Libertarian Commentary on the News #13-10D: Enemy of the state?

WARNING:  According to a law school professor, pursuant to the Military Commissions Act, “Anyone who … speaks out against the governments policies could be declared an unlawful enemy combatant and imprisoned indefinitely.” That includes American citizens.

IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU MAY BE CONSIDERED AN ENEMY OF THE STATE because you are “conspiring” with someone (the guy writing this) who is an ‘unlawful enemy combatant.’ (I’m not wearing my uniform while I write this.)

Mama’s Note: The publisher/editor will gladly take a piece of that action as well. 🙂 I have no interest in harming anyone, or in starting any fight… but I’m going to do whatever it takes to defend myself. Count on it.

The “messiah” – Congress in action
Obama Couldn’t Eat at Hill Meeting without Taster

(Daily Caller)  According to Maine Republican Senator Collins, he couldn’t eat with the Republicans he was trying to convince to support his plan to end the sequester.

Nathan: King or emperor or fuehrer or god incarnate?  He needs a taster because GOP senators might poison him with the same food that they are eating?  Perhaps he needs to check and see if there are any briefcases under the tables where he sits.  What gives?

Mama’s Note: It wasn’t clear from the article whether or not this is something new. I’ve not taken the time to look into it any more than that.

Old religions – Congress in action
Boehner on Pope Francis: ‘Thanks be to God’

House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), the nation’s most senior Catholic Republican, expressed relief to reporters Wednesday that the College of Cardinals selected a new pope so quickly — and one from the Western Hemisphere.

Nathan: Of course, now that the anti-Catholics and all the rest of the nihilists have “outed” Francis I by declaring him to be an active participant in the Dirty Wars of Argentina right back to when (Peron took power, and apparently making him the Cardinal Richelieu of Argentina -<grin>), Boehner seems to have again stuck his foot in his mouth, according to the Dems and other Tranzis.  Of course, Boehner is incompetent and often incredibly stupid, but he is probably right for once.  I dismiss much of the name-calling against Francis as exactly the kind of thing that ANYone elected will face.  The man has a potential to be a great enemy or a great friend to liberty, and to change the Catholic Church in the same way: let’s wait and see.

Home Front – Theft by government
Record 18.7 Million Students in FY 2012 Got ‘Free’ Lunch

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Can’t afford to buy steak once in a while or go out for a meal?  Never fear, the money stolen from you is feeding some school kid a “free” or “reduced-cost” lunch in some government-run, tax-funded school near you.  It is more than just the continued Crash of 2009 that is driving this trend upward, the fed gov is seeking and convincing more and more parents and more and more schools to get children on the dole, and the fact that their meals are coming from the government is carefully taught to them.

Theft by government – Congress in action
After Passing CR That Funds Obamacare, GOP Presents Budget Symbolically Repealing It

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: The GOP is no different than their opponents:  appearances are more important than substance, and they treat ALL taxpayers as stupid dupes and marks to be fleeced over and over.  The GOP has rolled over on ObummerCare, on spending, on borrowing, and will roll over on guns and EVERYTHING else that matters.

Theft by government – Nanny state
$1.8M Federal Grant Helped D.C. Make Fruits and Vegetables Available at Work
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Don’t you wish the government gave YOU free fruits and vegetables, when you are having to pay $2+ a pound for apples and $8+ a pound for blueberries!

Mama’s Note: And plain old cabbage and carrots are usually about a dollar a pound as well.

Extraordinarily stupid politicians
Biden: ‘I’d Rather Have an Ex-Felon Have Access to a Weapon’ Than a ‘Fugitive’
(CNSNews.com) “For example, a fugitive from justice can still buy a gun legally unless they cross a state line,” Biden said. “The one person I don’t want to have a weapon is a fugitive from justice. “I rather have an ex-felon have access to a weapon than someone fleeing the justice system,” Biden said.

Nathan: Does this even make sense?  Only if you are crazy Uncle Joe and probably feel that most of us are fugitives from justice.  By the way, what is an “ex-felon” anyway?  A felon is someone who has been convicted of a crime – is an “ex-felon” someone who has been pardoned?  Stupid, crazy Uncle Joe.

Mama’s Note: It all depends on the definition of  “felony.” You can gain that distinction by almost anything these days. Biden, of course, wouldn’t know a real criminal from a hole in the ground, any more than he knows anything about safe gun handling. Actually, he probably needs help with buttons and zippers.

Theft by government
Woman Buried Mother in Backyard–Then Collected Her Social Security for 14 Yrs

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: The woman is 65, and will probably get to spend the rest of her life in prison, and won’t pay back either the $141K she stole from the SSA or the $250K fine levied – and of course the taxpayers will foot her bill in prison.  Sounds like a win-win situation for her.

Mama’s Note: I’d not read this story, but there might be more to it than meets the eye. When my husband died, the checks continued to come, even though I’d called, written and even faxed the death certificate to the SS office. I kept returning the checks, but did so by registered mail. I’m so glad I did that!!! After six months, I got a really nasty, threatening letter accusing me of fraud. I sent them a copy of the post office receipts for the returned checks and they finally quit sending them!!!

New Religions: Environism  and Global warming
Eco-terror advocate bashes climate ‘deniers’ on film

(Conservative Action Alerts) Last month a Pew Research Center/USA Today poll confirmed what poll-watchers knew during last year’s campaign season: Climate change was the lowest-ranked priority on President Obama’s second-term agenda. Last Friday, Big Green’s entertainment division churned out yet another attempt to turn that around with a panicky new global-warming documentary. It opened on 51 screens with a weekend gross of $45,000 (that’s $882.25 per screen, according to the Internet Movie Database). It was produced at an estimated cost of $1.5 million and comes with a screaming title: “Greedy Lying Bastards.”

Nathan: If this were private money funding this movie, I’d say great.  But you can be sure that this flop was funded by various grants – we pay for propaganda aimed at ourselves.  This “documentary” is just the latest brainwashing to convince us of global warming.

Mama’s Note: Well, I WANT some of that darn “warming” right now… it’s snowing outside and cold today, after reaching a very pleasant 70 degrees yesterday. It’s just not FAIRRRRRR…

Home front – Islamic wars
Sanctimony city

(San Francisco Chronicle – by Debra J. Saunders) “Pamela Geller, most famous for fighting what she called the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ in New York, bought ads on the sides of 10 Muni buses that feature hateful quotes from Osama bin Laden, accused Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan and failed Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad — under the headline, ‘My Jihad: Jihad, holy fighting in Allah’s cause, with full force and weaponry is … an obligation and duty in Islam to every Muslim,’ reads the Shahzad quote. And underneath: ‘That’s my Jihad. What’s yours?’ San Francisco City Hall responded in knee-jerk fashion: holding a news conference drenched in sanctimony.” (03/14/13)

Nathan: Free speech does not apply to libertarians or conservatives, who “abuse” their privilege of speaking out.  I am sure these were all vandalized within hours, seeing how law-abiding and loving the denizens of San Francisco are.

Margaret Figert: Quote of the Week: “Sane and reasonable people, including heartland conservatives, do NOT want or need government intrusion in their personal lives.  Most of us are perfectly capable of feeding, dressing, educating and medicating ourselves – at least we were until government began responding to the whines of those folks who want government to throw other people’s tax money at them to save them from their sins.”

Congress in Action
Boehner: House Will Fund Obamacare in CR; Won’t Risk ‘Shutting Down the Government’

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Stinking coward, betrayer, scumbag, – words fail me.  Why, if they really HAD any principles other than greed and self-aggrandizement, would they do anything but rejoice at shutting down Uncle Sam for a few weeks?  Why, if they weren’t already bought and paid for and dependent on “free” government money themselves, would they not be prepared to go it on their own for a while.  Filthy dirty traitors and blackguards.

Theft by government – Abominable Act (ObummerCare)
CBO: Obamacare May Boost Disability Insurance Rolls

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: It seems likely:  when all is said and done, it is pretty easy to get on disability, and stay there keep upping the ante to get more and more:  I have seen people do it, and I’ve seen what it would take: not much.  If you can use this to avoid the ObummerCare “not-taxes” and “not-penalties”  the temptation grows to take an easy way out to retire with.

Congress in Action – Theft by government
Pelosi: ‘I Want Us to be on a Path to Balance the Budget in a Number of Decades’
(CNSNews.com) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on Thursday that she would like to see a balanced budget, “in a number of decades.” During her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill, CNSNews.com asked Pelosi if she agreed with President Barack Obama’s recent remarks that America does not have an “immediate” debt crisis. The U.S. debt as of Wednesday stands at $16.7 trillion.

Nathan: Imagine if I told my bank that.  I’m only spending twice what I’m making now, but don’t worry, I’ll increase my income about five percent each year or stop spending about five percent each year.  Don’t worry, it will ALL work out…”

Culture wars: killing babies
Rubio: ‘Absolute Fact that Science Has Proven Life Begins at Conception’
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Yes, but as with all the other “inconvenient facts,” this one will be ignored; not just by Tranzi and Demcocratic  leaders and minions, but by millions of GOP types also.  Actually, as with ancient Canaan and the Levant and Carthage, it is the BABY that is “inconvenient.”  The only good thing is that eventually this twisted genetic trait (killing your own babies) will be bred out of the population.

Congress in action
Rand Paul: ‘Not One Penny More to Countries That Are Burning Our Flag’

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: A lone voice, crying in the wilderness.  (Or the pitiful excuse for wilderness found in the Senate chambers. Diogenes would die of old age.

