Libertarian Commentary #16-12D, By Nathan Barton

The bomb attacks on targets and civilians in Brussels continues to dominate the news, with Fox News reporting that the Caliphate (Islamic State, or ISIS) has claimed credit, although immediate challenges to the validity of the message have been posted. Fox News also reports that “reportedly” more explosive devices were found, and that the Belgian police claim that the type of devices found (using nails) as shrapnel “proves” that these are part of the same gang and plot. I realize that modern technology and security laws make nails very hard to buy and use (sarcasm here, folks) so surely this must be true. The impact of the bombing is reverberating around the world. In Denver (as reported by Newsweek), DIA had a partial lockdown as security forces reacted (overreacted, in the opinion of many) to a loose piece of luggage, apparently crawling or rolling towards a convenient explosion point.

A congressman, on the House intel committee, seemed nearly hysterical, as reported by CNS News, stating that “periodic outbreak of mass casualty terror attacks cannot be allowed to become the new normal.” This is a rather disgusting comment, since such mass casualties are COMMON in much of the world, with the bombs being delivered by suicide bombers (including women and children) or by aircraft or automobiles, and that as far as places like Syria, Yemen, or Mesopotamia go, the casualties in Belgium are pretty light.

Whoever carried out these attacks (or rather, whoever planned them) clearly did NOT do all the damage that such attacks can have. If there were indeed more bombs already built, why were there not more than just the two or three attacks launched? And standard “terrorism” tactics would have ensured that follow-up bombs were detonated after medical and security forces arrived at the scenes of the first attacks, to catch and kill emergency response personnel and those good Samaritans willing to help. One of the sick scenes captured on camera at the station and airport was of people apparently walking by unattended wounded people laying on the floor, refusing (and perhaps incapable of and fearful of ) rendering aid.

Let me totally change subjects and talk about the pitiful excuse for a constitutional court that we have here in the Fifty States. Two news stories popped up this week.

The first has gotten a lot of coverage: This ruling will take a while to digest.  As reported by the Uniontown Harald-Standard, the Eight Nazgul (SCOTUS) have ordered a new look at Massachusetts stun gun ban law, appealed by a woman convicted of using one against an attacker.  “The Supreme Court came together Monday on the unlikely issue of guns, ordering Massachusetts'[s] top court to look again at the state’s ban on stun guns. The justices, with no apparent dissent, issued an unsigned opinion in favor of Jaime Caetano, who was convicted of violating the state’s anti-stun gun law. Caetano said she kept a stun gun in her purse for self-defense against an abusive former boyfriend.”  The consequences may be very good, since Massachusetts argued that only weapons common in the 1780s (that is, black-powder, muskets, shotguns, and maybe some kinds of pistols) are covered by the 2nd Amendment. So stun guns, together with revolvers, automatic pistols, smokeless-powder weapons, and everything else is vorbotten. But the Nazul are saying that anything “bearable” is covered: so no cannon, no large missiles or rockets, and no nukes that aren’t a one-person-carry.  And maybe not even aircraft (unless the weapons they use can also be “born” by a single person).  But this is much better than what that Retro-Europ-Tranzi state was demanding.  Why don’t they just revoke the Declaration of Independence and go crawling on their knees to Queen Elizabeth?

Mama’s Note: Most of us know that the “bill of rights” does not convey any rights at all, nor even “guarantee” them. The only purpose for the 2A was to prohibit the government from infringing on the natural and universal authority each human being has to defend himself, his family and community. Unfortunately, far too few people understand this, therefore getting into arguments about which tools the “founders” had in mind. I’m sure they didn’t think about that much, but gave most importance to individual liberty and what those tools were meant to protect.

