Posted tagged ‘Break Down Of The Rule Of Law’

Good Cops Shouldn’t Tolerate Bad Cops

September 15, 2017

When a video like the one below surfaces the tendency is to say all cops are like this. Even though this video blows my mind at how stupid this cop is, I will not paint all cops with the broad brush this bad cop has placed in my hand. Not all cops are like this.

When you watch this video you will notice the other police officers, not the security guards, seem a little uncomfortable with the action this cop has taken. I think the cop whose body camera filmed this video is trying to figure out how to get out of the mess that the out of control cop has created. So why do regular cops seem to stick up for bad cops? Don’t they know that their silence about the bad cop is seen as support by default? Their inaction is in fact an action.

If you drag this video to 11:00 you will see an officer, who I think is of higher rank than the arresting officer, try to smooth over the situation. The higher ranking officer is using verbal gymnastics and a calm voice to try to confuse the nurse. He is trying to convince her that his fellow officer is in the right and the nurse is wrong. But the Nurse is right. The cops need a warrant or the person’s consent to draw blood.

When you watch the video. Try to put yourself in the nurses shoes. Try to put yourself in the arresting officers shoes, if you can. But try to put yourself in the shoes of the cop who is filming this. What would you have done if a colleague of yours acted like this?

GROUP IDENTITY

I don’t understand the mentality of sticking up for a person in your “identity group” who is not just being an ass, but is not following the rule of law. I am a white male but I have no problem saying that another white male is dead wrong. The difference is I don’t think of myself as a member of a group consisting of white males. I think of myself as an individual. For some reason people find their identity from being a member of a particular group. When you identify yourself as a member of a group and not as an individual, you have to look at criticism of another member of the group as being an attack on the whole group, and therefore an attack on you.

Each of us is a member of many groups at once. We are members of the particular family we were born into. We are male or female. We are a particular race. We have a particular religion or no religion. We work in a particular profession. We have particular hobbies. We are American or from another country. We are a Democrat, a Republican or neither. There are many groups we can choose to identify with. And that’s when the problem starts. We paint ourselves into corners that are hard to escape if our identity comes from a group. You can identify as an individual even though you are a member of many different groups. You don’t have to defend the bad people in ‘the’ group if you think of yourself as an individual first.

Watch the video. Put yourself in the nurses shoes. Put yourself in the arresting cops shoes, if that’s possible. But try to put yourself in the shoes of the cop who is filming this. What would you have done if a colleague acted like this?

 

Sheriff Forced To Pay After Ordering Raid On Blogger Who Criticized Him, at reason.com. This Sheriff should have been fired. Because of his position as sheriff, he had to know he was breaking the law. Since he is in a position of power, he should only get one strike and he’s out. It is not about him as much as it is about constraining other’s in positions of power who want to wield it against citizens.

Police Devise New Revenue Scam By Citing People Who Forget To Press Crosswalk Button, at thefreethoughtproject.com. These are the kind of petty rules that make people dislike cops. City councils should get rid of laws like this.

Forget The Violent Campus Protests – This College Cop Is Gunning For Unlicensed Hot Dog Vendors, at reason.com. Another example of a law that should not be on the books. Cops should be policing real crimes.

Police Serve Warrant To Wrong Address, Kill Man Who Lives There, at reason.com. I know that men are not perfect. We all make mistakes. But can you be sure you are at the right address! Put yourself in the shoes of the person whose door was broken down. Should the cops rules of engagement be like the military’s rules of engagement? Don’t fire until fired upon. Would a different type of person be attracted to the job if this was the rule of engagement?

The Drug Whisperer’: Drivers Arrested While Stoned Cold Sober, at wltx.com. The cop is smarter than the ‘science’ of a blood test? This has to be a violation of a persons fourth and fifth amendment rights.

What Can Happen When You Try To File A Complaint Against Police Officers

There are millions of contacts between citizens and police each day. The vast majority turn out just fine. The bad situations are not the norm. But just because the bad situations are not the norm doesn’t mean they should to be swept under the rug by the people who are supposed to investigate them.

The video below shows cops attempting to stop complaints against their fellow officers from even being filed. These cops use straw man arguments, intimidation, lying, verbal sleight of hand, and force to stop people from filing complaints. By letting the bad cops go unpunished the bad behaviour is incentivized.

This video shows how people act when they identify themselves as members of a group and not as an individual.

If cops want to identify themselves as a group, people are going to gladly give them their wish. People will begin to identify all cops by the lowest common denominator of the group.

Cops have to purge themselves of their bad apples. Or their credibility will continue to erode.

