The term revolution and all its sister words and phrases are very often misunderstood. We get confused. The same word, revolution, is used to describe or name totally different events. Events, people and ideas are “revolutionary” – but in what way?
Continue readingAnd everyone is confused and even angry.
As announced today (Monday, 1 JUL 2024), the SCOTUS ruled 6-3 today on the Jack Smith prosecution against The Donald for his instigation of events on 6 JAN 2021. “The nature of presidential power entitles a former president to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority,” the court rules.
Gee! Situation normal, all fouled up! (SNAFU!) Were the actions Smith is trying to convict Trump on “official acts” by a sitting president as granted by the US Constitution? It goes back to the lower court to decide.
But Trumpistas, and Biden-fearers, herald this as a major victory for Trump as it delays most further court action on the case until after the election in November. (Just four months away.) This idea of unqualified immunity for all actions with Constitutional authority might excite many people. But lovers of liberty see it as yet another reason to take away power – as much as possible! – from government in general, DC in particular, and especially the chief executive officer of that mess.
Meanwhile, we have the NY conviction on 34 or 35 charges of committing heinous criminal business record actions. Which so far does not seem to have put off many people willing to vote for him in November.
In context, Uncle Joe’s behavior during the debate (first? last? only?) last week has a lot of people worried: did they forget to give him whatever drug cocktail he needs to function? Did they want him to blow it? What else?
But meanwhile, the entire buzz today is about what will happen as a result of this decision. Several of us think that the Nine Nazgul have demonstrated extreme caution – even cowardice. Others say that all they have done is state what is readily obvious to the most causal reader of the Constitution. Whatever their motive, whatever their analysis and horse-trading, they have almost certainly elevated the potential for a constitutional crisis. Even a true civil war for control of DC and the Fifty States – and indeed, even the world and much of our solar system.
Have you heard about a recent article over at Scientific American? Children Deserve Uniform Standards in Homeschooling is the title. The push in the article is a list of claims about how bad homeschooling is. We are told (with little more than anecdotal evidence, if that) of the many dangers of homeschooling. Of course, the writer doesn’t actually compare those so-called perils to the known perils of government-run, taxpayer-funded schools. That is, what most of us call “public schools.” (And what we prefer to call, with full transparency, “government-ruined and theft-funded” schools: including charter schools.)
Scientific American is a horrible example of “political science.” Not the science of understanding and teaching about politics and government. Rather, so-called “science” replaces real science with politically-correct teachings and “finding” and “conclusions.” (We associate that with the Soviets and Lysenko, but it has existed for millennia. Consider the Papacy’s trial of Galileo.)
It is not really a surprise to find SA pushing this. Especially since COVID, millions of American parents are finding alternatives to GRTF schools: more each quarter. The educational establishment is beleaguered and fears loss of power and money.
Continue readingThe recent Supreme Court decision taking away the power of administrative law judges seems to have everyone on both sides of the traditional political aisle screaming.
Are they really that upset and fearful or is it an act?
This term, the SCOTUS took up two cases brought by the fishing industry: Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce. And as a result reopened Chevron v. NRDC. And thereby seem to have opened a huge can of worms.
As lovers of liberty, we think our response to a blow like this to the administrative state would be simple: “Rejoice and be glad!”
Government – being ruled by elected rulers who lord it over us – is bad enough. But when most of those who lord it over us are unelected bureaucrats who have no real understanding of reality? It is far, far worse.
But it seems our viewpoint is not shared!
Continue readingA while back, I got a missive from Hillsdale College. It triggers some thoughts about the US Constitution, about liberty and human government, and about what we need to defend liberty and our rights.
Read it for yourself:
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In his Farewell Address, George Washington argued that “virtue or morality is the necessary spring of popular government,” and for this reason, “it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.” Washington knew the preservation of liberty depended upon Americans knowledgeable about their history, rights, and form of government and courageous enough to defend them.
Continue readingWhat does an addict need more than anything else?
“The biggest and most important job in America” is how a talk show host recently described the position of POTUS. While wondering how someone who is too mentally incompetent to be charged with violating federal law regarding classified documents can be allowed to hold that office.
He makes a valid point. But he also should trigger a whole lot of thoughts – worries and valid challenges to a system that 99% of Americans take for granted?
How did we get into this mess?
What mess? What does an addict need more than anything (at least in their own eyes)?
Continue readingC.S. Lewis said it well:
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.”
― C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology (Making of Modern Theology)
We here at TPOL would disagree with the esteemed Mr. Lewis about the likelihood of these nanny-tyrants going to Heaven. There are too many scriptures that condemn both their actions and their attitudes. Although many modern “christian” religious groups seem to fit into either this category of enforcing morality by implied or mental force – or actual force. Or simply have abandoned any idea of morality save for situational ethics.
But he points out one of the most common kinds of tyranny found both in these States and the world today.
It is often counterintuitive to view that those who love us and believe that they are doing their best to help us are worse tyrants than the brutal and demanding authoritarians who are in it for power and wealth. Ignoring those who lie to us about their motives, believing that we can be forced to do things for our own good.
Honest and true lovers of liberty and lovers of God do not force people to take care of themselves, to do good, or even to not do bad things to others – except in defending themselves and others against those trying to do bad things. But in today’s world, even many who claim to be christians and who claim to be lovers of liberty all too often accept force or even promote it.
We must recognize and plan to deal with such tyranny.
Courtesy of Conner Boyack:
Connor shared this a couple of months back, and one unthinking response had this: “Nobody wants a society like this, Connor, that’s why Libertarians don’t get votes.”
Connor had not attached this directly to libertarianism, or voting. But we here at TPOL will.
Continue readingCelebrating his (sometimes labeled dubious) victory over a Republican who seems chosen to fail miserably 15 years ago, Barack (Barry) Obama continued to preach his anti-liberty, anti-free-market gospel in Chicago a while back. He is obviously still very active politically. And it may be that more and more Democrats – fearful of Uncle Joe’s growing dysfunction conditions – are hoping for a miracle in the form of Michelle. And continued control (according to many) of the Executive Branch by Obummer and his minions.
But for now, consider his preaching.
“But just because an economic system generated wealth and innovation doesn’t mean it guarantees a good society,” Obama said. “Because from the outset, market-based systems have been compatible with slavery, caste systems, colonialization, war, exploration, corruption, fraud, autocracy, the poisoning of our natural environment.”
Gee, really?
Actually, we agree with the first sentence. (Shocker, right?) But…
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The Price of Liberty 
Celebrate freedom?
A Rapid City Journal headline today told us to “celebrate freedom: fireworks, festivities abound for July 4” and as usual, we here at TPOL recognize that the actual day that the Continental Congress voted to secede from the United Kingdom and the British Empire was on 2 July 1776. That is, 248 years ago today.
Yes, we know (from bitter experience) that the work isn’t done until the paperwork is completed. Hence, the 4th of July.
But even then, it was still a hard seven-year-long slog of blood, deprivation, and sacrifice of treasure – and liberty – before the Thirteen States truly were free. And in the eyes of many (such as our friend and comrade Boston T Party), just four more years before much of that freedom (and even more liberty) was bartered away for the sake of security. The US Constitution was drafted and ultimately ratified to replace the significantly greater liberty, freedom, and risks, of the Confederation.
But today, should we celebrate liberty, enjoy and rejoice in freedom?
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