Nazgul and the death of law in America

Posted on 2013-06-28 by TPOL Nathan

Nazgul and Culture Wars: homosexual “marriage”
Supreme Court Ruling To Make Big Impact
(Political Outcast) Homosexuals across the land are celebrating in force as the US Supreme Court voted 5-4 to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, thus opening the door to nationwide same-sex marriage. In the Court’s ruling, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote:

“DOMA’s principal effect is to identify and make unequal a subset of state-sanctioned marriages. It contrives to deprive some couples married under the laws of their state, but not others, of both rights and responsibilities, creating two contradictory marriage regimes within the same state. It also forces same-sex couples to live as married for the purpose of state law but unmarried for the purpose of federal law, thus diminishing the stability and predictability of basic personal relations the state has found it proper to acknowledge and protect.”

Justice Antonin Scalia disagreed with the ruling and in his dissent wrote:

“We have no power to decide this case. And even if we did, we have no power under the constitution to invalidate this democratically adopted legislation. The court’s errors on both points spring forth from the same diseased root: an exalted conception of the role of this institution in America.” [Emphasis NAB]

Chief Justice John Roberts also disagreed with the court’s decision and wrote in his dissention:

“I think it … important to point out that its analysis leads no further. The court does not have before it, and the logic of its opinion does not decide, the distinct question whether the states, in the exercise of their ‘historic and essential authority to define the marital relation,’ … may continue to utilize the traditional definition of marriage.”

Nathan: There is a LOT to be said about this, but the first thing I want to point out is that these Nazgul Nine have demonstrated time and time again that they are no lovers or supporters of liberty.  For people to claim this as a victory for libertarian principles is foolish and wrong. Principles of liberty are clear: government has NO authority to decide the legitimacy of homosexual marriage any more than it has to decide the legitimacy of traditional marriage.

At the same time, those who claim (as does the writer of the above article, which goes on to predict disaster) that this decision has or is destroying America need to wake up and smell the napalm:  the Republic is DEAD and has been for a long time: at best, things like this are just ensuring that every single cell and organism in the rotting corpse is also dead.  American immorality runs rampant, but it can’t kill what no longer exists: American society and liberty and a republican form of government.

Kennedy supposedly went with and wrote the majority opinion in an attempt to moderate the ruling: I find that hard to believe.  At the same time, in a narrow way, he makes sense: the law creates conflicts in states and nationally that are not in accordance with the Constitution.  As if that still mattered, frankly.  Of course DOMA was flawed: Congress is incapable of passing an unflawed law.  Totally incapable.  The idea that the obligation of one state to recognize the actions of another state in a situation like this (definition of a basic human institution) is stupid and dangerous.  If one state (say, New Jersey) redefines rat poison as milk and therefore suited for human consumption, is Colorado or South Dakota obligated to allow the poison to be imported and sold as milk?  Of course not.  If a New Yorker is wanted for putting 15 rounds in a 15-round magazine by the State of New York, is South Dakota going to “recognize” the legitimacy of the New York law by extraditing the supposed felon?  You better believe that they won’t.  (Not yet, at least. Colorado will, starting on Monday – at least the General Assembly and the Governor and Attorney General will – the majority of the counties might not.)

Roberts also made some sense with his dissent, but he should have been more blunt.  Marriage was not created nor defined by government, local, state or federal – or indeed by any human institution, including the Catholic Church or any other denomination or organization.  The States stole their “authority” to define marriage, and now the FedGov tried to steal it from the States.  He should have demanded that ALL federal laws regarding marriage were unconstitutional, because NO ONE gave the FedGov that authority.

But I feel the most sympathy with Scalia and his very VERY angry condemnation of the majority decision.  The Nazgul, as a GROUP – a gang of nine, have exceeded the hubris of even such people as King Saul and King George III.  “Too high an opinion” indeed.

Some commentators have pointed out a number of possibilities.  First, what does this open the window to?  Polygamy, certainly – indeed polyamory in any combination, whether Muslim one man and four women or old LDS-style one man and one to a dozen+ women/girls or the feminists’ dream of a dozen men and one woman, or the equivalent of a pick-up team for football…  And yes, there is a possibility that age restrictions and the end of statutory rape is not too far down the path, as well as the various forms of bestiality and necrophilia and who knows what else.  But don’t expect the laws to be disappeared: that is too simple and too likely to provoke a backlash:  it is just enforcement that will go away.

And that is the thing I note of particular interest.  The Nazgul have, intentionally or not, presented another grave disservice to the suffering people of this nation.  By declaring even a part of DOMA unconstitutional (you know that the general public will consider ALL of it to have been voided), they have given a free pass to that swarmy black-face, would-be Himmler minion of the guy who hangs out in 1600.  He (obviously with the support of his massa and his massa’s massas) on his own decided to stop enforcing DOMA years before this decision.  I suspect that he will simply broaden his activities of refusing to enforce more and more laws.

Never mind the gunrunning, never mind the voter fraud and intimidation and other voter rights (the one part he DID enforce was the part ruled unconstitutional as well, this week).  never mind the NSA and IRS and DOJ violations of laws: ANY law that is in someone’s way – as long as that ‘someone’ has any clout or can pay enough – will be enforced or ignored at will.  It will appear to be whimsical, but it will not be: it will be done based on some very simple criteria:  (a) is it good for me?  (b) is it good for my family?  (c) is it good for my patrons or buddies? (d) is it good for my clientèle (in the Roman sense)?  Don’t worry, religious or traditional American morality won’t play any role in the decision, and now we are definitely back to Caligula and Nero – not just tyranny, but cruel and vindictive tyranny.

We were warned – shucks, we have been warning people a lot.  And we just slide farther and farther into the abyss.  Government should have NOTHING to do with marriage, but that isn’t going to happen with this government: I cannot see any circumstance except total overthrow of this ersatz regime that would end that interference.  Until then, this (like government meddling with divorce and parental responsibility before it) will just speed up the already rapid decay of society, “civilization,” and liberty – while pretending to “liberate” us.  Shades of Iraq and Afghanistan, eh?