Not covered nearly as much, but reported by the Denver Post [http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_29665851/high-court-rejects-appeal-over-ban-guns-at], the Nazgul (justices) on Monday let stand an appeals court ruling that said the Second Amendment right to bear arms does not extend to government buildings or the parking areas that serve them. The case involved Colorado resident Tab Bonidy, who has a permit to carry a concealed handgun. He sought a court order striking down the regulation after learning he would be prosecuted for carrying his gun while picking up mail at his local post office or for even leaving it in his car. Aside from issues of whether or not post offices should be considered “government buildings” any more, this makes a mockery of other decisions which supposedly held up our right to keep and bear arms, for self-defense and other legitimate purposes. For one thing, it seems to me that the greatest threat of violence in a typical American post office is NOT customers going about their lawful business and being armed, but USPS workers and relations “going postal.” And openly armed criminals seeking to rob and steal. And, if I dare point it out, USPS “security personnel” harassing people gathering petition signatures or just talking with people.

Mama’s Note: I’ve read the sign on the door of the post office here. All it says is that armed robbery of a post office is a felony. Gosh, who knew?  It says nothing about non robbers carrying guns, openly or concealed. Wonder why they don’t have the other GFZ posters with a gun shown in a circle and then crossed out. You figure those are good enough for common businesses, but not stern enough for the post office? Neither one mentions the parking lot.

Our post office doesn’t have a public parking lot, so that’s a moot question here, but the only way anyone would know a gun was stashed in the car is if they saw you unholster and stow it somewhere. Why would anyone think this was a good idea? More and more guns are being stolen from parking lots near “gun free zones,” and that doesn’t seem to serve any purpose except for the thieves. OH wait, I know… it’s just one more way the gun grabbers think to inconvenience us so that we’ll give up carrying. And that might be a very real part of the reason the post office is becoming irrelevant to most of us these days. I think I mailed three things last year… Wonder when they’ll have a “going out of business” sale.

The Denver Post [http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_29662912/native-american-tribes-steadily-gaining-reservation-lands] also has an interesting article this week on how AmerInd tribes are steadily adding to their reservation lands, especially in the last two decades. Nearly 400,000 acres have been placed into trust for tribes since Obama took office in 2009, according to Department of the Interior data. That’s more than the roughly 233,000 acres placed into trust during the prior tenure of President George W. Bush. That is quite a bit, by most standards: What that comes out to is nearly 1,000 square miles. Of course, based on how much land was stolen by Congress (and the Executive Branch, with Court approval), for nearly 200 years, that isn’t very much at all.

Mama’s Note: And, based on how much land the feds continue to steal from everyone each year, it’s a drop in the bucket. Anyway, what do they mean “placed into trust for tribes?” Sounds just like “public property,” and all the other euphemisms for property of all kinds stolen from the owners and productive users. I’ll bet the tribes never see any real use from any of it.

Russia Today pointed out some interesting facts about that “historic” vacation in Cuba. It seems that he is promising to let Google come into the island nation.  It may be that he figures that he can get it more integrated into the Empire and get it admitted at last as a state, with its 11.5 million people (for honest people, that’s about 4 million voters. For Dems (and probably the GOP) that is 14-15 million, but of course, being Communist, he can expect 80% to register as affiliates of the Democratic Party).

Have to talk about the election campaign, also. CNS News provided an election round-up yesterday, pointing out that “every one” (well, all the candidates of the two old parties) won except Kasich.  Ugh.  And Jeb Bush endorsed Ted Cruz; is that the kiss of death? Clinton has nearly 2 times as many delegates (not counting the superdelegates) as Sanders and more predictions of Sanders’ toast.  Cruz hangs in there; Kasich is more a distant third than ever, but definitely VP material.

Mama’s Note: One of the reasons Clinton has so many “delegates” is the fraud surrounding the “coin toss” deal (and probably other deals). At least twice I have read that she won ALL of those coin tosses. That’s mathematically and physically impossible, unless the toss was rigged or the coins had two heads. And millions of people want this proven liar, cheater and thief, murderer and aggressor to control their lives? I just can’t figure it out. And, of course, it’s not much different with any of the rest of them. If people vote for the “lesser evil,” they still are voting for evil.