Libertarian Commentary on the News, #13-47A/B: Washington Follies (400th Post!!!)

Posted on 2013-12-12 by TPOL Nathan

If I can believe the dashboard, this is the 400th post since converting to the new “blog” format, and it is amazing to see what we’ve written about over the past few months.  And how quickly things are changing – and too often, for the worst.  No special posting today, just the usual news about the follies in DC, 50 state capitols, and several hundred “nation-states” in a larger than usual dose.

The “messiah” – Death of sanity in government
Obama: I’m Not the Problem; Need to ‘Reorganize the Government’
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: I know this routine – the same one that Octavius (Augustus) used!  The entire idea is probably to make sure that there is a “role” for ex-presidents and of course their wives, if not to extend the terms of key, essential, critical elite persons (like a certain “messiah.”)  There IS an alternative: don’t reorganize, just end: go back to the Articles of Confederation, if necessary, or even go back to the pre-1913 Constitution but with L. Neil Smith’s ideas for Bill of Rights Enforcement.  OR just take the Heinlein idea of a voluntary compact of free peoples: voluntary cooperation at all levels, each issue addressed in whatever different way makes sense to all of those participating:  the first “rational human government” which is, indeed, no government at all.

The “messiah” – Politics 2013
Obama: Waiting in Long Lines to Vote ‘Not Acceptable’ in USA
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Wow.  One reason I like to vote absentee or early is to avoid the long lines, which I have seen all my life, from Texas to Montana and about every state in between.  Are we so lazy and pampered that we cannot take time to vote – and even visit with neighbors and other things?  Of course, up until the early 1990s you could do things like drink coffee (or anything but liquor or beer) and have a slice of pie and even have a potluck – all now illegal thanks to the government.

Mama’s Note: The “vote” is an advanced sale of stolen goods. Don’t wait in line… don’t “vote” and don’t participate in the theft.

Congress in action – Theft by government
Democrat: Raise Gas Tax To Make Up Lost Revenue From Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Actually is there ANY problem that the Democratic Party cannot claim that the solution is “more taxes?”  We aren’t stealing enough because people are tired of it and “evading” taxes by doing things that mean that they don’t have to pay as much in taxes.  How about commercializing (not privatizing: that just means contracting out government services to be done by “private” companies) highways, roads and streets – let them compete on how they charge for the operation and maintenance and construction of roads.  Let I-80 and I-76 compete with I-70 for truck and other traffic into Denver from the East; Let US 287 and I-25 compete for truck and other traffic into Denver from Texas, and so forth.  Even letting the states do it makes more sense than growing the federal bureaucracy more.

Russian front – Islamic wars
Russia Wants to Use Iran Nuclear Deal to Shut Down Missile Defense Shield
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Did anyone NOT see this coming?  Of course, since the United States has shown itself to be without honor and as an institution a liar and cheat, and is now a tyranny (next story).  One of the few not-stupid things that the US has done in defense matters in recent decades is missile defense systems to end MAD (Mutually-Assured Destruction), which is exactly what its acronym says: insane.

The “messiah” – stupid government
Flashback: Obama Praises 3 ‘Coequal Branches’ of Gov’t, Preventing Tyranny
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: This quote has been analyzed in the past.  This is the way it is SUPPOSED to work, but when the three branches of government are in collusion, or when ONE branch is no longer co-equal – but is superior and threatens the other branches, this does NOT work!  We HAVE tyranny today, and clearly, the Constitution has FAILED to prevent it.  Two, three, five, ten branches of government: the only thing that can keep government from turning into tyranny is to dismantle as much of government as possible.  Even then, in local pockets, you will have tyrants seeking to gain power over more and more people.  It is like dealing with brush fires: there will ALWAYS be fires that have to be put out: the challenge is to figure out the best way to prevent them and contain and control those that do break out.

Mama’s Note: And the only way to prevent them is for ordinary people to remember always that they alone have the only legitimate authority over their lives and property. If they choose to delegate SOME of that authority, temporarily, they can’t get complacent and think that others should “take care of them” without responsibility on their own part. This is exactly what has happened, and nothing will change until people retake control of their own lives.

African front – World tyranny and Tranzis
South Africa Loses Its ‘Greatest Son’: Nelson Mandela, 1918-2013
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Barf.  Double barf.  Yes, I know some prominent people have talked about how Mandela prevented complete societal collapse and allowed an evil regime to come to a relatively peaceful end.  But what did he leave?  A government even MORE messed up than the Afrikaaners and English had, a government sliding more and more into the morass that most of the rest of the continent is sunk in, a society sliding from the first world to the third world.  All based on his philosophy of Communism, racism, terrorism, and use of force: not in self-defense but offensively as tools of terror and punishment and revenge.

Stupid government tricks – Tranzis
FBI: We’ve Not Made ‘An Endorsement’ of Southern Poverty Law Center
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Nope, guess that they have not “officially” but they use the data and the claims of SPLC all the time.  This has been going on for decades, and there is no evidence that as the FBI becomes NOTHING more than a tool of tyranny (it has always had that as ONE of its purposes), that it will not lean even more on “intelligence” gathered from SPLC and other bigoted, Tranzi-driven “non-governmental organizations.”  The FBI itself needs to go away. The states are the only constitutional authority for investigating crimes;  some of its services MIGHT be legitimate (laboratories, databases, investigation of FedGov employee and politician wrongdoing) but could be spun off as private, free-enterprise, competing with other firms to provide honest services at reasonable and competitive prices without coercion.

Politics
How sequester cuts divided the winners from the losers — including Head Start children
(Washington Post) OWENSBORO, Ky. — How, exactly, did Congress manage to kick 4-year-old Carli Hopkins out of her preschool? Carli asked after it happened. Her mother didn’t try to explain. The child was still too young to learn about politicians.

Nathan: The WaPo’s latest “it’s for the children” gambit, but the comment about politicians is still great.  How did we get into this mess?  If people had taken care of their own children, and worked voluntarily with family, friends, and neighbors, instead of running to government (local, then state, and now federal) to get government to steal money to pay for what is a PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY, none of this “losing” would be taking place now.  Even as late as 20 years ago, many parents knew that raising their children was THEIR duty and did it, without government involvement, interference, or payments.  Now, the vast majority of people think it is government’s duty.  And we get this sort of thing.

Congress in action
Senate poised to pull an all-nighter as it adjusts to new rules
(Washington Post) In another sign that the U.S. Senate is racing the clock and adjusting to life under a new set of rules, senators are scheduled to hold a series of votes overnight and early Thursday morning as the chamber continues confirming a series of Obama administration nominees amid Republican objections.

Nathan: Poor, poor Congress.  Poor, poor Democrats, saddled with those awful Republicans and their tedious objections. Poor, poor stupid people for letting these clowns get away with this.  We DON’T NEED CONGRESS. (And no, that is NOT saying that we need the Presidency instead: we don’t need it either.)  Congress is a huge collection of worthless people with too much time, too much money, too much power, and too much adulation by idiots.  Like the next piece of garbage.

