- EverVigilant.net - "The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt." - John Philpot Curran
According to the Transportation Security Administration website, "Items used to augment the body for medical or cosmetic reasons such as mastectomy products, prosthetic breasts, bras or shells containing gels, saline solution, or other liquids" are among those things "you MUST declare to one of our Security Officers at the checkpoint for further inspection." So, the next time you find yourself stuck in a really slow-moving security line at the airport, relax. That just means you're probably on the same plane as the Sports Illustrated swimsuit models.
News flash: the Iraq war is a failure. The New York Timesrecently reported that intelligence agencies have "found that the American invasion and occupation of Iraq has helped spawn a new generation of Islamic radicalism and that the overall terrorist threat has grown since the Sept. 11 attacks."
Lew Rockwell spells it out perfectly in his latest essay:
Just so that we are clear on this, we should be reminded that the stated policy of the Bush administration, just before bombing Iraq's cities and overthrowing its Sunni government, was to bring freedom, democracy, and pluralistic happiness to the country.
Five years later, the puppet government in Baghdad is still in a bunker, tanks patrol streets, there are curfews and speech controls, major parts of the country have effectively seceded, the water is dirty and disease ridden, electricity is still off, migration out increases exponentially, tribal war is routine, American soldiers' heads are blown off if they so much as poke them out of the foxhole, and religious and ethnic hatreds grow.
We keep hearing that Iraq is "on the brink" of civil war, but how will we know when we move from brink to reality? The Sunnis hate the ruling Shiites, the Kurds hate them both, and everyone hates the Christians and Jews. It's all about a struggle for power: who gets to twist the thumbscrews, and whose thumbs are screwed. If this is the brink, the reality will be unbearable.
Seriously, what did people expect?
I hate to say it, but those of us who opposed the war in Iraq were right all along. No, we didn't have a premonition. We didn't have access to classified intelligence. We simply ignored the pro-war, mainstream media and paid attention to history. Rockwell explains:
Students of government can hardly be surprised that a government program ends up creating the very opposite of what it purported to accomplish. Welfare increases poverty, the minimum wage boosts unemployment, prohibition promotes the banned behavior, and, just as we would expect once we understand the logic, the war on terror has created and encouraged the rise of more terrorism and the ideology that backs it.
In short, government has a tendency to #@$% things up. It really is amazing what the past can teach us about the present and the future.
Again, I hate to say it, but we told you so. America is less free and less safe because of this war. Maybe that's something to keep in mind in 2008.
You may now consume fast food without the guilt (well, almost):
Wendy's completes zero trans-fat cooking oil switch
DUBLIN, Ohio - Wendy's is now cooking with oil that has zero grams of trans-fat per serving at its 6,000 U.S. restaurants.
"Wendy's has kept its promise to its customers," said Wendy's interim chief executive Kerrii Anderson. "After two years of research and development, we said in June that we would convert to the new cooking oil by the end of August. We're proud to announce that this process is now complete."
With the move, Wendy's becomes the first major quick-service restaurant chain to switch to non-hydrogenated cooking oil for its french fries and chicken items.
Wendy's breaded chicken sandwiches, nuggets and strips now have zero grams of trans-fat. Depending on the serving size, trans-fats in French fry offerings will range from zero to 0.5 grams. Kids' Meal nuggets and fries will have no trans-fat.
What's noteworthy about this story is that the folks at Wendy's took this step on their own. They didn't need another Draconian federal law or an executive decision from an unconstitutional agency like the FDA to take trans fat off their menu. They saw a need in the market and moved to meet that demand. Isn't capitalism great?
Contrary to what the defenders of the nanny state will tell you, America's economy isn't as free as it could be - which is to say that it isn't as free as it should be. We don't need more "safeguards" forced on us by the government. If anything, we need less. The market will adjust to meet public demand. What do you think people did before the FDA came along?
More freedom, however, means that we would have to exercise more responsibility. Rather than relying on the government to tell us what we can and can't eat, we would have to start using our brains to decide what goes into our stomachs.
For example, you don't need the government to tell you that even though Wendy's is now using a healthier cooking oil, you still want to watch what you consume. It really doesn't take much mental exertion to realize that the regular soda still contains high fructose corn syrup and the diet soda uses potentially harmful artificial sweeteners; the Frosty dessert is still loaded with sugar and the sandwich buns, fries, and breaded chicken add a significant amount of starch to your meal.
