May Day?

I missed May Day?

ah, bummer.   I heard a little about Earth Day but mostly that was the annoying commercials from all the corporations explaining what wonderful things they are doing for the environment.  They are wasting their money.  There are those of who don't expect a corporation to save the planet.  That's not their job.   And the rest don't think anything a corporation does is good.   For anyone, including the environment.  I read an article about how the real environmentalists have abandoned the holiday because it's been taken over by the man.  Sad, kinda like someone stole Christmas.  I almost feel bad for the socialists that can't support their holidays.  Maybe Earth Day and May Day are too close together?   Do they want a "holiday season" or is it like having your birthday on Dec 24th?   Not enough money or energy for both

Earth Day is on Lenin's birthday in case you forget next year.  Intentionally on his birthday. May Day is the pagan holiday squashed by Christians, and then revived by socialists (and re-adopted by pagans).   

Well in honor of all the lunatics I have some info on saving energy:  Blackle doesn't work.   It is a dumb idea.  The plan was to use Google but with a black screen to save energy.   It doesn't save energy (except on some CRTs).   I give you permission to laugh at anyone using blackle.  I love their explanation though.   "Well even if it doesn't work it is a good reminder to save energy."    I have a better idea.  Turn off your monitor when you aren't using it.   That will really save you some money.

here is some info on blackle and testing:

http://techlogg.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=360&Itemid=9

"It doesn't work but it is a good reminder" should be the slogan of environmentalist.  Nothing they do works.  Mostly because they are interested in power and not the environment but also because they have bad ideas.  Just look at their poster child, Al Gore.  He lies and gets a Nobel.  He's wrong but he is a good reminder. 

And Gore endorsed Obama.  Ha!  Just keep 'em coming.  Next endorsement he needs is John Kerry.   That poor guy.  (who's next?, Fidel, Kim Jong Il?) He is going to get wiped out by John McCain who is a weak candidate.  That's my prediction.  

Engrish humor

Time for a little Engrish humor. I hadn’t seen this for a while and they had all new signs so I started chuckling as I read it. Cumulative humor. By the end I was trying not to disturb my coworkers with laughter. So in honor of the Olympics here is some Chingrish:

http://www.engrish.com/category_index.php?category=CHINGLISH

Budget and taxes

Over 52 cents of every dollar spent on socialist programs like social security, welfare education etc .
42 cents of every dollar is spent on defense including veteran’s benefits and military debt interest and the Iraq war etc.
(Total is rounded out with roughly 5% on general government expenses)

We should cut federal spending in half by eliminating all socialist programs.

no recession

The economic growth has slowed but no recession.   Slowing growth does not equal receding economy

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080430/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/economy;_ylt=An9kXyTBXscIDOqSmXfMKJ6s0NUE

Obama's buddies

Obama’s voting record –most liberal of all?
http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/



Major General Rick Lynch
http://www.taskforcemarne.com/command-corner/19-command-profiles/45-major-general-rick-lynch

He has given some interesting interviews. Hugh Hewitt has transcript here
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/talkradio/transcripts/Transcript.aspx?ContentGuid=2e0278ff-f379-47ed-85fa-bd7d374a0171


Michael Yon
The best source I have found for what is happening in Iraq
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/index.php?view=article&catid=53%3Ahunting-al-qaeda&id=351%3Ahunting-al-qaeda-part-iii-of-iii&option=com_content&Itemid=79

Who are Obama’s friends?

Most of the reviews of Obama’s associates come from partisan sites so you have to look past that but the list of his friends is pretty ugly. The list of his supporters is horrific although to be fair he can’t control that. It isn’t his fault that Hamas endorsed him. This thing is spreading and he has no answer for this crazies that he hangs out with. He is sunk.
A couple samples:
http://www.abovepolitics.com/forum/thread346223/pg1
http://www.redstate.com/stories/elections/2008/obama_ayers_and_wright

there are a lot more. Just do a search for Davis, Ayers, Wright, Obama and you can find some interesting stuff

-Michael

Why Vote for McCain?

Why Vote for McCain?

I don’t like John McCain. He isn’t conservative and he is wrong on so many issues. Those that support him say that he is the only republican that can beat Hillary or Obama. I wonder where that idea comes from. Who will support him against the democrats? If one had to vote for John or Hillary, who do you pick? What a horrible position to be in. That is the dream choice of leftist and socialists. The liberals would love to put conservatives in a position of choosing between the lesser of two evils. They forced that with Al Gore. Vote for Bush or you get a lunatic environmentalist moron. So Pres. Bush won. Conservatives don’t like McCain but liberals and “moderates” like him. Liberals and the press will push McCain and call him a hero and the front runner but who will they tout in the general election? Will they want a moderate socialist like McCain or a leftist socialist like Obama? They will just keep pushing left and select the biggest government candidate they can get. McCain will be their second choice.

If McCain does well then my ideas lose either way. I won’t vote him over Hillary. I don’t want him and I won’t run up his vote numbers to make it looks like he has some support. I am not voting against someone like Obama just because McCain is just a little better.

People that think McCain is a good candidate listen to MSM too much. They hold him up now and make it look like he has momentum and potential to win but they will dump him when put up against a democrat. For example, the New York Times endorsed John McCain. Will they endorse him over Hillary? No way. So what does their endorsement mean? It means that they want McCain to run against her so she can win. That defines him as the worst candidate to run against her, not the best. The idea that he is the only one to beat Obama or Hillary is completely backwards. With McCain conservatives will lose whether he becomes president or not.

global warming: reason for population control

Taxes on people to support the environment.

http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/187_11_031207/wal10921_fm.html

This is a scary article. Some people believe in their cause so fervently that they are willing to enforce it on others. Very much like medieval muslims spreading their religion by the sword, these doctors and scientists aren't concerned about your beliefs. Or like 19th century arrogant philosophers and utopians spreading false ideology of socialism, they think they are smart enough to control everyone. This is how it starts but where does it lead??

Of course, they deserve to make the rules because they are smarter than you are. And if their plan fails then the cause is only that they weren't given enough control over your life to make you do what was best for yourself and everyone else.

We have seen the results of this thinking before. Some obvious examples? Hitler - 10 million dead. Stalin - 20 million dead. Mao - 30 to 45 million dead (but who's counting, there are still too many Chinese people)

I remember hearing about population control when I was young. I was glad that it went away, for a while anyway. The scare-mongers thought everyone would starve to death if more babies were born. The population was going to explode! But they were wrong and people found ways to make more food than we could ever eat. So they are trying a new tactic: Go Green! Don't breath, don't eat, don't breed. Or everyone will die and you will be responsible. If you can't control yourself then we will make you pay. If that doesn't work, then we will begin "selective reduction" of the worst offenders, and maybe some people that just don't contribute to society anyway. If you don't have skills and abilities that can contribute to the solution then you are just a parasitic free-loader draining the earth's dwindling resources.

These ideas have been wrong for a hundred years and that hasn't changed. They have no right to control people, especially how many children one has. That is a basic human right. All people are children of God and should be treated with respect. To play with them as cattle is horrific. We can always use more people and we will always find better ways to clothe and feed them.

No updates

My job has kept me swamped. No energy or time to write. It may be a few more weeks

Oil Conspiracy - price fixing revealed

Powerful groups are working against America. Powermongers and lobbyists have conspired to push up oil prices. They have schemed to prevent new oil from coming to market. They have rallied around oil industry chokepoints and hindered all attempts to build new refineries. They have isolated oil rich areas, keeping them hidden and undeveloped in order to increase power of foreign oil.

But you can fight back against this dark mob.

Vote them out of Congress and elect people who understand economics

FICA Tax

I am sure you have looked at your paycheck and seen a large sum of money taken out as FICA tax. Ever wonder where it goes? Into the lockbox? Ever try to get it back on tax return? I haven't complained about socialism for a few posts so here it is. Social Security and Medicare are a scam. If this money was invested by the owners then they could all retire on their own. Instead it is stolen and then wasted.

-Michael


Comments and article sent to me from a friend.......

Missing from all of this is the concept that all Ponzi schemes mathematically fail given enough time. That is why they are illegal to set up and execute, unless of course you're the government. Then it's called a "program".
The term "trust fund" is also a misnomer, as it implies that there is money sitting in the fund with your name on it. Not until the very last sentence does the real picture begin to emerge - the "trust fund" is nothing more than a stack of government IOU's.
Anyone ever see the movie "Dumb and Dumber"? They found a suitcase full of cash, spent it and filled the suitcase with slips of paper that said IOU $XXX? The crook came back to get his money, and when he had them at gunpoint, the idiots explained, "All the money is there. These slips of paper are as good as money. See, this slip of paper is worth $250,000. You might want to hang onto that one."
It was funny because no one in their right mind would actually believe those slips of paper were money, even though the two idiots in the movie thought they were accounting for it all. But the government can make good in its IOU's. The problem is that when it does so, it hurts the economy either by inflating existing currency, or stealing wealth from the private sector, or both.
To raise the actual cash, the government must:
(1) Print more money - which is just another tax that depreciates the value of already existing dollars, but don't expect the report to say that.
(2) Raise taxes - self explanatory
(3) Cut spending - no necessarily "in other programs". Likely they'll legislate that payouts are less but are distributed over a longer time, though they can't also legislate that you live X years longer.
Most likely a combination of all three will be done. The Feds will also print more money since this is a proven method of bamboozling more money from the public without their knowledge. They will also raise taxes, and likely will cut spending from the program itself as described above.
And oh yeah - the Supreme Court has already ruled that you have no actual claim to this money. Kind of redefines the concept of a "trust fund". The money isn't really there, and it isn't really yours anyway. Ladies and gentlemen, this is "our social safety net".


