I Want YOU to Bend Over!
I've always thought that if the worst that they did was steal 1/3 of my money, I could sort of put up with that even though I wouldn't be happy about it. The problem is, as you note above, that they don't just stop at simple theft, but instead use my money to deprive me of my liberties.
Which leads to the reasons why the Mafia would be better at running things that the current gang:
"Dork"
- When you buy protection services from the Mafia, you *really* get protection. And those protective services are usually purchased for a significantly smaller percentage of your income than the much poorer quality government "service."
- The Mafia has a sense of honor. Bureaucrats don't. When a Mafia don says he's going to do something, he does. When a bureaucrat says he's going to do something, just remember, his lips are moving.
- When the Mafia goes to war, they tend to only kill members of other families with little "collateral damage." When governments go to war, they kill thousands to millions of innocent civilians.
- The Mafia has absolutely no reason to keep you from being successful in your business. In fact, they prefer that your business thrive, because they can then charge more for "protection." Compare that to bureaucrats, who would just as readily kill your business as look at you. And you won't get protection even when you pay more for it.
- The Mafia has little or no interest in keeping you from enjoying your favorite vice. In fact, they will readily set up an infrastructure to ensure a stable supply. The government will react by declaring war on you.
- The Mafia has absolutely no interest in curtailing RKBA. To the contrary, they are happy to help you acquire almost any sort of weaponry you desire. Bureaucrats, on the other hand, are scared stiff that you might heed Jefferson's advice about trees and time schedules, and will try to add even more restrictions to the 23,000 laws and regulations now limiting ownership.
- Mafia members have a sense of style and are generally easy on the eyes. Bureaucrats dress like, well, bureaucrats.
ScaryJohnKerry.com - Scary John Kerry and Michael Moore - Flash animation. Annoying eery background music, but some good (and bad) quotes from Michael Moore. I think the creator of it thought that the quotes would be interpreted as obviously insane. I think a lot of them are spot on. But then I think that Bushnev is a lot more scary than John Kerry. [scopeny]
# Star Spangled Blindfold is a Café Press store with some good subversive messages. [saltypig]
# Chickenhead Productions - United States of America Armed Forces Draft Registration - Uncle Sam wants YOU for U.S. global crusade! A satirical take-off on the coming enslavement of Americans. Make sure to read the check boxes and look at the choices in the "Opinion Profile". Hehe. If you're a conscientious objector, you can click the link to apply to schedule a formal appeal with this message: [root]
To: objectors@draftregistration.us
Subject: CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR
I, [INSERT NAME HERE], of [INSERT ADDRESS HERE], do hereby formally request that I be classified as a conscientious objector to the War Against Terror. Furthermore, when hordes of filthy, Allah-loving ragheads descend upon my cul-de-sac and begin killing and raping innocent, blue-eyed babies and puppies, I can be counted on to cower in my closet like the Communist homosexual that I am.
Signed.... ME.
# Dana Larsen and Chris Bennett at Cannabis Culture - Marc Emery sentenced to 3 months in jail - Marc Emery, president of the British Columbia Marijuana Party and founder of Cannabis Culture magazine, was sentenced to 90 days in the pokey for passing a single joint to a supporter last March (trafficking). More stories about Mr. Emery at MAPInc. Strangley, very few of them mention his mail-order marijuana seed business. [cures-not-wars]
# Carl Bussjaeger - A Fine Fighting Retreat - a little more on Hunter's plea bargain. No jail time, and he gets all his stuff back, including the guns. Hunter himself has chimed in at the Claire Files post to which I linked yesterday.
On Friday, August 20, 2004, the state of Ohio finally gave in on Hunter's case. After initially yanking an agreed-to plea bargain in May, Ashland County Prosecutor DeSanto reluctantly bowed to the inevitable and allowed a misdemeanor bargain. All of Hunter's attorneys say this was a very good deal, but in Hunter's own words:
"... I consider this settlement at best a damn fine fighting retreat, not a victory."Hunter is currently visiting his family at a "safe ... undisclosed location outside Ohio", something the Ashland County legal system refused to allow while they still had their claws in him. He is preparing a formal statement, which will probably be released on Monday.