Military – Stupid government tricks
Breaking Private Manning
(CounterPunch by Michael Ratner) “By the time the 23-year-old soldier’s court martial starts on February 4, 2013, Bradley Manning will have spent 983 days in prison, including nine months in solitary confinement, without having been convicted of a single crime. This week, in pre-trail hearings, a military court is reviewing evidence that the conditions under which he has been held constitute torture. These conditions include the nine-month period spent 23 hours a day in a six-by-eight-foot cell where he was forbidden to lie down or even lean against a wall when he was not sleeping — and when he was allowed to sleep at night, officers woke him every five minutes — and where he was subjected to daily strip searches and forced nudity. The UN Special Rapporteur for Torture has already found this amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and possibly torture.” (11/27/12)
Nathan: The next stage of the drama is underway, but for the first time in a small local newspaper today, I saw a story about Bradley Manning. I may not totally agree with HOW Manning did what he did, and WHAT he did, but I am confident that he did so in the firm belief that he was obeying his oath to uphold the Constitution and was (and probably still is) willing to accept the consequences of his actions. The words “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor” are NOT just words but a statement that the cause of liberty – of freedom AND liberty – was so important that they were willing to not just lose their lives and fortunes in that cause, but that they would give up their very honor – to do things that would dishonor them – for that cause. Manning almost certainly disobeyed what will be considered “lawful orders” in order to fight what he viewed as a far greater evil and in support of a far greater cause – upholding the Constitution by acting against some people who were domestic enemies because THEY had betrayed their oath to the Constitution and betrayed the trust of their fellow citizens.
Stupid nation tricks
France announces “yes” vote to recognize Palestinian Arab state at UN
(Palm Beach Post) “France announced Tuesday that it plans to vote in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly this week. With the announcement, France becomes the first major European country to come out in favor, dealing a setback to Israel. The timing of the announcement appears aimed at swaying other European nations.” (11/27/12)
Nathan: France knows (or thinks it does) which side of the bread is buttered: the term “Eurabia” has never rung more truly than with this announcement. I am sure others will point out the intense anti-Semitism which has been so common in France for centuries, and cropped up in the early Twentieth Century as well as the Vichy era; in many ways worse than that in Germany. But I am sure that they may rue the day. If “Palestinians” deserve their own country, and there is a NATION named Palestine, then France can expect Brittany, the Basque, even the Languedoc and Alsace and Corsica all to claim to be independent nations, gutting France. On Thursday, the General Assembly approved the “recognition” of a nation-state called “Palestine” – but then, for most of a half-century, the UN General Assembly included representatives from the imaginary (at the time) nations of the Ukraine and Byelorussia.
Mama’s Note: A “gutted” French state would be a serious blessing to both the people of the newly independent areas, and to Europe in general. I don’t see this as any kind of problem, but a blessed ray of hope for freedom everywhere. Are there problems? Of course. Are the people in Palestine pure and perfect? Of course not. But they should be free to live as they see fit, just as much as anyone else. I sincerely hope that the Basque, Brittany, and all the rest are soon free of their central “masters” as well. If they choose new masters and descend into tyranny again, so be it.
Space – Future
SpaceX founder wants to build a colony on Mars
(CBS News) “Elon Musk, the billionaire founder and CEO of the private spaceflight company SpaceX, wants to help establish a Mars colony of up to 80,000 people by ferrying explorers to the Red Planet for perhaps $500,000 a trip. In Musk’s vision, the ambitious Mars settlement program would start with a pioneering group of fewer than 10 people, who would journey to the Red Planet aboard a huge reusable rocket powered by liquid oxygen and methane.” (11/27/12)
Nathan: A good view and vision, and one that governments will not and cannot allow. The only way this will happen is if there is a rebirth of liberty on this planet and in this nation.
Mama’s Note: I don’t agree at all that liberty on this planet is necessary for mankind to colonize in space. In fact, I suspect that the continued tyranny and war on earth will spur those who would make this leap to greater efforts. I only wish I was young enough to go along.
Islamic wars: Mesopotamian Front
Iraq: 42 killed, 191 wounded
(Antiwar.com) “Relatively peaceful Ashoura observances over the weekend were followed a spate of violence today. Shi’ite mosques were hit in Baghdad, while a Kurdish political office was targeted in Kirkuk. When significant attacks occur, many smaller attacks also get reported. Today was no different. Overall, at least 42 people were killed and 191 more were wounded.” (11/27/12)
Nathan: There are no occupation troops there now to blame this on; it is just the usual Muslim-on-Muslim violence, Arab-on-Arab, and Arab-on-NonArab violence. If the US were the violent place Tranzis and Europeans make us out to be, we would have to have more than 500 killed and more than 2200 wounded in a day – by bombs and other similar attacks – to be at the same levels of violence. (In 2010, last date I could find data for, less than 15,000 Americans were murdered in the US, or an average of 41 a day: comparable numbers would be 3-4 Iraqis. Notice the numbers from Monday did not include any “regular” murders or accidents: just political killings.)
