By Nathan Barton
Good morning! Oh, no!
How stupid are we – as Americans, as residents (or citizens) of the Fifty States? We allow a 60% majority of a mere 100 men and women to accept the nomination (by one man) of nine Nazgul, who then, by a simple majority of 5-4, can dictate to more than 300 million of us. Huh? That isn’t democracy, and it certainly isn’t a republic. It is STUPID. Not only that, but those 100 “Conscript Fathers (and Mothers)” often are elected by a minority of those eligible to vote for them, and at least theoretically (in a four-way race) only 25.00001% of that minority are necessary to win. Even in a two-person general election, only 50.00001% are necessary, which means that virtually HALF of the participating voters, and probably only about 1/4 or 1/5 of ELIGIBLE voters, decided which 100 people are sitting in the Senate. And it only takes 60 or 61 of them (and with some tinkering with the rules, as little as 50 or 51) to decide what lawyer in a black robe is appointed to the seat vacated when the last one died or retired. That is NO way to run a railroad. Which is why we get stupid things like this first story.
The Supreme Court on Monday deemed ‘straw’ purchases of guns illegal. Several view this as delivering a huge win to advocates of tougher victim disarmament laws, as in a 5-4 decision, the court concluded that one “legal” gun owner may not acquire a firearm on behalf of another — a practice known as a ‘straw’ purchase. The case, known as Abramski v. United States, centered on a former police officer who sought to buy a Glock 19 handgun for his uncle. Though both men were allowed to own guns, Bruce Abramski claimed on forms that he was the ‘actual transferee/buyer’ of the weapon and was later convicted of making false statements.” I don’t think that ANY paperwork should be necessary to buy a weapon, but if you do have to, why should you lie? It is one of those situations where it is better to work around the law if possible, and not give the Man a chance to crush you more easily. Wait a week or two, trade something (baseball cards? candy bars?) for the weapon, and go about your business not lying to the govmint anymore than necessary for safety and sanity. I am sure that some people will disagree, but the effort spent fighting this up through the court system could have been used to much better purpose.
Oh, no! The New York Times reports that the corruption (including the backlog and general disrespect and poor treatment) at the VA go back much longer than the government first let on. (Is this a surprise?) It publishes: Staff members at dozens of Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country have objected for years to falsified patient appointment schedules and other improper practices, only to be rebuffed, disciplined or even fired after speaking up, according to interviews with current and former staff members and internal documents. It is not just the fact that veterans have been betrayed by having their service provide NOT for the liberty of the people and the protection of the Fifty States, in which they have been treated as disposable objects, but now the commitments made and the claims of “honoring the troops” turn out to be cynical and hollow mouthing.
Not that civilian health care is any great shakes. Oh, no! Did we think that overall inflation was bad? Mercatus Center provides a breakdown of Medicaid spending, and we see that in 1990, state and federal spending on the Medicaid program was $72.2 billion, but by 2010, Medicaid spending had reached a staggering $401.5 billion. AND THAT WAS BEFORE ObummerCare. And as with education, I suspect the quality declined pretty quickly as well. Like student loans, government borrowing, the growing regulatory burden, and things like the Abominable Act (ObummerCare) and the incredible military-industrial complex, this is unsustainable: eventually the piper must be paid.
Wasted Tax Dollars have always been the vast majority of spending by the FedGov. A close look in the Daily Signal, reported by National Daily Policy Digest, at the federal budget, reveals a number of ridiculous spending projects, which are more ridiculous and dangerous than the usual. Certainly no surprise, but the sheer chutzpah of these 537 men and women and the millions of bureaucrats who work for them, is breathtaking. And every dollar (even if only worth 2 cents … or 1/1200th ounce of gold, in REAL money) is another nail in the coffin of our economy and our society. Not that there aren’t lots of other ways they are killing our economy, our families, and our businesses off.
License requirements hinder small businesses, as “Economics21” again points out. It notes that Utah, Idaho, Kansas, Virginia and Texas were ranked the top states for small business-friendly licensing requirements, which actually is a bit surprising, as I would have expected Wyoming, Nevada, and South Dakota to be in that top tier. Of course, remember that ALL the Fifty States have that drag called DC anchoring small businesses down much as a two-hundred pound anchor drags down a drowning 95-pound person.
Mama’s Note: Requirements for a “business license” are not the only things that affect whether or not a certain place or state is “business friendly.” One of the things that seriously hampers small business in Wyoming is the very small population and the extremely long distances between those people and their supply sources.
There is NO situation that the government can’t make worse. The Fuehrer’s Executive Order on student loans makes more students eligible for lenient loan repayment but this just drags out (and vastly increases the ultimate cost to the student AND the economy) the repayment process, and continues to let the bubble grow. Again, the Fuehrer demonstrates that most of his actions are purely for show, and NOT to really solve a problem. Reason has an good analysis. What is worse than the financial agony student loans put on people, but the fact that what the student loans (and other money) BUY is becoming so worthless so quickly. And that process is accelerating. Can an AVERAGE 4-year college degree of 2014 compare to a good eighth-grade education in Kansas in 1914?
Oh, no, indeed. Things could come to a screeching halt (or fall into the proverbial sinkhole) any day. Are you prepared? Are ANY of us prepared to deal with that?
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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.
The Price of Liberty 
Libertarian Commentary on the News, #14-24B: Oh no!
