The State silences pure talent

Tell me, can you deny that this kid has talent? Of course not, but since the state owns this kid they can tell him what he can and cannot do...

The Right is wrong, part gazillion.

From the DUH News department, we find out that Obama is appointing war hawks and idiots that are so bad even the Right likes them. Who is the more foolish: the fool, or the fool who follows him?

Right-Wingers and Neocons Love Obama's Cabinet Appointments | War on Iraq | AlterNet

As Barack Obama's opus, Team of Rivals, continues its rolling debut, the early reviews are in and the "critics" are full of praise for the cast:

"[T]he new administration is off to a good start."
-- Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell.

"[S]uperb ... the best of the Washington insiders ... this will be a valedictocracy -- rule by those who graduate first in their high school classes."
-- David Brooks, conservative New York Times columnist

"[V]irtually perfect ... "
-- Senator Joe Lieberman, former Democrat and John McCain's top surrogate in the 2008 campaign.

"[R]eassuring."
-- Karl Rove, "Bush's brain."

"I am gobsmacked by these appointments, most of which could just as easily have come from a President McCain ... this all but puts an end to the 16-month timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, the unconditional summits with dictators, and other foolishness that once emanated from the Obama campaign ... [Hillary] Clinton and [James] Steinberg at State should be powerful voices for 'neo-liberalism' which is not so different in many respects from 'neo-conservativism.'"
-- Max Boot, neoconservative activist, former McCain staffer.

"I see them as being sort of center-right of the Democratic party."
-- James Baker, former Secretary of State and the man who led the theft of the 2000 election.

"[S]urprising continuity on foreign policy between President Bush's second term and the incoming administration ... certainly nothing that represents a drastic change in how Washington does business. The expectation is that Obama is set to continue the course set by Bush ... "
-- Michael Goldfarb of the neoconservative Weekly Standard.

"I certainly applaud many of the appointments ... "
-- Senator John McCain

"So far, so good."
-- Senator Lamar Alexander, senior Republican Congressional leader.

Hillary Clinton will be "outstanding" as Secretary of State
-- Henry Kissinger, war criminal

Rahm Emanuel is "a wise choice" in the role of Chief of Staff
-- Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, John McCain's best friend.

Obama's team shows "Our foreign policy is non-partisan."
-- Ed Rollins, top Republican strategist and Mike Huckabee's 2008 campaign manager

"The country will be in good hands."
-- Condoleezza Rice, George W. Bush's Secretary of State

How to Establish Domestic Fascism

So, anybody still not convinced that we are steadily moving towards totalitarianism?

Pentagon to Detail Troops to Bolster Domestic Security

The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials.

The long-planned shift in the Defense Department's role in homeland security was recently backed with funding and troop commitments after years of prodding by Congress and outside experts, defense analysts said.

There are critics of the change, in the military and among civil liberties groups and libertarians who express concern that the new homeland emphasis threatens to strain the military and possibly undermine the Posse Comitatus Act, a 130-year-old federal law restricting the military's role in domestic law enforcement.

BSG Season 4.5 Preview ONLINE!

The Epic Journey - Season 4.5 | Videos | SCI FI Video

Are you excited? I am thrilled because it's about time!

More terible news from the Fed

FRB: Press Release-- Federal Reserve Announces Purchases of Direct Oblications from GSEs - November 25th, 2008

The Federal Reserve announced on Tuesday that it will initiate a program to purchase the direct obligations of housing-related government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs)--Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks--and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae. Spreads of rates on GSE debt and on GSE-guaranteed mortgages have widened appreciably of late. This action is being taken to reduce the cost and increase the availability of credit for the purchase of houses, which in turn should support housing markets and foster improved conditions in financial markets more generally. Purchases of up to $100 billion in GSE direct obligations under the program will be conducted with the Federal Reserve's primary dealers through a series of competitive auctions and will begin next week. Purchases of up to $500 billion in MBS will be conducted by asset managers selected via a competitive process with a goal of beginning these purchases before year-end. Purchases of both direct obligations and MBS are expected to take place over several quarters. Further information regarding the operational details of this program will be provided after consultation with market participants.

Whoo hoo!!! My mortgage is being paid for by EVERYBODY now! Ok not really, I was thrifty and didn't buy what I couldn't afford, so I'm in the clear. Nevertheless, once again the Fed proves they need to be eliminated. I just don't see how monetarists can think that their ideas work.

My new blog...

i have begun a second blog for spreading ideas about political and economic liberty from a Christian point of view. I have been compiling ideas for posts, and I'll begin rolling them out in the near future. I'll be posting essays I have written, things to ponder, exegeses on Scripture, movie and book reviews, article links, and musings on current events. So far, I have been collecting some of my own writings and getting them ready to be posted here. Some of them can be rather long for a typical blog post, and I anticipate dividing them into multiple sections.

It will be quite different from what I normally write on this blog, but some of what I would you see here will henceforth be on the other blog. So take a look, read a little, and add it to your RSS feed reader!

Link: The Christian Libertarian.

Is this the end of the American economy?

Bloomberg: Fed Pledges 7.4 Trillion in New Money.

This is it. The Fed has declared war on the economy and thereby every market participant, and they have prepped their weapons of mass destruction.

