- 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
Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia has decided to cut off funding to 11 of the city's 54 libraries to help close a $1 billion budget gap (full story). The plan is being criticized by those who believe they are entitled to "free" (i.e. taxpayer-funded) books, magazines, movies, Internet access, etc.
What's interesting is that five of the affected libraries are already set to be taken over by private foundations, individuals, and corporations. Amy Dougherty, executive director of the Friends of the Free Library, responded, "Basically what he's talking about is privately run libraries of some sort. While we certainly would prefer to keep it publicly run, this seems to be a third way, and it's better than closing them."
People should be cheering loudly over this solution. Libraries should be privately run. As part of the free market, libraries will be forced to compete with other legitimate private businesses, and as we capitalists know, competition is good for the economy. But perhaps the best reason for privatizing libraries is that it would eliminate the need to placate the desires of virtually every special interest group under the sun, an inherent concern in public institutions.
Personally, I like Lew Rockwell's solution: "We don't have to shut public libraries. Just sell them to the highest bidder."
Timing is everything. Now that the presidential election is lost and taking a stand for conservative principles will be seen as a pathetic attempt to woo back a disgruntled constituency, the Republican National Committee has finally mustered up the courage to call George W. Bush to task for his socialist policies, particularly the recent economic bailouts:
Republican Party officials say they will try next month to pass a resolution accusing President Bush and congressional Republican leaders of embracing "socialism," underscoring deep dissension within the party at the end of Mr. Bush's administration.
Those pushing the resolution, which will come before the Republican National Committee at its January meeting, say elected leaders need to be reminded of core principles. They said the RNC must take the dramatic step of wading into policy debates, which traditionally have been left to lawmakers.
"We can't be a party of small government, free markets and low taxes while supporting bailouts and nationalizing industries, which lead to big government, socialism and high taxes at the expense of individual liberty and freedoms," said Solomon Yue, an Oregon member and co-sponsor of a resolution that criticizes the U.S. government bailouts of the financial and auto industries. Republican National Committee Vice Chairman James Bopp Jr. wrote the resolution and asked the rest of the 168 voting members to sign it.
Excuse me, but just how stupid do they think we are? Many of us were pointing out how socialist Bush was long before the 2000 elections, and they want to take action now? Where was the RNC nine years ago?
The Republican Party has been careering toward socialism ever since Abraham Lincoln imposed the first income tax, shredded the Constitution, and ushered in the era of monolithic government, killing over 600,000 Americans in the process. Ending up with a socialist like George "I've abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system" Bush at the helm should have come as no surprise.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Richard Daines released the following video in support of Governor David Paterson's scheme to impose an 18 per cent tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. Oh, but it's not about the money; it's a public health issue:
I suggest imposing a quack tax on any doctor serving as a paid shill for the state. Euthanizing liberty is a Hippocratic no-no.
According to economist Peter Schiff, a recession is what's needed at this point in time. He writes:
By borrowing more than it can ever pay back, the government will guarantee higher inflation for years to come, thereby diminishing the value of all that Americans have saved and acquired. For now the inflationary tide is being held back by the countervailing pressures of bursting asset bubbles in real estate and stocks, forced liquidations in commodities, and troubled retailers slashing prices to unload excess inventory. But when the dust settles, trillions of new dollars will remain, chasing a diminished supply of goods. We will be left with 1970s-style stagflation, only with a much sharper contraction and significantly higher inflation.
The good news is that economics is not all that complicated. The bad news is that our economy is broken and there is nothing the government can do to fix it. However, the free market does have a cure: it's called a recession, and it's not fun, easy or quick. But if we put our faith in the power of government to make the pain go away, we will live with the consequences for generations.
My grandmother, Loraine Shelton, passed away suddenly the morning after Christmas. The last time Dawn and I saw her was the day after Thanksgiving, and we were planning on seeing her again, along with other members of my immediate family, on New Year's Day.
This came as quite a surprise since she seemed to be in relatively good health. She will be buried alongside her husband in Pensacola, Florida.
I was blessed to have had her as a grandmother for nearly 40 years. She was a kind and gentle woman who always put others first. She was always there to care for my grandfather, who battled numerous health problems throughout his life. She was a great example of a loving, faithful wife, and you could tell how much she adored her husband even after 60 years of marriage.
My father (you can read his tribute here) always talked about the three important things he learned from his parents: that they loved God, loved each other, and loved their children. That has been something I have always wanted to pass along to our own kids.