But, then again, it's your call, not the government's. What you eat is between you and your fast food restaurant...okay, and maybe your spouse, but I won't get into that here.
Recently, a local talk show host brought up a seemingly mundane topic: tipping at restaurants. He wanted to know why some restaurant servers think they are entitled to tips. After all, isn't a tip, or gratuity, something that is given to show appreciation for one's exceptional service? I had always assumed that a tip is something to be earned, not expected. It seems I was wrong.
The Web site FairTip.org is dedicated to helping restaurant servers get that to which they think they are entitled. The site's author lays out the case for what can only be described as forced tipping:
Occasionally, every restaurant or bar server has a night, when after they tip-out following a ten-hour shift they take home a lot less than minimum wage. It happens. Sometimes a table of 8 feel [a] couple bucks apiece is enough on a $250 tab. Another table, upset with the kitchen stiffs the waiter altogether, as if the server cooks the food.
The fact is: most customers don't know servers are paid just a little over $2 an hour! At a minimum, a 20% tip is only fair! Some customers, if given the facts, would be more generous with tipping. Others, would not. For all customers, a little information, and, a real incentive would lead to fair tips.
All errors in grammar and punctuation aside, the case presented is absurd on its face. We're supposed to believe that "servers are paid just a little over $2 an hour"? Please. If that were true, waiting tables would quickly become one of those "jobs Americans won't do" we keep hearing about in the immigration debate. The fact is that while most restaurant servers earn a set minimum wage of $2.13 per hour, they are actually paid much more than that.
Zagat Survey, "the world's leading provider of consumer survey-based dining, travel and leisure information," reported in its 2005 America's Top Restaurant Guide that the average tip had increased the previous year from 18.4 percent to 18.6 percent. Currently, servers in Atlanta and Philadelphia enjoy an average tip of 19.2 percent. What's more, if an employee's direct wage plus tips do not equal the federal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, then the employer is required to make up the difference. So, at the very least, restaurant servers are actually making $3 per hour more than the folks at FairTip.org would have us believe.
But since when have those with an entitlement mentality ever been truthful? Consider what FairTip.org proposes as a solution:
We will contact the N.R.A. (National Restaurant Association) to have an automatic gratuity of 20% added to every check [and] encourage restaurants to increase their prices in order to pay the servers a higher hourly wage or 20% of their sales as tips. By implementing either of those ideas, we eliminate the risk of customers not tipping fairly for service.
Why would this be a great idea? It is a given fact that the restaurants have high turnover rates. By setting a standard for service, and by guaranteeing fair compensation for servers, restaurants will be able to attract high quality, professional staff that in turn will provide [a] level of service that is desired by both the customers and owners alike.
Again, without going into the author's poor writing skills, this proposal makes no sense. A guaranteed increase in pay with no guaranteed corresponding increase in the quality of service (i.e., something for nothing) goes against all logic one would expect of people living and working in a free-market economy. If anything, such a policy would have a negative effect, driving customers away from restaurants and bars - and then the whiny waiters who feel they are entitled to other people's money will be just as bad off financially as they think they are now.
FairTip.org is merely another example of Americans' entitlement mentality. We tend to take things for granted and get upset when we don't get what we think we deserve. People all across the world have to suffer through famines, wars, and natural disasters that wipe out entire villages, but nothing compares to the misery of an under-tipped waiter!
Look. Enough complaining about what's fair or unfair. If you don't think your meager tip earnings reflect the quality of your service, chances are they probably do. Don't like it? You can always quit and look for another job.
But before you go, could I get another refill on this iced tea? Thanks!
Could the terrorist attacks of 9/11 have been prevented? Can a similar attack be prevented in the future?
According to fellow blogger Christopher Knight, the answer to both questions is a resounding "Yes." His latest post spells it out.
First of all, we need to overcome the sheep mentality that keeps us looking to the government for a solution:
Here's the crux of the problem as I see it, and it's only gotten worse since 9/11: we are too damned dependent on the government to protect us from even the slightest threats. Somewhere along the way we forgot that we are Americans...and that means we're supposed to look after ourselves and each other, without begging Big Brother to do it for us.