Quoting the article: “The U.S. government is prepared to lend more than $7.4 trillion on behalf of American taxpayers, or half the value of everything produced in the nation last year, to rescue the financial system since the credit markets seized up 15 months ago. The unprecedented pledge of funds includes $2.8 trillion already tapped by financial institutions in the biggest response to an economic emergency since the New Deal of the 1930s, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The commitment dwarfs the only plan approved by lawmakers, the Treasury Department’s $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program. Federal Reserve lending last week was 1,900 times the weekly average for the three years before the crisis.”

I already knew that 3 trillion in monetary expansion was in the works. I heard it live from the President of the Dallas Fed about a month ago when he came to Austin and talked about this “off the record”. I personally challenged him the about the wisdom of such a decision. I asked him how he could expect the same monetary policies that created this crisis could be used to solve it, and even if it did temporarily how he could expect that even in the mid-term horizon that the same problems would not occur all over again. He said in response, and I quote: “You just gotta have faith – faith in the Federal Reserve, faith in Congress that they will make the right decision, and faith in the Executive, whoever is elected, that he will make the right decision.”

I should have asked him how other faith-based initiatives have been working out for the government lately, or that I thought matters of faith should be reserved only for God, quantum mechanics, and the quality of frozen pizzas. Too bad I’m not THAT quick. Too bad I was too shocked to say anything at the time. Three trillion is disaster, seven trillion is… unspeakable.

They should have listened – to Mises, to Hayek, to Rothbard, to Ron Paul. Heck, even Milton Friedman more or less repudiated monetarism later in life. Instead, they chose Keynes, Stiglitz, Krugman, Greenspan, Bernanke, Paulson, McCain, and Obama. You reap what you sow.

Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

I'm giving a lecture on business cycle theory today. This seems relevant... Note: there is a smidgen of language...

LHC more likely to find a black hole for cash than a higgs boson

The Great Beyond: LHC repairs get pricier

More bad news from the Large Hadron Collider.

Repairing the damage from the electrical failure earlier this year will run to $21 million, according to the European Organization for Nuclear Research (AP). The original cost estimate for the repair was around $80,000, not including labour and the spares.

In addition, the particle collider will not be up and running before June. Previously it was suggested the particles could be whizzing round the ring by April (AFP).

“There is still a lot of work to do and we want to be sure that everything is in order before starting up,” says spokesman James Gillies (AFP / AP). “If we can do it sooner, all well and good. But I think we can do it realistically (in) early summer.”

Can you believe this garbage? This project originally cost the world economy about 10 billion dollars, an astronomical sum to say the least, and it isn't even getting close to accomplishing its mission. What a waste! This illustrates perfectly the problems of socialism -- that the central planners will tend not to choose projects that actually produce new goods and services efficiently because there is no adequate way to count the costs.

Need a laptop battery?

I own an IBM Thinkpad X31 laptop, and I use it to do most of my work for UT, AGST, and the church. It has functioned as an excellent tool for a long time, save for one issue: battery life. From the start, it lasted only about an hour, and it continually declined in quality over time. Now, the battery only holds up for about 15 minutes. Pretty bad, eh?

So I started looking around the net for new batteries. They ain't cheap, lemme tell ya. But I found some nice sites that specialized in replacement batteries for electronics of all sorts. Enter AtBatt.com. Not only did they have some an excellent selection, but they also have a student discount program. I thought, "what the hey, maybe they're serious..." and filled out the app. Within a day, I got an email saying they were more than happy to give me a discounted new battery. I called their phone, and had a great conversation with one of their head guys (Steve). He's a Christian interested in doing more than good business - he's also looking to help the environment through free market means by promoting eco-friendly rechargeable batteries.

I think these guys are pretty smart. They bought me as a customer AND they're working to spread some good around. That's some swell business right there. This is one of the easiest and best online shopping experiences I've had. Maybe if you're looking for a new battery for your laptop, camera, cell phone, or pretty much any electronic device you can imagine, you can check them out too.

So yeah, this is kind of like a sales pitch, but so what? Why not commend these folks who are doing good, honest business and talk about how they helped me out? That's the stuff the free market is made of!

Best of luck to you, Steve and the crew...

Let the scorn begin, huzzah!

I've seen a few very interesting articles in the last couple of days.

Restoring Reaganism by Deroy Murdock on National Review Online

Comrade George W. Bush has spearheaded the most aggressive federal expansion since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. As a delivery system for socialism, he has been the most effective Trojan Horse since that pine steed rolled into Troy.When Bush arrived, Washington consumed 18.4 percent of Gross Domestic Product. Uncle Sam now devours 22.5 percent of the economy, reported Jon Ward in the October 19 Washington Times. “The country has gone from a $128 billion budget surplus when Mr. Bush took office to a deficit of at least $732 billion in fiscal 2009,” Ward writes. “No president since FDR — who offered a New Deal to pull the nation out of the Great Depression and then fought World War II — has presided over as rapid a growth in government when measured as a percentage of the total economy.” While much of Bush’s spending has funded defense and the War on Terror, most of it vanished into the furnaces of No Child Left Behind, the 2002 Farm Bill, the 2003 Medicare drug entitlement, the 2005 highway bill, the 2006 ethanol mandate, at least 69,341 earmarks, and much, much more. In 2001, Bush launched federal embryonic stem-cell research. By 2008, he added the word “nationalization” to the American vocabulary, and underscored it with nearly $1 trillion in bailouts and Third World—-style government ownership stakes in banks and financial houses.