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Must Reads For The Week 10/8/16

October 8, 2016

Minnesota Commissioner Slams Obamacare As “Unfair & Unsustainable” As Rates Soar, at zerohedge.com. Individuals who administrate the apparatus of the state, and individuals who receive government largess, have no understanding that government regulations are crushing the middle class. They are inoculated from the reality of these regulations because they never have to deal with these regulations.

Let’s Make Oil Our Friend, Not Our Enemy. It Is Earth’s Precious Gift, at misesca. Oil is not evil. Oil is one of our most important resources. It has helped produce our modern world. Leftists freak out about “oil” like they freak out about the word “gun”. Oil is good.

Let Airbnb Providers Discriminate As They Please, at zerohedge.com. In a free market individuals loose market share if they discriminate. Government shouldn’t intervene to change there behavior. In a market they will either change their behavior, or eventually go out of business.

Uber Vs. Taxi Cab Racism, by Alex Tobarrok, at marginalrevolution.com. HT carpediemblog. Government created monopolies, like the taxi cartel, can discriminate without impunity. But, as soon as they have competition, they change their attitude.

White House Wants To Add New Racial Category For Middle Eastern People, at usatoday.com. Just what we need, another category in which to place individuals. Government does this so they can pit groups against each other, and then ride in as the peace maker.

Where The September Jobs Were: Secretaries, Waiters, Retail And Social Workers, at zerohedge.com. 150 thousand jobs have to be created each month to replace the 150 thousand jobs that are lost because of the natural market process of creative destruction. Since there were only 156 thousand jobs created in September, there was only a net gain of 6 thousand jobs.That’s a rounding error, not a recovery.

Part Time Jobs Soar, As Multiple Job Holders Surge To August 2008 Numbers, at zerohedge.com. A large number of the 156 thousand jobs created were part-time jobs. For my leftist friends who played politics and called high paying full-time jobs created during the Regan administration “hamburger flipper jobs”, I have news for you. These part-time jobs created during this Presidents recovery are literally “hamburger flipper’ jobs. Full time jobs actually declined. If the same person holds two of these part-time jobs, each job counts as a job created. I have a question: If fewer people are working fewer hours at jobs that are less productive, ergo producing less wealth, is this a robust recovery or is this recovery a bust?

Spain Is Without A National Government – And Spaniards Are Digging It, by Joseph T. Salerno, at mises.org. Gridlock has stopped the Spanish government in its tracks as no new legislation is being passed. Believe it or not, everything is proceeding smoothly. Markets work, government muck up the works. Excerpt from the article: “The lesson has been pithily summed up by Felix Pastor, a language teacher, who states: “No government, no thieves.” Mr. Pastor believes that, without politicians around to inflict more harm, Spain could last without a government “Until hell freezes over.”

Too Big To Fail. The EU Proposes Tax Payer Funded Derivatives System Bailout, at zerohedge.com. Deutsche Banks $40 TRILLION derivatives problem is too big to be made whole by bailing in their depositors money. They will need tax payer money to back up (bail out) the bad investments Deutsche made. Deutsche will never suffer the consequences of their bad decisions, creating even more moral hazard than existed before.

The Heroic Central Banker Who Has Rejected Keynesianism, at economicpolicyjournal.com. Russian central banker, Elvira Nabiullina swims against the Keynesian current that all other central bankers float with. She thinks economic growth comes from actual savings (investment) and increasing productivity. Not from printed money and artificially low interest rates. Can we trade Janet Yellen and three central bankers to be named later for Elvira Nabiullina?

THE FBI, STATE DEPARTMENT, DOJ, AND MEDIA ARE BIASED TOWARD THE RULING ARISTOCRACY

FBI Agreed To Destroy Laptops Of Clinton Aids With Immunity Deal, at tammybruce.com. The breakdown of the rule of law. Who trusts the FBI after their actions in the investigation, (or lack of investigation) into Hillary’s Email crime. The FBI will never take down the status quo, because they want more power.

State Department Looses Smoking-Gun Clinton Greek Bond Insider-Trading Email, at zerohedge.com. The breakdown of the rule of law. Does anyone believe these Emails are lost? The State Dept. is covering up for the status quo.

Hillary Campaign Admits Hillary Used Same Tax Avoidance “Scheme” As Trump, at zerohedge.com. An example of corruption and bias in the media. I want both sides to be treated the same. I want both candidates to be treated like the main stream media treats Trump. I want Trump and Hillary to be treated as if everything they say is a lie.

Obama Justice Dep. Drops Case Against Arms Trader, After He Threatened To Expose Obama and Hillary’s Role In Arming Libyan Rebels, at dailymail.co.uk. The breakdown of the rule of law. The Justice Department, like the FBI will never take down the status quo, because they are a part of the status quo.