Posted in Nathan's Rants | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Libertarian Commentary on the News, #13-25B: Border jumpers and Congress

Posted on 2013-06-27 by TPOL Nathan

Congress in action – Border jumpers
Corker: If Bill Says ‘Immigration Reform,’ Some Senators ‘Won’t Support It’
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Don’t you think that is better than supporting every bill that crosses their desk?

Mama’s Note: Indeed… Doing nothing, gridlock, cross purposes, big hairy fights on the house and senate floor, shutting the whole thing down and forgetting about it… any of those will work for me.

New Religions: Environism and Global Warming
Gore: ‘Energy Release’ Equal to ‘400,000 Hiroshima Atomic Bombs Going Off’ Every Day
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Whew! Good thing someone turns that thing off every night, huh?  Or does it REALLY go around to the other side of the planet?  Of course, we all know that the earth and the sun and everything else revolves around His Green Highness Algor…

Mama’s Note: Good grief. How does someone that stupid manage to draw the next breath?

Stupid Congress tricks – Border Jumpers
Feinstein: ‘I Can’t Remember How Many DUIs Somebody Can Have’ and Still Be Legalized Under Immigration Bill
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Sounds like she’s had a few too many DUIs to be legalized herself.  We now send people to prison for as few as three – and just ONE if someone is killed or injured as a result, so of COURSE we want to give a free pass, as the next story relates.

Stupid Congress tricks – Border Jumpers
Senate Bill Will Legalize Illegal Aliens Who Have 2 DUIs
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: This is no different than the passports. I could lose my engineer’s license for even ONE DUI, and certainly counterfeiting just ONE passport (or any other government paper) would land me in jail AND disbarred.  Unless I can change my name and get an accent!

Mama’s Note: What a silly thing to hinge it on anyway. One would assume that a record of armed robbery or assault, etc. would be much more important.

Stupid government – Islamic wars: Afghan front
Air Force Secretary Touts ‘Gay Pride’ Events in Afghanistan Where Homosexuality is Illegal
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: The cultural blindness of so many of our “public servants” – regardless of their sexual orientation – is very difficult to comprehend.  But this is NOT unusual:  consider that the US routinely denies federal aid and “humanitarian” and military assistance to countries that refuse to abide by US standards (as the Tranzis define them) for things like abortion and “gay” rights and such – EXCEPT for these Muslim countries.  Notwithstanding, this minion of the “messiah” is likely going to encourage a good number of fundamental-radical-Islamofascists to go get themselves some “gays.”  It is a twofer, after all: both a ferengi AND a homo all in a nice camo uniform!

Stupid government – New religions: environism – Lies and more lies
Obama: No Keystone (XL) Pipeline If It Increases Carbon Emissions
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: There you almost certainly have the bell toiling for the entire project.  Who cares about a few million people in the Upper Great Plains, or a few trillion dollars in savings: and never mind that the Earth’s temperature hasn’t gone up by a single measurable one-tenth degree Celsius in 15 years while carbon emissions have (outside the US, naturally). We HAVE to cut carbon emissions to “save the planet” for the Tranzis.

Mama’s Note: And, of course, never mind that “carbon emissions” have nothing to do with climate change, real or imagined. Just another excuse for control and the destruction of the economy.

Congress in action – Lies and more lies
Rep. Moore: GOP Demands ‘That You Work Else Your Children Can’t Eat’
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: What planet is HE from?  That hasn’t been the case for 99% of Americans for a VERY long time – they may not get all the great food, but…

The “messiah” – Lies and more lies
Irish Parliamentarian: Is Obama ‘Going for the Hypocrite of the Century Award?’
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Well, he already has five “Hypocrite of the Year” awards, so…

The “messiah’s” minions – Islamic wars: Arab street revolt
Kerry: No Saudis Fighting in Syria
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: My, the man is amazing: he and his staff personally quizzed every combatant in Syria to determine that there are none!  Or does he mean there is no one of the House of Saud, that tribe-mob-plutocracy that Saudi Arabia is named for?

Mama’s Note: Or… he just asked the Saudi king about it and he said no, so that settles it. Personally, I don’t really care. They can all kill each other if they wish. The US taxpayer shouldn’t be getting the bill for it, that’s all.

The “messiah’s” minions – Politics 2013
Holder: SCOTUS Decision on Voting Rights Could Negatively Affect Millions
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Indeed, millions of parasites and scam-artist politicos and other lowlife types.  And a few innocent folks here and there, I’m sure.  But this decision is too little, too late: the American electorate has been reduced to a mob long ago, and the Voting Rights Act was a major part of it: the states reduced to mere agents for an ever more powerful government, using this law for nearly 50 years to gain more power.

Congress in action – Border jumpers
Bill: Only Someone Who ‘Counterfeits, Alters or Falsely Makes 3 or More Passports’ Has Committed Crime
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Funny, funny.  You ever read all the fine print on ANY government form you have to fill out and sign?  Ain’t no “three strikes and THEN you are out” on those for American citizens or for HONEST people who have immigrated to this land.  Only the border jumpers…

World wars
US Taxpayers Fund UN Human Rights Council Activities Which the US Opposes
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Which SOME people in the US oppose.  Obviously NOT a majority (or at least not a majority with GUTS) in the Congress, or the people who vote for them time and time again.  This is, certainly, NOT the only or by any means the most important action the US is doing that a great many people find acceptable.  But you can be sure that the squatter in 1600 PA doesn’t care.

World wars
BBC Poll: World’s Opinion of U.S. Lowest Since Bush Presidency
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: My oh my, isn’t that sad.  I don’t think we should really care, because what the rest of the world thinks about the present squatter in 1600 PA isn’t really of great importance.  As long as there is a majority in the House and the Senate who refuse to charge, try and convict him of the evil crimes against liberty and humanity he and those working for him have committed, the US and the world will continue to plunge downward.

Quote of the Week

Day by day, brick by brick, we are losing our country. It’s demise looks inevitable.
– Matt Allen

Mama’s Note: I guess that depends on what you call your “country.” If that is the constitution and the “republican” form of government, I would agree. But my COUNTRY isn’t the same thing as any government. Instead, I think the inevitable demise of the government presents the ultimate opportunity for individual sovereignty and a truly free market to develop.

