Oregon: Beginning of the End? Or Something Else?

Posted on 2016-01-05 by TPOL Nathan

Libertarian Commentary, 05JAN2016, #16-01D

by Nathan Barton

Difficult as it is to sort through what is going on at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, after watching it for several days it appears to be a case of “too little, too early.” To steal a thought from Claire Wolfe, it is NOT yet time to “shoot the b****s” and little significantly good or bad is likely to come from the situation.

The various mainstream and alternative media all seem to agree on the basics: On Saturday the 2nd of January 2016, a group of about 100 people broke off from a protest in Southeastern Oregon and went to the headquarters of a nearby National Wildlife Refuge and occupied it. The occupation was peaceful although the protesters/occupiers were openly armed. The protest was in support of two ranchers who are being returned to prison in a bizarre court case in which they were convicted and sentenced to prison for arson and poaching on Federal lands. (Their defense was that they were doing a prescribed burn on their own land and the fire got away from them, and that they were not attempting to cover up evidence of poaching which they did not do.) Apparently, a federal “appeals” court decided that their sentences were too short and added more prison time, so the men agreed to give up and return to prison. They do NOT gain from, or support the occupation. Continue reading →

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Individual Liberty versus Government

Posted on 2016-01-05 by TPOL Nathan

Libertarian Commentary, 05JAN2016, #16-01B

By Nathan BartonFor decades, we have seen individual liberty and responsibility for our daily, even hourly, actions whittled away by a tsunami of government edicts of all kinds, from laws “legally” passed by councils and commissions, legislatures and congresses, to regulations and rules adopted by bureaucrats and appointed boards and elected dictators, to “executive orders” (decrees), and even to changes in interpretation to existing rules, regulations, orders, decrees, permits, statutes, ordinances, and even “resolutions.”  Today’s news commentary illustrates some of those we must live with in 2016 – or, must we?

Thanks to Carl Bear for this image.

Continue reading →

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Breaking the Law

Posted on 2016-01-04 by TPOL Nathan

Libertarian Commentary, 04JAN2016, #16-01A

by Nathan Barton

Breaking the law? We do it all the time, either intentionally or unintentionally. Here are a couple of examples of INTENTIONAL law breaking.

A Dallas, Texas, group called “Don’t Comply” (as reported by Brett Sanders) defied a new city ordinance that requires a permit and training to feed more than 75 people, so that the group could provide an annual Christmas party and dinner to hundreds of homeless people, believing that their duty (as christians, as citizens, as humans) should not be subject to government control, and that people, not government, are responsible for caring for others. They were confronted by a city code enforcer, but refused to submit. Not only that, but the members of the group were ARMED to provide for their self-defense and the defense of those they were serving, and to prevent any intimidation. They made no bones about breaking the law. This group, these people, did their work openly, and deserve to be commended for their lawbreaking. Continue reading →

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Libertarian Commentary on the News, 31 DEC 2015, #15-52C: End of the Year

Posted on 2015-12-31 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

It has been a bad year in many respects, both worldwide and in the Fifty States and in Colorado and South Dakota and for business and family, but we should not let events keep us from appreciating and being thankful for the good things and the good times that we’ve experienced.

We have more wars than ever, and the threat of those wars expanding (including those that have already expanded).  And despite claims to the contrary (see below), we still are relatively peaceful here at home in the Fifty States.  In much of the nation, we are still relatively free from threat from government and other gangs, and able to travel pretty freely, and enjoy a good deal of liberty.  Which has expanded in some ways, often due to technology and economics (like the price of fuel right now, and better, more secure communications). Continue reading →

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How Much Can We Take? Mainstream Media

Posted on 2015-12-31 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Just how much of this bilge can we take, much less believe? On Wednesday, 30 December 2015, these were the afternoon “political-national” headlines from the Infamous Washington Post (the WaPo), flagship of mainstream media. Read them on an empty stomach.

