Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Kleptocracy and Misdirection.

The Kleptocrats from both sides continue to play their political games in Washington while our Liberty is being sold to the highest bidder. The so-called stimulus package is laden with pork and paybacks to the special interest groups that brought these thieves to power. I guess that explains the about 37% confidence rating people have that it will have any positive effect. The politicians and the media would prefer that the public look at the American financial crisis in isolation. The picture they paint from that perspective is bad enough, but don't you dare examine it as a self-portrait of the artists. Blame the banks, blame the lack of regulation, blame anyone but the politicians that created the mess in the first place.

But there is more than just the picture that is being put before us. Just because there are things off the edges of the canvas and unpainted by the artist doesn't mean they're not there and are not elements of what you can see. The wider view is there for all to see, and it does not take a whole lot of research to find it. But even if you can see those elements of the wider picture the last thing the kleptocrats want you to do is to bring them into focus and integrate them into that wider view.

I for one am not buying the "Don't look behind the curtain" sales pitch coming out of Washington. That the politicians have pushed the economy to the edge of collapse through profligate spending and irresponsible regulation is bad enough, but it's not just the US that is in peril. The economies of all of Europe are in worse shape than we are. Iceland has already gone bankrupt, Ireland is on the brink of default and all of Eastern Europe, only so recently liberated from the yoke of Communism is preparing to default on hundreds of billions in loans from Western Europe. The Russians have put all their eggs into the basket of high oil prices and are now reaping the whirlwind of budgetary collapse. Small wonder then, that they have resorting to their old ways of saber rattling and imperialist aggression.

On our own southern border Mexico is in such a state of chaos the viability of the government is in open question. Drug cartels have so intimidated and corrupted law enforcement and local governments that the crime there has become the prevailing way of life and is spilling over our border and spreading the cancer of chaos from Texas to California.

Here at home one state after another are facing budgetary collapses of their own. California seems a lost cause; Kansas has run out of money, many others are seeking to tax everything in sight, chasing fool's errand short term solutions to the seemingly insoluble.

In an attempt to keep the public oblivious to the chaos they themselves have created, the politicians are now embarked on a campaign of misdirection, a new crusade to narrow the public's focus away from seeing the problems created by their quintupling the money supply and the accumulation of massive amounts of un-payable debt. They would rather we be concerned with the "imbalance" of opinion expressed in the free market place of ideas! Conservative talk radio is to be targeted for having become a commercial success. This of course is being put forward in the name of "Fairness," or localization of radio content.

In their typical overreaching manner they will not be content with just demonizing the likes of talk radio. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is now looking at what policies could be put in place that would allow government oversight of the internet. Even looking so far as to require those who would editorialize, i.e. express their opinion, on the internet, to post links on their sight connecting to sights of opposing opinion.

It might be 25 years late but 1984 is here.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Standing on principle

I am a free and sovereign citizen of a free and sovereign state. I relinquish certain of those rights to my state in exchange for that state’s guarantee to protect those and all of my God given rights, as enumerated in my state’s Constitution. Acting as an agent of its citizens, my state freely entered into a compact with other free and sovereign states to create a Federal government whose sole purpose is to act within a strictly limited authority granted to it by those member states; Said authority being too; 1. Act as the common agent of those member states and their citizens in relations with foreign powers, and to protect them from the infringement of their sovereign rights and the rights of their citizens by any foreign power. 2. To create and defend a common currency to be used within the several states and to set and control its value and its value in relation to foreign currency and, 3. To guarantee the free and unrestricted trade between the several states.

Further it is the responsibility of my state to protect my rights and its rights from usurpation by the Federal government should it seek to enact laws or exercise authority beyond those responsibilities granted to it by the several free and sovereign states.

I would sooner die fighting, with my personal liberty and moral integrity intact, going before my maker with a clear conscience on those accounts, than to surrender them to the usurpation of the Federal government. My personal liberty and moral integrity are not for sale at any price.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

A Time to Say No. The Politics of America's Deconstruction.