Self-defense
Washington: Neighbor pulls gun on angry armed man
(Central District News) “A woman told police the suspect, who she had never seen before, started pounding on her door shortly before 2:30 a.m. Thanksgiving morning. She looked out the window and saw the suspect and the woman’s neighbor arguing, according to police. She then saw the suspect pull a gun on her neighbor. She then went and got her legal handgun and went outside to confront the suspect.” (11/26/12)
Nathan: Good neighbor. Not self defense on her part, but still a legitimate and honorable use of a gun and her time.
Mama’s Note: And thank GOD her gun was “legal!” If not, her only choice would have been to stand by and watch her neighbor injured or killed, I guess. And I do hope she didn’t have to go far or look too long to find her gun. If the man had been attacking her, she probably would not have had time or opportunity to go get it. If you actually expect to defend yourself, that weapon belongs on your body… or darn close at hand.
Local tyranny – Cops and other thugs
Texas: Maniac cop knees kid in head, more
(Freedom’s Phoenix) Video
Nathan: What gives? This is some cheap little town in Texas with cops with this attitude? They don’t think these kids are going to grow up and be hoodlums that will either (a) become “outlaws” and eventually pay back these cops or some others, or (b) become thugs in blue uniforms, too?
New religions: global warming
Global temperatures falling
(Freedom’s Phoenix) The most recent global temperature record, released this week, shows the average global temperature fell last year for the second year. There is now general agreement that the rising trend has stalled. This is the background against which governments will meet in Doha to negotiate a globally binding agreement to cut carbon emissions…
Nathan: More lies exposed: but never mind the truth, the Tranzis know what they want and will get it anyway they can.
Mama’s Note: For all of the latest news and discussion about the REAL science of climate and world weather, visit Watts Up With That every day.
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The Price of Liberty 
Libertarian Commentary on the News #12-50C: Military and more
Military – Stupid government tricks
Breaking Private Manning
(CounterPunch by Michael Ratner) “By the time the 23-year-old soldier’s court martial starts on February 4, 2013, Bradley Manning will have spent 983 days in prison, including nine months in solitary confinement, without having been convicted of a single crime. This week, in pre-trail hearings, a military court is reviewing evidence that the conditions under which he has been held constitute torture. These conditions include the nine-month period spent 23 hours a day in a six-by-eight-foot cell where he was forbidden to lie down or even lean against a wall when he was not sleeping — and when he was allowed to sleep at night, officers woke him every five minutes — and where he was subjected to daily strip searches and forced nudity. The UN Special Rapporteur for Torture has already found this amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and possibly torture.” (11/27/12)
Nathan: The next stage of the drama is underway, but for the first time in a small local newspaper today, I saw a story about Bradley Manning. I may not totally agree with HOW Manning did what he did, and WHAT he did, but I am confident that he did so in the firm belief that he was obeying his oath to uphold the Constitution and was (and probably still is) willing to accept the consequences of his actions. The words “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor” are NOT just words but a statement that the cause of liberty – of freedom AND liberty – was so important that they were willing to not just lose their lives and fortunes in that cause, but that they would give up their very honor – to do things that would dishonor them – for that cause. Manning almost certainly disobeyed what will be considered “lawful orders” in order to fight what he viewed as a far greater evil and in support of a far greater cause – upholding the Constitution by acting against some people who were domestic enemies because THEY had betrayed their oath to the Constitution and betrayed the trust of their fellow citizens.
Stupid nation tricks
France announces “yes” vote to recognize Palestinian Arab state at UN
(Palm Beach Post) “France announced Tuesday that it plans to vote in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly this week. With the announcement, France becomes the first major European country to come out in favor, dealing a setback to Israel. The timing of the announcement appears aimed at swaying other European nations.” (11/27/12)
Nathan: France knows (or thinks it does) which side of the bread is buttered: the term “Eurabia” has never rung more truly than with this announcement. I am sure others will point out the intense anti-Semitism which has been so common in France for centuries, and cropped up in the early Twentieth Century as well as the Vichy era; in many ways worse than that in Germany. But I am sure that they may rue the day. If “Palestinians” deserve their own country, and there is a NATION named Palestine, then France can expect Brittany, the Basque, even the Languedoc and Alsace and Corsica all to claim to be independent nations, gutting France. On Thursday, the General Assembly approved the “recognition” of a nation-state called “Palestine” – but then, for most of a half-century, the UN General Assembly included representatives from the imaginary (at the time) nations of the Ukraine and Byelorussia.
