Just Think About It

As anyone who has read much of what I have written here on my blog knows, I have a pretty low opinion of most politicians and our current political system. The current debate over legalizing medicinal marijuana in Minnesota is not improving my opinion.

Yesterday the Minnesota Senate approved a bill by a vote of 36 to 28 that would legalize medicinal marijuana. During the debate my State Senator Dave Sejem made this comment:

"Just think about it. Do the people of Minnesota really want marijuana to be legalized in the name of medicine? I don't think they do."

Yeah Dave, legalizing marijuana for pain and nausea relief would just be the beginning. Next thing you know really addictive and harmful drugs like morphine would be legalized for medical use also.

Oh wait morphine is already legal.

To ban the medicinal use of marijuana is beyond the pale. All the arguments from the drug warriors and the grandstanding politicians show the danger of uncaring big powerful government.

The poor drug warriors claim legalizing medicinal marijuana will make their job fighting the war on a plant tougher. It is a ridiculous claim, but even if it were true it does not justify the unneeded suffering of innocent human beings.

No Man is Above the Law. Prosecute Bush and Cheney for Torture

Charleston City Paper and Taki's Magazine columnist Jack Hunter calls for the prosecution of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for the torture committed under their command. Hunter quotes numerous Republicans calling for Bill Clinton's impeachment because no man is above the law. Hunter calls for Republicans to be consistent in their view of enforcing the law.

Hunter also alludes back to the use of water boarding by the Japanese in World War II and says if we consider water boarding as practiced by the Japanese to be torture, then it is still torture when practiced by the United States.

Peter Schiff Says End The Fed!

Excerpts from Peter Schiff's speech at the End the Fed rally in Manhattan on April 25,2009.

A Lot of Fuel and Expense for a Few Photos

Here are some shots of the Air Force One twin and its F-16 fighter escort flying over New York City on Monday. The flight was made so that some new pictures could be taken of Air Force one flying by New York landmarks. While much has been made of the fear factor to the public due to this flight, there is another negative aspect to this dumb stunt. How much fuel was burned to get a few photos. This from an Administration concerned with global warming? How much did this cost the taxpayers for fuel, personnel, etc.

Just another case of do as I say not as I do and we are all equal, but some are more equal than others. All hail the ruling class.

Swine Flu Public Service Announcements

Ah memories. Here are some Swine Flu public service announcements from 1976.

Negative Interest Rate?

Peter Schiff's video blog for April 27, 2009. Schiff discusses the difference between idealism and realism. Some economists for the Federal Reserve have suggested that the ideal interest rate is a negative five percent.

Peter is much better on economics than he is on supermodel names.

Swine Flu Panic

Texas Congressman Ron Paul talks about the current government reaction to the swine flu cases. Paul talks about the 1976 swine flu scare and its results. He also compares the number of swine flu cases to the number of tuberculosis cases.

Audit the Federal Reserve.

Ron Paul talks about his bill (HR 1207) to audit the Federal Reserve. That is correct, there currently is no oversight or audit of the Federal Reserve.

Draft Adam Kokesh

Adam Kokesh, Iraq War veteran and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War was a guest on the Liberty Cafe internet radio show. After the show this clip was taped where Kokesh and hosts Nancy and Katie discuss the possibility of Kokesh running for Congress.

Goobers

Leonard Pitts, Jr. wrote an article deriding the idea of secession. Pitts specifically refers to Texas governor Rick Perry's mention of the possibility of Texas seceding:

That it is borderline traitorous for Perry to obliquely threaten it might be tried again goes without saying. That it is dangerously irresponsible in a nation where there are, in fact, goobers in the woods with guns, is likewise obvious. And no, I am not unaware of the legal theses which hold that any state has the right to leave the Union, though I tend to agree with Abraham Lincoln that the nation that would stand passively by and watch itself disintegrate is unworthy of the name.

Perry's words have made him a hero out on the angry fringes of conservatism. Those of us who do not live on that fringe can only mourn this new reality in which ideology supersedes country. Country, after all, is supposed to be that which pulls us back together after everything else -- politics, race, religion -- has conspired to pull us apart.

Many commentators are making comments that refer to Bush, Republicans and Perry and all their use of big government for their advantage. Rick Perry is in all likelihood just another Republican neocon warmonger, run of the mill politician who is trying to capitalize on this issue. But just because someone like Perry grabs a hold of the issue doesn’t make it invalid.

Others make reference to the Civil War saying that states cannot secede. They do not understand the founding of this country. They do not believe in self determination or voluntary cooperation. Instead, they believe in force. The Civil War did not settle the issue of secession. To believe that means you believe that might makes right.