She will be missed. We remain saddened at her departure from this world, but I know that one day we will see her again.
The most noteworthy aspect of the Christmas Truce of 1914 is that, were it not for the bloodthirsty commanders on both sides, it just may have brought World War I to an end. Read more about the Christmas Truce of 1914 here.
(The following EV essay was originally published on December 23, 2005.)
'Tis the season to be melancholy. Haven't you heard? Christmas is under attack! Christians all across America are being persecuted! You thought Nero was bad? Our most sacred of days is being secularized and no one seems to be doing anything to stop it!
Is this a foreshadowing of the coming Great Tribulation? Are we about to see the fulfillment of Revelation 13:17? Will we wake up one morning and discover that we cannot buy Christmas presents for our loved ones unless our hands or foreheads bear the mark of the Beast? Surely we must be living in the End Times!
Okay, back to reality...
Yes, I believe there are assaults on the tradition of Christmas, just as surely as the world rails against anything associated with Christ and his church. But given the state of our secular, hedonistic culture, it really isn't all that surprising when some people are offended when you wish them a "Merry Christmas."
It goes both ways, however. Many Christians are just as offended when they are greeted with the words "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings." "How dare you take Christ out of Christmas!" they shout, as they claw, punch and bite their way through a gaggle of shoppers for the last Xbox 360 on the shelf so that they and their spoiled children can properly celebrate the Savior's birth.
Don't get me wrong. Despite the fact that, after all this time, I still have not received a Red Ryder carbine-action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, I love Christmas. It is a time set aside for fellowship with friends and family. It is also the time of year during which we focus on the birth of Jesus Christ. While that does make Christmas a significant holiday, there isn't anything especially holy about it.
Debate continues even within Christian circles about the origins of Christmas. "Its roots go back to the pagan rituals of ancient Rome," some will argue. "No," others reply. "Christmas is a distinctly Christian celebration and should be embraced." Whatever your particular view may be, the fact remains that Christmas is a man-made holiday.
Romans 14:5 says, "One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." That is not to say that traditions aren't important or that churches shouldn't have special days on their calendars. But considering that the only celebration in remembrance of Christ that is called for in scripture is the Lord's Supper, can we really justify getting worked up simply because we don't see the word "Christmas" in a store display?
My point is that many of us have a tendency to overreact when we see things we don't like. That is especially true at Christmastime. We're geared up for a fight, and when we hear the jingle bells ring we come out swinging.
Alistair Begg, pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, once noted in a sermon that the weapons of the believer are "prayer and the proclamation of the Word." Those are the weapons we should be using. "As soon as we lay down the two weapons given by our Commander," Begg continued, "we will be forced to take up the weapons that are present in our culture. And so we become just another marching special interest group..."
The result is a boycott here and a lawsuit there in the hope that an unbelieving world will relent and allow us to express our Christian beliefs. Of course, what usually happens is that we end up looking every bit as shallow and selfish as the very ones we believe are out to get us. We forget to exhibit Christ's love in a fallen world.
Is that how we want to be seen? Is that what we are called to do? Is our dedication to the defense of the gospel of Christ defined by how ferociously we defend a particular holiday? Will our petty complaints about society's disregard for the "true meaning" of Christmas help us reach lost souls?
This Christmas, may we be less offended by the "secularization" of a man-made holiday and be more focused on living as examples of the One whose birth we're celebrating. The world doesn't need Christmas; what it does need is Christ.
Montgomery County, Maryland, launched the Safe Speed automated enforcement program last year. The goal was to save lives (yeah, right) by using cameras to catch speeders in residential areas and send them a ticket through the mail.
It seemed to be working...until a bunch of kids began exploiting the inherent flaw in the system. From the Montgomery County Sentinel:
As a prank, students from local high schools have been taking advantage of the county's Speed Camera Program in order to exact revenge on people who they believe have wronged them in the past, including other students and even teachers.
Students from Richard Montgomery High School dubbed the prank the Speed Camera "Pimping" game, according to a parent of a student enrolled at one of the high schools.
Originating from Wootton High School, the parent said, students duplicate the license plates by printing plate numbers on glossy photo paper, using fonts from certain websites that "mimic" those on Maryland license plates. They tape the duplicate plate over the existing plate on the back of their car and purposefully speed through a speed camera, the parent said. The victim then receives a citation in the mail days later.
