Libertarian commentary on the news, #15-01E: Legislatures in session: hold on!

Posted on 2015-01-07 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Good morning! A short commentary today, as I get back on the road.

For many states, and for the FedGov, the legislative season has opened.  Unfortunately, NO, you can not buy a license or a tag for your favorite variety of legislator.  But we WILL see a variety of fun (and insanely stupid) bills and actions. Remember Mark Twain’s advise: “The legislature is in session, hold on to your pocketbook, your wives, and your daughters!”

The big news of Tuesday was that Boehner (whose family name, I found, in German means “someone who lays floors”) was reelected with the shocking news that 25 GOP members voted AGAINST him for his third term as Speaker.  This has not happened, ABC assures us, in about a hundred years, and bodes ill for the health of the House.  Apparently this is twice as many as the last Congress, and Boehner may not be able to nuzzle up to the White House as much as he wants, even if he won 215 votes. Stupid is as stupid does. Continue reading →

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Libertarian commentary on the news, #15-01D: Current events are… confusing

Posted on 2015-01-06 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Good morning!

Two incidents, one at a theatre in Ohio, and the second at a mall in Indianapolis, involving large gangs of “youth” fighting each other and terrorizing other patrons of the venues took place this weekend.  Oddly, even while people are begging for police intervention (despite the growing abysmal record of cops in such things), police seem to be excusing the rioters and in some cases facilitating their terror.  Apparently in Indiana, NO arrests were made, for example. The terror reported by those caught up in it is obvious.  Mama Liberty points out: “These folks are so conditioned to following orders that they mill around like goldfish when nobody is giving orders… They evidently can’t begin to think for themselves.” An assistant police chief told local media that he sees an “opportunity” in what happened Saturday to work with the youth: “This is definitely an opportunity to kind of listen to the young people in our community and we will continue to work with our faith-based community and other institutions in the community to establish more safe havens and work on that initiative.”  Mama Liberty sees through this: “Such nonsense. The conditioned goldfish have nothing rational to say. “Safe havens? A bigger fish tank?”Clearly, this is NOT going to go away if SOMEONE doesn’t take responsibility, or is not made to do so.  We can certainly expect to see more of this, whether related to police killings or not. Continue reading →

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Libertarian commentary on the news, #15-01C: New Year doesn’t change stupid government.

Posted on 2015-01-05 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Good morning!

Did you know? Who Is Paying Federal Income Taxes? The top 50 percent of taxpayers paid almost all of the nation’s income taxes — 96.7 percent… Incredibly, eh?  And that isn’t 50% of the POPULATION or the ADULT population or people with jobs.  That doesn’t count millions of people who don’t make enough to pay income taxes.  Government theft continues unabated.  The FedGov collected more taxes last year than ever before, but they also spent like the combined fleets of world history all being drunken sailors at the same time.

I suppose that is one reason to continue to distract us with stupidity like this next story. U.S. imposes sanctions on N. Korea following attack on Sony. The Administration imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday, the first known U.S. response since authorities concluded the repressive government was behind the cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment. Read full article » Never mind that it has now been demonstrated that it was NOT the “Norks” that did this, but disgruntled Sony employees and ex-employees RIGHT HERE IN THE Fifty States!  The FedGov MUST find something, anything, to keep reminding us of the big bad boogymen out there that only THEY can protect us from. Such hypocrites. Continue reading →

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Libertarian commentary on the news, #15-01B: Government versus the economy

Posted on 2015-01-04 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Good morning: still looking at things for the old year and the new year.

In 19 states, minimum wages went up on the 1st of January, passing the $10 mark in several states.  In one of the most bizarre and long-lasting of economic myths, people believe that minimum wages help the economy and help lower-income wage workers.  This is one more drag on the economy of every one of those states, including both South Dakota AND Colorado.

Postponing the Estate Tax is going to be attempted once again, in the new Congress. The federal estate tax — often called the death tax — is a tax on the transfer of a person’s assets at death… in essence adding insult to injury for a lot of folks.  People have tried to get rid of it for years, but it is a key part of the Transzi platform, to ensure that small, less wealthy families (NOT members of “the elite”) do not come to challenge the superrich, who can hide with all kinds of benefits.  Once more, government decisions harm the economy. Continue reading →

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Libertarian commentary on the news, #15-01A: New Year same as the Old

Posted on 2015-01-02 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Welcome to 2015!  Good morning and good day!

Denmark: Muslims beat random couple with bottle and iron chains in the face (graphic photos) This was one of many reports of Muslim violence during the Christmas season in Europe, in a land where fewer and fewer people really believe in the reason they claim for celebrating Christmas.

Mama’s Note: Of course they were unarmed and helpless. And not a word in the article even wondering if they might somehow have defended themselves, of course. Doesn’t matter if the attackers are Muslim or anyone else.

