Libertarian Commentary #16-09B by Nathan Barton
Today, there is very little peace around the world, with dozens of nations and regions involved in violence at all levels: Syria, Turkey, Kurdistan, Mesopotamia, Nigeria, Libya, Yemen, Pakistan, Philippines, Venezuela, Mexico, and on and on. Even where there is actually no sustained combat, we have violence marring society, here in the US, Germany, Sweden, Greece, etc. Too much of this must be laid solely at the feet of governments, aiding, encouraging, and actually doing it themselves.
The track record of government is very bad on preventing violence and violent disagreement among themselves and among those whom government supposedly protects against violence and other aggression. Stories this week point that out, directly and indirectly.
Peace in Syria? Don’t hold your breath. Zero Hedge offers a very pessimistic view of the two-day-old “ceasefire,” as Russia bides its time. Russia at least has a dog in the fight, the US does not. Its only possible ally might have been the Kurds, but the FedGov is clearly NOT supporting them (and should not). Yes, Turkey is an ally, but if it attacks (instead of really being attacked) then the US has no excuse for intervening more. The US and NATO need to go home, peace or not.
No peace in Iraq, either. As reported on KLFM, at least 70 Shi’a were killed and 100 wounded in bombing attacks claimed by the Caliphate (ISIS) on Baghdad. Once more, it is proven that security forces are incapable of protecting the people of their cities and countries. Private, volunteer proctors might not prevent all of them, but I suspect many could and would be stopped BEFORE setting off their suicide charges.
Of course peace is relative, even here in the Fifty States, although sometimes the outcome is a whole lot better than getting blown up in Baghdad or being caught in the cross-fire between the Caliphate and Russians supporting Assad in Syria. Reason reports that the 19-month-old nearly killed by a SWAT drug raid in Georgia in May of 2014 has been awarded several million dollars to pay for long term medical care for his injuries. Unfortunately, it is NOT the men who did this or directly authorized it, it is the TAXPAYERS who are footing the bill, because they were the source of the funds and authority by which the attack was made. This child was lucky compared to those killed by drive-by gang-related attacks, and those children shot down by violent police raids on parents or family members. I suspect that the major reason the Fifty States are not even more peaceful and crime is not dropping even faster is the bogus war on some drugs.
Mama’s Note: The crime rates can’t be tied to any one cause, though the “war on drugs” is a big part of it. There’s also the “war on guns,” of course, but mostly the WAR is on people in general. Think of all the various prohibitions and “regulations” that destroy both businesses and human lives every day. These are very serious crimes by government, but they don’t show up in the police or FBI databases, obviously.
But it goes much deeper than that. All of the people who are caught up in the legal minefield of government “justice” are thereafter branded felons. They usually can’t get a job or even rent a place to live, in some cases, and therefore have little or no incentive to become productive individuals. Many are therefore easily turned back to various forms of aggression, just to survive. Not that it excuses them, naturally, but it is obvious that many believe they have no other choice.
Another factor that may well be involved in the declining crime statistics, is that more and more people are not reporting some crimes at all. Some just suffer in silence, fearing cops far more than street criminals. Some are simply taking care of it themselves, whether by greater precautions or direct measures. Don’t trust government statistics, especially on this subject.
Another example of “relative” peace is the 2016 FedGov presidential campaign, where more and more people are seeing a Trump victory. The WaPo makes an interesting report: General Hayden, former CIA director, says that military personnel may refuse to follow some of Trump’s orders if he does become president. The specific item was Trump’s claim that he would order the family members of terrorists to be killed. To me, Hayden’s claim is a few decades and several presidents too late, since both Bush and the current thug have ordered US military personnel to kill civilians, and not just relatives of terrorists, and there has been no significant backlash by military, and very little refusal to carry out what are seen by many as “unlawful” orders. At the same time, I wish that it were TRUE, especially that 1- and 2- and more-star generals WOULD (just now and them) refuse to obey unlawful orders.