Mama’s Note: What in heck does the “flag” have to do with it? He’s happy to send taxpayer loot to anyone who sucks up and at least pretends to enjoy the rape by Uncle Sam? Not one penny of stolen money to ANYONE, for any reason is more like it.

Congress in action
Cruz: ‘Constitution is Particularly Important when the Bill of Rights is Unpopular’

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: An excellent point, to think of it.  I wonder if anyone has done any polling on people’s opinion of the Bill of Rights.  Lovers of liberty take it for granted as a starting point and wish for some kind of enforcement, if we have to have a government at all.  We know that elements of society hate the first (the press, Muslim jihadists, many black liberals), and the second (all the hoploclasts and hoplophobes), but what about the rest?

Islamic wars: Arab Street revolt
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood: Expanding Women’s Rights Would Be A ‘Cultural Invasion of Muslim Countries’

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Just like doing something about the way they kill each other, and enslave people of other faiths, and the way Aztec harvesting hearts on pyramids and Carthage sacrificing children to Moloch and all the rest of the evils were “cultural invasions.”

The “messiah” – Liberty
Deadline Approaches for Obama Administration to Name Russian Human Rights Abusers

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Seems pretty simple to me: a Moscow phone book would work, right?  In the US, you’d have to find a phone book that included DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia

American front – The “messiah’s) minions
ICE Admits It Released More Than 2,000 Illegal Aliens, Including Serious Offenders

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Typical for the minions of the “messiah” who never found a law that they couldn’t break or twist around.  Obeying laws is for suckers and slaves.

Politics 2013
Conservative Leader to Karl Rove: ‘Get Out of the Way’ and Let Us Lead
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Incredible, isn’t it?  There are people who believe – REALLY believe -that Rove is the Gray Eminence who really “rules America,” and that even the “messiah” dances to his tune.  The man is an embarrassment to Americans, and is dedicated, if anything, to speeding up the collapse.

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Libertarian Commentary on the News #13-11C: Korea and Congress and Colorado

Today, I’ve got a brief commentary on various interesting news items.  But I also note that more and more people are talking about the potential for violent confrontations right here in the US, and that violence is rising in Europe and Asia.  This means that the Korean revival of a 60-year-old war isn’t too much out of line with what is going on worldwide.

What next?

East Asian front
North Korea: Regime nullifies 1953 armistice

(New York Times)  “North Korea declared the 1953 Korean War armistice nullified on Monday, following through on a longstanding threat that it renewed last week amid rising tensions with South Korea. … However, there were no signs of hostility along the border between the two Koreas. South Korean officials said they were increasing their vigilance amid fears that North Korea might use the United States-South Korean military drills and a fresh round of United Nations sanctions as an excuse to create an armed skirmish against the South.” (03/11/13)

Nathan: Legally (and even morally), Korea and the US have every right to immediately resume hostilities: air strikes, naval strikes, round-up of PRK government officials everywhere, and a demand for immediate surrender under threat of annihilation of every government office and base and civilian and military personnel.  They won’t, of course, because if they can’t whip up enough support to attack and/or invade Iran, who is going to do that to North Korea?  And as I have pointed out before, Seoul learned from the German reunification and don’t want to be beggared.

Mama’s Note: How in the world could there be any moral “right” to attack these people? If, by some wild chance, the pudgy dictator managed to fire a rocket toward the US, THEN there would be some justification for a defensive strike, but I don’t see any otherwise.

Congress in action
Political Elite: Swallow This

(LFB.org) Simon Black:  in just a week’s time, the political elite in the Land of the Free gave us bills that:

1) Ensure the government cannot assassinate its own citizens with drones
2) Impose price controls with insurance premiums
3) Award the government with more power to initiate biosurveillance operations
4) Create a quota system in the labor market

Nathan: Simon points out that NONE of these bills are a good idea, and that NONE should be needed in a free, constitutional government – even from a statist point of view. Of course, from a free-market, liberty-loving point of view, there is NO justification for “giving” anyone the power to pass laws like this.  By what authority?

Stupid politics 2013 – Hoplophobes and hoploclasts
Colorado Democrats Ready to Spark a Revolution?

(Examiner, via Freedom Outpost) Anthony Martin reports, Democrats who run the state government in Colorado, however, have turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the warnings and protests of citizens. On Monday, the state Senate passed a gun control package

Nathan: I’m seeing this first hand.  It isn’t “revolution” of course, but counter-counter-revolution.  In Colorado, MOST Democrats and SOME Republicans are trying to steal the liberties and properties of five million people (and millions of visitors and “guest workers”) and accomplish what they failed to do after Columbine, by using the twin excuses of two nut-jobs who took advantage of laws that created target-rich, low-threat environments (“hunting preserves”) in a theatre and a school.  Not only are they doing this without majority public support (not that stealing liberty and guns are matters subject to popular vote), but they are doing so in a way that not just ignores the protests and appeals of people and local officials and their own colleagues, but destroys the very concepts of “democratic” government that these people claim to value.

I do not think that they are trying to spark a rebellion; I think that they have decided that Coloradoans will submit to these evil so-called laws the way the people of states like New York and Massachusetts and Maryland and Illinois have submitted, and that this will open the gates to a full-blown nanny state in Colorado.  I think (and pray) that they are wrong.

American Socialist State
The Myth of America’s Cowboy Capitalism

(The American, via Daily Policy Digest) The Federal Register, which contains all proposed rules and regulations, has grown more than 2,848 percent since its first volume…

Nathan: the synopsis of the article makes it clear to me that there is no reason NOT to call what we have now what it is: socialism and fascism in the clearly defined sense of the words and not simply as pejoratives.  Indeed, the federal and state governments regulate and micromanage and tax business and industry to a degree NOT found in either the Third Reich or Fascist Italy or Spain or Argentina.  Or in most of the world today.  We are a sick society and economy, and the blame rests squarely on the government and the idea that “We, the People” are so inept and incompetent that we cannot be trusted to run ANYone else’s life.

Mama’s Note: And again, by WHAT legitimate authority?

No “government” can control the lives of the people without their consent, which doesn’t at all require their actual agreement, but only the willingness to avoid personal responsibility and accept the myth that they can live by theft and coercion as long as it is through the proxy of “government.”

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Libertarian Commentary on the News #13-11B: Nanny government and more

Government-run, tax-funded schools – Nanny government
National “Core” Curriculum Rotten to the Core
(Michelle Malkin)  COMMENTARY  A new national database of all students is up and running collecting data on K-Grad level students in all of two states and part of nine more, including information on religion, hair and eye color, health and dental “status,” type of phones, type of house, and much more.

Nathan: Just what we need to deal with:  available for whomever can find a suitably competent hacker, or whenever someone leaves a hard drive in an airport bathroom.  And it applies not just to public school students, but to home school and private school students.

Mama’s Note: It would not matter in the least what sort of security features were used. The  (especially involuntary) collection of this data – in any form, for any purpose – is immoral and WILL be used by the government for all sorts of insanity.

Nanny state – Local tyranny
Judge Invalidates New York City’s Ban on Big Sugary Drinks

(NY Times) A judge invalidated New York City’s ban on large sugary drinks on Monday, one day before it was to go into effect, dealing Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg a major blow. The decision by Justice Milton A. Tingling Jr. of the State Supreme Court in Manhattan blocks the city from putting the rules into effect or enforcing them. Justice Tingling said the rule banning the drinks was “arbitrary and capricious.”

Nathan: Thanks to Margaret for this one.  Too bad the judge didn’t just say, “no authority exists to do so.”  And that is the truth: by WHAT authority did Bloomberg enact this?  I know, I know, the Bill of Rights doesn’t apply to New York City.

Mama’s Note: That’s the question we must keep asking! BY WHAT AUTHORITY?

Nathan: Ah, but WHICH American interests?  And how?  I guess this is just as the Sicarii in ancient Judea served Rome’s interests by giving the Princips an excuse to keep several legions garrisoning the place?

Islamic wars: Afghan front
Karzai: Taliban Suicide Bombings Serve American Interests

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Ah, but WHICH American interests?  And how?  I guess this is just as the Sicarii in ancient Judea served Rome’s interests by giving the Princips an excuse to keep several legions garrisoning the place?

Stupid people tricks
Al Gore: Al Jazeera Is ‘Honest-to-Goodness News’

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Would he know “honest” news if he saw it?

Congress in action – Theft by government
Ryan’s Budget Assumes the Repeal of Obamacare

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Well, THAT is a good thing. I don’t think that the GOP leaders will support Ryan on this any more than they supported Rand Paul’s filibuster.

The “messiah’s” woman – Tripping
First Lady: ‘Imagine’ an America Where Kids Beg for ‘More Fruits, Vegetables’

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Imagine an America where politicians don’t lie – it is just as likely.  She lives in a dream world.

Mama’s Note: That could easily happen. If people were truly free to work, earn, save, spend as they please and choose for themselves – free to live with the consequences of their choices without the nanny state… we might all be very surprised at how many people of all ages chose health and wellness.

The “messiah’s” minions – Theft by government
Krugman: ‘Spending Growth Has Been Exceptionally Low Under Obama’

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Only as compared to what the “messiah” and his minions WANT to spend.  But it sounds good.

Congress in action – New religions: environism
GOP Lawmakers Charge EPA Lacks Transparency, Seek DOJ Probe

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Gee, what gave them the first clue?

Mama’s Note: Lacks not only transparency, but any legitimate justification for existence.

Congress in action – Stupid people
Pelosi: In Washington, ‘It’s All About Courage’

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Hummm.  I agree – courage that is completely lacking anywhere in DC, on both sides of the aisle and all sides of the Mall.

