Libertarian Commentary #16-11D, By Nathan Barton

With the GOP race down to just two contestants (down from 17 to start; and Kasich cannot mathematically hope to be anything but a spoiler), and multiple claims that Hillary has now toasted Bernie, the panic and the claims of “me too” and … especially the celebrities are popping up all over the place. I’ve never understood the influence and attraction that celebrities, whether they are Hollywood types or musicians or “reality show” socialites (members of the jet set?) or whoever, have in society and politics.

Liberty is too precious to give up for the likes of celebrities or to help those who use the help only to turn and rend those who helped. I suspect that every religious group in the United States, at one time or another, has been preyed upon by con-artists who seek to fleece people and take advantage of good hearts and generosity. (I know that even congregations I’ve been a member of have been conned by such.) Exactly WHAT are celebrities but simply very polished con-arts? Why should we care what Harrison Ford or Dolly Parton or even Chuck Norris or Pat Boone, think? At least about anything but movies and music. Yet, we do, and even the alternative media seems to love crowing about how so-and-so endorsed Bernie or the Donald or Ted or Hillary.

Gag a maggot, folks. Liberty is too precious. As is peace and prosperity.

Clearly, peace is nowhere near Syria. With Russia’s military aims achieved, Putin switches to diplomacy, or so says Lew Rockwell. “American presstitutes, such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, expressed surprise at Russia’s support for the Syrian ceasefire, which Russia has been seeking, by Putin’s halt to attacks on the Islamic State and a partial withdrawal…” Note that this withdrawal does NOT include an end to bombing – like the Fed Gov. And like the FedGov, Russian ground attack planes seem to be no more able to keep from killing civilians and the innocent. So what we have, due to the peace talks and everything else, is a peace you get in a graveyard.

Ah, but if governments cannot keep or reestablish peace, can they at least help economic growth? (Folks, I don’t care if the Federal Reserve is a “private corporation” or not: it acts like and smells like a government agency, as does every other central bank in the world.) Apparently, in Japan, government just is making things worse. The Bank Of Japan intervened in the market to smash the Yen after the Nikkei crashed 700 Points, according to Zero Hedge, Nikkei futures rallied post-Fed (after the US Fed decided NOT to raise interest rates this quarter) into the Japanese open (despite weakness in USDJPY) and then when trade data struck (and exposed the utter failure of competitive devaluation), everything went into freefall. The Nikkei crashed 700 points! It smells like panic time to me.

Yet, here in the Fifty States, the gamblers on Wall Street rallied after that Fed announcement by their Open Market Committee (FOMC) (which to me is as sick a name as the Department of Justice or civil servant). This decision NOT to raise rates was breaking the promise made earlier to raise rates each quarter in 2016, and joins the decision by the European Central Bank to increase the negative interest rate there, setting up conditions for the world economy to get even more dysfunctional and just plain sick. But they keep playing the same games over and over again.

As do American politicians. Consider some of Bernie Sander’s more recent claims, as he tried to continue to assault and displace Hillary Clinton. First, Sanders said: I will investigate every killing of Americans held in police custody or while being apprehended. (Per CNS News) Gee, nice promise, but remember what I’ve said about political promises. And of course, HE won’t personally investigate: just his beefed-up DoJ thugdom (the FBI, etc.) will do so: cops investigating cops. Taking more power traditionally given to local and state judiciaries into fedgov control. He also said, we [the FedGov] need to make sure Federal contracts go to people who need it most. This is very interesting, and I am glad he schooled me on this. Foolish me, I thought that the reason we had federal contracts was to buy goods and services that the FedGov needed, not just as a welfare program. If that really would be his primary (or even sole) criterion, not just a required one (as it is with Small and Disadvantaged Business, Minority-Owned Business, and Women-Owned Business set-asides), things are going to go downhill even faster. Bad enough to buy weapons and even pencils made by the lowest bidder, but if their reason to buy is based on the would-be contractor’s “need” and not on quality or price, I indeed shudder to think what absolute garbage will be bought.