Social Security, Medicare Trust Funds Sink

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer 57 minutes ago
The trust fund for Social Security will be depleted in 2040, a year before expected, and Medicare will exhaust its trust fund reserves just 12 years from now, trustees for the programs said Monday.
Their annual report showed deterioration in the financial condition of both of the government's two largest benefit programs.
A year ago, the depletion of the Social Security trust fund had been projected to occur in 2041 and the Medicare hospital insurance fund in 2020.
The trustees, who include the head of the Social Security Administration and three members of President Bush's Cabinet, painted a sober assessment of the health of the two programs in advance of the looming retirements of 78 million baby boomers.
"We do not believe the currently projected long-run growth rates of Social Security or Medicare are sustainable under current financing arrangements," the trustees said in this year's report.
Bush's efforts last year to overhaul Social Security went nowhere in Congress. Even members of his own party refused to support the benefit cuts that would have accompanied the establishment of private accounts for younger workers.
Treasury Secretary John Snow, who is the chairman of the trustees' panel, told a news conference that the country faced a "looming fiscal crisis as the baby boom generation moves into retirement." He said the administration stood ready to work with Congress to come up with a solution.
"The serious concerns raised by the trustees' reports demand the attention of America's policymakers and the public," Snow said.
Bush, facing bleak prospects for winning approval for any changes in an election year, called in his State of the Union address for creation of a bipartisan panel to study the issue and come up with recommendations, just the latest in a number of commissions that have examined the programs.
While the depletion of the reserves built up over past years is projected to occur in just 12 years for Medicare and 34 years for Social Security, both programs will face financing issues much sooner at the point that the amount paid out each year exceeds the amount the government collects to fund them.
For Medicare, that occurred for the year of 2004. However, the program is projected to be in the black again before crossing over to paying out more than it takes in again.
For Social Security, the point at which the program will pay out more in benefits than it takes in will occur in 2017, the trustees projected, the same as in last year's report.
The trust funds contain the equivalent of government IOUs. To raise the actual cash to meet obligations, the government must either borrow more money from the public by issuing marketable Treasury securities, raise taxes or cut spending in other programs.
___
Social Security: http://www.socialsecurity.gov
Medicare: http://www.cms.hhs.gov

Gas Price Investigation

Terry Goddard wants to begin investigation into high prices and gouging. Silly man, there is no suh thing as gouging. Price controls mean shortages. If something is cheap than people buy a lot. The cause of shortages is bad legislation. Poor government has created the problem. More ill government will not solve it.

Great column on opinionjournal.com about prices and the messed up republicans
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008286

We need to reduce gas taxes, open more drilling and build more refineries and eliminate the EPA to get rid of high prices.

Phoney AIDS crisis

You may have heard about an AIDS crisis in Africa. Like global warming it is not true

links in the article from aim.org

Steyn on nukes

Iranian president is a nut - or is it just me?

Mark Steyn wrote great column on Iranian nuclear strategy.

http://www.city-journal.org/html/16_2_iran.html
Back when nuclear weapons were an elite club of five relatively sane world powers, your average Western progressive was convinced the planet was about to go ka-boom any minute. The mushroom cloud was one of the most familiar images in the culture, a recurring feature of novels and album covers and movie posters. There were bestselling dystopian picture books for children, in which the handful of survivors spent their last days walking in a nuclear winter wonderland. Now a state openly committed to the annihilation of a neighboring nation has nukes, and we shrug: Can’t be helped. Just the way things are. One hears sophisticated arguments that perhaps the best thing is to let everyone get ’em, and then no one will use them. And if Iran’s head of state happens to threaten to wipe Israel off the map, we should understand that this is a rhetorical stylistic device that’s part of the Persian oral narrative tradition, and it would be a grossly Eurocentric misinterpretation to take it literally.

Kill him already

It is an embarassment and a violation of justice that Moussaoui hasn't been hung yet. He is an evil murderer. We have an obligation to kill him. It is a legal, Christian, patriotic, and humane duty.

Politics and blogs

FEC ruled that blogs will not be subject to all campaign laws. Aren't they kind to allow people to write what they want? Even if it contains political messages or endorsements they will only be restricted in terms of disclosure of finances. Ad payment will have to be dislosed, for example. Sen. McCain should be run out of the country for this violation of rights called Campaign Finance Reform. Maybe we should revive the practice of burning in effigy. What a slime. And of course he excluded the Indian Gambling where he gets millions of dollars.
But my real question is why? Why don't they regulate internet content? Some people want to. I am sure McCain will come up with a new law and the President will sign it. I think I know why they back away from trying to control political speech on the internet - because they can't. No one will care or listen. No one would obey such a stupid law. And you can't have mass violation of the rulings of government or the power of government would be undermined. They would rather back down and maintain illusion of supremacy.

May Day

Of course the illegal immigrants would plan a big march for May 1st. Because they are fools misled by communists and socialists.

Religious schools

From comments: The only alternatives are either private or home schooling. Private schools can be cost prohibitive for many families or depending on the community, the majority of the private schools can be of a different faith, which can be uncomfortable for some people. I don't know that I would send my kids to a Catholic or Baptist (or whatever) private school. I don't like home schooling either. So what is a parent like me to do?


See the problem? If someone isn't Catholic then they are not comfortable with idea of sending their kids to a catholic private school. Why then is it okay to send them to school where they are told there is no God? Maybe the obvious contrast is easier to correct and teach than the confusion of slightly different doctrines among churches. My children are young and mostly focused on basics like grammar and multiplication but even now there are getting reading assignments to test their comprehension that include political/moral statements. One involved a thief running away from the scene. Multiple choice answers led reader to conclude that you shouldn’t get involved and let the police handle it. That’s garbage. Another involved global warming and how people are destroying the world. My kids don’t believe that because I have taught them better. Another incident with a cousin: teacher contradicted student who stated belief that Adam and Eve were first people on the earth. It starts early. It can be corrected but why do we allow it to happen? They should be reinforcing Sunday school not opposing it. Education cannot be separated from religious teaching. All the real lessons are the moral ones. Why shouldn’t they cheat on tests? Why shouldn’t the biggest kid be first in line? Why sit quietly and respect the teacher?

What don’t you like about home schooling? Private schools don’t have to be expensive. If people could get their tax money back that goes to schools they could use that to pay tuition.

illegal immigration marches

Seeing marches of people waving Mexican flags and demanding so-called “rights” angers me. Did they learn this socialist garbage from the French riots?

Arizona legislature is considering resolution to make English official language of Arizona. I don't think this is a new law, just a resolution stating purpose and opinion. I didn’t think much of it at first. I would generally agree with critics that these things are a waste of time. All the recent marches show that such action is needed. All these illegals marching in the streets waving Mexican flags is just wrong. They should be rounded up and driven to the border. All the kids ditching school can have fun explaining that to their parents. "mom, can you come pick me up?"

The Arizona taxpayers have no responsibility to teach people English. People should pay for such services. I definitely don't want my property taxes going to school classes to teach such things. One more reason to have each parent right a check for their student's school tuition. If they want to pay someone to teach their children English that would be great.


Some might think it strange but I am in favor of guest worker programs. I think people should be allowed to come here to work. I have no problem with that. It helps everyone. Work is good. Socialist welfare is not.


Part II

The marches will gain nothing except the wrath of working Americans who don't really begrudge illegal immigrants as long as they do what they came here for: Work. Marching in the street for non-existent rights will back-fire.

Congress may notice large crowds now because they put on a show but they will get another message come election time from the millions who are too busy to march for their cause but will take the time to vote later. Elections will go against those who make concessions to non-voters. Illegal aliens shouldn't be surprised at being treated like "second-class citizens". They aren't even that. They are criminals.

What is all talk of immigration reform to protect immigrants rights? They have human rights because they are human but they don't have civil rights because they are illegal aliens. You can't kill them because that violates Christian principles but you can deport them. They can claim rights like those described in the Declaration of Independence: Life, Liberty and Property. But they don't have civil rights desccribed in Constitution because they are not citizens.



p.s. I am opposed to line item vetos

more on labor unions

Interesting article on unions. It is another in a series from Paul Weyrich trying to plot out strategy of next conservativism. He separates labor from union and says that we need to work with labor to help them keep good jobs with out sending union dues to causes that damage them.
here

Lead in to war

I am a better reader than a writer. I don’t think I can finish the essay I wanted to write on slavery. But I will tell you the theme and you can read some of the material below to see if you agree.