 

CARTOONS

Political Cartoons by Glenn McCoy

Political Cartoons by Mike Lester

Political Cartoons by Jerry Holbert

The Breakdown Of The Rule Of Law

June 22, 2016

The breakdown of the rule of law leads to a breakdown of a civil society.

We define the rule of law as general rules, known in advance, and pertaining to the rulers as well as the ruled. Unfortunately the rule of law does not deter our politicians and government betters. They make micro managing laws that are so numerous we can’t possibly know them in advance. They act as a ruling aristocracy who are above the laws they make.

When we the masses don’t know the rules of the game, on the one hand, and see our rulers getting away with breaking them, on the other, we start to push back. At first we use our 1st amendment rights to free speech and peaceably to assemble, and petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The problem starts to escalate when this doesn’t produce a desired result. We then start to resist slowly at first. This leads to an escalation on the side of Government which than leads to a reciprocal escalation by us. We are now in an upward spiral of resistance – response – resistance.

Americans don’t like to be told what to do. Each person has a different level of tolerance toward Government coercion. More and more people are reaching their limit and we are witnessing the push back.

Although government has been usurping power for a century, it has really increased under the last three Presidents. President Obama has expanded the power of government more than Bush did and Bush expanded it more than Clinton did. The number of laws on the federal registry has grown so large, a motivated government lawyer can dig deep enough in the federal registry and find a law that you have broken. Where will this lead? I hope it can be resolved peacefully.

SOME EXAMPLES

Oklahoma Cops Find A New Way To Take People’s Money, at huffingtonpost.com. As bad as civil asset forfeiture laws are, this escalates it exponentially. The ability to seize assets by scanning a persons debit and bank cards at the spot of the arrest is against the fourth and fifth amendments of the Constitution.

4thThe right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath of affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

5thNo person shall……. be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law;…..

People will not stand for this.

Ex Missouri Cop Gets 4 Years For Tasering Teen and Dropping Him On His Face, at kansascity.com. Watch this video. This teens heart stopped because the cop held the taser on him for more than 20 seconds. This was far longer than what his training taught him. He than cuffed and dragged the teen to the curb where he dropped him face first on the concrete. The teen was put into an induced coma to relieve brain damage. Read the details in the article and watch the video.

In war some of the rules of engagement tell our military guys they are not allowed to fire until fired upon. This is in a war zone. What are the rules of engagement for police? Shouldn’t it be at least what our military guys have to fight under? Police aren’t in a war zone even though we are constantly told they are. My friend retired early from law enforcement because he couldn’t believe that the new officers were being taught that everyone was a criminal. When he got in law enforcement he was taught that he was there to serve the public.

The cop in this video escalated this situation right from the start. He tried to intimidate this teen and look what happened. I know this sounds like Monday morning quarterbacking but he went all tough guy right away and there is no turning back once he decided to travel down that road. If you start out in a non threatening way, you can always escalate to another level.

At some point either the cops or we have to stop this upward spiral of resist – response – resist.

Watch the video below. The child was treated better by the gorilla than teen was treated by the cop.

 

What The IRS Just Revealed Should Start A Wave Of OUTRAGE, at allenwest.com. The IRS used its power to keep people from exercising their rights to “peaceably assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances“. Everyone is afraid of the IRS, ergo they can intimidate people easily. Even though working for the IRS isn’t a political position, there is an incentive for the IRS to protect big Government from anyone who wants to shrink it. Because if it wasn’t for big Government there would be no need for the IRS. Lois Lerner should be in jail, not enjoying her 6 figure “retirement” on the tax payers dime.

Wake Up America, by Andrew Napolitano, lewrockwell.com. Excerpt from the article. “Now the FBI wants access to everyone’s internet browser history, as long as its agents are looking for spies or terrorists; and again, it proposes that rather than present probable cause to a judge and seek a warrant as the Fourth Amendment requires, one FBI agent can be authorized to issue a search warrant to another.” Our congress is about to give the FBI this power! I’m reminded of a quote by Joseph Sobran; “The Constitution is no threat to our current form of government.”

Ugly Bloody Scenes In San Jose As Protesters Attack Trump Supporters Outside Rally, at washington.com. These are not protests against Trump (which are protected by the 1st amendment). These are rioters who are physically assaulting individuals and damaging private property, which is against the law. The cops stood and watched. Americans normally don’t act like this. This is how third world countries settle disputes.

Is the rule of law breaking down? You be the judge.

 

Related ArticlePolitical Correctness, A Civil Society, And The Rule Of Law, at austrianaddict.com.

Political Correctness, A Civil Society, And The Rule Of Law

November 10, 2015

In my previous post we talked about how political correctness produces petulant people. Here is an example of what we talked about. In this video a person from the media is taking pictures of the protests at the University of Missouri. The students, and what appear to be adults, don’t like him being there. The interaction between the reporter and the people in the crowd is instructive in understanding the mentality of the crowd. I see two different kinds of people in the crowd. Some are acting like children, and others are acting like union guys on a picket line trying to intimidate a scab laborer.

