End the War on Freedom

My copy of The State vs. The People arrived. I look forward to reading it.

From sierra:

Americans used to roar like lions for liberty: Now they bleat like sheep for security -- Norman Vincent Peale

From The Federalist:

We had strayed a great distance from our Founding Fathers' vision of America. They regarded the central government's responsibility as that of providing national security, protecting our democratic freedoms, and limiting the government's intrusion in our lives -- in sum, the protection of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They never envisioned vast agencies in Washington telling our farmers what to plant, our teachers what to teach, our industries what to build. The Constitution they wrote established sovereign states, not mere administrative districts for the federal government. They believed in keeping government as close as possible to the people. -- Ronald Reagan

and:

Back in antiquity, when I was a public high-school student in upstate New York, we were really shortchanged in our education. The faculty and administration forced us, against our collective will, to read Chaucer, Shakespeare, 'The Iliad' and 'Paradise Lost.' We had teachers who made us learn algebra, geometry and trigonometry, and memorize Newton's laws and Bernoulli's Principle. We started each school day with the pledge to the flag and a prayer, and were taught that Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, et al., were honorable men and the nation's Founding Fathers. And then, after beating all this information into our thick heads, they had the audacity to test us on how much of it we had actually learned! Worse yet, if we didn't know enough, we would, dare I write the word, fail! -- Oliver North

and:

Well, it's possible that a mildly rapacious state may afford us some protection against a much worse one, just as one neighborhood gang may offer safety against another. But all states are rapacious, almost by definition. What is a state? It is the ruling body in a territory, which claims a monopoly of the legal right to command obedience. It may demand anything -- our earnings, our services, our lives. Once the right to command is conceded, there are no limits on its power. Many people think a state is a natural necessity of social life. They can hardly conceive of society without the state. This would be plausible if the state confined itself to enforcing natural moral obligations -- that is, if it protected us from robbery, murder, and the like, otherwise leaving us alone. But what if the state itself robs and murders, claiming the authority to do so? ...The predatory tendency of the state is inherent and expansive, and nobody has found a way to control it. No control can long withstand the monopolistic 'right' to demand obedience in every area of human activity the state may choose to invade. Systematized force -- which is all the state really is -- follows its own logic. -- Joseph Sobran

From kaba:

One common reason some people whine for more gun control: By blaming guns for the violence of people, they don't have to confront the fact that they value their own lives less than that of an armed and dangerous thug they may one day meet. -- Michael James

From GOP News & Views:

From Each According to Ability

"Anssi Vanjoki made a big mistake. He drove his motorbike down a Helsinki street at 47 miles per hour in a 30 mph zone. If I had done the same thing, it might not have been so bad. But Mr. Vanjoki, a senior vice president at Nokia, had recently cashed in a whole lot of stock options. In Finland, where traffic fines are based on the offender's income, you don't want to get caught speeding when you're having a good year. Mr. Vanjoki's $103,600 fine sets a new record, days after an Internet entrepreneur paid $71,400 for doing 43 mph in a 25 mph zone. A minister explains that progressive punishment is just like progressive taxation: 'The more you earn, the more you pay.'

- Columnist Steven Landsburg, Wall Street Journal, 2/11/02

Thomas J. DiLorenzo at LewRockwell.com - The Mythical Lincoln - I'm old enough to remember when there were two holidays in February, Lincoln's birthday on the 12^th (today) and Washington's birthday on the 22^nd. Of course we were also told that Lincoln was the hero who ended slavery. Wrong! He was the dictator who changed the stress in "United States" from "states" to "united and we'll kill you if you say otherwise".

Every February 12 Americans think they are celebrating Lincoln’s birthday. But what they are really celebrating is the birth of the Leviathan state that Lincoln, more than anyone else, is responsible for bringing about. No wonder federal politicos have made his birth date a national holiday, engraved his face is on Mount Rushmore, built a Venus-like statue of him in Washington, D.C., and put his mugshot on the five dollar bill.

...

When Lincoln first entered state politics in 1832 he announced that he was doing so for three reasons: To help enact the Whig Party agenda of protectionist tariffs, corporate welfare subsidies for railroad and canal-building corporations ("internal improvements"), and a government monopolization of the nation's money supply. "My politics are short and sweet, like the old woman's dance," he declared: "I am in favor of a national bank . . . the internal improvements system, and a high protective tariff." He was a devoted mercantilist, and remained so for his entire political life. He was single-mindedly devoted to Henry Clay and his political agenda (mentioned above), which Clay called "The American System."