The secessionist talk today is not “the South rising again”. Rather it is the result of 100 years of the Constitution being ignored by politicians and the Supreme Court.

Under the Constitution states are supreme over the Federal government.
In practice, states are just a lower level of government that has to do as they are told by big brother in Washington.

This is not a Democrat versus Republican issue. George W. Bush violated the Constitution daily. It is an issue of big national government versus government as envisioned by the Founders. If the big government politicians and their hand picked flunkies on the Supreme Court continue down the supreme national government route, they just may force the issue of secession to the forefront again.

Peter Schiff on Ending the Federal Reserve

Peter Schiff on Fox Business News talks about ending the Federal Reserve. Schiff points out that the Federal Reserve is responsible for much of the economic problems we are experiencing.

Tea Parties and the Warfare State

Jack Hunter, the Southern Avenger, points out the hypocrisy of those conservatives who came out and supported the Tea Parties last week, while at the same time supporting the "War on Terror" and the Bush Administration. You can't logically support limited, low tax government and the warfare state at the same time. But there is nothing logical about windbags like Sean Hannity.

I've come to the conclusion that true believers in limited government should try to keep our distance from these tax rallies which inevitably are taken over by the neocon Republicans. The association with these big government warmongers taints the limited government message.

Protecting Us From Dangerous Homemade Pies

Another episode in the never ending drive to regulate, license and control every aspect of our lives. This time it is the State of Pennsylvania cracking down on the sale of homemade pies at church dinners. From the Wall Street Journal:

On the first Friday of Lent, an elderly female parishioner of St. Cecilia Catholic Church began unwrapping pies at the church. That's when the trouble started.

A state inspector, there for an annual checkup on the church's kitchen, spied the desserts. After it was determined that the pies were home-baked, the inspector decreed they couldn't be sold.

The problem is the pies are illegal in Pennsylvania. Under the state's food-safety code, facilities that provide food at four or more events in a year require at least a temporary eating and drinking license, and food has to be prepared in a state-inspected kitchen. Many churches have six fish fries a year, on Fridays during Lent. St. Cecilia's has always complied with having its kitchen licensed, so food made there is fine to serve. But homemade goods don't make the cut.

Meanwhile, home-baked pies continue to be sold at many other fish fries. At a fry in the school cafeteria of a Catholic church on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, the fish-fry director said they never bake pies at the school. Instead, parishioners bake pies, cookies, cakes and cupcakes and bring them in. Donations like those help keep costs down, he says. As for the regulation requiring goods to be baked on the premises, he said, "We're ignoring it. Don't tell anyone."

The ruckus at St. Cecilia's could lead to changes in Pennsylvania state law. State Sen. Elder Vogel Jr. has drafted legislation aimed at allowing nonprofits, including churches, to serve food prepared at home. That would cover fish fries held during Lent. "Once again, you've got the heavy hand of government coming in," he says. "These ladies bake pies, out of the goodness of their hearts."

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture declined to make the inspector available for comment. Bill Chirdon, the department's food-safety director, says it has cited only one church in the past three years for unsanitary conditions. In that case, he says the church held outside picnics every week and let food sit in the sun and didn't respond to changes recommended by food-safety inspectors.

Mr. Chirdon says the pie episode has shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of food safety. "I've gotten a lot of letters from churches that are tattletaling on churches down the street that aren't licensed and don't meet standards for food service."

I love that last quote from Bill Chirdon. The quote hits on what so much of regulation is really for, which is to put your competition at a disadvantage. Regulation favors the large and established business over the small new business. The regulations can be drawn to favor specific politically well connected businesses. Quite often, especially at the Federal level, there is a revolving door where individual go from a business, to regulating and back again.

Big government always favors big business and big labor over their smaller competitors. Sometimes it is by accident, but too often it is really by design.

Texas Secession

Ron Paul on CNN American Morning 4/21/2009 discusses the issue of secession. Paul points out that this Country was founded through secession and that we have supported secession overseas.

Hillary Clinton and Ron Paul

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton questioned by Ron Paul on April 22, 2009. Paul states that he sees some encouraging moves by the Obama Administration to a less strident foreign policy. Clinton praises Paul for the enthusiasm his campaign generated.

Protecting Us From Dangerous Undressed Girls

In an example of why you don't want to give the government the power to spy on citizens, two FBI security guards have been arrested for using FBI security cameras to spy on undressed teenage girls. From the Charleston Daily Mail:

The charges stem from a Cinderella Project fashion show and sale April 4 at a mall in Fairmont in north-central West Virginia. The event drew hundreds of girls from 10 high schools in five counties and the teenagers bought donated prom gowns for as little as $5.