By Nathan Barton
Good morning! Oh, no!
How stupid are we – as Americans, as residents (or citizens) of the Fifty States? We allow a 60% majority of a mere 100 men and women to accept the nomination (by one man) of nine Nazgul, who then, by a simple majority of 5-4, can dictate to more than 300 million of us. Huh? That isn’t democracy, and it certainly isn’t a republic. It is STUPID. Not only that, but those 100 “Conscript Fathers (and Mothers)” often are elected by a minority of those eligible to vote for them, and at least theoretically (in a four-way race) only 25.00001% of that minority are necessary to win. Even in a two-person general election, only 50.00001% are necessary, which means that virtually HALF of the participating voters, and probably only about 1/4 or 1/5 of ELIGIBLE voters, decided which 100 people are sitting in the Senate. And it only takes 60 or 61 of them (and with some tinkering with the rules, as little as 50 or 51) to decide what lawyer in a black robe is appointed to the seat vacated when the last one died or retired. That is NO way to run a railroad. Which is why we get stupid things like this first story.
The Supreme Court on Monday deemed ‘straw’ purchases of guns illegal. Several view this as delivering a huge win to advocates of tougher victim disarmament laws, as in a 5-4 decision, the court concluded that one “legal” gun owner may not acquire a firearm on behalf of another — a practice known as a ‘straw’ purchase. The case, known as Abramski v. United States, centered on a former police officer who sought to buy a Glock 19 handgun for his uncle. Though both men were allowed to own guns, Bruce Abramski claimed on forms that he was the ‘actual transferee/buyer’ of the weapon and was later convicted of making false statements.” I don’t think that ANY paperwork should be necessary to buy a weapon, but if you do have to, why should you lie? It is one of those situations where it is better to work around the law if possible, and not give the Man a chance to crush you more easily. Wait a week or two, trade something (baseball cards? candy bars?) for the weapon, and go about your business not lying to the govmint anymore than necessary for safety and sanity. I am sure that some people will disagree, but the effort spent fighting this up through the court system could have been used to much better purpose.
Oh, no! The New York Times reports that the corruption (including the backlog and general disrespect and poor treatment) at the VA go back much longer than the government first let on. (Is this a surprise?) It publishes: Staff members at dozens of Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country have objected for years to falsified patient appointment schedules and other improper practices, only to be rebuffed, disciplined or even fired after speaking up, according to interviews with current and former staff members and internal documents. It is not just the fact that veterans have been betrayed by having their service provide NOT for the liberty of the people and the protection of the Fifty States, in which they have been treated as disposable objects, but now the commitments made and the claims of “honoring the troops” turn out to be cynical and hollow mouthing.
Not that civilian health care is any great shakes. Oh, no! Did we think that overall inflation was bad? Mercatus Center provides a breakdown of Medicaid spending, and we see that in 1990, state and federal spending on the Medicaid program was $72.2 billion, but by 2010, Medicaid spending had reached a staggering $401.5 billion. AND THAT WAS BEFORE ObummerCare. And as with education, I suspect the quality declined pretty quickly as well. Like student loans, government borrowing, the growing regulatory burden, and things like the Abominable Act (ObummerCare) and the incredible military-industrial complex, this is unsustainable: eventually the piper must be paid.
Wasted Tax Dollars have always been the vast majority of spending by the FedGov. A close look in the Daily Signal, reported by National Daily Policy Digest, at the federal budget, reveals a number of ridiculous spending projects, which are more ridiculous and dangerous than the usual. Certainly no surprise, but the sheer chutzpah of these 537 men and women and the millions of bureaucrats who work for them, is breathtaking. And every dollar (even if only worth 2 cents … or 1/1200th ounce of gold, in REAL money) is another nail in the coffin of our economy and our society. Not that there aren’t lots of other ways they are killing our economy, our families, and our businesses off.
License requirements hinder small businesses, as “Economics21” again points out. It notes that Utah, Idaho, Kansas, Virginia and Texas were ranked the top states for small business-friendly licensing requirements, which actually is a bit surprising, as I would have expected Wyoming, Nevada, and South Dakota to be in that top tier. Of course, remember that ALL the Fifty States have that drag called DC anchoring small businesses down much as a two-hundred pound anchor drags down a drowning 95-pound person.
Mama’s Note: Requirements for a “business license” are not the only things that affect whether or not a certain place or state is “business friendly.” One of the things that seriously hampers small business in Wyoming is the very small population and the extremely long distances between those people and their supply sources.
There is NO situation that the government can’t make worse. The Fuehrer’s Executive Order on student loans makes more students eligible for lenient loan repayment but this just drags out (and vastly increases the ultimate cost to the student AND the economy) the repayment process, and continues to let the bubble grow. Again, the Fuehrer demonstrates that most of his actions are purely for show, and NOT to really solve a problem. Reason has an good analysis. What is worse than the financial agony student loans put on people, but the fact that what the student loans (and other money) BUY is becoming so worthless so quickly. And that process is accelerating. Can an AVERAGE 4-year college degree of 2014 compare to a good eighth-grade education in Kansas in 1914?
Oh, no, indeed. Things could come to a screeching halt (or fall into the proverbial sinkhole) any day. Are you prepared? Are ANY of us prepared to deal with that?
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Like this:
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.