The Cliven Bundy saga reminds me of the Trayvon Martin case: it is a very squishy example of a very real problem. Because the facts of these cases could be interpreted either way, they divide the rank and file rather than uniting us against the real enemy from above. In light of this, rather than the nuanced Bundy case, it would have been nicer to see the government forced to back down on a cut-and-dried asset forfeiture in which property was permanently confiscated from someone never convicted of a crime (like Rudy Ramirez), or an eminent domain case in which the government seized private property for the benefit of a private developer (like in the case of Vera Coking).
Sometimes I think that political operators deliberately choose cases that aren’t clear-cut because rather than despite the fact that they will generate grassroots activism on both sides of the aisle. In order for this to work, the case must have merit and flaws on both sides of the argument.
Politics
Cliven Bundy & The Rule of Law
The Cliven Bundy saga reminds me of the Trayvon Martin case: it is a very squishy example of a very real problem. Because the facts of these cases could be interpreted either way, they divide the rank and file rather than uniting us against the real enemy from above. In light of this, rather than the nuanced Bundy case, it would have been nicer to see the government forced to back down on a cut-and-dried asset forfeiture in which property was permanently confiscated from someone never convicted of a crime (like Rudy Ramirez), or an eminent domain case in which the government seized private property for the benefit of a private developer (like in the case of Vera Coking).
Sometimes I think that political operators deliberately choose cases that aren’t clear-cut because rather than despite the fact that they will generate grassroots activism on both sides of the aisle. In order for this to work, the case must have merit and flaws on both sides of the argument.
Crimea & Self-Determination: The First Principle of the Law of Nations
We Did Not Consent to this Government
While living in Los Angeles in 2008, I had an epiphany. I saw in a neighbor’s window a Soviet-style poster of Barack Obama’s face and wondered what red-blooded American would be attracted to such ominous imagery. The face wasn’t bad, it was the Andy-Warhol-meets-Vladimir-Lenin color-blocking that freaked me out. Around the same time, George W. Bush had signed a law that would, incrementally of course, ban the warm glow of the Edison lightbulb. For me, this convergence of events was the tipping point. I realized the American Experiment had failed. Limited government was a utopian fantasy. No piece of paper, no matter how brilliantly conceived or masterfully written, could defend itself against a central monopoly on the use of force. No matter how limited at its inception, the power would be nurtured and abused until it converted all useful social power into state power.
Once I had this revelation, I gave up hope. I concluded that man was destined for serfdom, perhaps camouflaged as a combination of taxes and regulations, but unjust limits on personal and economic freedom and the theft of the fruits of one’s labor were inevitable in any organized society.
Crimea & Self-Determination: The First Principle of the Law of Nations
We Did Not Consent to this Government
While living in Los Angeles in 2008, I had an epiphany. I saw in a neighbor’s window a Soviet-style poster of Barack Obama’s face and wondered what red-blooded American would be attracted to such ominous imagery. The face wasn’t bad, it was the Andy-Warhol-meets-Vladimir-Lenin color-blocking that freaked me out. Around the same time, George W. Bush had signed a law that would, incrementally of course, ban the warm glow of the Edison lightbulb. For me, this convergence of events was the tipping point. I realized the American Experiment had failed. Limited government was a utopian fantasy. No piece of paper, no matter how brilliantly conceived or masterfully written, could defend itself against a central monopoly on the use of force. No matter how limited at its inception, the power would be nurtured and abused until it converted all useful social power into state power.
Once I had this revelation, I gave up hope. I concluded that man was destined for serfdom, perhaps camouflaged as a combination of taxes and regulations, but unjust limits on personal and economic freedom and the theft of the fruits of one’s labor were inevitable in any organized society.
Exposing the Shadow Government in the Ukraine (and the US?): Podcast of March 8 Show
Hour 1 Hour 2 Here is some of the source material I used for the show today… Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt conspiring to install a shadow government in the Ukraine (BEFORE the uprisings that ousted the democratically-elected President Yanukovych). Here is the wiki entry on one … Read more
Letting Go of the Two-Party Psy-Op: Podcast of February 22 Show
Here is the article I wrote about the REAL plan of the Republican Party… Neo-Conservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea A caller recommended we learn more about Ben Johnson but actually he meant Ben Carson – here’s an article on Ben Carson! What Does Ben Carson Prescribe for America? And here is Dr. Carson lauded … Read more
Immigration Reform Will Make the Real Problem Worse: Podcast of February 8 Show
I had some technical difficulties with the show – not a big deal but there are glitches both on the official WSB version (which also has commercials) and the podcast. My suggestion is to listen to the first segment in the WSB version and the rest of the show commercial free on my podcast… WSB … Read more
SOTU 2014 & the Constitution in a Nutshell: Podcast of February 1, 2014 Show
The full podcast of the show: Click here for the full text: The Constitution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hed1nP9X7pI
SOTU 2014 & the Constitution in a Nutshell: Podcast of February 1, 2014 Show
The full podcast of the show: Click here for the full text: The Constitution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hed1nP9X7pI