Secondly, we need to restore the right to keep and bear arms:
Ask yourself this: would Mohammed Atta and the rest of the 9/11 hijackers have been able to overtake a single plane had even one responsible passenger been onboard with a gun? Would they have even considered going through with their suicide missions if it crossed their minds that there might possibly be several armed passengers aboard their intended flights? Certainly the 9/11 hijackers were crazy...but I doubt they would be so insane as to not take that into consideration had there been the slightest threat of retaliation if they tried to pull it off once in the air.
The idea of armed passengers may make some people squeamish, but we have already witnessed the alternative. Do we really need to go through that again before we realize the benefits of living in a truly free society?
I admit that my essays over the years have been rather critical of government. In fact, on occasion, they may have seemed a bit sarcastic and even downright cynical. Well, perhaps it's time I turned over a new leaf.
I have come to realize that, when you get right down to it, politicians really only have our best interests at heart. They remind us of that consistently. And it's a good thing, too, because so many people seem to forget—and no one has been guiltier of that than yours truly.
As a Minnesotan, I have seen firsthand just how caring government officials can be. Those elected to public office—and even those in positions of power who aren't elected—have demonstrated time and again that they know what's best for their fellow citizens. Take, for example, the numerous smoking bans that have been enacted in enlightened communities all across this great state. By preventing people from smoking in bars and restaurants, our gracious leaders have seen to it that we won't be dropping dead from lung cancer at 75 or 80 years of age. And this they did in the face of violent opposition from the property rights and freedom of association crowds. Yes, our politicians are a tenacious bunch.
They are also quick to react in times of crisis. Just a few months ago, following a harrowing roller coaster accident at Valleyfair, who was there calling for new government regulations? That's right: politicians. State Senator John Marty stepped up to the plate with a plan to introduce a bill that would give the state more control over the safety of amusement park rides. "Ours is a very poor system," Marty said. "We're one of the worst among the states. The parents who sent their kids out on that carnival ride assume the state is watching out for them." You see, people have a God-given right to be entertained, and if being entertained means sending our precious wee ones hurtling through the air on huge chunks of metal at extreme velocities, then only government oversight can ensure that they are completely safe. How many thousands of children need to die in our nation's amusement parks each year before we realize that only more government regulation can solve the problem? Just look at how highway fatalities have plummeted since mandatory seatbelt laws were passed.
Another way in which government cares for us is through its ability to pick up the slack where the free market fails. In order to maintain economic fairness, we have a law here in Minnesota that prohibits gas stations from selling fuel at a price lower than eight cents above the wholesale cost. Sure, that means higher prices for consumers, but it also means that smaller businesses won't be victimized by the predatory pricing of larger companies. Hey, whoever said free enterprise was free?
People don't always know what's best for them, and sometimes government needs to force things on the rest of us even when we think we don't want it. This is especially true when it comes to economic issues. The fact that the state legislature recently passed a bill allowing the use of public money to fund a new outdoor baseball stadium for the Minnesota Twins is proof that our politicians care about the local economy. And the fact that Hennepin County will impose a new sales tax to provide that funding shows that these courageous lawmakers know what it means to make sacrifices.
Of course, the benefits of having a benevolent, elite ruling class aren't limited to individual states. Our entire nation has prospered as a result. Just look at what our brave leaders in Washington have done in the way of national security. Why, if the feds hadn't taken over airline security and subjected elderly travelers to full-body searches, who knows how many planes might have been blown out of the sky with bombs constructed from hearing aid batteries and denture cream?
And let's not forget our illustrious commander in chief. If George W. Bush hadn't sent young teenaged boys and girls off to fight in Iraq, we'd all be speaking Iraqese or something and bowing to Mecca 27 times a day.
I could go on and on. The list of blessings bestowed upon us by government is virtually endless. I have no idea how our country has managed to survive for as long as it has, especially without the kind of tyran...I mean, compassionate coercion we enjoy today. Thankfully, there will never be a shortage of people who are able and willing to tell the rest of us how to live, how to think, and how much water our toilets can use when we flush.
Let the record show that people can and do change. No longer a sarcastic cynic, I now see that government is only looking out for our best interests.