A criminal complaint claims the guards who provide security for an FBI office at the mall focused a security camera on a makeshift, open-topped changing area in a hallway. The complaint said they zoomed in and recorded girls in various stages of undress for at least 90 minutes.

Inevitably power will be abused by someone at sometime, the Founders of this Country knew that, history is overflowing with examples. The temptation to abuse power is a human failing. It does not change or go away. That is why power must be limited and dispersed, not concentrated. Unfortunately too many people ignore the lessons of history and acquiesce or even lobby for increased power for the government.

Secession

Texas Congressman Ron Paul talks about secession. Dr. Paul says secession is an important Constitutional principle.



Those who say the Civil War determined that secession is not allowed are saying that might makes right. The United States is a union of states, therefore it is only logical that states can choose to secede.

Should Cargo Ship Crews Be Armed?

Joseph Cox, President of the Chamber of Shipping of America, debates Gun Owners of America, Executive Director, Larry Pratt over whether the crews of cargo ships should be armed.



As anybody who reads this blog could figure out, I am squarely in Larry Pratt's camp. It is totally ridiculous not to allow the crews to defend themselves. Much better to prevent a hijacking in the first place, rather than trying to end one after the fact.

In addition if crews were armed the number of attempted hijackings would decrease as the cowardly pirates would not want to risk being killed.

What to Do About the Somali Pirates

Weekly message from Texas Congressman Ron Paul:

Responses to Piracy

The recent episode with the Somali pirates has brought to the forefront many questions about maritime security. What is the best way to deal with a gang of criminals, not acting on behalf of any country, when they attack private vessels? Under whose jurisdiction are these types of criminals to be prosecuted? Most importantly, how do we deter such attacks in the future?

Already the administration is saber-rattling with typical big government so-called solutions, like “diplomatically” threatening the weak Somalian government, or any government of any country where pirates are thought to live, with military action if they fail to control the situation. There are calls to increase the size of the navy until it is nearly omnipresent on the seas. I was pleased to see they got one thing partially right in stating that the government should work with shippers and the insurance industry to address gaps in their self-defense, if by “work with” they mean “get out of the way”. But I fear this will soon be brushed aside in favor of the more elaborate, interventionist and expensive measures. Self-defense is the most obvious, most effective and least expensive solution, but that has never stopped the government from spending money they don’t have to make problems worse.

The situation is not unlike the situation with the non-state thugs that perpetrated the attacks on 9/11. We were not attacked by any country, and yet our response was to start wars with countries out of a need for misguided retaliation. This destroyed most of the goodwill our nation had in the world, and helped terrorists recruit and grow even more powerful. The worst thing we could possibly do is react to this incident with the same misguided fervor, producing equally damaging results.

First and foremost, the people and entities closest to the situation need to be empowered to defend themselves. In the case of private shipping companies, the owners and operators need to be allowed to carry weapons to deter and defend from attacks. But because many governments, including ours, have anti-gun laws in place in ports and territorial waters, ironically to discourage piracy, it is nearly impossible to legally carry weapons at sea for peaceful and defensive purposes. This sets up the predictable situation that only criminals and military vessels remain armed, making legitimate shipping operations ridiculously easy prey. I strongly believe that standing behind the basic human right to self-defense is the best deterrent to both terrorism and piracy, which is why I also argued for allowing pilots to be armed after 9/11. What governments call a gun-free zone is in reality a target rich environment to a criminal.

The second line of defense would be for Congress to act within the Constitution and issue letters of marque and reprisal, deputizing private organizations to act within the law to disable and capture those engaged in piracy. This approach to keeping ships safe at sea would minimize the effect on international relations by keeping our Navy out of it, as well as keeping costs to a minimum.

These criminal gangs should not have free reign to rob, terrorize and murder as they please in the world. But we need to be thoughtful and strategic in our reaction to incidents like these, and not knee-jerk our way into bigger, more encroaching government and military solutions.

Cody Willard: Fight the Republican/Democrat Fascist Regime

Cody Willard of Fox News calls on Americans to fight the Republican/Democrat Fascist Regime.

Willard shows how the Daily Show distorted his remarks to appear that he was only referring to the Democrats when the reality is he was referring to both the Democrats and Republicans.

Peter Schiff Vlog for April 20, 2009

Peter Schiff comments on today's economic news.

Why Government Growth and Debt is Dangerous

This was posted by Thomas DiLorenzo on LewRockwell.com:

What Would Jefferson Think?

About the explosion of government debt during the BushObama regime(s). Here's what:

"We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debt, as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our calling and our creeds . . . [we will] have no time to think, no means of calling our mis-managers to account to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers . . . . And this is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for [another] till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automotons of misery . . . . And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression."