Congress in action – Criminals in government
Lamar Alexander’s chief of staff arrested on child pornography charges
(Washington Post) This item has been updated. The chief of staff to Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) was arrested Wednesday on charges of possessing and distributing child pornography — and swiftly fired by the senator.  Jesse Ryan Loskarn, 35, of the District, was arrested at his home Wednesday afternoon by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is expected to appear in federal court in Washington on Thursday to face charges, the Justice Department said.

Nathan: Just the kind of scum we have “working for us” in DC.  The question is, “distributing to whom?”  How many more perverts are in those huge office buildings and scuttling under the iron dome?  (Of course, this COULD be a Hitlerian-style option to damage opposition and resistance by the “messiah’s” operatives, as many people suspect the recent rash of criminal charges against senior military officers to be:  it worked against the Reichwehr and Reichstag in the 1930s, and other places and other times: why not 2110s America?

Hoplophobes and Hoploclasts
What’s your gun number? Share your gun story
(Washington Post)  Saturday marks a year since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Since the shooting, an intense political debate on guns has occurred, with about 1,500 gun bills introduced across the country. But for many Americans, the impact of guns and gun violence has also been incredibly personal, making this week a time for reflection.

Nathan: Hopefull 2AF, JPFO, and other organizations are organizing a counter-movement to this: collecting and publishing stories about people whose lives and property and health has been saved by having and using (or being ready to use) a gun themselves, or having a neighbor, friend, family-member or passerby with a gun to defend against criminals.  Every week should be a time for reflection on what other nations have to live with because guns are owned only by thugs: cops and soldiers on the one side, and officially-criminal gangs and terrorists on the other side.  Neil Smith estimates that we have 350 to 450 million modern firearms in the nation, and I pray that he is right – together with about 100 times that much ammo.  As the thugs grow more bold and more overbearing, we need more to protect ourselves, our families, our friends and neighbors, and our communities, from them.

Mama’s Note: And there is not a single shred of proof that any “law” restricting guns can make the least difference in the decision of the thug or insane to harm people. I ask all the time how taking my gun away from me makes anyone, including me, safer. I ask, since people are killed in large numbers daily with cars, knives, buckets of water… why those deaths are somehow less horrible, or why cars, knives and buckets don’t generate the same hysteria to “ban” them.

What most people simply fail to even consider is that the deaths, safety, and the intent of the criminals has nothing to do with the mania to disarm ordinary people. The bottom line for politicians, cops, all those who desire first and foremost to control other people is that they can’t do the things they want to do to us as long as we have guns to prevent it… But once we’re all disarmed, they’ll be free to do absolutely anything they want. Gun control means safety for THEM, not us.

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The Crash of 2009 – Four years and counting.

Posted on 2013-12-10 by TPOL Nathan

Although the signs were obvious in the Fall of 2008, I have long argued that the crash – this “Great Recession” which is really a government-induced panic and crash – really a depression in so many ways – really hit its stride in 2009. Thus I have used this expression “Crash of 2009” to make that point since then.  This week, new official figures are used to lie – as usual – about how things are getting better.  They aren’t.

The following stories from CNSNews.com show the truth of the matter: the economy of the formerly united States is still in the toilet and conditions are not getting all that much better.  My comments on each of these follow:

60 Straight Months of Unemployment at 7% or Higher
Nathan: This is only the official rate:  the unofficial rate (measured in the old ways, and not playing games about how people quit looking for work and the ‘underemployed’) seems to be about 4-5 times higher:  28-30% nationwide, with many areas in the 40% range.  This is insane, and rests squarely at the feet of idiots who make decisions and waste money in ways that harm the economy locally and nationally.  Meanwhile, as the next story reminds us, the so-called signs of recovery are NOT.

338,000 Added to Gov’t Payrolls in November; 41% of Net Additional Jobs
Nathan: Actually, additions to government payrolls are a double-whammy on the economy.  More tax money (or borrowing) is sucked out of the economy to pay for these people, further reducing the money available for investment – REAL investment – to create new jobs.  The government becoming a bigger and bigger part of the economy is NOT ending the crash, it is extending it.  And may trigger another big dropoff in economic activity.

CBO: Top 40% Paid 106.2% of Income Taxes; Bottom 40% Paid -9.1%
Nathan: This is an interesting way of recalculating it, but it makes sense.  As “libertarians” propose guaranteed annual basic incomes, in an insane twist, we see that a form of that already exists:  more and more subsidies for the “bottom” two-fifths of the income chart mean that people aren’t paying income taxes (although they are paying social security, medicare, medicaid, sales and excise taxes, we must remember).  So the top two-fifths, and especially the top 10% pay more and more.  Even while many of the “elite” (in that top ten percent) scream about making the wealthy pay “their fair share” (and work carefully to ensure that they personally are not made to pay it.

31.9%: U.S.-Mexico Border City Leads Nation in Unemployment
Nathan: Yuma, Arizona, home of a USMC base and on a major east-west Interstate highway, shows how badly damaged the economy is: this is the OFFICIAL rate – based on many other locations, the unofficial and real rate is probably 60 percent or more: reaching levels achieved during the Great Depression (before the military buildup leading to WW2 US involvement) and that found on Indian Reservations.  This is a sick economy.  Very sick.

1.7%: Metro Areas Near Canada Have Nation’s Lowest Unemployment
Nathan: Literally on the other side of the nation:  this is in large part due to the fracking boom and the Bakken Play in Montana and North Dakota, supported by larger cities in North Dakota and Minnesota.  The headline is misleading, because Detroit and the Rust Belt cities along the Great Lakes are NOT part of this.  I don’t know about Vermont – except that maybe the Green Mountain folks are starting to ignore the feds and do their own thing?  Point is – ND is the major area and it has as little fedgov involvement as can be found:  a couple of military bases and a couple of small national parks and small national grasslands (like national forests but with fewer trees – and employees).  But even there, the economy is DAMAGED by federal actions:  the Keystone XL pipeline garbage for one.  And because tens of thousands of people are trying to flee their own crashed economies for the hope of North Dakota.  Especially by young people, as the next story touches on.

Youth Unemployment: 20.8%
Nathan: Again, this is the official:  and even the official numbers show black, Hispanic, and AmerInd youth to have incredibly high unemployment, while real numbers are insane: 50%.  This is damaging the economy for decades, as these people are not learning to be anything but dependent on government, on family, and on charity.