Simple. Ingenious. But a complete waste of time.
Imagine, however, those who voted to authorize these cameras getting two or three speeding tickets per week. Now that is what I would call poetic justice.
One mark of a rising police state is a lapdog media that is sympathetic to those in power. And when it goes out of its way to portray agents of the state in a compassionate and heroic light, no one will dare raise criticism for fear of being branded unpatriotic. Enter Homeland Security U.S.A.:
A crumbling economy, more than 2 million constituents who have lost their jobs this year, and congressional demands of CEOs to work for free did not convince lawmakers to freeze their own pay.
Instead, they will get a $4,700 pay increase, amounting to an additional $2.5 million that taxpayers will spend on congressional salaries, and watchdog groups are not happy about it.
Running other people's lives is hard work, so I guess they deserve it.
Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy believes that it was necessary to send 4,000 Americans to their deaths in Iraq: "My position is it is regrettable that any Americans died. It is regrettable that they had to die, but I believe they did have to die."
I have no doubt that Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois is as crooked as they come. He is a politician, after all. But if he was supposedly being investigated by the FBI for years, why did they wait until now to indict him? Perhaps it had something to do with his opposition to Bank of America. Take a look:
Blagojevich made this announcement on December 8. He was promptly indicted on December 9. And as one might expect, not a peep from the mainstream media.
There were similar circumstances surrounding the downfall of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. A federal investigation into suspicious money transfers led to the discovery of Spitzer's involvement with a high-class prostitution ring. But this was not made public until after he wrote this in a Washington Post op-ed piece:
When history tells the story of the subprime lending crisis and recounts its devastating effects on the lives of so many innocent homeowners, the Bush administration will not be judged favorably. The tale is still unfolding, but when the dust settles, it will be judged as a willing accomplice to the lenders who went to any lengths in their quest for profits. So willing, in fact, that it used the power of the federal government in an unprecedented assault on state legislatures, as well as on state attorneys general and anyone else on the side of consumers.
Another coincidence?
Personally, I would love to see more corrupt state and local politicians investigated and brought down, but that isn't the job of the federal government. I just think we Americans need to pay more attention. You can bet that the feds have something on just about every high-profile politician, but as long as they play ball they don't have to worry about being exposed. It's only when they dare to step out of line that they will feel the wrath of the most corrupt organization in the "free" world.
Folks, nothing has changed. This is exactly the same approach the federal government takes today -- which is why we're in this mess. What was that they say about those who forget history?
The overall socialist slant of the film is pretty obvious (hey, it's FDR, for crying out loud), but I also noticed a more subtle endorsement of socialism. Did you catch it? Look for it at the 7:30 point in the video:
The government has been cramming this crap down our throats for the last 70 years. And to think that President Bush was the one to finally admit it openly with his recent idiotic statement: "I've abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system." It just doesn't get any more obvious than that.
Greg Knox, president of Knox Machinery in Franklin, Ohio, received the following letter about three weeks ago:
Dear Employees & Suppliers,
Congress and the current Administration will soon determine whether to provide immediate support to the domestic auto industry to help it through one of the most difficult economic times in our nation's history. Your elected officials must hear from all of us now on why this support is critical to our continuing the progress we began prior to the global financial crisis. ... As an employee or supplier, you have a lot at stake and continue to be one of our most effective and passionate voices. I know GM can count on you to have your voice heard.
Thank you for your urgent action and ongoing support.
Troy Clarke President General Motors North America
Knox wasted no time in responding:
Gentlemen:
In response to your request to call legislators and ask for a bailout for the United States automakers please consider the following, and please also pass this onto Troy Clark, the president of General Motors North America for me.
You are both infected with the same entitlement mentality that has bred like cancerous germs in UAW halls for the last countless decades, and whose plague is now sweeping the nation, awaiting our new "messiah" to wave his magical wand and make all our problems go away, while at the same time allowing our once great nation to keep "living the dream"…
The dream is over!
The dream that we can ignore the consumer for years while management myopically focuses on its personal rewards packages at the same time that our factories have been filled with the worlds most overpaid, arrogant, ignorant and laziest entitlement minded "laborers" without paying the price for these atrocities…and that still the masses will line up to buy our products
Don't tell me I'm wrong. Don't accuse me of not knowing of what I speak.