Posted in Commentary on the News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Libertarian Commentary on the News, #13-25A: Local tyranny, stupidity

Posted on 2013-06-26 by TPOL Nathan

Local Tyranny
New Hampshire: Keene sues six parking meter `Robin Hoods’ who put money in expired meters
(Manchester Union Leader) “The city has filed a lawsuit against six citizens, part of a group dubbed Robin Hood of Keene that patrols downtown armed with video cameras and pockets full of change to fill expired parking meters. Also known as Robin Hooders, the six are associated with the Free Keene group. … The group says the suit was filed because the city is losing revenue from parking tickets. The city says the activists are harassing its employees.” (06/13/13)

Debby: Oh, so much fun!!!  I could come up with so many excuses and justifications.  I received psychic appeals to pay the meters – and do the metermaids know that I wasn’t asked to do this by the people who would otherwise get tickets.  It is part of my religious duty to do this for these people because I have had people do it for me and I want to them do it to others.  It is a religious ritual for me to give alms to needy people.

Nathan: I think that the City of Keene is going to really REALLY regret doing this.

Mama’s Note: I sincerely hope so, Nathan. They are truly losing their collective marbles.

Local tyranny
Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania:  Police invade home and arrest people over uncut lawn
(Lew Rockwell via Freedom’s Phoenix) Police came barging into a woman’s home because they wanted to arrest the owner for the length of her lawn. A tenant, Robyn Ruckman, recorded the [incident].

Nathan: A bogus warrant, in a land where uncut grass makes someone a criminal?  Land of Lawn Nazis indeed.  The video gives you that horrid “pit in the stomach” feeling as you see the woman treated like a dog by three cops out cleaning the streets of criminals.

Theft by government
IRS Sent $46,378,040 in Refunds to 23,994 ‘Unauthorized’ Aliens at 1 Atlanta Address
(CSNNews.com)

Nathan: At least it was ONLY $46 million – unlike Solyandra or all the Beltway bandits.  The IRS shows that it has an agenda: undermining society and the economy.  When you add in revelations about IRS employees who used “stolen” credit cars to charge diet pills and spent money to literally “wine and dine” foreign visitors, and the constant attacks on the political and religious groups, it is clear it is NOT just a Nixonian enemies list, but an attack on liberty on a very wide scale.

Mama’s Note: Had to read the article to find out what sort of “aliens” they were talking about. So confusing since they stopped saying “illegal aliens,” which was easily understood. I’m glad to hear that the “refunds” were not being sent to Martians anyway. What too many people don’t seem to realize is that the “refund” isn’t nearly as much of a problem as the original theft. Stop the theft, and this kind of thing goes away automatically.

Islamic wars: Arab street front
Sectarian Killings Erupt in Egypt As Anti-Morsi Rallies Loom
(CSNNews.com)

Nathan: No doubt this is exactly what the Egyptian authorities want: an opportunity to crack down more and put fear into the Coptics and anyone else who is unwilling to go along.

Stupid government tricks
Obama Administration’s Fire Prevention Strategy Includes Goats
(CSNNews.com)

Nathan: And more than just scapegoats, although there are plenty of those being offered up by this administration.  It is either a great idea, or a really stupid excuse for doing something while the West burns.  And these are only going to work in some areas – like California.  The environists love it!

Mama’s Note: Well, the environists might like it just fine, but the people who actually live there might not like it so much. Goats actually are extremely destructive if left to themselves, and eat the same things as the deer. They also reproduce rather rapidly. Wouldn’t it be funny if the goats turned out to be as much of a problem as the feral pigs are now in so many areas. That ought to go over well.

Theft by government
Medicare by the Scary Numbers
(Wall Street Journal) Based on more plausible assumptions, the unfunded liability for Medicare is more than $100 trillion, say John C. Goodman, president and CEO, and Laurence J. Kotlikoff, a senior fellow, with the National Center for Policy Analysis…

Nathan: No way that this is EVER going to be paid off.  Instead, millions and millions of people will suffer from diseases and die prematurely because government cannot and will not be there to pay for it – except for the well-connected.

Mama’s Note: Or maybe not. More and more people are already looking to alternatives for their health and wellness. Those who are willing to think critically and independently make increasingly better health decisions for themselves and their families. Fewer and fewer doctors and health care facilities are accepting Medicare, and that will increase fast now. Actually, Obummercare will help accomplish this before Medicare itself comes apart at the seams.

Stupid government – Environism
How Green Protectionism Harms Sustainable Forestry, the Environment and the World’s Poor
(National Center for Policy Analysis) Under the guise of safeguarding the environment, green protectionism benefits domestic suppliers while inhibiting developing countries from efficiently exploiting their natural resources, says Marcelo Ostria, a research associate with the National Center for Policy Analysis…

Nathan: This IS of course one reason for the “green protectionism” – latest version of the “mother-country/colony”  system that has been the immoral technique of stealing from producers and enriching exploiters and parasites for millenia.  Assyria did it, Egypt did it, Rome did it.  The Brits and French and Russians (and Soviets) and DC did it.  DC does it as much INside the “United States” as outside:  today, the “green protectionism” keeps Western States poor as well.

Stupid government
Congress Should Charge for Recreational Activities on Federal Lands
(Cato Institute)  Fees to use federal lands can help pay for maintenance and improvements of recreation areas, and will create incentives for both recreation users and recreation providers…

Nathan: I’ve got a better idea.  This “pay as you use” business is treating the symptoms and not the disease.  The better idea: Get the FedGov OUT of the “land ownership” business.  No one can show ANY Constitutional authority for the FedGov to own ANY land except for forts, arsenals,  offices, and the like.  No authority to own parks, recreation areas, historic sites, and the like: these should be returned (or given) to the states, or much better yet, transferred to private ownership.  Yeah, I know: it ain’t gonna happen.  Still, if we really want to care for these places properly…

Mama’s Note: Indeed, Nathan, but where does anyone get the idea that the users don’t pay for these things… those who use them and, of course, everyone else. And “paying for it” with lost freedom and economic opportunities is a very large part of it.

