My Letter to 'Liberty on Tour'

8/27/10

Hi, fellas,

I wanted to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed following your journey on your website and the interesting information, inspiration, and entertainment you’ve provided. I earlier had closely followed your journeys with the Motorhome Diaries. However, one of your recent videos showed a disturbing bit of intolerance that I feel will only hinder, not help, your mission.

Near the end of the video showing you having fun at the Flying J Truck Stop you run a crawl at the bottom of the screen warning visitors of the threat of “mental illness, nationalism, and god worship.” The video also had Adam voicing a derogatory remark directed at an article of clothing with a Christian message printed on it. Though not offended, I am somewhat disappointed. If your project was “Atheism on Tour” the remarks would make sense. But since your project is titled “Liberty on Tour,” I believe those remarks inappropriate and out place.

Certainly, the concept of “liberty” includes the freedom of and respect for the individual’s spiritual conscience and religious faith- no matter what form or ideology comprising that belief. An individual’s spiritual conscience is his business and it should be respected as such. A man’s spiritual beliefs are the private realm of the individual. What is relevant is the individual’s behavior and whether or not he commits or delegates aggression against others. I wrote about this concept some time back.

If you don’t agree with the viewpoint of a “mentally ill” Christian, you might better share the viewpoint of an atheist by the name of Walter Block, who earlier had voiced a similar sentiment.

Though you may see a god or religious faith as just another ruler to be avoided, such a belief is only in the mind of the believer- a ruler of the conscience. This “rule” is also accepted voluntarily and can be summarily rejected by the individual at any time with no earthly consequences The state, however, is the tangible, physical entity that rules and tyrannizes regardless of the individual’s personal acceptance of such a ruler. Refusal to be governed or guided by such an entity may very well bring earthly consequences such as being caged, tortured, robbed or even killed. This justifies your warning against “nationalism.”

Please be assured, you have nothing to fear, nor reason to be hostile toward, any individual who expresses a religious belief. As long he doesn’t align himself with the state he has absolutely no power over your life. All lovers of liberty, no matter the presence or lack of spiritual conscience, despise and reject the coercive nature of the state

You should have far less concern about “god worshippers” than from “state worshippers.” (nationalists). The former has no earthy power to physically control your actions as a free individual. The latter, however, align themselves with the coercive state to force their agendas upon others.
Please remember that many liberty lovers have a spiritual conscience or religious belief. The type of remarks I mentioned will only serve to alienate or drive them away from the important, valuable message you offer. Continuing this attitude (at least publicly)will unnecessarily limit your outreach and lessen your chances of successful persuasion. Please believe me, I would express the same viewpoint if the offending party was a Christian, Buddhist, etc making insulting comments directed toward atheists.

Let’s respect each other spiritual beliefs (or lack of such) and rightly acknowledge the strength they provide each individual. Doing this will bolster and broaden the alliance of all those who wish to work for a stateless society. When that goal is reached, we will then share a prosperity and peace that can only be maintained with this same attitude.

Here’s wishing you safe traveling and continued success,

Roger Young

Pet Eyre was kind enough to respond:
 
Roger, thanks for the thorough and candid email. You make some good points and I appreciate the inclusion of some outside resources to buttress your views.


I can't speak for Adam but for me personally your comment:

"You should have far less concern about “god worshippers” than from “state worshippers.” (nationalists). The former has no earthy power to physically control your actions as a free individual. The latter, however, align themselves with the coercive state to force their agendas upon others."

[This] is what the crux of this comes down to - outside authority. As Rose Wilder Lane outlined in her book "The Discover of Freedom" throughout history people have vested their trust in an authority outside themselves, which has enabled individuals to do some pretty bad things. That authority can be monarchy, democracy, religious states, etc.

It's these things that have indoctrinated people to kill strangers simply based on the fact that they were born on the other side of an arbitrary political boundary or that their views on a higher power/god differ.

I recognize that not all folks that are religious seek to impose their views on others via force but historically some have. And some continue to do so today. But at the same time (again, my views, Adam may differ), you're right - blanket statements made against a group of folks for the actions of some aren't necessary.

Thanks again for letting us know your thoughts. Even if we don't see eye-to-eye on everything I know we can have a civil discussion.


In liberty,


-Pete

My response:
 
Howdy, Pete

Good to hear from you.

I must respond that there is no “authority outside yourself,” as relates to people with any kind of religious conscience. What you call “authority” is a governing ethic that is part of their mind. That ethic or belief is no more an “authority” than the set of ethics and beliefs that govern your life and how you interact with others. Every individual has one, whether it comes from preachers, philosophers, their parents, or any combination of sources. The fact that a person claims this ethic comes from a “god” is irrelevant. If the ethic is dangerous, irrational, or claims the right to aggress against others, it can be dealt with accordingly, as you deal with any individual or organization you disagree with or see as a personal threat. “Religion” is certainly not the only rationale for aggressing upon others.

All atheists have governing ethics, as well. Two of them are communism and democracy (mob rule). Those beliefs must surely fall under your definition of an “outside authority.” I know you are aware of the sordid history of those ethics. But individual atheist communists or democrats are little or no threat to anyone. It is only when their governing ethic becomes part of the state’s do they have any significant power or control over others. They have no more power than any other hostile individuals you run into, nor do the gangs and organizations they may form.

Our common enemy is the state, an organization that claims a monopoly of force over everyone (not just supporters) and will kill and plunder to maintain that monopoly. It is the only truly “outside authority” that is still a threat today. It is the only organization with the resources (all stolen) and firepower to successfully maintain that monopoly. Show me any religious group or non-state institution (or group of atheist communists or democrats, for that matter) today who possess the firepower or strength to force their ideology or ethic upon you. What is a threat to you is the mere existence of this mutually despised institution, not whatever governing ethic it claims to subscribe to.

Our mutual goal should be to convince others that any organization claiming and actively enforcing this monopoly of force should be abolished and not allowed to exist. Just how to accomplish that is a topic for another discussion. What individuals use to govern themselves is irrelevant and up to them.

I’m figuring you still probably don’t agree with me. But I thought I could detail a little better my previous thoughts. Also, please understand, that I passionately agree that yours and Adam’s comments toward religion are yours to express anytime you wish. I just think it is counterproductive to express them (through videos and commentary) within the mission of Liberty on Tour.

I hope MARV has been behaving better. :-)

All the best,

Roger Young

[To further clarify: An individual’s ethic or discipline for self-governance (authority within himself) is only a threat to others if projected and enforced through an institutionalized monopoly of force (outside authority) upon non-consenting parties. This force is the core element of statism. Christians and atheists, etc are no threat to unbelieving individuals unless they become statist Christians and statist atheists, etc.]

Mutton Bustin’

Snapshot of the State

When the sheep begin to wander and stray…...

Bill Luscik, a maintenance worker for the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, chases a sheep along I-80 in Knowlton Township, New Jersey on Thursday.