Mama’s Note: Well, maybe not “completely.” There are a handful of lonesome souls that reflect the courage of Ron Paul, but not many and their lives must be hell in that cesspool.

Theft by government
FDA Won’t Say if Mobile Apps will be Taxed Under Obamacare
|
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: I figure that they are wanting it to try and sneak by.  With 40,000 apps available, assuming an average cost of $20/app and 100,000 buyers, the 2.4% tax would pay $1,920,000,000 – pretty cool, eh?  2 BILLION bucks.  Pay for a little bit of ObummerCare.

Mama’s Note: I’m going to assume you are being sarcastic here…

Stupid cops
Australia: Police address media after shootings in western Sydney

(Digital Journal) Police (AK): “Look, as we all know that there were four shootings over the course of the weekend. For us that’s four shootings too many. What I can say is the first shooting occurred at Tucks Road, Seven Hills and what I can tell you is a forty year old man has been arrested and charged with a number of firearms offences in respect of that particular shooting. Also police have seized two firearms, which we believe were involved in the shooting. Those firearms have been taken into police custody and are currently undergoing forensic procedure.

Mama’s Note: Now wait just a darn minute. I was led to believe that the gun bans and confiscations had cured this problem for Australia! What the heck? (/sarcasm)

Nathan: Since only the cops have guns anymore (we all know that most Aussies are VERY law-abiding), then this must all be related to the cops.  Time to disarm them, too.  Military personnel should be issued weapons only when leaving Australia, of course – since all Australian “defense operations” are done outside the country for Crown and Allies.

Mama’s Note: The actual number of firearms in private hands is usually woefully underestimated. This is an old, old article, but serves to demonstrate that Australia is no gun control utopia, even with such stringent “laws” and decades of efforts to eliminate private ownership.

Stupid government tricks
Feds Spend $1.5 Million to Study Why Lesbians Are Fat

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: This and the next story make me wonder if I tripped and fell through Alice’s mirror.  What, this isn’t stereotyping and therefore government discrimination?

Mama’s Note: As with anything like this, my first question is: Why should I care?

Stupid government tricks
State Department Will Issue ‘Female’ Passports to Anatomical Males

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: So, what will DHS (TSA and their ilk)do when those scanners show that the bod don’t match the paper?  And those strip searches?  What sex is used to do the actual search?  And is not this a suspicious action in and of itself?  And what if the transgendered anatomical male is a fat lesbian?

Mama’s Note: You’re right… Alice in Wonderland time here.

Theft by government – Congress in action
Cruz Will Use ‘Any Procedural Means Necessary’ to Force Vote on Defunding Obamacare

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Necessary?  Possible?  And what difference will it make?  Defunding, unlike the original appropriations (which the GOP rolled over on) requires the White House to sign off on it.  Ain’t gonna happen.

Mama’s Note: Oh, but they could then posture righteously and say, “Well, we TRIED.” They will never have the guts and intelligence to simply repeal it altogether.

Stupid people – The “messiah”
Ed Begley Jr.: Obama ‘Should Die With His Boots’ on’ Fighting Climate Change

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: We can only hope.  I picture the Greasy Grass (Little Big Horn) and just hope.

Islamic wars: Arab Street revolt – Stupid US government tricks
Is U.S. Training Syrian Rebels in Jordan? State Dept. Won’t Say

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: But the US are sending tons and millions of $$ worth of weapons and supplies.

Stupid people – Hoplophobes and hoploclasts
Pro-Gun Control Senator Asks NASCAR to Change Name of the ‘NRA 500’

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: While I suspect this ain’t gonna happen, I believe that this senator is your typical progressive (Tranzi or not) who thinks that government rules.  If they wanted NASCAR to change, all they need to do is find a sponsor to outbid the NRA for the sponsorship of the race.  NASCAR is about money.

Stupid Mainstream Media – New religions: environists
NYT to Obama: Prohibit Pipeline to Choke-Off Oil Supply

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: I have an even better idea: let the “messiah” order the US Navy to mine the approaches to New York and New Jersey ports to prevent oil from being brought into the ports, and choke off NYC’s and the Northeast’s oil supplies.

Mama’s Note: I have an even BETTER, better idea. All of the people who want to ‘choke off’ the oil supply should be required to live without electricity, heating oil, or any other product made with oil or a derivative… permanently. Or until they can honestly articulate how totally stupid this anti-oil nonsense truly is.

Stupid Tranzis – Hoplophobes and hoploclasts
Feinstein: ‘It’s Legal to Hunt Humans With 15-Round, 30-Round, Even 150-Round Magazines’

(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Ah, if it were, someone would already have HER head mounted on their den wall.

Mama’s Note: Feinstein must be spending entirely too much time with Biden these days. She’s sounding even more nutso than he is.

Posted in Commentary on the News | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Should the government regulate steriods in sports?

A forum on which I usually lurk had a liberal-type person (at least as defined in South Dakota) ask why on earth the federal government was messing around with steroids in sports, including congressional hearing and “policy” decisions.  Here’s my response, at least to start.  I’ll share any further thoughts and comments with both fora!  It is quite an interesting topic!  Let me see if I can muddle the waters more!

What a lot of people don’t know is that before the Continental Congress could get around to writing and approving the Declaration of Independence, they had to resolve a dispute involving the game and playoff schedule for the Colonial Rugby League in 1775 and 1776, approve drastic changes needed to the rules for Indian league lacrosse, and enact a new law regulating military sports athletes and prohibiting joint teams with other British military teams.  After all, they had to make priorities for what was important.  Sadly, that is no longer the case…

Seriously…

The basic question is, “Why is the government (Federal Government) involved in dealing with steroids in sports?”  This in turn triggered two questions, “Why is government involved in sports?” and “Why is government involved in steroids?”  More specifically, why is Congress messing with this?

As Alexander and Dusty indicate, you can’t find “sports” or “steroids” in the Constitution. Indeed, you can’t find medicine or food in the Constitution.  Setting aside the “general welfare” clause in the Preamble, the enumerated powers of Congress do not have anything close to any of this.

Just so you know, my position is that government shouldn’t have ANYthing to do with sports OR with medicine.  There is no authority in the Federal (or any State) constitution that I can find that says that sports are under any control of government.  Or that government is authorized to spend a DIME for sports or anything to do with it.  So why does Congress do this?

1. Me too ism “All the nations around us do this.” European and Latin American and even British Commonwealth countries not only interfere with and control sports, they usually have a “minister of sports” which regulates, subsidizes, prohibits, or otherwise mess with sports.  Many Americans want us to be like them; more than just taxpayer-subsidized stadiums, government-funded Olympic contenders and preparation, and high school/college sports (virtually 100% government funded).  They want the various Major League teams and management and organizations all to be absorbed into the government, so that the Baseball Commissioner, just like the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.  And funded by tax money (stolen money).

2.  Popular Sports are popular, and sports figures are popular.  Congressmen and other politicians want this popularity to rub off on them, so they get involved, directly and indirectly, with current sports questions and issues.

3.  “Circus” As with Rome (and other empires), sports serve as a distraction (and non-drug soporific) for the masses, either to keep them unaware of politics and public affairs or to sway them to one political faction or another.  While ALL sports serve this purpose to some degree, the BIG sports (baseball, football, basketball, NASCAR, maybe hockey)  that can be partnered and to some or greater degree controlled by government are best for this ongoing distraction.

4.  Money Sports in America are incredibly wealthy and flush with cash.  Not only do the salaries and awards given sports heroes help the “Circuses” aspect, but they and the money paid for tickets, endorsements, sponsorships and more provide multiple VERY lucrative points at which taxes, fees, and other revenue can be almost painlessly extracted from the population.

5.  Control (Microcontrol).  It s no longer enough for Congress or unnamed bureaucrats to dictate how much water our toilets use to flush, what kind of light bulbs we use, or the gas consumption of our cars and trucks.  Every, and I mean EVERY aspect of life must be controlled and regulated by Congress so we will not just elect them but pay the billions for their election campaigns and lavish offices and travel and lifestyle, and give an opportunity to bureaucrats to show us how they care about us and serve us.  Since sports are so popular and important to so many of us, it is one of the best areas in which government control and spending can be expanded.

6.  Promotion of immorality Sports players, especially the mega-heroes, are almost as worshipped as the Kardashians or Oprah or Justin Bieber, so it should come as no surprise that they are the modern-day equal of the Gods of Olympus – and about as immoral.  Children and young adults fawn on and worship all these “heroes” for their sports skills, so their dress, their lifestyle, and their morals are imitated with great joy and cost.  If Hussein Shabib XXIII can run the 100-meter in 6 seconds flat, and beds a half-dozen of his groupies of both sexes under the bleachers before and after his race, then his fans will imitate him. They might not do so hot on the running part, but the sex part they can do.  The more immoral a people, the more control they “need” and the more laws to be enacted and broken and punished.

Steroids are of course a “win-win” situation for government.  Not only are they intimately tied to sports (see above) but they are also a great spin-off (or sequel) to the “War on Some Drugs.”  Like the current push to fight the “War on Some Prescription Drugs,” this is perfect for our valiant drug-warriors in Congress, the thugs in DEA and all the other alphabet agencies, and all of those “fah the chillun” types to get money and power.

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Libertarian Commentary on the News #13-11A: Congress, guns, and laptops

Congress in action – Federal collapse
New problem for House GOP leaders: Rank-and-file may vote against rules

(The Hill) House Republican leaders have a new problem. They can’t count on their members to support them on procedural votes. Sixteen Republicans defected Wednesday in a vote on the rule governing consideration of a government-funding bill meant to prevent a government shutdown. The defections could have caused the rule to fail since most Democrats voted also voted against it.