Stupid government
How to Fix the Federal Housing Administration
(American Enterprise Institute) The Federal Housing Administration needs at least a $50 billion to $100 billion capital infusion to put it on a sound financial footing…

Nathan: I have to disagree with the AEI: there IS no “fix” to the FHA.  It is an entity that must be put down and buried.  It has been one of many causes of the severe degradation of the American economy.  To throw “good” money after bad is all that would result.  Is it not time to recognize the deadly black thumb of government when it comes to things like this?

Economy – Tranzi stupidity
Women and the Unequal Pay Myth
(Real Clear Markets) In a comparison of unmarried and childless men and women between the ages of 35 and 43, women earn more — 108 cents on a man’s dollar…

Nathan: Funny how we all take the various claims about how women are discriminated against as fact and seek to justify them, when the truth has been out there all along.  Life is NOT fair: there are ALWAYS discriminators and discrimination:  and always will be.

Mama’s Note: I would venture to guess that very few incidences of “less pay for the same work” are the result of actual pointless discrimination. A lot of it is sheer economic necessity these days, with far more workers than jobs driving real wages down everywhere. And each intervention by government serves only to make things worse, often by eliminating the job altogether. Makes as much sense as anything else they do, of course.

Posted in Commentary on the News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Minding Our Own Business

Posted on 2013-06-24 by MamaLiberty

Bloomberg: Nanny-in-chief or health crusader?
By Tom Watkins, CNN
Since taking office in 2002, Bloomberg has unleashed a tsunami of public health initiatives intended to do just that — cutting sodium in prepared meals, ordering that menus in chain restaurants carry calorie counts, posting restaurants’ health department grades, as well as limiting the use of tobacco products.

So, just how and where did Mr. Nanny obtain any legitimate authority to decide all these things for other people?

Any serious cross section of the news headlines will result in dozens or more stories where some people are spending an awful lot of their time and money – and even more often spending stolen taxpayer money and efforts – in the attempt to stop or regulate exactly this sort of activity, from the serious to the trivial, little or none of which involves any actual threat to anyone else’s life or property. Hefty “fines” and even jail threats for not mowing the grass, or planting flowers, flying a flag, and a thousand other things being the trivial, and bogus “crimes” of insisting on the right to associate or trade with certain people and not others being far more serious. There are many many other such issues that span the entire spectrum, with the very serious attempts to keep people uninformed and helpless a very large part of it.

Most of it is driven by the desire of too many people to control, somehow, the thoughts and non-aggressive actions of other people. They simply can’t seem to mind their own business, and leave everyone else alone to do the same. We won’t go into the fact that no “law” can predict or prevent actual harm from happening. When that is peeled down to essentials, we find that preventing the harm is not really the central goal anyway, but that control of others most certainly is – even when the controllers sincerely believe it is “for our own good.”

Even worse, far too many are quite willing to use theft, lies, fraud (emotional blackmail), all sorts of coercion and even murder to accomplish their goal of forcing others to live more in line with their ideas of what is right and good and usually, not incidentally, for fun and profit as well. I am completely convinced that the power to control others, even the desire to do so, is the most addictive thing on earth, and one of the most destructive.

The conviction that a particular attitude, thought or action is “immoral” has led a great many people over the ages to do terrible and beastly things to their fellow men. Some sterling examples of this in history are the Inquisition, various reiterations of the Salem witch trials, and our best modern examples; the “war on drugs,” raw milk, consensual sex for money and, of course, “the war on guns” to create ever more disarmed victims..

The next time you disapprove of some comment or action by your neighbor – next door or anywhere – you might ask yourself if that other person is actually doing any literal harm to you or someone else. Not “inconvenience,” or “hurt feelings” or even “offense.” And harming themselves is also nobody else’s business.

If no real harm to you or others is imminent, before you comment or take action against them, you might consider simply shrugging and going about your own life instead. You don’t have to approve of anything to ignore it, any more than you have a legitimate authority to stop what others do or say.

Seems to me that the world would be a truly peaceful place if we’d just all mind our own business.

Posted in Mama's Rants | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Guns Are Tools

Posted on 2013-06-23 by MamaLiberty

I don’t think anyone is prepared to argue that guns are not dangerous tools. The question is, however, are guns more dangerous than other tools and are they effective for their primary purpose?

First, let’s look at some other tools and their potential uses.

I’m sure most people don’t think of automobiles as “tools,” but that’s just what they are. They are a collection of mechanical devices and support structures to accomplish their purpose. The most obvious purpose for autos and trucks is simple transportation, either of people or cargo, but they can be used for a fairly wide variety of other things.

Racing, either as a sport or a profession, is one other use. Some vehicles include specialized compartments and can be used for work shops or living quarters. Some cars and trucks are valuable because they are beautiful and/or very old and are used mostly for display by collectors.

Automobiles can also be used to damage and destroy things and people, either deliberately or accidentally (though “accidents” – with ANY tool – are almost always the result of negligence on the part of at least one person). Cars and trucks can be intentionally blown up, crashed or simply set on fire to harm people easily. What the vehicle cannot do is INITIATE either good or bad actions. They are inanimate objects without any mind or ability to function without human involvement.

And that is the bottom line for every single tool in the world, including guns. A tool can’t “cause” a person to act, or influence them in any way against their will. The argument about violence “caused” by the convenient availability of guns is easily seen to be ridiculous if applied to any other tool. The inanimate object can not dictate the use to which it is put. Only the human who holds it can decide that, and if the desired tool is not readily available that person can either manage to find one or use something else instead.

Only a little searching in the news archives should be needed to convince anyone that a great many different tools can be, and are often used to harm people, even large numbers of them, and most of those tools are not guns after all! Seventy to eighty five percent of violent crime involves no weapon except the criminal’s own hands. Only eight percent of violent crimes of all kinds involve a gun.  (Numbers given at the Bureau of Justice web site are for 2009, and crime statistics have decreased substantially since then.)