Nathan: Denmark was once a land of a proud, capable, and quite warlike people: it was ruled by a dynasty older than any other remaining on the planet, which made one massively-fatal mistake: for centuries they drove their most capable and independent people into fleeing to other lands, leaving them with a continually more docile population which is willing to submit to the state in every way. Today, the nation is sliding towards being a people of dhimmis who are willing slaves of Muslim fanatics.  Although similar attacks have taken place and been reported across Europe, which the Caliphate says will soon fall into their hands, and will include many of the 500 million people the Caliphate claims must die to ensure the dominance of Islam. Continue reading →

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Gunsmoke Gets In Your Eyes

Posted on 2015-01-01 by MamaLiberty

By MamaLiberty

Last time I wrote about shooting I covered a few things about ear protection. Earlier, I covered lead exposure. The same care should be taken to protect our eyes when we shoot, but I wonder how many people even give it much thought.

Most of the training materials I’ve seen indicate that regular glasses or sun glasses provide minimal protection, but nobody much explains what “minimal” means, or the possible consequences for taking that level of safety as “good enough” for granted. I can think of a number of situations where they would offer little or no protection at all.

Let’s take the most obvious first. The gun generates an amazing cloud of particles with each round fired. Much of that is composed of hot gasses, of one kind or another, and some lead particles. The amount will depend a lot on whether or not there is lead in your primers, and if you shoot jacketed rounds or bare lead. It will also depend on how often you clean your guns, of course. A coating of lead on the bore will result in much more lead particles tossed into the air around you. Continue reading →

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Energy Thoughts – Bureaucrats and Innovation

Posted on 2015-01-01 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Government bureaucracies are “conservative” in the sense that they want nothing to change, except for a very limited number of things which give them more power and wealth.  We see this in particular in high-tech, such as energy.  Here are two examples.

Federal Bureaucrats Threaten U.S. Energy Boom

Thanks in part to advances in hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), America’s once dormant railroad industry has again shifted into high gear, transporting ten times more crude oil a year ago (2013) than it shipped five years earlier (2008). BUT that boon may begin to slow if the FedGov (specifically, that disaster called the Department of Energy) has its way. According to Independent Institute Research Director William F. Shughart, the agency want the industry’s fleet of cars to be replaced or upgraded within two years.  He discusses it in an article appearing in The Hill: Oil Trains, Pipelines and Tanker Ships, by William F. Shughart II (The Hill, 12/22/14) Continue reading →

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Live Long and Prosper

Posted on 2014-12-31 by MamaLiberty

My “resolution” for the new year is the same as it has been for the last ten years…

…to wake each day with gratitude for the opportunity to make the best of what life brings me, to appreciate the wonders and blessings around me, and to enjoy the process as much as possible, one day at a time. 🙂

Live long and prosper, my friends, with JOY. 🙂

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Libertarian Commentary on the News, #14-53C: Goodbye, 2014!

Posted on 2014-12-31 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Good morning, and just one day to go to get to 2015.  A big storm is sweeping the Four Corners, and bitter cold is hitting the northern Rockies and Great Plains, thanks to a really strange twist in the jet stream, as the winds flow southwest and then reverse over Cape Mendocino in far Northern California and sweep east across the continent.

Some news of interest:

Not only are government agencies becoming more inefficient and failures at accomplishing their missions (and “better” at wasting money), but the contractors are as well.  The WIPP fiasco was fairly low-key news almost a year ago, and it is good to see the contractor hit hard for its failure to accomplish what it is being paid for (losing 90% of their fee), but keep in mind, this is just their “fee” and all the costs of doing business for the contractor are being paid in full, in a “cost-plus-fee” contract like this. Continue reading →

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Libertarian Commentary on the News, #14-53B: Looking forward, looking back

Posted on 2014-12-30 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Good morning.  This morning, I’ll share a few stories and a lot of comments about them!

A 74-year-old German journalist spent 10 days with the Caliphate’s forces, and has explained that he believes they are far more dangerous than the West understands or admits, and they are not just willing to, but PLAN to, kill at least 500 million people to cleanse the Middle East, their Caliphate not just of unbelievers but of rival Muslim factions and Muslims who believe in such Satanic things as democracy and freedom of choice in religion.  His interview is important to read, and his conclusions worth pondering. Others’ impressions of his investigation can be found here. I know I’m beating the drum again, but it is clear that the only thing Western and “tame” Middle Eastern, Islamic or Muslim-majority governments are doing is making the threat worse: governments are doing the wrong thing, and increasing the likelihood of success of this Caliphate.  Todenhoefer has some suggestions: some I don’t agree with, but stopping the bombing raids seems to make sense to me: it IS a terrorist breeding program. Continue reading →

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