Friday, July 29, 2011
Beware of Greeks (or politicans) advocating conformity.
Beware of people who tell you to "Get in line." It's much easier to gun people down, or march them off to the "showers," when they're standing in nice, neat little rows.
A Tyranny of "Good Guys"
The desire for power is not a vice that afflicts only "bad guys". Often "good guys" will attempt to acquire power in order to force their ideals on others (ostensibly for their own good) or else to keep power out of the hands of the "bad guys". Unfortunately, however, history bears out that "good guys" who seek power for these purposes often become the worst of the "bad guys" because they pursue their goals with the approval of their conscience.
"Good guys" that seek power for such aims are suspicious of anyone who stands in their way, viewing such people as either misled or else one of the "bad guys", but, either way, a threat to what is "good". They resent even being questioned. This is how dissenters become 'enemies of the State', and ultimately victims of its oppression, even when "good guys" are in charge. This is also why legislation such as the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act (among others) and the concepts that "unlawful enemy combatants" and "terror suspects" have, essentially, no rights at all, and that torture is really a good and necessary thing, are going to end up destroying the freedoms and enslaving the people they were ostensibly meant to protect.
The only thing that can protect freedom in the long run is a staunchly upheld separation of powers, emphasizing individuals rather than artificial entities such as the State (and unquestioning loyalty thereto).
One sure-fire way to tell when you're heading downhill fast under a tyranny of "good guys" is when they bristle at being questioned and demand the right to operate in secret. When this happens - as it is now happening - look out.
"Good guys" that seek power for such aims are suspicious of anyone who stands in their way, viewing such people as either misled or else one of the "bad guys", but, either way, a threat to what is "good". They resent even being questioned. This is how dissenters become 'enemies of the State', and ultimately victims of its oppression, even when "good guys" are in charge. This is also why legislation such as the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act (among others) and the concepts that "unlawful enemy combatants" and "terror suspects" have, essentially, no rights at all, and that torture is really a good and necessary thing, are going to end up destroying the freedoms and enslaving the people they were ostensibly meant to protect.
The only thing that can protect freedom in the long run is a staunchly upheld separation of powers, emphasizing individuals rather than artificial entities such as the State (and unquestioning loyalty thereto).
One sure-fire way to tell when you're heading downhill fast under a tyranny of "good guys" is when they bristle at being questioned and demand the right to operate in secret. When this happens - as it is now happening - look out.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
"No" - by Matt Hawes of Ron Paul's 'Campaign for Liberty'
http://www.campaignforliberty.org/profile/7788/blog/2011/07/28/no
Multiple sources reported yesterday that House Speaker John Boehner told Republican representatives to “get your a-- in line” and support his debt ceiling compromise during a meeting on Wednesday.
Why is the GOP leadership scrambling for support? Because they know the American people are outraged at yet another surrender and are putting historic pressure on Republican members to reject any business as usual proposal that will keep our country running full steam ahead toward economic disaster.
I hope you contact your representative today with one simple message. When threatened to “get in line” to support the statist quo and presented with the leadership’s plan today, tell them to just say “no.”
No to phony deals.
No to more debt.
No to more runaway spending.
No to selling out our futures so they can make an unpopular, desperate president happy.
To try to pacify those who actually want to solve our nation’s problems, the leadership put together a plan that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates will reduce the deficit by $917 billion.
Over the next ten years.
Meanwhile, they’ll let the President have a $900 billion increase in the debt ceiling – right away.
But wait! The leadership is bragging that their plan will reduce the Fiscal Year 2012 budget deficit by a whole $22 billion – in what’s expected to be an over $1 trillion deficit.
That is, frankly, insulting.
You know how you convince people to “get in line”?
You lead.
Real leadership wouldn’t require a panicked scramble that involves cursing at the people you courted to get power less than a year ago.
Real leadership wouldn’t require threatening your fellow members of Congress.
Real leadership during this economic crisis would inspire the American people, who would take care of putting the pressure on their elected officials because they would see that you were willing to fight for legitimate change.
Real leadership would follow Senator Rand Paul’s example by calling for at least $500 billion in cuts this year and an immediate, fundamental change in how government operates.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of being told I’m “extreme” because I think it’s fiscally responsible to drastically cut spending when we’re trillions of dollars in debt.
So, please, join me in contacting Congress to urge our representatives to oppose the House Republican Leadership’s so-called “plan.”
Over half a million Americans have “gotten in line” with the freedom message by joining Campaign for Liberty because they know we are fighting for solutions – not surrender.
If the House Republican Leadership expects people to join them, then they should start trying to give people something worth following.
Multiple sources reported yesterday that House Speaker John Boehner told Republican representatives to “get your a-- in line” and support his debt ceiling compromise during a meeting on Wednesday.
Why is the GOP leadership scrambling for support? Because they know the American people are outraged at yet another surrender and are putting historic pressure on Republican members to reject any business as usual proposal that will keep our country running full steam ahead toward economic disaster.
I hope you contact your representative today with one simple message. When threatened to “get in line” to support the statist quo and presented with the leadership’s plan today, tell them to just say “no.”
No to phony deals.
No to more debt.
No to more runaway spending.
No to selling out our futures so they can make an unpopular, desperate president happy.
To try to pacify those who actually want to solve our nation’s problems, the leadership put together a plan that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates will reduce the deficit by $917 billion.
Over the next ten years.
Meanwhile, they’ll let the President have a $900 billion increase in the debt ceiling – right away.
But wait! The leadership is bragging that their plan will reduce the Fiscal Year 2012 budget deficit by a whole $22 billion – in what’s expected to be an over $1 trillion deficit.
That is, frankly, insulting.
You know how you convince people to “get in line”?
You lead.
Real leadership wouldn’t require a panicked scramble that involves cursing at the people you courted to get power less than a year ago.
Real leadership wouldn’t require threatening your fellow members of Congress.
Real leadership during this economic crisis would inspire the American people, who would take care of putting the pressure on their elected officials because they would see that you were willing to fight for legitimate change.
Real leadership would follow Senator Rand Paul’s example by calling for at least $500 billion in cuts this year and an immediate, fundamental change in how government operates.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of being told I’m “extreme” because I think it’s fiscally responsible to drastically cut spending when we’re trillions of dollars in debt.
So, please, join me in contacting Congress to urge our representatives to oppose the House Republican Leadership’s so-called “plan.”
Over half a million Americans have “gotten in line” with the freedom message by joining Campaign for Liberty because they know we are fighting for solutions – not surrender.
If the House Republican Leadership expects people to join them, then they should start trying to give people something worth following.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Freedom Quote of the Day
"Freedom has ceased to be a birthright; it has come to mean 'whatever we are still permitted to do'." - Joe Sobran
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