I used to think that the leadership of the Democrat Party could be best characterized as little more than a bunch of "useful idiots" as Lenin put it. Fools so consumed with the preservation of their own power base that the needs of the nation as a whole were secondary at best, oblivious to the notion that they were driving us off a cliff just so long as they were the ones behind the wheel and looked stylish doing it.
Not that the Republicans were a whole lot better. Having squandered the great opportunity provide by both the "Reagan Revolution" and Newt Gingrich's "Contract With America," they took to spending like Democrats, and now that they have lost two elections in a row they look even more foolish than the Democrats. As if "standing on principle" now will produce any better result than arguing about the placement of the deck chairs on the Titanic. A day late and a few trillion dollars short.
Of late I have become convinced that there is something much more venial going on here. It's not just that the Republicans have sacrificed their souls on the same alter of political expediency that is the Democrat's stock and trade; it's that they have allowed themselves to fall into the trap that has been laid out for them.
The history of our nation has always been full of political contention. Underlying much of it however were always the concepts of reasoned compromise and the "loyal opposition." Who can honestly say they think political debate functions at a level of anything even resembling these concepts anymore?
The elements of the left, including a compliant news media, have buried the idea of "loyal opposition" and succeeded in replacing it with a system of vitriol that has divided us into two camps, both equally convinced that the other is not just of the opposite opinion but possessed of evil intent. Both sides become so convinced of their rectitude that any lie and provocation is justified means to achieving goals.
For the conservatives herein is the trap. Forced into a position of constantly being on the defense, they all too easily have adopted the tactics of the left in a vain attempt to counter them, not realizing that this is precisely the posture the left wants them to take. Having lured the conservatives into the trap the left springs it. Essentially saying "Look at those mean, uncaring Republicans, they call us names!" "We just want to help the children!" Thus positioning themselves as the perennial altruists the unwitting public laps up the "It takes a village" porridge as "just right," the panacea of all their woes, "we needn't worry the Democrats will save us."
The way is then paved for the endless parade of ever expanding social welfare and entitlements fed by a propaganda machine that convinces all too many that they have a "right" to be supported by government, that they have no obligation to seek betterment through their own effort. The all knowing and all caring government will see to all their needs. Bombarded by propaganda and outright lies they become convinced that the evil conservatives are trying to deprive them of their "rights." So blinded by misdirection they become oblivious to the chains of dependency the left has link by link tied to their ankles and shackled to the edifice of the nanny state.
The thing is not even the Democrats can reasonably believe that what little is left of the productive economy and the few taxpayers left can sustain an ever expanding program of social welfare "rights." The financial collapse coming out of such policy is as predictable as sunrise following the dawn. It's not that they don't care; it's that that is their intent. Herein is where the venality I spoke of earlier comes into play. This situation is not all arising out of some set of some set of random events. It arises out of a template laid down back in the mid 1960's. A template created by the protégés of Saul Alinsky.
What has come to be known as the Cloward-Piven Strategy was first published in The Nation magazine in May of 1962. What the authors referred to as the "orchestrated crisis" is to be hammer by which capitalism can be destroyed. The method is exactly what we are seeing; overwhelm the budget with so many benefit "rights" that the system collapses of its own weight. The plan of the Democrats is not to rebuilt America but to transform America, sacrifice the productive economy for the welfare state and in so doing destroy the very values that made America great.
If we as individuals don't stand up now and say no to this pernicious plan we will no longer be "citizens" of a great nation but merely "subjects" of the state.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Taxes for Thee, but not for Me, Crisis for us All.

It seems that every other appointment the President Ellsworth makes is some kind of tax cheat. Throughout the Presidential campaign we heard a lot of talk about sacrifice and "patriotic duty" to pay more in taxes. I guess this so-called patriotic duty extends to everyone except those in the new administration. Combine this with the piling on of unfunded mandate after unfunded mandate and it's not just that it's a house of cards it's that the foundation is built of unconstitutional sand that's going to wash away in a flood of inflation.

It's not just the individual citizens that are starting to get fed up with an out of control Federal Government but the States as well. Is it little wonder then that State after State are seeing resolutions introduced in their legislatures reasserting their rights under the 9th and 10th Amendments to the Constitution. 8 so far and word is that some 20 more will see them introduced in the next few weeks. As the numbers grow it will bring forth a Constitutional crisis simply beyond the comprehension of President Ellsworth, but way beyond his ability to deal with as well.