Nathan: In sum?  The economy is a mess in 95% of the nation, stagnant, crippled by stupidity in government and its crony big-business partners, and people are hurting.  And nothing says anything but that it will get worse.  Government employees at almost every level are a privileged elite who more and more are lording it over the rest.  More sectors (like health care) are being trashed as we speak.  It WILL get worse.  And there is more to come, as the next story warns:

Economic stupidity
Banking Proposals in United States and Britain Threaten Growth
(Cato Institute via Daily Policy Report (NCPA)) New banking proposals in both the United States and United Kingdom will have adverse effects on credit availability, global capital flows and the world economy as a whole…

Nathan: Is this adding insult to injury?  Yes (and the next story shows even MORE insulting behavior by the FedGov).  It is as though the intent is to make matters worse.  As quickly as possible.  You can be sure that this is written to protect the corporations and their big investors – and increase their profits – while still damaging small and mid-size business, their owners, and the economy as a whole.

Abominable Act (ObummerCare) – Congress in Action
Obamacare Reg Treats Congress That Spent $3.5 Trillion as a ‘Small Business’(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Congress WROTE this – and now they claim that they know nothing about it – but the majority of them (Dem and GOP) are busy signing up for it.  Please, even if they didn’t read it (Nancy’s famous quote), they are STILL responsible for it.  They are the elite, they are going to reap every possible benefit from it, and stick it to their voters.  And laugh secretly about it.  Is it any wonder that they are fearful of armed people who are NOT getting paid by them?

Mama’s Note: Meanwhile, Obummercare threatens to destroy volunteer operations at every level, even volunteer fire departments, and is very likely responsible for stories such as the major ambulance services in 6 states that shut down on Friday. Get ready for a terrible cascade of these “unintended consequences” of government “affordable care.”

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Libertarian Commentary on the News, #13-46B: This and that

Posted on 2013-12-10 by TPOL Nathan

To all readers: my apologies for not publishing this last week, when I thought that I had.

Stupid government – stupid people
Kansas Woman Debbie Nall Ordered By City To Stop Housing People In Need
At Her House
(OpposingViews.com) Nall has said she is not opposed to the rule as a whole, but hopes the city will make an amendment to allow her to “continue to do what I’m doing.”

Mama’s Note: So, she has no real problem with the city tyranny as long as she can be exempt. It’s all those “other people” who need to be controlled, of course…  Really sad. Control freaks come in all sizes and shapes, and some look mighty good until you look closer…

Nathan: I wonder if she is being correctly reported?  Wouldn’t be the first time… But even if she is not one, there are too many people in this country that DO have that attitude: control all the others…  We can appreciate her willingness to help others, but she demands too high a price.

Stupid people – Congress in action
New low for Congress: Just 6 percent approve, finally lower than car salespeople
(Washington Examiner) “What Americans are sure about is how they feel about Congress in general. They don’t like it, and haven’t liked it for a while,” said the poll. “But Congress’s approval rating in this week’s Economist/YouGov Poll matches its all-time low. Just 6 percent approve of the way Congress is handling its job. 72 percent disapprove.”

Mama’s Note: Ok, so why do those same people get elected over and over again?

Nathan: Several answers to that question:  First, this is how people feel about Congress in general, but it is almost always “all those other guys.”  They LOVE their own guy or gal, or at least 51% of them do (34% in three-way races).  So unless their guy killed a motorcyclist while speeding and running a stop-sign, or got his pants unzipped in front of a LOT of people in a public way, or (maybe) had a freezer full of frozen cash, or spit on the flag (more than once), they send them back.  Second, a lot of the races are crooked and cooked:  five votes here, ten there, and voila!  Joe or Jane get reelected to their 15th term.  Third, what people SAY in polls is often very much different than how they pull the lever, or so we are told (see reason #2).  Fourth, people are often idiots, and they allow fear of the opponent to goad them into voting for the “evil they know.”

Abominable Act (ObummerCare) – Politics 2013
Howard Dean: Employers Have No Right to Make Health Decisions, But Gov’t Does
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: So typical a statist and liberal statement – and Dean is not the only one making it.  The mysticism which supports their attitude towards an evil institution staggers the mind.  Keep in mind it is not just employers which they believe have “no right” to make these decisions, the same is true for the patients:  oh, they can make decisions as to whether to have an abortion or get birth control or which brand of cold medicine to buy (but NOT the contents of said medicine), but it is clear that patients have no right to make health decisions like who to use as a doctor, what they want covered by their insurance – or indeed, whether to buy insurance or set up some other method of being prepared.  We, the people, are too STUPID for that right.

Stupid government – Crash of 2009
White House: Food Stamps Are ‘Boosting the Economy’
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Ah, yes, the old “broken window” fallacy – repeated over and over.  Just like the lies about how it is wrong for a private person or group to kill, maim, rob, and coerce anyone but it is FINE for government to do so.  And just like the lies on all kinds of other things.  Why should people (like “conservatives”) condemn the “messiah” for this while accepting all the other lies? Of course, when his minions are looking for success stories, doubling food stamp recipients in five years IS success – by some standards.

Stupid government – World wars
Terror Threat Rising, Intelligence Chairs Say: ‘New Bombs, Very Big Bombs’
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: I keep seeing that little shepherd, racing back home screaming about the big, bad wolf.  That is what these congressmen are behaving like.  Except that the powers-that-be are the ones that have “new bombs” and “very big bombs.”  Well, them, and propane companies (search “BLEVE” on-line for some sobering information).  Too many otherwise seemingly rational people believe every single claim like this, and want to shovel more money into “defense” and especially into such evils as unrestrained black ops and of course their beloved Homeland Security – especially the thugs of ICE, TSA, and BCP.  Not content with occupying the world, they must also occupy all fifty states.

The “messiah’s” minions – Stupid government
LaHood Says $48B Stimulus for DOT Wasn’t Enough; ‘Should Have Been $480B’
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: If it HAD been $480B, he would have said it needed to be $4.8T, and so forth.  Face it, the government, especially in public works, is NEVER satiated, NEVER satisfied.  They will always want more, and more.

Stupid government – Theft by government
NSF Spends $82,525 to Study Self-Defense by Millipedes
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Hmmm, perhaps DoD should study this, not NSF?  For their new generation of nano-drones and the like?  The crime isn’t in what the money is SPENT for, but in the fact that the NSF (and all the other government alphabet agencies) HAVE the money in the first place.  STOLEN money, money taken either from living taxpayers or presumed to be paid (with interest) by FUTURE taxpayers.  Better if we could train the millipedes to EAT the thugs and theives.

Stupid government – World wars – Stupid people
Americans Believe U.S. Has Lost Respect At Home And Abroad
(Personal Liberty) The second-term slide of President Barack Obama continues to mirror that of his Republican predecessor. The latest parallel between the faltering Obama Administration and the rocky second term of George W. Bush comes courtesy of a new poll conducted by the Pew Research Center.

Nathan: Again, for what polls are worth.  These stories are all over the place, and serve no purpose.  I see stories gossiping about how the “messiah” is going to resign early (and let his chief minion with foot-in-the-mouth disease take over?) to help improve the Dems’ chances in November 2016 and other similar nonsense.  This is nothing more than whistling past the graveyard.  No matter how many people wake up, the damage is already mostly done.  But still we have nonsense like in the next story.