Wow! Somebody in National Review calling Bush a socialist? Are we that close to Armageddon? Perhaps over the next few years the big NR will start actually calling for small government and being serious. But don't hold your breath. Those of us with a brain know that even Reagan wasn't that good on spending. His administration accounts for two of the top-5 latest in the year "Freedom from Government" days, the day when the GDP effectively stops paying for government action.

American Thinker: Barack Obama, Legal Scholar

Nobody can deny that Barack Obama has an impressive list of titles to his name as a lawyer. But when it comes to actual substance as a lawyer and a scholar, very few accomplishments can be pointed to. The pattern of leaving no footprints when it comes to ideas should raise questions in the eyes of voters still trying to understand the man behind the public persona of Barack Obama.

So basically, Obama being a legal demi-god is a myth. LOL.

Peter Hitchens: The night we waved goodbye to America...our last best hope on Earth | Mail Online

The swooning frenzy over the choice of Barack Obama as President of the United States must be one of the most absurd waves of self-deception and swirling fantasy ever to sweep through an advanced civilisation. At least Mandela-worship – its nearest equivalent – is focused on a man who actually did something... Just look at his sermon by the shores of Lake Michigan. He really did talk about a ‘new dawn’, and a ‘timeless creed’ (which was ‘yes, we can’). He proclaimed that ‘change has come’. He revealed that, despite having edited the Harvard Law Review, he doesn’t know what ‘enormity’ means. He reached depths of oratorical drivel never even plumbed by our own Mr Blair, burbling about putting our hands on the arc of history (or was it the ark of history?) and bending it once more toward the hope of a better day (Don’t try this at home).I am not making this up. No wonder that awful old hack Jesse Jackson sobbed as he watched. How he must wish he, too, could get away with this sort of stuff.

This article comes from my dear friend Grant. The writing is excellent!

V for Vendetta as Orwellian Victory

In honor of the recent passing of November the Fifth and the recent passing of power from one tyrant to the next, I just finished watching the movie V for Vendetta, one of my personal favorite films. V is excellent on so many levels, but only if you have the eyes to see.

"So if you see nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you, then I would suggest you allow the Fifth of November to pass unmarked. But if you see what i see; if you feel as i feel; and if you would seek as i seek, then I ask you to stand beside me."

This time, I was struck by how closely V resembles Orwell's Nineteen-Eighty-Four. There is one critical difference, though. In Orwell, the bad guys win. Orwell missed something fundamental about human existence: the indefatigable human pursuit of liberty. In the end, tyranny cannot survive. In the end, truth wins. The Remnant will remind the world of what we were meant to be.

This is what excites us about V. The face under the mask doesn't matter, it is truth that stirs our passion.

"Beneath this mask is more than flesh. Beneath this mask is an idea, and ideas are bulletproof!"

Orwell's world ends with the protagonist's death and no hope in sight. It is nothing but a warning against a compelling and frightening future. That image has served us well, but it is not enough. V picks up the pieces and correctly constructs the philosophy that takes us forward.

"His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice, and freedom are more than words - they are perspectives."

Do you get it yet? If you understand, you are one of the few. Freedom forever!

***
Edit 11/10:
Interested in the original graphic novel of V for Vendetta? Buy it on Amazon.com.

Who is to blame for Obamunism?

In a few hours, America -- even "real America" -- will have elected one of the worst conceivable presidents ever. That's saying something considering the criticism I've laid against presidents in general for some time now. Well, some so-called conservatives, many of whom I interact with regularly, will ask themselves: How did this happen? The answer is simple, my friends.

You did it.

Conservatism died under Bush and the Republican controlled house and Senate from 2000 to 2006. And all the while, conservatives, you kept capitulating to the demands of a tyrant. November 4th, 2008 is the burial.

I know why you did it, too. You were afraid. V knew it too.

"Truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look in to a mirror. I know why you did it, I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease, there were a myriad of problems that conspired to corrupt your reason and cut off your common sense. Fear got the best of you."

I hope you wake up someday. Maybe November 5th?

"Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the annunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country."

V for Vendetta Televised Speech

UT Libertarians in the news

The Daily Texan - Libertarians unite in Texas

Armed with ideals and alternatives, Stutsman was one of six national and local Libertarian Party candidates at a forum held by the Libertarian Longhorns in the Engineering Teaching Center Monday. Stutsman, a Libertarian congressional candidate, was joined by congressional candidates Matt Finkel and Jim Strohm, senatorial candidate Yvonne Schick, Texas House candidate Allen Hacker and county commissioner candidate Wes Benedict.

and then... The Daily Texan - Voters often overlook local candidates

Norman Horn, a graduate student and member of Libertarian Longhorns, said the group is open to endorsing candidates of every political stripe but encourages individual members to make their own decisions when it comes to supporting candidates. “Libertarian Longhorns is not specifically a partisan group,” he said. “We support any and all candidates who are liberty-minded,” which Horn explained was “freedom for the individual.” Horn cited the group’s endorsement of Congressman Ron Paul, R-Texas, in the Republican primary earlier this year as the across-party-lines view of the Libertarian Longhorns. “The group as a whole represents a lot of different backgrounds,” he said. “We tend to withhold any endorsement unless we’re absolutely convinced of [a candidate’s] integrity.”