Nathan: Thanks to Steve for this one.  This isn’t a “new problem” for the GOP “leadership” (I cannot repeat what they REALLY are.)  And they should not be surprised, seeing how this “leadership” treats their rank and file members when it comes to issues like immigration, Obummercare, and everything else. This indication of the dysfunctional nature of the GOP is just one more: the only reason it still exists is that the Dems (Tranzis) find it advantageous to have an “opposition.”  The Hill talks about the House, but the Senate is no better.

Stupid government – Hoplophobes and hoploclasts
Colorado Sheriff talks about threats for opposition to gun control bills

(The Blaze) One Colorado sheriff is claiming that Democrats are pressuring pro-gun sheriffs in the state with tactics he think border on extortion. In a radio interview with KVOR on Saturday, El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said he received an email last week with a threat to stop or stall pay raises to the state’s elected sheriffs if they don’t support Colorado’s pending gun control legislation.

Thanks to Debby and Scott. Scott’s comments: What “2nd Amendment”? It’s Section 13 [of the Colorado State Constitution]:Section 13. Right to bear arms. The right of no person to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person and property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned, shall be called in question; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons.

Nathan: Although most of Colorado now permits concealed weapons (with a lot of rather fatuous requirements), the original logic for this statement in 1876 was that carrying concealed was a low-life, weasel-like, Eastern sort of deception that wasn’t honorable.  It did not, apparently, apply to women carrying in a purse, according to some claims.  But Scott’s point is VERY important: it is NOT so much the FEDERAL Second Amendment that these dirty, lowdown, rotten and stinking excuses for humans in the General Assembly is violating: it is their own sovereign state’s constitution and bill of rights.

As for the sheriffs, it appears that MOST of Colorado’s sheriffs are opposing almost all of the gun control bills that are being rammed through the General Assembly – now in the House and expected to go to the governor for his cheerful signature within days.  The laws are staggering: a friend from Florida called to ask me why even a state that voted as it did last year is creating laws that make hundreds of thousands of people criminals, drive businesses out of state, destroy other businesses, and open themselves wide for a wave of violence.  The Sheriffs, many (mostly small-town) police, and tens of thousands of people have protested, written, testified, and made it clear that these laws are not needed.  So why are both Chambers of the General Assembly doing this?  Here are my thoughts:

a. After the 2010 Census, the Democratic Secretary of State subtly gerrymandered the state to create a lot of safe Democratic districts and more than a few liberal Republican districts, which skewed the 2012 elections to give dominance across the board.

b. Not content with that, the power-hungry, greedy, and somewhat liberal GOP establishment alienated hundreds of thousands of conservative, tea-party-movement type Republicans and fractured the party.  Paulistas fared very badly, and a lot of people stayed home.

c. Biden came to Colorado last month and lobbied the General Assembly on the gun laws (an illegal action in my opinion), and I suspect he promised a lot of bribe – excuse me, campaign funds – to keep Dems loyal.  There have been one or two “conservative” Democrats who are opposing the gun bills, but not nearly as many as were boldly claiming they would stand up for self-defense rights in 2012.

d. Denver Police Department and a good many other departments in the Denver Metro area and Front Range have become even more thuggish in the last decade, want their citizens disarmed, and are willing to use gang tactics on anyone opposed to them.

e. Oddly enough, I think in the more rural and remote areas of the state: the Eastern Plains, the northern tier of the West Slope counties, and other spots like the San Luis Valley and Four Corners, have started ignoring the laws passed by the legislature, as much as they can.  They figure that they can’t win in the General Assembly because of the huge population of the Front Range, and don’t care if a six-round-capacity shotgun or an AR-15 or a HiPoint carbine are illegal or not; they’ll do what they want and are reasonably confident that the local sheriff will ignore the law, too.

f. People are on edge about more radical work or action, as my friend has seen used successfully in Tennessee and Florida, because they are fearful that someone will push or be pushed too much and something really, really nasty will be triggered:  shooting and worse.

Mama’s Note: This last, of course, is a growing concern. With enough provocation, something has to give somewhere. Who will fire the first shot? I don’t know, but I’m starting to think it really doesn’t matter as much as we used to think. There has been ample ethical and rational reason to begin for a very long time. Much as we wish they’d just leave us alone, that’s not going to happen.

Home front – TSA/BP thuggery
Court curbs laptop searches at U.S. border

(Washington Times) A federal appeals court said the Border Patrol cannot confiscate or download every laptop or electronic device brought into the U.S., ruling people have an expectation their data are private and the government must have “reasonable suspicion”

Nathan: I would LIKE to think that this is good, and that it will make life more normal again for those who travel back and forth.  But “reasonable suspicion” is a LONG way from what the Constitution supposedly required:  a warrant detailing the items.  All this does is slow things down, especially taking into consideration the war on some drugs and the ‘long war” against “terrorism.”  The courts have already made it clear that the government’s fears (“suspicions”) are reasonable against EVERY air traveler, or we’d no longer be strip-searching Anglo grannies and 3-year-old girl-children at major American airports.  To me, this is little more than an attempt to lull people into stupidity.

Mama’s Note: Stupid indeed, but there it is. Several good work-around ideas could help most travelers. First, back up your entire computer to an encrypted thumb drive before you leave on a trip. Mail it to your destination, preferably to a good friend or other secure location. Partition a portion of your hard drive and sequester your encrypted data there. A casual “inspection” won’t locate it, and the data won’t be available to snoops even if they confiscate the machine and discover the partition. Just don’t forget your passwords! I don’t know anything about the mobile phones or other devices, but I wouldn’t travel with one carrying sensitive data that could not be encrypted.

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And you thought that I could rant!

I don’t think I’ve ever read anything by Bob Burnett (“Bob from Berkeley,” a retired Silicon Valley Executive) until I found this one in some Google search, and the Huffington Post is NOT on my daily reading list – not even my weekly list.

Reading this column (I have no idea whether it is typical of Burnett or not) was like lifting a rock off a nice bed of hydric soil (like in a wetland) and seeing all the nasty little beasties living under it.  I know the Lord created them for a purpose, but … yuch.

I am no fan of the GOP or its establishment, nor many of its leaders at local, state, or national level (one of these days, I might meet a GOP tribal-level leader, but I’m not holding my breath).  But this chunk of electron-waste is a real piece of work, and both insults and overpraises the GOP, all at the same time.  It is writing like this that gives the GOP and Tea Party movement so much ammunition, and makes people like me who are NOT GOP-philic in any way take a much stronger dislike to the Democrats and Liberals and Progressives than to even the Neo-Cons and RINOs.  Phew!

I am an anarchist – of the free-market variety.  The GOP does not have an “anarchist wing” any more than it has a royalist wing, no matter what definition of anarchy you use.  It doesn’t even have the nihilist wing or an “anti-royalist” (LaRouche) wing.  What it has is a progressive wing that is closely aligned with similar Democratic progressives (in the same way that, say a Orleanist and a Bonapartist and a Bourbonist might all be aligned:  all want a monarchy but with THEIR favorite inbred ninny on the throne, not the others), a neoconservative wing that wants crony-capitalist-economic “freedom” and strict social control at home (big government) with American domination abroad, the Tea Party movement (call it “smorgasbord conservativism” – you get to pick and choose), and a tiny paleo-conservative/”Republican libertarian” clique that thinks their way to electoral success lies in the the GOP.  In other words, about as much a patchwork quilt as the Dems have, just with different patches and different seams (or glue).  But Mr. Burnett’s view of the GOP and the pro-self defense people and even the Tea Party movement is such a caricature of reality as to make me wonder if he is a secret Tea Party movement operative trying to discredit the progressives and liberals.

But I’m fairly certain that he is “for real,” in part because reading the first of three pages, I find the usual rhetoric on the part of those who support his thesis, and a refreshing restraint on the part of the “right-wingnuts” who dare to question his wisdom.  Just as I find in many other postings on-line, and hear all too often on the little TV I watch and radio I listen to.

And it makes me realize that the time for mutual understanding and cooperation (nor compromise) has passed. I don’t know if this is 1858 or 1859 or 1860… but the time for the balloon to go up is very near.

Are you prepared?

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A Review of Christopher Adamo’s Article on Wyoming Education Fight

Nathan: I had not (as I recall) heard of or read anything by Mr. Adamo until Mama Liberty forwarded this article to me, but a quick check of his writing shows an interesting character with an interesting view on  politics and current affairs, nationally and sometimes in his Wyoming home.

I have been a very interested observer of Wyoming politics for a decade or so, but not recently, doing a lot of environmental and civil engineering work in Wyoming (if anyone needs help in those areas, let me know!).  Although I’ve never been blessed with living in the Cowboy State, I enjoy its beauty and its people and society.  And I have seen its government in good times and bad.  So I thought it would be good to point out some things – both in agreement and some in disagreement with Mr. Adamo.

I also need to point out that, critical as this fight might be, it is over a doomed and evil system: so-called “public schools” that are government-run and tax (theft)-supported.  Like the pyramids and the Great Wall, the system of “free public tuition” (an oxymoron) is a grandiose attempt that has and will fail.  Situations like this point more and more to the desperate need for the separation of school and state – especially in conservative places like Wyoming and many of its neighbors.