Politics 2013 – The “messiah”
Cato Representative Suggests That Obama’s Actions Could Spark Revolution
(Personal Liberty) During a Congressional committee hearing Tuesday concerning Presidential powers and President Barack Obama’s failure to implement his “law of the land” Affordable Care Act as written, an expert from the Cato Institute said that the President’s flagrant disregard for the rule of law has the potential to spark an armed rebellion against the government.

Nathan: This may be theoretically true, but in this country today, I can’t see more than a two or three percent probability that this would happen.  As I discussed with several yesterday, people are too comfortable, too content despite the widespread economic woes.  But from a practical point of view, armed rebellion against WHO?  What targets specifically?  IRS offices and agents?  Congressional offices? HHS offices?  (Anybody have any idea where and how many there are?)  Bogus “million-whatever” marches on DC that turn violent?  Nothing short of a nationwide conspiracy striking at hundreds of people in dozens of places at once would even make a tick up on the news outlets.  This CATO guy is as much crying wolf as any Intelligence committee chair.

Mama’s Note: The “revolution” that would actually succeed would be massive non participation, massive refusal to comply, the true “Atlas Shrugged” solution. There are not enough government employees to actually enforce much of anything, and they truly depend on a certain level of voluntary compliance in all of the evil they do. Yes, some would be targeted and dealt with harshly, but that should merely firm the resolve of everyone else. The ultimate answer to a tyrant is a resounding belly laugh, and then ignoring him.

Stupid government – War on some drugs
Mises Fellow Explains The United States’ Senseless Prohibition Of Hemp
(Personal Liberty) Australia, Canada, and many other countries have all legalized the growing of hemp in recent years. France has a long tradition of growing hemp for seed oil and China plans to substantially increase acreage and production of hemp, primarily for textile production. So why doesn’t the U.S. take advantage of hemp production?

Nathan: A good summary of the stupid way our politicians and drug warriors think, and how old, traditional American values and activities have been turned on their head in order to turn millions of Americans into criminals and deny many more an honorable way to make a living.

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I Love My Guns

Posted on 2013-12-07 by MamaLiberty

By MamaLiberty

Some recent comments on various message boards frequented by shooters indicate that a few people are either changing their minds or are bowing to the politically correct pressure of the day. They have begun to assert that they do NOT “love their guns” and only view them as necessary tools.

While I couldn’t agree more that guns are simply tools, pretty much like any others, I don’t know why that would make them unlovable. Most men love their tools, all different kinds, and men have always loved their guns. I’m certainly not ashamed to join those men.

But, you might ask, just what is it that we (who still profess it anyway) actually love about guns? Aren’t they killing machines, good only for harming others? We hear that a lot.

So, why do I love my guns? Let me count the ways.

To start with, about 30 years ago I was attacked and would likely have died if I had not been armed.

At that point the man started to walk toward me, in a few words telling me just how he would hurt me. I raised the shotgun, but he just sneered and said confidently, “you won’t shoot me” and kept coming.
He was still too close to my car, so I aimed the .410 shotgun just over his head and pulled the trigger.
I saw the shocked look, just before I saw the blood on his face and chest where the tiny #6 birdshot had hit him. He turned and ran away, destroying a low ornamental fence in the process, but never even slowing to untangle it from his legs.

How would the world be better and more peaceful if I had been raped and murdered instead, simply because I had no gun?

I love to take my guns apart and clean them, usually after a satisfying day at the range or out on the wide grasslands. I love their mechanical simplicity and elegance, the engineering miracle that really has not changed much for hundreds of years. I love the smell of the cleaning products and the silky sound of the action when it is oiled properly. The crisp “snap” of the trigger release is music to my ears.

Though I protect my hearing religiously, I love the sound of gunfire on the range when I’m there, and in the distance as others shoot. I’m about a mile from the range and can hear it often. It is the sound of freedom to me – other men and women both enjoying themselves and practicing a useful skill.

I have an old M1 .30 carbine. The scratches and dents in the old wooden stock have a serious story to tell… though sadly I can’t read it and the man who could is probably long gone by now. I love to shoot that gun, and imagine the story it might tell if it could. It’s a good old gun, and would certainly help me to defend myself and my neighbors if necessary.

My old Marlin 30-30 lever gun is just about perfect for hunting, which could keep me alive if things ever got to that point. That might mean bringing down deer for food, or holding off predators who would take my food away from me.  The scarred old stock has another and just as beautiful tale to tell, of hunts and shooting matches and the companionship that both can bring to all kinds of people.

The Springfield XD 9mm I carry on my belt each day, everywhere I go, is part of the ongoing story of my life. I’m 67 years old, and not able to run or fight meaningfully with my bare hands. The tool in that holster gives me the power to overcome my physical shortcomings and equalizes my opportunity to save myself or others from aggression and great harm or death. That is a heavy responsibility and one that most armed people take very seriously.

A Ruger .357 magnum revolver is my back up and concealed carry gun. I carried it openly for years, but found I had better control of the semi-automatic. Concealed carry is good for certain situations, but I’m glad that it’s not necessary all the time.

The most important reason I love my guns is something quite different, however.

They represent self ownership, and true independence. They mark me as one who is responsible for myself and willing to risk everything to protect myself and others. It also marks me as a free human being and not a slave. Slaves are not “allowed” to own and carry guns. Free people can’t be stopped from doing so.

I love my guns, and the liberty for which they stand.

******

*NRA Certified instructor and other certification for handguns, self defense. Thirty years teaching and shooting experience.

“I Am Not A Victim” is available as an e-book free. Read the story at the link and follow the directions to get your pdf copy by return email.

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Libertarian Commentary on the News, #13-46D

Posted on 2013-12-07 by TPOL Nathan

Theft by government – Morals in government
State Department Spent $140,000 On Booze For Foreign Leaders As Government Planned To Kick U.S. Vets Out Of Memorials Because Of Shutdown
(Personal Liberty News) As Federal officials shrieked endlessly about the dire effect the government shutdown would have on the American public, the State Department was busy racking up a massive bar tab stocking up on liquor for embassies around the word.

Nathan: I am sure that the priority for keeping the vets OUT of the memorials was higher than for this booze:  the “deny access” operation had to cost a lot more than $140K.  And it sent a message to everyone that they will remember next week: don’t mess with us or we’ll treat you even MORE like dirt.  This administration IS good at some things…  Just all the wrong things.  Just like government: it isn’t ALL incompetent and stupid: many parts are very good at things like stealing money, killing people, and destroying the economy.  Besides, we know the liquor was consumed in a good cause: the same scenario as the Lothario plying the girl at the bar with lots of drinks.