Slavery is bad. The founders of the country realized this and struggled with it. But something so pervasive in one region is hard to get rid of. Slavery was part of the debate in Constitutional convention. Several compromises were added. The goal was to limit the power of slave states and to contain the practice. They did not successfully solve the problem but instead decided it was best to have a country and get rid of slavery later rather than have slavery and no country. It was debated from day one but not fixed. They only succeeded in delaying the fight for generations.

As soon as was allowed by the new Constitution the Atlantic slave trade was stopped in 1808. There was a self-sustaining population of slaves, however. Slavery was abolished in the northern states and in the northwest territories. Problems were created as vast new territories were added to the US possessions. Each required a new compromise as to how slave issue was to be handled. Louisiana Purchase, Texas and California, later New Mexico and Utah Territories. As the population grew and spread new states were added to the union. Balance was maintained with various agreements so that national abolition laws could not be forced on states that allowed slaves. Missouri Compromise of 1820 seemed a good attempt at this. A north/south line was established but needed to be extended because of western expansion. It seems talking and compromise worked until about 1854 when Stephen Douglas tried to get the planed railroad connected from California to Chicago instead of St. Louis. He also wanted to be President. It was a bad idea with too much given up to slave owners. Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed Compromise of 1820 and created confusion as to future of slavery. Containment was destroyed and talks broke down. In theory, all open territories could have slaves.

Dred Scott case was finally decided in 1857 and was another blow to peace because the court gave opinion that not only was a slave not free just because owner had resided in a free state for years. Plus they added a few things. They wrote that slaves were not citizens and descendants of slaves could never be citizens. As non-citizens they had no right to bring suits to court. They declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional. (Second time that ever happened, I read.) They basically said that all laws restricting slavery were not allowed. Slavery should be allowed everywhere. This got people upset of course. This is similar to the so called right to privacy. They just made it up.

Lincoln countered Douglas in his 1854 speech. Good speech, I will include a link below. Basically the fighting didn’t stop after 1854 and led right into the War Between the States. Bleeding Kansas, attack on Sumner in the Senate etc. With all this I'm not sure why the first shot is considered to be fired at Fort Sumpter in 1861. But after reading his speeches I can see why the slave states were so opposed to a Lincoln presidency.



These are some of the better websites I read. Not all are that great but you should read Lincoln’s speech about Kansas.

http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=51

In no particular order
Bleeding Kansas http://www.assumption.edu/ahc/Kansas/
http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_slav.html
Rise of republican party http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/biography6text.html
Dred Scott http://www.gdg.org/Research/Causes/causes5.html
dissenting opinions http://www.hrcr.org/docs/US_Constitution/dscott4.html
impact of Dred Scott http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/scott/impact.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2933t.html african in america
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2933.html dred scott
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/civil_war/compromise_of_1850.htm
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/civil_war/kansasnebraska_act.htm
http://mattstodayinhistory.blogspot.com/
http://www.infoplease.com/timelines/slavery.html
http://blackhistory.harpweek.com/2Slavery/SlaveryLevelOne.htm
http://members.aol.com/digasa/dubois.htm war to preserve slavery

Immigration Law needs reform

Marches in support of immigration lately in LA and Phoenix are crazy. How can anyone support illegal aliens? What a stupid idea. And why was the march targeted at Senator Kyl? I wonder if it has anything to do with the senator’s re-election this fall? He is a much better leader than McCain. Why didn’t they march on him? I might have joined them. This is a political ploy to get the opposition excited about the election. And make the republicans waste a bunch of money on the campaign to keep him in office. They can’t beat Kyl because he does a good job but they can force spending millions here in strategic move for other elections.

We need to improve security at the border. My vote is to close the border. Here is what needs to be done to solve this problem. For a start anyway…

1. Eliminate social programs that bait people into entering the US
2. Make entering the US illegally a felony
3. Add a worker program
4. Revise 14th Amendment so that children of aliens and tourists are not automatically US citizens. The slavery question that this clause addressed is long past. Should read “All persons born to citizens or those naturalized in the United States….”

Missouri Compromise

I sent the following question to History According to Bob. Hopefully he will respond in his podcast (which I highly recommend).


I have a question about the Missouri Compromise and later actions taken to repeal it.

I read in the Dred Scott decision (1857) that Justice Taney declared the Missouri Compromise of 1820 unconstitutional. Odd that, and wasn't it already repealed because of the Kansas- Nebraska Act (1854)? And the Compromise of 1850 appears to negate most of the 1820 Compromise. The deal struck in 1820 seems the best of them to me. Situations change but why go back and destroy what seemed a good idea? Doesn't seem like the best compromise is to throw out all the last compromises that have kept the peace.

Do you have a podcast on this or book to suggest on the topic?

Government schools not religiously neutral

Should government education continue? Is government education beneficial? Is government education allowed according to powers granted to government in Constitution?
Education is good. Everyone agrees on that. Quote from Washington:

"Promote then as an object of primary importance, Institutions
for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the
structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is
essential that public opinion should be enlightened. "

-- George Washington (Farewell Address, 19 September 1796)

I know some people think these organizations are crazy but I agree with stance taken by ExodusMandate.org on education. They say Christians have mandate to leave government schools. They refute argument that children need to be an example to the world. That is more the job of the adults.

Be a light? Salt of the earth? Yes, but only in cases where the children are not in danger. The Christians sending their children to government school are assuming the education they receive is religiously neutral. Something along the lines of the Freedom of Religion or "Let all worship according to the dictates of their own conscience". Government school is not religiously neutral. It is godless, humanistic, pagan by design. Most children not yet ready for that environment and that challenge. Would the same parents send their children to Jehovah’s Witness or Unitarian Sunday school for their religious teaching? That would be spiritually forbidden and morally irresponsible.

Socialism makes people worse

Ah, the French.
They are a like a crystal ball, letting us see our future if we try to act like them. What a disaster. They are rioting again because the country is falling apart and someone expects them to work. Economic cannabalism. They believe the myth that they can all support themselves off the labor of others. Legal plunder gone mad where everyone spends the whole day stealing from others pockets.
Go get a job!

Okay, that is my rant. Inspired by Dennis Prager's latest writings about the riots over at Real Clear Politics. (thanks Ross)

And it is time again for a plug of the greatest book written about socialism, from a frenchman no less, "The Law" by Frederic Bastiat. It is short - Read it.

And now I will accept submission of French Jokes.

such as......
(from purepolitics.com)



Why did the French Army cross the road?
The road just happen to be in the path of their retreat.

What do you call a french woman who sleeps with every man she meets?
Married.

And why are French streets tree lined?
So the Germans can march in the shade.

How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris?
No one knows. It's never been tried.

What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up?
The army.

How many gears does a French tank have?
Five, four in reverse and one forward (in case of attack from behind).

How do you identify a French soldier?
Sunburned armpits

What do you call someone in France taking a bath?
A tourist

FOR SALE: French rifles . . . never fired, only dropped once.




p.s. another good one about french youth from Investor Bus. Daily
I had to add this because I love the last line comparing French and American systems:

Why the big difference? The U.S. system is based on the realities of economics, not the delusions of socialist policymakers who dream up nonexistent rights and believe that labor and risk should not be required to achieve comfort and security.

Amen

Katrina and gun control

Good articles on NCPA on Katrina and unlawful gun control during that time of crisis. Ask you lawmakers to protect your rights so they don't try this again during the next emergency.

http://www.ncpa.org/newdpd/dpdarticle.php?article_id=3064

"New Orleans was the first city in American history to disarm peaceable American citizens door to door at gunpoint, says NRA Chief Executive Wayne LaPierre, and it must be the last."

Gilbert Constitution Week

Gilbert Constitution Week
September 11 – 17 Lots of volunteers, sponsors and promoters needed.
Highland High School Gilbert, Arizona

Great lessons the whole week. Theme will be centered on celebration of Benjamin Franklin’s 300th birthday. Statesman, revolutionary, scientist, inventor, writer, printer, diplomat

Website needs an update but mark it so you can come back for updates.

I read the First American by H. W. Brands which was good. A lot of great quotes are attributed to him, whether he thought of them or just wrote them all down I don’t know. My latest favorite is:

Better to go to sleep supperless than to wake up in debt.

Crayons, snacks ... & HIV

Aids talk in Kindergarten

Your government schools in action. They decide what your little children need to know about (homo)sexually transmitted diseases.

Author Tom Bethell writes in his book, “Politically Incorrect Guide to Science” that there is no AIDS epidemic, not even in Africa.

Here is the news article about New York schools.

The party of smaller government?