Mama’s Note: Instead of an empty stomach, if you insist on reading this stuff please do have at least some soda crackers and milk handy. Dry heaves are such pain… ML checking in as the NURSE here. 🙂

Rubio used political position to help troubled brother-in-law in ’02 While a powerful state lawmaker, Rubio urged officials to grant a real estate license to his brother-in-law, a convicted cocaine trafficker who had been released from prison 20 months earlier, according to records obtained by The Post. Continue reading →

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Libertarian Commentary on the News, 30 DEC 2015, #15-52B: Weather Judgment

Posted on 2015-12-30 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

It seems that the NutCases are out in force again this week, with Jeremiads about the “abnormal” weather and blaming everything from HAARP to manmade global warming to God’s punishment on the Fifty States for Hillary and the Donald. Consider this rather stupid article on Prison Planet screaming about the “major disasters” in December: wildfires in LA and tornadoes in Texas. These are NOT THAT unusual, not when you look at weather and climate in terms of decades and even centuries, as you should. And these are NOT “major disasters” either: a 1230-acre (not even two square miles) wildfire in California is NOT “major” in any way as reported by Yahoo; and neither is 11 or even 43 dead in a series of early winter tornadoes (which DO happen every few decades.) as reported by CNN. I feel sorrow and sympathy for those who lost homes or family or both, but these are NOT some kind of end-time events. But people are fearful, and outfits like Prison Planet are in the business of scaring them more. Just as is the mainstream media. Continue reading →

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Libertarian Commentary on the News, 29 DEC 2015, #15-52A: Lies and More Lies – What can we believe?

Posted on 2015-12-29 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Lies and more lies? According to Freedom News Daily, quoting a Reuters story, “Oil fell toward $37 a barrel on Monday, trading within sight of an 11-year low, pressured by excess supply that has more than halved prices since the downturn began in mid-2014. U.S. crude was trading at around parity with global benchmark Brent, having earlier in December risen to a premium for the first time in about a year following the lifting of a 40-year-old ban on most U.S. crude exports.”

Now, I’d like to know just what gives? Why the lies? The reality as reported at Oil Price is seen on the charts updated daily (indeed, hourly) AND at Daily FX, is that crude oil (both West Texas Intermediate or WTI and Brent) dropped to lows WELL below $37 a barrel (WTI was below $35) last week, and have CLIMBED the last several days, including Monday the 28th before noon. WHY the lies? What are we being sold by the mainstream media? What OTHER lies are being told that we are not aware of? Continue reading →

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Libertarian Commentary on the News,#15-51E: Milestones and more

Posted on 2015-12-26 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

A sad milestone was reached on Tuesday, 22 DEC 2015: The Free Thought Project tells us a suspected drug dealer was killed during a no-knock raid on his house by cops in Vermont.  This brings the total to 1174 dead (killed by cops) this year, and in all fifty states. Vermont was the only state without a killing by cops. No way of telling how many were justified, but this one is already hitting the top of the smell-o-meter.  Supposedly the man had a black-powder, muzzle-loading rifle which he didn’t fire: the cops fired 13 times. Continue reading →

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Happy Holidays!

Posted on 2015-12-24 by MamaLiberty

My Norfolk Island Pine house plant doesn’t make for a very traditional Christmas tree, but that’s the most effort I’m willing to make anymore. The children are long gone, and with all of the problems and terrors we face most days, a “Merry Christmas” just doesn’t seem to be in the cards.

I share the story of one special Christmas every year now, however, and it never loses its significance. Seems we need to be reminded that the “old days” were never perfect and had their own problems and terror… Continue reading →

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Libertarian Commentary on the News, 24 December 2015, #15-51D: Christmas Gifts

Posted on 2015-12-24 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

A merry Christmas and other holidays to all. I’ve no problem with wishing everyone a merry Christmas and even a happy New Year; sorry if you are offended. To be honest, I’m probably more offended by Christmas than Jews or Muslims or Atheists or Pastafarians are: it is a personal issue regarding religious holidays in general. But for many people, it is a nice family time and very important, and the constant fussing and feuding about it in schools and government offices distracts from the real issues.

As always, there are the claims that Christmas has become “commercialized” or “too commercialized,” when the history of the holiday shows that it was created for the purpose of public relations – of selling a religion (Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy) to pagans. But we still see people moaning over the “degradation” of the holiday. Continue reading →

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