But, some tools are more effective for certain uses than others. One can hardly use an automobile to cut their steak, or find a steak knife suitable to cut down trees. A tool for self defense must be portable and effective. A gun is actually a fairly simple tool, and millions of people are taught how to use them effectively with some instruction and diligent practice. It is actually easier to learn to shoot well than to drive an automobile, and much easier to master than martial arts. So called “less than lethal” defensive tools might do – but then again, might not be effective at all.

Amazingly, most defensive uses of a gun do not result in shots fired or, even when that can’t be helped, do not result in the death of either person. But gang related crime is increasing in many places, and innocent bystanders are often injured or killed when these gangs clash.

When people are prepared and motivated, even when confronted with a violent criminal who has no weapon but his hands, using a gun gives the intended victim a much better chance of avoiding injury or death. It is clear that most criminals do not wish to be hurt or killed themselves, and will avoid places where people are most apt to be armed and free to defend themselves. Criminals want easy, weak, and above all, helpless victims.

When people are not able to defend themselves effectively, and most or all weapons are “legally” prohibited, the person who desires to harm others has a free hand and can use any tool he wishes to accomplish his or her evil purpose because anyone willing to commit murder is unlikely to be constrained by any other laws.  When it is “illegal” to have a gun, the criminals will certainly still have them – and any other dangerous tool they want, including their hands.

I once had to shoot a man to save my life. If I had not had a gun in my hand that night, I would probably be dead. That’s all I really need to know to make my decision every day to own the most effective self defense tool I can get. I sincerely hope I never have to shoot anyone again, but I carry a gun and I know how to use it.

Posted in Mama's Rants | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Libertarian Commentary on the News, #13-24B: Environism and cannibal government

Posted on 2013-06-20 by TPOL Nathan

Liberty and environism
The U.S. Doom and Gloom Obsession
(Project Syndicate) The authors of “The Limits to Growth” predicted that before 2013, the world would have run out of aluminum, copper, gold, lead, mercury, molybdenum, natural gas, oil, silver, tin, tungsten and zinc…

Nathan: I’ve lived with this all my life.  But today I realize that much of what passes for political dialogue today has the same characteristics as this rabid environism that has infected the world for the past 50 years. Terrorism is NOT just actually going out and killing or blowing up someone: it is the THREAT of doing so.  “If you don’t do this and that, nature will kill you or harm you” can be a simple statement of fact, or twisted to become a terroristic threat.  Rachel Carson and her political allies and descendants did this, and their legacy is carried on by governments and NGOs and do-gooders of all sorts today.  NONE of this has come true, and is very unlikely to do so, but we have allowed ourselves to be chained into slavery because of it.  The same thing applies to social events and political actions as to natural “threats.”  “If we don’t treat this group and that group as special (enemies or friends) then we will be destroyed.”  “If we don’t prevent (or do) so and so in Congress (or legislature or council), then this horrible thing will happen and we will all (a) live in rags, (b) die miserably, (c) live in slavery, …”  Governments even use things like this to eat each other, as the next story relates.

Abominable act (ObummerCare) – Theft by government (Cannibalism)
Local Governments Reeling Under ObamaCare Costs
(Investor’s News Daily) …local governments across the country have been quietly doing exactly the same thing [as private business] — cutting part-time hours specifically so they can skirt ObamaCare’s costly employer mandate, while complaining about the law in some of the harshest terms anyone has uttered in public. The result is that part-time government workers — many of them low-income — face pay cuts that can top $3,000 a year, and yet will still be left without employer-provided benefits.

Mama’s Note: Nice to think that local government will take some hits as well as the rest of us.

Nathan: Those who work for local government (like ALL government workers) tend to think of themselves as better, more secure, and immune from both economic reality and governmental regulations, but the Powers That Be don’t care anymore about a low-level town or county worker than they do a burger-flipper or waitstaff or convenience store clerk.  This bogus law is not about health or care, it is about power and control and paying off certain support groups.  And the FedGov has never been shy about stealing from other governments: foreign, state, and local.  Wow!  If they are too busy eating each other, maybe they’d leave us alone?  I know, a false hope at best: they use what they steal from us to be able to attack (and defend) against the more voracious predators.

Mama’s Note: All very true, but I’m pretty sure the bottom line for Obummercare goes beyond even that. I strongly believe that this “reform” was written specifically and deliberately to fail miserably, as it will. The intent is clearly to get the general population demanding the single payer “national” insanity that has contributed so much to the death and ill health in Canada and everywhere else it has been implemented. As I warned nearly ten years ago, conscientious medical professionals are leaving the field at an unprecedented rate, increasing every year. Far, far too few new people are assuming those positions (whatever their level of competence might be), and it will eventually be almost impossible to find adequate medical care in rural or poor, inner city situations.

Congress in action – Border jumpers
CBO: 75% of Illegal Immigration Would Continue Under Senate Immigration Bill
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: So why bother?  We all know the answer to that: it gives Congress and the White House yet ANOTHER opportunity to steal more liberty away from the 300 million of us that are here and NOT border jumpers.  That, and because the Senate thinks it will get them reelected next time around.

Stupid government tricks – Islamic war (Afghan front)
Notorious Haqqani Network to Be Represented at Taliban-US Talks
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Why not?  After all, we have OUR criminal class represented at the talks (although they couldn’t dig up Jimmy Hoffa to get him to participate), so why not their bad element?

The “messiah” – New religions: global warming
In Berlin, Obama Warns of Famine, Floods, Refugees, Vanishing Coastlines
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Gee, do you think the teleprompter got mixed up?  This should have been his jeremiad that he could give at Jerusalem:  “The end of the world is at hand!”  Or is this because he just got briefed on the latest HAARP testing?

The Messiah’s minions – Culture wars: homosexuality
Holder: More to Be Done for LGBTs, No Matter How SCOTUS Rules on DOMA, Prop 8
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: In other words, it isn’t about freedom and liberty, but about an agenda to push some things and prevent others.  Notice that the German homeschool family has no “fundamental right” to educate their children because what they want to teach them is not what the Tranzis WANT taught.  Now, if they were a homosexual couple abusing the kids, well, of COURSE they’d get asylum.  Some animals are more equal than others: African Americans over Asian Americans, homosexuals over heterosexuals, union members over non-unionized workers.