Home front – Stupid cop- Government-ruined, Theft-funded Schools
Cops Arrest Kids For Following Coach’s Orders To Wait At Bus Stop
(Personal Liberty News) After police in Rochester, New York threatened to arrest three Edison Tech High School athletes who were dutifully waiting for a bus their coach had scheduled for them, the kids didn’t know where to turn. They knew the bus was coming, but they had police telling them their presence at a public bus stop was obstructing the flow of pedestrian traffic while they waited.

Nathan: My oh my: the authorities are in conflict with each other, and guess who gets ground to powder?  Of course, it is a good thing one of them didn’t reach for his cell phone in his pocket, and have the cops gun them all down.  What was the coach thinking?

Does Video Surveillance Of A Home For A Month Violate The 4th Amendment
(Personal Liberty News) As police departments around the country get their hands on new technologies like drones and mesh networks, the ability to move around anonymously and privately will be significantly impaired. The Electronic Frontier Foundation argues that it is crucial for courts to play a role in policing the police and their new toys by overseeing the use of these technologies.

Nathan: The Founding Fathers did not SPECIFICALLY prohibit (or authorize!) government agents keeping someone under surveillance at their home or place of business or worship, although spies had long been used by government.  What they DID do is prohibit unreasonable searches and seizures:  “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated,…” The REASON for these prohibitions is what is important:  “our right to be secure in our persons, houses, papers, and effects…”  Does 24/7 surveillance using electronic means which also can penetrate more than the human eye and ear constitute a violation of this right?  I think so.  So does EFF.  BUT will the courts bother to do anything to protect this liberty?  Don’t bother to answer, we already know.

Mama’s Note: Unfortunately, the definition of the word “unreasonable” is unclear in the constitution, and the government has always interpreted it to suit themselves… as with everything else. And it will continue as long as most people accept the government definition of “reasonable.”

The “messiah’s” minions – Politics 2016
Obama: Biden among the best VPs ever, Clinton among best secretaries
(Washington Post) President Obama declinedThursday to take sides in the potential battle for his successor as president, instead saying that both Vice President Biden and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton will rank among the greatest to ever hold those jobs.

Nathan: If we are going to accept hyperbole like this in our public discourse, let me add to it:  These two were about the worst senators in history since Caligula appointed his horse Incitatus to the Senate.  As for the VP: well, once more it has been shown what an empty worthless job that is, and how virtually anyone still breathing can serve as VP.  As for Secretary of State, where to begin?  Benghazi?  Syria?  China?  Of course, Kerry DOES make Clinton look really good at the job.  But  who in the Democratic Party is even worth considering?  Really?

Mama’s Note: I was very lucky not to have a mouth full of coffee when I read that. Just about choked anyway. But of course it all depends on your definition of “best.” For Obummer’s purposes, I suspect they are just fine.

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Mandela

Posted on 2013-12-06 by TPOL Nathan

Nelson Mandela is dead, at age 95.  I’m not bothering to cite any sources, as this dominated most news the last half of Wednesday, both US and UK.  As part of this, Liberty-tree.CA had the following quotes this morning:

“I always knew that deep down in every human heart, there is mercy and generosity. No one is born hating another person because of the color of his kin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than the opposite.”
— Nelson Mandela

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”

— Nelson Mandela
“Once a person is determined to help themselves, there is nothing that can stop them.”
— Nelson Mandela

Liberty-Tree.CA’s quote blog described Mandela as:  (1918-2013) South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, imprisoned for 27 years, President of South Africa (1994-1999).  You can find these and more at:  http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Nelson.Mandela.Quote.AFA9

These are some good quotes.  They are like so many quotes we can see from “great men” like Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and even the likes of Bill Clinton and Woodrow Wilson.  They do NOT accurately reflect the attitudes, opinions, and actions of the men who spoke them.  Indeed, they are often a sharp contrast to the real people.  They are often the words of hypocrites.  They are used to elevate those men to immortality, to make them MORE than human.  It has happened not just with Americans, but with men of many lands:  Cyrus of Media, Alexander of Macedon, Julius Caesar of Rome, Augustus (Octavian) of Rome, Alfred the Great of England, Mao Tse Tong of China, Adolf Hitler of Germany, and many many more.  They are or were made demigods.

Mandela was born about the same time my grandfather was reporting for duty with the US Army to go to France to fight in what we now call the First World War.  He was an adult during the Second World War, and a terrorist when my father was on duty during the Korean War. He is NOT ancient history. But he has been and is being treated like those ancient “great men.”

The demigod worship is well underway, but on hearing of Mandela’s death, my wife and my first response was “finally.”  May his evil die with him.

Despite the way he has been idolized and glorified, even by self-governors and libertarians, Nelson Mandela was an evil man.  He was a Communist (in both name and fact), he was a murderer,  involved in killing not just his political opponents and enemy soldiers, but even supposed comrades-in-arms, and especially innocent people: civilians, many of his own race.  He was a terrorist in the 1950s, and helped found a terrorist organization back in the 1960s (before the magnificent “Global War on Terrorism”).  He didn’t serve 27 years in prison as a political prisoner, but because he confessed to more than 100 acts of terrorism: bombings and killings, including targets like sports venues and theatres and parks.  The attacks and killing were for political purposes, but they were still murders: killing of innocent people.  He was also a racist, as proven by recordings of him singing songs about killing white people and other documentation.

I am not saying that he did not change, but I question whether he really repented of all these things:  rather than admitting his actions and saying that he renounced and rejected them, that they were wrong, he seems to have simply tried to sweep them under the rug. This is not repentance, this is the typical behavior of a politician.  And his term as president of South Africa and his support of the evil actions of his wife certainly do not demonstrate (at that time) any change in heart, any repentance, any regret for what was done in the past.  The legacy of corruption and authoritarianism and crony government and capitalism left in South Africa since 1999 are NOT the legacy of “another Gandhi,” or “an international icon of peace and reconciliation” though he shares many of the characteristics of another Communist, Martin Luther King, Jr.

The point is, once more the Tranzis – the progressives, the left, the socialists and their kind – are twisting and rewriting history.  We are told he really wasn’t racist, because among other things one of his close allies in his terrorist days was a white man.  How many white racists have still been condemned even when they have pointed out that they have black friends?  He was not a terrorist, we are told, because he condemned violence – yet he was an ally of both the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Stasi!  He was not a Communist, it is said, because he said that the ANC was not a Communist organization; but there is documentation that he was, indeed, a card-carrying Communist for many years, and on very good terms with many more Communists than just a few Stasi agents.

Mandela was a “great man,” but so was Stalin and Lenin and Hitler and Churchill and Giap and all the rest:  as were Augustus and Alexander and Xerxes and Ramses II.  But great men are generally NOT good men, and until we recognize and teach that, there will always be another man on a white horse (or not) coming and enslaving and stealing and killing (directly or indirectly) and fighting AGAINST liberty (even while proclaiming loudly how much he loves liberty).

