Economic Collapse Seems to be the Goal of Congress

Texas Congressman Ron Paul on the Cap and Trade Bill:

Cap and Trade Will Lead to Capital Flight

In my last column, I joked that with public spending out of control and the piling on of the international bailout bill, economic collapse seems to be the goal of Congress. It is getting harder to joke about such a thing however, as the non-partisan General Accounting Office (GAO) has estimated that the administration’s health care plan would actually cost over a trillion dollars. This reality check may have given us a temporary reprieve on this particular disastrous policy, however an equally disastrous energy policy reared its ugly head on Capitol Hill last week.

The Cap and Trade Bill HR 2454 was voted on last Friday. Proponents claim this bill will help the environment, but what it really does is put another nail in the economy’s coffin. The idea is to establish a national level of carbon dioxide emissions, and sell pollution permits to industry as the Catholic Church used to sell indulgences to sinners. HR 2454 also gives federal bureaucrats new power to regulate a wide variety of household appliances, such as light bulbs and refrigerators, and further distorts the market by providing more of your tax money to auto companies.

The administration has pointed to Spain as a shining example of this type of progressive energy policy. Spain has been massively diverting capital from the private sector into politically favored environmental projects for the better part of a decade, and many in Washington apparently like what they see. However, under no circumstances should anyone serious about economic recovery emulate an economy that is now approaching 20 percent unemployment, where every green job created, eliminated 2.2 real jobs and cost around $800,000 each!

The real inconvenient truth is that the cost of government regulations, taxes, fees, red tape and bureaucracy is a considerable expense that has to be considered when companies decide where to do business and how many people they can afford to hire. Increasing governmental burden directly causes capital flight and job losses, as Spain has learned. In this global economy its easy enough for businesses to relocate to countries that are more politically friendly to economic growth. If our government continues to kick the economy while its down, it will be a long time before it gets back up. In fact, jobs are much more likely to go overseas, compounding our problems.

And for what? Contrary to claims repeated over and over, there is no consensus in the scientific community that global warming is getting worse or that it is manmade. In fact over 30,000 scientists signed a petition recently directly disputing the claims on which this policy is based. Legitimate environmental claims should instead be directed towards the public sector. The government, especially the military, is the most serious polluter in the country, and is exempt from most EPA regulations. Meanwhile Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is that there will come a time when we will have to buy a government permit just to emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from our own lungs!

The events on Capitol Hill last week just demonstrate Washington’s audacity in manufacturing problems just so they can expand government power to solve them

Expansion of Federal Powers

Andrew Napolitano, Michelle Malkin, Angel Robinson and Micheal Moynihan discuss the Obama administration's rapid expansion of federal powers.

Peter Schiff On Cap and Trade

Peter Schiff and David Kreutzer appeared on the Glenn Beck show to discuss the enormous cost this bill will inflict on the American consumer. Cap and Trade is really just a new tax bill, it does nothing about climate change.

Cap and Trade is just another bill that benefits big corporations at the expense of the common person.

Is the United States Creating It's Own Lost Decade?

I remember the 80's when Japan was held out as the example of how things should be done. It was said for the United States to survive and be more successful we should emulate Japan. Unfortunately we did and we are. Reason TV explores the decline and stagnation of Japan and how we are copying them.

From Reason TV:

It wasn't that long ago that everyone in America believed that Japan would soon overtake the United States as the dominant economic force on the planet. When the Japanese stock market rallied to historic heights in late 1989 and Japanese investors even bought Rockefeller Center in New York, it all seemed like a done deal.

But then...the Nikkei Index tanked, the nation's economy collapsed, the government responded with an ever-changing mix of tax hike and tax cuts, stimulus spending on infrastructure, massive bailouts of businesses, and more. None of it worked and Japan entered what's been called its "Lost Decade," a seemingly endless period of economic stagnation.

What are the lessons for the U.S. from Japan's experience? Reason Foundation policy analyst Anthony Randazzo is the co-author of the recent study "Avoiding an American Lost Decade: Lessons from Japan's bubble and recession" and a July 2009 cover story for Reason magazine, "Turning Japanese: Japan's post-bubble policies produced a 'lost decade.' So why is President Obama emulating them?"

As Randazzo explains, both the causes of and official responses to Japan's bubble and economic slump eerily anticipate exactly what the U.S. government is doing. Worse still, the Obama administration and Congress seem dead-set against the sorts of policies—across-the-board tax cuts on personal and business income, reductions in long-term and unsustainable government debt, and allowing damaged firms to go bankrupt—that would help revivify the American economy.

Is America on the verge of its own lost decade? Sadly, the government seems to be doing everything it can to make that happen.

Prosecute the Rogue Bankers

Judge Andrew Napolitano say that the players in Bank of America's acquisition of Merrill Lynch should all be prosecuted for defrauding the shareholders of Bank of America and for extortion. This includes Ben (the Devil's Spawn) Bernanke, Hank Paulson and Ken Lewis.

Health Care Costs Will Continue To Increase

Most of the talk about health care reform is pure baloney. The payment system is the problem. Moving toward a "single payer system" will only make the problem worse. Health care consumers do not have any power. The power rests with the HMO’s, big pharma, employers and most destructively with the government.