Congress in action – Hoploclasts and hoplophobes
Biden: Senators Who Voted No on Gun Control Want to ‘Revisit’ Issue
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Hmmm.  The arm-twisting seems to have been successful.  And no indications that he had to get out the tongs and red-hot pincers.  (Of course, money sooths many pains – even (or especially) campaign money.)

Congress in aciton – Killing babies
Rep. Won’t Say Why She Opposes 5-Month Abortion Ban Even If It ‘Saves One Life’
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: The person testifying made a very good point indeed, but one that most of her audience (the ones on the upper level behind the table) will continue to ignore.  She cannot use logic like this to confound them: they are too “smart” for that.

 

Posted in Commentary on the News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Libertarian Commentary on the News, #13-24A: Europe and Syria and the US

Posted on 2013-06-20 by TPOL Nathan

Europe’s fall – US tyranny – Liberty stolen
EU bows to US over data protection
(PressEurop) US President Barack Obama’s administration persuaded the European Commission to redraft its data-privacy legislation in January 2012 and drop a clause that would have stopped American spy agencies from eavesdropping on international calls and emails. The economic daily reports that it “would have nullified any US request for technology and telecoms companies to hand over data on EU citizens,” such as those revealed in the recent Prism scandal.

Nathan: Indeed, the FedGov(US)(tm) bully-state does not just bully its own “citizen” but the people and nations of the world.  I’ve no love for the EU and the member-states’ governments, but I can’t help but feel a bit sorry that they are also victims of FedGov(US) ™ imperialism in all its many forms.

Islamic wars: Arab street front – Stupid FedGov(US) ™ tricks
“U.S. considers taking in Syrian refugees”
(L.A. Times via Freedom Outpost.com) A resettlement plan under discussion in Washington and other capitals is aimed at relieving pressure on Middle Eastern countries straining to support 1.6 million refugees, as well as assisting hard-hit Syrian families. The State Department is “ready to consider the idea,” an official from the department said, if the administration receives a formal request from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, which is the usual procedure.  The United States usually accepts about half the refugees that the U.N. agency proposes for resettlement. California has historically taken the largest share, but Illinois, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia are also popular destinations

Nathan: Why NOT? Christians persecuted for their religion, whether from Egypt or Germany (the homeschoolers) can’t flee to the US, but we can ALWAYS welcome some more jihadis who need a break from their Arab street activities, or their families who need to get off the stove to avoid getting treated like their menfolk treat the ferengi and those who don’t agree 100% with their brand of Islam.  And we all know we need a LOT more IEDs and drive-by shootings and honor killings and beheadings right here in the US: we have fallen so far behind the UK on that score.

FedGov(US) ™ tyranny – Stupid government tricks
US pols call for smartphone kill switch “to deter thieves”
(The Inquirer [UK])”United States law enforcement officials are calling for smartphones to be fitted with kill switches to curb mobile theft. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the Save our Smartphones (SOS) coalition on Thursday, an initiative involving state officials, police chiefs, district attorneys, attorneys general and consumer advocacy groups. He cited statistics that show one in three robberies in the US involve the theft of a mobile phone, with a total of 113 mobile phones pinched in the US every minute.” [editor’s note: And it’s just pure coincidence that these “kill switches” could also be used to brick, say, every phone being used around a political protest, etc. And of course they will promise to never, ever, ever do anything like that – TLK] (06/14/13)

Nathan: Tom is right.  More to the point, there is already a process with at least Verizon  and AT&T, and I assume others, to “kill” a phone.  If your phone is lost or stolen, you call an 800-number (which can be found on line if you don’t have it on paper, as you should) and they – gasp! – turn your phone off, and incidentally help you not pay for all those 25-cent-a-minute calls to Mexico that often seem to pop up after the phone is stolen.  How do I know this?  Because in 1994, I had a cell phone (a bag phone, remember those) stolen together with a camera and other stuff from my car in Fort Collins ($250 damage from breaking the window in to steal the stuff).  They didn’t catch the thieves (the cops were “too busy” to take fingerprints or follow up on the dozen or so calls the thieves made before the theft was discovered and reported TO THE PHONE COMPANY).  But I was saved a lot of money and hastle.  Also, I know, because just a few weeks ago, I misplaced my smart phone, and the battery died.  A call to the company (Verizon, evil though they are) and within a few minutes (5 as I recall) they “killed” the phone and activated the tracer with GPS to help locate it.  (It had slid under the car seat and lodged in a corner.)  They confirmed that I was the owner and reactivated it.  No cost, no cops, no “kill switch” except what we’ve always had.  The SOS Coalition is nothing but shills for the same terrorist thugs that brought us the “datagate” NSA and IRS and DOJ scandals.

Mama’s Note: All these stories neglect to mention that it is the phone owner’s responsibility to keep it safe. Situational awareness and even minimal self defense would very rapidly reduce the theft to near zero. How many people have you seen walking by, or even driving, who are so totally engrossed in their conversations that they don’t seem to see or hear anything else? I watched a young woman “texting” as she walked and laughed quietly to myself when she bumped into a lamp post! She was very lucky that we don’t have thieving “street urchins” here because her phone – and purse – would have been very easy to steal right then.

War on some drugs – FedGov(US) ™ stupid tricks
Obama Outspends Clinton, Dubya Going After Recreational And Medical Marijuana Users
(Personal Liberty Digest) According to a new report produced by Americans for Safe Access, a leading advocate of medical marijuana, the Obama Administration has not just been tough on American pot users — it has spent much more on medical cannabis enforcement than both the George W. Bush and Bill Clinton White Houses. Read More…

Nathan: My oh my, what a surprise?  Hardly, to anyone keeping even causal track.  Yet it seems the pot-smoking crowd (except those that are libertarian) don’t seem to know this – or bother to check and see: they luv their “messiah” too much to believe something like this.  (Of course, the “death-to-marijuana” “conservative” crowd also don’t seem to believe that their sworn enemy is doing what they want on this issue.)

