On October 24, 2011 · Comments Off
Once again, GWOT Veterans are in the cross hairs of the very government they served to protect YOUR liberties… When you sit and read the articles, keep in mind how easy it would be to construe a wounded Veteran from recent operations in Iraq who loves to be prepared and live outdoors showing up at a surplus store. Having been wounded, and losing limbs, they can easily be ‘profiled’ according to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force handout as a domestic terrorist. This after MIAC, and the DHS Report in 2008. BOHICA!
David Codrea’s Gun Rights Examiner article: http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/fbi-adds-preppers-to-potential-terrorists-list?CID=examiner_alerts_article
PDF of the FBI handout to Colorado Surplus stores… ColoradoFBISurplusStore
On July 25, 2011 · Comments Off
After listening to President Obama’s speech about the need to increase the debt ceiling today, I’m pretty flabbergasted at the stupidity of some of the things he said. Primarily the idea that money was ‘spending money on tax cuts’. This is the dumbest thing I heard the President say during his speech. How do you spend money on tax cuts? What tax cuts are, is taking in less revenue to begin with, not spending said revenue. How do you spend more by taking in less income? It makes no sense to me, but then I’m not a Washington double speaker from Chicago.
A “Cuts only Approach” is certainly a solid plan. Our tax structure is fine, and if there is reform needed, its a flat tax in which 100% of the working population pays the exact same percentage of their income no matter how much they make… This has worked in European countries rife with corruption and debt to reduce both factors considerably (Estonia for example, less tax evasion as result of everyone paying the same percentage… Its honestly easier to enforce!). But I digress… I’m getting out of my own personal debt. Sure, I tried to increase my revenue by taking another job or two (part time), but that doesn’t work as well, in fact I suffer more tax consequences as a result of that due to the tax bracket I’m in and how much is with-held (or not, and will be due come next April, thank you State of Alaska Dept. of Forestry for not with holding like I filled out on my paperwork for you to do…). Since that didn’t work, I’m taking steps that are nothing less than that evil “Cuts Only Approach” the President so fears. For my personal debt, it makes no sense to keep spending money if I want out of debt and have the same income. The same applies to Governments. Money, unlike Diplomacy, works the exact same be it be the microscopic personal economics of my home budget; or the macroeconomic international economics of the US Government. You are only worth your Income minus Liabilities.
Currently, our nation (and sadly my personal budget) has more liabilities than income. Best way to fix the problem is get rid of the liabilities as increasing the revenue gained will result in more disasters economically. Why do we need so many redundant US government programs? Why not let the States do that much better? Why should the US bail out failed business models such as the US auto and banking industries which would be better left to go ‘bust’ and allow the well built companies to continue to thrive? TARP just drew out the economic pain longer. We should have let them fail, accepted the pain then, and found ourselves recovering now. Any time the government steps in to take over, whatever it touches is tainted.
Honestly, with the mission in Iraq about complete its time to get our guys out of there. In Afghanistan, we should leave a skeleton presence as any nation that has tried to ‘tame’ that nation has ended up collapsing… Time to just let the Afghani’s determine their own fate (and sadly, its going to end up going back to the Warlords, as it has just about every time in that nations history). Another reality, is why are we even bothering with Libya? Really, our NATO allies who have all just about failed in their NATO obligation to spend at least 2% of their GDP can worry about it, or not. Other than letting CIA loose, we need our troops home from that mission as well. If any region in Africa needs our attention, its the piracy problem off the coast of Somalia (fixed by arming the US Merchant Marine Sailors, and letting the Green Berets, Rangers, SEALs and CIA have a heyday in Mogadishu again…). On top of that, the Army and Air Force don’t need NASCAR vehicles running races wasting our dollars on the track for ‘recruiting’. There are indeed places we could cut the military budget without compromising the current operations that are critical to our nation’s security.
This along with other cuts across the board, to include all the pet projects that Congress created for their constituents… No more pork! Cut everything but the REAL essentials! Stop wasting money! Its simple stupid.