Pretty cool, eh?

I voted, praise me

I voted, praise me
I participated in the democratic process
Or is it democratic fleecing?
To take from one man to give to another man
To abscond with power in subtle ways
To continue setting life and death in their hands
Praise me, that’s what the sticker says

***
My poor attempt at free-form poetry…
My conscience is clear as to how I voted, but I was more pleased to explain the Sumerian symbol of freedom on my t-shirt to the poll-worker than to cast my ballot.

An almost legitimate conspiracy theory?

New York Fed to Discontinue Publication of its Weekly Statement of Condition - Federal Reserve Bank of New York

October 16, 2008 The Federal Reserve Bank of New York will cease publication of its weekly Statement of Condition with the October 30, 2008 release. The information will continue to be available on the Board of Governors’ Statistical Release H.4.1 Factors Affecting Reserve Balances, Table 5 Statement of Condition of Each Federal Reserve Bank. The H.4.1 is released each Thursday, generally at 4:30 p.m. ET. Contact: Public Affairs (212) 720-6130 (646) 720-6130 general.info@ny.frb.org

Uh huh. Sure. Just when the economy is at its worst in something like 30 years and the Federal Reserve and Federal Government have proposed the most socialistic policies ever devised on U.S. soil, the Fed ceases publishing its traditional weekly report. Riiiiight.

The United States: More Socialist than Canada

The Associated Press: Who wins, who loses under proposed bailout plan?

So the passing of a bailout plan seems imminent, maybe as soon as tomorrow. Unbelievable, isn't it? That in a few short weeks, the bankruptcy of the system is exposed so deeply?

This bailout plan is beyond stupid. First, it is plainly political; the current regime HAS to do something, lest they get blamed and thrown out of power (which would be fine by many people I know). Like Ron Paul has said, when everybody in Washington gets together to do something big and "Bipartisan", you know we are headed for disaster.

Second, it is being done with extraordinary haste. The last time legislation was piecemealed together and passed so quickly, we got the Patriot Act. That sure worked well, didn't it?

Third, it is being done without proper knowledge of the causes. This insanity in the banking system is due to the monetary expansionist policy of the Federal Reserve, but this point seems to have escaped Washington. Quoting oh-so-daddy-dearest of the US of A, "There is now widespread agreement on the major principles. We must free up the flow of credit to consumers and businesses by reducing the risk posed by troubled assets."

Oh, Mr. President, I have three words for you...

GET A GRIP!

Jon Stewart: "What's a few more bad loans?"

Pardon the censored french, but this segment from Jon Stewart is rather hilarious.

Libertarian Longhorns on "Live and Let Live"

I'm sure some of you have been watching the workings of the market recently with great interest. A lot of strange things are going on with the virtual collapse of Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac, AIG, Goldman-Sachs, Morgan-Stanley, Wamu, and many, many more institutions. The effect is worldwide, and isn't going to end anytime soon. I recently was interviewed along with two of my college friends on the show "Live and Let Live", a local television show in Austin. We were there to talk about our campus group called the Libertarian Longhorns, but we spent about 35 minutes talking through the problems of socialism and the current recession. They also record and stream the show online, so if you're interested in learning a little about this stuff, here's a link to the show:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/727855

At about 19 minutes in, Daniel begins talking about the problems of socialism. At 26 minutes in (I think), we start getting into the causes of the financial crisis.

I'll try to embed it here...

A great ticket doesn't even need a vice president...

Breaking News!!! McCain and Obama FAILED TO FILE IN TEXAS!!!

This is huge and, if the media actually COVERED this, would be an amazing demonstration of whether or not governments will actually be HONEST (don't know about you, but I'm skeptical).

McCain and Obama have FAILED to file to be on the Texas general election ballot before the deadline. Now, they must BREAK THE RULES AND THE LAW in order to do it. So let's just see how much respect for the law they have.

2008 November General Election Candidates

At this very moment, I am watching the news announcing Obama as the OFFICIAL nominee of the Democratic Party. Whoop-ti-freaking-doo.

How to Eliminate War (with the Olympics)

The Olympic Games have historically represented a time of peace for the world. The sacred city of Olympia, the site of the games of ancient Greece, forbade the possession of weapons within its borders. A special “Olympic Peace” was proclaimed throughout the land to allow spectators and athletes travel safely to and from the games.

French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin created the International Olympic Committee in 1894 with the explicit goal of influencing the world for peace. Coubertin once said, “Wars break out because nations misunderstand each other. We shall not have peace until the prejudices which now separate the different races shall have been outlived. To attain this end, what better means than to bring the youth of all countries periodically together for amicable trials of muscular strength and agility?” The first Olympic games took place in 1896, but the IOC did not formalize the ideal of the Olympic truce until a century later, in 1992. Since 1993, the UN General Assembly adopts a resolution every two years that invites the member states to observe the truce during the games.