It’s impossible to reason with ignorant children because there is no starting point on which to agree. And the only way to deal with bullies is to stand up to their intimidation. Unfortunately you can’t educate ignorance if the ignorant don’t want to be educated, and standing up to bullies can ultimately lead to a physical confrontation.

The reporter in the video shows us how difficult it is to educate ignorance and stand up to bullies. I tip my hat to his courage. Here is what he says to an ignorant lady who won’t listen, “Ma’am , ok ma’am, the first amendment, ma’am, ma’am, Don’t yell at me ma’am. The first amendment protects your right to be here, and mine.” Of course she didn’t hear him or wouldn’t listen to what he said.

Then the union like bullies try to intimidate him, and when he doesn’t back down they push a little harder.

Make sure you watch the last 20 seconds of the video to see how an “adult” acts when a different reporter tells her he doesn’t have to move. She says, “You need to get out, you need to get out, you need to get out, you need to get out.” Doesn’t that sound like a child repeating I want my mommy, I want my mommy, I want my mommy. Then she yells to the crowd, “Hey, who wants to help me get this reporter out of here. I need some muscle over here.” She showed she was childish and a bully.

CIVILIZED SOCIETY AND THE RULE OF LAW.

A civilized society can only function when there are behavioral standards that are accepted by a majority of its members. These standards are not top down rules from government, like the PC crowd wants to impose on people. These behavioral standards (how we treat each others), are passed down from previous generations. These societal norms evolved spontaneously over time because acting a certain way produced more cooperation and less conflict.

The break down of the rule of law is causing what we are seeing happen from Baltimore to the University of Missouri. If the rule of law is defined as “general rules, known in advance, and applying to the rulers as well as the ruled”. Than the breakdown of the rule of law is caused by government making laws that are micro managing, so numerous we can’t possibly know them in advance, and not applying to the rulers, only to the ruled.

As more rules are passed, Government power grows. As this power increases, individuals outside of government, begin to see opportunities to lobby bureaucrats and politicians to achieve their goals.

It’s not just the PC crowd who want to use government to push an agenda. People from crony capitalists, to environmental crazies, are trying to use the power of government law making to force others to comply with their ideas.

What we are seeing is the correction for giving the government too much power. The best possible solutions for most of our problems, or perceived problems, are not found in one size fits all decisions by third party Government bureaucrats and politicians. The best possible solutions to problems are revealed when individuals voluntarily cooperate. We have traveled so far down this road that I fear the correction will have a high cost in strife between people. I hope I’m wrong.

Related articlePolitical Correctness Produces Petulant People, at austrianaddict.com.

Related ArticleThe Result Of The Break Down Of The Rule Of Law, at austrianaddict.com.

Related ArticleAbuses Of Power By Individuals In Government, at austrianaddict.com.

 

What’s The Rule Of Law, by Walter E. Williams

December 16, 2014

Walter E. Williams recent article asks the question, What’s The Rule Of Law (read here)?

If the rule of law is defined as 1) general rules, 2) known in advance, and 3) applying to the rulers as well as the ruled; than the breakdown of the rule of law is caused by government, 1) making laws that are micro managing, 2) so numerous we can’t possibly know them in advance, and 3) not applying to the rulers, only to the ruled.

When our Government betters think of themselves as being exempt or above the law, and act in a way that flaunts this attitude, regular people will start to push back against such lawlessness by disregarding laws. (There are examples in the related articles below). Here are some excerpts from the article by Dr. Williams.

“President Barack Obama said just before the recent Ferguson, Missouri, riots, “First and foremost, we are a nation built on the rule of law.” Most Americans have little or no inkling of what “rule of law” means. Many think it means obedience to whatever laws legislatures enact. That’s a vision that has led to human tragedy down through the ages…….
“Let’s ask ourselves what the characteristics of laws in a free society should be. Let’s think about baseball rules (laws) as a way to approach this. Some players, through no fault of their own, hit fewer home runs than others. In order to create baseball justice, or what’s sometimes called a level playing field, how about a rule requiring pitchers to throw easier pitches to poorer home run hitters? Alternatively, we could make a rule that what would be a double for a power hitter is a home run for someone who doesn’t hit many homers…….
“You say, “Williams, you can’t be serious! Can you imagine all the chaos that would ensue: players lobbying umpires, umpires deciding who gets what favor, and lawsuits — not to mention violence?” You’re absolutely right. The reason baseball games end peaceably — with players and team owners satisfied with the process, whether they win or lose — is that baseball rules (law) are applied equally to all players. They’re fixed, and umpires don’t make up rules as they go along. In other words, baseball rules meet the test of “abstractness.” They envision no particular game outcome in terms of winners and losers. The rules that govern baseball simply create a framework in which the game is played……”
“Laws or rules in a free society should have similar characteristics………. Laws envision no particular outcome except that of allowing people to peaceably pursue their own objectives. Finally, and most importantly, laws are equally applied to everyone, including government officials”.