On July 8, 2011 · Comments Off
 May it be the beginning of another. However, I don’t have high hopes for that right now with the current administration and their hostility toward technological development. Sadly, space holds so much potential for mankind to develop those cleaner sources of energy our President holds so dear… But he goes ahead and pulls the plug on NASA without so much as a ready replacement for the Shuttle. Sure the Shuttle was obsolete once it was built with the technology creeping around the corner that turned into the X-30 and Boeing DC-X concepts. However, none of those made it (though DC-X was close!) to be accepted by the bureaucracy of NASA… Time for NASA to get out of the way of private industry and let the industry develop space. Time for the EPA to back off and accept that space flight is cleaner than their continued acceptance of Chinese built solar panels (since few factories can exist to build them cheap enough in the US). The DC-3 was built just before the Great Depression, aviation technology soared to great heights throughout the 1930′s because of private industry. Time to take this economic downturn and and use it as motivation to develop space. However, it would require a better tax structure that doesn’t penalize success, and it would require less red tape to put a payload into orbit through the EPA, NASA, and other governmental regulatory agencies that need to be cut.
Yesterday I indulged in a bit of vice in celebration of death; albeit a bit more solemnly than I have before (I didn’t forget the lesson I learned cheering the death of Saddam while I was in Iraq…). My cartoon was a bit graphic, but a clear reminder of human mortality, as any one of us could be the man with a bullet in the head lying dead in our homes. Be it a death from pointless murder, to dying on the field of war (which Osama certainly did); we are dust.
This morning, while my children were sleeping, I at the tender age of 28 finally smoked my first cigar. I don’t intend to make it a habit, and its unlikely I’ll do so again either. In much the same way I was happy about Bin Laden’s death, it started out tasting pretty good. Then, toward the end of the cigar, I got the woozy light headed feeling (perhaps I shouldn’t have drank coffee beforehand!). Wrath and smoking, two vices; one I’m more prone to out of human nature, the other a lesson learned.
What can I take away from such experiences? Well, I’m sure both Chaplains I knew during my deployments would get a chuckle out of my experience here once Confession was over. After all, I should not celebrate the death of another human being no matter how vile they may be. I think Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. best sums it up:
“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
After fighting in the GWOT, you come face to face with the two sides of killing. On the one hand there is knowing that people who are trying to kill you and your countrymen are dead and no longer a threat, and it brings about the positive emotions all related to the ‘job well done’ after an operation, firefight, or foiled IED emplacement. On the other side, you have the “Gee, I just watched a human body cool on the FLIR” or “There was is a person somewhere in that burning car, glad there isn’t much left to see or I might lose my lunch.” First the good taste, later the woozy light headed feeling and bitter taste of reality (which includes thoughts of your own mortality).
Already the pundits on both sides line up. On the one hand you have the people who are in the streets celebrating, and for the families of the 3,000+ killed in the WTC/Pentagon/Flt. 93 attacks, I’m not going to hold this against them. This is a day for closure for them. The man who was the primary suspect, and indeed confessed quite gloatingly, for masterminding and leading the men who carried out the attack is dead. A murderer faces justice, and dies by the tools of his own trade. I’m positive the SEAL or other Operator that killed Bin Laden is just as aware of how easily it could have been himself (and could be himself in the future). Then there are people lining up calling those out in the streets no better than terrorists themselves, this coming from the people who hate America anyway, so it comes as no surprise to me.
My cigar makes a good metaphor for my own emotions in this case. It started out tasting alright (it was a ‘cheap’ cigar after all, only $7.55, and thankfully it was a small one as well!), but by the end the taste and the smoke was getting to me a bit (yes, I just puffed at it and didn’t fill my lungs with it, otherwise I’d have been puking…). The aftertaste is especially bad, and therefore makes it a habit not worth indulging in on a regular basis. I’m glad an enemy is a threat no more, but his death really isn’t something to celebrate. It brings closure, but no real joy.
On May 1, 2011 · Comments Off
Thank you to all the men and women serving our Country that allowed this to happen. This is a historic day that will be remembered always.
