Too Dumb for Democracy?

If you are reading this blog, then you probably already know that the United States isn't a democracy; it's a Constitutional Representative Republic. But that's a minor quibble. I'll send you to the article to read it here. I know what most of you will think: TL;DR (too long; didn't read). So here's the take-away:

 "We need decentralization," wrote Hayek, "because only thus can we insure that the knowledge of the particular circumstances of time and place will be promptly used." In contrast to the kind of knowledge that Ipsos MORI and Caplan have studied, "The most significant fact about [the market] system is how little the individual participants need to know in order to be able to take the right action." 

and

 If voluntary society already contains within it the means of directing specialized knowledge to the benefit of the general welfare while minimizing the consequences of our ignorance, then the solution to our irreparable ignorance is simple: we need less government policy and more voluntary interaction.

Ich Bin Ein Constitutionalist

What is a constitutionalist? A person who respects the Constitution, and the principles it represents.

I frequently say, "The US Constitution is STILL the official specification for the United States; the binding contract between We the People and our government. Any regime that distorts or disregards our Constitution is untrustworthy and dangerous."

How untrustworthy? How dangerous? I think we're beginning to find out.

Responsibility

When seconds count, the police can arrive in minutes. What happens in the 20 minutes between when you call 911 and help arrives, is your responsibility. Will you have the tools you need to protect your school's or your family's lives and property? That includes AED machines, first aid kits, fire extinguishers and guns & ammo. And training. Think about it.

Protesting the Exception; Neglecting the Rule

I object to the protests and die-ins all over the United States about Garner and Brown. They're promoting a false narrative, with weak minds -- tools -- jumping on the bandwagon in order to feel good about themselves. Talked into protesting to promote an agenda.

"Hands Up! Don't Shoot!" and "I CANT BREATHE" [sic] are provably false narratives, with the intent to make people draw false conclusions. False narratives have us trying to fix non-existent problems, while we ignore the real problems.

It is easy to slice and dice the population into grievance subsets. Usually these statistics are misleading when taken out of their original context. Usually there is more to the story than the raw data. If blacks are over-represented in our prisons, or if blacks are over-represented in the arrest records, what is the real reason for it? Racism is too easy an answer. It is much more likely that the real answer lies in our government attempts to "help" these people. The welfare state has devastated the black family. It is much more likely that more blacks (and other minorities) tend to congregate in the inner cities, where youth of all colors, having nothing better to do, tend to form feral gangs. The residents of these neighborhoods (also primarily minorities) want the cops to protect them from these roving thugs. It's a Catch-22, isn't it?

The Brown case started out with police following up on a robbery call, and then coincidentally trying to help a person wandering aimlessly in the middle of the street. It escalated when the drug-addled perp started acting randomly and dangerously. In the Garner case, the police were doing their job, enforcing idiotic legislation that makes it illegal to sell loose cigarettes on the street. We should be asking why it is illegal to do that, and many other normal human activities that have been over-criminalized.

The thing is, police misconduct is the exception, not the rule. Police racism is the exception, not the rule. Everyone should question authority, but question the proper authority. Maybe we should be asking why police need MRAP vehicles. Where is this mindset coming from? Higher up, I'll wager. In his 2008 campaign, Barack Obama spoke of "a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded." [as our military]. That doesn't sound good at all. I bet these tools protesters don't realize they're protesting Barack Obama's agenda. Instead of focusing on social justice, we should be focusing on freedom and equal justice for all -- at the institutional level. This is a political problem, not a police problem.

Why Salute the Flag?

I always thought it was rather silly to salute the flag. The flag is a symbol; I get that, but the Constitution is really the definition of the American form of government, and it is really what We the People need to get behind. It is the only thing that stands between us and tyranny. The Constitution cannot uphold and defend itself. We the People must demand it. Unfortunately, there is a concerted effort to discredit and disregard it.

To push back, I propose the following instead:

I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America.
And to the republic, which it defines: One nation, under God, with liberty and equal justice for all.

See what I did there? I said "equal justice", to distinguish from "social justice", which gives government the authority to play favorites. 

Bill Ayers can trample the flag, but Barack Obama tramples the Constitution. Which is worse? Can we make this go viral? 

Enabler-in-Chief

Barack Obama prefers communism to capitalism, free markets and private property rights. He is more than a sympathizer; he is an enabler.