Mama’s Note: Some people seem to have seriously split personalities on this subject as well. They advocate “legalization” of cannabis for use, but insist that all dealers and producers continue to be persecuted and jailed. How’s that supposed to work? And those who actually think that some sort of “tax and regulate” idea – like alcohol – is the solution to any of the problems… what can I say? Those who want to control others will never be satisfied in any case.

Posted in Commentary on the News | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Libertarian Commentary on the News, #13-23E: End of the week

Posted on 2013-06-19 by TPOL Nathan

Home front – Government-run, tax-funded schools:
Colorado School Recites Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic

Thanks to Linda and Scott for this.  Scott’s comment:  Sounds blasphemous; calling the unitary Congress/Administration “Allah”.

Nathan: Scott’s comment is cute.  Seems that most folks seem to be bent out of shape that “under God” is transated to “under Allah” but whatever objections you have to the Pledge spoken in some other language, this is as bogus as complaining because the word for the Father in Spanish is Dios.  “Allah” IS THE ARABIC word for God.  When the Christ’s disciples went to Arabia to start preaching the Good News, they used “Allah” for “God.”  Talk all you want about Islam – an evil and murdering, monstrous religion comparable to that of the Azteca and the Carthaginians – but do not buy the garbage about Allah being some sort of hyped-up moon god.  He is the Creator and Islam recognizes Him as such, even though they are very much mistaken about His character and attributes, and the way in which they worship Him is blasphemous and evil.  And remember that the Pledge itself is the brainchild of a socialist who would be branded as, at best, a national socialist today.  It is necessary to reject ALL kinds of evil, moral, social, and political, and not pick and choose which evil is “better” than some other kind.

Home front – Government-run, tax-funded schools:
Tribal Colleges: A Dubious Government Investment
Source: Tom Burnett, “The Tragedy of Tribal Colleges,” Pope Center for Higher Education, June 9, 2013.

(National Daily Policy Digest) The main emphasis for tribal colleges is on training students to serve the social services programs on a reservation — the needs of tribes determine the course offerings…

Nathan: I’ve discussed this article with a long veteran of teaching in Indian colleges, and he concurs with this:  it is welfare, not as much for students as for staff and faculty and the graduates who cannot get a job anywhere else because the bar is so insanely low.  I was very surprised to see only a few of the schools I know personally about attacked – they should have been included, except that some of what goes on is so incredible that Mr. Burnett would have been called a liar.

Quote of the Week

“I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”
~ Robert A. Heinlein

Theft by government – Hoploclasts
Veterans’ antique guns stolen because of “mental illness” fears
(Godfather Politics)

Nathan: Read this and try not to cry.  This is the evil we have created in the heart of our nation.  Once more we have a perversion of traditional American justice.

The “messiah” – Government-run, tax-funded schools
Obama: ‘Gov’t Can Help by…Educating our Children From the Earliest Years’
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: I seem to be pointing out a LOT this week that “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you” is a really bad lie – made again by the current resident in 1600 PA.  We have seen what having government “educate” our children for 8, 12, 13, 17 years and more has done to the children, their families, and our society.  Do we REALLY want Brave New World even MORE?  This man is lying: government can only HARM children, families, parents, and communities by controlling the children.  They will be taught lies – actually, not educated but propagandized and turned into murdering monsters.

Theft by government – Tyranny
Federal agency seized millions of healthcare records from an unnamed California healthcare provider.
(Freedom Outpost) The lawsuit filed in mid-March by Robert Barnes on behalf of the unnamed provider stated 15 agents of the IRS seized the records of 10 million Americans of which 1 million were Californians while executing a warrant for the financial records of a former employee of the healthcare provider in March 2011.

Nathan: Just being good employees and anticipating the boss’s wishes: they know that is to be the grand climax of the centennial of the agency’s existence.  More slavery, more theft, more loss of freedoms and liberties, all courtesy of these thugs.  And people wonder why they are getting training with M16s and M4s and AR-15s.  Right.

Posted in Commentary on the News | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Libertarian Commentary on the News, #13-23D: This and That in Tyranny Today

Posted on 2013-06-19 by TPOL Nathan

Politics 2013
Party Affiliation Taints Americans’ Views On Privacy, Civil Liberty
(Personal Liberty) A poll released Monday shows more than half of all Americans think it’s acceptable for the government to secretly track their phone calls, if doing so keeps them safe from terrorism. The poll also shows that nearly half believe it’s also acceptable for the National Security Administration to indiscriminately spy on citizens’ online activities.

Nathan: As always, take these polls with a large grain of salt.  Too many ways to word these kinds of questions to create a bias, and end up with this.  But even if this WERE accurate, so?  when you eliminate all the one-issue types, and count all the compromise artists and appeasers, two-thirds of the people have almost ALWAYS been willing to give up a lot of freedom for a little bit of security.

Let’s All Get Together Tonight And Jam Up The NSA!
(Personal Liberty) There is much buzz about an Internet initiative encouraging as many Americans as possible to produce electronic communications using certain terrorist-sounding words and phrases in unison this evening. The goal is to create a blip on the National Security Agency’s radar in hopes of overwhelming the Federal government’s surveillance apparatus.

Nathan: Sounds like fun to me, but you know the old saying, “Its just fun and games until somebody loses too much blood.”  Maybe if a couple million people could spend an hour so so doing this, though… (By the time I am writing this, the event had taken place but I’ve heard nothing and  can’t tell you how it turned out.)

Culture wars: homosexual “marriage” – War on religion
Colorado:  Baker Who Refused to Provide Cake for Homosexual Wedding [sic] Faces Jail
(The Blaze.com)

Nathan: We all understand that there is no “freedom of association” as a right any more: instead, it is illegal (to some degree, at least) to refuse business to someone for any reason.  Without a right to refuse to do business for any reason, the “freedom of association” does not exist.

Stupid government tricks – Theft by government
Federal agencies turning to UPS, Fed Ex instead of USPS for delivery needs
(The Washington Free Beacon) The United States Postal Service’s (USPS) bottom line has been hit by the federal government itself as numerous agencies have increased their contracts with publicly traded companies instead of the Postal Service for their mailing and distribution services, the Washington Free Beacon has found.

