Are we seeing an even more massive, widespread, and even organized attack of freedom of speech that we suspected for the past decade?
Certainly in the last few weeks, we see many whom we would never think of attacking this fundamental and G-d-given right stepping out and shoving their feet in their mouths. At the same time, a very few entities that have long tried to deny free speech to others have surprisingly spoken up.
Continue readingMany of us in what is sometimes called the “liberty movement” have been labeled more than once as “enemies of the state.” The implication is that we are therefore opposed to decency and good order. That we are opposed to morals, that we advocate chaos.
As we seek to find names to label the various people who have applied this label to lovers of liberty – and even to minarchists – Tom Knapp suggested simply lumping them all together as enemies of liberty. Certainly that they are! That includes Republicans and Democrats, Liberals and Conservatives (at least the neo-version of each). It applies to the progressives (whom we tend to call “regressives” here at TPOL). To both the anti-fascists and the fascists. To the socialists (national or not), the communists (international socialists), and to the transnational socialist Tranzis. All sorts of nasty folks.
But we must also remember that it applies to the large numbers of other people: to so-called non- or bi-partisans, non-government, and many others. Including those who merely tolerate governments and other enemies of liberty. Or tacitly support them.
Consider this: Nazgul (SCOTUS Justice) Ketanji Brown Jackson told a plaintiffs’ attorney at one point, “My biggest concern is that your view has the First Amendment hamstringing the government in significant ways.”
This came from a “constitutional scholar” whose supposed role is to defend the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, against all enemies foreign and domestic. How? By making informed, reasoned, and wise decisions on controversies and laws enacted by Congress and President. (Please, don’t laugh or choke!)
Of course the Constitution – not just the First Amendment – hamstrings the government in many, many ways. It was intended to do so.
Who is the enemy of decency and order? Of liberty? Woman (and men) like this one, who worship power and control, and those who write their paychecks and grant them privileges.
And unfortunately, she is not alone: whatever their proclaimed political affiliation (or not), their philosophy is simple: government rules. Their job, as they see it, is not to constrain government, but rather to empower it.
Until we understand and internalize that, we will continue to loose the terrors of tyranny on ourselves, our neighbors, and our descendants.
We must wake up, take up our tools, and step forward and speak loudly.
Remember this?
Of course, that was just an old dead white guy – evil for all political factions: a religious fanatic, an extremist, a secessionist and rebel, and (for some libertarians, the telling blow) governor of Virginia twice! And worse, he was a slaveowner: dying with title to 67 of them! And (whisper!) he was a lawyer! Yet there are claims that he was himself a black man (quadroon or octaroon, supposedly). And he abolished importing of slaves into Virginia and sought to outlaw slavery.
And of course, we know that the Constitution is itself a product of, and cause of, systemic racism and all kinds of other evils. And it is not democratic.
And although revered (at least by some) and supposedly enforced by a captive and bootlicking judiciary, it is pretty much a paper tiger and followed ritualistically. But like the Law of Moses before the Babylonian Captivity and too often after that, its rituals and rites are preached and conducted, but there is no heart in it. Politicians claim to, and adhere to, the letter of the document, while ignoring the spirit of it. They claim it is a “living document” but in reality to them it is a dead letter.
The US Constitution is not perfect and never will be: it was written by humans. It has many, many flaws. It gives way too much power to government: especially the FedGov. The same can be said for every State constitution. Even by minarchist standards, let alone the standards of free-market anarchists.
But compared to what most of humanity for most of history has had to suffer under, it stands well above any other attempt to control government and the state. It is too bad that we here in the Fifty States have, or have allowed it, to be gutted.
But we are not without hope: we can restore extremely limited government. We can restrain and retrain government. We can force the bloated monster that is DC and its tentacles across the States and the world to shrink back – and maybe even come much closer to a tolerable situation than they did in 1787. But it takes courage, reason, and yes, faith. Do we have it?
Election results might result in that.