The removing of consumers from being true consumers negates price competition and shopping around by the consumers. This allows prices to rise (or not fall) as there is no incentive for the providers to compete on price.

The further expansion of government influence in the health care equation will do nothing to control costs. It will merely shift how care is paid for and ultimately result in rationing.

As the late great Harry Browne said:

Government is good at only one thing. It breaks your legs, hands you crutches, and says, “See, if it weren’t for us, you wouldn’t be able to walk.”

Adam Kokesh: Obama is Even More Agressive Than Bush

Iraq War veteran Adam Kokesh on Russia Today says while Obama's rhetoric is less strident than Bush's, Obama's actions are actually more agressive.

Ed McMahon RIP

The Tonight Show will never be equaled. The chemistry between Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon was perfect. I watched the Tonight Show almost every night it was on in the early and mid 70's. In its 90 minute format Carson, McMahon and their guest had the luxury of sitting around talking spontaneously. Not the highly scripted 60 minute talk shows of today.

Here are some clips from the Tonight Show, we miss you Johnny, so long Ed:

Mousavi: A Beacon for Democracy or the Beirut Butcher?

Russia Today presents another side to the Iranian election then is being spinned in the mainstream United States media. Russia Today discusses possible links between Mousavi and terrorist attacks in the 1980's.

Savana Redding Wins Supreme Court Case

In a very small victory for individual rights, Savana Redding won her case that her rights were violated by her school when it performed a strip search of Redding for Ibuprofen. Yes, over the counter Ibuprofen, sheer lunacy.

For more background on the case see my previous posts here, here and here.

However, as in most Supreme Court cases, the win is also a loss. In this case as in Heller and others, the nine political appointees define individual rights narrowly and grant the government broad powers.

In the Redding case this can be seen in the following from the Associated Press article on the decision:

The school's search of Redding's backpack and outer clothes was permissible, the court said. But the justices said that officials went too far when they asked to search her underwear.

A 1985 Supreme Court decision that dealt with searching a student's purse had found that school officials need only reasonable suspicions, not probable cause. But that decision also warned against a search that is "excessively intrusive."

"What was missing from the suspected facts that pointed to Savana was any indication of danger to the students from the power of the drugs or their quantity, and any reason to suppose that Savana was carrying pills in her underwear," Justice David Souter wrote in the majority opinion. "We think that the combination of these deficiencies was fatal to finding the search reasonable."

Thus under certain circumstances this search would have been okay in the wisdom of the nine political appointees. It might have been okay if the school officials had more evidence that she was hiding pills in her underwear. It might have been okay if they thought she was hiding a larger quantity of pills. Or it might have been okay if it were some other drug, like oh maybe aspirin or No Doz.

So once again rights are turned on their head by the government power structure. The Founders set up a government of very limited and defined powers, within very broad, nearly unlimited, individual rights. This decision is just the opposite.

Motorhome Diaries: Free Minds, Free Markets and the Lunatic Messiah

Reason Magazine's Nick Gillespie talks about the state of the libertarian movement and its future with Motorhome Diaries' Jason Talley. In the interview Gillespie says Obama is like a "lunatic messiah", thinking he can control everything.

Gillespie says:

"Let's not let our problems with the government get in the way of living a rich and interesting life."

Gillespie also describes his encounter with a high school Republican group, a group of teenagers with Ron Paul shirts and libertarian ideas.


Part I:





Part II:

What Could Be Crazier Then Constant Interventionism?

Jack Hunter explores the disastrous results of tough talking politicians and their interventionist foreign policy. Hunter details our involvement in the overthrow of the Iranian government in 1953 and how it blew up in our face in 1979. This led us to supporting Saddam Hussein as a check on Iran, which of course led us into two wars against our one time "ally."

Slaughter The National Animal Identification System

From Downsize DC:

Quote of the Day: "Increasingly, we are seeing consumers join forces with farmers in letting the USDA know that NAIS is not a solution for animal health, food safety or food security." - Judith McGeary


SUBJECT: Time to slaughter NAIS

The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is the sickly runt of the Big Government's herd of programs. It's time to put it out of its misery.

NAIS was a bad idea from the start . . .

It addresses a "problem" of animal disease control that current laws and agencies already cover.

It forces small family farms to put ID tags on each animal at their own expense, something factory farms are not required to do even though factory farms are at greater risk of disease outbreaks than are smaller farms, and most contamination occurs at the slaughterhouse.

It would raise the price of food through computer hacking and counterfeit RFID tags, NAIS actually makes our food supply more vulnerable to terrorists and other criminals.

No wonder, then, that NAIS has faced substantial resistance, especially since the program has already wasted $142 million since 2004 . . .

Initial plans to make it mandatory were scrapped (although the USDA encouraged states to make it mandatory, and a few have).

The USDA has fiddled with numbers to suggest that 35% of farms and homes with livestock have been registered. The real number is probably closer to 10%.

Registrations increased by just 3% last year.


On a nationwide "listening tour" about NAIS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is hearing 90% of farmers demand that NAIS should be killed.