The argument goes that the US embargo against Cuba hurts the common folks, while giving their oppressors a scapegoat. That might be true if it weren't for the fact that the US is about the only country that wasn't trading with Cuba. We'll see if Cuba stops being a hell hole once we resume trading with them. I'm betting Cuba will still suck after the embargo is lifted. Seen Mexico lately?

I predict that Barack Obama will accelerate this kind of imperial, unilateral, unconstitutional action in the remaining years of his presidency. If we still have an operative Constitution left when he's done, I'll be eternally grateful to a most merciful God.

I Want to do Something That Works

The kids for the past 30 years or so, have been programmed by government indoctrination factories euphemistically called schools. What classical liberals say does not resonate with this generation's world view or life experience anymore. They do not hold these truths to be self-evident. Not even the scientific method is understood or valued. The trappings of science and research are being used to promote an evil agenda; nothing more. When the end justifies the means, that is the end.

I think there is a very real chance that we're screwed, that we're entering another dark age, as we gradually lose the principles to create and maintain the freedom and technology that gave us the highest standard of living in human history. There's actually a reactionary rejection of it. I don't think we'll get it back without a cataclysmic historical event to effect a total reset. I only hope that in the rubble, someone finds the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, "gets it", and uses it as a model to rebuild their little corner of the world.

Too despairing? I have been watching our government work. Unlike most people, I have been attending practically every city and county council meeting for the last four years. I have seen the sausage being made. Voters, voting for benefits paid for by someone else. Opportunists, special interests and "non profits" insinuating their "vision" into public policy, getting their hands on the levers of authority without any responsibility to the voters. Dare I say without our knowledge, for the most part. And I am sorry to say that all too many folks are unaware of, or downright hostile to the principles of good government. 

I blame government schools. My wife and I spent years trying to get public schools to serve our kids. We thought we were the customer. But serving the kids was too much bother. It was against regulations. Or the professionals "knew better". The fact that we knew our kids better wasn't important. We finally realized that the schools think of our kids as the product, and not the customer. 

I'll repeat that: the schools think of our kids as the product, and not the customer. When we realized that schools were nothing more than factories, producing only what the monopolistic factory owner wants to produce, that's when we decided to home school our kids. Oh yes, we still pay taxes for the public schools (you're welcome), but we then invest the additional personal time and resources to teach our kids what we think they need to know to succeed in life, in ways that are individualized for the best benefit to them, and not the reverse. I feel bad for the families who can't afford this luxury. 

Every time I turn around, I hear about more claptrap in the schools. This wouldn't bother me if people had a choice. If you like your claptrap, you can keep your claptrap. If not, change schools. Did you know that the word "university" is the opposite of "diversity"? That's right, we need more diversity. Real diversity. Diversity of thought, not the superficial crap that passes for diversity on the left. The government schools need competition. Let the people choose. The best ideas will thrive, and the flawed ideas will wither and die. And not a moment too soon. 

Southern Border Waif Parade

I have been called a callous, uncharitable S.O.B. for calling the lines of UAC (unaccompanied alien children) on our southern border an "invasion". According to Google, an invasion is "an incursion by a large number of people or things into a place or sphere of activity." or "an unwelcome intrusion into another's domain."

So this would be an invasion, by the most basic interpretation of the word. Now these kids might be seeking asylum. But who actually believes kids would have the resources or the inclination to leave their parents, cross Mexico in the heat of summer with dodgy strangers, even if conditions are horrible in their home country? It just isn't in a child's nature to do that. This is tailor-made to promote an agenda, and what better to tug at charitable American heart strings than a bunch of innocent (post-fetal) children?

Let's accept for the moment that the people arriving on our southern border really are in need of asylum. There is a right way and a wrong way. Consider the following two scenarios:

1. Someone arrives at my front door, and rings the doorbell. I see they are in dire need. I might or I might not invite them into my house, but I assess their situation (and mine), and I try to help them as best I can. I might get them to a hospital, or a shelter, or I might feed them. I'd probably put them in touch with people who are better equipped than I am to provide professional help for the needy. 
2. I arrive home to find someone inside my home, eating my food, and preparing to make off with a load of my stuff. My reaction in this case would be to secure my abode, make sure my family and I are safe, possibly remove the person by force (especially if they act in antisocially and aggressively). After I have secured the premises, then I would call 911.

