Are modern American liberals heirs to Karl Marx?

Posted on 2024-03-28 by TPOL Nathan

Or perhaps Groucho?

A correspondent recently found and shared this quote from the father of Communism and Socialism:

“Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary”

Now, just based on this one quote of Marx, modern American “liberals” (Progressives/regressives) clearly do not channel Karl. For this is clearly completely contrary to the vast majority of Democrats and especially their more extreme elements.

So the answer to our headline question is a resounding “NO.” Whatever they may claim. But he wrote many other things that seem burned into the brains (or at least the skull cavities) of too many today: enemies of liberty, parasites on the human race, people who (assuming they can be considered intelligent) lack reason and common sense. And any sense of proportion.

Surely, dear Karl must have said a few other good things. Surely he loved puppies (or kittens) and maybe (some) children. But looking at his most well-known quotes and his writing, he does not seem to be a very nice man. But he had a wife and seven children, and even some grandchildren.

It is claimed he is one of the most influential men in history, which is a sad commentary on people in general.

Today, while not the only source of inspiration for enemies of liberty, he is certainly the major one. Though people do not want to accept it, his ideas were powerful influences on a lot of people. Among those were Honest Abe Lincoln, Vladimir Lenin, and of course, Adolf Hitler. Directly or indirectly Mr. Marx is responsible for the premature deaths of tens of millions of people.

Can we summarize his philosophy? Individuals have no individual worth: they are simply part of a class, a group without power otherwise. And every person has their place: square pegs in round holes must be modified to fit. But if they do not, they must be trimmed and forced to fit. And if they seek to escape, there are harsher methods of dealing with them. “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” as defined by the body politic – the people who (despite his words above) have all the guns.

His legacy is an evil one, and one we must (as lovers of liberty) constantly fight. And convince others that, no matter what his motives, his actions – even if mostly limited to writing – are evil.

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Same old, same old

Posted on 2024-03-27 by TPOL Nathan

It seems that the “white hope” of the 2024 presidential election (in many eyes) has chosen a running mate. This makes the election more problematic, and more of a mess.

Robert F Kennedy Jr. has chosen Nicole Shanahan, a California “criminal justice” activist and long-time (relatively – she looks pretty young) supporter of Democrats and regressive causes. This seems to contradict RFKJr’s claim to have divorced himself and his campaign from the Democratic Party. Especially since one of the objects of campaign donations as Uncle Joe himself. (Of course, that was four years ago: we bet that RFKJr donated some cash to Uncle Joe that year.)

Several people point out that perhaps he is just “polishing” his “progressive credentials” and even figuring he will therefore suck more votes from the current occupant of 1600 PA.

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A bridge to…

Posted on 2024-03-26 by TPOL Nathan

As any number of libertarian writers have pointed out today, the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early this morning by a Hyundai-built, massive container ship destroyed not just a key (pun intended) icon of Maryland, but delivered a horrific blow to the economy of these States.

Bridges are important, economically, militarily, socially, and even politically.

A few months back, a railroad bridge north of Pueblo, Colorado collapsed onto I-25 blocking both roadways. It took months both to restore traffic on the freeway and to replace the bridge and allow the only rail line supplying fuel and raw materials to Portland cement plants, the steel plant, and other operations in Pueblo while adding millions in extra costs for everyone from daily commuters to significant retail, wholesale, and manufacturing businesses.

In World War Two, Allied plans to defeat Germany before the harsh winter of 1944-45 were defeated when the last of a series of bridges in the Netherlands could not be captured and held: it was indeed a bridge too far. I’ve been there in Arnham.

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“Constitutional” rights?

Posted on 2024-03-25 by TPOL Nathan

(A Baker’s Dozen: our rights)

How many times have you heard the claim “our rights are ‘given’ to us by the Constitution”? Or “government gives us our rights”?

We were recently told by a pundit of some sort that anyone who believes that our rights come from God is an evil “Christian nationalist” – racist, homophobic, hating anyone who disagrees with them. These same people also reject the claim that we “naturally” have certain rights as humans. (For those who are unsure of or do not believe in the Creator God.)

Clearly, we here at The Price of Liberty disagree with these claims.

As did those men who formulated the US Constitution – and the earlier document on which it is based. (The Declaration of Independence, of course.) And indeed, based those documents on (among other things) the principles found in the Bible: both the Tanakh (Old Testament) and the New Testament.

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Smile a while – political style

Posted on 2024-03-23 by TPOL Nathan

Sharing some images and memes to cheer us all up. Here in the Black Hills, winter has returned for a few days, and we are trying to stay both free and warm!

How many Americans fall into this category? I think certainly more than the mystical 3%!

Still, we have to remember warnings from the past:

How silly and foolish? We’ve mentioned some of the nonsense in Colorado and there is always some crazy and foolish in California, but this sort of nonsense can spring up anywhere:

Shall we end this little quick discussion with an oldie but goodie? Coolidge was perhaps one of the better American presidents, but his blindness is depressing:

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War on freedom of speech gets hotter

Posted on 2024-03-22 by TPOL Nathan

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.

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The long arm of the taxman – California style

Posted on 2024-03-21 by TPOL Nathan

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…

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Enemies of the State versus Enemies of Liberty

Posted on 2024-03-20 by TPOL Nathan

Many 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.

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A reminder as the darkness grows: there is light ahead

Posted on 2024-03-19 by TPOL Nathan

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?

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Does Uncle Joe envy Vlad Putin?

Posted on 2024-03-18 by TPOL Nathan

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).

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