--July 12, 1816 letter from Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval

This is so true and unfortunately recognized by only a few. The more government does, the more power it has over us. As we become more dependent on government and retain less of our earnings because they are taxed (or inflated) away, we become weaker and easier to control. This leads to even further growth in government and it will eventually attract more and more individuals who seek power over others rather than just those who misguidedly think they are doing good.

Successful Drug Decriminalization in Portugal

Salon columnist and bestselling author Glenn Greenwald discusses his new Cato Institute policy paper on Portugal's path breaking and hugely successful drug decriminalization program with Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie .

Greenwald says that decriminalization has actually lowered drug use in Portugal and none of the terrible results predicted by opponents of decriminalization has materialized.

Later in the interview Greenwald says that so far Barack Obama is a disappointment on drug policy, executive power, and civil liberties.

Update on Baptist Preacher Arrest

Apparently Pastor Steven L Anderson arraignment has been delayed to some future date. There has been much talk of Mr. Anderson's views on other matters such as homosexuality, non believers and so on. Mr. Anderson's views on such matters are irrelevant to this incident. What matters is if what Mr. Anderson states about the incident is true or not.

From what I have read of Mr. Anderson's views, I would guess that I would find myself in disagreement with him on most issues, but even those whose views I disagree with, still retain their rights.

The following is the press release from the Arizona Department of Public Safety on the matter. The Arizona Department of Public Safety mentions the Supreme Court ruling that the ACLU says made the area of the US within 100 miles of the border a "Constitution free zone."

For Immediate Release -
Friday, April 17, 2009

Arizona Department of Public Safety Statement Concerning the Arrest of Steven L. Anderson

Arrest took place Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at a U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint

The U.S. Border Patrol asked the Arizona Department of Public Safety to assist their Officers with a combative motorist who refused to cooperate at a checkpoint in the westbound lanes of Interstate 8. Steven L. Anderson, the combative motorist, was arrested by a DPS Officer for resisting a lawful order during the incident and booked into the Yuma County Jail.

Mr. Anderson never filed a complaint with DPS concerning his arrest but instead made a You-Tube video that featured his version of the events of that day.

An investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety's Professional Standards Bureau is underway. DPS is looking at current agency policies and procedures that officers must comply with when requested by any agency to respond to checkpoints.

In this particular instance DPS will look at our Officer's response and actions. We will offer no further comment on this incident until the investigation has been concluded.

*It should be noted that in 1976, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Federal checkpoints near border areas to enforce laws prohibiting illegal immigration. This U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint along Interstate 8 is in compliance with federal law.*

Tea Party Reservations

The Ridley Report visits the New Hampshire Tea Party. Dave Ridley talks to Kat Kanning New Hampshire liberty activist. Kat expresses reservations about the nationalistic cheers at the rally. Many libertarians had difficulty with Republican control of theses Tea Parties.

Dangerous Terrorist Baptist Preacher Stopped by Border Patrol

Baptist Pastor Steven L Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona was stopped at an internal checkpoint on Interstate 8 about 75 miles east of Yuma, Arizona. When Pastor Anderson began to assert his right to be free from unreasonable searches, the border patrol (remember this checkpoint is nowhere near the border) and Arizona Department of Public Safety (yeah right) tell Anderson he is under arrest, smash the windows of his car and begin to taser the Pastor. They then proceed to throw Anderson onto the road and continue to taser him and step on him, grinding his face into the broken glass.

Anderson tells the tale of his ordeal:



Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. We are getting ever closer to absolute government power. Unless more people start standing up and opposing this, we are doomed to a police state.

For some of my prior posts on these internal checkpoints, which are a hallmark of a police state, see:

Homeland Security Internal Checkpoint. A Hallmark of a Police State

More Internal Checkpoints - More Signs of a Police State

Preaching Inflation and Economic Fascism

Ron Paul responds to President Obama's speech earlier Tuesday defending government intervention and spending as a response to the current economic crisis.

Letters of Marque and Reprisal

Congressman Ron Paul discusses the piracy situation off the coast of Somalia. Paul says the government should end the prohibition on the ships from arming themselves. Paul says the companies could defend themselves and not require the US Navy.

Congress Extorts Accounting Industry

Bill Black, a former federal regulator and a professor of economics and law, talks to Al Jazeera's Shihab Rattansi about how US banks are allegedly using accounting procedures to cover up their losses.

Debt and War are Generational Theft

Jack Hunter states that debt, whether incurred for a "economic stimulus" or for the war in Iraq, is generational theft. Hunter criticizes partisans of both major parties for ignoring this.

Hunter goes into an in depth look at the cost of the Iraq War and our empire. Hunter strongly criticizes the pro war conservatives for ignoring the true costs.