Congress is angry about this lack of progress. The good news is that the House Agriculture Appropriations subcomittee has de-funded NAIS for 2010.

The bad news is that Congress is angry for the wrong reasons. Their real purpose is to inject the NAIS runt with growth hormones by making the program mandatory - despite the overwhelming opposition.

Both subcommittee chair Rosa DeLauro and House Ag Committee Chair Clint Peterson view zeroing-out NAIS as a lever to force the USDA to make NAIS mandatory.

Please notice the disturbing fact that an Executive Branch bureaucracy has the power to make something mandatory. This is the tale wagging the dog. Only Congress should have the power to make anything mandatory. This is more evidence that we need DownsizeDC.org's Write the Laws Act (WTLA).

In any case, the subcommittee's ruling is not final. NAIS funding could be reinstated at a later stage of the budget process.

Now is the time to overwhelm Congress and the USDA demanding that they slaughter the NAIS program, not only for this year, but for all time. Please send Congress a message telling them that.

In your personal comments, mention the reasons expressed above about why NAIS is a bad idea. Also tell them:

We the people believe family farmers know better how to run their own businesses than do either Congress or the USDA.

The American people stand with the family farmers, who overwhelmingly oppose NAIS

The USDA is also accepting comments on NAIS. Please help convince them that NAIS is bad for America and that the American people, not just farmers, are against it. You can do so by going to regulations.gov's NAIS page and clicking a comment balloon.

Neocons Support Ahmadinejad

Jack Hunter explains the neocon manipulations to draw the United States into the situation in Iran in order to fulfill the neocon goal of having American troops in Iran.

TV Blowhards Comment on the Holocaust Museum Shooting

Jon Stewart looks at TV Blowhards comments on the Holocaust Museum shooting last week.

Another Aimee Break

A different and shorter version of On Vacation by Aimee Allen.

Do Police Need Grenade Launchers?

Another example of the militarization of the police in the United States.

ACLU, Campaign for Liberty and the TSA

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Department of Homeland Security for unlawful searches and detentions at airports. The Transportation Security Administration detained and harassed Campaign for Liberty staffer Steve Bierfeldt at the St. Louis airport back in March. Fortunately, Bierfeldt recorded the run in on his cell phone, providing evidence for what in all likelihood is a recurring practice of TSA employees. CNN Covers the story:

Another Atlanta Police Officer Convicted

Another police officer in the Atlanta Police Departments Narcotic Unit has been convicted of corruption. From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

A federal judge sentenced the former Atlanta police sergeant to 18 months in prison Friday because she said he allowed a culture of corruption to run rampant in the narcotics unit he supervised.

U.S. District Court Justice Julie Carnes said she believed Wilbert Stallings, who had 23 years experience with the Atlanta Police, was a “good man,” but she said he had a responsibility to stop the police corruption that had become common in his unit.

That culture culminated with the killing of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston in an illegal raid on a house on Neal Street in 2006.

“He was head of a unit that was out of control, ” Carnes said.

The federal investigation into the Johnston killing uncovered Stallings’ involvement in an illegal break-in to search a duplex on Dill Avenue in 2005.

In that case — which turned up no illegal drugs — Stallings told officers to leave the back door unsecured so the homeowner would think he had been burglarized.

“That case was perhaps a harbinger of things to come,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Curt Erskine. “That victim may never again trust law enforcement in any way, and perhaps he is right not to.”

Stallings, 45 of Conyers, was working with Officer Gregg Junnier when they committed the Dill Avenue break-in and cover-up. Junnier was the lead officer of the narcotics team that lied to obtain a no-knock search warrant from a judge to raid Johnston’s Vine City house after receiving an erroneous tip that a kilo of cocaine had been stashed there.

The officers planted marijuana in the house after killing Johnston, who had fired a shot when they were breaking down her door. Stallings was not directly involved in the Neal Street raid and Junnier was sentenced to six years in prison for his role.

Stallings pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the civil rights of another person by breaking into a private residence without a warrant. U.S. Attorney David Nahmias’ office recommended the 18 month sentence.

Another example of how the War on Some Drugs hurts the law abiding citizen. To learn more about the Kathryn Johnston killing, click on the Kathryn Johnston label.

Tobacco Tyranny

Texas Congressman Ron Paul explains why tobacco prohibition is wrong and counterproductive.

Last week, another bill was passed and signed into law that takes more of our freedoms and violates the Constitution of the United States. It was, of course, done for the sake of the children, and in the name of the health of the citizenry. It’s always the case that when your liberty is seized, it is seized for your own good. Such is the condescension of Washington.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act will give sweeping new powers over tobacco to the FDA. It will require everyone engaged in manufacturing, preparing, compounding, or processing tobacco to register with the FDA and be subjected to FDA inspections, which is yet another violation of the Fourth Amendment. It violates the First Amendment by allowing the FDA to restrict tobacco advertising in multiple ways, as well as an outright ban on advertising any cigarettes as light, mild or low-tar. The FDA will have the power of pre-market reviews of all new tobacco products, and will impose new user fees, meaning taxes, on manufacturers and importers of tobacco products. It will even regulate the amount of nicotine in cigarettes.