A Looming Political Firestorm In Wyoming
By Christopher G. Adamo
– While most of the U.S. continues to languish in the four straight years of Obama’s economic quagmire, and small businesses across America brace for the next debilitating phase of Obamacare to hit, the state of Wyoming has remained comparatively unscathed by the fiscal woes of the nation. The pace of Wyoming’s economy is slower than it was prior to 2009, but the job situation is certainly not as depressed as elsewhere in the country. The downside of the Cowboy State’s historical resistance to prevailing societal upheavals is that this has often given its citizenry the false sense of security that it might be completely immune to the maladies of modern America. This in turn creates a dangerous vulnerability to subtle encroachments.

Nathan: Indeed, Wyoming has been doing well enough to absorb some of those nasty, ugly, bigoted (and according to one source “fascist” Free States in the past five years.  But even Wyoming has felt the impact of the Crash of 2009.  That said, I think any observant Wyomingite is painfully aware of Wyoming’s vulnerability to modern American social diseases.  Just as in the 60’s and 70’s miniskirts arrived, and in the 80’s disco infected the honky-tonks of Gillette and Rawlins and Cody, so various political illnesses have been communicated to too many governments (and yes, Wyoming has too many governments).  I’ve seen this since the early 1990s, and it has just gotten worse.

Frequently touted as “the most Republican state in the nation,” it might be assumed that conservatism would be uncontested as the prevailing political force. Yet that is hardly the case. In truth, the enduring and near monopolistic dominance of the Republican Party in Wyoming politics has resulted in the inevitable pitfalls of one-party rule. Far from remaining conservative or advancing and agenda based on the concerns of the people, the Wyoming GOP long ago degenerated into a totally self-serving elitist “club,” growing increasingly corrupt and out of touch with its base. Beginning in 2010, and escalating during this past legislative session, these dynamics are now reaching critical mass.

Nathan: This “critical mass” could not have been reached without the work of a lot of Tranzi fellow-travelers and greedy elected and appointed officials for a quarter-century.  I’m actually surprised to see Wyoming described as the “most Republican” state but that may be because I am not as familiar with some of the other states I might consider in competition for that title.  But one thing I have to raise with Mr. Adamo is that he seems to equate “Republican” with “Conservative” too much; with the idea that liberal, statist, big-government Republicans are an aberration in the GOP, not its dominant faction. Wyoming is certainly one of the more fiscally-conservative states (in many ways) but at the same time, one of the more “liberal” socially, in the old sense of the word.  However, Wyoming’s history and geography show that the liberal, socialist, and now Tranzi trends are obvious.  Wyoming is dominated politically and economically by the railroads (first the UP and now the UP and BNSF) and the BIG mining operations.  Both of those bring those nasty little gangdoms called “unions” with them – and did, 120 years ago.  There is a LOT of Wyoming state and local government that originated with the unions, and the state’s tax system is skewed by them as well.  Wyoming has been plagued with absentee landowners for more than a century. The UP (based in Omaha and controlled by the lawyers and financiers of Chicago literally since the days of Lincoln), British “milords,” ranchers and stockmen who made their nut selling beef and mutton and wool to the Army, the BIA, and the Chicago Board of Trade and then retired to raise their sons and daughters Back East, the big minerals and mining companies (like CF&I and FMC and BHH and more), and of course, the BIGGEST absentee landlord in history, the US Government based in the District of Criminals. Again, Wyoming’s society, economy, government (including taxes) all were warped and corrupted by all these. Wyoming (like many other Western states) has long sucked on Uncle Sugar’s teat and brown-nosing the Feds has been the path to success for many a Casper and Laramie and Cheyenne politico. In recent years, the Hollywood colony in Jackson’s Hole (long the hideout of outlaws with a lot more morals than most of the Tinseltown types) have added a further corrupting influence which has grown (as Mr. Adamo infers) with little notice.

Geography is a key point beyond the paths of the railroads and today’s I-80, I-90, and I-25.  Cheyenne is the WRONG city for the Capitol and the complex of government growing up there.  It is too close to Denver (heart of Federal power in the West) and to the outliers: the People’s Socialist Republic of Boulder (University of Colorado), the Democratic Republic of Fort Collins (Colorado State University), and the Utopian Socialist Union Colony of Greeley (University of Northern Colorado and Horace Greeley’s Union Temperance Colony).  To make it worse, they put the University of Wyoming (Wyoming’s only real university) in Laramie: way too close to CU, CSU, and UNC. Thanks to the railroads and then interstates, the original Wyoming Anglo population of Texans and trappers and mountain men was quickly overwhelmed by unreconstructed Easterners – fortunately not many unconverted Scandinavians, but too many people who would (and perhaps should) have been buried along the trail in Nebraska.  Wyoming is cursed by not enough mountains.  Sadly, it was also both benefited and harmed by the ties to the Great Lakes (Rust Belt) in the past.  It was (and is) a colony in many ways: too much production of raw materials and not nearly enough industry.

In particular, the state education bureaucracy has over time been maliciously redirected from its original purpose, which was ostensibly the instruction of children, and has mutated into a big-money pipeline by which state funds are shuffled from one special interest to another. Consequently, exorbitant and unnecessary expenditures within the highest levels of the state government have gone largely unnoticed by the average citizen who is rightly concerned that the proper academic training of the next generation ensue, and therefore is willing to accept associated costs. The scheme has continued on this basis for years, and many entrenched politicians fully expected it to continue operating on that basis for the foreseeable future.

Nathan: This is, of course, the exact situation found in every state of our once united Union.  I love Mr. Adamo’s expressive description.  Wyoming, made a territory in 1869 and not admitted to the Union until 1890, got the full brunt of the great “reforms” (introduction of the Prussian school system) of the Lincoln-Grant era 48’ers (Socialist refugees of the failed revolutions in Europe in 1848.  Despite that, for years Wyoming maintained strong local control and weak state control of schools.  But that changed with the tax system and the rise of federal aid to education starting in the 1960s: and with the money came the strings and the corruption, including the teachers’ unions.  And Wyoming has been EXTREMELY generous over the years with local and state moneys, both to suck up as much federal money (especially PILT and impact aid) and because they mistakenly thought they were buying a good education.  It is that very wealth that made the state-level educrat bureaucracy such a plum to pick, leading to the present crisis.

To the dismay of these people, a competent and courageous individual did enter the political fray, for the specific purpose of addressing the misconduct in the Wyoming education system, and implementing workable fixes wherever possible. Cindy Hill, the current Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction, ran for that office in 2010 with the sole intention of returning it to its proper function, and thereby refocusing state energies and resources on the proper recipients, the children. Yet from the start, she encountered scathing opposition from the highest levels of state government, including “Republican” Governor Matt Mead.

Nathan: From what I have seen, Cindy Hill has less than the usual ego and greed for power and position common even of Wyoming politicians, and of course, that alone made her hated by the Establishment GOP as well as the Democratic Wing of the GOP (as Mr. Adamo pointed out, there is a certain one-party aspect to Wyoming politics in many counties, which means that many people who would register as Democrats in other states are registered GOP to further their political success.  A similar situation exists in many counties in SD, NE, and even MT and ND.(Meanwhile, a fair number of Democrats on the state level have actually been quite conservative in order to get voters to cross over. Despite Mr. Adamo’s description of the whole State of Wyoming as a “one-party state,” the last ten governors of Wyoming are evenly split 5-5 GOP and Demo.)

Despite the opposition she persisted, implementing bold reforms and cutting costs in the process, while garnering significant improvements in standardized test scores. Having been elected by an enormous margin, her popularity with the people on Main Street has continued from the beginning of her tenure, and one might presume that she would easily sail through to a second term. Unfortunately, the prevailing political “machine” in Wyoming, though “Republican” in title, has once again proven itself to represent something far different from its facade of conservatism. In so doing, it fully revealed stronger ideological similarities to the abhorrent monstrosity of government in Washington than the defining principles of the American Heartland.

Nathan: Again, he treats this “Republican” in title as an aberration when indeed it is not.  And although State GOPs in the West are generally incompetent, they are very good at eating their own, especially those who are truly conservative.  (An example is Colorado, where the GOP Establishment masticated and then quickly spewed out its Tea Party movement elements in the last three or four elections, possibly losing the state permanently to the Democratic minority.) But I fully understand and agree with his assessment of its “similarities.”

During the recently adjourned Wyoming legislative session, the outrageous statute “Senate File 104” was rammed through the process, to be immediately signed by Governor Mead. Simply stated, SF 104 completely guts the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and transfers those responsibilities to an appointee of the Governor. The occupant of that position, previously chosen at the ballot box, has now been supplanted by just another one of the Governor’s favored minions. In a manner completely analogous to Barack Obama’s installation of unvetted and unaccountable “Czars,” Mead and his collaborators in the Legislature engaged in a brazen power grab, by which they restored their control of the state’s 1.9 billion dollar “education” budget.

Nathan: In Wyoming, this SF104 was called “The Hill Bill” from before it was introduced.  It was obviously an assassination attempt – a coup against an elected official by all the people she ticked off by just breathing.  The bill’s progress can be likened to a massive cavalry charge, and many who oppose it call it a blatant power grab that the Legislature thought they could ram down the throats of the voters.  And given Wyoming’s crazy-high thresholds to get a law referred, they may be right.  To make matters even MORE distasteful, the governor appointed a long-term edu-crat as the interim appointee on the same day he signed the bill: no grace period at all. (And took a half-million dollars of stolen (tax) money to let the guy run wild with.)  But I should point out, the new Director of Education is not quite a Clintonian or Obamite “Czar” – the government must select the permanent one from a list of three names submitted by the State Board of Education and the permanent one must be confirmed by the Senate.  Of course, the SBE is itself appointed by the governor, and clearly, the Senate is completely in the Executive Branch’s pocket, at least until 2014.  Think about that, too: 1.9 billion bucks for K-12 education for a state with 576,000 people – almost as many as Denver.

