Thoughts on weapons and disarmament

Posted on 2026-09-22 by TPOL Nathan

Now and then, gun owners are accused of being arrogant, stupid, and dangerous. They are even attacked for thinking that they are in the right. We are, in the eyes of many, “laughable” because we (paraphrasing Uncle Joe (Biden)) think that an AR-15 can stand up to an F-15.

Such accusations normally come from people who want the US Constitution to take away the right to keep and bear arms. Just like they do not understand that is one (of many) rights that are not created by the US Constitution, but simply protected by that document, they do not understand other basic facts.

These hoplophobes (gun fearers) and hoploclasts (gun haters) frequently lament, “why do people need weapons of war in their homes?” This is, apparently, supposed to prove both how stupid gunowners are, and how those gunowners do not “properly” understand what that right applies to. Of course, they also usually fail to understand the difference between an AR-15 and an M-16 or M-4, just as they do not understand that a clip is not the same as a magazine.

But what about that question? How can we answer it easily, in nice short words and sentences? Here is one idea of what to say in a way that might convince even a hoploclast:

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Is the hype about AI real? Or insane?

Posted on 2026-09-21 by TPOL Nathan

And just what is this really about? Is it intended to distract people from other problems and actions?

In recent days, the entire conversation about Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Idiocy? Alien Intel? Alien Invasion? Awfully Ignorant?) seems to have gone to extremes.

A recent article in ZeroHedge is just one example, and tries (unsuccessfully, in our opinion) to explain the controversy. Paradigm (the libertarian financial firm) describes the current situation as an “AI Freakout” on the part of tens of thousands of people, including many who are generally deemed “trustworthy” and keen observers. Another correspondence of TPOL calls it the “AI Panic.” We know good and generally rational people on both sides of the issue: AI Evil or AI Good.

Among other matters, the AI excitement is tied with the increasing panic over large-scale data centers, which has spread from city to city and State to State with amazing speed. This, in turn, is tied to fears and arguments about the growing surveillance state. Notably, the Flock ™ automatic license plate readers, which are far from the only method being used. Several years ago, Ring ™ cameras and doorbells were a trigger for fears; that seems to have subsided, but is still a real concern. Just not making the headlines anymore.

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The old libel: the South were a bunch of traitors

Posted on 2026-09-20 by TPOL Nathan

This issue is never far from our political thoughts here at TPOL.

Tom Woods recently wrote on this. We’ve freely cribbed from his commentary, presented here.

Tom responded to a “left-wing” (Regressive masquerading as a Progressive) contributor to National Review. The guy was writing about a subject that supposedly has been settled forever, the War between the States (1861-1865). As Tom notes, this guy’s views are of course be indistinguishable from Hillary Clinton’s.

So the guy recently wrote, “There is no question the South was a bunch of traitors. It’s by the very definition of the word ‘traitor.'”

As Tom notes, this conventional view is the one you learned in seventh grade (or earlier), and millions of children continue to learn today.

(We point out that an ancestor of most of us at TPOL was a historian and history teacher. He was Texan by birth and raising, but was a Unionist. (Many Texans were even back in the 1860s.) But in his years of teaching, he never, ever taught this, even when the textbooks he was required to use (he taught mostly in Northern schools) claimed this was so.)

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Laws, more laws, and really amazing laws

Posted on 2026-09-19 by TPOL Nathan

As with lies (see previous commentary), the number and variety of laws seems to be exploding in our Fifty States. And the world. We are constantly amazed by what municipalities, tribal councils, county commissions, State legislatures, and of course, the DC cabal passes and tries to (or pretends to) enforce.

“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.” ~ Isaiah 10

“It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.” ~ James Madison, Federalist Paper #62

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The evil property tax

Posted on 2026-09-18 by TPOL Nathan

Correspondent (and SF writer) Michael Z Williamson shared this with TPOL.

Many of us no doubt know of people that have found themselves in the same pickle that Ace’s neighbor has found herself. Indeed, some members of our TPOL team are in exactly that situation: their mortgage paid off years ago, and therefore their home, their property is “theirs, free and clear.” But every year, the levy goes up, the value goes up (even when the real estate market is in the doldrums), and so they have to pay and pay and pay.

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17 September – Constitution Day, anyone?

Posted on 2026-09-17 by TPOL Nathan

Today, Wikipedia and other unimpeachable sources, tell us, is the 239th Anniversary of the signing of the present US Constitution way, way back in 1787. So it is “Constitution Day” and also “Citizenship Day.”

This immediately struck memories for some of us of the old Boy Scouts of America. Three of the merit badges on the “trail to Eagle Scout” were the citizenship series: Citizenship in the Nation, in the Community, and in the World. As far as we know, those three still exist, though the requirements have been made politically correct as the Scouts got increasingly Woke and ever more enemies of liberty. (In fact, for a while there was a Citizenship in Society badge that pushed, among other political heresies (and evils), DEI. (It went away just a few months back, in February.)