My objections to the bill are not an endorsement of tobacco. As a physician I understand the adverse health effects of this bad habit. And that is exactly how smoking should be treated – as a bad habit and a personal choice. The way to combat poor choices is through education and information. Other than ensuring that tobacco companies do not engage in force or fraud to market their products, the federal government needs to stay out of the health habits of free people. Regulations for children should be at the state level. Unfortunately, government is using its already overly intrusive financial and regulatory roles in healthcare to establish a justifiable interest in intervening in your personal lifestyle choices as well. We all need to anticipate the level of health freedom that will remain once government manages all health care in this country.

Actions in Congress such as this tobacco bill are especially disconcerting after we thought we were beginning to see some progress in drawing down the wrong-headed and failed war on drugs. A majority of Americans now think marijuana should be legal, taxed and regulated, according to a recent Zogby poll and over 70 percent are in favor of allowing medicinal use of marijuana. Bills like this take us down exactly the wrong path. Instead of gaining more freedom with marijuana, we are moving closer to prohibiting tobacco. Our prisons are already bursting with non-violent drug offenders. How long will it be before a black market in tobacco fills the prisons with non-violent cigarette smokers?

Hemp and tobacco were staple crops for our founding fathers when our country was new. It is baffling to see how far removed from real freedom this country has become since then. Hemp, even for industrial uses, of which there are many, is illegal to grow at all. Now tobacco will have more layers of bureaucracy and interference piled on top of it. In this economy it is extremely upsetting to see this additional squeeze put on an entire industry. One has to wonder how many smaller farmers will be forced out of business because of this bill.

Corporate Health Care/Government Health Care /Free Market Health Care

Having practiced medicine for over 30 years, Texas Congressman Ron Paul gives his perspective on the past and future of medicine in this country, and the effects of government and special interests on quality, costs and access. Paul concludes that government is the major source of our health care problems.

Standing Up to Tobacco Tyranny

Texas Congressman Ron Paul explains to his clueless colleagues in the House why tobacco prohibition is wrong and counterproductive.



The text or Dr. Paul's remarks:

"It's so exasperating at times because we always have two proposals here, or we have two ways of solving problems or dealing with tobacco. For decades, what did we do? We subsidized tobacco, and now we want to prohibit tobacco. Why don't we just let the people decide. This whole idea of either having to subsidize something or prohibit something shows a shallowness that I think we ought to challenge.

"One part of this bill that I find particularly bad, but it is pervasive in so much of what we do, about 100 years ago we took the First Amendment and freedom of speech and chopped it into two pieces. We have political speech. Of course we like that. We're in the business of politics. But we take commercial speech, and we put it over here, and we regulate the living daylights out of commercial speech. That's not a First Amendment. That's chopping freedom in half, and that just leads to more problems. But this will lead to prohibition, and it won't work. This will just give us a lot more trouble.

"You say, Well, how will these problems be handled if we just permit people to advertise? Well, you are not allowed to commit fraud; you are not allowed to commit slander; you are not allowed to commit any libel or slander or fraud. So there are prohibitions. But this approach can't work. It is assumed that people are total idiots, that they won't respond to education, that we have to be the nanny state. We want to expand the war on drugs, which is a total failure.

"And look at what happened to the prohibition of alcohol. You say, Well, no, this is not going to be a prohibition. It is going to be prohibition. This is a form of prohibition. When you have prohibition or even approach prohibition, what do you create? You create the black market. We will see the black market come. Already the taxes are opening up the doors of the black market.

"All I ask for is people to reconsider, believe that freedom, self-reliance and individualism can solve these problems a lot better than a bunch of politicians, bureaucrats and tobacco police here from Washington, D.C."

Battlestar Galactica and Healthcare "Reform"

Shelly Roche of Break The Matrix talks about the false promises of so called healthcare reform:



Here are the notes Shelly refers to in the video:

RESOURCES:
You'll regret it for the rest of your shortened life - DownsizeDC.org

We already know the results of one so-called health care reform
- DownsizeDC.org

Healthcare More Affordable and Accessible to Millions - DownsizeDC.org

From DownsizeDC.org:

The politicians tell us free market health care doesn't work, but we haven't had a free market in decades.

The government already pays for nearly half of all health care. This means we're half-socialized already.

Starting with depression era wage and price controls, and continuing with government tax policies, the politicians have made Americans dependent on their jobs to get health insurance.

State government policies have made insurance too expensive by piling on special interest mandates dictating specific types of coverage.

Medicare and Medicaid have fixed the prices we pay for health care, causing the extraordinary paradox of both price inflation and shortages in areas like primary care.

From the Congressional Budget Office:

* Enacting this proposal would result in a net increase in federal budget deficits of about $1.0 trillion

* According to the CBO, this legislation will leave at least 36 million Americans uninsured

* It will force at least 23 million Americans to give up the health coverage they have.

* There would be no change from current law regarding Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

CONTACT YOUR REPS:
http://www.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/114

Update on HR1207: Bill to Audit the Federal Reserve

Ron Paul discusses the status of his bill to audit the Federal Reserve.