Concerned citizens can expect to see their children’s academic wellbeing relegated to inconsequential status, while untold sums of tax money disappear once more down unspecified rat holes. This has been “business as usual” for many years, and its devotees and beneficiaries see no reason for things to change.

Nathan: Here, I fear that Mr. Adamo understates the problem.  A lot of us would argue that the academic wellbeing of the children of Wyoming is ALREADY inconsequential: this is a money fight, and the kids are pawns.  All this does is make the state of illness nearly permanent, because poor education has not (to my knowledge) ever led directly to a revolution. (But there is always a first time – and remember, revolutions do NOT have to be violent.)

However, the good people of Wyoming, who are indeed conservative at the grassroots level, are making it abundantly clear that they have no intention of accepting this situation. Having stridently voiced their disapproval during the brief period that SF 104 was whisked through the legislative process, they are now in the process of collecting signatures for an unprecedented referendum to annul the detestable statute. And throughout the state, citizens are gathering to discuss how, in the 2014 election cycle, they can properly hold accountable those responsible for it.

Nathan: Both the lawsuit (next paragraph) and the petition effort began the same day the governor signed the damnable act.  Indeed, based on some stories and comments, the petition drive started organizing before that, seeing it as forgone.  And that is wise, because it is extremely difficult to refer a legislative act to an election.  They have only 90 days in which to gather signatures of 15% of the voters in the last election, which is about 37,400 (remember, only 576,000 people), and which must include 15% from at least two-thirds of the 23 counties of the state.  It is an challenging effort indeed: the Wyoming legislature does not like competition.  (Again, there is history in this: the labor unions didn’t want to have to buy any more people than necessary, and they expected the state to be flooded by farmers who might not like the cozy relationship between the territorial or state legislature and the union bosses.) A referendum hasn’t been done for close to two decades, unlike nearby states where there is a referred law or two on almost every ballot.  And even if they get on the ballot, who has the money to fight the campaign?  You can already guess the terms of the campaign to squash the restoration of constitutional government.  Smelly places like the Huff Post already began the campaign of personal attacks on Hill, and on the entire concept of elected officials responsible to the voters in control of education.

Meanwhile, though Cindy Hill has been relieved of virtually all of her authority and responsibilities as education Superintendent, she is not passively accepting her fate. A lawsuit was filed to overturn SF 104 on the grounds that it is indeed unconstitutional, and she has announced her intentions of challenging Matt Mead for the governorship of Wyoming in 2014.

Nathan: This of course means that she must oppose a sitting governor in the same party.  And Wyoming is well-known for keeping governors (of both parties) in office for two or three terms.  It will be a uphill battle.  As a conservative (but NOT libertarian) Republican, Huff Post and Daily Kos have already tarred her with the evil Tea Party label.

If she succeeds in unseating him, she will be in a prime position to apply the manner of changes throughout the state that streamlined operations within the education bureaucracy so noticeably, despite the caterwauling from its entrenched occupants.

Nathan: It is this caterwauling (and, I’m sure, enough campaign contributions) that triggered this whole slimy deal.  But there is a LOT of entrenched bureaucracy in Wyoming, including such gems as its environmental quality operation, its development (or undevelopment) department, and even (Gasp!) its military and transportation departments.

That political maneuverings have degenerated to this level in state governments is reflective of the overall breakdown of the American system, from the White House down. The fact that in Wyoming such things have ensued wholly within the GOP is evidence of where the defining battle needs to be fought and won, if conservatism is to prevail.

Nathan: Once more, Mr. Adamo is hitting the nail on the head:  the whole nation is corrupt, and even those places with a ray of sunlight are being dragged down, not just into the gutter but into the catch basin and sewer.  (There is a reason I supported (and still do) Wyoming for the Free State Project.)  But this was clearly NOT “wholly within the GOP” – the germ-laden hands of Wyoming’s Democrats and the big-shot celebs and their minions in Jackson Hole – and the educrats of whatever political affiliation at UW in Laramie) are all over this.

Establishment Republicans, shocked by the intensity of public outrage over their chicanery, have gone into a fully defensive posture, desperately attempting to give SF 104 credibility by deeming it both “constitutional” and necessary. Though they continue to make vague claims of misconduct on the part of Superintendent Hill, they have completely failed in every past attempt to officially discredit her, or the stunning successes she has achieved. Now, with the general public thoroughly angered over this flagrant usurpation of power, Mead and his cohorts are again looking to dig up any manner of “dirt” they can on Hill. In what is clearly an act of defensiveness and desperation, yet another cabal of Mead’s choosing has been empanelled to investigate her office.

Nathan: The public smearing of Hill can be seen on the internet to have begun well before the legislative session ramped up, and continues at even higher levels of “concern” and outright alarm.  I saw last week in Wheatland (the only place I stopped on this trip through Wyoming) that the anger Mr. Adamo speaks of is real: petitions and local newspaper headlines both showed this.  What I do not understand is why more affiliated Libertarians and associated groups are not hot and heavy on this.  The Constitutionalist Party is spearheading the petition drive, and they have multi-partisan support (including both Dems and Reps), but a LOT of help is needed.  They will require at least 75,000 signatures in less than 90 days to get this on the ballot, and A LOT OF MONEY to fight the campaign between now and November 2014.  Plus all the media and governmental attacks.

It might seem surprising to those who have not lived in Wyoming, and whose primary impression of it is a land of majestic beauty and unspoiled wilderness, that this state may indeed become “ground zero” for the ultimate clash between the underhanded and self-serving tactics of the “Ruling Class” and legitimate governance, as desired by “We the People.” Yet that is exactly how the current situation is unfolding. And if Hill does prevail, her triumph could set the stage for a political sea change throughout the nation. It is therefore small wonder that her opponents are so strident and venomous in their efforts to avert such a scenario.

Nathan: I would not say “ultimate clash” but I understand his hyperbole here. And Wyoming is VERY important to the future of liberty and of America: it is possibly the keystone of the American Redoubt, and the more statist it becomes the less likely it will be able to fill that role.  There is at least one “bright spot” to this – I expect it to drive many more parents to homeschooling and private schools, away from the tyranny (even at the local level) of the educrats.  I fondly hope that Mr. Adamo is right and that a victory by Hill and her allies would be a major turning point – but if so, I don’t expect it to go beyond the West.  It is too late for the crony- and liberal-ridden systems of indoctrination and imprisonment (with their free hunting zones) found in places like California and Connecticut and DC.

Bravo, Mr. Adamo – I hope you write more about your home politics and future, and not just on a national level.  We need level-headed analysis on local issues as well as national and international.

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Libertarian Commentary on the News #13-10D: This and That

Congress in action – Rats deserting a sinking ship?
Michigan Sen. Carl Levin will not seek reelection

(Washington Post) Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) will not seek reelection in 2014, he announced Thursday afternoon, saying he wanted to focus on the nation’s challenges rather than politics. In a statement, Levin explains that he and his wife “decided that I can best serve my state and nation by concentrating in the next two years on the challenging issues before us that I am in a position to help address; in other words, by doing my job without the distraction of campaigning for re-election.”

Nathan: No doubt, this is pretty cute when it comes to demanding to be given priority seating in the lifeboat, but  even in Michigan there may not be enough Tranzis and Muslims and gangbangers to get the 2014 election fixed, given his record.

Congress in action – Tyranny
John Brennan’s confirmation: How they voted

(Washington Post) John Brennan was confirmed as the new director of the CIA on Thursday, despite some bipartisan opposition. Democratic Sens. Patrick Leahy (Vt.) and Jeff Merkley (Ore.) and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) joined with 31 Republicans in voting against Brennan’s nomination. All have expressed concerns about the Obama Administration’s drone program.

Nathan: Good news, less than 1/3 of the Republicans in the Senate betrayed their “party principles” in this vote.  I had to check again, but yes, there are theoretically 45 Republican conscript fathers (or mothers) in the Senate.  So it was a 66 to 34 margin AGAINST being targeted by your own government, since I cannot really believe ANY of the 100 are stupid enough to believe Holder’s “resounding” No.

False flags – Hoploclasts and Hoplophobes
More Firearm Laws Linked to Fewer Firearm Fatalities

(Medscape Medical News)  A higher number of firearm laws in a state may be linked to lower rates of firearm fatalities from suicides and homicides, according to a nationwide study published online March 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine. However, the author of the accompanying commentary questions the significance and robustness of the findings.

Nathan: As the commentary pointed out, this is possibly a false association.  To me, the very basis of the study is bogus and subject to so many subjective decisions (kind of laws, actual enforcement, social conditions, etc.).  It is typical of the kind of lying statistical studies that colleges and government agencies (and “professional associations” like the AMA who have thrown their lot in with the state) produce.  As Mama Liberty pointed out, these people usually find another way of killing themselves or killing that person they hate: messier, more likely to be really gross and disgusting, and just as deadly in the long run.

Mama’s Note: While the gun is clearly not the only weapon that can be used for murder and assault, it remains the most effective means for almost anyone to defend themselves. This fact gets lost so often, even in gun friendly studies. And this bogus study most certainly is refuted by the fact that places such as Chicago, with thousands of “gun laws” is murder central.