Smaller government? Not a chance – Republicans are a long way off from Reagan’s view when he said that government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem. (I rip on republicans because democrats are a lost cause)

Charleton Heston said

It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once. David Hume, the great Scottish philosopher, said that. I am a Scot myself. He was bloody right. For more than half a century, the shining Republic created by the blood of the Continental Army and a few great men has been nearly nibbled to death by the Democratic ducks in the Congress and a warmly cooperative Supreme Court.

There is now no aspect of American life, public or private, that the federal government does not invade, instruct and finally coerce to its will. Farm and factory, home and school, university and research center, club and playground-all are overlaid with a spidery network of laws, guidelines, restrictions and Draconian penalties that stifle the spirit, the energy, the creative capacity of what was once the freest nation on earth. In this hemisphere, now that Ortega and Noriega have fallen, the collectivists' sentiments discredited around the world fly best, I fear, in Cuba and Washington, D.C.

Of course, government is the problem. The armies of bureaucrats proliferating like gerbils, scurrying like lemmings in pursuit of the ever-expanding federal agenda testify to that amply. Tom Jefferson, the only genius we ever had, said that government is best which governs least. I am amazed you Democrats are still comfortable with Mr. Jefferson as your designated logo.

From AIM.org

Republicans have controlled the House for over a decade and the Senate for much of that time. The White House has been in Republican hands for six years. During the last decade Federal Government spending rose by 49% to nearly $2.5 trillion (FY 2005). The debt is now $8.2 trillion, an increase of two-thirds since 1995, when it stood at $4.9 trillion.

You likely did see a small note in news reports last week that Secretary Snow warned the government that they were going to run out of cash. They had reached the debt limits set in law. A friend sent me an email about it.

You can read the story here on yahoo

They approved the debt allowance even quicker than I thought. Not even time to call your representative to give him your views on the debt. New debt ceiling is $9 trillion. They should be knocking on that in less than a year at the rate they are going. No talk of actually stopping the spending. These guys are out of control.

Neil’s comment:

If government services weren't provided at the barrel of a gun, there would be market feedback to set the price of their services at an appropriate level. People would either abandon them for other service providers, or that gubmint function would go in the red and go out of business (ideally). This type of behavior can't go on forever. There's either going to be overt increases in taxation and the problems that causes (black market avoidance of taxation and capital flight) or continued monetization of the debt which will lead to hyperinflation. Either way, giving the junkies more junk is not a healthy response.

Democracy is not Freedom

I get tired of hearing about democracy. There aren't many good examples of democracy. Try to think of one and let me know. There are lots of bad ones. Mob rule. I thought I had written about it but couldn't find it. So I will add links to two articles that can explain it better than I.

Republic v. Democracy by David Barton

Democracy Is Not Freedom by Ron Paul

Gilbert Bonds

I hate debt. I hate bonds. I can't believe the town voted for this. Very dumb idea. Embarassing that we couldn't get more than 1292 people to vote against this thing.

$75 million in Bonds for streets

TOWN OF GILBERT
QUESTION 1 - STREET HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT
100% (20 of 20) precincts reporting

VOTES FOR THE BONDS
3379 72.34%

AGAINST THE BONDS
1292 27.66%

Only a total of 4671 people out of 150,000 residents voted in the bond question. An amazing 3 percent. 3379 voted for the bonds. So Gilbert will now spend $75 million on streets. 3379 people spent 75 million dollars. That’s $22,195 a head. I wonder if those people would just mortgage their own house to buy the roads instead.

Reading Applied Economics

I am reading Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One by Thomas Sowell which has excellent insight on politics and economics. Not finished yet but I can recommend it already.

Political Correctness from Neil

got an email from a friend that made me laugh. From a conversation about the 71 yr old teacher who became a "her" and was upset that some parents rejected the idea of it returning to the classroom.


Self sexual mutillation is exalted, but the sexual mutillation that African tribes perform on their women is disdained by tolerant liberals as misogynistic, even under multiculturalism. It's so hard to keep track of victimhood rankings status these days. Meanwhile, PETA disdains neutering animals, but the statists at the humane society and animal control offices do it pre-emptively to anyone whose pet "rat is a pig is a dog is a boy" falls into their clutches. What's a tax paying unit to do?

"Today we are going to display some body piercing "art" at show and tell..."

The non-awards

Top ten grossing movies of 2005 according to boxofficemojo

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
War of the Worlds
King Kong
Wedding Crashers
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Batman Begins
Madagascar
Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Dominate theme seems to be good vs. evil. Mostly aimed at families; 5 marketed to kids. Only 1 R-rated movie made the list.

Lesser of two evils

If the presedential election was between Hillary Clinton and Fidel Castro, who would you vote for?

no minimum wage increase

I was listening to Dave Ramsey and a caller asked why the government hasn't raised the minimum wage. Very funny. Because it hurts poor people. Because it damages economic structure. Because it is a dumb idea. Dave said the minimum wage is using the force of government to make your employer pay you more than what you can convince him to pay you.

Better to ask for a raise after proving good skills and performance. It is better to get an improved job. There are a million better ways to improve life and make more money than the government forces emplyers to pay.

Minimum wage is related to the false poverty level. You can set them anywhere you want. Make the minimum wage $20 an hour but then poverty level will be set at comparible level by the welfare agencies to hand out the generosity of better workers. Somewhere around $45,000 a year. And milk and bread will cost 4 times as much.

You can't succeed by forcing someone to give you something you haven't earned. That is theft

Forced abortions in Holland?

Alderman Marianne van den Anker has proposed forced abortions in certain conditions in Holland. Another abomination I read about today. And we thought only China would do something like this. She thinks it is better in cases were mothers are on welfare and HIV positive, mentally damaged rape victims etc not just anytime, of course. Also children of Aruban and Antilles gangs. Yep, thats compassionate. What a monster. I guess she expressed frustration that people were twisting her words. She was trying to help people.

"It's for your own good."

Right to Mobility

I have another rash of commercials lately for mobility devices primarily for the elderly. Scooters, power chairs, they have a lot of names. The commercials and the concept is very annoying.

It must be a pretty good scam because it has been going for years and more people are getting into it. Sucker the elderly into demanding a product or service for which others will pay. With all the future retirees I don't see this going away any time soon.

People have forgotten what "rights" mean. They must be baffled by civil rights, human rights and minority rights and all such nonsense. There is no such thing as civil rights. Silly words for an obscure concept. Using language like this for a product is absurd. "regain your right to mobility" "restore your freedom and independence" How about paying for it out of your own pocket!? All these companies advertise that the scooters are free because the government will pay for them. Well, that means that I am paying for them. Guess what? I don't want to. You force me pay. That is evil. Of course my beliefs in rights prevents from me retaliation.

I will have to write another post on definition of rights. But in short....It is something universal, extending to all, that cannot be granted or taken away. Mobility is not a right. Freedom on the dime of someone else is not liberty. Indepedence in terms of free scooters is not a right. You have a right to live. To protect that right you should avoid government care. I read this morning about the people killed in New Orleans after the hurricane. Many patients were given lethal doses of painkillers so the "caregivers" could evacuate to safety. Very nice. Ah, but who cares? They are just a drag on the socialist system, right? Lived past their usefulness? What monsters. Socialists pretend to care and offer all the benefits of a more advanced civilization but they lie and they kill.

I won't buy you a scooter but I would never kill you. I would never abandon a loved one to the control of others. My mom and dad would always be welcome at my house.

Unions stink

What is the purpose of unions? They are worthless, corrupt and a waste. They may have served a purpose in the past. I was surprised to read Ronald Reagan speak so highly of them. They resemble communists. Why are they still around? Why do people still pay them dues? They don't guarantee good work or results.

unforeseen consequences

do-gooders. I don't think Woodrow Wilson was evil but a lot of bad things happened while he was president. Complex systems should not be strictly controlled. Especially when they have controls built into them, like a market. I have also complained about the 17th amendment before which greatly disrupts control of Senators and representative government. Senators should not be elected by the people.

American Minute
with Bill Federer
December 28

He thought tariff taxes between countries caused wars, so he worked to replace them the Income Tax. Four years later the United States entered World War I.
After the financial Panic of 1907, he promoted the Federal Reserve Act to prevent future national economic disasters. Eight years after he left office the Great Depression began.

His name was Woodrow Wilson, born this day, December 28, 1856.
While serving as the twenty-eighth President, he married Edith Bolling Galt, a descendant of Pocahontas. His administration saw the completion of Panama Canal, begun under President Theodore Roosevelt, and the purchase of the Virgin Islands from Denmark.

During World War I, in May of 1918, he proclaimed: "I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim...a day of public humiliation, prayer and fasting, and do exhort my fellow-citizens of all faiths and creeds to assemble on that day in their several places of worship and in their homes, to pray Almighty God that He may forgive our sins and shortcomings as a people and purify our hearts to see and love the truth... beseeching Him that He will give victory to our armies as they fight for freedom."
___www.AmericanMinute.com
P.O. Box 20163,
St. Louis, MO 63123
1-888-USA-WORD

President Bush giving away the country

Remember when everyone got mad at Pres. Clinton for giving secrets to the Chinese? Pres Bush approved technology transfer to the Chinese. Why do they do this? I think it is very ignorant.