........a plea and pledge to collective slavery will bring them back to the fold:

Washington DC: BJ Parker, of Lake Forrest, California, recites the national anthem during the Restoring Honour event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Quotes of the Week

From the Light:
“The truth is, no amount of voting and no amount of electioneering can make the American government or the American people any less bankrupt. No amount of voting and no amount of electioneering can roll back a government so militarized and secretive into a government circumscribed by the Constitution. No amount of voting and no amount of electioneering can save the American people from the excruciating economic depression that is coming, thanks to the Federal Reserve’s monetary policies. Last, but certainly not least, no amount of voting and no amount of electioneering against so-called ‘illegal’ immigration will save this country from any of its present or impending ills. This country was turned into a toilet by Americans in the voting booth, not by so-called ‘illegal’ immigrants, and it certainly won’t be saved by spending more time in the voting booth.”
Mark R. Crovelli

“Left unsaid, but becoming increasingly clear even to those who generally take little interest in matters political, is the fact that every operation of government is, by definition, an exercise in 'class warfare' — a raid by a political class whose very survival depends on its continued ability to loot your wallet, your wealth, your work.
Like everyone else, the political class has to eat.
Unlike everyone else, the political class proposes to eat us.”
Thomas L. Knapp

“State failure (or any other crisis) is thus a tool for increasing the power of the State. Of course, it helps to blame the failure on something else: ‘the market’ is an especially good patsy because blaming the market not only shifts blame FROM the State but infers that the market, and thus civil society generally, is unable to function properly without the State's power elite micro-managing everything – a double win for those in power!”
Glen Allport

“In Washington, being 'ethical' means you’re not in jail."
Christopher Manion

“Ordinary people know global warming is a phony excuse for turning the entire planet into a totalitarian socialist-corporatist third world slum for the benefit of the ruling classes and their suck-up toadies.”
Garry Reed

“We now have an epidemic of ‘sunshine patriots’ on both the right and the left who are all for freedom, as long as there's no controversy and nobody is offended.
Political demagoguery rules when truth and liberty are ignored.”
Ron Paul  [I use the same phrase to define "political demagoguery" as I use to define television- "useless noise."]

“We have immeasurably more to fear from the lawlessness of the government ruling us than from the ambitions of marginalized Muslim fundamentalists -- the worst of whom, let us not forget, have been recruited, equipped, and sustained by the same government that supposedly protects us from them.”
William N. Grigg

“The state didn’t save us from the violence of anarchy — it simply monopolized it, institutionalized it, and expanded its role in our lives.”
Randall Amster

“In order to finance a campaign, a politician must promise to steal (i.e., tax) money from those who earned it and give it to others who have no legal or moral right to it. There are (very) few exceptions, but politicians must also make promises that they know they can never keep (i.e., lie). This is why so few moral people are elected to political office. The most successful politicians are those who are the least hindered by strong moral principles. They have the least qualms about confiscating other peoples' property in order to maintain their own power, perks, and income.”
Thomas J. DiLorenzo

“One can be reasonably certain that there are only two ways in which an economy, and indeed an entire society, is capable of governing itself. The first is by force; the second by means of voluntary cooperation. That both are mutually exclusive should be self- evident. One cannot be partly violated any more than they can be a little bit pregnant. The concept is oxymoronic, as well as ordinarily moronic. The idea is akin to that of a 'voluntary tax.' Obviously, no such thing truly exists. It is a donation or it is an act of theft. Plain and simple.”
Joel Bowman

“Once you view the makers of rules as your equals, and their rules as arguments or suggestions to be evaluated and followed based on your own judgment of their merits (If it’s not ‘a good idea,’ I don’t CARE if it’s ‘the law‘), you’ve established that you’re a dog with too much ancestral wolf DNA to be safe around humans.”
Kevin Carson

"The history of a Republic is its own history. Its past does not contain its future, like a seed. A Republic may change its course or reverse it, and that will be its own business. But the history of Empire is world history and belongs to many people.
A Republic is not obliged to act upon the world, either to change or instruct it. Empire, on the other hand, must put forth its power."
Garet Garrett

“We cannot understand change without understanding what got us where we are. Ignorance of history and its consequences is far more of an enemy than President Obama or any politician could ever be.
We could say we are victims of the War Party but by tolerating them we become accomplices to their greed. Understanding our own role in perpetuating the revolution is the first step in causing its demise.”
Dean Hartwell

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From the Darkness:

"We need better abilities and authorities to put in place these preventive controls and hold companies accountable."

Margaret Hamburg, Food and Drug Administration chief, demanding more power after the recent egg-and-salmonella food safety challenge. [Failure by government agencies ALWAYS bring cries for more power.]

"It's fantastic."
Estela Garcia, El Paso, TX resident, while watching a warrant less search of her car by Border Control agents.

"Districts want a showpiece for the community, a really impressive environment for learning."
Joe Agron, editor-in-chief of American School & University, commenting on the opening of new $578million dollar school in Los Angeles.

“We are not leaving in 2011, we are beginning a transition. The date is important … we want to make clear to [the Afghans]: they must step up, they must exercise sovereignty if they’re ever going to prevail.
We cannot want peace and security in Afghanistan more than they want it."
Joe Biden [Where was this concern for Afghanistan’s “sovereignty” when the US blatantly VIOLATED it in 2001?  Aren't the unsurgents "exercising sovereignty?"]

"So, folks, don't buy into 'we have failed in Afghanistan.' We now are only beginning with the right general and the right number of forces to seek our objectives."
Joe Biden [This time we REALLY mean it!]

“Don’t worry about it, it’s silly stuff.”
Congressman Phil Hare, to an aide, after a constituent asked the congress critter how the government has the constitutional authority to require the purchase of health care..

"We would have to look at a significant reduction of correctional officer positions, and that would jeopardize public safety."
Michelle Lyons, Texas Criminal Justice Department spokeswoman, fretting about recent proposed cuts in the department’s budget.

“America has economic cancer and radical surgery is required. First, there has to be a massive redistribution of income by increasing taxes on both the wealthy and financial institutions (particularly those that were at the heart of 2008's economic meltdown).
Second, there has to be a second stimulus package that not only supports America's teachers and public safety workers but also strengthens the US infrastructure, in general. It's not logical to propose that American businesses provide better jobs without also ensuring that our schools produce workers who can meet employers' needs.
Third, the Federal government has to be involved in economic policy. The last thirty years has demonstrated that it's insane to assume the free market will do this. What we've learned is that the market follows the path of least resistance and dictates economic policy solely based on greed. Creating wealth for a handful of CEOs isn't consistent with the national interest. What are needed now are economic policies that produce decent jobs for average Americans.
The Federal government has to intervene and create the jobs that the greedy, shortsighted private sector hasn't provided.”
Bob Burnett, the Huffington Post

“You can ask the question, was the whole bloody thing a mistake? I don’t spend a lot of time on that.”
Ryan Crocker, former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, when asked to reflect on U.S. culpability for the current state of Iraqi politics.

"The most significant threat to our national security is our debt. And the reason I say that is because the ability for our country to resource our military -- and I have a pretty good feeling and understanding about what our national security requirements are -- is going to be directly proportional -- over time, not next year or the year after, but over time -- to help our economy. That's why it's so important that the economy move in the right direction, because the strength and the support and the resources that our military uses are directly related to the health of our economy over time."
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen, finding a new reason to keep feeding the war beast.

"Something beyond imagination is happening."
Glenn Beck, exciting the bloodthirsty Tea Party patriots.

