Sunday, March 27, 2011

Quotes of the Week

From the Light:
“The fact is that just as the U.S. government imposes its will on me and you, no matter what we want or say or think, the U.N. is just another government imposing its will upon us or others, as it sees fit and as it can. A government created by national governments is still a government.”
Michael S. Rozeff

“By drawing on coercion to (directly or indirectly) compel individuals to pay for things that they would never pay for in a society without those constraints, the state functions on a principle quite opposite to statists’ cherished ‘efficiency.’ Its whole system is founded on the theft of productive energy for purposes that the aggregate of free exchanges would never choose. It hinges on the capacity to externalize expenses and losses on the human livestock of productive society while directing profits to a favored few beneficiaries.”
David D'Amato

“For more than a century after the American Revolution, the United States was a genuine beacon to mankind, a haven for the downtrodden, and a true (if horribly inconsistent) champion of liberty and human rights. During that period the U.S also became the wealthiest nation the Earth has ever known because it fostered non-coercive, civil society by keeping coercive government small and restrained. Now our government is huge and frighteningly unrestrained; coercion and centralized control have largely replaced liberty and the organic, decentralized decision-making that society needs to function properly. Love and freedom are being pushed out of American life in favor of cruelty and tyranny in a modern blend of corporatism, fascism, and coercive socialism.”
Glen Allport

"For advocates of 'social justice,' the notion of 'rights' is a mere term of entitlement."
Ben O'Neill

“Now, the State is an institution of compulsory government, an institution of territorial monopoly in which the agents of the State have been given authority over the rest of the population. The State’s agents are not given authority through voluntary association or contract or the consent of those over whom State authority rests, but by compulsion. The State’s authority is enforced not by the Rule of Law but by the State's own self-assigned officialdom and armaments, and threats of aggression.”
Scott Lazarowitz

"When they lack moral authority, they simply create it out of thin air. Politicians and bureaucrats equate morality with legality. If something is legal, it must be just... and if it's not legal, they'll pass a law or resolution making it legal... and hence just.
This is the way they operate-- using regulatory technicalities to wrap themselves in a blanket of righteousness in order to execute their agenda."
Simon Black

“We really should have re-elected The Chimp to a third term. The latest Decider is no different – and much less entertaining.”
Eric Peters

“Given that governments are both motivated by a perverse goal - power, not profit - and driven by individuals who, necessarily, are inspired by force rather than voluntary exchange, it is little wonder that nations periodically undergo sea changes in the form of revolutions, civil wars and social and political upheaval. Left unchecked, all governments inevitably descend into pure sin. Even the most lethargic, apathetic citizenry is likely to stand up and declare that "enough is enough" eventually. The only surprising thing is that it doesn't happen with more frequency and to more welcome cheers.”
Joel Bowman

“Don’t forget that the bombing and killing of Koreans was done in the name of a ‘police action‘; American troops killed people in Kosovo — and other places — as ‘peacekeepers; while other military action — e.g., current Libya — in the name of Humanitarianism.’ The Strategic Air Command — which has unloaded millions of tons of bombs on other countries — tells the world that ‘Peace Is Our Profession.’ Such corruption of language is engaged in to comfort Boobus — the collective dullard who actually loves war; relishes war — provided it’s called something else.”
Butler Shaffer

“At the end of the day, all government mandates are enforced at the end of the barrel of a gun, and that scares the hell out of everyone, as it should. But if we truly believe we are free then we have to start acting like it. It’s time we cared about something bigger than ourselves. It’s time we stopped living our lives in fear.”
Don Cooper
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From the Darkness:
“We share the view that Iran’s activities in the Gulf, including its efforts to advance its agenda in neighboring countries, undermines peace and stability.”
Queen Hillary, whose own “agenda” includes bombing Libya [So just who has Iran bombed?]

"First we protect [Libyan] civilians and destroy his Gaddafi’s military capability. And then we help other remove him indirectly, presumably. Though I, unlike the president, would not rule out ultimately having to go in with peacekeeping and nation stabilizing forces. And I wouldn't be surprised if we do that at the end of the day."
Bill Kristol [Of course "we" doesn't include Chickenhawk Billy]

“Conscription, when everyone is called to serve, has powered some of our nation's greatest military victories, including WWII. The need for a draft is not a condemnation of our current military force, but a strong belief in equality and that the sacrifices needed to maintain a vibrant economy should be shared by all.”
Rep. Charles Rangel, still pushing his Universal National Service Act

“The United States will join in a multilateral fight for democracy and humanitarian aims when it is in the nation’s interest and when the locals are involved and desire US participation. In short, the Anti-Bush Doctrine.”
Mother Jones Magazine [Obama Doctrine = Making war and killing people for "humanitarian aims."]


"I have always said, heard, that it would not be strange that there had been civilization on Mars, but maybe capitalism arrived there, imperialism arrived and finished off the planet."
Hugo Chavez

“Gold has no valuation, no metrics, no commercial use. It’s the world’s most respected ponzi scheme.”
Dan Dicker, veteran commodities trader, quoted by CNBC.com

“When I received that [Nobel Peace Prize] award, I specifically said there was an irony because I was already dealing with two wars. So I am accustomed to this contradiction of being both a commander-in-chief but also someone who aspires to peace.”
B. Obama, a man content with his Orwellian contradictions

“What's needed is a federal law requiring all retailers selling goods in any state to collect and remit sales taxes to the home state of each customer. A Main Street Fairness Act has been introduced repeatedly over many years, but is now needed even more desperately by state governments facing massive deficits."
Nathan Newman, Huffington Post, whining about Amazon not paying state sales taxes.

“We're clarifying, as we’ve said repeatedly, that the effort of our military operation is not regime change, that as we actually say in this readout, it’s the Libyan people who are going to make their determinations about the future. We support their aspirations, their democratic aspirations, and have stated that Gadhafi should go because he’s lost their confidence.”
Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser [So how is bombing to help get rid of a dictator NOT about regime change?]

"No one – least of all someone like myself who has experienced the existential terror of California's regular tremors and knows the big one is coming here next – would minimize the grief, suffering and disruption caused by Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami. But if one can look past the devastation, there is a silver lining. The need to rebuild a large swath of Japan will create huge opportunities for domestic economic growth, particularly in energy-efficient technologies, while also stimulating global demand and hastening the integration of East Asia. ... By taking Japan's mature economy down a notch, Mother Nature has accomplished what fiscal policy and the central bank could not."
Nathan Gardels

"We are taking the next step: We have agreed along with our NATO allies to transition command and control for the no-fly zone over Libya to NATO."
Queen Hillary, who apparently thinks the “A” in NATO stands for African

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