crashes, killing four
Fox News
“A truck jammed with as many as 60 illegal immigrants crashed
and rolled in a remote part of central Arizona on Sunday morning, killing
four and injuring many. The truck was carrying possibly 50 to 60 people,
many of whom ran into the desert, said Vanessa White, spokeswoman for
the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. The driver is believed to be among
them. Investigators believe the people on board were illegal immigrants,
White said. Four men were pronounced dead at the scene, while 27 survivors
were taken to hospitals. White did not know their conditions.”
(04/27/08)
Regardless
of your position on immigration, the coyotes who “serve” the
illegals are evil and bloody-handed exploiters who care nothing for the
immigrants or anything else except their own power and greed. Unfortunately,
government agencies and employees facilitate their crimes against people.
Home front:
HI: Sovereignty seekers take over
palace grounds
Associated Press
“Native Hawaiian sovereignty advocates briefly chained shut the
gates of a historic palace, saying they were reclaiming land of the Hawaiian
monarchy that was stolen during the overthrow of the kingdom more than
100 years ago. Unarmed security guards from the Hawaiian Kingdom Government
group allowed only Native Hawaiians, students and the media to enter the
Iolani Palace on Wednesday. Tourists, employees and the general public
were kept out for hours until the conflict was peacefully resolved and
the palace grounds reopened. Hawaiian activists have long used the palace
as the site for protests of what they call the United States’ occupation
of the islands, but never before had they physically taken control.”
(05/01/08)
Argh! Too
many issues to discuss on this one! This is a classic case of liberal
“identity-group” politics: these people are not functioning
as individuals but as a group and apparently cannot see themselves as
anything other than a group. Unfortunately for them, their definition
of group is not much accepted by the rest of the people of Hawaii, and
they will win no votes and no concessions except as beneficiaries of a
welfare state trying to be inclusive. These people are also racist and
apparently honestly want a monarchy!
Home front:
Thousands rally in May Day effort
for immigration reform
Hannibal Courier-Post
“Thousands of chanting, flag-waving activists rallied in cities
across the country Thursday, attempting to reinvigorate calls for immigration
reform in a presidential election year in which the economy has taken
center stage. From Washington to Miami to Los Angeles, activists demanded
citizenship opportunities for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants
in the U.S. And an end to raids and deportations.” (05/01/08)
The attempt
fell flat on its face. Holding it on May Day was itself a bad idea, since
it associates the efforts in the public mind with socialism and communism,
which co-opted May Day as “their holiday” decades ago. And the
economy, especially exploding prices, has pushed virtually all other issues
out of the public mind.
Home front:
UK: Police spying
powers challenged
BBC News [UK]
“A legal bid to challenge the power of the police to use surveillance
against peaceful protesters has been launched at the High Court. Andrew
Wood, from Oxford, claims he was harassed by the Metropolitan Police for
campaigning against the arms trade. He says they breached his human rights
by photographing and questioning him even though he had not broken the
law. The Metropolitan Police says its actions were ‘justified and
proportionate.’ The judicial review could decide if police are legally
entitled to gather information on people even if they do not commit an
offence.” (05/02/08)
Frankly,
I am not sure if taking pictures in a public place, or even questioning
someone constitutes “spying” or a “breach of human rights,”
not that intimidation by the coppers is acceptable or appropriate. Nor
do I see much difference between traffic police observing traffic in person
or by camera, or using radar detectors as much different: again not because
such observation is right. But if this “surveillance” is illegal,
so are these other actions, which are designed to intimidate people into
behaving “properly.”