I do wish that we could honor Mandela (and others) as lovers of liberty who had been and done evil things in their youth and then repented and became good men, fighting for liberty as well as freedom, working to treat everyone as they themselves wanted to be treated.  But that is not the case.

Nelson Mandela, 1918-2013.  Finally.  Let the dead bury the dead; the rest of us want real liberty, not the Mandela-Tranzi kind.  Mandela, at last, is answering to God.

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Geronimo: Guam Invaded

Posted on 2013-12-06 by TPOL Nathan

TWO THOUSAND DEAD MICE IN PARACHUTES
(HNGN) Mice invade Guam on Sunday. After being killed and injected with Tylenol, or being killed BY being injected with Tylenol.  And using cardboard parachutes, and being dropped on an American Air Base.  In the hope that brown snakes, an invasive species, will eat them and die.

NOT THE ONION!

Just when you think government has reached the ultimate in stupidity.  No word yet whether this massive invasion has caused Guam to tilt and turn turtle and sink.

It is a concept worthy of Representative Hank Johnson, the bottom-of-the-brain-power-run Congressman:

Congressman Hank Johnson fears Guam will tip over, March 25 …

But then, we should get used to this kind of intelligence in Congress people (politically correct but seemingly inaccurate use of “people”), as we see the likes of Sheila Jackson Lee and the Wicked Witches of the West (Boxer and Pelosi and Feinstein – or are they The Three Stooges?).  One more result of failing to cull the herd sufficiently.

And just imagine what a huge commercial bonanza it is for the company that makes Tylenol:  I can see the ads already.  “If Tylenol can cure Guam’s headache, imagine what it will do for yours!”

I wonder, would this work on the two-legged snakes that infest inside the Beltway?

Mama’s Note: Not unless you can adulterate the cocaine they snort with Tylenol. Say, now there’s an idea…


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Libertarian Commentary on the News, #13-46C: Stupidity, Polls, ObummerCare and worse

Posted on 2013-12-06 by TPOL Nathan

I understand that it is not a nice thing to do, to call people stupid.  But sometimes, there is no other word that fits.  People do stupid things – which means, that at least SOME of the time, they are being stupid.  All of us are sometimes stupid, but sometimes certain people are stupid all or most of the time.  Today’s stories point that out, from people who base their decisions about fundamental liberties on what they are told by the mainstream media after an incident, to people in Congress (yes, embarrassing as it is, they ARE human) who pad their already gluttonous salaries and benefits with another $11,000 per year in subsidies, to people who go to a website KNOWN to be without any security capable of withstanding the fumbling attempts of a 12-year-old hacker and enter their personal data, to companies that parrot propaganda in hopes of selling their overpriced products.  It is disgusting, and they are stupid.

Stupid we will have with us always, just like we will have the poor and sick and hungry.  But could we not just work for a society in which it is not the stupid who make decisions which are rammed down the throats of the rest of us?  Enough is enough.

Hoploclasts and hoplophobes – Self-defense
Support for stricter gun laws continues to drop
(Washington Post) Another new poll shows support for stricter gun control measures has fallen significantly since the push failed in Congress earlier this year. The CNN/Opinion Research poll shows 49 percent now support stricter laws — down from 55 percent in January (shortly after the shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.) and from 53 percent in April. Half of Americans (50 percent) say they oppose stricter gun laws.

Nathan: For what polls are worth, which isn’t much.  Must be dropping even more than this reports, for the WaPo to talk about it.  Notice only 1 percent is supposedly undecided.  But the strident tone of the hoploclasts is as loud – louder – than ever.  I suppose this means that it is time for another horrific and spectacular mass murder someplace.  I’m sure the next perp is having his medication carefully increased to the necessary levels right now.  Or am I just being cynical?

Mama’s Note: While it is encouraging to think more people recognize that additional “laws” are not going to help, far too few of them are doing what it takes personally to be ready to actually defend themselves. So, no, an opinion poll isn’t worth a lot. Talk is cheap.

Abominable Act (ObummerCare) – Stupid people
29,000 Americans enroll under HealthCare.gov in 2 days, officials say
(CNSNews.com)
(Washington Post)  Roughly 29,000 Americans signed up for insurance on HealthCare.gov between Dec. 1 and 2, according to an individual familiar with the figures who asked for anonymity to discuss ongoing operations. That total exceeds the total number of Americans who enrolled online between Oct. 1 and Nov. 2, which was 26,794. The government defines enrollment as an individual who has successfully signed up for a plan.The new total, while short of the pace needed to reach the administration’s target of 7 million enrollments by March 31, shows the federal health insurance marketplace is working much more smoothly than it was at its Oct. 1 launch.

Nathan: Or they’ve got their lies much better organized.  What kind of nightmare have these people signed up for?  What will they get?  What will happen to them and their families, and their money and their identity?

Mama’s Note: As I’ve said all along, this was never intended to “work,” in any fashion. It was fully intended to be a mess, and disrupt what was left of free market health care to pave the way for full nationalization. The failure of the web site and exchanges is merely superficial, with the real damage going on pretty much under the radar. When the dust settles, people will discover that they may well have expensive “insurance,” but few or no doctors or other professionals are available to actually deliver care of any kind. This disaster is only getting started, and the inevitable damage will be serious indeed.

But there is a silver lining to this dark cloud. Those who are not stupid are increasingly seeing that their only hope is taking control of their own lives and health. Alternatives to the wreck being made of western medicine are all around and have been for thousands of years. It’s up to each person to look, learn and accept responsibility for themselves.

Killing babies – Abominable Act (ObummerCare)
Congresswomen Can Spend $11K in Tax Dollars to Buy Obamacare Plans That Cover Abortion
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Shucks.  A lot of folks would love to get $11,000 a year to pay for health insurance, instead of having to pay out $12,000 or more from our own pocket.  But then, we are not thieves like these people in Congress are.

Killing babies
Pro-Abortion Groups Claim Women’s ‘Right to Life’ Includes Abortion
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: How twisted and sick.  Even more so than the next story.

The “Messiah” – Theft by government
Obama: Spending on Schools and Infrastructure ‘Makes Us All Richer’(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Like I said, twisted and sick.  Like so much this man and his minions and supporters and controllers do,  he promotes coercion and theft as good and proper.  We thought that “1984” was bad, but today’s FedGov and both the Dems and GOP have long surpassed Orwell’s predictions.

Killing babies – The “messiah”
Obama: ‘100 Million Americans Have Gained The Right for Free… Contraception’
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: “Gained the right…” Yeah, right.  There is ALWAYS “free contraception” – it is called keeping your pants zipped up.  Barring rape, there is ALWAYS a way to keep from getting pregnant or getting someone else pregnant.  But not in the world of the tranzis and this occupier of 1600 PA:  they cannot control their sexual urges (or so they say) and so they figure that no one can.  Isn’t it interesting that (except for the peanut farmer) EVERY Democrat in the White House since 1932 has been unable to keep their pants zipped?