The Truth About Georgia

From Russia Today:

While critics of the Georgian government say authorities continue to intimidate the shrinking independent media, there's one documentary maker who won't be pressured into concealing the truth.

Founder of the Libertarian Party, David Nolan

Jason Talley of Motorhome Dairies talks with David Nolan one of the founders of the Libertarian Party:

Yesterday we had planned to leave Tucson around lunchtime to give us plenty of time to make the 7ish hour drive to Albuquerque. But after a friend tipped us off that David Nolan — the founder of the Libertarian Party — lived in Tucson we decided to try to fit that in if he was willing. A couple of hours later, after first connecting via Facebook we were sitting on Nolan’s back patio conducting the interview below.

In it, you’ll see just how principled, humble and entrepreneurial a person he is. In addition to giving an overview about the founding of the Libertarian Party, Nolan also shares with us his view on the direction the LP has taken, his current projects and his views on the larger freedom movement.

History of the Libertarian Party

From 1971 to 2006, the Libertarian Party had a rich and colorful history. This video documentary explores the some of the key Libertarian events, campaigns and television commercials of the late 20th century.

Taxes are Voluntary!

Congressman Joe Hoeffel says taxes are voluntary. He contradicts himself and says they are not voluntary. He says we are forced to pay and not forced to pay.

The Federal Government Would Not Let Him Live.

Today marks the ninth anniversary of the tragic and unnecessary death of Peter McWilliams. Here is what I wrote nine years ago:

Peter McWilliams, a best-selling author of books on a variety of subjects, died on June 14, 2000. His death was tragedy because it should not have happened. McWilliams was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and AIDS in March 1996. Like many people being treated for cancer and AIDS, McWilliams would become nauseous from the chemotherapy and AIDS medications he needed to take along with radiation treatments. McWilliams tried various prescription anti nausea medications, but none worked for him. He then turned to a natural substance that has been around for thousands of years, marijuana. Smoking marijuana alleviated the nausea McWilliams had been suffering. This allowed McWilliams to keep his medications down and allowed him to eat.

McWilliams lived in California, where in November 1996 voters passed Proposition 215 which legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes. McWilliams use of marijuana was legal in California. However, the Clinton Administration announced the federal government would ignore California law and prosecute anyone using marijuana for medical purposes. This seems a bit hypocritical coming from the administration of a man who jokes how hard he tried to inhale.

McWilliams was a marked man, because he openly advocated the use of medical marijuana. In 1997 federal drug agents raided McWilliams home seizing much of McWilliams’ personal property, including his personal computers that he used to write his books. Not long after, McWilliams was arrested and charged with conspiracy to grow marijuana. His mother and brother put up their homes as security to bail McWilliams out of jail. As a condition of McWilliams’ bail, he was not allowed to use marijuana and was subject to regular urine testing for marijuana. Not willing to risk his mother and brother’s homes, McWilliams followed the federal order to not use marijuana. The result was a return of the nausea, difficulty keeping food and medications down and a deterioration of McWilliams’ health.

With his health deteriorating and the tools of his livelihood confiscated, McWilliams was unable to work and forced into bankruptcy. This was not enough for the federal government. While awaiting trial, a federal judge ruled that McWilliams could not introduce as evidence for his defense any information about his illness, any scientific evidence supporting the medical use of marijuana nor the fact that medical marijuana is legal in California.

While awaiting sentencing McWilliams choked to death on his own vomit, a result of not being allowed to control his nausea. He died because the federal government would not let him live.
People of conscience must question a government doctrine that denies a human the right to try to preserve their own life. Exactly who or what is protected by barring the medical use of marijuana? Why is marijuana treated differently than say morphine which is also a controlled substance, but is allowed to be used for medical purposes?

Why would Bill Clinton, a person who admits he tried marijuana in search of pleasure, allow his administration to deny a person the right to try marijuana to save his life? Why would Republicans, who rail against increased federal power over individuals and states, sit idly by while the federal government ignores the Constitution and usurps the rights of California and its citizens?

Medical marijuana is just the tip of the iceberg of the whole issue of the so called "War on Drugs." Like most wars the biggest victims are the innocent: the children who are caught in the crossfire between gangs fighting over drug turf, honest Americans who are seeing increasing infringements on their privacy and property, and people like Peter McWilliams who are forbidden to take measures that they need to save their lives.

The Drug War like alcohol prohibition in the 1920's has come at a great cost to society, with little or no real benefit. Marijuana was a legal uncontrolled substance until the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937 and narcotics were legal and uncontrolled until the enactment of the Harrison Narcotic Act in 1914. However, these laws were largely unenforced until the late 1960's. As the drug war has escalated, the crime rate and the cost in dollars have escalated also. It is time to realize, that like the war on alcohol in the 1920's, the war on drugs is counterproductive and should be ended.