I have called on Ford, GM , Chrysler,TRW, Delphi, Kelsey Hayes, American Axle and countless other automotive OEM's and Tier ones for 3 decades now throughout the Midwest and what I've seen over the years in these union shops can only be described as disgusting.
Mr Clark, the president of General Motors, states: "There is widespread sentiment in this country, our government and especially in the media that the current crisis is completely the result of bad management. It is not…"
You're right – it's not JUST management…how about the electricians who walk around the plants like lords in feudal times, making people wait on them for countless hours while they drag ass…so they can come in on the weekend and make double and triple time…for a job they easily could have done within their normal 40 hour week ?
How about the line workers who threaten newbies with all kinds of scare tactics…for putting out too many parts on a shift…and for being too productive (mustn't expose the lazy bums who have been getting overpaid for decades for their horrific underproduction, must we?!?)
Do you really not know about this stuff?!?
How about this great sentiment abridged from Mr. Clarke's sad plea:
over the last few years …we have closed the quality and efficiency gaps with our competitors.
What the hell has Detroit been doing for the last 40 years?!?
Did we really JUST wake up to the gaps in quality and efficiency between us and them?
The K car vs. the Accord?
The Pinto vs. the Civic?!?
Do I need to go on? We are living through the inevitable outcome of the actions of the United States auto industry for decades. Time to pay for your sins, Detroit.
I attended an economic summit last week where a brilliant economist, Alan Beaulieu surprised the crowd when he said he would not have given the banks a penny of "bailout money".
Yes, he said, this would address short term problems, but despite what people like George Bush and Troy Clark would have us believe, the sun would in fact rise the next day… and something else would happen…where there had been greedy and sloppy banks new efficient ones would pop up…that is how a free market system works…it does work…if we would let it work…
But for some reason we are now deciding that the rest of the world is right and that capitalism doesn't work – that we need the government to step in and "save us"…save us, hell – we're nationalizing…and unfortunately too many of this once fine nations citizens don't even have a clue that this is what's really happening…but they sure can tell you the stats on their favorite sports teams…yeah – THAT'S important…
Does it occur to ANYONE that the "competition" has been producing vehicles, EXTREMELY PROFITABLY, for decades now in this country?... How can that be???
Let's see… Fuel efficient… Listening to customers… Investing in the proper tooling and automation for the long haul… Not being too complacent or arrogant to listen to Dr W Edwards Deming 4 decades ago,,,
Ever increased productivity through quality, lean and six sigma plans… Treating vendors like strategic partners, rather than like "the enemy"… Efficient front and back offices… Non union environment…
Again, I could go on and on, but I really wouldn't be telling anyone anything they really don't already know in their hearts I have six children, so I am not unfamiliar with the concept of wanting someone to bail you out of a mess that you have gotten yourself into – my children do this on a weekly, if not daily basis, as I did at their age.
I do for them what my parents did for me (one of their greatest gifts, by the way) – I make them stand on their own two feet and accept the consequences of their actions and work them through.
Radical concept, huh… Am I there for them in the wings? Of course – but only until such time as they need to be fully on their own as adults
I don't want to oversimplify a complex situation, but there certainly are unmistakable parallels here between the proper role of parenting and government.
Detroit and the United States need to pay for their sins.
Bad news people – it's coming whether we like it or not The newly elected Messiah really doesn't have a magic wand big enough to "make it all go away"
I laughed as I heard Obama "reeling it back in" almost immediately after the vote count was tallied…
"we might not do it in a year…or in four…" where was that kind of talk when he was RUNNING for the office Stop trying to put off the inevitable … That house in Florida really isn't worth $750,000… People who jump across a border really don't deserve free health care benefits… That job driving that forklift for the big 3 really isn't worth $85,000 a year… We really shouldn't allow Wal-Mart to stock their shelves with products acquired from a country that unfairly manipulates their currency and has the most atrocious human rights infractions on the face of the globe…
That couple whose combined income is less than $50,000 really shouldn't be living in that $485,000 home… Let the market correct itself people – it will.
Yes it will be painful, but it's gonna be painful either way, and the bright side of my proposal is that on the other side of it is a nation that appreciates what is has…and doesn't live beyond its means…and gets back to basics…and redevelops the work ethic that made it the greatest nation in the history of the world…and probably turns back to God.
Sorry – don't cut my head off, I'm just the messenger sharing with you the "bad news".