Mama’s Note: Rape requires a helpless victim… women who practice serious situational awareness, don’t go stupid places, do stupid things with stupid people such as getting drunk/high and naked with strangers… they are not likely to be raped even if they are not armed. Those who are armed may even have the chance to help clean out the gene pool.

East Asian Front – The “messiah’s” minions
Biden, Chinese President Avoid Public Comment on East China Sea Tensions
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: What?  Big-mouth Biden didn’t say anything in public?  Wonder if he said anything in private?  After all, he was supposed to be there to read the Chinese the riot act and make sure that Tokyo knows we’ll be on their side right down to the last Japanese soldier.  With him doing this, I wonder if it wouldn’t be a repeat of Saigon 1975 – Tokyo 2015?

Politics 2014 & 2016 – The “messiah”
Gowdy: Can Obama Suspend Election Laws Too?
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Yet ANOTHER person raising the same question several of us did for the 2012 elections, with more concern and serious issues.  As I recall, several of FDR’s advisors suggested suspending elections in 1944, but he was so insanely popular that they figured they didn’t need to.  Some Radical Republicans in 1864 also urged suspension, but a number of factors kept that from happening, including the threat of a SECOND armed rebellion in the Old Northwest states.  Would doing this lead to a rebellion in 2014 or 2016?  Don’t hold your breath.

Mama’s Note: Since the “vote” is an important part of keeping the sheep deluded into thinking that they have some control over things, and the obvious fact that the “vote” can be so easily manipulated, both electronically and with propaganda, I don’t see any real indication that a suspension of the elections is likely. But then, they do some really stupid things sometimes.

General: Hoploclasts and Hoplophobes
Recent news stories talk about the wonderful opportunities people have in Illinois, now that the State Police have issued mandates for the proper way to keep concealed weapons out of your business or other facility.  And the markets are responding.  Visit this website and enjoy McGruff the “Crime” Dog propaganda at its best. The entire website and the attitude expresses ensures that I will never purchase ANY sign from this company.

Go to this website to see the bad news about the current Illinois Police State Force. Apparently some people are so incredibly hoplophobic that they want much larger signs that they can put on their property to ward off all the evil monsters who would dare carry a firearm.

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Libertarian Commentary on the News, #13-46A: A slow start to the week

Posted on 2013-12-03 by TPOL Nathan

A slow start indeed to the week and the month, as we slip down to the Christmas-New Year’s season.  Lots of news but not enough time, so here are some interesting and perhaps important stories and comments.

Islamic wars – Evil religions, societies and governments
Pakistan: At least 56 women killed for bearing girls this year
(OpposingViews.com) Fifty-six women have been killed in Pakistan this year for giving birth to a girl rather than a boy, human rights activist I.A. Rehman said at a peace-promoting symposium Monday held in Lahore, Pakistan…. In addition to the deaths, there have also been 90 acids attacks on women, 72 cases of burning caused by other means, 491 cases of domestic violence, 344 cases of gang rape and 835 cases of violence between January 2013 to September 2013, according to Rehman. “Young girls are being raped in Pakistan and all we do is shout rather than do anything practical,” he said.

Nathan: What?  I thought that the United States was the center of world evil against women, NOT a nation that is part of the Ummah, the Dar al-Islam, land of submission and peace.  I thought that the Muslims were respecting of women, non-violent, and that the West was the cause of violence and harm.  I guess this must be because Pakistan is a US “ally.”  Seriously, people, this is one more reason to call Islam a death cult.  Keep in mind this is just what was reported – the total numbers are probably much higher.  Of course, women die in the US as well, but some have a better chance.

Self-defense – Home front
South Carolina: 76-year-old woman killed in gun battle
(OpposingViews.com) (Anderson County, South Carolina) Dorothy Hendrix returned home at about 1 a.m. when two armed men and one woman approached her attempting to rob her, coroner Greg Shore said. He said Hendrix pulled out a gun and fired at the suspects, and one of them returned fire, hitting her twice. One neighbor reported the gunshots to police. Hendrix, known as “Dot” to friends and family, managed to shoot one of the intruders in the stomach before she died at the scene. The other two suspects ran off.

Nathan: Not a good outcome, even though she obviously was somewhat prepared and went down firing.  Mama Liberty points out the need she had for more situational awareness, which is ALWAYS true.  But she TRIED and given the age difference (the three thugs were in their 20’s and 30’s), it certainly evened up the fight.  Why was she coming home at 0100?  Apparently, according to authorities, she was the bookkeeper and money-courier for an illegal gambling operation. She carried large sums of money home.  Gambling is NOT a victimless crime, because it should not be a crime.  Look, gambling is stupid, it is immoral, and its addicts can do great harm.  Putting it in the same category as drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, growing and smoking pot, and using cell phones and texting while driving.  But in SC it IS a crime, which adds a fourth perp to the three thugs that killed her: the state and its law enforcement.

Mama’s Note: Actually, greater “situational awareness” might not have been much help in this situation. Multiple attackers would challenge almost anyone. Add the inevitable loss of flexibility, strength and reaction time related to her age and sex, and she didn’t stand much of a chance. The thing that would have made the most difference is having a companion, someone to watch her back. Even another older woman being there might have changed the dynamics enough to change the outcome completely. And, if she had hit what she shot at the first time, decisively, that might have made a big difference too.

Even though I am well armed, and with as much training and experience as I have, I know my limitations. I will not go out alone after dark, even here. It is simply not enough to have a gun, however much better that is than having none.

Abominable Act (ObummerCare)  – Home front
Survey finds doctors rebelling against Obamacare, famous hospitals declining to join
(Washington Examiner)

Mama’s Note: Not a complete list, by any means, but includes many major population centers. Good indication what’s going on all over, and it is not looking good for obummer. People are finally starting to realize that having “insurance” guarantees nothing. Going to give insurance a very bad name before this is all over, and that’s a good thing.

Nathan: This kind of opposition and rebellion is good, but it is only a start, and not a sure start by any means.  We must expect these – institutions AND people, to buckle under to the Abominable Act and the rest of the mess sooner, not later.  They will NOT take the necessary action to protect themselves and their profession for fear of triggering a catastrophe, because they will not admit that all other courses of action are futile.

Mama’s Note: Maybe, and maybe not. We”ll have to wait and see. Not much they can really do to doctors and nurses who retire or quit… or leave the country.

Technology – Liberty
Cars can now be stopped with “radio pulse”
(BBC) A British company has demonstrated a prototype device capable of stopping cars and other vehicles using a blast of electromagnetic waves. The RF Safe-Stop uses radio frequency pulses to “confuse” a vehicle’s electronic systems, cutting its engine. … As the vehicle entered the range of the RF Safe-stop, its dashboard warning lights and dials behaved erratically, the engine stopped and the car rolled gently to a halt. Digital audio and video recording devices in the vehicle were also affected.  “It’s a small radar transmitter,” said Andy Wood, product manager for the machine.  “The RF [radio frequency] is pulsed from the unit just as it would be in radar, it couples into the wiring in the car and that disrupts and confuses the electronics in the car causing the engine to stall.”  He did not provide other specifics. However, the Engineer magazine has reported the device uses L- and S-band radio frequencies, and works at a range of up to 50m (164ft).