I realize that by taking this position, I open myself to the charge that I support the use of these drugs. Nothing could be further from the truth. Unlike the two major party presidential candidates who see nothing wrong with the drug war other than the need to escalate it. I can honestly say that I have never used any of these illegal substances. My position is merely a moral and practical position. It is moral because, as our libertarian Founding Fathers declared, we are all endowed with an unalienable right to control our own life. It is practical because the cost of the war on drugs to innocent citizens and society as whole is excessive beyond any reason. End the insane "Drug War" now!

Update on Gitmo, Prison Labor, Global Warming and Auto Bankruptcies

New and Improved! Ladies for Liberty Newsroom now with teleprompter and green screen!

Philosophy of Liberty

I have posted this video before, back in March of 2008. It is a good presentation of the libertarian philosophy. Libertarianism is the philosophy of self ownership. From the blog Philosophy of Liberty :

The Philosophy of Liberty is a flash animation based of what is now the epilogue of Ken Schoolland's book, "The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible." It began in 1992 as a Russian translation of the book was being published. The publisher Dmitry Costygin informed Ken that few people in Russia even knew what 'property' or 'taxes' were, and Ken responded by writing an introduction that described the philosophy of his book. It became so popular that it now appears as the epilogue in every language edition (40+ and counting), and it inspired Kerry Pearson (aka Lux Lucre) to create a flash animation

Christianity & Liberty

Jason Talley of Motorhome Dairies talks with Norman Horn about Christianity and Libertarianism:

While at the South Austin Freehold I had an opportunity to talk with Norman Horn, the proprietor of Libertarian Christians. He discussed why he feels that Christians can also believe in freedom, as he does.

Peter Eyre: Waco Remembered

Most people remember the siege at the Branch Davidian compound at Waco, Texas in 1993. Most Americans then and now thought the Branch Davidians got what they deserved. At that time I was in that camp. As I found out more about the siege and my understanding of freedom grew my opinion changed. I would especially recommend watching the award winning documentary "Waco: The Rules of Engagement".

Peter Eyre of Motorhome Diaries visted the site of the 1993 siege. Peter's comments:

When I say “Waco” some think of the town in central Texas, but many think of the incident that went down in 1993 between the federal government — specifically the ATF and FBI — and the Branch Davidians, and many times their initial reaction is something along the lines of “those crazy cultists got what they deserved.” I for one don’t agree with this perspective and think it’s important to inject some truth into what actually went down.

When I worked at the Institute for Humane Studies we showed the documentary Waco: The Rules of Engagement at some seminars, which we immediately followed up with a lecture on the philosophical underpinnings of self-ownership, including the right to defend your person. This one-two punch definitely caused many students to think and question the government’s stance.

The story of what happened at Waco, like so many others, needs to be told so that we remain vigilant. So that those that initiate force against others — whether they have a badge or not — are held accountable. That’s why, when hammering out our Southern Style route itinerary, I made sure we stopped by the Branch Davidian property outside Waco.

In addition to Charlie Pace, a Davidian that allowed us to videotape our conversation, I also spoke with two women who called the Davidian property home. The entire experience was a bit surreal for me, particularly because the carnage of what happened was still so visible but I trust we did a good job communicating at least a broad overview of what happened.

Austin Longhorn Libertarians

Motorhome Diaries stopped at the University of Texas in Austin and visited with members of the Austin Longhorn Libertarians.

Peter Eyre comments on the video:

When at our Austin meetup a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of sitting down with Norman Horn, Justo Montoya and Jason Wohlfart — all students at the University of Texas, Austin and members of the Longhorn Libertarians. I had previously interacted with these three only online, so it was good to meet them and see their enthusiasm for the ideas of individual freedom, responsibility and peace and how their involvement in the Longhorn Libertarians had helped not only helped their personal development but that of many of their fellow students through their outreach efforts and high-caliber of content.

This is the first of quite a few Motorhome Diaries videos I'll be posting over the next week.

The Federal Reserve Hires a Lobbyist

The Federal Reserve apparently fearful of growing suspicion and discontent with its role in the economy and questions about its power and legality has hired a lobbyist. From Bloomberg:

The Federal Reserve intends to hire a veteran lobbyist as it seeks to counter skepticism in Congress about the central bank’s growing power over the U.S. financial system, people familiar with the matter said.

Linda Robertson currently handles government, community and public affairs at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and headed the Washington lobbying office of Enron Corp., the energy trading company that collapsed in 2002 after an accounting scandal. She was also an adviser to all three of the Clinton administration’s Treasury secretaries.

Robertson would help the Fed manage relations with lawmakers seeking greater oversight of a central bank that has used emergency powers to prevent Wall Street’s demise. While she wasn’t tied to Enron’s fraud, her association with the firm may raise questions, analysts said.

“Some members of Congress think there are votes in attacking the Fed” after it “unnecessarily and unwisely entangled monetary policy with fiscal policy,” said former St. Louis Fed President William Poole. “The Fed is going to have a tricky time of unwinding what has been done” and will need to “keep in touch with members of Congress more thoroughly,” said Poole, now senior fellow with the Cato Institute in Washington.

Robertson served under Treasury Secretaries Lawrence Summers, Robert Rubin and Lloyd Bentsen. She didn’t return calls seeking comment.