Mama’s Note: I do think this may spell the end…

Nathan: I’m surprised Congress has not already required the agencies to do this, and even make state governments do that, in order to get their funding.  Got to be pretty bad to not even ride for their own brand.

The “messiah” – Lies and tyranny
Obama Should Blame Bush, Thank Whistle-Blowers And Keep Up The Bad Work
(Personal Liberty) During his Senatorial career and the earlier parts of his Presidential tenure, Barack Obama was an outspoken advocate of government transparency and whistle-blower protections. Sometimes, he still makes feeble attempts to claim he holds the same views today. Yet Obama is at the helm of what is likely the least transparent Administration in history.

Nathan: This man has sometimes been likened to the fictious Manchurian Candidate, but it is far more accurate to call his the Schizophrenic Candidate.  It appears that he has (with a few notable exceptions) intentionally set out to do the opposite of what he said he would do:  transparency, whistleblowers, Gitmo, renditions, drone attacks, guns, and much MUCH more.  Either we must assume that his handlers and supporters are really in control and he is just a talking head for them, or he is really another Lincoln-Hitler-Mussolini-Lenin-Augustus type.  Dictatorship – and indeed ALL government of the state is built on lies, from the old “I am a god – or best friend of the gods” to the modern “we’re from the government and we are here to help you.”  Unless they mean help you into an early grave.

Local tyranny – Stupid cop tricks
New York: Vet has dogs killed by cops in wrong-address raid
(Personal Liberty)

Nathan: We KNOW this happens a lot.  The question is, why?  I believe that in part it is the result of our changing attitude from “Better let someone who  is guilty get away than to convict an innocent man” to “Get all the guilty ones we can, no matter how many innocent people we mistreat or kill.”  The war on drugs is far from the only reason for this, but certainly is a significant one.  This time it was only a man’s leashed dog in the kitchen of the wrong house.  In recent weeks it has been an elderly man in his own garage, a vet in his own living room defending his family, and many others.  Who is next?

Europe’s collapse – World wars
Netherlands: Ex-PM admits US nukes in country
(MailOnline)

Nathan: Yet again, another British daily publishes news of secrets that are not really secrets.  These sleek, beautiful, incredibly-deadly weapons have been at Volkel AB for a very long time, and it actually makes sense to do so – if you believe that it is right for the US to have ANY alliances.  It certainly isn’t a threat to the Netherlands.  It may be a threat to would be rebels and secessionists back in the States, of course – much harder to get control of these nukes than the ones in US bases.

Tyranny – IRS scandals
IRS Agent tells pro-life group to keep faith to themselves
(Vision to America) A pro-life legal group, Alliance Defending Freedom, released audio today of a 2012 phone call between an IRS agent and the head of a Texas pregnancy counseling group. During the phone call, IRS agent Sherry Wan is heard lecturing Ania Joseph about how she can’t have a tax exemption and also push her religious beliefs— a bit of advice that would be quite interesting to every church in America.

Nathan: Ah, the nanny state starts to get its stride.  Heaven forbid someone gets themselves all upset and uptight because a religious group mentions – gasp! religion.

Tyranny -NSA/PRIZM scandals – Lost liberty
USAF Personnel Warned Against Reading about Verizon and PRIZM Scandal
(World Net Daily)

Nathan: This NOTAM is about as nutty as they come: someone in USAF blue has their head screwed on too tightly, and the brain connection is loose.  What is next, being told that they can’t read Air Force Times because there is a letter of complaint from an airman (name withheld) that might be “prejudicial to good conduct?”  I think that someone is beginning to be frightened that even MORE military personnel are seeing this regime and its leaders for the tyrants that they are.

Posted in Commentary on the News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Solar Electric System On the Cheap, On the Fly, and Off the Grid

Posted on 2013-06-15 by MamaLiberty

An Adventure in Self-Reliance and Creative Poverty
By Some Crazy Old Guy in the Desert

I have a stack of books to read and review… rearranged occasionally when the stack falls over and I don’t remember what order they were in. This book magically avoided that fate because it was in pdf form on my Android Tablet instead of the unsteady pile on my night stand, so that has to be a new plus for E-books – the only format in which this book is currently available.

And that, of course, is a lame segue into the actual subject of Joel’s book.

Please take for granted the usual disclaimers. I am not an engineer, nor do I know anything at all about solar energy – and darn little about electricity in general. I can manipulate switches and knobs to get light, heat and so forth, but I’m not really handy with tools outside the garden.

That being the case, I was both pleased and encouraged by the fact that I actually understood the process described in this small book, and might at least be able to participate in such a project if it ever became necessary. By that I mean hooking all that stuff together to make a working system, of course. The scrounging and “re-purposing” of things part is something hardwired into me by my Scottish ancestors.

Not having access to the “right” parts and equipment is something most of us face – at least among us scroungers and frugal sorts, and it is very encouraging to know that it’s not always necessary to have the latest and greatest, even when it would be so much easier. The author carefully lays out the circumstances of his first efforts and what he learned in the process, taking it step by step with pictures and diagrams as he finds and utilizes better equipment and some handy expertise from a friendly neighbor.

I’ve saved the best for last, of course. You don’t even have to be truly interested in building a hermit’s solar energy system to appreciate this book. The subtle humor and wry turns of phrase by this truly remarkable and likable individual make an otherwise fairly dry subject a real pleasure to read, planting much of the sage advice into your mind to apply to other areas of self reliance and making do.

Visit Joel’s blog for daily hints about semi hermit life in the desert, and pithy commentary on many issues important to most of us. You can download the book from there with the icon for PayPal in the upper right corner. If you don’t care to deal with PayPal, send Joel an email and you can make other arrangements.

Now we just have to figure out how to get Joel to write the next book. Some of his friends think the title should be, “Chickens is Stoopid.” And if you want to find out what that’s all about, you’ll need to read the blog.

Posted in Friends of Liberty, Mama's Rants | Tagged , , | 3 Comments