Peter Schiff Vlog for April 13, 2009

Peter Schiff says the recent news that earnings are improving in the financial is misleading. Schiff says that these earnings are sowing the seeds of future losses.

Katey Montague on Gun Registry vs DNA Databank

Katey Montague talks about the difference in the Canadian government efforts to track the cost effectiveness of the gun registry versus the DNA Data bank.

Operation Enduring Bubble

Douglas E. French of the Ludwig von Mises Institute talks about bubble economics at at "The Great Depression: What We Can Learn From It Today," the Mises Circle in Colorado on April 4, 2009.

Pessimism Porn

ABC calls Peter Schiff and Gerald Celente purveyors of Pessimism Porn.

Words Will Always Retain Their Power

The great speech from V for Vendetta. Unfortunately we are well on the path of trading our freedoms for security and order.

The Excellent Adventure of Jason and Pete

Nick Gillespie of Reason TV interviews Jason Talley and Pete Eyre about their planned trip across the US.

More from Reason:

Here's a heart-warming scene from today's America: Two liberty-loving, new-media-savvy lads, Jason Talley of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation and Pete Eyre of Bureaucrash, have left Washington, D.C. in an RV to tool around America and tell tales of freedom and oppression. Driving north to New Hampshire, they'll be heading west and lighting out for Los Angeles. And then they'll head back east.

Tally and Eyre are blogging, tweeting, and YouTubing their adventures and encounters along the way at Motorhomediaries.com.

Shortly before this latter-day, Rothbard-grokking Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarity hit the road, they sat down and talked with Reason.tv about their trip. And how they plan to avoid the apocalyptic outcomes of RV movies such as Race with the Devil and Lost in America.

UPDATE 4/12/09

Here are the weblinks provided by Pete Eyre for this project:

motorhomediaries.com

fr33agents.com

fr33agents.net

Never Heard of the Great Depression of 1920?

Thomas E. Woods, Jr, author of the bestseller "Meltdown", discussing the depression of 1920 and why it only lasted 18 months.

From his talk at "The Great Depression: What We Can Learn From It Today," the Mises Circle in Colorado; sponsored by Limited Government Forum of Colorado Springs and hosted by the Ludwig von Mises Institute. Recorded Saturday, 4 April 2009.

Tax Facts

As you sit down to pay your taxes in our "voluntary tax system", here are some tax facts from Reason TV:

Is it patriotic to pay taxes? And if so, who the most patriotest Americans? Who are the least? How many words are in the tax code? How much do patriotic Americans pay to prepare their taxes? How long do you have to work in a year to earn enough to pay your taxes?

The answers to these and other questions add up to one big W-2 WTF.

The Radical Right

Jack Hunter explores the rise of the "radical right" in opposing big government. Hunter states that the most promising efforts are coming from the grassroots. People outside of the establishment are proposing radical changes. In this case radical is a good thing, just as the founding of this country was based on the radical ideas of Jefferson and others.

Andrew Napolitano on Government Extortion

Andrew Napolitano discusses the actions of Washington to coerce actions from businesses and individuals.

Electronic Cigarettes

A very interesting post over at Reason.com on electronic cigarettes. An electronic cigarette is a device that delivers nicotine to the user without all the other unhealthy substances. But there is a move a foot in Congress to ban them. Another example of the stupidity and worse of our so called leaders.

From the Reason.com post:

Last week the House of Representatives approved a bill that authorizes the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products. Lest anyone think that cigarettes will be safer as a result, the bill prohibits manufacturers from mentioning FDA regulation, saying "consumers are likely to be confused and misled" if they know about it.

Meanwhile, supporters of the bill, which the Senate will consider later this year, are demanding that the FDA ban e-cigarettes, a potentially life-saving alternative for smokers, as unauthorized drug delivery devices. Last month Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), who brags that he is "one of the Senate's leaders in protecting Americans from the dangers of smoking," urged the FDA to take e-cigarettes off the market "until they are proven safe." The next day, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids applauded Lautenberg's position.

Michael Siegel, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, did not. "This is about as idiotic and irrational an approach as I have ever seen in my 22 years in tobacco control and public health," he wrote on his blog. "A public policy maker who touts himself as being a champion of the public's health as well as some of the leading national health advocacy organizations are demanding that we ban what is clearly a much safer cigarette than those on the market, but that we allow, protect, approve, and institutionalize the really toxic ones."

Introduced by the Chinese company Ruyan in 2004, e-cigarettes produce water vapor containing nicotine and the food additive propylene glycol. The tip of the battery-powered "cigarette" lights up when a user sucks on it, and the vapor looks like smoke, but it dissipates immediately and contains none of the toxins and carcinogens that are generated when tobacco burns.