"We must restore America and restore her honor."
Sarah Palin, preaching state worship to the Tea Party faithful.

"But the bottom line is this: the war is ending, Like any sovereign, independent nation, Iraq is free to chart its own course. And by the end of next year, all of our troops will be home."
B. Obana [Yep, like they all came home from Germany, Japan, and Korea.]

Border Bigotry

Snapshot of the State

John Henderson, of Tucson, Ariz., stands at the Arizona-Mexico border in Hereford, Ariz. Henderson was attending the United Border Coalition Tea Party Rally in support of Arizona's immigration law, SB1070 with conservative tea party activists along a remote stretch of the Arizona-Mexico border about 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Nogales.

It’s always disconcerting to see people, who claim to appreciate freedom and liberty, loudly clamoring for policing arbitrary, imaginary, political borders. With souls consumed by belligerent nationalism, they use the border concept to justify their bigotries and create scapegoats.

These scapegoats are created to place blame for problems not created by immigrants without the proper papers, but by the very state entity and rulers these “patriots” claim allegiance. Blinded by years of indoctrination, they lash out at those deemed responsible for their misfortune while oblivious to the real culprit. Sheep take kindly to being fenced and sheared when endeared to their shepherd.

Bullying- It’s the American Way

People around the DFW are understandably upset about several child suicides in the past year. The children were the ages of 15, 13, and 9. It’s hard to imagine how a 9 year would even know how to commit such an act, let alone desire to. All the children involved apparently were relentlessly harassed by bullies. Blame is being cast in all directions for these tragedies. But I think one very important factor is being left out.

From birth, these children are taught and indoctrinated to respect and give unbending allegiance to a state that bullies, tortures, and murders people around the world. It’s called “foreign policy.” It also performs similar acts of violence and coercion against its own subjects. It’s called “law enforcement” and “regulation.” I’m speaking, of course, of the criminal syndicate known as the US government. All these coercive activities are considered by mainstream thought as legitimate and necessary.

These children are taught to respect and fawn over a man called The President who bullies, tortures, and murders on a daily basis. The more he bullies, tortures and murders, the greater man he is considered. Look at most any list of the “Greatest Presidents” and the ones with the most blood on their hands and destruction on their resumes are usually at or near the top of the list. Why be surprised that children pick up on this and see bullying as a legitimate method of dealing with others?

Children’s minds are near empty slates and they are keenly receptive to and influenced by other’s attitudes and behavior, as well as the various hierarchal, authoritarian relationships around them. They also pick up quite a bit from the ubiquitous media, specifically television. Adults have long ago been indoctrinated and hardened to the state’s deranged activities. They’ve learned to accept them as normal. Acceptance of state control and its requisite obedience is seen as a sign of maturity and good “citizenship.”

Until children are specifically taught at an early age that violence and coercion is unethical and unjustifiable when practiced by ANYONE, expect them to imitate the actions of the most dominating influence in their life- the state.

‘Secure’ Equals Enslaved

A high ranking official among the Empire’s legions has declared that it will probably be a "few years" before Afghanistan will be secure enough for the Marines to leave.

“Secure?" For who? When an area is deemed “secure” in military lingo, it generally means that all hostiles have either been killed, captured, or run off. In other words, everyone who does not obey the orders and kiss the boots of the US government is dead in the ground. Secure can also mean “safe from attack.” But there is no place that is safe from attack from someone. I’m sure the occupants of the Pentagon were confident that their building was “secure” on 9/11.

When the plundered public questions the length of any military occupation, the word “security” is almost always invoked, despite being a very ambiguous term. Most questioners immediately accept this response without even thinking about, let alone questioning, its exact meaning.

Back in 2004, Lew Rockwell wrote:

“Submission and compliance: that is what is meant by the term security in the state's lexicon.

Who is this security trying to secure? We are told it is for our own benefit. It is government that makes us secure from terrible threats. And yet, if we look closely, we can see that the main beneficiary of security is the state itself.

The state has a special reason to desire security: its agents are always a minority of the population, funded by eating out their substance, and its rule is always vulnerable. The more control it seeks over a population, the more its agents have to watch their backs.”

Security is about control, dominance, and a vision of peace consisting of no resistance to any governing or occupying authority. Afghanistan will finally be “secure” when it becomes a compliant colony of the US. Knowing something about the history of past attempts at occupation in this part of the world, I don’t expect that to occur any time soon- if ever.

Your Kids, Your Problem

School is back in session and parents are upset in a certain Dallas neighborhood. It seems that there is no longer a police officer escorting young students across a busy intersection on their way to elementary school.

"As you can see, it's a very busy school, and having a crossing guard is imperative to the kids' safety," said concerned parent Shari London. It seems the sense of entitlement is not restricted by any demographic or societal factors. It seems to be a universal affliction of the entire population.

It’s ironic when you realize that these folks are probably the same ones that complain (and rightly so) about increasing taxes, yet they are the first to complain when even the tiniest “service” is cut. Is there any spirit of self-reliance remaining? Has the idea of individual responsibility, at least as it pertains to caring for your children, completely evaporated? The mentality that others (particularly, the state) are responsible for the safety of people’s children is well embedded in the statist psyche. When that perceived responsibility is not being met, the state’s subjects cry out with displeasure.

Why don’t these people solve the problem themselves, instead of whining and begging others to do it. Form an association of parents and have individuals take turns volunteering to help. Helping children across the street is not brain surgery. If your typical brain dead cop can do it, surely you can. Or, parents can pool their money and hire someone to do the task, and for a lot less money than it costs to feed one LEO tax eater.

What a great opportunity to take charge. What a great opportunity to show the plundering rulers that their “services” are not necessary. What a great and very easy opportunity to show that your children are your responsibility and you will do what’s necessary yourself to assure their safety.

Light Flashes

Military dog comes home from Iraq traumatized

Suck it up and tough it out! You must continue to serve your master country!

Here’s another characteristic soldier boys have in common with animals- they can be trained to be obedient to a master. Statists call this service. Free living people call this humiliating slavery. American humorist Robert Benchley summed up this reality decades ago- “A boy can learn a lot from a dog: obedience, loyalty, and the importance of turning around three times before lying down.”

Maybe we can now include the animal rights kooks on the anti-war bandwagon. War is unhealthy and deadly for any species.

AP: Garland lawmaker admits pocketing travel money

This just goes to show that politicians can be both crooked AND dumb. Politi-gangsters are notorious thieves, as well as hypocrites. This kind of individual is drawn towards political “work” where there’s easy pickins’ if you can successfully cover your crimes with smooth talking and effective salesmanship.

"Now you're scaring the heck out of me. It pretty well screws my week," the state congress critter whined when his “double dipping” was exposed by the reporter. Consider it mild payback sir, for the taxpayers you have been screwing for years.

Autistic child beaten while in state custody

The state is the most violent, corrupt, despicable creation of mankind that attracts the lowest common denominator to man its ranks. Why would anyone trust their children to such a creature?

The state considers its subjects as livestock to be carefully managed and directed. Violence and injury awaits those who resist- even those who are mentally and physically challenged.