Michael Savage was upset about security on the way home from work today. Why are we selling commercial U.S. port operations in Baltimore, Miami, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia to UNited Arab Emirates? Because Pres. Bush thinks they are important War on Terror?

(What happens if someone keeps attacking us when we turn around? Are we going to have a War on Back Stabbers?)

p.s. I think Exxon should get an award for the highest profits. Bravo. They are successful. They should get a trophy that they can keep until someone can beat them and make more money.

Gilbert elections and county islands

Vote no on the bonds.
Vote no! Vote no!
Gilbert Bond election March 14 2006.
I am amazed that people will vote for higher taxes. Its crazy but the bond issues always pass. I am sure this one will too. Another $75 million in debt. I was ripping on Queen Creek in an earlier post for their terrible roads. Roads are good to have but bonds are the worst way to pay for them. Why put the whole town in debt? Question of street improvements? Vote no. The roads will have to be replaced before the bonds are even paid off. Stupid idea.

Leave the county islands alone. People like that situation. Town of Gilbert is just looking for more revenue by annexing residents and scaring them by denying them emergency services. I don't know Rural Metro's part in this. They are business so it can't be just turning down customers for them. Very sad.

News items

News Items

Some of these are old since I haven’t written for a while but here are some important stories and my comments

Walmart vs. Maryland or Walmart and health coverage
Why does government think they have an ability to determine how a corporation spends it profits? A state is forcing a company to spend more money on health care for its employees. Absurd. This must be rejected. If allowed this will not end. Right now the limitation is companies with more than 10,000 employees. Why? No reason. This is an arbitrary number because some person hates Walmart. Why only 7% or 8% of profits on health benefits? No reason. Because it doesn't sound outrageous. In a few years every state will require every company to spend 65% of its money on health insurance and benefits just like the federal does with its budget. Do you think someone will question the rationale then?

Coal miners and nuclear energy
Sad that people died. Why don't we have more nuke plants so we don't need so much coal and oil? Because people are afraid of things like stupid movies with Jane Fonda that show nuclear near misses. BTW America still has the best safety record for mining. Proof that we care about people more than money.

Chinese competition
Is Chinese our competetitor? They are winning in one area but we are catching up fast. That is the race to bad government and excessive bureaucracy. They had a huge head start with the Great Leap Forward but we have George Bush.
Regarding manufacturing: clarification is needed in debate because we may be losing jobs but we are not losing manufacturing. America produces more than ever but much is automated. Effeciency gains means less people are needed. That is a good thing. But people need jobs. Sure but that is not a reason to hold back on effeciency and productivity. I heard an example that illustrates the situation. America produces far more food now with less farmers (less than 1% of population?) in 2006 than we did in 1906 when 30 or 40% of people were involved in agriculture. Why? Automation. Did America crumble because of changes in farm equipment?

Muslims and cartoons
Religion of peace rioting over a cartoon. Get a sense a humor. Freedom of religion does not include rioting in my book. If they try that here they should be shot. Best commentary I heard was from Ann Coulter.

p.s. minimum wage laws hurt the poorest the mostest

Build your own roads

Build your own roads
Traffic in Queen Creek is horrible.  I won’t describe geography or growth statistics that have made the problem in this corner of Arizona unbelievably bad. The Mayor of Queen Creek isn’t taking prompt action to improve roads but is asking the county to improve the roads in the nearby area.  Build your own roads.  Pinal County doesn’t have a magic pot of gold to pay for road building.  Pinal County needs to improve roads in the county.  The towns need to improve roads in incorporated areas.  Transferring these costs up to the county or state (or federal government) solves nothing because it is a form of socialism.  
Pinal County can’t put all its resources in Queen Creek.  Coolidge and Florence and Casa Grande are also begging for money.  Why pretend to steal money from the county as though it won’t raise taxes?  And then you pay for it anyway.  Build your own roads.  You can’t live off everyone else.  

Medved sells out?

Medved sells out?
I heard a few minutes of Michael Medved’s radio show yesterday when he spoke about hybrid vehicles.  Interesting ideas but I was disappointed by him again.  He said one of the selling points was the $3,000 tax break.  You get money from the government for buying the car.  Government wants to promote alternatives to gas-fueled cars.  Good for the environment?  Socially conscious?  No, vile socialism! and behavior control.  We the people must be self-governed.  Don’t sell out for $3,000.   Medved said he has principles but he isn’t stupid.  He disagrees with the tax law but isn’t stupid enough to turn it down.  

I understand what he means.  I get a tax credit for my child.  Should I turn it down on principle because it requires me to enroll my child in Social Security, ensuring that my children can never work in this country without the government taking what wages they want in withholdings?  

Are Medved’s principles worth $3000?  Phrase it in the language of Bastiat – I know the law is illegal but I will plunder $3000 from my fellow citizens.  Everyone claims to have the advantage, living off of everyone else.  The government does not have $3000 to give him without taking it from me.  I can gain nothing through the government without taking it by force from someone else.  In fact, we are taking money from our children and grandchildren because the country is so many trillions of dollars in debt.   It is all legal theft.  Might as well steal from others because they are stealing from you.  

A new budget

A new budget
We have a new budget for 2006.   The government will spend over $2.5 trillion dollars. They will confiscate nearly $2.2 trillion in taxes.   They plan to spend $390 billion more than they make.  That deficit will be 3% of GDP for this year.  Over 60% of the budget is spent on socialist programs.  No way you can argue we are not a socialist country.  It is taking from one to give to another – legal theft.   When you look at the numbers it is amazing what a low percentage goes to military and defense.  Social Security and Medicare are continuing to ruin the country.  

Budget surplus?

Budget surplus?

The legislature is going to decide how to spend the $700 million surplus. How about using it to pay for part of the $1,000,000 shortfall they had last year for spending too much? I think the state is still $300,000 in the red

Morgan Freeman on Black History Month

I recall thinking Black History Month was silly when I was in school. Of course saying so is "racist". So I am glad Morgan Freeman says we can help by stop talking about it

link to article and video

Bogle

I heard a review of “The Soul of Capitalism” by John Bogle on a podcast (Constitution hour I think). He was complaining about morality justice of CEO salaries. As though he owned the company. You have no say. Who cares what money they make? Don't buy their products. He claimed it was obscene compensation and that the people were looting. Fine, then fire them. Oh you can't. Don't work for the company. Don't buy their products if you want to protest. Keep your socialist government out of business.

Government Schools

I think government schools are a bad idea. I can think of much better ways to educate children. They seem to be obvious but many are opposed to them and state control of school has nearly unanimous support.
I like home schooling. No one is better suited to teach a child than its mother. Mothers do not cease to teach and educate their children from birth to a period extending beyond teenage years. The reasons given to turn this education over to others are pretty shallow. There is one good reason. Moms give their kids to specialists who will teach their children things that they do not know. That is a great sign of progression in the family. A daughter learning to play piano from an instructor because a parent cannot teach it is acceptable, for example. Advanced education will be difficult for a parent to provide (examples: calculus, quantum physics). So let’s limit this discussion to elementary school.

What is the purpose of school for children? Why does a mother turn her young child over to others for many hours to educate them? What are they supposed to learn? Why is home schooling a bad idea?

The main accusation against home schooling refers in some way to a lack of socialization. The first complaint is that the bulk of socialization received is very poor. I don't want my kids to act like those kids.

Pooling of resources
Worthless. A joke. See my posts on socialism. Don't force me to give my money for education at gunpoint (taxes!)

This was a comment I received after writing about the bad quality of government schools.

"And yet, despite (I'm assuming) your government education your entire life, you turned out okay."

Yes, children and society are resilient. Family and church help a great deal. I survived in spite of public schools not because of them. Homeschoolers consistently outperform public school education. It is not a drain on the system and doesn't crowd school buildings but instead of encouraging it, government fights against it because they control. The goal is controlled submissive kids, not smarter kids

Random Topics

My friend, Kevin, called and wanted to give me some blog topics. No time to write now but here is the summary:

Patriot Act – I have mixed feelings on this. It could be re-written I suppose to be safe but as it is gives government too many powers. It needs to define exactly what police and intelligence agencies may do and restrict all else.

Christmas – Say Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays

Drilling in ANWR – Do it! The arctic desert isn’t going to care. I want the cheap oil that isn’t coming from islamists.

