Democracy: The Scum Rise to the Top

Submitted by Bill St. Clair on Fri, 27 May 2005 12:00:00 GMT

From smith2004:

"For any Twentieth-Century American who'd been paying attention at all, the phrase, "Criminal Justice System" should have been warning enough." -- William Wilde Curringer

# John DeRosier at the Albany (NY) Times Union - Real Estate Market - cartoon commentary on the precipitous rise of housing prices. Hahahaha.

# I was going to join a local organization that supports the second amendment. One of the requirements stated on the membership application, which I was required to sign to join, was that I agree to the by-laws. Though the rest looked fine, I found that I could not agree to their first paragraph. I sent the following to the president.

Unfortunately, I can't agree to the "Qualification", so I can't join. I'm a strong supporter of Article 2 of the Bill of Rights, but I don't believe there is any such thing as a legitimate government. Though I could support the U.S. Constitution if it were narrowly interpreted and rabidly enforced, I can't imagine any way for that to happen unless about 90% of all current government employees were to stop breathing over a short span of time. But even that would be only a temporary fix, since, due to the nature of democratic elections, which, except in organizations small enough for every voter to personally know every candidate, cause the scum to rise to the top, it would become corrupt once again within a few generations. Sigh...

# skinnybodydown at Live Journal - Madness - thoughts on the "social contract". [smith2004]

One of the problems facing our society is the sheer volume of stupidity running about masquerading as wisdom.

Take for example the social contract. I am often told that this contract forms the basis of civil society. Whenever I hear this I ask to be shown a picture of civil society. No one, it seems, has one. Failing that, I ask to read the social contract. Surely, a contract of this much import, which underlies our entire civilization, must be readily accessible, no?

Strangely, no one has a copy.

I think then that perhaps it is a terribly expensive contract to bind- after all, it must be quite enormous. And so I venture forth to the libraries, and inquire of the librarians- do you have the social contract? Usually I get blank looks, but occasionally I am led to some book or another entitled "The Social Contract" or something similar. My excitement builds as I reach toward the shelf- here, at last, is the foundation of civil society (by the way, has anyone got that picture?)- but invariably the books are merely descriptions of the functions and purpose of this contract. It's quite odd- a number of authors with terribly impressive names are quite clear on the importance of this contract and yet none of them have any clear idea of its terms.

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Quotes

Government doesn't work. Never did. Never will. Can't. But there are lots of good people. Love them.

-- Bill St. Clair

The Atlanta Declaration

Every man, woman, and responsible child has an unalienable individual, civil, Constitutional, and human right to obtain, own, and carry, openly or concealed, any weapon -- rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything -- any time, any place, without asking anyone's permission.

-- L. Neil Smith

Reread that pesky first clause of the Second Amendment. It doesn't say what any of us thought it said. What it says is that infringing the right of the people to keep and bear arms is treason. What else do you call an act that endangers "the security of a free state"? And if it's treason, then it's punishable by death. I suggest due process, speedy trials, and public hangings.

-- L. Neil Smith

A Penalty Clause for the Bill of Rights

Any official, appointed or elected, at any level of government, who attempts, through legislative act or other means, to nullify, evade, or avoid the provisions of the first ten amendments to this Constitution, or of the Thirteenth Amendment, shall be summarily removed from office, and, upon conviction, deprived of all pay and benefits including pension, and sentenced to imprisonment for life.

-- L. Neil Smith

Based on 253 journal articles, 99 books, 43 government publications, and some of its own empirical work, the panel couldn't identify a single gun control regulation that reduced violent crime, suicide or accidents.

-- John Lott, commenting on the National Academy of Sciences report on gun control laws.

Who is a libertarian?

Zero Aggression Principle ("Zap")

"A libertarian is a person who believes that no one has the right, under any circumstances, to initiate force against another human being, or to advocate or delegate its initiation. Those who act consistently with this principle are libertarians, whether they realize it or not. Those who fail to act consistently with it are not libertarians, regardless of what they may claim."

-- L. Neil Smith

(Formerly called the "Non-Aggression Principle", or "NAP")

Why Did It Have to be... Guns?

Make no mistake: all politicians -- even those ostensibly on the side of guns and gun ownership -- hate the issue and anyone, like me, who insists on bringing it up. They hate it because it's an X-ray machine. It's a Vulcan mind-meld. It's the ultimate test to which any politician -- or political philosophy -- can be put.

If a politician isn't perfectly comfortable with the idea of his average constituent, any man, woman, or responsible child, walking into a hardware store and paying cash -- for any rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything -- without producing ID or signing one scrap of paper, he isn't your friend no matter what he tells you.

If he isn't genuinely enthusiastic about his average constituent stuffing that weapon into a purse or pocket or tucking it under a coat and walking home without asking anybody's permission, he's a four-flusher, no matter what he claims.

What his attitude -- toward your ownership and use of weapons -- conveys is his real attitude about you. And if he doesn't trust you, then why in the name of John Moses Browning should you trust him?

-- L. Neil Smith

Concise

"Tell me," I was once asked, "What do you think about gun control? Give me the short answer." To which I replied, "If you try to take our firearms we will kill you."

-- Mike Vanderboegh

Also from The Atlanta Declaration:

... like going to the bathroom, breathing, eating, sleeping, or making love, it turns out that self-defense is a bodily function one cannot safely or effectively delegate to a second party.

-- L. Neil Smith

This does not mean that "Marijuana should be available by prescription." It means that morphine sulfate should be available in five pound bags at the supermarket for a couple of bucks, like sugar... but probably in a different aisle, to avoid confusion.

-- Vin Suprynowicz

If you refuse to pay unjust taxes, your property will be confiscated. If you attempt to defend your property, you will be arrested. If you resist arrest, you will be clubbed. If you defend yourself against clubbing, you will be shot dead. These procedures are known as the Rule of Law.

-- Edward Abbey

The state can only survive as long as a majority is programmed to believe that theft isn't wrong if it's called taxation or asset forfeiture or eminent domain, that assault and kidnapping isn't wrong if it's called arrest, that mass murder isn't wrong if it's called war.

-- Bill St. Clair