GOP senator suggests mosque will be election issue

What does it say for the relevance and viability of a political party when one of its key philosophical planks include religious bigotry, hate mongering, and scapegoating.

DoD releases final report on Fort Hood shootings

Why do hired assassins need “emergency response capabilities?” There’s not a man or woman on any military base that is not adept at handling a weapon. Why can’t they just be relied on to defend themselves? Or do the powers-that-be not trust individual soldiers to arm and defend themselves, just as they won’t trust civilians to do the same?

Residents wearing swimsuits protest Dallas city pool closures

Dallas’ parasite class is in an uproar. They are not getting their swimming pools this summer due to recent city budget cutbacks. Apparently, in the age of Obama, a clean and well maintained neighborhood swimming pool has become an entitlement. Denying such privileges is tantamount to a complete lack of compassion.

"We think it is unfair to hold down the taxes of the rich by tearing down the programs of the poor," said John Fullinwider, a parasite “leader“ for decades in Dallas. "I've never seen such affluence refusing to tax itself. I know it's hard times, but you have to think for the future."

And whose “future” would that be, Mr. Fullinwider? The future of your friends who claim I have an obligation to pay for their summer entertainment and comfort? Or the future of working taxpayers who are forced at the point of a gun to finance your frivolous activities? Are their futures not significantly hampered when they are poorer?

The threat from such lowlifes used to be “Wee gonna riot,” if their demands were not met. Now it’s, “Our kids will be pushed toward the streets with nothing else to occupy them.” I’m just trying to think about those millions of youth in the past who never even saw a swimming pool, let alone swam in one, and who managed to live honorable, productive lives, despite this “hardship.” No swimming this summer? Sit next to a fan and read a book!

Michelle Obama portrait debuts at Smithsonian
 
The display features “famous names from science, business, government and the arts.” And exactly which category would Ms. Obama fall into? Government? Exactly what office or hired or appointed position does she hold?

This is how the plundering, ruling elites do things in DC. They rob you blind to fund their own perverted entertainment.

The wife of the POTUS is automatically considered royalty. Since the mundane of the world are not worthy to be in her physical presence, this “art” display allows you to bow to her painted likeness.

More Texas parents opt for home schooling

It’s encouraging to see more and more parents taking the initiative to educate their children, rather than to just drop them off at the local state baby sitting and indoctrination center and hope for the best.

An individual cannot remain free (let alone recognize true freedom) if their minds are not allowed to flourish and think. An individual cannot remain sovereign if merely trained to follow orders like a trained circus animal.

Quotes of the Week

From the Light:

“Immunity from criminal prosecution cannot protect a person from the persecution of his own conscience. While the worst sociopathic murderers can somehow bury their consciences and never seem to suffer guilt or remorse when they kill people, most soldiers are not sociopathic murderers. They are normal human beings who joined the armed forces under some idealistic notion that they were serving their country. When they kill people wrongfully, it’s not so easy to escape the psychological and emotional consequences arising from a troubled conscience.”
Jacob Hornberger

“Both the Holy Bible and the Quran at times endorse forms of violent retribution for now liberalized behaviors, but most modern followers of these faiths have discarded or theologized their way around textual support for such outmoded forms of ‘justice.’ Using inductive logic from scripture to paint all Muslims or all Christians the same color due to the actions of the fringe is treacherous.”
Ross Kenyon

“Anarchy does not depend on people behaving responsibly. Anarchy depends on nothing except the understanding that no one has a legitimate claim to any power that anyone else doesn’t have. It’s more the case that Anarchy imposes responsibility on people. This imposition is not understood or acknowledged by most statists. If people behave badly in an anarchist society, they are the ones who will ultimately suffer most. This may seem counter-intuitive to those of us who grew up and live in a society whose edges are delineated by the state, but it is precisely the state which allows the irresponsible to get away with their irresponsibility.”
Anna O. Morgenstern

“The State is quite literally a state of mind—an idea—and one cannot attack an idea with force, but only with a better idea.”
Tzo

“The 9/11 sacred ground psychology should be rejected. It’s time to move on. Get over it. Let the trauma subside. Let the wounds heal. Let those who own the land rebuild. Let them erect whatever monument or plaque they see as fitting. Your death on a particular spot doesn’t give your heirs or anyone else ownership rights over that spot. Viewing 9/11 as a social and/or political event affecting the American people also does not confer a property right to Ground Zero on them as a collective or through their political institutions. Neither does it confer property rights upon critics, over parcels of land located away from Ground Zero, based upon the religious affiliations of the owners and developers of such parcels.”
Michael Rozoff

“To be blunt, war has been waged for the sake of war, for the sake of power, and to strengthen the power of the State, regardless of the emotion-filled rhetoric the politicians and other nudniks have spewed upon us to rationalize it.”
Scott Lazarowitz

“To replace one set of power-seekers with another affects the distribution of the political loot. It does not stop the looting.”
Gary North

“Since everyone can vote or petition the State in a democracy, everyone is susceptible to being corrupted by that minuscule amount of power the State offers to its subjects. Through the ballot box, citizens routinely vote to control the lives of their fellow citizens. This simply would not be the case if we did not live in a democracy.”
Brutus

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From the Darkness:
"Don't just say border enforcement, that's a cop-out. Let's say lock them up in the interior."
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, saying more law enforcement officials should adopt his hard-line stance to prevent illegal immigrants from settling in after they've successfully crossed the border.

“We need to start doing what other countries do. Organs become property of the state and they don’t need permission to take them.”
James Bredin, Toronto firefighter and father of two heart transplant patients.

"It's a safety issue more than anything else. Anybody can access Google Earth. It's free. It's not like we're spying; we're just verifying."
Leroy Barnes Jr., Chief Building Inspector of Riverhead, NY, commenting on his using Google Earth's detailed satellite images to identify about 250 swimming pools whose owners hadn't filled out paperwork certifying that their structures were safe and up to code.

“To suggest that there’s a large place for private financing in the future of housing finance is unrealistic. Government is part of our future. We need a government balance sheet. To suggest that the private market come back in is simply impractical. It won’t work.”
Bill Gross, Pacific Investment Management Co.

“Permits should not be granted to build even one more mosque in the United States of America, let alone the monstrosity planned for Ground Zero. This is for one simple reason: each Islamic mosque is dedicated to the overthrow of the American government.”
Bryan Fischer, American Family Association.