It really is a transparently obvious contrast that highlights how far the west has fallen. Russia holds transparent elections and Vladimir Putin wins 87% of the vote, resoundingly being reelected; yet Uncle Joe (Biden) and much of NATO and the West call it a dictatorship. Meanwhile Ukraine cancels all elections, Zelensky declares the opposition parties unlawful; yet Uncle Joe says it is a democracy and worthy of being supported by the West. And of course, here in the States, Uncle Joe and his puppet-masters and minions work constantly (using lawfare) to ensure that his chief political opponent is convicted as a criminal and that the major opposition party is branded as traitors for nominating The Donald.
(In TPOL’s view, they are ALL criminals, democracy is an evil farce intended to facilitate and excuse the parasite called mandatory human government, and a pox on all their houses!)
But back to Moskva, Russia, and the monster under the bed (Putin).
Continue readingThis question came up on a web site recently, and we here at TPOL thought it worth sharing one of our staff’s responses. Yes, we know that once again we are bashing the People’s Republic of California and the idiots in power there – and the people who put them into power and refuse to accept that the State has failed and that failure is destroying a once beautiful, wealthy, and great State.
Continue readingThere are dozens of countries that have very loudly and publicly announced that they support Hamas in the Gaza Strip and are opposed to Israeli military attacks and occupation of the territory. And the Hamas claim that nearly 35,000 people (largely women and children) have been killed by the evil Israelis.
There are a few nations that support Israeli operations and at least tacitly (if reluctantly) do so as they see it as self-defense on the part of the State of Israel. These nations seem to be willing to back up their words with actual support: supplies, ammo, weapons, intel. If not as much as they give to Ukraine, still a fair amount.
And some of them are actually playing both sides by delivering “humanitarian supplies” to Gaza, by air and soon by sea. Even though Hamas responded by claiming that the Great Satan (FedGov) killed more women and children by airdropping supplies.
But those nations – as far as I know every Muslim nation on the planet and many more – who condemn Israel and support Hamas, or at least the people of the Gaza Strip? What are they doing? I think that Egypt is sending some food and medical supplies. And the Houthis in Yemen are supporting Hamas by attacking ships in the Red Sea.
Both other than that? We have Arabs in Samaria and Judea (the West Bank), and Hezbollah in Lebanon attacking Israel in support of Hamas.
And… otherwise? Nada. Zip. Null.
Continue readingLet us look at some common names and terms in modern American politics, with a sneer and maybe a laugh.
In politics, as in so-called health care and military affairs and education, words are twisted and their definitions perverted. Let us look at a few examples.
As we do so, recall what H.L. Mencken once wrote: “Government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.”
How appropriate for the 2024 elections!
Continue readingThat is “succession” and not secession. TPOL wants to make it clear that we strongly support the right of secession, of declaring independence from a “sovereign power” – a state or government – when that entity no longer meets the needs of the people who want to leave it.
But this commentary is about “succession of power” – about who is next in line to enjoy the privileges and benefits of political, economic, or social power and control.
Readers of TPOL understand that we are opposed to mandatory human government – that is, virtually all human government. And therefore we would definitely not support any succession.
That is there should be no transfer of political power (which belongs to individuals, and not to a “government” or gang or mob or anyone else who uses force to carry out their will (other than in self-defense).
But human history is filled with a very sad fact of life: political and economic power often – even usually – is transferred from one wielder of power to another.
Continue readingThe FedGov in DC spends literally billions of dollars each year building, maintaining, rebuilding, replacing, naming (and renaming), renting, and more to FedGov office buildings to house the millions of bureaucrats and jackbooted thugs (2.87 million at last count) that infest or occupy this beautiful land and pester our people and most of the rest of the world.
When once the only presence of the FedGov in most towns was a post office – and that often in the corner of a store – that is ancient history today. Today we not only have the generally practical offices for the Natural Resource Conservation Service and local military recruiting offices, we have grandiose federal courthouses, ubiquitous Social Security offices, and dozens more places for the parasites of the alphabet agencies to rest their weary heads after stealing and intimidating and pursuing citizens.