This tradition raises an interesting question: If we can call a truce for sixteen days so that the countries of the world can participate in the Olympic games, why hold the games only once every two years? Why not every year, and for a longer period of time? Why not thirty days? Surely that wouldn’t be very difficult. But then, why not three months? For that matter, why not hold the Olympics year-round? Then we could have peace (and sports) all the time!

“Whoa there, hold on!” you say. “Thirty days might be possible, but all the time? Surely you jest, oh silly Olympics fanatic! How could we afford year-round games? How could we solve international problems? How will disputes be arbitrated? How could we manage our imperialist ways?”

True, holding the Olympics year-round would be incredibly expensive. Running the Beijing games cost the Chinese over 1.8 billion dollars (1.22 billion Euros) minus revenues – and that’s just for sixteen days! Let’s make a liberal estimate on extended costs. For one month, it would cost roughly 3.5 billion dollars. Multiply that by 12, and you’re talking 42 billion dollars per year. That’s a lot of money... but it’s only a fraction of what the United States spends on Iraq. The war in Iraq has already cost United States taxpayers over $800 billion, and in this year alone the budget for the war is $196 billion. The Congressional Budget Office is even calling it the Trillion-Dollar War. I’m pretty sure it would be more affordable to just fund year-round Olympics than have year-round war.

True, countries could no longer point guns and set up blockades to coerce others into doing their bidding, but there would be a mechanism for resolving disputes – the games themselves! Suppose the United States and Russia get mad at each other (or rather, their governments get mad at each other) and they can’t reach a diplomatic solution. Instead of taking up arms and blowing cities to kingdom come, each country picks an event of their choice, and they agree on a third event. Best two out of three wins! They have to accept the result or other countries will ostracize them for being bad sports. And considering they just avoided massive financial losses from the wanton destruction of war, both are now better off!

Yes, it could get complicated, but we surely have to admit that perpetual sports is better than perpetual war. At least in the Olympics, no civilians die from stray shot-puts or loose javelins!

Think of the further advantages of this kind of system. First, the rules are well-defined, unlike in war, and there are no Geneva Conventions you can conveniently ignore when you need to “enhance” your interrogation techniques. Steroids might be a problem, but that could be dealt with if necessary. If an employer can take a urine sample correctly, I’m positive that the governments of the world can figure this out.

Second, the Olympic games are, quite simply, more fun for everyone. War is hell, as they say, and even though the Olympics aren’t heaven they surely are a step up from hell. Who doesn’t like sports? Certainly mothers and fathers would be much more comfortable sending their kids off to learn the backstroke than to learn how to kill en masse. International politics could become a family outing, rather than the untouchable subject at the dinner table. In fact, Olympic games politics might provide just the right incentive to get young people more civically involved – that’s what all the government schools want, right?

Third, the Olympic games could foster a sense of national unity better than a war ever could. Imagine the United States getting behind Michael Phelps swimming his way to resolving territory disputes, or the USA Basketball Team showing Britain that we do NOT want the Kyoto Protocol. Better yet, why not have the world leaders – the ones who think it’s their right to impose their will upon others – participate in the events? Bush versus Kim Jong-il – who gets to keep his nukes? In the team sports, let the administrations duke it out. Bush Co. versus Ahmadinejad-and-other-long-named-guys – be there and watch Cheney leap over Mahmoud to victory! Now that’s drama. Who could ask for more?
Alright, enough of all this strange and silly talk. We all know that perpetual Olympic games could never bring about world peace. Unfortunately, even participating countries have repeatedly broken resolutions they signed regarding the Olympic truce. Did Operation Iraqi Freedom stop for one moment during 2002, 2004, or 2006? Are current operations on hiatus? Absolutely not.

So what’s the point?

Politics from the very beginning has marred the renewed Olympic tradition. The paradox of rectifying international peace and nationalism continues to cast an eerie shadow over an experience that challenges people to look beyond borders. Most importantly, few of the participating countries have any desire to honor the Olympic truce, including the United States. Should this be any surprise? Not really. The nature of the state is antithetical to peace, as its very existence depends upon continual coercion against its citizens. As Randolph Bourne says, “War is the health of the state.” The state sets up a completely artificial us-them mentality based upon imaginary lines on a map. Those within the state are the good guys (unless they’re part of the other major party) and everybody else outside it is potentially a bloodthirsty fiend. In some sense, the Olympics could never on its own break through these barriers, but we can appreciate Coubertin’s vision for peace.

Although the symbolic truces of the Olympic games have some value, the nations of earth must realize that lasting peace is preserved not through millions of guns, but rather through the millions of goods and services they can trade with others. When we cooperate non-violently with one another as free people through free enterprise, we build relationships with a foundation of respect and mutual admiration. On the other hand, as we cease to interact peaceably we lay a foundation of enmity. Frederic Bastiat once said, “When goods don't cross borders, soldiers eventually will.” May we take heed of Bastiat’s wisdom and encourage peace through cooperation, Olympian and otherwise.

Blog Renovations...