Given the enormous differences between this vapor and tobacco smoke, the companies that sell e-cigarettes online and from shopping mall kiosks are on firm ground in advertising them as safer alternatives to conventional cigarettes that can be used in places where smoking is banned. The arguments of e-cigarette opponents, by contrast, reek of red herrings.

The critics warn that nicotine is addictive, that it may contribute to cardiovascular problems, and that smokers may use e-cigarettes as way of coping with smoking bans, continuing their habits instead of quitting. All of these objections also apply to the nicotine gum, patches, sprays, and inhalers the FDA has approved as safe and effective smoking cessation tools.

Obama Seeks to Expand Government Wiretapping

The American people got fooled once again as Mr. Change turns out to be Mr. Same. The Obama Administration is defending the Bush Administration's wiretappers and is seeking to expand the wiretapping powers of the government.

Who is Out of Touch With Reality

Newt Gingrich is calling for a preemptive strike on North Korea. Newt called Kim Jong-il a person out of touch with reality. This is true, but then again Newt is living in the Neocon fantasyland. North Korea can't feed it's own people, not exactly a worldwide threat.

Commentary from Jack Hunter:

Terrible and Tragic Accident That Didn’t Have to Happen, Almost Does Again

Thank gawd this is the responsibility of the caring government, who knows what would happen if it were up to that evil free market. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

At I-75 and Northside Drive, where seven people were killed two years ago after a bus driver mistook an HOV exit ramp for a through lane, another bus nearly made the same mistake last week.

And the Georgia Department of Transportation — harshly criticized for bad signage that contributed to the fatal accident — acknowledged after the latest incident that it has yet to finish putting in all the new signs it has promised to warn drivers about the ramp.

Rick Obertein, a driver for Michigan-based Blue Lakes Charters & Tours, was driving a high school band from Michigan to a competition in Orlando when he took the ramp Thursday morning, thinking it was a continuation of I-75’s southbound HOV lane.

Obertein realized it was an exit in time to brake to a stop at the top of the ramp.

“That ramp is very deceiving,” said Obertein, who has driven 13 years for the charter bus company. “You’re driving along and all of a sudden it goes up and there’s a stop sign. I can see where it would be confusing, especially if it was foggy or raining.”

In the March 2007 accident, a driver for the bus carrying the Bluffton University baseball team didn’t realize the HOV ramp was actually an exit until it was too late to stop.

The vehicle crashed through a barrier wall and fell to the highway below, killing five baseball team members, the driver and his wife.

More than two years after that crash — and a harsh condemnation last July from the National Transportation Safety Board, which blamed the tragedy on bad signs and driver error — a spokesman for the state DOT acknowledged Friday that the agency was still working to fix the signage.

“The footings for the new signs just went in,” David Spear said. “The … signs will be completed by summer.”

When the NTSB issued its findings of the Bluffton bus crash last summer, safety board Chairman Mark V. Rosenker called it a “terrible and tragic accident … that didn’t have to happen.”

It has been over two years since an accident that killed seven people because of bad signage and the state of Georgia hasn't fixed the problem yet? I keep hearing government cares for us, is not greedy like businessmen and on and on. Two years? No signs? Where is the responsibility? Where is the concern?

As Economy Shrinks the Government Gets Bigger

Weekly message from Texas Congressman Ron Paul:

Budget Expands Government as Economy Contracts

Last week the House passed another budget that increases federal power, raises taxes, and increases the national debt. I voted against it, and was pleased to see that not a single Republican representative voted for it. Legislators often see bipartisanship as constructive, but I disagree especially where the destruction of our economy or our liberty is concerned. There has been too much bipartisan consensus on expanding government far beyond the bounds of the Constitution which we all swore to defend and uphold. Because of this, I have never been able to vote for a budget. However, it was good to see Republicans come together on this important vote, even if their alternative budget was almost as bad.

Despite the deterioration of our economy, this is the largest budget ever passed, at $3.6 trillion. Gross domestic product and tax receipts are shrinking. The government has less money to spend this year, and so it spends more - $1.5 trillion more - than it has. When the economy expands, the government expands. Worse, when the economy contracts, the government expands more. Even more troubling is that even though the size of the budget boggles the mind, it is never the final word on federal spending. No allowance has been made for future bailouts and stimulus plans that are highly likely. There are always supplemental bills passed later in the year. War spending is one of those. Spending on Afghanistan is only partially included in budget, with a supplemental request expected in the future. History shows that true costs far exceed estimates. So even though these numbers sound appalling enough, I predict spending will top $4 trillion this year, raising the national debt by over $2 trillion when all is said and done.