A Political Payoff. Auto Takeover Worse Than Amtrak

Tom Woods, Shikha Dalmia, David Buckner and Judge Andrew Napolitano discuss the violation of contracts and the rule of law in the General Motors bankruptcy.

Ottawa Cops Bust a Man with Cerebal Palsy

Another chapter in the never ending cruelty and inhumanity of the senseless and immoral war on some drugs. This time from Ottawa, Canada and the Ottawa Citizen:

Ottawa Police shot a man Wednesday during a drug bust, which is never the way it should go down.

Tuesday wasn't a whole lot better. This was the day they busted a man in a wheelchair who can't even talk or raise a hand in protest.

Berny Belair, 43, has cerebral palsy, which has left him in a motorized wheelchair, hands all contorted, unable to even feed himself.

He communicates with an aluminum wand attached to a halo around his head, which he uses to point at letters on a keyboard attached to his wheelchair.

It is painstakingly slow. Even a short sentence can take an entire minute.

Still, in an e-mail that arrived Friday, he did his best to recount Tuesday's events, which began just before lunch and ended about five hours later.

"Within 10 minutes there was 11 cops in my house and locked me out," he wrote, grammar be damned. "When I'm locked out the cops opened everything."

You may know Belair. He is something of a fixture downtown, particularly in the months leading up to Christmas.

Since 1994, often on deadly cold days, he parks out in a highrise hollow on Bank Street near the corner of Albert Street, the self-described "card guy."

He sells greeting cards that he fashions on his home computer. On a good day, he might bring in $30.

In the last few months, Belair discovered his health improves with the use of marijuana. It helps with his appetite and digestion, and it also eases his sleep.

Even at that, he is so disabled he can neither hold the joint, light it nor inhale normally, depending on a buddy to help him.

He says he applied, with the help of his physician, for a permit to grow and use marijuana for medical purposes.

The permit, he says, is on the way. While he waited, a neighbour built a small grow area in his basement. A pair of high-wattage lights and a timer were installed and, soon, 25 plants were underway.

On Tuesday, Belair said a police officer arrived at his door, in a housing co-op in the southeast end, and wanted to know if he was OK. He indicated he was fine, he said.

Not long after, says Belair, a number of officers arrived -- some in uniform, some not -- and demanded entry into the house in the Hunt Club-Hawthorne area. He puts the number at somewhere between seven and 11.

"They demanded I open the door," he wrote. "Once they were in, I denied them entry to my basement. I was in front of the basement door and the police got very aggressive and ordered me to move away from the door and the police man just walked right down stairs."

Belair is upset that, over the next several hours, the police not only took the plants, but arranged to have the lights and timer removed. He says he's out more than $1,000 in equipment.

Neighbour Brian Williams, 36, makes no attempt to hide his role in the matter.

A neighbour for about 10 years, he visits Belair every day, feeding him as many as five times a week. Berny, he says, is like family.

Williams says he built the closet-sized grow area because he knew Belair couldn't manage it on his own. He also watered the plants because his friend in the electric chair cannot get down stairs.

Belair says he did not consent to the search and says the officers did not have a warrant.

"It's my right as an independent disabled person to grow and use marijuana to make my life a little easier."

The police have a different version. They do admit no search warrant was obtained, but it's not clear to what degree Belair consented to the search.

They suggested 25 plants is far in excess of what Belair would need for his medical purposes, even if he had a valid permit. Nor can they turn a blind eye to the operation, police say, simply because a permit may be on the way.

A spokesman said discretion was used in the matter, leading to a decision to not lay criminal charges.

At this point, Belair would like his equipment back so he can re-establish a small grow-operation when he actually gets his permit.

In an interview in his unit, he was asked what he'd like the police to do now.

"Cops stop treating me like a moron," he tapped out.

Indeed. Belair is disabled, which is not to be confused with stupid. Would he willingly agree to have police search a room he knew contained illegal plants?

Yup, this is really protecting society. I don't understand how these drug warriors can sleep at night.

Chris Dodd is Clueless

An unofficial commercial for Peter Schiff in his possible run against the corrupt and clueless Chris Dodd.

Cannabis Culture Magazine Ceases Print Edition

Jodie and Marc Emery (the Prince of Pot) bring us up to date on all of the changes around Cannabis Culture Magazine and Cannabis Culture Headquarters. Marc and Jodie also discuss the ongoing battle against Marc being extradited to the United States for selling marijuana seeds by mail.

Schizophrenic Policies

Jack Hunter examines the schizophrenic policies of the United States toward communist regimes. Hunter suggests (and I agree) that belligerence on our part is the wrong choice.

RJ Harris: Depart from Valley Forge

R.J. Harris is a Ron Paul Republican challeging the status quo, big government Republican Tom Cole in Oklahoma's 4th Congressional District. Here is a video promoting Harris.

Please Vote Responsibly

The lovely Rachel Mills tells us what she desires... in a political candidate. Please Vote Responsibly!

On Vacation From Politics Tonite

A new video from Aimee Allen called "On Vacation". Just a short break from politics.