Gregory J Knox President Knox Machinery, Inc. Franklin, Ohio 45005
Knox was interviewed on a local talk show here in Minnesota regarding his letter. Here is the audio:
This CNN story demonstrates the inadequacy of our government "protectors":
Brittany Zimmerman, a 21-year-old college student who wanted to be a doctor, called 911 as she was being attacked by a stranger, police say.
But the police did not come for 48 minutes. By that time, Zimmerman was dead. Her fiance found her body.
Although the dispatcher claimed later to have heard nothing, the 911 tape captured screams, gasps and what sounds like a struggle, according to the court documents.
(The following EV essay was originally published on July 16, 2001.)
Americans love all-you-can-eat buffets. We love to walk into a restaurant, belly up to the steaming food trough, and sink our teeth into dozens of different foods, satisfying every culinary craving we could possibly have.
In the mood for seafood? Try the butterflied shrimp or the crab legs. Better yet, try both! Want some turf with your surf? Throw in a 12-ounce sirloin and some barbecued pork. Can't wait for dessert? Top off your plate with a slice (or two, or three) of cheesecake. And don't bother with the salad bar. Why waste your $13.95 on lawn clippings? As long as you remember to use a clean plate on your next trip through the buffet line, you can eat as much as you want for as long as you want.
Sadly, many Americans view the U.S. Constitution in very much the same way they drool over an elaborate smorgasbord. They believe the founding fathers of this country prepared a sumptuous feast of various freedoms and laid it out on a tablecloth of parchment. All they need to do is pick and choose the freedoms they like best and they'll be as satisfied as a Calvin Klein model after three stalks of celery.
The trouble is that eventually the buffet will begin run out of food, and I for one do not want to be caught between a 400-pound truck driver, with a belt buckle the size of a hubcap, and the last piece of fried chicken. In other words, we need to reread our history and learn to interpret the Constitution as the founders intended if we want to maintain the freedoms we have enjoyed for over two centuries.
Truth be told, freedom itself is an abstract concept. It can mean a variety of things to different people. Rice farmers in China, for instance, are free to grow and sell their crops, but are not free to speak out publicly against the government's policy toward the Falun Gong. Cubans in Havana are free to roll and smoke their own cigars but are never free to blow as much smoke as Fidel Castro.
Americans, thankfully, have a slightly bigger slice of freedom pie than our communist counterparts; and ours is a la mode. However, if we begin to take advantage of the generous buffet servings, the manager of the restaurant may walk up to our table and say, "Excuse me, but I think you've made enough trips through the buffet line. If you don't leave now, I'll be forced to call mall security." That is what happens when there isn't enough freedom to go around.
We have already begun to see the rationing of liberty. Today, every freedom gained by one group means taking away a freedom from another. In 1973, the Supreme Court granted pregnant women the "right" to kill their unborn children by taking away the unborn children's right to life. In the Civil Rights Act of 1991, Congress gave certain groups of people the "freedom" to be employed by virtually any business without regard to race, religion, sex, or disability by taking away the freedom of association previously held by business owners. In 1994, Congress gave the federal government more "freedom" to regulate the sale and ownership of guns by further eroding the constitutionally protected right of the people to keep and bear arms.
Countless groups of people are tripping over one another to get to the buffet line in hopes of scooping up their favorite freedoms before they disappear. In their blind selfishness they have forgotten the most important thing: freedom is for everyone and should not be a limited resource that needs to be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. To remain metaphorically consistent, freedom is supposed to be the strong, ever-flowing, bottomless cup of coffee, not the thimble-sized, single serving cup of espresso with a lemon twist.
In that respect, the Constitution is not, and never has been, a menu of freedoms available to the people of the United States. It was designed to be more of an insurance policy guaranteeing that the freedoms already granted to the people by their Creator would remain fresh and unspoiled by an overzealous federal government. The Constitution is more like the warning signs in restaurants that read, "EMPLOYEES MUST WASH HANDS AFTER USING RESTROOM."
The United States of America should be a bountiful cornucopia of liberty, but that can only be accomplished when freedoms are no longer treated as side dishes on a buffet table. Before we know it, we will have gorged ourselves on what satisfies our immediate cravings, leaving the rest on our plates to be scraped into the garbage disposal of big government. And, unlike the taut little stomach of the Calvin Klein model, I don't think we can count on the garbage disposal ever feeling satisfied.