 

Related ArticleThe Break Down  Of The Rule Of Law, at austrianaddict.com.

Related ArticleThe Result Of The Breakdown Of The Rule Of Law, at austrianaddict.com.

Related ArticleThe Ruling Aristocracy Does Not Abide By The Rules They Impose On The Serfs, at austrianaddict.com.

The Break Down Of The Rule Of Law

September 18, 2014

Law book library - stock photo

The rule of law is defined as, 1) general rules, 2) known in advance, 3) applying to the rulers as well as the ruled. How does the break down of the rule of law happen? Because there are too many rules to even count, the “general rules” part of the definition of the rule of law doesn’t exist. The increasing amount of rules makes it impossible to know them in advance. But the third part of the definition, applying to the rulers as well as the ruled, is the part that is starting to bother people. Abuses of power and corruption by individuals who are protected by their positions of power in Government are starting to result in a push back by the public.

Here are a couple of examples of Government agents abusing power.

1) TSA Officer Tries To Search Passenger After He Lands At Denver Airport.

This guy did a great job and could have walked away a minute before he did.

 

2) A Lesson In Police Escalation (here), at economicpolicyjournal.com.

If the cop was an NFL player and did this, he would be out of a job.

The result of what we see happening in the above clips will be a natural push back by the average citizen. The passenger walking away in the video above is an example of push back. We should all start peaceful non compliance because if we don’t, it will escalate into what you will see in these videos below. Both sides have to dial it back, because the cost of settling our differences through mob (thug) rule, on both sides, will be greater than if we settle our differences before we get to mob rule.

3) Angry Mob Throws Ukrainian Politician In Dumpster.

I can’t say I didn’t get a chuckle out of this video.

 

4) Airline Passengers Throw Elitist Politicians Off Plane, (here), at economicpolicyjournal.com.

A planes departure time was delayed for two hours as the crew waited for two Pakistani politicians to arrive. The passengers were so upset, they forced the politicians off the plane. I got a kick out of this one too.

These videos show each group using force against the other. The police side uses the sanctioned force of government, to enforce non general rules, that are not know in advance, and don’t apply to the rulers but must be obeyed by the ruled. The citizenry uses the perceived power of a larger group of people who are not going to back down. How far will this escalate before Government gives up a huge portion of it’s power?

Related ArticleThe Ruling Aristocracy Doesn’t Abide By The Rules They Impose On The Serfs, by austrianaddict.com.

Related ArticleThe Result Of The Break Down Of The Rule Of Law, by austrianaddict.com.

 

 

 

 

Must Reads For The Week 8/23/14

August 22, 2014
The pen is mightier than the sword...

 The pen is mightier than the sword… (Photo credit: mbshane)

WHEN MARKETS ARE ALLOWED TO WORK, CONSUMERS WIN.

Jamie King Took An Uber Car To Give Birth, Youtube Video From Late Night With Conan O’Brien. Actress Jamie King said, “I know that they say they’re three minutes away, and an ambulance, you don’t know. So I can rely on Uber. I took an Uber there.” Satisfied customers are the reason Uber will succeed.

Peer-To-Peer Lending Is Poised To Grow, by Yuliya Demyanyk, at clevelandfed.org. New technology is bringing buyers and sellers together more efficiently.

TeVido BioDevices 3D-Prints Skin And Fat Grafts For Breast Cancer Survivors, by Sara Ines Calderon, at techcrunch.com. 3-D printing using fat and skin for grafts “that stay alive and not need to be redone over time”. Truly unbelievable.

UNTIL GOVERNMENT  KNOWS WHATS BEST FOR CONSUMERS.

Salt Lake City Slaps Rideshare Drivers With $6,500 Fines, by Lee Davidson, at sltrib.com. Government regulation is the only thing that can harm Uber.

GLOBAL WARMING?

Winnipeg Still Dealing With 18 Metre Snow Pile In August, by Josh Elliott, at ctvnews.ca. Street maintenance manager Jim Berezowsky said, “… this year, he’s seeing more snow than usual. “It is significantly higher than in years past… “We didn’t receive the extreme heat that we usually do.”

Global Warming Computer Models Confounded As Antarctic Sea Ice Hits New Record High, by David Rose, at dailymail.co.uk. Since  Global Warming disciples can’t get the weather cooperate with their models, they’ll  have to use propaganda to make their global warming models fit every weather event.