The situation on our southern border is scenario 2. As I said, I don't blame the kids; I don't think the young ones are responsible. I feel very sympathetic to the children who are being used as pawns, or as cover or a distraction for other invaders in this despicable ploy. We really need to know who the vicious opportunists are who are orchestrating this. Conspiracy theory, you say? Well, it's easy enough to validate my hypothesis: If we had a curious and responsible media, we'd know who it is.

Conundrum

Adapted from an email going around the innerweb:

The definition of the word Conundrum is: something that is puzzling or confusing.

Here are six Conundrums of socialism in the United States of America:

1. America is capitalist and greedy - yet half of the population is subsidized.
2. Half of the population is subsidized - yet they think they are victims.
3. They think they are victims - yet their representatives run the government.
4. Their representatives run the government - yet the poor keep getting poorer.
5. The poor keep getting poorer - yet they have things that people in other countries only dream about.
6. They have things that people in other countries only dream about - yet they want America to be more like those other countries.

Here are some more:

• We are advised to not judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge all gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics.
• We constantly hear about how Social Security is going to run out of money, but we never hear about welfare or food stamps running out of money. America will die when the people who work for a living are outnumbered by the ones who vote for a living. 
• We are cutting benefits for our veterans, no pay raises for our military and cutting our army to a level lower than before WWII, but we are not stopping the payments or benefits to illegal aliens (invaders). Your body has an immune system to stop invaders. The military is our national immune system. What are they doing?

Thanks to Uncle Richard for emailing me the inspiration.

Two Americas

In early January 2014, Bob Lonsberry, a Rochester talk radio personality on WHAM 1180 AM, said this in response to Obama's "income inequality" speech.

The politics of envy was on proud display last week as the president said he would pledge the rest of his term to fighting “income inequality.” He notes that some people make more than other people, that some people have higher incomes than others, and he says that’s not just.

It was the rationale of thievery.

The other guy has it, you want it, Obama will take it for you.

Vote Democrat.

(Continue reading...)

This is tied up in the myth of "white privilege", "male privilege" and all the other 'progressive' claptrap. Hard work heals all wounds. But life has never, ever been fair, and you can't legislate it to be. The best you can do is protect everyone's right to pursue happiness with equal justice under the law. Stop government corruption. Stop government interference trying to "level the playing field". The power that goes with thinking you can do that just invites the fraud and corruption that we have in spades today. Don't like "crony capitalism"? Don't like "corporate welfare"? Then deny government the authority to try to regulate these things! Insist on a constitutionally limited government!

Any regime that governs against nature, including human nature, is bound to fail. The entire economy will grind to a halt under the oppressive weight of a failed regime, that continues to think it can control the economy and guarantee equality of outcomes in a nation of individuals. The American dream will die when the people who work for a living are outnumbered by the people who vote for a living.

When All Else Fails, Manipulate the Data

According to the New York Times (of all places), after decades of collecting health insurance statistics, the US Census is going to change the metrics, at exactly the same time a major change in health insurance policy is taking place. What scientist or statistician does that, unless their intent is to hide the true effects of this change? (The vulgar term for hiding the truth is called "fraud", as in "the regime is a fraud", or "the King is a fink!"

This is the lowest our government has ever sunk, the worst regime in my lifetime, and I lived through the Nixon years! Where are the torches and pitchforks?

Tax Day

I have no objection to paying for the care and feeding of a federated government, limited by the founding documents (the official specification if you will), with the primary function of protecting everyone's individual rights, equally under the law. It costs money to run a legislature, judiciary and executive branch. It costs money to do things like making sure the tax paying citizens are secure within our borders (which the regime hasn't been doing by the way). 

But my individual rights don't cost you a dime. I have a right to free speech, but that doesn't require you to provide me with free air time. I have freedom of religion, but that doesn't require you to buy me a Bible or a Koran. I have freedom of the press, but that doesn't require you to provide me with free paper, or free internet. Do I have a right to keep and bear arms? I think I still have a right to obtain those things, but that right doesn't require you to provide me with free guns and ammo. Do I have a right to food and shelter? I have the right to obtain those things, but that right doesn't require you to provide me them for free. Do I have a right to health care? I have the right to obtain health care, but that right doesn't require you to provide me with free contraceptives. 

While we all have the moral obligation to help provide for the less fortunate, when someone demands that one person provide for another under duress, that is called theft, or slavery. And we deem those things to be immoral.