Nathan: Another war between the police and the driving public is now launched, with more serious consequences than radar-guns and jammers and CB radios versus police radio.  While I can see a military use for this, “police interest” has got to be many times the size of military use, unless the military take over the role of police in the UK or US.  The “rolled gently to a hault” might be true at 15 mph but is unlikely to be the case in a situation at 75 mph or more.  To say nothing of vehicles driven by innocents which get caught in the transmission as well. Notice that “recording devices” were also effected: PERFECT for the many scumbag cops who love to abuse people:  evidence now available by dashcams and phone cameras may not be as much a problem for them.  And unlike the standard EMP, this does not appear to permanently affect the electronics.  So… more jammers, and more shielding?  Which then become illegal?  What next?

Mama’s Note: “Rolled gently to a halt…” Well, except for the fact that the steering, brakes and other controls would not be functioning. If the vehicle were just going around a curve or needed to avoid a hazard, it would be just tough luck, I guess. And the idea of cops using this to destroy recordings is truly nasty. If you do record… make sure it is uploading live to a remote location.

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Libertarian Commentary on the News, #13-45D: Prohibition – an afterword, and the “Pope”

Posted on 2013-11-30 by TPOL Nathan

Prohibition – An afterword

Just after writing my article on banning of e-cigs, I was queried by a friend regarding information on what seemed to her to be a rash of actions by governments against people for growing vegetable gardens on their property in towns and subdivisions, especially in the front yard.

I have seen stories about specific instances of this in various news sources, including Freedom’s Phoenix.  These incidents date back several years and have been reported, usually by local news sources (mostly TV), from Florida to Ontario and California to Maine.

The “why” is a tough question.  I know some things, and suspect some others.  This is interesting in part because I just wrote an article yesterday about the growing numbers of bans on e-cigarettes, which are NOT cigarettes but which are feared by an incredible number of bureaucrats and politicians for vague and ill-defined “threats” to personal and public health.

First, we have the usual reasons (excuses):

1.  Demand for conformity and fear of impact on property values by neighbors, homeowners associations, Realtors, city and county officials.  Different is BAD.  Fear of drop in property values is directly tied to property taxes and sales taxes (from sales of real estate) and therefore a major cause of panic, resulting in passing regulations (or more harshly enforcing existing regulations).

2.  For the past 15-20 years, more and more local governments have been adopting the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) which is currently in the 2012 edition (many governments will have earlier versions).  This is a very detailed and lengthy code with lots of space for “tailoring” to a given jurisdiction, but also a way to very tightly control EVERYthing you can imagine about a property.  Since this sort of document is adopted by reference and the local governing authorities often don’t bother to read it through – or don’t understand what they are passing, local “code enforcement” employees can tinker with it and use it to gain more power, and more revenue (which the politicians don’t mind, of course).

3.  Legal fear: fear of being sued for failure to enforce the codes and allowing unsafe conditions or unsightly conditions to exist.  This is the case, I think, with the recent incident in South Dakota where the property management company, fearful that USDA would penalize them for allowing a girl’s garden, went way overboard.  Elsie didn’t do this, but it happened on her watch.  (Of course, she is serving one of her purposes being a convenient scapegoat, too, for the career bureaucrats and the Democratic leadership in DC and in SD.)

4.  Increasing UN and Federal attempts to control food production and “ensure” that food is safe and does not pose a threat to international trade and their backer’s profits, nor allow people to function off the grid in any way.  Here we are admittedly into the conspiracy path of thought, but we see enough of what is proposed and has passed and enforced regarding things like whole milk, raising of small food animals (and their butchering, etc.), prohibition on home-grown and prepared foods in schools, etc. to make this more than just paranoia.

Secondly, we have human nature.

1. Once we have set the foundation, as I discuss in my article on prohibiting e-cigs, we have evil human nature working:  prohibition for the sake of prohibition. “We prohibit X because we CAN prohibit X.  Fall down on your knees and obey us!”  Power and greed increase, as the nanny state dictates more and more things.  When combined with the NIMBYs and the Mrs. Grundys and taxation and sales prices and everything else, this becomes an easy fix for those addicted to power and control, and even money.

2.  The other part of human nature is what I call the “hammer syndrome.”  People (in and out of government) use laws as hammers to punish and retaliate against people that they are mad at or want to get revenge on.  (Or for other motives, like cops who are rapists.)  “I don’t like that Mr. and Mrs. Smith and their brats, because they complained about my kids’ loud party in 1995, and now I can use this code enforcement to get back at them, by complaining to the code official because their grass is always 2 inches higher than the code allows.”

Like everything else to do with government and society, we can expect this sort of thing to get worse.  At the same time, we have to remember that things like this have gone on for a LONG time, but when we were limited in our news sources, we never heard about 95% of them, even when they were local events.  Today, virtually EVERY news source is available worldwide, and so we know a lot more about what is going on.

Mama’s Note: Two other things (among many more possibilities) contribute to this situation, as I see it. Most of this is happening in large cities, and I think overcrowding contributes greatly to the problem. People are fearful of losing what little control they have left over their own lives, and can’t seem to recognize that destroying another person’s control over HIS life only makes the situation worse for everyone. This leads to the second part of the problem, which is the ongoing (intentional) degradation of the family, the extended family and the community. Rather than working together to reach mutual goals, they become adversaries working hard to curry favor with the overlords for that tenuous bit of control they might retain over their own lives. If they are “good” and turn in their neighbor for infractions, their own might not be noticed or punished.

Tranzis – Culture wars: Killing babies
Pope Francis: It’s Not ‘Progressive’ To Kill Babies by Abortion
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: For certain definitions of “progressive,” of course.  The use of the term is unwise, because of the connotations, but the Argentine pontiff seems to want to really push.  Killing babies, inside or OUTside the womb, is evil, and worse than barbaric: only “civilized” nations (Azteca, Canaanites, certain ancient Indian cultures) so forget basic morals and their humanity to do this – oh, and of course, the United States, European Union, Russia, and China… in the 20th and 21st Centuries.  Frankly, whenEVER I hear the term “progressive” being used, I think of exactly this:  baby killers (and not just in the womb, but those who would kill babies because their parents are enemies, or because they just can’t be bothered).  Progressives, whether national or international or transnational put ideology over life and liberty, and have been killing children since Moloch’s first idols were built.

This, like a good many other comments and proclamations made by this new pope, lend an ironic twist to that old comeback to a query about whether you are going to do something or react the way you always have, “Is the Pope Catholic?”  Today, is he?

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