Mesopotamian
front:
White House admits fault on “Mission
Accomplished” banner
Missoula Missoulian
“The White House said Wednesday that President Bush has paid a
price for the ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner that was flown in
triumph five years ago but later became a symbol of U.S. misjudgments
and mistakes in the long and costly war in Iraq. Thursday is the fifth
anniversary of Bush’s dramatic landing in a Navy jet on an aircraft
carrier homebound from the war. The USS Abraham Lincoln had launched thousands
of airstrikes on Iraq.” (04/30/08)
Unfortunately,
the administration failed to distinguish between the war and the occupation:
a failure that continues today. The US military forces and allies very
quickly defeated and destroyed the Iraqi military and state, and ended
24 years of tyranny, but did not plan for or win what should have been
the peace. Nor has it successfully prosecuted the larger war against the
Islamic imperialists which threaten the planet, instead becoming more
tyrannical and using that war as an excuse, just as the war on drugs and
that against communism was used in the past.
Nazgul:
Judge orders feds to decide polar
bear listing
Associated Press
“A federal judge has ordered the Interior Department to decide
within 16 days whether polar bears should be listed as a threatened species
because of global warming. U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken agreed with
conservation groups that the department missed a Jan. 9 deadline for a
decision. She rejected a government request for a further delay and ordered
it to act by May 15. … The ruling is a victory for conservation groups
that claim the Bush administration has delayed a polar bear decision to
avoid addressing global warming and to avoid roadblocks to development
such as the transfer of offshore petroleum leases in the Chukchi Sea off
Alaska’s northwest coast to oil company bidders.” (04/29/08)
How can
a species be “threatened” by something which is not even proven
to exist? Try telling that to a judge, of course and be prepared to be
laughed at. At the same time as Interior tries to delay, the Bush Administration,
in a speech a few days ago at an annual South Dakota hydrology conference,
confirmed that it HAS bought into the entire global warming charade and
that current administration policies are being changed swiftly to reflect
that: perhaps the temptation of gaining more power and control was finally
too much for them to stay on the side of right.
Nazgul:
Judge rejects
RIAA’s argument in copyright suit
CNet News
“The recording industry’s music piracy fight was dealt a
setback Tuesday when a federal judge rejected the RIAA’s ‘making
available’ argument in a lawsuit against a husband and wife accused
of copyright infringement. In Atlantic v. Howell, Judge Neil V. Wake denied
the labels’ motion for summary judgment in a 17-page decision …
allowing the suit to proceed to trial. The argument — that merely
the act of making music files available for download constituted copyright
infringement — has been the basis for the Recording Industry Association
of America’s legal battle against online music piracy.”
(04/29/08)
Even with
this ruling, it is obvious that the unholy alliance between government
and the recording industry continues to prosper.
Nazgul:
Supreme Court backs GOP’s on
voter ID
Seattle Times
“The Supreme Court opened the door Monday to state laws that require
voters to show a photo identification before casting a ballot on Election
Day. The 6-3 ruling to uphold Indiana’s voter-ID law is a clear victory
for Republicans, who have pushed for such laws to combat election fraud,
and comes over the objections of Democrats, who say the requirements make
it too difficult for some people to vote.” (04/28/08)
Incredibly,
some libertarians claim to see this as a GOP plot to block black and poor
voters. Indeed, unethical political workers of all stripes have used a
failure to require voters to prove their identification as an opportunity
to commit fraud with multiple registrations and votes, voting for the
dead, and stealing elections.
Nazgul:
NY: Sharpton
promises to “close this city” over killers’ acquittals
Fox News
“Hundreds of angry people marched through Harlem on Saturday after
the Rev. Al Sharpton promised to ‘close this city down’ to protest
the acquittals of three police detectives in the 50-shot barrage that
killed a groom on his wedding day and wounded two friends. ‘We strategically
know how to stop the city so people stand still and realize that you do
not have the right to shoot down unarmed, innocent civilians,’ Sharpton
told an overflow crowd of several hundred people at his National Action
Network office in the historically black Manhattan neighborhood. ‘This
city is going to deal with the blood of Sean Bell.’” [Editor’s
note: Amen! The very idea that a senseless shooting like this never even
saw a JURY is abominable - SAT] (04/27/08)
As mentioned
earlier, for once I agree with Sharpton on something. This ruling is insane.
Mama's
Note: Unfortunately, "hundreds" of angry people are a spit in
a whirlwind compared to the population of New York City. Sounds like time
for the "Black Arrow"...