Pres. Bush and wiretaps

I wrote some comments about secret wiretaps on Small Green World

Specialization is for insects

quote from Robert Heinlein

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

supposedly from "Excerpts from the Notebooks of Lazarus Long" I didn't verify

Atmospheric changes

Atmospheric changes
I watched various discover channel shows recently. Someone commented on the size of plants and animals. It was unknown why everything was so big in the fossil record. The largest dragon flies now are about 20 centimeters. The largest in fossil record are 75 centimeters. That is more than 3 times increase in size. I don’t know anything about the behavior of the old dragonflies but assuming they are similar to dragonflies we see now they flew and hunted prey. That requires some speed and agility. Their bodies appear similar. If their flight patterns were the same and body construction was the same then it should require a different environment to allow the larger size. I wouldn’t expect a 75 centimeter dragonfly to be able to turn or sprint like a smaller dragonfly. Mass to lift ratios don’t match. Nature’s design appears to limit size. Although bird construction is very light there is a limit to the size of birds. Condors and vultures are the largest. I remember the old nature shows which would show these birds struggling to take flight after eating because they had reached their weight limit. Yet these are dwarfed by flying dinosaurs called pteranodons or pterasaurs. Some of these had wingspans of more than 35 feet. Again more than 3 times what we have today. Scientists agree that the designs could glide but debate about how they would have become airborne.

My guess is that the atmosphere was 3 times as dense as it is today. There must have been changes in the atmosphere. The size of dragonflies should be optimized for prey and environment. They would not have grown so large if flight was hindered. Fossils don’t seem to show structural differences to decrease weight or improve flight. The air must have been thicker to allow lift/buoyancy required.

I thought about it and did a search and found that some people have put a lot more effort into this.
http://www.levenspiel.com/octave/dinosaur1.htm

Death Penalty stuff

I pulled comments from Federalist Patriot who quoted Jeff Jacoby on the death penalty. I imagine it was inspired by Williams the gangster's excecution. This is for the benefit of the silly protestors who don't understand justice and the value of life. "When murderers keep their lives, human blood is cheapened. That is why reverence for life and capital punishment belong to the same ethical tradition."


"No passage in the Bible—Old or New Testament—disapproves of the death penalty... The penalty for those who violate 'You shall not murder' (Exodus 20:13) is made explicit just a few lines later: 'Whoever strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death' (Exodus 21:12). The text goes on to specify that this applies only to deliberate murder, not unintentional killing. Accidents are not capital crimes. But for a willful killer, there can be no sanctuary: 'Take him even from My altar and put him death' (Exodus 21:14). Similar declarations appear in all five books of Moses, nowhere more dramatically or universally than in Genesis. Speaking to Noah after the Flood, God enjoins him—and through him, all of human society—to affirm the sanctity of human life by making murderers pay the ultimate price for their crime. 'Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has man been made' (Genesis 9:6)... Scripture could hardly be more explicit... When murderers keep their lives, human blood is cheapened. That is why reverence for life and capital punishment belong to the same ethical tradition. Civilized communities have not only the right but the responsibility to execute murderers. It may be a difficult responsibility to carry out. It may involve an assertion of moral authority that modern thinkers condemn. But easy or not, popular or not, the duty is ours to perform. The protection of human life is a grave obligation—never more so than when it involves taking a life away." —Jeff Jacoby

Rachel Carson is a fraud

Before I begin -
I only write things when I get excited or mad so this blog represents the loudest of my opinions. I realize that sometimes it may sound crazy. There are lots of things that are correct but don't sound right without proper introduction. But I usually only login and type when there is something more interesting than a million other distractions.
-

As for Rachel Carson, I don't know a lot about her. I don't really care. I would never read her book because I think it is stupid. I described her and other environmentalist as human-hating creeps. I think they are. Or they just use it to make money and get power. The results are terrible and I think the motives are worse.

I thought the article that Mel shared was interesting, informative. But far too diplomatic for the damage that is done in countries plagued with malaria and other diseases. Steve Milloy has assembled a report here. Milloy's death clock estimates that 90 million people have died since malaria was banned.
Some statements from the Reason article are good

-"effects of DDT on wildlife, especially birds, still vexes researchers." Eggshell thinning is shown to be a fraud.
-"Carson improperly cited cases of acute exposures"
- "Carson’s statistic is essentially meaningless unless it’s given some context, which she failed to supply. It turns out that the percentage of children dying of cancer was rising because other causes of death, such as infectious diseases, were drastically declining."
-In fact, cancer rates in children have not increased
-Meanwhile, Carson’s disciples have managed to persuade many poor countries to stop using DDT against mosquitoes. The result has been an enormous increase in the number of people dying of malaria each year. Today malaria infects between 300 million and 500 million people annually, killing as many 2.7 million of them
-the legacy of Rachel Carson is more troubling than her admirers will acknowledge.


Article from Front Page illustrates some of the damage done by banning the chemical. Poor people die from diseases that are easy to eradicate. For example

"Malaria keeps Africa down, and down is where the rest of the world wants us to be. If this was a disease of the West, it would be gone," Mamadou Kasse, medical editor of Senegal's largest newspaper, Le Soleil, told Atlantic Monthly's Ellen Ruppel Shell for her August 1997 article, "Resurgence of a Deadly Disease."
If Carson's crusaders are really concerned about saving lives and helping developing countries, then must allow DDT to be used without repercussions.
"Malaria kills a few million every year; each life lost is a potential Mandela, Shakespeare, or Edison, and nothing is less reversible than death, nor more tragic than the death of a child," Dr. Roger Bate said. "Hundreds of millions suffer chronic illness, which creates a painful economic burden and perpetuates poverty. This may not be the intention of those who are debating a DDT ban, but it surely will be the outcome."
If that is not enough to convince them, Carson's crusaders should realize that their actions against DDT might eventually boomerang.
"[B]anning DDT worldwide is beyond ignorance, it is just plain stupid," Koenig said. "[Although m]alaria still is prevalent in the countries in the equatorial regions . [it] is only a matter of time, a short time, before we see these diseases again in the regions between the tropics and the poles."
Until that time comes, the malaria plague seems to be off the public radar. However, let there be no mistake: Rachel Carson and the worldwide environmentalist movement are responsbile for perpetuating an ecological genocide that has claimed the lives of millions of young, poor, striving African men, women and children, killed by preventable diseases.

I saw a headline from Milloy that people want to name a bridge in Pennsylvania after her. Her picture is on the wall at Bookman's. The Reason article said her book is the most influential of the last 50 years. So how does a person like this get a bridge named after her? One could argue she is responsible for more deaths than Hitler. (How is that for sensationalist?)

Response to Katrina

I thought I had previously posted a link to this article. Couldn't find it so here it is again. Author questions the response to Katrina from the government. If their goal was other than helping (like grabbing power) than they did pretty well.

Government did not fail

Communism vs. capitalism

Was it communism vs. capitalism in the Cold War? Joe says no. He writes about license and freedom. Very good and short

Topics

I have topics adding up again but not enough thought to finish a post.

Penicillin and DDT
Reading “Brave new world Revisited”. Huxley was speaking of overpopulation, on which he was dead wrong (along with Ehrlich and others) and said that advances in medicine and technology such as DDT and penicillin were saving so many lives that it was creating a population crisis. Interesting. I bet DDT saved more lives than penicillin ever has. Probably why the human-hating creeps like Rachel Carson wanted it banned.

Declaration of Independence
I would like to finish part II of what I wrote. I was comparing King George and the Brits to Pres. George and the DC bureaucrats. Americans had less taxes and more representation under the King.

Government School
I really don't like government schools. Waste of time and resources. I tire of explaining it. Hard to keep energy up in that fight. Too many people trying valiantly to save the monster.

More disgust with Katrina and the welfare

No good Arizona governor candidates

Individuals vs. collectives I think collectivism of any sort is evil :)

So many topics to write on........

Medicaid is welfare

New article from NCPA.org

Medicaid, the joint federal-state health program for the poor, is a welfare
program, says health policy expert Merrill Matthews. "So why isn't the goal to
get people off the Medicaid rolls and into private-sector insurance?"

Cracked me up when I read this - have to remind people that these socialist programs are welfare.

Training Armies for War

Training Armies for Wars
I enjoyed “Revenge of the Sith” despite its many flaws.  I thought of it while listening to President Bush’s speech this morning on the “Strategy to win in Iraq.”  It seemed the only thing he said was that we are training the Iraqi army.   They have new equipment, training, facilities etc.  He went on in great detail for about 20 minutes.  I didn’t like it.  It seems we are training them to fight but I don’t know what else they are learning.

The clones were the perfect army.  Obedient, well trained, well equipped.  Well led -until they obeyed the order to kill their generals.  Not the sort of thing we need in Iraq, or anywhere in the world.  Shouldn’t we give the Iraqis other sorts of training?  I propose giving them training that will help them live better and know when to fight and how to identify enemies.  (Not that most Americans get this in high school anymore)  Courses  on Western Civilization (not from university professors but from people like Victor Davis Hanson), Biblical studies and values, American history including Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights etc.  This will help them create their own peace and prosperity.

We have been “at war” with Iraq since 1991.   After so long I still don’t like the idea of 300 Iraqi battalions, especially because we trained them.  We should declare war on a terrorist or terrorist group (Zarquawi, Al-Qaida whatever) and then it would make sense to supply and train our allies in that war, hopefully the Iraqi people.  Then when the enemy is dead we can leave.