California's Budget Woes Due to Spending Increases

Reason Editor in Chief Matt Welch appeared on Fox News' Live Desk on June 2, 2009 to talk about California's budget problems. Welch says that California's budget woes are due spending increases.

Adam Kokesh Talks About His Possible Congressional Run

Adam Kokesh talks about his possible run for Congress from New Mexico.




http://www.kokeshforcongress.com/

Peter Schiff From Abu Dhabi

Peter Schiff's video blog for June 3. Schiff talks about about the propaganda efforts of the government regarding the economy. Schiff also talks about the New Jersey Republican primary for Govenor.

Voluntary Society

Motorhome Diaries Jason Talley talks about the Voluntary Society with Professor David Beito.

TV Is Going Digital???

Wow thanks to the following Public Service annoucement from Tim Slagle I now know TV is going digital on June 12. What does digital mean?

To Protect and Serve? The Public or Themselves?

Rotund Chicago Police Officer Anthony Abbate was found guilty yesterday of aggravated battery for beating up diminutive bartender Karolina Obrycka in February 2007. Obrycka had the gall to try to cut off Abbate saying he had too much to drink.

Abbate said he was the victim and felt threatened by Obrycka. Abbate’s lawyer said

"We expect to show Karolina went after our client. He didn’t go after Karolina, she grabbed him and tossed him around like a rag doll.”

In this video we see the vicious Obrycka attack Abbate, the defender of law and order :



Hmm... Obrycka a threat? This moron Abbate actually thought he could get away with this? Other cops try and shield this scumbag? The scumbag Abbate is still a member of the Chicago Police?

Abbate should have been fired a long time ago. The fact that he wasn't speaks volumes.

Congress Should Put The American People Back In Charge Of Healthcare

Weekly message from Congressman Ron Paul:

Fight Government Encroachment into Healthcare!

With a faltering economy, and skyrocketing costs, healthcare continues to be a critical issue for all Americans. Unfortunately government encroachment into the doctor/patient relationship is poised to exacerbate our problems with healthcare.

As an OB/GYN with over 30 years of experience in private practice, I understand that one of the foundations of quality healthcare is the patient's confidence that all information shared with his or her healthcare provider will remain private. And yet, the Federal Government plans to undermine this trust with establishment of mandatory electronic medical records collections and “unique health identifier” numbers assigned to all Americans. Funding for this program was among the numerous provisions jammed into the stimulus bill rushed through Congress earlier this year.

Electronic medical records that are part of the federal system will only receive the protection granted by the federal “medical privacy rule.” This misnamed rule actually protects the ability of government officials and state-favored special interests to view private medical records without patient consent.

Aside from those concerns, the government’s ability to protect medical records is highly questionable. After all, we are all familiar with cases where third parties obtained access to electronic veteran, tax, and other records because of errors made by federal bureaucrats. We should also consider the abuse of IRS records by administrations of both parties. What would happen if unscrupulous politicians gained the power to access their political enemies’ electronic medical records?

For these reasons I have introduced the Protect Patients’ and Physicians’ Privacy Act, HR 2630, which allows patients and physicians to opt out of any federally mandated, created, or funded electronic medical records system. The bill also repeals sections of federal law establishing a “unique health identifier” and requires patient consent before any electronic medical records can be released to a 3rd party.

I have also introduced the Coercion is Not Health Care Act, HR 2629. This legislation forbids the federal government from forcing any American to purchase health insurance, or conditioning participation in any federal program on the purchase of health insurance. Forcing Americans to purchase government-approved health insurance is a back door approach to creating a government-controlled healthcare system. Congress would define what policies and coverage requirements satisfy their mandate. Does anyone then doubt that what conditions and treatments are covered would be determined by who has the most effective lobby? Or that Congress would be capable of writing a mandatory insurance policy that fits the unique needs of every individual in the United States?

With these conditions in place, I foresee the eventual imposition of price controls and limitations on what procedures and treatments that are covered. This will result in an increasing number of providers turning to “cash only” practices, making it difficult for those relying on the government-mandated insurance to find healthcare – the exact opposite of the desired result! Consider the increasing number of physicians who are already withdrawing from the Medicare program because of the low reimbursement and constant bureaucratic harassment from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Congress should put the American people back in charge of healthcare by expanding healthcare tax credits and deductions, increasing access to Health Savings Accounts, respecting privacy and the doctor/patient relationship. Further politicizing and bureaucratizing of healthcare will only increase costs and reduce quality, as demonstrated by most other countries with socialized medicine.

Ted Nugent: Don't Tread on Me

Hard Rocker Ted Nugent expresses his strong support for gun rights:

Lincoln More Like Hitler Than The Confederates

Jack Hunter "the Southern Avenger" argues that those who criticized President Obama's honoring of Confederate soldiers at Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day as being the same paying tribute to Adolph Hitler have it all wrong. Hunter goes on to show why Lincoln was closer to Hitler than any of the prominent Confederate leaders.

Senator Roland Burris is a Criminal

Judge Andrew Napolitano says Senator Roland Burris of Illinois, who took over the seat vacated by President Obama, is a criminal for lying under oath and violating Illinois campaign laws. Napolitano however doubts he will be charged or kicked out of office.