Joe "the plagiarist" Biden was right Pres. Ellsworth is going to be tested, he just didn't foresee that it's going to be a combined test of an internal Constitutional crisis and an external threat coming from enemies who all ready see President Ellsworth and our nation as weak and vulnerable. Continuing to march down the corporativist road of combining business and government will only accelerate the crisis on both fronts.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

And so it Begins.

If I'm not mistaken one of the lynch pins of the Democrat party's most recent electoral success was that for the last 8 years or so the Republicans had succeeded in intimidating the voting public by fear mongering about the war on terror. The Patriot Act was a usurpation of power blaa blaa blaa...... Gitmo, blaa blaa blaa.....

And yet now that the Democrats control both Houses of Congress and the White House they want to pass a fiscal monstrosity by calling it a "stimulus package." I am finding it hard to disabuse myself of the notion that I'm being fear mongered into accepting a crap sandwich that's being sold as Dr. Feelgood's magic Elixer.

Some of those in the all so well informed media and inside political circles have, much to their own chagrin, acknowledged that the new Messiah isn't exactly getting his way, or that the magic of the momment is fading faster than a drunken stupor induced quickie Las Vegas wedding.

It not as if our new President doesn't have his hands full as it is. Now it seems there are some new pressures soon to come to bare from an entirely unexpected quarter. There had been some whispers about it but now the cat is out of the bag.

That most ugly of spectors, at least for Democrats any way, has arisen. That old bugaboo that strikes fear into the heart of any good pandering Democrat - Federalism. It seems that just this week a Resolution was introduced in the New Hampshire House asserting of all things that New Hampshire is a free and independent State and that specificly, any law enforcement measures enacted by the Federal Government that are outside the bounds placed upon it by the Constitution can be considered null and void. That the Federal Government has no right to enfore laws within the State of New Hampshire that is does not have the authority to inact in the first place.

Now I can't personally atest to the makeup of the New Hampshire State Legislature nor the resolutions chances of passage there. But word of it having been introduced there will no doubt spread to other states that just may be considered more fertile ground in which to grow. A wide swath between the gulf coast and the Canadian border comes to mind.

For those who might be want to read the resolution for themselves, I would refer you to some of Pat Dollard's excellent work.

http://patdollard.com/2009/02/new-hampshire-fires-first-shot-of-civil-war-resolution-immediately-voids-several-federal-laws-threatens-counterstrike-against-breach-of-peace

Thoughts on Personal Security

So there I was feeling secure in my world, surrounded by my stockpile of canned green beans, counting my silver coins and cleaning my guns. When it comes to my attention that my very lively hood was in immediate jeopardy! But not just my lively hood but that of another 500 million Americans as well. Ok maybe not 500 million others but at least 499,999,999 of us. I mean how could I possibly doubt such sage wisdom coming from Queen Nancy herself, it simply could not be possible that the great oracle of Sodom and Gomorra west (otherwise known as San Francisco) could be wrong! Things like that just don’t happen!

But then I saw that all was saved! President Ellsworth came to the rescue and told us all not to worry! He was not going to let any of those evil bankers make more than $500,000 a year! Saints be praised! The capital world was so impressed with such profound wisdom that they pulled another few tens of billions of dollars out of the stock market! Maybe they're concerned that I might be trying to corner the market in canned green beans. I think I had better check the futures numbers on that ASAP.

After having checked my green beans stocks I feel that I already have a large enough share of that market that I needn’t concern myself with being damaged by the green bean speculators any time soon. I’m going to need to find something into which I can diversify. I was thinking maybe vacuum pumps! There could not possibly be a whole lot of competition in the vacuum pump market. So as a careful investor I started doing my research. Lord was I in for a shock, someone had already beaten me to it and had the market all locked up. Even more shocking I find it was Queen Nancy herself! Seems NASA has hooked tubes to her ears and found a void big enough to suck the very existence out of a black hole! So who needs to go back to the moon there’s plenty of space right there on the Potomac!