DVD Reviews

In the Loop:
The US President and British PM are intent on going to war against an unnamed country in the Middle East. This political comedy follows the operatives and underlings who battle, back stab, and do whatever it takes to further their personal agendas and political careers. I would imagine reality is not much different than what’s represented here, though not as hysterically funny as this film gets.
Recommended

North Face:
Four mountain climbers in 1936 (two German and two Austrian) race to become the first to scale the north face of the Eiger in the Swiss Alps. A superb movie with riveting realism and excellent acting. Based on a true story.
Recommended

The White Ribbon:
A small, country village in 1913 Germany is beset by unexplained incidences of violence against its inhabitants, including children. The film attempts to blame the village’s form of punishment on misbehaving children for the problems and the eventual rise of German fascism. I think this might be a bit of a stretch since the only children being punished this way are the local minister’s.
Not recommended

Curb Your Enthusiasm- Season 7:
This looks like the final season for one of television’s all time funniest sitcoms. Only ten episodes long but never short of laughs. The season also includes a semi-reunion of the Seinfeld cast.
Recommended

Eyeborgs:
This Orwellian drama takes place in the not too distant future when Homeland Security has camera surveillance robots that move around and spy on the populace. Except some of the humans are beginning to realize these robots may be doing more than just surveillance. This is a poorly made movie with substandard acting, but the film’s idea is sound. It’s worth viewing if only to get an idea what America’s growing police state may have in mind for us.
Recommended (with conditions)

Jeff Beck- Live at Ronnie Scott’s:
This 2007 performance of the guitar master is recorded in a cozy jazz club in London. Mr. Beck’s mostly instrumental set entertains the listener with beautiful, serene melodies and hard driving jazz explorations. And he seems to be having a great time doing it all. If you really want to view and listen to some musicians playing at the top of their game you won’t want to miss this disc.
Recommended

The Lucky Ones:
This mediocre drama about three Iraq War vets traveling around the US while on injury leave would be much worse if not for Tim Robbins, whose talent is wasted in this film. The relationships between the characters is as believable as the fake tornado bearing down on their rental car. It apparently passes by, but the car sustains absolutely no damage. Yeah, right.
Not Recommended

The Wind Journeys:
This is not a movie for those who prefer slick, tightly edited, fast moving dramas. This movie, filmed beautifully in Columbia, follows a newly widowed, accordion playing troubadour as he travels by foot to return his instrument to his teacher. The director wonderfully composes his characters among the country’s varied landscape. There are lots of loosely edited and silent moments but it all seems to work to enhance the experience.
Recommended

Killer of Sheep:
I won’t recommend this film unless you enjoy watching a young film school student and future successful director learning his art. Charles Burnett created this film with a $10,000 budget in 1977, showing snippets of life in the black community of L.A. The disc also includes 3 short films of Burnett’s, with only one worth watching.
Not recommended

Green Zone:
Matt Damon is one of those rare military participants who actually can think for himself in this fast moving thriller. Damon’s character (based on a real individual) leads a crew searching for WMD in Iraq shortly after the invasion in 2003. His frustrations boil over after being lead by “solid” intelligence to one empty weapon’s site after another. He decides to investigate why and discovers some shocking truths. If only there were thousands more real individuals like this in the Emperor’s legions.
Recommended

50 Dead Men Walking:
Jim Sturgess is a young IRA member during the height of the conflict in Northern Ireland. Ben Kingsley (with hair) is a British agent who convinces him to inform on his mates as he rises in the ranks of the insurgency. Sturgess is excellent as the man on the run. Based on a true story.
Recommended

The American Friend:
This 1977 Wim Wenders film stars Dennis Hopper as an art dealer who manages to convince a dying art restorer to execute a mob style hit. The premise doesn’t make a lot of sense which spells disaster for the entire story.
Not recommended

North Country:
Based on a true story, Charlize Theron plays one of only a few women working in the north Minnesota iron mines in the 1980’s. The incessant harassment from the men inspires her to initiate the first sexual harassment class action suit. Excellent acting throughout and a solid screenplay.
Recommended

The Glass Shield:
I got suckered into watching another sub-par Charles Burnett movie. Don’t waste your time with this mediocre, police corruption drama- even if it is based on a true story.
Not recommended

Storm:
A witness to war crimes by a Yugoslavian army commander risks all to testify at his trial at the Hague. Those who show such courage all risk being treated as pawns in the interest of political and bureaucratic expediency.
Recommended

The Winslow Boy:
An aristocratic family in early 20th century England sacrifices time and wealth to clear their son’s name. He is accused of a theft and is dismissed from the Royal Naval College. Excellent acting from the cast, particularly Jeremy Northam as the defense attorney. A great look at perseverance in the name of justice and integrity, as only the English can present it. “Let right be done.”
Recommended

The Stoning of Soraya M.:
This superbly acted drama tells the true story of a woman in Khomeini’s Iran who is framed for adultery by her husband. She is then stoned to death by family and fellow residents of her small village. A well crafted and explicit look at religious extremism.
Recommended

The Violin:
This Mexican film, shot beautifully in black and white, follows a violin player who helps smuggle weapons and ammunition to local insurgents. They include his son and grandson. No mention is made of who exactly the insurgents are, nor identifies the brutal state army they are resisting, But the story is well told and captivating. The identities, I suppose, are irrelevant, in that the universal theme of resistance and justice are understandable everywhere.
Recommended

Snapshot of the State

The High Shaman of Spookiness raises her hands in praise…...

Listen close. What is that she’s saying?

"Hail, O Satan
O rebellion,
O you avenging force
of human reason!"

Snapshot of the State

Officials dump a Chinese-made T-69 armoured tank into the Gulf of Thailand, near the southern Narathiwat province August 9, 2010. The 25 decommissioned Thai-army tanks will form artificial corals to improve the marine ecosystems and increase fish stock in the area.

"A toast to the weapons of war, may they rust in peace"
 Robert Orben

It’s nice to see armaments of war are being recycled into “life creators” instead of “life takers.”

If things could talk……. What oppression, violence, murder, and compulsion did this tank “witness?” What stories could it tell?

It’s now time for it to slip quietly into its watery grave. It’s now time to be used and controlled by the forces of life, rather than directed by the dynamics of death.

Snapshot of the State

Ed Epley's 1961 Volkswagen van is seen in front of the Benton County courthouse during a one-hour peace vigil Wednesday Aug.4, 2010, in Corvallis, Ore. Epley has been doing this, day in and day out, since the U.S. launched its first air strikes on Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001. Every afternoon, seven days a week.

THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT LIVES!

“As much as the terrain has shifted under our feet and presented us with an even steeper uphill trek, we still have a duty to oppose the crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan that our rulers are committing, with our tax money, in our name.”
Dennis O’Neil and Eric See

“As long as the organized antiwar movement remains a leftist sandbox, where sectarians get to pontificate – and do little else – it will stay a sideshow. Once we get beyond all that nonsense, however, there are no limits to what we can do: just look at the polls. The American people are with us – and they’re ready to join us in our fight. Indeed, they’ve never been readier. The question is: are we ready to receive them, and lead them?”
Justin Raimondo

“For too long the peace movement has been like a bird with only a left wing. It can barely fly and when it does it seems to go in circles. Perhaps a bird with two wings will fly better?”
Kevin B. Zeese

There a few folks out there with the resilience to fight for what’s right, decent and civilized and will not be dissuaded. People will eventually tire of the killing nonsense and the integrity and wisdom of folks like Mr. Epley will finally be recognized and admired.

Corn Starch ‘Terrorism’ Update

The farce of the Corn Starch Caper of 2010 continues to expand. It seems many more letters have been received at other locations around Texas, as well as in Massachusetts and Illinois. And to add to the fun, the FBI has become the latest actor in this absurd comedy.


"Nobody understands what they're trying to say," says FBI Special Agent Mark White. "The message itself is unclear. But by taking that extra step and putting that white powdery substance in there, yes it's considered a threat."