Thomas Jefferson said, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and government to gain ground”, and that is exactly what has been happening in this country for 230 odd years. But we have had some major upward inflection points since the 'progressive' movement began 100 years ago: FDR's New Deal, LBJ's Great Society, and BHO's bailouts, hope'n'change and ObamaCare. These things all transfer individual freedom (the free market) to government control. Forced redistribution of wealth isn't a Great Society, it's a sick one: creating a dependent idle class at the expense of the independent, productive one. Discouraging self-sufficiency. Creating envy instead of cooperation and healthy competition.

The advent of a bureaucratic state, run by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats who's primary objective is basically mission creep (with all the best intentions), increases cost and thereby the tax load. The worst thing is, taxes don't even begin to cover the cost of government anymore. The deficit and the debt is an even bigger burden on our society. High taxes are only the tip of the iceberg. 

It's My Body, And I'll Cry If I Want To

[Warning: This article contains adult content. If you have not fully matured, then you really need to read this.]

Victims of the so-called "war on women" whine, "It's my body!" That may be true, but they never finish the sentence: "It's my body, and it's my responsibility to care properly for it."

If you're going to treat your body like an amusement park, then it's up to you to perform the necessary care and maintenance. It's up to you (or the riders) to provide the resources and upkeep. Not me; not anyone else. It isn't my job to take care of the unintended consequences, or put innocent victims out of your misery after one of your cock-ups (pun partially intended).

Actually, if you are going to demand that someone else contribute to the care and feeding of your body, then it really isn't your body anymore! It belongs to all of us who subsidize it, and all your bases are belong to us! There are strings attached, and we (the people) can tell you what you can and cannot do with it. We could even justifiably demand the use of it.*

If it annoys you to receive this message from a man, then here's a video by Chicks on the Right to spell it out for you.



But here's the bottom line: My money and my property represents the time from my life that it took to earn it -- including the time and resources it took to acquire the skills to earn it. Time out of my life that I'll never get back. I made the effort. Taking that wealth from me without my express consent is akin to taking part of my life: partial murder. It's why theft is considered immoral and illegal. It's also why redistribution of wealth should also be considered nothing less. It's your body and your life. Your responsibility. Accept it!

---

*Rush Limbaugh called these people "sluts", but that is evidently not politically correct anymore, and he had to apologize. Actually, if you're demanding money, it's really worse than "slut", but I won't say that either. I'll just say "slave" instead. Congratulations, slave! Here's your contraceptives! Call the plantation office if you need a free abortion!

We need more teachers like this one, with the guts to speak out. Even if Common Core was a great thing, she should not be threatened with loss of her job for speaking out on any political issue. This is not the same as badmouthing your employer in public.

 

How Many Statists Does It Take To Change a Light Bulb?

Stolen from facebook:



I don't like CFLs. I do like LEDs, but I think the free market is quite adequate for moving people to more efficient, environmentally friendly lighting. Government mandates are completely illiberal and unnecessary.

You Have Two Cows

I haven't posted in a while, but I found this on Facebook, and I thought, "Hey there's a lotta truth in that thar satire!"

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Charity

• You have two cows.
• You share some milk with your neighbor, 'cause one of their cows just died, and you want to help them until they can get back on their feet.

Socialism

• You have two cows.
• The state takes one and gives it to your neighbor.

Communism

• You have two cows.
• The State takes both and gives you some milk.

Fascism

• You have two cows.
• The State takes both and sells you some milk.

Nazism

• You have two cows.
• The State takes both and shoots you.

Bureaucrat-ism

• You have two cows.
• The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away.

Traditional Capitalism

• You have two cows.
• You sell one and buy a bull.
• Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
• You sell them and retire on the income.

Royal Bank of Scotland (Venture) Capitalism

• You have two cows.
• You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows.
• The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company.
• The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more. 
• You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States, leaving you with nine cows. 
• No balance sheet provided with the release. 
• The public then buys your bull.

Surrealism

• You have two giraffes.
• The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

An American Corporation

• You have two cows.
• You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
• Later, you hire a consultant to analyze why the cow has dropped dead.

A Greek Corporation

• You have two cows. You borrow lots of euros to build barns, milking sheds, hay stores, feed sheds, dairies, cold stores, abattoir, cheese unit and packing sheds.
• You still only have two cows.

A French Corporation

• You have two cows.
• You go on strike, organize a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.

A Japanese Corporation

• You have two cows.
• You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
• You then create a clever cow cartoon image called a Cowkimona and market it worldwide.