Mama’s Note: Peace in the campaign? Hardly. I’ve been around for a great many campaigns, and I don’t remember ever seeing so much filth and so many lies being tossed around. This campaign is about as “peaceful” as a grudge fight between Army and Marine grunts on a drunken Saturday night off base – and no MPs anywhere. Even the best of it is more like a junior high school cafeteria food fight. They are all insane or so juvenile they need diapers.
But that isn’t all as regards peace: even while the GOP bosses are eagerly looking for a way to keep Trump from being put into the White House, others are targeting still other candidates. SRN News has a video of Lindsey Graham “joking” about murdering Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate. No reaction, yet: and dueling is unlikely to come up as an option – too bad.
Ah, but maybe in one Swedish town, Kalmar, they can have some peace, thanks to a group of girl vigilantes, the Groping Guards. Or so the Daily Mail tells us: I didn’t know that the Mail had Page 3 girls, but these women are serious about stopping groping and touching of swimming women by Muslim migrants. Kolmar, with just 36,000 people, is “hosting” 6,000 Muslim “refugees” and like Koeln and other European cities, had incidents on New Year’s and since. And dozens of molestation incidents. In Europe, it is not just young women and girls that are being attacked: a 10-year-old boy was raped by a 20-year-old Muslim male, the story discloses. Self-defense is needed, and clearly the cops can’t be everywhere. But volunteer peacekeepers can do a lot, and these young women seem willing to do so.
Mama’s Note: Hatpins! They obviously can’t be fully armed at this point, but women have managed to defend themselves from this kind of less than lethal attack for a long time. The greatest safety for them, from all kinds of attacks, is probably to go out in bunches. A lone woman is easy for a young, strong man to overcome, but a group of them with a no-nonsense attitude would be hard to beat. Yes, it is an infringement on their liberty in some ways, but very necessary right now if they don’t wish to be helpless victims.
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The Price of Liberty 
Peace
Libertarian Commentary #16-09B by Nathan Barton
Today, there is very little peace around the world, with dozens of nations and regions involved in violence at all levels: Syria, Turkey, Kurdistan, Mesopotamia, Nigeria, Libya, Yemen, Pakistan, Philippines, Venezuela, Mexico, and on and on. Even where there is actually no sustained combat, we have violence marring society, here in the US, Germany, Sweden, Greece, etc. Too much of this must be laid solely at the feet of governments, aiding, encouraging, and actually doing it themselves.
The track record of government is very bad on preventing violence and violent disagreement among themselves and among those whom government supposedly protects against violence and other aggression. Stories this week point that out, directly and indirectly.
Peace in Syria? Don’t hold your breath. Zero Hedge offers a very pessimistic view of the two-day-old “ceasefire,” as Russia bides its time. Russia at least has a dog in the fight, the US does not. Its only possible ally might have been the Kurds, but the FedGov is clearly NOT supporting them (and should not). Yes, Turkey is an ally, but if it attacks (instead of really being attacked) then the US has no excuse for intervening more. The US and NATO need to go home, peace or not.
No peace in Iraq, either. As reported on KLFM, at least 70 Shi’a were killed and 100 wounded in bombing attacks claimed by the Caliphate (ISIS) on Baghdad. Once more, it is proven that security forces are incapable of protecting the people of their cities and countries. Private, volunteer proctors might not prevent all of them, but I suspect many could and would be stopped BEFORE setting off their suicide charges.
Of course peace is relative, even here in the Fifty States, although sometimes the outcome is a whole lot better than getting blown up in Baghdad or being caught in the cross-fire between the Caliphate and Russians supporting Assad in Syria. Reason reports that the 19-month-old nearly killed by a SWAT drug raid in Georgia in May of 2014 has been awarded several million dollars to pay for long term medical care for his injuries. Unfortunately, it is NOT the men who did this or directly authorized it, it is the TAXPAYERS who are footing the bill, because they were the source of the funds and authority by which the attack was made. This child was lucky compared to those killed by drive-by gang-related attacks, and those children shot down by violent police raids on parents or family members. I suspect that the major reason the Fifty States are not even more peaceful and crime is not dropping even faster is the bogus war on some drugs.
