By Nathan Barton
A variety of news items today, starting with more on our Islamic wars, worldwide.
France and Israel mourned and honored heroes in last week’s murder of 17 people by French Islamist terrorists in the Paris area, as more and more people chimed that the attacks were NOT motivated by religion, using the fact that one of the victims and one of the heroes were apostate Muslims (How can a French cop NOT be apostate? To say nothing of a clerk at a kosher supermarket?) Stateside, the big news was that the Fuehrer (or someone “high” in his administration) did not go to the services and the four-million-person (or 1.5-milion, depending on what you believe) protest in France, and ADMITTED that they may have made a mistake in not going. So Kerry is going to Paris on Thursday to no doubt do disgusting things and “win” the French back to be our friends. (It might have been different if one of the victims had been black, I suppose. Or if the Jews hadn’t done it.) By the way, apparently the French president didn’t WANT the Israeli PM to come, and the Turkish Premier condemned Netanyahu for coming. Ah, isn’t it wonderful how people stand up against terrorism?
The Paris Massacres are definitely tied to the Caliphate, by newly-released videos. The Caliphate, now seen as a major source of terrorism, at least to other Muslims, is proving popular: more than 5,000 Europeans have now gone to join the Caliphate’s fighters. And the Caliphate has called for increased attacks on the West in the followup to the Paris Massacres. The question is, how much has the West contributed to this? Remember, the existence and power of the Taliban is mostly due to the West supporting their fight against the Soviets, more than 30 years ago.
What too many people are failing to pay attention to is that the “horrific” death toll of 17 in Paris and vicinity pales in comparison to the killing by Muslim terrorists and regimes – Islamists – in the rest of the world. Consider that this weekend, the Nigerian city of Baga continued to suffer what is considered the worst massacre ever perpetrated by Boko Haram: at least 2,000 dead while more than 20,000 have fled this northeast corner of Nigeria, including 11,000 to Chad (and 2,000+ on a desert island in Lake Chad). This is not the first time Boko Haram has attacked and burned much of the city and killed and killed – and almost certainly NOT the last time.
Oil dropped again, to $46.07 on Monday, as more and more panicked articles about the “damage” to the economy of the US, especially North Dakota and Texas, were published. And as more and more “progressives” demanded new taxes on fuel and on carbon emissions.
Albuquerque’s cops are known to be trigger-happy killers, often for no discernible reason. Now, it seems that they are eating their own: a lousy $60 meth “shard” buy resulted in a uniformed officer shooting and nearly killing a female undercover cop (a “narc”). Of course, the name of the shooter is being hidden by the pieces of trash that pass for a city administration and police headquarters. We wonder, how long will this officer be around? Narcs are good at framing people, and even helping them have “accidents.” Albuquerque is resembling an Old-Mexican city more and more. BUT there is “good news:” Declaring that “I have a job to do and I’m doing it,” District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said her office was filing murder charges against two Albuquerque police officers in the shooting of a mentally ill homeless camper in the Sandia foothills last spring in a case captured on a police video that shocked the nation. The charges filed Monday against officer Dominique Perez and recently retired Detective Keith Sandy appear to be the first against an APD officer for an on-duty fatal shooting in at least 50 years. Both men are charged with an open count of murder for the March 2014 shooting death of James Boyd following a four-hour standoff. As with the cop who shot the narc, we wonder how long before this DA has an “accident” with APD.
A Virginia school district has demanded that the parents of a homeschooling family report to them and defend their religious beliefs that are causing them to home school their children. Godfather Politics zooms in on the major problem with this (other than the obvious violation of the Virginia Constitution of “no religious test”), and that is that home-schooling is NOT a right because of religion (or lack thereof) but BECAUSE it is a human right for parents to control the raising of their OWN children.
The Economist, that generally left-wing Brit publication, is chiding Americans for fear of “Risk and Litigation: The Land of the Unbrave” talking in particular about the increasing decision of many cities and counties to BAN sledding in the winter on some or all city parks and even outlawing it on vacant land. Yes, the nanny state is expanding its tyranny. In a land where billions of taxpayer money has been used to build skateboard parks and even motocross and car racetracks, too many local governments are so fearful that some children might get hurt (and their parents sue the government) that they are banning sledding, or creating such enormous restrictions (parents must be present, safety gear required, etc.) that they might as well outlaw it. The Economist goes on to attack the “risk-free” mindset that has so seriously infected Americans and their governments. I relish the Economist’s words: “… recent American tendency to curb marginally perilous childhood pleasures, such as tricycling without body armour or venturing alone into the back garden without a Mossad-trained security detail.”
This is, of course, nothing new, and is NOT just a “government” problem: it is a people problem. A decade and a half ago, my older son had just gotten his driving permit, at age 14, and we were speaking with some people visiting South Dakota from Metro Denver. They were shocked and alarmed and condemned us for “abusing” our son by letting him drive at such a young age, citing how horrible traffic was in Denver. (Never mind we were in a town of 1800 people in West River, South Dakota.) They could not understand how the State of South Dakota would “allow” children of just 14 or 15 to drive, or how we could be “good parents” and help him do this. It has just gotten worse: today there are apparently many people (and some police agencies) who do not believe it right to allow children to play outside in their own front yard without a parent being present OUTSIDE with them; much less walk around the block or a half-mile or mile to school or the store. Is it any wonder that fewer and fewer children seem to really grow up and become “adults” at 18 or 21 or 25?
A think-tank claims (amazing) that FDA testing needs reform, pointing out that It now costs from $500 million to a whopping $2 billion to get a drug to market. This is, of course, another reason that medical costs climb more and more, and become impossible for more and more people to afford, but it is also a reason that medical innovation is stifled: the cost of entry into the field is insane and prohibitive.