US Having Coolest Summer On Record, at stevegoddard.wordpress.com. We have to start pumping more greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere in order to get temperatures back up to “normal” levels.

GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE

Today’s Surveillance Society Beyond Orwellian, at libertypenblog.blogspot.com. Why are individuals in Government making the internet a surveillance apparatus? Because big Government attracts and produces individuals who are “unscrupulous and uninhibited” which are both totalitarian tendencies.

California “Kill Switch” Bill Could Be Used To Disrupt Protests, by Jake LaPerruque, at cdt.org. I saw this at libertypenblog.blogspot.com. Politicians and bureaucrats don’t like an informed citizenry.

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT FERGUSON MISSOURI

*This is starting to remind me of the Duke rape case. It fits a preconceived narrative, until the facts finally come out.

*Why did the race hustlers and the media pick this particular story. Why didn’t they pick this story, Michael Blair Shot by Police in Fort Bend County Texas (watch video). {Family calls for help after their mentally ill son locks himself in the bathroom threatening to hurt himself}

*The break down of the rule of law starts when politicians and bureaucrats ignore the law that they mandate the citizens follow.  Citizens will start to defy the law, and a gradual escalation starts on both sides. This didn’t just start last week.

*It’s hard to believe anyone in this situation is telling the truth. The truth is the foundation not just of how we interact with each other, it is the foundation of our ethics, our morals, and the rule of law. When the foundation collapses, so does the structure that is built on it.

*Politicians, bureaucrats, and journalists are trying to separate us into as many groups as possible in order to pit us against each other. This allows them to control us by controlling the narrative. We have to understand that there are two and only two groups; 1) politicians and bureaucrats who have access to the sword government power, and 2) we who are expected to obey the sword of Government power. The American Revolution was fought to give the individual sovereignty over the Government. This has been flipped upside down, and it’s time to flip it back.

 

152392 600 Ferguson Truth cartoons

Must Reads For The Week 8/16/14

August 16, 2014
The pen is mightier than the sword...

 The pen is mightier than the sword… (Photo credit: mbshane)

Institute For Justice Takes On Unconscionable ‘Forfeiture Machine,’ That Turns Cops And Prosecutors  Into Robbers, by Mark J. Perry, at aei-ideas.org. People get worn down by the States bureaucratic maze and deep pockets. People who haven’t committed a crime give up rather than continuing the fight. This is another example of the break down of the rule of law.

Support Shaneen Allen, at economicpolicyjournal.com. Shaneen Allen got a concealed carry permit in Pennsylvania because she got robbed twice last year coming home from work. After getting pulled over in New Jersey for a traffic violation, she told the officer she had a concealed carry permit and a gun, not knowing the Pennsylvania permit wasn’t recognized in New Jersey. She now faces three years in prison. The Judge, and the cop, told her telling the truth got her in trouble. The moral of the story: Don’t volunteer information to cops, it can and will be used against you.

US Postal Service: Over $47 Billion In Losses In The Past Decade And Counting, at zerohedge.com. “Neither snow not rain nor heat nor operating in the red…..” Even though the Post Office is a Government agency, it is an example of how a crony capitalist business works. It generates revenue, but not enough to cover it’s costs and therefore must be subsidized by tax payers. Where as the Post Office started as a Government agency, a crony capitalist business starts as a free market entity and lobbies government for help via subsidy and regulation.

Creating Disrespect For The Law, by Milton Friedman, at libertypenblog.blogspot.com. This short video is from Milton Friedman’s 1980 Free To Choose series on PBS. The last half of the  video about the lady starting her own mail delivery service is interesting considering the above article.

District Drops Federal Lunch Program, by Jessica Brown, at cincinnati.com. The Federal Government gets people addicted to federal money just like a drug pusher gets someone addicted to heroin. Fort Thomas Independent schools in Kentucky was able to kick the heroin addiction. The lure of federal tax dollars is too tempting for most school districts to resist.

Remember When Obama Promised He Would Not Take Vacations If Elected President, youtube video. I don’t have any problem with Presidents, congressmen, and senators taking vacations. In fact, I wish all of them would take a 365 day vacation every year. No laws would get passed which means we would not loose anymore freedom, resulting in the country functioning better. This video also shows it’s easier being a candidate for President, than actually being the President.

NYC Taxi Medallion Prices Have Flat Lined For The Last Year, ‘ The Uber Effect‘, by Mark J. Perry, at aei-ideas.org. Competition from ride sharing services, Uber and Lyft, is breaking the Taxi Cartel in NYC.

Markets In Everything: A Sharing Service Like Lyft for Moving, by Mark J. Perry, at aei-ideas.org. Buddytruk provides a moving and hauling service using the same concept that Lyft and Uber use in providing ride sharing services.