I'm trying to figure out ways to make my blog more visually appealing and interesting for all parties. I realize that I do not get much traffic, and that's primarily my fault. I simply have not been willing to put forward the time to make it as excellent as can be. However, I hope that during this Fall I can step it up and put forward some interesting information for all.

Suggestions are welcome. Oh small-number-of-readers, please comment on what you think I could do to make this blog better!

Texas Libertarians Dish It Out to Both Sides

TRAIL BLAZERS Blog | The Dallas Morning News

Pat Dixon, Austin native and LP phenomenon, slaps down a Democrat criticism and tells Republicans that they have betrayed their principles. Respectfully, of course.

I hope someday that Pat Dixon runs for the LP nomination for President. Maybe I could be his running mate? LOL, that would be awesome!

Jimmy Durante and the NRA

No, not that NRA. I'm talking about the National Recovery Administration established by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which helped prolong the Great Depression for years. Follow the link below to see the promo that Jimmy Durante made for the NRA...

Internet Archive: Details: [National Recovery Administration (NRA) Promo]

The Mai Tai.

This is what you drink when you're in Hawai'i...



Be jealous.

Two interesting and relevant Antiwar.com articles today...

Reality Bites Back: Why the US Won't Attack Iran - by Tom Engelhardt

Fisking Feith's Faulty Case for War - by David R. Henderson

Barack O'Cain

Totally awesome bumper sticker.

At least 69% of the Senate is PURE EVIL

This is just unbelievable. If warrantless wiretapping were not unconstitutional, then why the blazes is it necessary to pass a bill guaranteeing immunity for the past, present, and future? The answer: it's necessary when you're demagogues and you know it. You gotta protect the power you have...

Oh, and by the way, Obama voted FOR the bill and McCain didn't vote at all. In fact, he didn't show up because he knew it was going to pass. Why else would he be away for an act so important to him that he said Congress was a disgrace for not passing it. What a chump, and he's even calling Obama a flip-flopper for it. What a stupid set of candidates we have.

Senate easily passes wiretap bill / Obama's 'yes' vote draws charge of flip-flop from McCain camp

Among the 69 senators who voted "yes" on final passage was Barack Obama of Illinois, who had opposed the immunity provision in earlier versions of the wiretapping bill, a rewrite of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said revisions to the legislation had alleviated his concerns, but Sen. John McCain's campaign seized on the reversal as a flip-flop of the first order.

Link Roundup 7/8

Flying on the Cheap: Saving money on airfare - dealnews.com

The Myth About Abortion and Crime by John R. Lott, Jr.

Brothers' backfire saves family compound in Big Sur - Los Angeles Times

But they get arrested doing it... Can somebody please tell me why it is that if you protect your property you get arrested?

Lessons of the Paul Campaign - Krishna whispers in your ear: “It’s the left, stupid” « Chuck Young’s Weblog

A friend's interesting perspective on the Ron Paul Campaign.

Link Roundup 6/30

Double-Minded Warmongers by Laurence M. Vance

The 'Higher Powers': Martial Law vs. Christian Responsibility by Robert F. Hawes Jr.

The Mises Review: A Century of War: Lincoln, Wilson, and Roosevelt by John V. Denson

Link Roundup 6/30

The Squalid 14th Amendment



Not sure if I agree yet, but these are very interesting...

Link Roundup 6/30/2008

America's Scary Non-Voters :: Views :: thetyee.ca

And a few things just for fun...

Valve: Why the PC is the future Article // PC /// Eurogamer

News from the Starcraft II panel at the Blizzard Invitational - Joystiq

Kaki King = Amazing Guitarist

Kaki King is an extremely talented fingerstyle guitarist, and here's some of her amazingness:

"Pull Me Out Alive": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVYp2sgA9M0

Newest vid "Air and Kilometers": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsRpHKJnTGI

Live on Letterman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shYdqbJgQdc

Link Roundup for 6/27

Power Plant Efficiency Hasn’t Improved Since 1957 : CleanTechnica

Just Do It, George by Don Bacon

What Would Jesus Steal? by Gary North

Ron Paul on the House floor

Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature

Murray Rothbard at his best.

How to Get a Lot Done – 7 Tips to Achieve More | Zen Habits

Link roundup 6/22

Can McCain claim the Ron Paul votes? -- No, he can't.

Libertarians 'may send a message' to the GOP - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review -- That's more like it.

The Media Did Fail Us - by Alan Bock -- They were more interested in seeing if the White House strategy was working than challenging the rationale for the war.

Imperial 'Justice'- by Justin Raimondo -- When the Mafia kills a bunch of innocent people (and are subsequently let off in trial), no one hesitates to call it mass homicide. When it's the Marines and the "bunch of people" are overseas, it's considered patriotism. But either way, it's organized crime.

Reflections on the Origin and the Stability of the State by Hans-Hermann Hoppe -- A well-articulated argument against typical statist dogma.

I'm kinda sick, but here are some links...

Ron Paul’s Campaign For Liberty » Blog Archive » Ron Paul on Glenn Beck

The Messenger Is the Message by Butler Shaffer

Why Don’t More People Realize That a Stable Statist Society Requires Belief? by Wilton D. Alston

Insults from another time...

