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.