So, if the message is not clear and understandable how can it be considered “threatening.?” Just because it contains the words “al-Qaida?” Exactly what other words might an indecipherable message contain that would classify it as “threatening?” Taliban? Nazi? Castro? bin Laden? Tea Party? US Constitution? Liberty? Peace?

If I wrote and sent a message that said, “Mary had a little lamb- al-Quaida- It’s fleece was white as snow,” would that be considered threatening?

And if that isn’t considered a threat itself, taking the “extra step” of adding a harmless, white powdery substance to that incomprehensible message automatically creates a “threat?” How so? Yes, I know that investigators assume the white powder to represent “anthrax” but how can they be absolutely sure? They’d have to be able to read the mind of the sender. I seriously doubt they would be capable of reading and understanding the sender’s thoughts, particularly when knowing that they can’t even comprehend what the sender has written.

What if the powder is red, green, purple, or pink? Is it still considered a “threat?”

How could anyone within the confines of any legitimate, definitive, legal proceeding categorically prove any harmless, white substance was meant to represent the “threat” of anthrax? And even if that relationship could be proven, it does not change the physical reality that the powder was not anthrax or any other poison!

"The letters all have the same postmarks, the same content and similar return addresses that lead us to believe they are coming from the same person or persons," said White. Return addresses? You mean the sender was so diabolical and crafty that he included his return address? Gee, Mr. White, has anyone within your brilliant agency gone through the trouble of actually checking out these return addresses? If so, why do you make no mention of it?

The report states that “authorities are offering up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.” Prosecution for what? Mailing a murky message with corn starch?  Maybe I think too much, but exactly what would be the charge? The reporter is obviously too lazy to ask such a question.

Is corn starch or any other white powder considered a “threat” in any context or just when it appears in a mailed envelope? What about the bakery aisles in grocery stores? Should law enforcement immediately close them all down? If I went to the store and taped a note saying “al-Qaida” on a one pound bag of sugar would that be considered a “threat,” subject to criminal prosecution?

In my earlier post I speculated on what might happen if thousands of people mailed envelopes containing nothing but corn starch to DC. Considering state employee’s inordinate fear of white, powdery substances, I pondered what might occur. It seems that this may have actually happened in Philadelphia, where an Internal Revenue Service office was briefly evacuated after a suspicious envelope was found. “Police said the envelope contained a vial with a plastic bag over it, but tests showed no harmful materials were inside. The office reopened a few hours later, authorities said.”

This event inspired Super-Special Agent Mark White to make another brilliant pronouncement that the Philadelphia letter was not related to the others. How does he know? How can he claim this immediately after admitting failure identifying and locating the “culprit,” in the other mailings, begging the public for help, and offering 100,000 of their stolen tax dollars as incentive?

It will be interesting to see how this hysterical, keystone cops drama ultimately plays out. Will the mailings continue to spread throughout a larger geographic area or will the nonsense end quietly here, forgotten by the public and embarrassingly filed away by law enforcement agencies?

The dog days of August take a toll on the brain’s thought processes. The summer oven works to dull reasoning and distract the brain towards other, less productive pursuits- notably, looking for a cool place to lie down and take a nap. It’s good of the state’s incompetent and panicky actors to provide such welcome hilarity and inspiration.

Quotes of the Week

From the Light:
“You can’t conquer a primitive society. There’s nothing to destroy or hold hostage. The only way to win is to commit genocide.
Everything Western governments, and the United States especially, are doing politically and militarily is counterproductive.”
Doug Casey

“We must reject holding human beings to different and separate moral standards than based on whether or not they are in government employ. All of us have a natural obligation to respect the lives and property of others — and a natural right to expect the same from all others. Anything less is not liberty. And government, by its very nature, will always fall woefully short of that ideal.”
Alex R. Knight III

“Advocating anarchy is more practical than advocating minimal government.”
Darian Worden

“So, drug consumption is the responsibility of the person who consumes; of the family who is responsible for educating; and of the education system and the socioeconomic context. What we have to do is legalize the production, the sale and the distribution.”
Former Mexican president Vicente Fox

“So, if they’re enforcing the immigration laws, what’s the problem? The problem is that statists believe that the federal government is sufficiently powerful to repeal the law of supply and demand. It won’t happen, ever, just like they’ll never repeal the law of gravity. The law of supply and demand, like the law of gravity, is natural law and, therefore, not subject to being repealed by man.”
Jacob Hornberger

“The most powerful patron of radical Islam is not Iran, Iraq, or Saudi Arabia. It is the government headquartered in Washington, D.C., which for more than a half-century has diligently cultivated Islamic terrorism.”
Will Grigg

“The more secretive or unjust an organization is, the more leaks induce fear and paranoia in its leadership…. This must result in minimization of efficient internal communications mechanisms (an increase in cognitive ’secrecy tax’) and consequent system-wide cognitive decline resulting in decreased ability to hold onto power as the environment demands adaption. Hence in a world where leaking is easy, secretive or unjust systems are nonlinearly hit relative to open, just systems.”
Julian Assange

“A sizable share of people in the criminal justice system is made up of those who ran afoul of some law commanding ‘Touch not, taste not, handle not.’
If you support such laws, there is no ground on which you can consistently do so without believing that other people are your property, or are your inferiors and subject to your command.”
Kevin Carson

“The Law allows the Lawmakers to do anything they wish. The Law allows white men to own black slaves. The Law allows men to stone women to death because they were raped. The Law allows thugs to commit genocide against Jews. The Law allows gangsters to organize into vast criminal enterprises they call ‘Government’ and commit every sort of unconscionable cruelty imaginable.”
Garry Reed

"Delegated authority is always a voluntary proposition, and it can be withdrawn at any time. It is a privilege bestowed—an extension of a natural right from one individual to another. Assumed authority is thuggery."
Tzo

“Our war against the Taliban is going about as well as our war on drugs, or our war on poverty, or any of our government’s wars – they all tend to create more of the thing they purport to eradicate, thereby dodging any excuse to draw down and come to an end. It is hard to imagine ever 'winning' anything this way.”
Ron Paul

******************************************************

From the Darkness:
"As Governor, I will use the power of eminent domain to stop the [Cordoba House] mosque and use the site as a war memorial, instead of monument to those who attacked our country.”
Carl Paladino, candidate for New York Governor, in a TV campaign ad.

“An iceberg four times the size of Manhattan has broken off Greenland, creating plenty of room for global warming deniers to start their own country. So far, 2010 has been the hottest year on record, and scientists agree arctic ice is a canary in a coal mine that provides clear warnings on climate."
Rep. Edward Markey

“I hear these people saying he’s like George Bush. Those people ought to be drug tested. I mean, it’s crazy.”
Administration spokesman Robert Gibbs, slamming the “professional left” for criticizing Obama for failing to live up to his ideological promises.
　
"It used to be back in the days when we fought wars to win them that civilian deaths were the object. We wanted the civilian population to demand that their government surrender. That’s how you win wars. The other guys surrender because they’re losing too much.
War is a terrible thing."
Rush Limbaugh

"At this point, the withdrawal is going well, because they are still here, but the problem will start after 2011. The politicians must find other ways to fill the void after 2011... If I were asked about the withdrawal, I would say to politicians: the U.S. army must stay until the Iraqi army is fully ready in 2020.”
Iraqi Gen. Gen. Babaker Shawkat Zebari

“The ban is perfectly reasonable in light of the UAE's legitimate security concerns because Research in Motion, the Canadian company that provides BlackBerry services, refused to modify its information architecture in a way that would enable authorities to intercept the communications of select subscribers."
Richard Falkenrath, who works for former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's consulting firm, explaining why the BlackBerry ban that the United Arab Emirates announced last week "met with approval, admiration and perhaps even a touch of envy" from "law enforcement investigators and intelligence officers."