Back to today:

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The bureaucratic state begs for resuscitation

Posted on 2026-09-16 by TPOL Nathan

This comes from ZeroHedge and an Australian observer. To many people, this is exciting! But to many people in power? They are seriously worried.

The mission creep of the bureaucrats may finally be coming to an end. Trump’s EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin, is expected to announce today [Tuesday, 15 SEP 2026] that they will scrap the limits set for ‘climate pollution’ from US power plants.

Naturally, the Blob Bureaucrats [Deep State; permanent bureaucracy; thugs in polished dress shoes] will oppose this in the courts in every way possible. But there is something much bigger at stake here than just American electricity prices. Somehow desk clerks you didn’t vote for have graduated from checking smokestacks to choosing America’s power stations and redesigning its car fleet and perhaps one day, even banning your burgers. (You know they want to.)

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Democracy – really?

Posted on 2026-09-15 by TPOL Nathan

Today, 15 September, is the Ides of September, formerly the 7th month in the Roman (SPQR) year, before “the divine Julius” went and “reformed the calendar.”

Today, we are amused to find out that it is officially, the “International Day of Democracy” as established by the United Nations in 2007. It is claimed that this day promotes democratic values, civic participation, and accountability in governance worldwide. That, if nothing else, is terribly funny coming from the United Nations. Of course, in their eyes, this is “managed democracy” which is (we admit) a bit different than the mobocracy that democracy historically rapidly devolves into.

The joke of the UN pushing democracy is, of course, on us.

Ironically, in the recent history of “democracy” in the States, there are two interesting events. We learn more about the “benefits” of democracy from them.

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Lies, more lies, and really amazing lies

Posted on 2026-09-14 by TPOL Nathan

An elderly correspondent shared this with TPOL. It isn’t just “young folks” that get confused:

Now, we admit (that is us, here at TPOL) that not ALL of these folks are government types. But those who are not in government (elected, appointed, or contract) are supported by some people in government. And these days, it seems to be about a 50-50 split in the ranks of government elected officials. (If we are lucky. And no, it is not Dems on one side and GOP types on the other.)

In other words, government agents and decision makers are constantly lying, about big and little things. And supporting those who lie who are not in government.

And sadly, too many Americans in too many States support all of the above. And a little secret: while the above people are liberals and Democrats, the conservatives and GOP have their own share of liars pushing falsehood. And their own share of sycophantic followers who support them.

Which brings to another sad fact of today’s political scene. Another popular lie is the very name given many organizations involved in politics and in regulating people’s lives. NGO’s (Non-Government Organizations) are seldom truly “non-government” (if indeed any are). Rather, they are shills for the government agencies and political organizations in government that fund most of their activities.

Closely related to that is the label of “non-profit” or “not for profit” organizations. While their warped bookkeeping may loudly declare to the IRS, the public, and those whom they solicit for funds that these entities do not “make a profit,” many of them seem to pay their leaders and staff (and contractors) tremendously good amounts.

We do not claim that ALL non-profit companies and related entities do this – or even that a majority of such groups do. But there are many who do: Charity Watch provides a list of many who pay 7-figure sums to the CEO or other key persons. Not that their salaries are that big: but “expenses,” bonuses, and incentives add up. In other words, “perks” rival a good many Fortune 500 compensation schemes.

Of course, that is just one of many lies modern Americans have been conditioned to accept.

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Basic math and public opinion

Posted on 2026-09-13 by TPOL Nathan

A social media outlet recently reposted this interesting graphic from CNN:

All of us here at TPOL are pretty much engineering and science oriented, and that of course, includes math. Even the simple stuff, not just differentials and the like.

At first glance, it appears that Gallup (or CNN) can’t do basic arithmatic. Or perhaps they use the old-party math used in the 2020 election? They seem to have calculated that 101% of Democrats rated the two “conflicting” economic systems in 2010. But in 2025, it appears that 108% of Democrats were surveyed.

Mmmm. Does that mean that it is the media that can’t count and do math? Or is it that various political factions (Democrats but not just them?) have found ways to further contaminate the data and therefore fool more people?

A staffer here points out that maybe there are many Democrats that really do have two minds about political matters? Or reality in general? Mental dissonance, anyone? And so there are Democrats that believe that both capitalism and socialism are to be viewed favorably? Despite their supposed mutual exclusivity and opposition? The question that CNN asked was “which is more appealing?” But maybe they read that as just “which is appealing?”

Dear reader, what are your thoughts?

We here at TPOL refer to the socio-economic system labeled by Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels as “capitalism” instead as a “free market.” But that is too simple for many people and organizations, and capitalism is now used to label a lot of different systems. Including many that have strong elements of socialism – again as defined by Marx and Engels and their disciples.

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