Given the "success" of the European Union, columnist Gideon Rachman thinks some type of world government is plausible:
First, it is increasingly clear that the most difficult issues facing national governments are international in nature: there is global warming, a global financial crisis and a "global war on terror".
Second, it could be done. The transport and communications revolutions have shrunk the world so that, as Geoffrey Blainey, an eminent Australian historian, has written: "For the first time in human history, world government of some sort is now possible." Mr Blainey foresees an attempt to form a world government at some point in the next two centuries, which is an unusually long time horizon for the average newspaper column.
But - the third point -- a change in the political atmosphere suggests that "global governance" could come much sooner than that. The financial crisis and climate change are pushing national governments towards global solutions, even in countries such as China and the U.S. that are traditionally fierce guardians of national sovereignty.
Ever since Woodrow Wilson, who believed that "the world must be made safe for democracy," every American president has furthered the cause of globalism. And since we're already in the habit of using the biggest, most powerful military in the world to enforce U.N. resolutions, the groundwork for some kind of world government has indeed already been laid. Rest assured that our 44th president will take the next step toward making it a reality.
"All we're asking is that you lend us a few billion dollars to bail us out of this mess we've gotten ourselves into. You don't hate America, do you? Besides, you owe it to us. Remember what we did for this country in World War II? It's because of us that you aren't speaking German and Japanese, you ungrateful little pukes! Now, fork over the cash!"
Do we have a "constitutional crisis"? You bet we do; but it is not limited to Barack Obama or the Democrat Party. The real constitutional crisis is the manner in which the American people have, for years, allowed civil magistrates from both major parties to routinely violate their oaths to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Srdja Trifkovic, in his latest essay, gives a timeline of one of the most infamous conspiracies in American History. He concludes:
The late Murray Rothbard is said to have often argued that, far from being evidence of a "paranoid" strain in the American mind, belief in conspiracies as a factor in American history was usually not taken far enough. The truth behind most conspiracies, he alleged, was far more heinous and diabolical than even the most diehard conspiracy theorist suspected. The events leading up to the Day of Infamy in 1941 prove him right, no less than those preceding U.S. wars against Mexico, the Confederacy, Spain (1898), Serbia (1999), or Iraq (2003). In all of those cases diplomacy did not "fail" because it was not used to avert war, but to make certain its coming.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were arrested by FBI agents on federal corruption charges Tuesday morning.
Blagojevich and Harris were arrested simultaneously at their homes at about 6:15 a.m., according to Frank Bochte of the FBI. Both were transported to FBI headquarters in Chicago.
In one charge related to the appointment of a senator to replace Barack Obama, prosecutors allege that Blagojevich sought appointment for himself as secretary of Health and Human Services in the new Obama administration, or a lucrative job with a union, in exchange for appointing a union-preferred candidate.
Another charge alleges Blagojevich and Harris conspired to demand the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members responsible for editorials critical of him in exchange for state help with the sale of Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs baseball stadium owned by Tribune Co.
Government officials don't have to be responsible with money because it isn't theirs to begin with, and when they find themselves a little short on cash, they simply raise taxes or impose fines. In Rhode Island, for example, the state wants to start taxing drivers based on the mileage put on their vehicles. In addition to paying for roads and bridges (things that should already be receiving adequate funding), the money will be used to prop up the outdated and financially strapped public transit system.
In Gwinnett County, Georgia, a move is on to force residents to take part in a mandatory recycling program. Did I say "mandatory"? I meant to say that it's voluntary -- as long as residents are ready to shell out $500 each time they choose not to participate.
These kinds of regulations might be enough to give some people the crazy idea that they can vote with their feet and just pick up and move to a community that actually celebrates freedom. No such luck. This is America, after all. Where state or local governments fail to stick it to law-abiding citizens, the federal government is there to pick up the slack. Farmers are finding this out thanks to a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency that would require certain farms with dairy cows, beef cattle, or hogs to pay an annual fee because of their livestock's greenhouse emissions. No, they're not kidding.
These types of regulations are always implemented under the auspices of providing for the "common good." But in reality they are nothing more than fund-raising schemes that end up making criminals out of otherwise law-abiding citizens.
When you and I are in a financial pinch, we are forced to reassess how much we spend and make the necessary adjustments. We don't have the luxury to go out and rob our neighbors -- except, of course, for those lazy compassionate types who try to "spread the wealth" through the ballot box.
The state, however, can do whatever it wants to pad its pockets. It's why police forces are maintained. If you believe otherwise, then just haven't been paying attention.