–The P4N Team
On March 28, 2011 · Comments Off
“‘He understands what it takes for America to compete in the global economy,’ President Obama said of GE CEO Jeff Immelt, as he announced Immelt would chair the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.
On Friday, the NY Times reported that one trick Immelt employs to keep GE competitive is paying no American tax bill. In fact, GE claimed a 2010 tax benefit of $3.2B on worldwide profits of $14.2B, $5.1B of which came from US operations.
According to the NYT, GE’s extraordinary tax-avoidance success is based on an aggressive strategy that mixes fierce lobbying for tax breaks and innovative accounting that enables it to concentrate its profits offshore. GE’s giant tax department is led by a former Treasury official whose 975-member team includes former officials not just from the Treasury, but also from the IRS and virtually all the tax-writing committees in Congress. GE’s return to rock-bottom tax rates marks a dramatic reversal from the mid-80′s when President Reagan reacted to corporate accounting gamesmanship and supported a change that closed loopholes and required GE to pay a far higher effective rate, up to 32.5%.
‘That GE can almost set its own tax rate shows how very much we need reform,’ said Rep. Lloyd Doggett. ‘Our tax system should encourage job creation and investment in America and end these tax incentives for exporting jobs and dodging responsibility for the cost of securing our country.’”
The above post came from posting on slashdot.org. Minor edits/changes were made to clean it up
Today I ran across an individual who believed in ‘not participating’ in the political system, to the point of not even voting; and yet they lead a ‘Freedom Initiative’ movement that is working to audit the Federal Reserve (an action I do indeed agree with very much). However, Its my opinion that not voting, this person has indeed abdicated their citizenship and indeed for me their opinions regarding the Political Landscape in the United States. Not voting is turning over and ceasing to fight (rhetorically) and surrendering to the whim of whom ever is in charge; not voting and complaining about government is not only surrendering to the whim of such government, but complaining without doing any thing to positively effect said government.
As I go through the Constitution of the United States, I see the vote and participation of the Citizen a requirement for the maintenance of this Republic. In order to keep the Republic from slinking into simple “mob rule” of Athenian Democracy, the Founders established a Representative Democracy in the Legislative Branch of our Government through the House of Representatives. All bills involving revenue and its generation (taxation) must start in the House, the PEOPLEs Representatives chosen directly through the democratic process in each district based on population size in order to get the best representation possible across the land (and by no means perfect, and currently exploited in many cases sadly). In the beginning, until the 17th Amendment in 1912, our Senators were chosen by our State Legislators, this separated the democratic process from the direct democracy into the representative democracy that prevails through the rest of our government. Since we chose our State Legislators directly, they in turn would vote for the Senators based upon their obligations to their State Constituency. This created a bit more of a ‘refined’ wing to the Legislative Branch of government, as the Senate is where treaties and other affairs that affect Foreign Policy are decided. Now, we have more direct control over our Senators, and I can’t say its the best thing as now it seems we have greater mob rule in the Senate… But I digress, voting is still critical no matter if we vote directly for the Representative, or we elect a State Legislator to chose our Senator. Ben Franklin’s quote about maintaining the Republic comes to my mind on this issue.
While I find myself getting angry and blurting out “YOU DON’T VOTE? DON’T BITCH!” quickly followed by “Maybe we should remove your citizenship and turn you into a resident” I’m not going to actively seek to do that. No, the idea doesn’t make me a Fascist, those that think so should compare and contrast the Fascists to the Communists and re-assess. I’m not a Fascist, I’m a Federalist, and one that believes strongly in taking responsibility for the maintenance of my beloved Republic. While I rhetorically hammer folks for failing to do so, I have NO INTEREST in actually carrying it out. In many cases such shocking language is required to get some people to stop and think about their apathy and its impact. I’m furious at the 30% turnout at the polls during elections. My point with those conversations is to indeed get folks to get off their butts and out to the polls. Those who don’t believe in this cornerstone of this Republic should indeed be ashamed. Besides, when you cease to vote, no one needs to take your Rights as a citizen away from you, you just cast them aside yourself. All I do when I mention the heavy handed ‘stripping’ is point it out… And advocate for your protection as merely a resident.