Claire Wolfe at Roadhouse Sierra - I'm Black! - Claire's latest Hardyville episode. This one is about Black History Month. Claire wonders why there isn't a month for the Irish. And she pokes the concept of reparations with some nice big holes. Roadhouse membership required. Get one today! [sierra]

We've got a good minority of Hispanics and American Indians. We've got one -- count 'em, one -- Hardyvillian of the Asian Persuasion. But we couldn't oppress these folks, even if we wanted to. They're as armed, dangerous, and cranky as the rest of us. And besides, what's the point of oppressing somebody when you might need to borrow her snowblower or have him fix your computer next week?

J.J. Johnson at Sierra Times - The Real American Battlefield - J.J. took a flight recently. He reports on the real airplane security, the passengers who are armed with the resolve to prevent any further hijackings. [sierra]

Steve Rubenstein at The San Francisco Chronicle - Three magic little words - how to kill telemarketing. Looks good to me. Think I'll give it a try next time I get an unsolicited call. [picks]

Whenever a phone solicitor calls in the middle of dinner, don't get sore. Don't slam down the receiver. Don't hang up.

Just say, "Hold on, please." Then gently set the receiver on the table and go about your business.

Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk - Optimism or Pessimism for the Future of Liberty? - Dr. Paul is optimistic about liberty's chances in America, though all the facts are demoralizing.

Lewis J. Goldberg at The Patriotist - Compulsory Education: Casting our Children into the Fire - some good arguments for eliminating compulsory schooling. Compulsion doesn't work.

Tom DeWeese at The Patriotist - The Cruelty in Klamath - rescind the Endangered Species Act!

RealCampaignReform.org - Shays-Meehan Haunts Us Again! - if you still believe in lobbying your congress critters, so-called campaign finance reform is up for a vote soon. I'm not willing to spend much time lobbying my congress critter, but these internet forms make it real easy. I AM willing to spend a minute a day on it.

John Cloud at Time via Cannabis News - This Bud's Not For You - some strongly anti-drug folks in Kentucky want to improve their lack-luster farm performance by growing hemp. Unfortunately, clueless legislators and d.e.a. nazis are standing in their way. [cn]

Greg Winter at The New York Times via Cannabis News - DEA Extends Its Deadline for Banning Hemp in Food - in order to wait for an appeal on a lawsuit from the hemp industry, the d.e.a. has extended its ban on foods containing hemp. [cn]

John Blair at CounterPunch - Criticize Cheney, Go to Jail - Mr. Blair stood outside the convention center in Evansville where the v.p. was attending a meeting with Indiana congressman John Hostettler. He was arrested on a charge of "disorderly conduct" which was hiked to "resisting law enforcement" when he got to court. All he did was stand there with his sign and ask the cop some questions. To answer his question below, when the cops lie, the only thing you can do to defend yourself is to shoot them. On sight. Smart cops know this. Their authority lasts only as long as they hold our respect.

In the affidavit, signed by the arresting officer, it was stated that the boss cop told me to leave or get arrested "at least five times." In fact, I was told that only once and I then complied. But of course, they had to make something up in hopes that I would come into court this morning and bow to their injustice. I am not sure how to counter the lie in the affidavit since my only witness is an 87 year old man with hearing problems.

That is what has been depressing today. When the cops lie, what is anyone to do to defend himself.

Prudence Paise at Sierra Times - Arrested for Being a Guy - A guy on a plane headed for Salt Lake City had to take a pee. So he got up, went to the bathroom, took a pee, and sat back down. Problem is, it was less than 30 minutes till landing time, during which time it is illegal to leave your seat in the new Amerikan security state. So he's facing 20 years for disobeying the orders of the flight attendant. My take, ask the flight attendant if you can pee. If she says no, stand up and pee on her. [sierra]

Dave Winer's DaveNet - Google is decentralizing - announcing the Google Search Appliance. Very neat!

GNU Emacs for Mac OS X - a version that runs as a regular Carbon window instead of only in terminal mode. I'm linking to it mostly so I'll have a place to find the link on my Mac. The page doesn't say if they made the meta key work. I hope so. [heart]

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