  

Hiring Illegal Aliens

I know it is illegal but....

Why is it illegal to hire illegal aliens?

Pres. Bush is in town talking tough on immigration. One thing I agree with him and Jeff Flake on. Let the Mexicans have jobs. I don't see how it hurts anyone, except as a consequence of other bad policies, mostly regarding taxes. Would anyone be opposed to hiring illegals if we could tax them?

Think about it. It is a silly position to take. Americans sound like the silly French and German socialists. "You may visit but you must promise not to work. It destroys our economy and steals our jobs. We are too fragile to adjust..." Blah blah blah. It is a very weak stance to take. Saying that "They are stealing jobs" is just whining.
Let everyone work. And let everyone pay for education, medical care, food, housing etc.

Brave New World

I am making my third attempt to read "Brave New World". It is a vile book.

Why government education fails

Government education cannot succeed because it is founded on incorrect principles. Many good people put in good efforts and attempt to keep it afloat. I consider this a waste of effort. There are reasons that government was separated from ties to religion influence in the past. They apply to education as well. more info at Separation of School and State.

I want to share some quotes from Bastiat. If we really educated young people in school then I would have heard of Frederic Bastiat before I was 25. Maybe that betrayal is one of the reasons I despise government schools. The following are some quotes from Bastiat. Buy the book or you can read more here

Bastiat makes the argument that the law can rightfully only be used be used for one purpose: To fight injustice. Whenever it is used for something else it is corrupted and will fail. His argument extends beyond education, of course.

Can the law -- which necessarily requires the use of force -- rationally be used for anything except protecting the rights of everyone? I defy anyone to extend it beyond this purpose without perverting it and, consequently, turning might against right. This is the most fatal and most illogical social perversion that can possibly be imagined. It must be admitted that the true solution -- so long searched for in the area of social relationships -- is contained in these simple words: Law is organized justice.
Now this must be said: When justice is organized by law -- that is, by force -- this excludes the idea of using law (force) to organize any human activity whatever, whether it be labor, charity, agriculture, commerce, industry, education, art, or religion.
The organizing by law of any one of these would inevitably destroy the essential
organization -- justice. For truly, how can we imagine force being used against the liberty of citizens without it also being used against justice, and thus acting against its proper purpose?

Here I encounter the most popular fallacy of our times. (1850's - why haven't we learned it yet?) It is not considered sufficient that the law should be just; it must be philanthropic. Nor is it sufficient that the law should guarantee to every citizen the free and inoffensive use of his faculties for physical, intellectual, and moral self-improvement. Instead, it is demanded that the law should directly extend welfare, education, and morality throughout the nation.
This is the seductive lure of socialism. And I repeat again: These two uses of the law are in direct contradiction to each other. We must choose between them. A citizen cannot at the same time be free and not free.

Since the law organizes justice, the socialists ask why the law should not also organize labor, education, and religion.
Why should not law be used for these purposes? Because it could not organize labor, education, and religion without destroying justice. We must remember that law is force, and that, consequently, the proper functions of the law cannot lawfully extend beyond the proper functions of force.

Why can't government education work? Because it perverts justice.

Free trade vs. Capitalism

I have had this on the list of things to write for months. Can't seem to compose thoughts on this topic although things I read on it are pretty annoying. The main problem with so-called "free trade" is that it is not really about free trade.
Free trade is not capitalism.
Also just the other day I heard something interesting When Pres. bush went to China and was taling about freedom. People were discussing the oppression and communism in China and that capitalism was not solving it as thought. I think capitalism is a good moral system (not just the best economic system) but it is not perfect. Christian charity is the best moral value. Without charity capitalism can beome just making money. Yahoo recently agreed to help the communist government censor the web access. Can't let people get ideas.

You can't rely on trade to instill values and make people be better. Companies want to make money. That is their purpose. They will find ways to make money with communists and dictators.
Free Trade
Trade does not occur between governments. Trade is between companies who trade and make agreements as equals. They decide on prices mutually. My idea of free trade is the government doesn't get involved. Government should stay out of trade and get out of the way. "Free Trade" agreements are extra government. They add layers of bureaucracy. The dangerous part is that they generally infringe on the soveriegnty of these United States. Anything that takes away soveriegnty is evil.

Pretty boring topic - very few people care about it except WTO protestors and they are on the wrong side. WTO should be banished but for the reasons that those losers throw rocks. I can write more on free trade if anyone cares.

two front war

Speaking with a friend at work I think I am convinced that the two most important ways to fight against our over powering government is by trying to end 2 things: 1) government education 2) withholding taxes

Both ideas now have a long history and seem to be standard practice. But they are bad ideas and contribute to other abuses of power. They condition people to be abused and manipulated. They need to ended in order freedom to the republic.

article on public education

Good one on education

brought to you by The National Center for Policy Analysis

http://www.ncpa.org/newdpd/dpdarticle.php?article_id=2547

Oil is not the enemy

Oil is not the enemy

I saw a trailer for movie Syriana and yelled at the TV again.  Bad behavior, I know.  I am sure the book See No Evil is better.   It has to be from what I saw.  

I only recall two quotes.   Something like
“We are running out of oil.”  “90% of what is left is in the Middle East”
Both lies.  
People spent millions making this thing.  All they have to sell it is lies?

My podcasts

My podcasts - updated with links

Earlier post I gave you my favorite daily sources of info. Now some of my favorite podcasts.

Some are daily, others weekly or periodic. In rough order of preference:

History According to Bob
Military History
Common Sense w/ Dan Carlin from HBN News
Irish and Celtic Music podcast
Matt’s Today in History
HistoryPodcast
Signal – Firefly stuff - really good
American View
Scifi Wire

Some others:
ChinesePod
Dave Ramsey
Beyond the News
Deutsche Welle
Slacker Astronomy

price gouging?

Only a minute to write but have to complain about Terry Goddard and other fools trying to punish gas suppliers for making money. Socialists. They think they own the gas and get to decide what it costs. Senate is holding hearings to ask oil execs why they are making money. How foolish. Terry needs to shut his trap. He does not get to decide gas prices. He has no authority or reason to get involved.

I don't understand the windfall profits tax. Wouldn't that be ex post facto?

Ever thought of Homeschooling?

well now is the time

new ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stating,

"There is no fundamental right of parents to be the exclusive provider of information regarding sexual matters to their children...Parents have no due process or privacy right to override the determinations of public schools as to the information to which their children will be exposed while enrolled as students"

p.s. I have passed 100 posts on this blog

More on Citizenship

I got this quote the morning after writing about immigration. It brings up some related points I did not discuss

The Federalist Patriot
Founders' Quote Daily
"The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment."
-- George Washington

(Address to the Members of the VolunteerAssociation of Ireland, 2 December 1783)
Reference: George Washington, Address to the Members of theVolunteer Association of Ireland, December 2, 1783.


We welcome others to America. The land has always been open to the poor and tired, the huddled masses yearning to be free. But do we need to monitor or control immigration in order to preserve liberty?

There is something odd about America and citizenship. Maybe other countries also, I don’t know. I don’t understand citizenship. I witnessed a citizenship ceremony conducted by Justice O’Conner at Constitution Week and I still don’t get it. They swore allegiance to US and foreswore all connections to former country. There was a strange phrase about obeying civil authority and requirements of supporting civil service in time of need. It sounded wrong, I don’t think I could take that oath. I’d be interested to hear how it works in other countries.

How do we accept people into our country? How should you control the borders and police the population? I don’t want to get into discussion on terrorism, I think that is a separate problem. In a war, of course, you would defend your borders against the enemy. But the issue of citizenship is different. Why do shut people out from liberty? How do you become a citizen? When did you become an American?

My point in the previous post was to say that we can welcome everyone if we get rid of socialism. The more the merrier.

The Constitution says that if you are born here then you become a citizen. (14th Amendment. Meant for slave's children, not anchor babies) Is that all it takes? Why have an oath for immigrants? Why not an oath for all citizens when they turn 16? Of course, that brings up the problem of what do with someone born here but won’t promise

light of liberty

self promotion
I wrote article on Small Green World

read it

Conversations after reading Sobran

Conversations inspired by Joe Sobran’s article
"NATIONAL SERVICE" AND INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE

I am posting an edited version of email traffic with some friends because I enjoyed the conversation.

C - You know you reach a point with liberals and relativists, whereupon there is no point to continue to try to till. You can point out how government doesn't work, but they would say, "yes, but it makes me feel good."


ME – It’s a good article. When I say that government has only powers listed in Article 1 Section 8 they think it is crazy. "We wouldn't even have a government if they stuck to that list", they say. "Who will think of the children?!" If they don't stick to that list then what list of powers do you want them to adhere to? "oh, I learned about this debate in my history class in school. You are one of those that would have argued for state-rights and strict constructionism"I also do not believe that Law = Truth and Justice. Law is neither. I wonder how many, when they realize they are slaves, will accept slavery because they find out it is legal and upheld in the courts.