When asked how would they would go about changing the government without voting, this person responded with the question of how can we change it with voting. What a stupid response. Its just an evasion, just like the very politicians we seek to remove from power by simply voting for someone else. Sure, voting isn’t the perfect way to ensure our government remains the protector of our natural God given rights, however it sure as hell beats a bloody removal from power of a dictator that takes years to really build up for. Every two years, we overthrow by force of the ballot, sections of our government be they local, state or federal. In a lot of cases, we keep the same people. Thats part of being a Representative Democracy (and if you don’t know what Representative Democracy is, you need to remove your head from your cranium and LEARN something, thereby becoming a better informed Citizen, and I daresay VOTER).
When we vote, and things don’t turn out our way, we have every right to be angry, and we still have recourse to express our opposing points of view. Even when a person is elected to an office, they have obligation to protect the rights of all their Constituents, no matter if they voted for them or not; and they are accountable to them. What we have witnessed here is the failure of many politicians to realize this duty to protect the rights of all Citizens; not the failure of Representative Democracy and the ballot box. Instead we have the perfect storm of Voter apathy, corruption of Government, and failure to fulfill duty. Because the Voter participates in the system, they have every reason to experience righteous indignation and anger. The non-participant, abdicates theirs by virtue of failing to partake in the most basic, and important, office of our nations government, Citizen.
Voting is, by its very nation, the Citizen applying force against the government. Force need not be violent and deadly like we first visualize when the word ‘force’ is used. Force of will is what it is. If the framers of our Constitution didn’t believe in the awesome responsibility of Citizenship and the power of the Ballot Box over Government, we’d have been left as peons and peasants with not ability to Vote from the get go of the Constitution. Peons and Peasants can’t vote, and are required to accept their lot in life and submit to the Citizens who can vote, hold property, and carry arms. Our Founders understood this well, and unlike the Roman Republic, and those that followed up until our Constitutional Convention, they worked to ensure all Americans were Citizens (even if the final draft conspicuously left the Slaves and Native Americans out of the picture… It is interesting to note that Ben Franklin went on to be one of the leading Abolitionists of his day… It was indeed a political concession in order to get the Southern States to ratify the final draft of the Constitution, that the process of Amendments was written in to support such changes).
For me, it is utterly alien to believe that Voting is trivial and pointless. The results vary greatly, however it is my obligation to vote. I feel compelled to vote, even though I know for certain that things might not always turn out exactly my way (300 million Americans, I’m sure not everyone thinks like I do…). Too many Flags over too many graves stones for me to not vote. But then, if you don’t think that American servicemen die to secure such Liberties, by all means, continue with your apathy and ignorance. If you don’t vote, how do you plan to change government and secure your rights? Revolution? Thats the way it seems some folks are going right now… After all, look at what those 14 Democratic State Senators did in Wisconsin… They knew they’d be defeated and just decided not to vote, jump state, and ensure the Unions had time to gather a storm of protestors with the intention of intimidating the peoples chosen representatives and governor into changing their minds about public employee collective bargaining.
To me, not voting is a cancer to this Republic. Its motivated by apathy, or anarchy. Neither is conducive to the continued health of this Republic.
On February 25, 2011 · Comments Off
Something tells me I won’t be serving on a jury anytime soon, or maybe I won’t be selected for a jury anytime soon in spite of being in the pool. Why you might ask? Well, I’m blogging and I’m all over Facebook as well… And cartooning… So, my opinions are out there, and with my views on the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Rule of Law I know some District Attorney (or even Public Defender/Defense Attorney) will likely seek to disqualify me from selection. From what I’ve read here in Network World News and the link to the Wall Street Journal its apparently the latest trend. Not only has the jury become rigged with Jury Consultants running around town looking at where potential jurors work, live, and even shop; now they go further by using the hacking technique called ‘social engineering’ (one of the oldest tricks in the book, predating computers by being around since the beginning of time).