Renewable Energy Is Not Working, by Matt Ridley, at rationaloptimist.com. Renewable (green) energy, even with subsidies, is more expensive and less reliable than carbon based fuels. Government tax payer subsidies are the only thing that is keeping this uneconomical idea propped up.

The Welfare State Summarized In One Cartoon, at zerohedge.com. Will the producers be able to keep pushing more and more people uphill?

https://i0.wp.com/www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user3303/imageroot/2014/08/20140812_welfare.jpg

Must Reads For The Week 7/26/14

July 26, 2014
The pen is mightier than the sword...

 The pen is mightier than the sword… (Photo credit: mbshane)

‘Guns Are Welcome”  At One Restaurant, Bucks A Trend, by Zach Noble, at theblaze.com. After seeing a story about a restaurant being robbed two days after posting a ‘No Weapons Allowed’ sign; Sharma Floyd posted a ‘Guns Are Welcome’ sign at her restaurant. The result was an increase in business.

Psych Patient Shoots Two At Hospital, Doctor Returns Fire And Stops Shooter, at philly.com. Here is an excerpt from the article, “It was not clear why Silverman, a doctor for nearly 25 years, was armed at the office. Bernice Ho, a spokeswoman for Mercy Fitzgerald, said Thursday it was against hospital policy for anyone other than security guards to carry weapons.”  Yeadon chief of Police Donald Molineux said Silverman, “without a doubt saved lives.”  Thank God Dr. Silverman disobeyed hospital policy and had a weapon. I bet it’s a 50/50 chance the Dr. will get in trouble for breaking the rule, because the anti gun crowd lacks any common sense.

White House ‘Quietly’ Exempts 4.5 Million People In 5 “Territories” From Obamacare, at zerohedge.com. American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Marina Islands, and Virgin Islands were exempted from Obamacare because the cost of health care in these U.S. Territories was rising due to Obamacare. How can a State become a territory of the United States? It seems to be a much better deal.

To Make Elite Schools ‘Fair”, City Will Punish Poor Asians, at economicpolicyjournal.com. The admission process at New York’s specialized High Schools is being challenged by the NAACP in a civil-rights complaint against competitive admissions testing that has been around for 70 Years. The group that will be hurt most will be the growing  poor Asian-American immigrants whose kids do very well on the tests. When will these social engineers understand that people’s abilities can’t be made equal. You can’t produce a photo finish in a race by starting slower runners in front of faster runners, or by making faster runners wear a weighted vest. Can’t the social planners let each individual succeed or fail to whatever degree he chooses to define success or failure? Read the C.S. Lewis quote in my quote section.

The Administration Wants Economic Patriotism From Companies Dodging Taxes, at lasvegassun.com. Here is an excerpt from the article. “The President demanded ‘economic patriotism’ from U.S. companies who use legal means to avoid taxes and regulation through overseas mergers. “I don’t care if it’s legal”, Obama said, “It’s wrong”. The corporate tax rate in the U.S is one of the highest in the world. Of course these companies are going to try to legally pay as little tax as possible just like every other red blooded American does every April 15. The treasury is estimated to lose $17 billion over the next decade if the policy continues. That’s not even $2 billion a year, which is nothing compared to the Feds open market money laundering policy of printing 100’s of billions of dollars and purchasing government debt.

Man Chocked To Death by NYC Police For Selling Illegal Cigarettes, by Liz Klimas, at theblaze.com. and Young Girl Assaulted by Three Cops For Breaking Curfew, at libertypenblog.blogspot.com. The breakdown of the rule of law starts when our politicians and bureaucrats don’t have to comply with the law. As a result citizens are not as willing to comply with orders given by people in positions of authority who are lumped in with the bigger group of political and bureaucratic law breakers. Situations like these result in citizens having less trust in cops, and cops having less trust in citizens. You’ll see more and more of this if Government, laws, and regulations aren’t rolled back. On a side note, shouldn’t the President be in front of the cameras saying these cops “acted stupidly”, like he did when his friend, Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr, was arrested by police (read here)?

Three Kansas City Cops Stop To Play Pick Up Game, After Seeing Boys Playing Hoops In Street, by Jonathon M. Seidl, at theblaze.com. Since I just blasted cops, it’s only right that I post this article. I’d like to think most cops are probably like these guys. Where are the  Andy Griffiths.

My Letter To The Financial Times, London re: Eurozone Needs Quantitative Easing, by Partick Barron, at partickbarron.blogspot.com. Patrick Barron torpedoes a few myths about the benefits of Quantitative Easing in one short paragraph.