Nazgul:
Justice: Spy court OKs record eavesdropping
requests
CNN
“The nation’s spy court approved a record number of requests
to search or eavesdrop on suspected terrorists and spies last year, the
Justice Department said Wednesday. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Court approved 2,370 warrants last year targeting people in the United
States believed to be linked to international terror organizations.”
(04/30/08)
Two thousand
Americans linked to international terror organizations? I thought more
people worked in the UN, alone.
Mama's
Note: It all depends on what you call a "terror organization, doesn't
it? The Branch Dividian, The LDS folks in Texas, homeschoolers, etc. are
prime suspects for some...
New religions:
food crisis and theft by government:
NJ: Lawmakers
consider fast food tax
WCBS TV
“The sputtering economy has caused an increase in prices of many
staples including gasoline, rice, ice cream, even beer. Now some lawmakers
in New Jersey are considering taking food taxes a step further and install
a proverbial ’sin’ tax on fast food. Yes, the idea of marking
up your favorite fast food burger or pack of fries is actually being tossed
around, and it’s not settling well with many residents. ‘They’re
taxing everything. Now you’re gonna tax fast food? That’s crazy,’
said Newark resident Miriam Robertson.” (04/30/08)
Hmmm. Now
if this money were going to pay for food for starving Haitians… Seriously,
we are seeing more and more “custom taxes” aimed at a certain,
usually alienated action or section of the population, as the baboons
seek out more and more of the economy to loot, and this is one of those
lose-lose proposals: fast-food “runners” are evil, fat people
are evil, people who don’t take care of their bodies and require
more medical care (according to common “wisdom”) are evil, and
the nanny states MUST protect us from these evil people. Just as we are
protected from the evils of demon tobacco and demon rum by taxes.
Mama's
Note: New Jersey seems to come up with the most insane things all the
time. Can anybody tell me why ANYONE still lives there?
New religions:
food crisis.
AR: Inmate says jail doesn’t
feed him well
Comcast News
“An inmate awaiting trial on a murder charge is suing the county,
complaining he has lost more than 100 pounds because of the jailhouse
menu. Broderick Lloyd Laswell says he isn’t happy that he’s
down to 308 pounds after eight months in the Benton County jail. He has
filed a federal lawsuit complaining the jail doesn’t provide inmates
with enough food. According to the suit, Laswell weighed 413 pounds when
he was jailed in September. Police say he and a co-defendant fatally beat
and stabbed a man, then set his home on fire. ‘On several occasions
I have started to do some exercising and my vision went blurry and I felt
like I was going to pass out,’ Laswell wrote in his complaint. ‘About
an hour after each meal my stomach starts to hurt and growl. I feel hungry
again.’” (04/28/08)
Now THIS
is a food crisis: he has lost 2-3 pounds a week: at this rate, in only
another two years, he will die of starvation! So sad. The man is clearly
addicted to food, and I don’t think the county is obligated to feed
his food addiction any more than they would an addiction to alcohol, tobacco,
or porn.
New religions:
food crisis:
Switzerland:
UN pledges aid for farmers
Christian Science Monitor
“Crops are fetching far higher prices in markets worldwide, but
farmers in poor countries have not seen their incomes rise as a result,
international officials said Tuesday. World Bank President Robert Zoellick
said that increases in fertilizer and fuel costs had kept many poorer
producers from meeting the huge demand for food staples that has driven
up prices and caused shortages, hoarding, and riots. In Berne, Switzerland,
where UN leaders met this week to chart a way out of the current food
crisis, Mr. Zoellick said that even in areas where crop prices are higher,
farmers ‘are not planting more because they are fearful that they
face very high input costs.’” (04/30/08)
Based on
data available about food exports from a very few, mostly First World
countries to the rest of the world, it is clear that recent “increases
in fertilizer and fuel costs” are NOT the reason that local, Third
World farmers cannot meet demand for food. The US, Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, the EU, Great Britain, Argentina, and Brazil seem to be feeding
the rest of the world. This bogus crisis is normal in the Third World,
and is the result of local thug governments that wreck their economies,
their marketing and transportation systems, their land ownership, and
the very farmers themselves. It appears that more and more of these countries
cannot feed themselves at all – food and fuel and fertilizer prices
or not. And of course, they (and the UN) blame the US and the other industrial
powers for all this.