"If they were to publish any additional documents after hearing our concerns about the harm it will cause our forces, our allies and innocent Afghan civilians it would be the height of irresponsibility. It would compound a mistake that has already put far too many lives at risk."
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell repeating a U.S. demand for WikiLeaks to expunge all classified material from the Internet and return the material it had to the U.S. government.

"I was talking to a retired FBI agent, who said that one of the things they were looking at were terrorist cells overseas who had figured out how to game our system, and it appeared they would have young women, who became pregnant, who would get them into the United States to have a baby. Then they could return, where they could be raised and coddled as future terrorists. And then, they could return, 20 or 30 years in the future because they realize how stupid we are being in this country.”
Rep. Louie Gohmert, warning us about the newest “threat“- terror babies.

“The federal government has failed us.”
Al Gore, after conceding that Congress will likely not pass the climate bill and accompanying carbon credit scam this year.

"The Ground Zero project is a test of America's resolve to face down a civilizational jihad that that aims, in the words of its leaders, to destroy us from within."
Andre McCarthy, blabbering about the “ground zero mosque.”

Snapshot of the State

A Canadian solider walks atop concrete security walls at a combat outpost near the village of Salavat, in the Panjway district west of Kandahar, August 5, 2010.

The Essence of Mob-ocracy………


“Democracy,” of course, is nothing more than mob rule. Different mobs battle each other to decide which mob will rule over all the other mobs. Countries not yet blessed with “democracy” must have mobs created by the occupying power that wishes to spread mob rule. If no mobs presently exist, these mobs must be created using that always effective tool called “walls.” People must be separated and isolated to create distinct mobs with certain identifying characteristics that distinguish one mob from another. These mobs are kept isolated from each other (through strategic wall building) so mobs cannot familiarize themselves with each other. Each mob then learns to mistrust, fear, and even hate all the other mobs that are not like them.

Every once in a while, the elites who rule all the mobs have an “election” where each mob has the opportunity to vote itself as the new ruler of all the mobs. The largest mob (and therefore the mob placing the most votes) is declared the election winner. The ruling elites stay the same, regardless of which mob wins the election. They merely change their allegiance to whichever mob has won. These ruling elites than brag that they represent the majority of people within the geographic region where all the mobs live.  They use this claim to justify ruling over and stealing from the losing mobs.

Somehow, civilization and culture has managed to survive all this nonsense.

Corn Starch- The New ‘Terrorist’ Weapon

The powers-that-be in Dallas are in a tizzy after several locations around the area received envelopes of white powder determined to be corn starch. The popular cooking ingredient was said to be accompanied by a “chilling note.” A spokesman reported that the note said “something to the effect of 'Al-Qaeda in the USA.’” Gasp! The Horror! A cold, chilling wave of fear and dread just penetrated my entire body!


It’s interesting that the message was only described in vague terms, rather than the exact text that was written. That tells me the note was some rambling, cryptic, hand scribbled message or that there was no note at all. The reporter shows his incompetence by not insisting on the exact text of the message.

“We took it as a credible threat," said one emergency responder. What threat? Threatening what action? You can’t initiate a threat unless you clearly indicate a future, violent action. Corn starch and a note that says “I’m here” is a threat?

The clueless reporter then writes this gem: “Since 9/11, the postal service has been checking all mail for bio hazards. We can be relatively sure that stuff is not getting through in the mail.”

Oh yeah? Then if corn starch or any other white powder is considered a possible hazard, didn’t that very material just get “through the mail” to at least 13 locations in the Dallas area? Isn’t that just what the reporter has said occurred?

“These 13 cases have wasted thousands and thousands of dollars of local resources. If police catch the person responsible, they can make them pay for all that,” whines one of the Dallas tax eaters.

Pay for what? What’s the crime? Sending corn starch in the mail? Even in a law happy jungle like the US, I doubt there is a single decree that prohibits sending corn starch, sugar or any other cooking ingredients through the mail.

These people are hysterical idiots!

This is such an obvious government inside job, it’s laughable. It’s budget review time for the state haz-mat folks and they want to remain relevant and indispensable. They don’t want to join the 450 tax parasites just laid off by the City of Dallas. The flood of terrorist attacks our rulers have constantly predicted and warned us about have not occurred and there is fear the public may no longer be believers. Government “jobs” are at stake here and no action would be considered inappropriate to save them.

Of course, any white powder is automatically suspected to be anthrax and we all know the 2001 attacks originated not from some foreign or domestic terror organization but from the US Government, itself! That is a fact that has been conveniently forgotten by the public or one they never learned.

This is just another incident of the state inciting fear among its subjects to keep them loyal and subservient to their ruling masters. Obedient and compliant Americans have been conditioned to shiver, sweat, and crap their jammies at the mere mention of the CIA created “Al Qaeda.”

Booga! Booga!

How would we ever survive without the government? Who else is brave enough to protect us from corn starch?

These state gangsters and their supporters seem to have an uncommon fear of any kind of white powder. Buildings are evacuated, chaos ensues, and state “business” is disrupted. This comical disorder is all to the benefit of those sovereign individuals trying to live their lives free of state harassment. The more disruption, the less mischief these gangsters can create and execute against free living individuals.

If every anti-state person sent an envelope of corn starch to DC, what would be the result? No note would be necessary. No need to even write “hello” as even this could be contorted into a threat by these paranoid parasites. Seeing the hysteria that occurred over a handful of these mailings around one metropolitan area, I have to wonder, what would be the result of thousands of these same mailings all targeted at DC? Would the city shut down? Would all government “business” come to a screeching halt? If a sender was caught, what could he/she be charged with- sending an anti-caking and thickening agent through the mail?

I’m not encouraging or suggesting any action here. I’m just speculating about what might occur. You have to admit, sending your congressman a few grams of corn starch would create more effective action (or better, inaction) than writing them a letter begging for their help.

The state will do whatever necessary to deceive people with phony threats and frightening boogey men to keep its protection racket alive. Sometimes, they can even show masterful creativity in composing their nefarious schemes. But inevitably, their designs have just enough flaws, inconsistencies, and goofy, incompetent execution to expose them for the frauds they are.