The exchange between Churchill and Lady Astor:
She said, "If you were my husband, I'd give you poison,"
And he said, "If you were my wife, I'd take it."

Gladstone, a member of Parliament, to Benjamin Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease."
"That depends, sir," said Disraeli, "On whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

"He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill

"A modest little person, with much to be modest about." - Winston Churchill

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).

"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?" - Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas

"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." - Abraham Lincoln

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." - Oscar Wilde

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend.... if you have one."
- George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is one." - Winston Churchill, in response.

"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop

"He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright

"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S. Cobb

"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson

"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." - Paul Keating

"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure." comedian Jack E. Leonard

"He has the attention span of a lightning bolt." - Robert Redford

"They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge." - Thomas Brackett Reed

"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." - Charles, Count Talleyrand

"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." - Forrest Tucker

"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" - Mark Twain

"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork. - Mae West

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."- Oscar Wilde

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." - Billy Wilder

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." - Groucho Marx

Daily link roundup

The Longing for War, Forever - David Gordon - Mises Institute

Religion and Libertarianism by Walter Block


John McCain, Torture Puppet - by Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington is a historian based in London. He is the author of The Guantánamo Files, the first book to tell the stories of all the detainees in Guantanámo. He writes regularly on issues related to Guantánamo and the "War on Terror" on his Web site.

Jon Stewart and Scott McClellan

I never would have thought that a guy on Comedy Central could be one of the best reporters on television, but I am wrong. My opinion: Jon Stewart is currently the best serious interviewer on television, period.

Watch this interview with Scott McClellan, and I'll be darned if you aren't impressed. Can you find ANYBODY who does as good a job on standard cable news?

Jon Stewart grills Douglas Feith

This is a very interesting interview.

The newest experts in private security: Target

In what is to me a stunning example of how a corporation can use its security services for profit, none other than Target is now raking in $63 billion in revenues via their forensics department.

There are so many great points to make regarding this interesting facet of their business, but I'll make three quick points.

1. Target obviously thinks that the government sponsored "security" is not
   enough to protect their assets. This may not be so significant because
   there are plenty of businesses that do this, but look at the extent of
   their operation!
2. Target believes that they can use their security service to make serious profit. Those who claim there is no incentive for security agencies to exist are off their rockers.
3. Target does it so well that even the government calls them up for help. In an age where government is looked upon as the caretaker of us all from cradle to grave, it is nice to see that some don't buy it.
   

Once again, Target shows itself to be in nearly a class by itself.

CSI: Target - Forbes.com

"Their crime lab would count as sophisticated if run by a police force. But this one, incongruously, is owned by a retail chain. The $63 billion (revenues) Target got into forensics as a way to combat shoplifting and such crimes but has taken its skills far beyond the department store. Its seven-person team of investigators, most of them former law enforcement officials, spend 70% of their time fighting theft, fraud and personal injury cases involving Target's 1,600 stores. But the lab is also frequently tapped by city, state and federal law-enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to solve big cases."

John McCain Exposed

Self-explanatory. Stop embarrassing yourself, Senator McCain, drop out now! And McCain supporters, stop embarrassing yourselves and OPPOSE THE WAR.

Gun Free Zones

YouTube - Gun Free Zones - 1/2 Hour News Hour

I can haz DNA now? K thx bye!

National DNA database gets kickstart from feds

The universe must be operating under some undiscovered, but entirely predictable law: the closer you get to calling a Republican politician "conservative", the faster they will pull something completely anti-conservative.

(Of course, by "conservative" I mean something much different than the conventional definition of "conservative". What I mean is the Ron Paul style of conservatism.)

Let me be clear: I thought that Bush was "conservative" enough to not pass this monstrosity of a program. But... I was wrong again.

The Revolution lives on!

Today is the official release date of Ron Paul's new book, The Revolution: A Manifesto.

If you haven't checked it out yet, you need to do so. Now. Then you need to buy the book. Then you need to read it.

Really, it will be worth your time. Oh, if you decide to buy, do it via my link, because I get a small kickback for every order that comes from my links...

I'll report further on the book as soon as I can!



If you haven't checked it out yet, you need to do so. Now. Then you need to buy the book. Then you need to read it.

Really, it will be worth your time. Oh, if you decide to buy, do it via my link, because I get a small kickback for every order that comes from my links...

I'll report further on the book as soon as I can!

Could laughter be the best medicine?

YouTube - John Cleese reports on Laughter Laughing Laugh Yoga

I initially looked at this video because John Cleese is in it, but it was actually much more interesting than I had anticipated!

Fight for the Bacon Dog

This would be classic comedic Drew Carey - if it weren't happening in real life.

I am the Very Model of a Presidential Candidate

This is absolutely classic...

The song parodies Gilbert & Sullivan's "Modern Major General" tune, which I am pretty familiar with since I performed it years ago. It's a splendid piece, and this parody keeps quite well to the spirit of the song.

I am the very model of a Presidential candidate,
I flip and flop, and like a flounder, on the issues vacillate.
I listen to the polls and say exactly what they tell me to,
And hope to make you think I have precisely the same goals as you.
I look into opponents' closets, pull out every skeleton,
But question me on policy, I'll wobble just like gelatin.
I'm highly dedicated to all matters pure political,
Compared to which the country's welfare isn't very critical.