New religions:
food crisis:
Bush calls for approval of $770 million
in food aid
Madison Capital Times
“President Bush urged Congress Thursday to approve $770 million
to help alleviate dramatically escalating food prices that threaten widespread
hunger and increasing social unrest around the world. In a surprise midafternoon
appearance at the White House, Bush announced he is asking lawmakers to
approve the additional funds for global food aid and development programs.”
(05/01/08)
Is it right
for American taxpayers to be FORCED to feed the hungry? The world blames
the US for CAUSING this hunger, even though more and more of the world
is fed by American farmers and manufacturers, and does this amount to
an admission of guilt? Should we give them money so that they can turn
around and buy more food from us AND condemn us as evil exploiters at
the same time?
New religions:
global warming:
“Hiatus” forecast for global
warming
Arizona Republic
“Global warming is taking a break that could last for another
10 years or so. That’s the latest word from a team of climate researchers
in Germany. Global average temperatures should remain above normal, the
team suggests. … The forecast is ‘very bold,’ cautions
Tom Delworth, a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at Princeton University. But, he
adds, it represents the cutting edge of climate modeling. The German effort
is one of the first widely published attempts to offer climate forecasts
on time scales of a decade or so, rather than a century or more. The findings
appear in today’s edition of Nature.” (05/01/08)
What a
wonderful example of tap-dancing to try and fit inconvenient facts into
the civic religion (see “Culture wars: political correctness and
evolution” in this column.) Like evolution, the dogma is established
and all facts must be twisted to support the “theory” and justify
the growth of government and destruction of human liberty which the dogma
is designed to facilitate.
Mama's
Note: Here is an excellent article that addresses this silliness very
well. Watch
the web for climate change truths
Click
here for the second page! Our Right to Self Defense and much more.
Link Checked!
Finally,
the mailbag is
back! We want your feedback. Your
comments are welcome! Please copy/paste the items you comment on
into your email. Then we'll know what you are talking about!!
Don't
forget to send in your local news stories about SWAT activity. See
the new page dedicated to this timely subject.
Nathan
Barton is writing this from a wonderful place in the West, which might
be in the Black Hills of South Dakota or Wyoming, or might be in one of
the Four Corners States. Exactly where it is, the breezes blow with the
scent of liberty, and the sound of the pines or the pinions is the sound
of freedom. For thousands of years, people have fought and died for the
liberty that Americans in the great spaces of the West enjoy, and he writes
these commentaries in the hopes that continued generations will be able
to do so, until the end of Time.
Be sure
to visit my blog, Liberty's
Outpost.
Special
Feature! Add your signature to the NEW
Declaration of Independence
By Robert Greenslade
Several
people have asked about buying Gadsden Flags (the rattlesnake "Don't
Tread on Me flags used by the June 23d Movement and other Property Rights
Organizations: you
can get them for $10.00 plus shipping here.
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)
Visit the
Rational
Review News Digest - Subscribe to the daily email edition
To contribute
to RRND using PayPal or e-gold, see the sidebar of any page at rationalreview.com.
If you
prefer tax deductibility, support
ISIL and "earmark" your contribution for the support of
Freedom News Daily.
And if
you'd like to physically ship us checks, money orders, wampum, bullion,
Federal Reserve Notes, used bottles that can be returned for deposit refunds,
or pieces of toast with images of the Virgin Mary on them that we can
auction on eBay, just drop me a line for instructions on how to do that.
(Seriously: We're always looking for computer hardware -- if you've got
a reasonably recent desktop or laptop that you're looking to unload, let
me know).
THANK YOU
for your continuing support!
Yours in
liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review
[Please
note: The Price of Liberty is a non-commercial website and does not derive
any income from the support of RRND or anything else. ]
|