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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, #15-02C: More on wars and cops, fear and risk
By Nathan Barton
A variety of news items today, starting with more on our Islamic wars, worldwide.
France and Israel mourned and honored heroes in last week’s murder of 17 people by French Islamist terrorists in the Paris area, as more and more people chimed that the attacks were NOT motivated by religion, using the fact that one of the victims and one of the heroes were apostate Muslims (How can a French cop NOT be apostate? To say nothing of a clerk at a kosher supermarket?) Stateside, the big news was that the Fuehrer (or someone “high” in his administration) did not go to the services and the four-million-person (or 1.5-milion, depending on what you believe) protest in France, and ADMITTED that they may have made a mistake in not going. So Kerry is going to Paris on Thursday to no doubt do disgusting things and “win” the French back to be our friends. (It might have been different if one of the victims had been black, I suppose. Or if the Jews hadn’t done it.) By the way, apparently the French president didn’t WANT the Israeli PM to come, and the Turkish Premier condemned Netanyahu for coming. Ah, isn’t it wonderful how people stand up against terrorism?
The Paris Massacres are definitely tied to the Caliphate, by newly-released videos. The Caliphate, now seen as a major source of terrorism, at least to other Muslims, is proving popular: more than 5,000 Europeans have now gone to join the Caliphate’s fighters. And the Caliphate has called for increased attacks on the West in the followup to the Paris Massacres. The question is, how much has the West contributed to this? Remember, the existence and power of the Taliban is mostly due to the West supporting their fight against the Soviets, more than 30 years ago.
What too many people are failing to pay attention to is that the “horrific” death toll of 17 in Paris and vicinity pales in comparison to the killing by Muslim terrorists and regimes – Islamists – in the rest of the world. Consider that this weekend, the Nigerian city of Baga continued to suffer what is considered the worst massacre ever perpetrated by Boko Haram: at least 2,000 dead while more than 20,000 have fled this northeast corner of Nigeria, including 11,000 to Chad (and 2,000+ on a desert island in Lake Chad). This is not the first time Boko Haram has attacked and burned much of the city and killed and killed – and almost certainly NOT the last time.
Oil dropped again, to $46.07 on Monday, as more and more panicked articles about the “damage” to the economy of the US, especially North Dakota and Texas, were published. And as more and more “progressives” demanded new taxes on fuel and on carbon emissions.
Albuquerque’s cops are known to be trigger-happy killers, often for no discernible reason. Now, it seems that they are eating their own: a lousy $60 meth “shard” buy resulted in a uniformed officer shooting and nearly killing a female undercover cop (a “narc”). Of course, the name of the shooter is being hidden by the pieces of trash that pass for a city administration and police headquarters. We wonder, how long will this officer be around? Narcs are good at framing people, and even helping them have “accidents.” Albuquerque is resembling an Old-Mexican city more and more. BUT there is “good news:” Declaring that “I have a job to do and I’m doing it,” District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said her office was filing murder charges against two Albuquerque police officers in the shooting of a mentally ill homeless camper in the Sandia foothills last spring in a case captured on a police video that shocked the nation. The charges filed Monday against officer Dominique Perez and recently retired Detective Keith Sandy appear to be the first against an APD officer for an on-duty fatal shooting in at least 50 years. Both men are charged with an open count of murder for the March 2014 shooting death of James Boyd following a four-hour standoff. As with the cop who shot the narc, we wonder how long before this DA has an “accident” with APD.
A Virginia school district has demanded that the parents of a homeschooling family report to them and defend their religious beliefs that are causing them to home school their children. Godfather Politics zooms in on the major problem with this (other than the obvious violation of the Virginia Constitution of “no religious test”), and that is that home-schooling is NOT a right because of religion (or lack thereof) but BECAUSE it is a human right for parents to control the raising of their OWN children.
The Economist, that generally left-wing Brit publication, is chiding Americans for fear of “Risk and Litigation: The Land of the Unbrave” talking in particular about the increasing decision of many cities and counties to BAN sledding in the winter on some or all city parks and even outlawing it on vacant land. Yes, the nanny state is expanding its tyranny. In a land where billions of taxpayer money has been used to build skateboard parks and even motocross and car racetracks, too many local governments are so fearful that some children might get hurt (and their parents sue the government) that they are banning sledding, or creating such enormous restrictions (parents must be present, safety gear required, etc.) that they might as well outlaw it. The Economist goes on to attack the “risk-free” mindset that has so seriously infected Americans and their governments. I relish the Economist’s words: “… recent American tendency to curb marginally perilous childhood pleasures, such as tricycling without body armour or venturing alone into the back garden without a Mossad-trained security detail.”
This is, of course, nothing new, and is NOT just a “government” problem: it is a people problem. A decade and a half ago, my older son had just gotten his driving permit, at age 14, and we were speaking with some people visiting South Dakota from Metro Denver. They were shocked and alarmed and condemned us for “abusing” our son by letting him drive at such a young age, citing how horrible traffic was in Denver. (Never mind we were in a town of 1800 people in West River, South Dakota.) They could not understand how the State of South Dakota would “allow” children of just 14 or 15 to drive, or how we could be “good parents” and help him do this. It has just gotten worse: today there are apparently many people (and some police agencies) who do not believe it right to allow children to play outside in their own front yard without a parent being present OUTSIDE with them; much less walk around the block or a half-mile or mile to school or the store. Is it any wonder that fewer and fewer children seem to really grow up and become “adults” at 18 or 21 or 25?
A think-tank claims (amazing) that FDA testing needs reform, pointing out that It now costs from $500 million to a whopping $2 billion to get a drug to market. This is, of course, another reason that medical costs climb more and more, and become impossible for more and more people to afford, but it is also a reason that medical innovation is stifled: the cost of entry into the field is insane and prohibitive.
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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.