Mama’s Note: The crime rates can’t be tied to any one cause, though the “war on drugs” is a big part of it. There’s also the “war on guns,” of course, but mostly the WAR is on people in general. Think of all the various prohibitions and “regulations” that destroy both businesses and human lives every day. These are very serious crimes by government, but they don’t show up in the police or FBI databases, obviously.
But it goes much deeper than that. All of the people who are caught up in the legal minefield of government “justice” are thereafter branded felons. They usually can’t get a job or even rent a place to live, in some cases, and therefore have little or no incentive to become productive individuals. Many are therefore easily turned back to various forms of aggression, just to survive. Not that it excuses them, naturally, but it is obvious that many believe they have no other choice.
Another factor that may well be involved in the declining crime statistics, is that more and more people are not reporting some crimes at all. Some just suffer in silence, fearing cops far more than street criminals. Some are simply taking care of it themselves, whether by greater precautions or direct measures. Don’t trust government statistics, especially on this subject.
Another example of “relative” peace is the 2016 FedGov presidential campaign, where more and more people are seeing a Trump victory. The WaPo makes an interesting report: General Hayden, former CIA director, says that military personnel may refuse to follow some of Trump’s orders if he does become president. The specific item was Trump’s claim that he would order the family members of terrorists to be killed. To me, Hayden’s claim is a few decades and several presidents too late, since both Bush and the current thug have ordered US military personnel to kill civilians, and not just relatives of terrorists, and there has been no significant backlash by military, and very little refusal to carry out what are seen by many as “unlawful” orders. At the same time, I wish that it were TRUE, especially that 1- and 2- and more-star generals WOULD (just now and them) refuse to obey unlawful orders.
Mama’s Note: Peace in the campaign? Hardly. I’ve been around for a great many campaigns, and I don’t remember ever seeing so much filth and so many lies being tossed around. This campaign is about as “peaceful” as a grudge fight between Army and Marine grunts on a drunken Saturday night off base – and no MPs anywhere. Even the best of it is more like a junior high school cafeteria food fight. They are all insane or so juvenile they need diapers.
But that isn’t all as regards peace: even while the GOP bosses are eagerly looking for a way to keep Trump from being put into the White House, others are targeting still other candidates. SRN News has a video of Lindsey Graham “joking” about murdering Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate. No reaction, yet: and dueling is unlikely to come up as an option – too bad.
Ah, but maybe in one Swedish town, Kalmar, they can have some peace, thanks to a group of girl vigilantes, the Groping Guards. Or so the Daily Mail tells us: I didn’t know that the Mail had Page 3 girls, but these women are serious about stopping groping and touching of swimming women by Muslim migrants. Kolmar, with just 36,000 people, is “hosting” 6,000 Muslim “refugees” and like Koeln and other European cities, had incidents on New Year’s and since. And dozens of molestation incidents. In Europe, it is not just young women and girls that are being attacked: a 10-year-old boy was raped by a 20-year-old Muslim male, the story discloses. Self-defense is needed, and clearly the cops can’t be everywhere. But volunteer peacekeepers can do a lot, and these young women seem willing to do so.
Mama’s Note: Hatpins! They obviously can’t be fully armed at this point, but women have managed to defend themselves from this kind of less than lethal attack for a long time. The greatest safety for them, from all kinds of attacks, is probably to go out in bunches. A lone woman is easy for a young, strong man to overcome, but a group of them with a no-nonsense attitude would be hard to beat. Yes, it is an infringement on their liberty in some ways, but very necessary right now if they don’t wish to be helpless victims.
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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.