Closely related to peace and prosperity is a “civil society,” and one important aspect of that is to keep the cruder elements of daily life at least a tiny bit under control and in a manner that doesn’t scare children or dogs too much. And not flaunting things which are “uncivil” (“not urbane” was a phrase I think Heinlein used) too much, definitely is not nice. For example, I may not care if you go out and get blind, stinking drunk, as long as you don’t throw up on my car or in my front yard. If you believe that sex should be a squad-sized activity, which is fine as long as you don’t do it in the middle of Main Street. (Or even, for that matter, in your front yard or your back yard if there is inadequate privacy to keep kids from seeing it, and to keep my lunch down when I’m walking down the sidewalk. But in modern “society” it is not enough just to do it, but you have to do it and advertise that you do it in a way that demonstrates how proud you are of doing it, and often this seems to be a matter of maximizing the disgust of those who see it.

Consider these three stories from CNS News: Actress Martha Plimpton shouts her abortion with an ‘Abortion Dress’. Regardless of your view of abortion, this is just tacky – no, gross and disgusting. Worse than wearing a tee-shirt that says “I took a ‘good, healthy’ poop today, and I’m proud of it.” I mean, even Lenin didn’t go around sporting a tee-shirt saying “I killed a million kulaks this month.” Or even “I killed A kulak this month.”

Mama’s Note: Just one problem with all this, Nathan. If you are offended by anyone else’s non-coercive behavior and actually believe they must keep it hidden from you (whether with “laws” or otherwise), why can’t they demand that we keep our terrifying guns hidden (even confiscated) so they will feel “safe” and more comfortable? If we want freedom to express ourselves and live our lives as we see fit, we must leave others to do the same and ignore behavior and actions we don’t like, but which harms no one else.

In a similar vein, a Catholic Bishop states that it is wrong for Notre Dame University to honor ‘Pro-Choice’ and “Pro-Gay Marriage” supporter Uncle Joe (VP Joe Biden). The bishop figures that there are other people who can be honored to demonstrate ND’s “tolerance” and “diversity.” And he’s right, but that wins no kudos from the Tranzis. Now, I am not saying that we need to have laws about this, rather we need to have peer pressure and societal pressure for people and institutions to behave. Laws often backfire, as I expect will the subject of this next story. Utah passes resolution calling pornography a ‘public health crisis.’

Now, let me point out that a “resolution” by a legislature is NOT a law, but it is often treated as one. And I figure this will backfire. What is needed is NOT a government action of any sort, but private, voluntary (and peaceful) organizations dedicated to shaming people to stop buying and using the stuff, and helping them break the addiction. Knowing government’s track record, this will backfire and there will be a LOT more porn available on the streets and theatres and the internet in Utah.

Mama’s Note: And again, as long as all of the participants are doing so voluntarily, “porn” is no more a problem than anything else that is not coercive. Nobody is forced to buy it (unless it was government funded) and nobody has a right to decide for others what they will do, film, buy or sell. Society in general has already determined that this is something many people want and will pay for.

Oh, and government will be raking in a huge profit from it: consider these other “public health crises” like recreational drugs, smoking (tobacco), and drinking alcohol. One of the excuses for the insane excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol is supposedly to discourage people from buying them and consuming them. Yet these sin taxes don’t seem to discourage use that much, and governments are now depending on that revenue to fill their stomachs. Same for gambling both in gaming houses and the omnipresent lottery games: government rakes in an incredible profit. And ends up encouraging them. We are now seeing the same thing in Colorado and Washington for cannabis. Is porn next?

Mama’s Note: Well, now THAT’S a real problem, but it has nothing to do with whether or not people are free to use or produce drugs, alcohol or porn, actually. Those are just the handy excuses. Government involvement is the evil here, whether it is porn or government control of churches or education.

Because, after all, government is incompetent: here is an example from this week’s primary election: Florida poll workers find Democratic ballots in closet after telling a voter the primary is for the GOP only, as reported by Raw Story, A Florida woman said poll workers tried to turn her away, saying the primary was for Republican voters only.

Mama’s Note: And thank heavens that we don’t get all the government we pay for! Thank goodness government is incompetent. Too bad so many people still think that government has any legitimate authority to do what they do, and continue to think they can control that monster somehow by “voting.”

So, does this next story come as a surprise? At CNS News, we find that the US [Fed Gov] allowed weak language on the Iran missile activity in the much-vaunted treaty, that Russia is now using as an excuse not to act.

Mama’s Note: Act how? With more bombs, more dead people, more waste of our productivity and more incompetent meddling in the lives and affairs of other people? Somehow I doubt there is any “treaty” that would have been better, except a treaty of non-intervention perhaps. Simply leaving them alone and preparing only to defend ourselves would have been much better, I think.