Some may notice that the neo-conservatives who masterminded the policy of global interventions are not complaining about the level of military and foreign spending. This is because rather than drawing down our costly interventions, Obama is largely staying the course on these issues. In fact, this week a group of leading neoconservatives met to discuss how best to support the President on foreign policy! I am disappointed and concerned that, in spite of a change in leadership, we will remain the policeman of the world, placing ourselves at grave danger in many ways.

As our mountain of debt is projected to double with the new budget, many are wondering how long our country can keep this up before serious repercussions are felt. Obviously we can’t continue down this road indefinitely. Certainly, no country has ever prospered when their public sector spent half or all of the nation’s GDP. Yet we are saddled with leadership that seems unwaveringly convinced that the key to prosperity is public spending. This will be exposed for the lie that it is when our creditors wake up and call in our debt. The temptation at that time will be for the government to simply print up dollars in the amount needed. This type of debt repudiation could signal the end of the dollar as its value sinks to zero. We are seeing all the signs that this could happen. Certainly there are no signs of the alternative, which is paying down debt and taking the path of fiscal responsibility.

Tragically, it is those who save their dollars, the most prudent and responsible among us, that will be hurt most by this irresponsibility in Washington.

Who's Afraid of North Korea?

Texas Congressman Ron Paul discusses the international reaction to North Korea's attempt to launch a rocket into space. Paul points out the ridiculousness and of course the hypocrisy of all the hype in the West about a primitive rocket launch by a backward failed country.

The Sidewalk from Hell

Jesus Barajas, a Seattle janitor had dreams of a new home for his retirement. He and his wife Maria, a housekeeper at a downtown hotel have been saving for 12 years to achieve their dream. Now a government regulation intended for developers is destroying their dream.

From the Seattle Times:

Jesus Barajas wanted granite countertops and hardwood floors but is settling for Formica and carpet. Instead of hiring professional house painters and landscapers, he now plans to do the work himself.

The soured economy is part of the reason Barajas is downsizing his dreams for the new, 2,400-square-foot home he's building on property he's owned for nearly 30 years. Mostly, though, he's cutting back on amenities to pay for construction of a sidewalk outside his front door.

The price tag: nearly $15,000 for a 60-foot strip of asphalt.

Seattle officials admit Barajas is an unintended target of a year-old city ordinance meant to force developers to provide infrastructure improvements in the city's 22 designated urban villages. Although the ordinance was directed at developers and not a private homeowner tearing down an existing house to build anew — and the sidewalk likely will be the only one on Barajas' street for years, if not decades — they say there's nothing they can do to waive the requirement.

"This is sort of a rare instance," said Bryan Stevens, a spokesman for the city's Department of Planning and Development. "... It may feel like a sidewalk to nowhere, but others will come."

That may be so, but spending thousands of dollars on a sidewalk — one unlikely to have much impact on pedestrian safety — is "like throwing away money," Barajas said.

Given the slow pace of development in his neighborhood, Barajas' sidewalk may have to be replaced by the time others come to the block.

Barajas, a janitor for King County Metro since 1990, and his wife, Maria, a housekeeper at a downtown hotel, have saved for 12 years to afford the down payment on their $250,000 construction loan.

"I just want something to live comfortable after I retire," said Barajas, 61, adding that the new house will be his teenage daughter's inheritance.

The financial sting of building a sidewalk is all the more painful because Barajas wouldn't need one if he lived on the west side of 32nd Avenue South, instead of the east side. That's because the western boundary of the MLK at Holly Street urban village is the center line of Barajas' narrow residential street.

American Central Banking History

Economist Thomas DiLorenzo gives an overview of central banking in the United States.

Iraq War Consequences

Jan Helfeld examines the consequences of the Iraq War. Helfeld interviews Congressmen and journalists and identifies the double standards in our policy.

Front Sight Firearms Training

Dr. Ignatius Piazza, Founder and Director of Front Sight Firearms Training Institute is offering a reduced price on training at his Nevada training center.

Czechs Protest American Radar Plans

As Barack Obama arrives in the Czech Republic, demonstrators against the deployment of an American radar station clogged the center of Prague.

Privacy? Who Needs Privacy

Another example that Obama is no different than Bush. Obama is using "national security" excuse to violate our privacy.



Change my a**!

Blockhead Economics: Money Grows on Trees

Jack Hunter talks about the lunacy of our leaders who apparently never learned the lesson that money doesn't grow on trees. Instead Obama, most Democrats, far too many Republicans and economists like Paul Krugman believe spending money we don't have and printing more money is the road to prosperity. Apparently they think that has worked well for Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe of course is an economic basket case with record breaking hyper inflation.