Government-run, tax-funded schools
Norway: Kindergarten Teacher Fired for Letting Students Drink Her Blood

(KWFS Radio, Tahoma, TX)

Nathan: I found this great talk radio station (on-line) down on the Red River in Texas, which has some fun stories like this one posted.  Their comment was that this teacher should perhaps do better teaching at night school.  Amen.  This shows that parents who trust their children to unsupervised spoiled brats who got a diploma from some education mill while being bombed out of their mind for four years are very poor parents: get your children OUT of these places!

Stupid politicians
Biden’s advice vis-a-vis shotguns exposed for the nonsense it is

(KWFS Radio, Tahoma, TX)

Nathan: A very fun video to watch, showing how women (especially petite ones) fare with a shotgun as compared to one of those nasty, evil AR-15 type weapons!

Mama’s Note: Ok, we know Biden is stupid and evil, hands down. But this sort of article/video completely overlooks the fact that the 12 gauge is NOT the only kind of shotgun available. I shoot a 20 gauge shotgun with no problems at all, and it is a very effective home defense weapon. It is certainly as or more appropriate for home defense as the AR, and much more affordable. Not to mention that most of the women in this video are evidently novices, with no idea how to even hold the thing.

Stupid politicians – Congress in action
McCain attacks “fellow republicans”

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) continues to criticize his fellow Republicans for their filibuster of incoming CIA Director John O. Brennan because of ambiguous responses to the administration’s drone policy. In an interview with the Huffington Post, McCain referred to Republican Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz as “wacko birds.” McCain also attacked Rep. Justin Amash from Michigan. Rep. Amash had this to say in a Tweet: “Sen McCain called @SenRandPaul @SenTedCruz & me ‘wacko birds.’ Bravo, Senator. You got us. Did you come up with that at #DinnerWithBarack?”

Nathan: McCain once more demonstrates either senility or a complete abandonment of what I jokingly call his “RINO” principles, and shows that he in no way represents his State.  He makes the Senate a laughingstock.

Our right to self-defense
South Dakota Governor Signs Guns in School Law

(The Blaze) South Dakota Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard on Friday signed into law a bill to allow teachers to carry guns in the classroom. The education community stiffly opposed the measure, according the Rapid City Journal. With it, school boards can decide whether to adopt “sentinel programs” to arm teachers or other school personnel with guns.

Nathan: Finally.  The opposition WAS fierce, but although the “law enforcement” and “education” establishments opposed this law, many members of those communities strongly supported this partial  restoration of a liberty many of us grew up with. And in many schools, this just legalizes an existing situation, because there still are a few staff and educators in South Dakota who have not drunk the Tranzi Kool-aid.  I fully expect many school boards to give in to the pressure that their “professional” administrators and teacher associations (who supposedly work for them) and not protect their students, but in many cases the boards WILL accept the demand of parents.  (Sadly, those most likely to arm their staff are in schools that are less likely to NEED the defenses.)

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A Review of “Obama Poised to Carry Out Hostile Military Takeover of US”

Obama Poised to Carry Out Hostile Military Takeover of US
Nathan: I have come to respect the opinions of the writers and publisher/editors of Godfather Politics, who are generally liberty-loving and less and less statist as time goes by.  This article obviously is timely, but I fear a bit too alarmist at the present time.  Still, it is a good thing to ponder and recall.  And we need to prepare: we do not know how long we really have.  My comments are in italics; I’m reprinting most of the article.

(Godfather Politics)  I’ve been told by a number of people that it would be impossible for any person to stage a military or hostile takeover of the United States.  Ten years ago, I would have agreed with them, but not now.

Nathan: It has never been IMPOSSIBLE, just highly improbable, but that has been changing since the 1990s.  One thing he does not address is the idea that the current administration might drive the military forces to take action against THEM: as enemies of the Constitution.

In the past year, President Obama has taken a number of actions that when added together clearly indicates his plans for a military or hostile takeover of the United States.  And for the first time in my life, I not only believe it could happen, but I am firmly convinced it’s going to happen before the 2016.

Nathan: There were quite a few people who thought it might have happened last year, but suspect that the reason it did not is that the Dems were assured that they could steal or buy enough votes – and they did.  I know some who are expecting such an attempt within months.  Not necessarily because everything is ready for such a push but by sheer accident: that someone, somewhere, will push too hard and cause a bloody backlash that will spread.

To begin with, Obama has been tailoring the US military to his personal agenda.  He is filling the ranks with gays and lesbians who will now follow him to any extreme because he is their champion.

Nathan: “Filling the ranks” is a bad exaggeration.  But there is a combination of factors that may present a similar problem.  Homosexuals likely will never make up more than 10% of the force, and many of them will NOT follow the “messiah” because despite their sexual orientation, they are still honest and loyal to the Constitution.  But we also have an ever-increasing number of gangbangers and rabid (but low-key) Jihadists who are not just enlisting to get training but to create networks of their kind inside the military.  And then we have the sadist, Simon Legree types (the same that become Jack-Booted Thugs in police forces) that are guns-for-hire and will do anything for greed and the opportunity to abuse and beat or kill others.  And we also have those corrupted by power:  too many senior officers seem to be willing to betray their honor with corruption, adulterous affairs, and other immoral actions that it is hard to believe that they would NOT accept a deal with the devil – or the “messiah.”  But a majority?  Even now and in the next four years, I do not think all or even a large minority of officers and troops would go rogue.  This is despite the other points the writer makes in the rest of this paragraph.  Even if it were the opposite: only 25-30% loyalty (to the Constitution), that percentage would be enough to render the military ineffective in a “military takeover.”

He has all but shackled chaplains from preaching Christianity to the troops, who by the way, aren’t even allowed to have Bibles in some areas in the Middle East or any other semblance of Christianity. For the military coup de gras, he has been tailoring his top military leaders by asking if they are willing to shoot Americans.  Those that answer yes, are put in key positions while those that answer no are basically seeing the end of their military careers.

Next, the Department of Homeland Security has been stockpiling millions of weapons and billions of rounds ammunition.  The federal government even has NOAA stockpiling weapons and ammunition and they aren’t going to be using it to predict the weather.

Nathan: Now, we get to a place where I can agree more with the writer.  Just as so many local and state law enforcement agencies have a very bad reputation that is getting worse, it is easier to corrupt civilians, for some reason, than military.  And a lot of the bad apples get OUT of the military and go into civilian service as LEOs.  But the writer overstates things:  there is no evidence of even DHS stockpiling “millions of weapons.”  I’ll go along with a billion or more rounds of ammo, but weapons are only in the thousands, maybe tens of thousands.  This kind of exaggeration does the cause of liberty no good at all.  As for NOAA, two points need to be made: first, that parts of NOAA DO have law enforcement authority (such as the fisheries service) and second that NOAA is one of the nation’s seven uniformed services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Public Health Service, and Coast Guard being the others).  I have a tiny, tiny bit more trust in the military uniformed services than in the other armed agencies.  But the important point about arming NOAA and other agencies is that it is more simply explained by fear than by plans to stage a takeover.

This is unprecedented in American history and has no purpose or basis other than the use against the American people.

Nathan: The excuse can as easily be fear as a “military takeover.”  But a civilian takeover is no better – indeed, worse – than a military takeover.  The Third Reich was the result of a CIVILIAN takeover – the military was not part of the power base but submitted to the civilian election and subsequent coup.  The same thing was the case in England with the Parliamentary overthrow of the Monarch in the 1630s.  DHS, the various federal “law enforcement agencies” (FBI, DEA, BATFE, ICE, and a hundred more) are the real threat to what little liberty we have left, far more than the military.  Yes, a military rump might improve their chances of succeeding in bringing in the dark ages, but it is the civilian elite that will be the tyrants.

The massive push for gun control has only one purpose and that is to disarm the American people.  There are more guns in private ownership than there are people in the US.  That would make a hostile takeover more difficult, costly and time consuming.  However, the stockpiles of weapons and ammunition are just for that purpose, because Obama knows that there are a lot of Americans who will not give up their guns so easily.  Attorney General Eric Holder has already warned gun owners to cower like smokers.

Nathan: I agree; disarmament would (to any rational person) be a prerequisite for introducing the much higher level of tyranny that they want.  However, an armed populace by itself does NOT prevent tyranny, as history shows us time and time again.  Examples?  Many Arab states (such as the former and new Iraq, Syria, and even Egypt) had very high levels of civilian gun ownership and still continued to be tyrannies.  Mexico, between its independence in 1821 and post-WW2, had high levels of civilian gun ownership but still went through dictatorship after dictatorship, despite several very nasty “revolutions” and pocket civil wars.  Gun ownership is important, but the attitude of the people is even MORE important – as could be seen in Revolutionary France and in the Resistance in many countries in WW2.  But this is typical for the Tranzis, and not really a strong indication that a coup is coming.

One of the problems with the guns in the hands of people is that the government doesn’t know where they all are.  That’s why they are pushing for complete gun registration and background checks for everyone who owns a firearm, regardless of any grandfather clauses.  Under Obamacare, they are pushing doctors and medical staffers to gather information on their patients as to whether or not they own a gun.

Nathan: Again, I agree, but the question to be asked is (a) how many medical people will agree to be stoolies, and (b) what can be done to REDUCE that number?  Once more, this is part of a long-standing liberal and Tranzi agenda, and there is nothing to tie this to an eminent takeover by the “messiah” or his backers.

Under the National Defense Authorization Act, the federal government has the legal right to indefinitely detain anyone they deem to be dangerous to the country.  They do not have to produce any evidence, they do not have to obtain a warrant, and they do not have to give you the right to an attorney.  All Obama or Eric Holder have to do is say you are a threat and that could be the last anyone sees of you for who knows how long.