Mama’s Note: A “gutted” French state would be a serious blessing to both the people of the newly independent areas, and to Europe in general. I don’t see this as any kind of problem, but a blessed ray of hope for freedom everywhere. Are there problems? Of course. Are the people in Palestine pure and perfect? Of course not. But they should be free to live as they see fit, just as much as anyone else. I sincerely hope that the Basque, Brittany, and all the rest are soon free of their central “masters” as well. If they choose new masters and descend into tyranny again, so be it.
Space – Future
SpaceX founder wants to build a colony on Mars
(CBS News) “Elon Musk, the billionaire founder and CEO of the private spaceflight company SpaceX, wants to help establish a Mars colony of up to 80,000 people by ferrying explorers to the Red Planet for perhaps $500,000 a trip. In Musk’s vision, the ambitious Mars settlement program would start with a pioneering group of fewer than 10 people, who would journey to the Red Planet aboard a huge reusable rocket powered by liquid oxygen and methane.” (11/27/12)
Nathan: A good view and vision, and one that governments will not and cannot allow. The only way this will happen is if there is a rebirth of liberty on this planet and in this nation.
Mama’s Note: I don’t agree at all that liberty on this planet is necessary for mankind to colonize in space. In fact, I suspect that the continued tyranny and war on earth will spur those who would make this leap to greater efforts. I only wish I was young enough to go along.
Islamic wars: Mesopotamian Front
Iraq: 42 killed, 191 wounded
(Antiwar.com) “Relatively peaceful Ashoura observances over the weekend were followed a spate of violence today. Shi’ite mosques were hit in Baghdad, while a Kurdish political office was targeted in Kirkuk. When significant attacks occur, many smaller attacks also get reported. Today was no different. Overall, at least 42 people were killed and 191 more were wounded.” (11/27/12)
Nathan: There are no occupation troops there now to blame this on; it is just the usual Muslim-on-Muslim violence, Arab-on-Arab, and Arab-on-NonArab violence. If the US were the violent place Tranzis and Europeans make us out to be, we would have to have more than 500 killed and more than 2200 wounded in a day – by bombs and other similar attacks – to be at the same levels of violence. (In 2010, last date I could find data for, less than 15,000 Americans were murdered in the US, or an average of 41 a day: comparable numbers would be 3-4 Iraqis. Notice the numbers from Monday did not include any “regular” murders or accidents: just political killings.)
Self-defense
Washington: Neighbor pulls gun on angry armed man
(Central District News) “A woman told police the suspect, who she had never seen before, started pounding on her door shortly before 2:30 a.m. Thanksgiving morning. She looked out the window and saw the suspect and the woman’s neighbor arguing, according to police. She then saw the suspect pull a gun on her neighbor. She then went and got her legal handgun and went outside to confront the suspect.” (11/26/12)
Nathan: Good neighbor. Not self defense on her part, but still a legitimate and honorable use of a gun and her time.
Mama’s Note: And thank GOD her gun was “legal!” If not, her only choice would have been to stand by and watch her neighbor injured or killed, I guess. And I do hope she didn’t have to go far or look too long to find her gun. If the man had been attacking her, she probably would not have had time or opportunity to go get it. If you actually expect to defend yourself, that weapon belongs on your body… or darn close at hand.
Local tyranny – Cops and other thugs
Texas: Maniac cop knees kid in head, more
(Freedom’s Phoenix) Video
Nathan: What gives? This is some cheap little town in Texas with cops with this attitude? They don’t think these kids are going to grow up and be hoodlums that will either (a) become “outlaws” and eventually pay back these cops or some others, or (b) become thugs in blue uniforms, too?
New religions: global warming
Global temperatures falling
(Freedom’s Phoenix) The most recent global temperature record, released this week, shows the average global temperature fell last year for the second year. There is now general agreement that the rising trend has stalled. This is the background against which governments will meet in Doha to negotiate a globally binding agreement to cut carbon emissions…
Nathan: More lies exposed: but never mind the truth, the Tranzis know what they want and will get it anyway they can.
Mama’s Note: For all of the latest news and discussion about the REAL science of climate and world weather, visit Watts Up With That every day.
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About TPOL Nathan
Follower of Christ Jesus (a christian), Pahasapan (resident of the Black Hills), Westerner, Lover of Liberty, Free-Market Anarchist, Engineer, Army Officer, Husband, Father, Historian, Writer, Evangelist. Successor to Lady Susan (Mama Liberty) at TPOL.