Hunter quotes Thomas Woods, best selling author of "Meltdown", on this foolishness:

"We are at a watershed point in our country’s history. Historians may look back on it as a turning point comparable in scope to the New Deal, the Progressive Era, or even the Civil War... What we need at a time like this are not half-measures... the problem with the stimulus is much more fundamental – namely, the blockhead economics on which it is based. What we need, in short, is full-throttle opposition."

"grownups... understand that wealth is created through saving, investment, and entrepreneurial skill; that wealth has to be produced before it can be consumed; and that lending is impossible in the absence of prior saving. Today, we grownups have to explain these basic principles to the deranged children – as they run around with their fingers in their ears, and screaming "I can’t hear you!" – who run our government, write our opinion columns, and fill American airwaves with stupid and destructive economic advice."

Internal Checkpoint Obedience Training

I haven't posted one of theses videos in a few months. Here is another video of an internal checkpoint in the United States. From





Update:



This post was visted twice today (4/6/09) by the Treasury Department:

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Domain Name treas.gov ? (U.S. Government)
IP Address 63.167.255.# (Sprint)
ISP Sprint
Location Continent : North America
Country : United States (Facts)
Lat/Long : 38, -97 (Map)
Distance : 478 miles

Language English (U.S.)
en-us
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Browser Internet Explorer 6.0
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LP TV Interviews Jan Helfeld

Melissa Dawson of the Libertarian Party interviews Jan Helfeld from www.janhelfeld.com to discuss his famous interviews with high ranking politicians. In it he discusses his interactions with Pete Stark, and Nancy Pelosi.

Too Much Bipartisanship

The common mantra you hear is that we need more bipartisanship. Texas Congressman Ron Paul declares that there is too much bipartisanship.

Paul continues that the economic problems we have today have been brewing for decades. Paul says we are ignoring the Constitution and have instead established a welfare/warfare state. Under Barack "Mr. Change" Obama the military budget is going up 9%.

Peter Schiff Vlog for April 2, 2009

Peter Schiff talks about some of the reasons for the stock market going up today and why the reasons are faulty. Schiff says part of the reason is the world leaders saying the right things to build confidence without any doing anything to really change things for the better. The other reason is the elimination of "mark to market" today by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. This change will allow companies to artificially value bad assets.

Assault Weapons Ban

Comedian Steven Crowder covers the talk of banning "assault weapons". As Crowder states, the definitionn of "assault weapon" put forth by Attorney General Eric Holder includes most modern pistols.

Going to Make the Subprime Mortgage Crisis Look Like Peanuts

Gerald Celente, of Trends Research, predicts a bigger problem in the commercial real estate market. Celente says we now have government controlled capitalism in this country. Celente says that is the definition of fascism.

Man Detained by Transportation Security Administration Goons

Steve Bierfeldt, an employee of the Campaign for Liberty, was detained by the Transportation Security Administration for carrying too much cash at the St. Louis airport.

The TSA goons try to intimidate Mr. Bierfeldt and treat him rudely. This treatment of an innocent American citizen is simply unacceptable. This should never happen in a free country, but of course we far from a free country anymore.

The TSA should be abolished and these goons should try and find some honest employment.

The Food Police are Coming

Just remember you don't own your life, society does. The Food Police will be dictating what you will be eating, for your own good of course. Here is the ultimate nanny state bimbo Meme Roth of the National Action Against Obesity, whose mission is:

National Action Against Obesity is a non-partisan, all-volunteer advocacy group dedicated to reversing the obesity crisis by eliminating disease- and obesity-accelerators from the food supply; barring junk food from child care centers, preschools, and schools; and eradicating Secondhand Obesity™ (obesity handed down from one generation to the next, as well as from citizen to citizen); while encouraging exercise across all ages. Success relies upon wholly re-imagining what the U.S. population considers “normal” food consumption and “normal” exercise. When the majority is overweight, America cannot be normal.

Ron Paul on the Auto Bailouts

Texas Congressman Ron Paul is not surprised by the government forcing out the head of GM. Paul says the best and proper procedure is to let the car companies go through bankruptcies.

Lansing, Michigan Mayor Virg Bernero supports the bailout. Isn't that shocking! Bernero uses that oh so mature argument that the car makers should get the bailout because Wall Street and the banks got theirs. So I guess everyone should get in line for their government bailout. One problem, who pays?

The Bush Cheney Conspiracy

Jack Hunter compares the people who believe 911 was an inside job to the conspiracy nuts, excuse me, the neocons who promote a Saddam Hussein/Iraq connection to Osama Bin Laden/Al Queda. Hunter states that the 911 truthers are much more patriotic than the warmongering neocons who drag us into war.