An Italian Corporation

• You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
• You decide to have lunch.

A Swiss Corporation

• You have 5000 cows. 
• None of them belong to you.
• You charge the owners for storing them.

A Chinese Corporation

• You have two cows.
• You have 300 people milking them.
• You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
• You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.

An Indian Corporation

• You have two cows.
• You worship them.

A British Corporation

• You have two cows.
• Both are mad.

An Iraqi Corporation

• Everyone thinks you have lots of cows.
• You tell them that you have none.
• No-one believes you, so they bomb the squat out of you and invade your country.
• You still have no cows, but at least you are now a democracy.

An Australian Corporation

• You have two cows.
• Business seems pretty good.
• You close the office and go for a few beers to celebrate.

A New Zealand Corporation

• You have two cows.
• The one on the left looks very attractive...

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Thanks to Mary Beth for posting this on Facebook. 

The Most Uncurious Mainstream News Media

The good congressman from South Carolina asks some pointed questions of our news media. The First Amendment freedom of the press was intended for political writers to criticize their government -- to be a watchdog. They were attack dogs during the G.W. Bush administration, and they have been lap dogs during the Obama regime. Most uncurious, mama! Whoa! Strange days indeed...

Letterman's Top Ten Reasons He Votes Democrat

I got this via email from one of my racist tea party terrorist friends. It has been making the rounds on the interweb for a while, but I modified it slightly to suit my own personal convictions, because dag nabbit, it's my blog:

#10. I vote Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I’ve decided to marry my German Shepherd.*

#9. I vote Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene, but the government taxing the same gallon at 15% isn’t.

#8. I vote Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

#7. I vote Democrat because Freedom of Speech is fine as long as nobody I agree with is offended by it.

#6. I vote Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves. Because when seconds count, the police can be here in minutes.

#5. I vote Democrat because I'm not concerned about millions of babies being aborted so long as we keep all death row inmates alive and comfy.

#4. I vote Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education, and Social Security benefits, and we should take away Social Security from those who paid into it.

#3. I vote Democrat because I believe that businesses should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the Democrat Party sees fit.

#2. I vote Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.

…And the #1 reason I vote Democrat is because I think it's better to pay $billions for oil to people who hate us, but not drill our own because it might upset some endangered beetle, gopher or fish here in America. We don't care about the beetles, gophers or fish in those other countries. 

I know, it's a cheap shot, but somebody had to take it. I realize each individual Democrat might not think exactly like this -- it's a caricature -- but it does represent a pattern that repeats itself on the left. By the way, David Letterman would never say anything like this.

*Just so you know, the lowercase 'L' libertarian in me wonders what gives government the authority to say anything at all about marriage. I think a legal framework to form families and partnerships is sufficient. Churches and social groups should be empowered to make moral value judgments for their adherents.

Thanks to Dave & Maddie for sending this.

Government Control vs. Freedom

I believe that control is the opposite of freedom. How can it not? But I am not an anarchist. With no government, it would be up to us to stand at our front door with a shotgun, to ward off all aggressors, leaving no leisure time (and probably little time to mind our own business, in fact). Kind of like Walking Dead, without the zombies. So limited government -- just enough to secure the natural rights we were born with -- is necessary.

But today I find myself spending an inordinate amount of time defending my rights against the very regimes that were supposed to protect them. It is eating up my leisure time, and what goes on while I'm at work goes unmonitored. They steal from my pantry while I'm out plowing my fields. What's more, they use their plunder against me, giving my tax dollars to grant-grubbing special interests whom I oppose, who advocate enacting more policy that further reduces my freedom. The bulk of said plunder doesn't even go to help the people the pandering politicians pretend to want to help.

I attend city and county council meetings. State and federal legislature meetings are too far away and are too full time for me to monitor directly. But I've seen the sausage being made, and I think if you were really aware of what goes on in there, you'd be alarmed as well. Even some of the ones on "our side" (whichever side that happens to be) don't understand the proper role of government.

Don't even get me started on administrative bureaucracies that by definition, aren't responsible to the voters. They enact regulations having the force of law, but we have no recourse. We can't vote them out. That is not government by the consent of the governed! The fact is, the government we have bears no resemblance whatsoever to the mechanisms that were invented to keep us safe. It's Fahrenheit 451, without the fire trucks.

Pajama Boy vs. Helmet Boy

Pajama Boy - dependency is stultifying.

Helmet Boy - liberty takes guts.