Consider the BATFE Washington DC headquarters building, shown below.
Even lovers of government such as the Washingtonian.com have berated the building for its “bunker-like” appearance. Gee, that might be fitting, huh?
Named for a hispanic ATF agent (Rios, as I recall) killed when a drug buy/sting operation went bad in Miami decades ago, this grandiose and cookie-cutter style bunker resembles dozens or even hundreds of other massive buildings. And houses an amazing number of bureaucrats and computer systems designed to regulate (or prevent) Americans from exercising rights which the Constitution states “shall not be infringed.” Or objects that are not even addressed (or were briefly addressed and then removed) from that document. (Beverage alcohol.)
Continue reading
The Price of Liberty 
The long arm of the taxman – California style
The People’s Republic of California is in trouble. Almost everyone knows it.
Their budget deficits and “national debt” are on a par with that of Uncle Sugar – but unlike the Fed Sacramento can’t just print money (paper or electronic). Taxes go up and up, piled on top of each other. More and more people are fleeing the State for greener pastures: even places like Texas and Arizona and Nevada. Their cities are more and more cesspools, chaotic and crime-ridden even beyond the average Third-World countries’ cities they more and more resemble. Homeless and mentally ill people are rapidly growing problems. The political factions are at each other’s throats.
California uber alles
His Imperial Governor Gavin Newsom is shown up as a liar and fool more and more often. The California State Assembly and State Senate are clown shows. Drug stores, other retail outlets, insurance companies and more are pulling out of the State. People and companies are fleeing stupid laws, insane taxes, ridiculous regulations, and growing crime.
So what do the clown shows and His Highness do? Well, they can set up checkpoints to keep other Americans (coming in from Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon) out lest their fruit “contaminate” the Golden State (however badly tarnished that thin gold film is). And Sacramento doesn’t want anyone out if they are coming up from Baja California (Mexicans and a host of other border jumpers).
So they have come up with a brilliant solution to keeping California-abused companies and residents in the State. It is called the Exit Tax. It is based, in a truly disgusting manner, on an attempt to rescue another failed government, economy, and tax system: that of the FedGov, the American economy, Congress, and the IRS.
Anyone leaving California must pay for the wonderful benefits and services and opportunities that the State of California provided to them while they lived and were maltreated in California. There seems to be two objectives: one, to dissuade refugees from California moving to a more free State. And two, the “recover” money that supposedly State government invested in serving those people and companies.
It is a mere trifle: just 1% on tangible and intangible wealth (including real and personal property, shares and bonds) up to $1 billion dollars, and just 1.5% above that amount. (That is one proposal: another is 1% for $1-$2 million, 3% for $3-$5 million, and 3.5% above that. Not much, right? Until you look at real estate prices (and everything else) in California: a house that might cost $300,000 in many states and areas can go for $1.5 million in much of California.
One attorney compared it to paying spousal support (as might be done after divorce) to the State of California. It is supposed to tax the “accumulated value” of being allowed to live in California. It is supposed to be used to support “underfunded public services and infrastructure projects.”
Let us ignore such niceties as stolen liberty, freedom denied, theft by government, slavery, and other evils that all States participate in to some degree. The insanely complex California tax system would get even more extreme. And the real benefit would seem to go to the government officials and employees paid to administer and enforce this new form of theft of wealth.
Californians, like ancient Jews, are more and more praying “How long, Oh Lord” do they have to put up with this. The smart ones recognize that they have done this to themselves by allowing the old parties to prey on them for a hundred years.
Is it not time not just for Calexit or splitting the State up into two or more States (or preferably independent or autonomous entities in some sort of free association with the remaining States)? But for tearing down the evil empire with its headquarters in Sacramento, its boots in every county, city, and town, and its hands in every pocket?
Not, of course, that California is alone in pushing this sort of nonsense. But California is so obvious a tyranny…