Bordering On Madness, by Thomas Sowell, at jewishworldreview.com. Thomas Sowell’s analysis of the border situation, immigration policy, and cultures. This is Dr. Sowell at his best.

General Patton’s Summer of 1944, by Victor Davis Hanson, at victorhanson.com. I’ve always been interested in WWII because my Uncle was in the 82nd Airborne. He fought in the D-Day invasion, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge. This article brought back some memories of my Uncle, and of the movie Patton which, came out when I was in High School.

 

 

 

Must Reads For The Week 7/12/14

July 12, 2014
The pen is mightier than the sword...

 The pen is mightier than the sword… (Photo credit: mbshane)

Border Patrol Agents Contracting Scabies, Agent Who Speaks Out, Given Cease And Desist Order, at benswann.com. The truth about the conditions in these detention centers is what individuals higher up the Government food chain don’t want anyone to find out. “Because I stood up and told the truth they are going to terminate me and I am going to fight it” says Agent Ron Zermeno. ‘He went on to say that his bosses are more worried about their promotions and their bonuses than protecting the country’. No matter what side of this issue you are on, can we all agree that politicians and bureaucrats in Government have made a complete mess of the situation because politics trumps logic and reason.

ER Use Skyrocketing With Obamacare, by Ed Morrissey, at hotair.com. Once again the unintended (or possibly intended) consequences of Government intervention in the free market rear their ugly head. Prices coordinate supply and demand. but when Government policies incentivise demand and constrain supply, well you figure it out.

The New US Tax Form, at zerohedge.com. This is supposed to be a bit of humor,but the question has to be asked: if individuals in the IRS don’t have to comply with the law, why would anyone expect the rest of us to comply with the law? The break down of the rule of law happens incrementally over a long period of time, and then at some point the marginal straw finally breaks the camels back.

Finally A Loss For Socialist Kshama Sawant In Seattle, at economicpolicyjournal.com. Do Uber and Lyft realize this is just an incremental step toward more Gov. control, and not a win for the free market. Here is an excerpt, “There will be no cap on the number of for-hire drivers: We have deregulated a highly regulated monopoly,” Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said. It should be noted, though, that this step is far from a complete free market step. UberX and Lyft will now be part of a new government created cartel, that will limit others from entering the Seattle taxi industry. The city will only issue 200 new taxi licenses over the next four years. Taxi and for-hire drivers will see their licenses “transfer into a property right” on the order of New York’s valuable taxi medallions.” This reminds me of the analogy Walter E. Williams uses, This is like someone who comes into your yard, rips out your tulips and plants roses, and then gets you to argue the merits of tulips vs. roses, instead of you telling him he had no right to rip out your tulips in the first place.

Canada Pulls The Plug On Delayed Keystone XL Pipeline: Will Instead Send Oil To Asia Via A New Pipeline, by Mark J. Perry, at aie-ideas.org. How many jobs did the President sacrificed at the altar of radical environmentalism. These lost jobs are the unseen consequences that are results of every Government intervention. The benefit of the jobs and wealth that would be created out weighs the risk, not a guarantee, just a minimal risk of a possible environmental problem. The environmentalists are not willing to trade-off any amount of risk, no matter how small, for any amount of economic gain, no matter how big.

Yet Another Leak In The Establishment Ship, by Chris Rossini, at economicpolicyjournal.com. This information age brought about by technological innovation that couldn’t have been imagined 15 years ago,  is starting to over take the status quo propaganda outlets of the Government central planning crowd. News papers and TV news have been in decline for years. Now Hollywood’s influence along with the education monopoly are loosing their hold. As the article says, “this is a positive sign for liberty”.

Freedom Summed Up In One Image, at zerohedge.com. When I saw this sign, I thought it was parody from The Onion. This sign shows how people in positions of power will wield it, to try to control everything you do. They are smarter than you!

Leaving Illinois For Texas, by Mark J. Perry, at aei-ideas.org. Another example of unintended consequences of Government intervention. People are leaving States when the cost of regulation and taxes gets too high. People on the margin leave, and the with the next round of regulations the next group of people on the margin will leave, (as long as there is a lower cost place to escape to).

When Steelers Steal, by Christopher Westley, at mises.org. This is our heavy lifting for the day. Bastiat talked about ‘that which is seen, and that which is not seen’. This article shows the history of the steel industry through the lens of unseen consequences. Government intervention doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The affects of the intervention are like the expanding ripples from a rock being tossed into a pond.

A Typical Day For Southwest Airlines, at economicpolicyjournal.com. This is just Southwest Airlines shown on this time lapse video. What do the skies look like if all planes from all airlines were shown? Well here it is, A Day In The Life Of Air Traffic Over The United States.

45 Perfectly Timed Photographs, at induldged.com. These are outstanding. I saw this at angryid.wordpress.com.

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