Chuck Baldwin talks about the kind of "change" we can expect from the new administration. (Hint: Those who really thought Obama would change things are going to be disappointed.)
If the cops can't protect law-abiding citizens, why not allow law-abiding citizens to protect themselves? That's exactly what one city official would like to see. Check it out:
A St. Louis city leader frustrated with the police response to rising crime called Tuesday on residents to arm themselves to protect their lives and property.
Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe said police are ineffective, outnumbered or don't care about the increase in crime in his north St. Louis ward. St. Louis has had 157 homicides in 2008, 33 more than last year at this time.
"The community has to be ready to defend itself, because it's clear the economy is going to get worse, and criminals are getting more bold," Troupe, 72, said Tuesday.
Troupe said that when he and residents approached a district police commander last year, they were told "there was nothing he could do to protect us and the community ... that he didn't have the manpower."
Good for you, Mr. Troupe.
Naturally, Chief Dan Isom of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department disagrees. He wants a more enlightened, "it takes a village" approach:
While police officers have the dangerous job of arresting criminals, we must all be willing to roll up our sleeves and do the work that addresses the underlying reasons why criminals commit crimes---poverty, lack of education, lack of family structure, lack of employment skills, drug addiction. We must work together. We must look out for our neighbors and our neighborhoods. We must care enough to get involved, even if it's not happening in our own backyard. I think all of these things will help but I can't guarantee these are the solutions. However I can say with certainty that the solution is not more guns.
OK, Chief Isom. When will you and your fellow officers be giving up your guns?
In an interview with Lew Rockwell, Dr. Mark Thornton explains that we need more representation in Washnington by increasing the number of representatives in the House to match population growth. He argues that this would make our elected officials more accessible and more accountable.
I have to agree. 435 individuals cannot possibly faithfully represent 300 million people.
This is a new low, even for the pro-death racists at Planned Parenthood:
Indiana residents in need of a quick stocking stuffer this holiday season have an unusual option: Planned Parenthood gift certificates.
The group's Hoosier State chapter on Wednesday began selling gift certificates redeemable at any of its 35 facilities for any service provided -- from basic health screenings to birth control to abortions.
Betty Cockrum, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Indiana, said the program was initiated in response to the state's ailing economy.
It seems some people just aren't satisfied with the current abortion rate among poor minorities in Indiana.
The attitude of the ruling elite in Washington, D.C., is perhaps best summed up by the recent remarks made by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: "My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway. In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true."
I learned in Iraq that the No. 1 reason foreign fighters flocked there to fight were the abuses carried out at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. Our policy of torture was directly and swiftly recruiting fighters for al-Qaeda in Iraq. The large majority of suicide bombings in Iraq are still carried out by these foreigners. They are also involved in most of the attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. It's no exaggeration to say that at least half of our losses and casualties in that country have come at the hands of foreigners who joined the fray because of our program of detainee abuse. The number of U.S. soldiers who have died because of our torture policy will never be definitively known, but it is fair to say that it is close to the number of lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me -- unless you don't count American soldiers as Americans.
The Washington Post is reporting that the Pentagon plans to deploy up to 20,000 troops here within our own borders in an effort to "train" state and local officials to better respond to a nuclear attack or other catastrophe:
There are critics of the change, in the military and among civil liberties groups and libertarians who express concern that the new homeland emphasis threatens to strain the military and possibly undermine the Posse Comitatus Act, a 130-year-old federal law restricting the military's role in domestic law enforcement.
But the Bush administration and some in Congress have pushed for a heightened homeland military role since the middle of this decade, saying the greatest domestic threat is terrorists exploiting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, dedicating 20,000 troops to domestic response -- a nearly sevenfold increase in five years -- "would have been extraordinary to the point of unbelievable," Paul McHale, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense, said in remarks last month at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But the realization that civilian authorities may be overwhelmed in a catastrophe prompted "a fundamental change in military culture," he said.
The Pentagon's plan calls for three rapid-reaction forces to be ready for emergency response by September 2011. The first 4,700-person unit, built around an active-duty combat brigade based at Fort Stewart, Ga., was available as of Oct. 1, said Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of the U.S. Northern Command.
What would be next? Quartering troops in our homes? You know, as long as we patriotic Americans could still have our hot dogs and fireworks on the Fourth of July, I'm sure most of us would probably be OK with that.