C - Perfectly said. Law = Truth or Justice. Once again, the Bible has a good basis for this. I believe the Bible provides a good foundation for liberty. The principles are there (Free Will, Responsibility, Consequences, Absolutism, Law as not being a substitute for Justice, Truth being found in God, Government not being the source of Rights nor the object of Worship).
You have also provided a perfect example of why the government schools are so damaging. They are the problem. People simply can't understand a concept if the limits of their thinking only extend so far, once government schools have set the limits. Try to tell a fish he is wet. "We wouldn't even have a government if they only did what you say" indicates that they have a very limited idea of the very essence of what government is and what it can possibly be. Checkmate. You can't imagine if you can't think beyond a certain point. "We wouldn't be fish if we didn't live in the ocean". Well, no, not exactly, you would just be a different kind of fish.This goes back to something called the Hegelian Dialectic.
Don't know if you're familiar with that, but it sums up this bankrupt thinking and sums up how most everyone views issues today. It is also one of the founding principles of Marxism. Marx combined this Dialectic with "materialism" to make Marxism.

ME - Don't know nothing 'bout HegelianI got in an argument once about how one could privatize anything. Roads, FDA, EPA, whatever. I said people can have all that stuff in a private agency. It doesn't have to be government run. Then I made the mistake of adding three more letters: FAA. They could not conceive of air travel without government control. He was a pilot and informed I knew nothing if I thought air travel was possible under private control. I guess everyone has their limits to freedom.

C - My "libertarian mentor", since he introduced me to the philosophy shortly after I started work) once said (probably copying the phrase from another guy somewhere), "Everyone's a libertarian for the liberties that they care about". I have found that to be true. Libertarianism, for me, is just realizing that I have to be a libertarian for the liberties I don't care about (drug use, homosexual "unions" (not marriage) etc.). That is why the "acid test" for libertarians is "should previously convicted felons have guns?" or the acid test can be something that applies to one's direct sphere of knowledge or profession, like this pilot, or like me, who will admit that I am guilty as charged for working at this white collar welfare factory.Ultimately there is a great deal of arrogance involved, an arrogance that few will openly admit. Liberals, the "humanists" of our time, are among the most arrogant people I've ever known, though many of today's neocons are simply liberals in different clothing. "I know what's best (for you)". I think it takes a certain degree of emotional maturity to get past a desire to run, direct, influence, control and stop projecting this desire on others. It is difficult to sometimes say, "I know more than most about how to make a decision in this area of knowledge, but I will still leave it up to you and your specific case, though I will offer you what I would do."

Doctors are my favorite example of this personality disorder, and, shock of all shocks, they overwhelmingly tend to be liberal. The "elite, educated, licensed experts" love to pat themselves on the back about how much good they do for people and disguise their central planning elitism as compassion. Hence one of my favorite stats is showing how many people AMA licensed doctors (the only ones who can "legally" practice medicine) kill or maim people every year, often from mis-prescriptions or just from properly prescribing drugs that have otherwise been approved by these doctors and the other government bureau of murderers, the FDA. I also think it's funny how so often you can find examples of how "medical consensus" changes, whether you're talking about recommendations for diet, SIDS, heart patients, vaccines or even dental fillings. As time goes on, you inevitably hear them say, "New info suggests.....". But when they're leveling their elitism at you, it's "I know, I'm infallible, you are wrong" as if they've never been wrong before.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Another conversation from the same article
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Main Entry: slave
Pronunciation: 'slAv
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English sclave, from Old French or Medieval Latin; OldFrench esclave, from Medieval Latin sclavus, from Sclavus Slavic; from thefrequent enslavement of Slavs in central Europe
1 : a person held in servitude as the chattel of another
2 : one that is completely subservient to a dominating influence
3 : a device (as the printer of a computer) that is directly responsive to another
4 : DRUDGE, TOILER-
slave adjective

C - The first definition means that someone owns you as property, or that someone owns you or your property first before it is yours. This is exactly the case with the subjects of the United States. Your property is theirs first. You are "free" to have what is left over after payingtribute.

N- ...don't defend the borders, don't defend property rights (Kelo decision), don't defend the right to engage in contracts (ban unskilled labor through minimum wage prohibitions), bypass Congressional due process in the power to declare war, bypass legal due process in presumption of innocence under Patriot Act, but for me the last straw is not being able to buy pseudafed for my allergies without being treated like a criminal or an airline passenger. How far we have fallen these last few years....

ME - What is the effective feedback system? Does a tyrant (even the compassionate ones) care when he has exceeded his authority? Example: President Bush claims authority to use military to quarantine bird flu victims. Is he running up the flag to see the response? I don't think he will get a response. Not from me. I have no inclination to write him a letter and explain that he has no authority for such actions. I buy another case of beans and shells instead because I see his declaration as an act of hostility.

He won't get a response from most people, I think he will be as surprised as the British were when the colonies revolted. "I thought everyone was happy. Haven't we protected them and provided for them? Why do they complain about stamps?" Tyranny never rolls back on its own. Is there any way to resist peacefully? Any feedback to provide a tyrant to say, "You have gone far enough. Don't push me any more."?
Can't we just all get along?

C - The reason I am so critical of today's conservatives when they come to power, is because they often are in a position to actually roll back the score to put some points back in the liberty column. This to me seems to be the main way to avoid tyranny. But if they can't be counted on to do this (and if they prevent real grassroots progress by conning those who would otherwise work for liberty, to vote for them) then they're simply helping the long march to totalitarianism, all the while thinking maybe that they're just "working within the system". The problem is that tyranny does advance, so liberty must also advance at times for conflict to be avoided. Kind of like, if you have many expenses 6 months out of the year, you had better use the other 6 months to SAVE, so that overall at least the balance is maintained. If you squander the opportunity of those 6 months to save, then you will be hurting all the more when you're in rougher times (when someone like Hillary is elected).



beginning of
"NATIONAL SERVICE" AND INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE
by Joe Sobran

Here in and around the Beltway, a local talk-radiohost started the day with a bright idea: Let's putwelfare recipients to work. This brainstorm was inspired,as you might guess, by the news footage of rioting andlooting in New Orleans.

The idea of nonmilitary "national service" has astubborn charm for many Americans who should know better. Even William Buckley has endorsed it. So do some of myliberal friends. If the government is paying peoplemoney, shouldn't it be able to require something of themin return? Even rich people occasionally speak of "givingsomething back to the community."

What we are talking about here, of course, is slavery, more delicately called "involuntary servitude"-- not giving something back, but taking something thatisn't yours. Military conscription, or the draft, fallsunder the same heading, a violation of the unalienableright to life and liberty.

American courts have always exempted the draft fromthe Thirteenth Amendment prohibition against slavery. Thecourts do the same for taxes. If the government owns youand your labor, including your property, the thinkingseems to run, it isn't really slavery.

One caller to the talk show got it right: "nationalservice," he pointed out, is unconstitutional; and so arewelfare programs, which the government has no authorityto create.

The U.S. Constitution was an ingenious butunsuccessful attempt to specify and thereby limit thepowers of the Federal Government.
.
.
.

.........

Marxists killing people..... again

Same old story. Someone comes up with a grand plan to "redistribute wealth" and hopes to live in a worker paradise. You can only pray to escape with your life if you are one of the rich oppressors (owners). The story never has a happy ending. The dictator hands out the land and resources and but people don't know how to use it so it is wasted. Then people starve and die. Name a case when it is different. (as opposed to Russia, China, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia ....etc)

The only instances where people don't starve en masse is when there isn't enough socialism. For example, the strength of the American economy seems to baffle the socialists and their communists cousins. I am surprised that it has lasted so long and so well. I don't doubt that they will try harder though. More socialism is on the way. It will grow until people die from starvation or extermination.

I heard another example on the radio yesterday while listening to Michael Savage. Mugabe kicked out all the farmers years back and gave the land to non-workers who don't produce food. Surprise! Starvation has begun. When will it end? Not while that monster is in control of the country.

Riots in Paris

Muslims still rioting in France. Violence has lasted 8 days and spread to 20 towns. I wonder why there is no deathtoll released. I couldn't find a mention of it anywhere in the reports.

Emergent economic phenomenon

Reality is not optional.

Interesting article from Russell Roberts explaining emergent economic phenomenon that a friend recommended. Check it out at econlib. Shows that gas prices should not be controlled.

example

Who invented the verb "to google?" Or the nouns "cyberspace" or "blog?" More crucially, who decided that these words could be used in common parlance without explanation? No one. Because no one is in charge, we might expect language to be chaotic and random. But words don't fall like rain. Which words live and which words die, which words delight the mind and which words get ignored, isn't a random phenomenon. Human beings and their choices make these words (and not others) part of the English language because they are useful. But no one person is the arbiter. We all are, in some sense. But not in the usual sense that we use the word "we," the sense of a collective decision. There is no collective decision, merely the result of a sufficient number of individuals using particular words that spread by word of mouth. Language emerges from the complex interaction of those who speak, read and write it.