Quotes of the Week

From the Light:
“Next to sex, the strongest human instinct seems to be to form groups and hate other groups. I have long suspected that the bulk of humanity has more glands than neurons.”
Fred Reed

“Much would be gained if we could eliminate this pernicious word 'obedience' from our vocabulary of moral and political thought. If we think these matters through, we might regain some measure of self-confidence and even pride, that is, regain what former times called the dignity or the honor of man: not perhaps of mankind but of the status of being human.”
Arthur Silber

“I prefer a world without wars, without taxes, without the systematic injustice that comes from any body of persons insisting that they are sovereign, that is, that they are above the laws. I prefer a world of ordered liberty, the rule of law, and peace. And in that world, there are no states.”
Tom G. Palmer

“Government is structured so those who are most able to access the top levels of policy-making wield political power. Because of this, government responds primarily to the most powerful groups in society, who create solutions that everyone will be forced to follow. Government answers to the political demand of power, not to the diverse demands of individual actors.”
Darian Worden

“Elites may have more brilliance, but those who make decisions for society as a whole cannot possibly have as much experience as the millions of people whose decisions they preempt. The education and intellects of the elites may lead them to have more sweeping presumptions, but that just makes them more dangerous to the freedom, as well as the well-being, of the people as a whole.”
Thomas Sowell

“As the state had no existence prior to the appearance of humans who either created it, or who were conquered by it, it is hard to grasp an argument that would recognize this entity as having any interests that preceded its creation, and that did not derive either by contract or by violence. No evidence exists for any political system having arisen through mutual agreement of those to be bound, and with a fairly universal rejection of the idea that one can legitimately acquire the interests of some through their forcible usurpation, the state has no claim to the exercise of 'rights' that any libertarian would be bound to respect.”
Butler Shaffer

“It is simply not possible to stop all acts of terrorism if potential terrorists have been given a sufficient grievance to motivate their wreaking some form of havoc against Americans. However, it is silly to make the prevention of all terrorist acts the goal. What can’t be done won’t be done, regardless of how many people and how much money one devotes to doing it. We can, though, endure some losses from terrorism in the same way that we routinely endure some losses from accidents, diseases, and ordinary crime.”
Robert Higgs

“The major threat to the modern state isn’t foreign invasion or even armed native insurrection — it’s the increasing ease with which its opponents can disseminate the truth about what government is and what government does. Government withers and dies under the harsh light of disclosure, exposure, transparency.”
Thomas L. Knapp

“If any overarching conclusion emerges from the Afghan and Iraq Wars (and from their Israeli equivalents), it's this: victory is a chimera. Counting on today's enemy to yield in the face of superior force makes about as much sense as buying lottery tickets to pay the mortgage: you better be really lucky.”
Andrew J. Bacevich

“As Voluntaryists we reject the Libertarian Party on the same level and for the same reason we reject any other political party. The rejection is not based on incidental evasions or corruption of principle which inevitably occur within politics. It is based on the conviction that to oppose the State one must oppose the specific instances of the State or else one's opposition is toward a vague, floating abstraction and never has practical application. Political offices are the State. By becoming politicians libertarians legitimize and perpetuate the office. They legitimize and perpetuate the State.”
Wendy McElroy

“The underlying condition that has caused the corruption, ineptness and the State’s ever-expanding collusions with private businesses is the U.S. government’s monopoly in territorial protection, in which the State monopolist has no competitive incentive to actually provide quality of protection services.
Only a monopolist of territorial protection would do the stupid things that the socialist/fascist U.S. government officials have been doing for these past many decades. The alternative to such counter-productive policies and redistribution parasitism is to outlaw the State’s protection racket and legalize competitive protection agencies.”
Scott Lazarowitz

“American liberty does not depend upon other nations embracing democracy—and never has, even during the Cold War. Nor does American prosperity require bases around the world and military leverage over friend and foe alike. Yet despite their patent falsity, these political orthodoxies continue to be invoked by the American empire to justify its global force projection, endless wars, and national security state.”
Bruce Fein

“Capable, generous men do not create victims, they nurture victims.”
Juilian Assange

“The camera is the new gun, and Wikileaks is a howitzer.”
Ross Kenyon

“Peer pressure and social opprobrium are what really hold societies together, not execution squads chasing those who don’t believe in a war.”
Doug Casey

************************************************************

From the Darkness:

"Now if you ask me, in conclusion, ‘Well, what, then should properly be done?’ Obviously war, but I mean in regard to this issue I would say: Any way possible permission should be refused and if they go ahead and build it, the government should bomb it out of existence, evacuating it first, with no compensation to any of the property owners involved in this monstrosity."
Leonard Peikoff, founder of the Ayn Rand Institute, hysterical over the proposed Muslim center near New York’s Ground Zero.

"I would really like to see President Obama to move to ask the government of Iceland to shut that [WikiLeaks] website down. I would like to see him move to shut it down ourselves if Iceland won't do it. I would like to see them move aggressively to prosecute Mr. [Julian] Assange and certainly ensure that he never again gets a visa to enter the United States. What he's done is very clearly aiding and abetting al Qaeda. And as I said, he may very well be responsible for the deaths of American soldiers Afghanistan."
Liz Cheney

"There are two areas of culpability. One is legal culpability. And that's up to the Justice Department and others. That's not my arena. But there's also a moral culpability. And that's where I think the verdict is guilty on WikiLeaks. They have put this out without any regard whatsoever for the consequences."
Defense Secretary Robert Gates. [Hey Bobby, make sure you remember that part about “moral culpability” when you’re on trial for war crimes.]

"[G]enerally speaking, this time next summer, we're still going to be engaged in one hell of a fight. We're going to need every troop we have today, I think, still in Afghanistan next year."
Sen. Lindsey Graham

"The hard truth is we have not seen the end of American sacrifice in Iraq."
B. Obama, looking forward to more bloodletting.

"The fact that there are competing parties and individuals who want to lead this [Iraqi] democracy is a sign of the kind of progress they've made."
B. Obama [Translated: There are plenty of gangsters and despot wannabe’s who want to fight and kill each other for the power to rule others.]

"And it is men -- not to be too gender specific here -- but there, there is a male factor here. I've we seen it in our own recent history. What is it about testosterone that gets us into war?"

Andrea Mitchell [Gosh, I don’t know- why not ask Hillary Clinton, Madeline Albright, Condi Rice, Nancy Pelosi…..]

"The time for double standards that allow Islamists to behave aggressively toward us while they demand our weakness and submission is over."
Newt Gingrich, continuing his bigoted rant against all Muslims.

"Your country is going to take care of you when you come home."
B, Obama, lying to soldier boys returning from Iraq.

“Afghanistan and other troubled lands today cry out for the sort of enlightened foreign administration once provided by self-confident Englishmen in jodhpurs and pith helmets.”
Bloody Max Boot

“They will be called advisory and assistance brigades. They won’t be called combat brigades.”
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates blessing the remaining US assassins in Iraq with a new, Orwellian name.

"If they don't charge him with treason, they ought to charge him with murder."
Rep. Mike Rogers commenting on Bradley Manning

“My father was in World War II and when he got home he got the services that he needed.”
B. Obama, lying about both his fathers. [Both his biological and step-father were between the ages of two and nine during that period.]

"[Julian] Assange is a non-U.S. citizen operating outside the territory of the United States. This means the government has a wide range of options for dealing with him. It can employ not only law enforcement but also intelligence and military assets to bring Assange to justice [sic] and put his criminal syndicate out of business."

Marc Thiessen, American Enterprise Institute

"We are making a demand of them, We are asking them to do the right thing. We hope they will honor our demands."
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, demanding that Wikileaks hand over classified Afghanistan war documents leaked to the website [Too late, soldier boy. They already did the right thing.]