I'm very good at telling lies with unsurpassed sincerity,
Like "All I do, I do for you, to foster your prosperity."
In short, in matters economic, social, and those of the state,
I am the very model of a Presidential candidate.

I love our Constitution and know how to make it work for me.
The Bill of Rights is just a guide that I ignore selectively.
The laws of this great land of ours were written with a lot of thought,
So when I violate them, it's important that I not get caught.
I never miss a photo op because it's free publicity.
I smile, shake hands, kiss babies and praise everyone's ethnicity.
Then I can face my rival in a widely televised debate
And cast aspersions on his record, hygiene, wife, and running mate.

My promises are all cliche' and none of them are practical,
But tax cuts, health care, schools and trees are all issues quite tactical.
I tell you what you want to hear on matters to which you relate.
I am the very model of a Presidential candidate.

In fact, when I learn how to get essential legislation passed,
When I can get more countries to reduce the nukes they have amassed,
When my vast store of expertise can fill encyclopedias,
And my affairs with interns I can hide from all the media,
When economic crises I know how correctly to avert,
When I learn more of compromise, and enemies I can convert:
In short, when I earn the respect of people all across the land,
You'll say a better President has never been so close at hand.

For how to run a country, though I know how theoretically,
Is something that you can't be taught by doing it hypothetically.
But still I hope the voters think that I can learn to do it great.
I am the very model of a Presidential candidate.

Link to Parody Song Lyrics @ amiright.com

Disingenuous scientists

I find it incredible that scientists often think they are so overwhelmingly valuable to society that they deserve the right to confiscate other's resources for their own uses. And even if their work results in some useful addition of knowledge to "society", whatever that may be, why then does it require the use of coercion?

Today I saw two articles that not only try and promulgate this scientific elitism upon people, but also contradict each other. BBC News reports that science funding is in a "precarious state". In particular, "a number of scientists said that astronomy was not being rewarded properly." Yeah, maybe in their view it isn't, but who is to judge? According to CNN, the average astronomer salary is a surprising $95,740. Honestly, unless you're saying they need to be paid less, how can this not be a proper reward?

Seriously, professors make a lot of money, compared to others who, on the average, must be subject to the market rather than state whim. And yet, in the BBC article a guy is quoted saying "If you cared about money you wouldn't be a scientist at all would you?"

C'mon, many people are losing their homes and livelihood due primarily to government intervention in the economy while these uppity state-funded scientists are sipping booze at 4 star restaurants while they wine-and-dine their associates, so I don't think they have anything to complain about.

Possible Road Privatization?

Well, only partially, thanks to the Iraq War. Apparently, it is just too dog-gone expensive to carry on war and to build infrastructure at the same time. No joke. I'd say it's too "expensive" to do them both, but especially when the war is aggressive in nature.

I haven't posted in a while, but I hope to get back to regularly writing pretty soon. Per my friend's request, I need to post about the Austrian Scholar's Conference. I have not decided, though, on whether or not to talk about the entire thing in more of a journal format, or just post the highlights. Considering my busy schedule, I'm leaning towards the latter at this time.

This has been an extraordinarily busy semester. It's quite exciting, but I'll be glad when it's all over.

Romney to Endorse McCain

Romney to Endorse McCain (and Give Away Delegates)

So for all you people who thought Romney was a good idea and that McCain is a pile'o'junk liberal (which he is, I won't dispute that, I just think Romney is only 1% less bad), how do you like that decision now?

WHY didn't you vote for the only conservative who has proven time and time again that he will not compromise for evil, Ron Paul?

Here's the embarrassing brand of "conservatism" you ended up supporting:

· It is permissible to print currency at will and distort the people’s money.

· Being in Iraq for 100 years isn’t out of the question.

· Bomb, bomb, bomb… bomb, bomb, I-ran. (Don’t forget, over 10 US intelligence agencies reported in the last 4 months that Iran has no nuclear weapons program and hasn’t for over 5 years. Not that we can realistically afford the current war, let alone another.)

· You have the right to privacy… just not with your phones, your cars, your financial data, your ID cards, your work history, or your internet usage. Because, you know, you don’t have anything to hide, right?

· You have the right of habeas corpus… but only when El Presidente says so.

· You can the right of free speech… as long as it’s approved by the government first.

· Pre-emptive, undeclared war is… OK! Because we’re America, and we can do no wrong. We’re the world policeman, remember?

· Fascism is evil… except when we do it. Then it’s patriotic.

· Socialism is tyrannical… except when it’s for medicine, welfare, education, social security, stimulus packages, and your home loans. Then it’s “helping the little guy.” And if it just doesn’t work out the way we want, blame the free market.

So pardon me if I'm not impressed with your "principled" position of voting for the lesser of two evils in support of the "cause" (see above list for "cause" details).

Because guess what: you still voted for evil.

Write-in the right-guy in November, Ron Paul, and put an end to this charade.

Israel video!

Watch Holly's mashup of various Israel clips, starring the Israel Crew!


Online Videos by Veoh.com