Nathan: Here, the correct wording is the “legal power;” this is nothing to do with “rights,”- government HAS no rights.  But having the power and exercising it is two different things:  if the fed gov and its employees are as fearful as recent events indicate, this detention power will have more a deterrent effect than actually resulting in massive gulag archipelagoes.  Not that the detentions won’t happen, but they will be relatively few and carefully chosen to try and strike as much fear into us as the fedgov goons have.

Obama has also issued an executive order that gives him absolute power and control over all means of communication for any reason including an emergency.  The executive order includes all television, radio, cable, internet and cell phone communications.

Nathan: This is in essence the same power that we have allowed every president since FDR to have “in reserve,” so this is no indicator that a coup is imminent.  Again, having the power is NOT the same as being able to exercise it – especially absolute power.  Does anyone remember ham radio, or exactly how FRS and CBs work?  And how many hackers are constantly honing their skills?

Lastly, Obama is already placing drones in the skies over America.  His chief puppet, Attorney General Eric Holder has ruled that not only are the drones legal, but that Obama also has the legal right to use them to shoot Americans on American soil.

Nathan: No, I’m not going to cite Holder’s last letter to Sen. Paul.  I don’t need to, as we know that the drones are already up there, with more showing up each day.  The question is just who controls those, and how easily they are knocked out of the air or taken over.  But when you get right down to it, just how much has this current regime actually worried about whether something was legal or not?

When you put this all together into one package, it’s obvious that the stage is set for Barack Hussein Obama to use force in a hostile takeover of the United States.  All he has to do is declare a state of emergency (mostly likely prompted by a forced economic collapse).  This will allow him to control all forms of communication.  Both military and DHS trained personnel will then start rounding up everyone that has or still opposes Obama and detain them under the National Defense Authorization Act.

Nathan: Again, let me emphasize that the real threat is in the DHS and the other federal “civilian” agencies, not the military.  (For one thing, the military is needed to keep the rest of the world off his back while the Tranzis swallow the nation – or get swallowed. Indeed, without that worry, part of any coup would include rounding up a whole lot of military personnel who cannot be trusted to take orders from DC in this kind of situation.)

Those that resist will be face lethal force from the drones and/or the heavily armed military and DHS troops.  Anyone resisting will be shot, since he has been given the legal authority to do so.

Nathan: Again, I suspect that one of the reasons for the 2700 MRAP vehicles being purchased by DHS is because Army armored forces cannot be considered reliable in case of the balloon going up here in the States (as well as the fear of DHS of anyone and everyone).  And to be shot, you have to be seen.  With all the high-tech and gun-nut types who are lovers of liberty here in the formerly United States, that could be a problem – for the Tranzis and the “messiah.”  Still, it is important that we remember this IS possible.

If Obama fears a threat from another nation, he would not be slashing military spending, cutting our nuclear arsenal down to a third of what it was and he wouldn’t have NOAA stockpiling millions of weapons and ammunition.  Everything Obama has being doing and putting in place is pointed inside the US, not outside.  We are his target, not Iran, Syria, China, North Korea or al-Qaeda.

Nathan: I disagree: I think that the “messiah” and his handlers and minions DO fear foreign intervention when the takeover enters the active phase, but they understand that what we have for a military today is NOT what is needed for defense, but for the current world semi-domination that we “enjoy” today. He not only can afford to draw down the military but he MUST draw it down to ensure that it cannot both protect the nation from outside threats AND interior threats (from DC itself). But they realize that the single biggest threat to world domination by DC today is… the American people.  As for cutting down the nuclear arsenal, again we see his distrust of the military – and the great potential for US military personnel, in a coup situation, to have their weapons disappear into “private” hands as happened in the collapse of the Soviet Union.  But even with a third, he can still wipe out North Korea or Iran – and frankly, a full conversion to transnational socialism will make China and Russia very friendly and cooperative.  (And frankly, I don’t understand the reference to NOAA in this paragraph at all.)

If you don’t believe this will happen prior to the 2016 election, then please explain to me the purpose of all these things that have been strategically placed at this time.  Also, I suggest you do a little studying of history in nations like GermanyRussia, China and other socialist nations.  They all thought it could never happen to them and it did and it all started with a tyrant just like Obama gaining power and outlawing guns!

Nathan: This is certainly an issue that we must be prepared for, but it is not the only scenario that matches this sort of preparation.  However, there ARE other possibilities, that many other people have explored.  The most likely is that the Tranzis figure that the American people will continue to be passive and slide into ever more servitude – it has happened in the UK and France and elsewhere.  These are just “insurance” in case some places don’t slide as peacefully as others.  And to ensure the regime, once its control is complete, has the ability to secure it against a new revolution.  (Remember, this regime is essentially a COUNTER-revolutionary one, opposed to the entire concept of the original revolution in 1775-1783.)  A second possibility is that all of this serves as nothing more than a great maskirovka: deception and distraction while other plans and actions are taking place.  And incidentally as a way to draw out more people to be added to the lists to be neutralized.

What the author(s) here do NOT address is WHAT TO DO ABOUT THESE THINGS.  We need to think about these threats and determine more precisely what their courses of action are likely to be so that we can take action NOW to be prepared to deal with them.  That is obviously a topic for another article.

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Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield: Home Front

Nathan: An important part of US military doctrine (and that of most other nations) is called “intelligence preparation of the battlefield” (IPB) – those actions necessary to understand the battlefield and the options available to friendly and threat forces.  It is now obvious that at some time in the near future, the United States – or large portions of it – will be a battlefield.  Almost certainly, the contestants upon that battlefield will include ordinary Americans seeking to restore the lost liberties of the past decades.  The exact composition of the enemies of those Americans is still very much subject to change, but is likely to include elements of many federal (and state) agencies which will (sadly) consider loyalty to an elite leadership and that leadership’s goals of subjugation of the people to a transnational progressive (socialist) agenda.  Those elements have some powerful tools, and in recent weeks we’ve seen the fraying of the velvet gloves covering the iron fist.  IPB is the process of understanding and analyzing the threat, the threat’s likely courses of action, and the environment in which friendly forces must operate – and the impact of the environment on the friendly forces. If you don’t do this, you are unable to make wise decisions necessary to fight the threat.

Having said that, we have two useful pieces of information.

Laissez Faire Club: (The Feds have now officially acknowledged they believe they have the authority to kill an American with a drone on American soil… but that they have no plan to do so right now. The pronouncement was made public yesterday in the form of a response from Attorney General Eric Holder to a letter from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). “It is possible,” said Holder, “to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the president to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States.” But no worries, he adds: The question is “entirely hypothetical,” because “the U.S. government has not carried out drone strikes in the United States and has no intention of doing so.” Holder’s reply is “more than frightening,” says a statement from Sen. Paul, “it is an affront on the constitutional due process rights of all Americans.”

Nathan: We all know how well we can trust promises like this.  (See recent comments regarding the GOP promise to allow people to review bills for 72 hours before acting on them. For that matter, review the promises of every successful presidential candidate for the last 20+ years.)  Indeed, Holder’s statement is a very clear indication that the list of “extraordinary circumstances” has already been defined and that they have come up with the weasel words necessary to “comply” with the Constitution and “applicable laws” so that some poor group of Americans can be tracked down and killed – not just by drones but by any sort of lethal force (such as the new light armored troops of the DHS (2700 MRAP = at least 100 companies or troops, which can be organized into 10-12 BRIGADES).  Thus, we have a good idea of both the threat’s capabilities AND the intent of the threat.  The next part of our IPB is found in the following.

Laissez Faire Club: “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has customized its Predator drones,” reports CNET’s Declan McCullagh, “to carry out at-home surveillance tasks that have civil libertarians worried: identifying civilians carrying guns and tracking their cellphones.” McCullagh got his hands on a DHS document spelling out its specs for the drones’ capabilities — insisting the craft “shall be capable of identifying a standing human being at night as likely armed or not.” “They also specify,” McCullagh reports, “‘signals interception’ technology that can capture communications in the frequency ranges used by mobile phones, and ‘direction-finding’ technology that can identify the locations of mobile devices or two-way radios.”

Nathan: The threat wants (or already HAS) the capability to detect armed “civilians” and track cellphones AND OTHER DEVICES (laptops, GPS receivers, night vision devices and perhaps others?)  There are several fascinating questions and thoughts about this.  How do they detect “civilians” versus military or police?  Is there some sort of IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) device they intend to give those on the threat side?  Is something built into the uniforms (is this the reason for yet another $50 million uniform purchase by TSA)?  Or will it be based on how people on the ground are configured: only those in cop cars and the MRAPs and all the other armored vehicles that have shown up on America’s streets these days?  And how accurate will the identification, not just of the civilians, but of the “guns.”  Will the Predator drones be able to distinguish between a handgun and a cordless power drill?  Between a long arm and a large pipewrench?  Between an IED and a five-gallon can of kerosene or gasoline?  The bottom line is – once the FedGov (or some agencies there of) decide to start killing people without some kind of due process – will they kill a whole lot of people “by accident” as they do every day in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere?  And as important, if someone happens to get on a kill-list, what can they (and their friends and family) do to keep from getting capped by some idiot piloting a drone who got a barely passing 60% in “aerial observation interpretation” or some poorly programmed AI?

For those interested in IPB, as might apply to a conflict within the fifty States (click here – pdf file)

This article is provided in the interests of self-defense of private individuals, families, and communities.  Knowing and understanding threats and capabilities of threat forces is an essential part of self-defense which can and should be practiced by those who are in no way seeking or promoting aggressive actions against any enemy.

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