You really can’t hammer these lawyers too badly, as some people (myself included, namely because I have a public blog where I post my opinions quite openly) don’t give a darn about privacy at all. Their Facebook and MySpace pages are open to the world. Lawyers, jury consultants, and even judges tend to exploit this in various ways (do read the articles…). I can’t say I’m too terribly depressed about not being hit with jury duty, and likely never going to get selected due to my views… But I’m also angry because of the manner in which these attorneys have found a loophole around the Constitution and the manner specified for jury selection that has been used for centuries. But then, they are attorneys, and folks post without thinking on Facebook (or they just don’t know about privacy settings and carefully picking their friends). I still find the idea of jury consultants disgusting, this doesn’t even allow for a truly random jury pool from the start in my opinion. Get rid of the consultants, let the attorneys dig on the Internet when they question the jurors in the courtroom!
Then we have states like Maryland (east coast Liberals, what else do you expect?!) which allowed their Department of Corrections to demand user names and passwords in order to keep a job?! While I don’t believe the ACLU really to have American Liberty at the heart of their organization, sometimes they do get things right in some cases (even a blind squirrel gets the nut sometimes…); especially in the case this case. Its one thing for an agency to have specific guidelines for social media (perhaps restricting access to it on State or Federal computer systems…), but its absolutely another to require that personnel turn over PRIVATE user names and passwords over for months at a time. Thats just pure exploitation. Thats just Big Brother Big Government right there for you (no matter the party name!).
On February 15, 2011 · Comments Off
…or MRARANOD (pronounced Murrrahh-NOD)!
15FEB2011
Yet another reason to follow El Al’s example of screening from the moment people show up at the airport and observing their actions up until they board instead of the screening we currently have in place now with the DHS TSA. Corruption was certainly bound to happen, and did in New Jersey.
“Michael Arato, 41, of Ewing also admitted Monday in federal court in Newark that he regularly stole from passengers who went through his checkpoint in Terminal B.
Prosecutors say Arato permitted a worker he supervised to steal between $10,000 and $30,000 in cash from travelers’ bags over a 13-month period. In exchange, the subordinate would give a portion of the money to Arato. The subordinate, who was not named, cooperated with the federal investigation that led to Arato’s arrest in October.”
The Middle East is definitely in the spotlight as of late with Egypt’s coup d’etat. Interesting how when Egypt has turned over the reigns of power to the Military and they suspend both parliament and the Constitution nobody on the Left in this country is screaming foul (like they did in Honduras back in 2009 when the military arrested the President after he attempted to be able to become President for life… parliament actually requested the Honduran military remove him from the country if I recall). However, there is indeed good signs coming out of some of the actions of Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, largely the Parliament was run by Mubarak supporters, and parts of the Constitution worked for Mubarak to rig elections… However, its still a situation to observe closely and skeptically based on historical precedent.
While Rick Francona doesn’t see the same religious undertones he saw in the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the possibility still remains for the Muslim Brotherhood to turn Egypt into an Islamic Republic. So far people are pretty positive about the Muslim Brotherhoods sincerity in creating, and allowing, other political parties; however many of us who have read about the Muslim Brotherhood and their history in the region remain skeptical. While they are all about democracy and the ballot box today, when they gain control tomorrow that remains to be seen. Democracy in its truest form is mob rule, whoever has the most votes DICTATES just as much as an autocratic dictator; this is why our country is a Constitutional Republic with a form of Representative Democracy with safeguards to protect minorities. Seeing how Islamic Republics like Iran, or the Taliban, ‘respect’ minorities such as Christians, Jews, tribal sects, and women; I’m remaining cautiously skeptical. Good things can certainly happen within Egypt, so long as the Muslim Brotherhoods dream of an Islamic Republic of Egypt is NOT realized. One of the primary concerns here is the Muslim Brotherhoods demands that the treaty with Israel is not recognized by any new regime… This to me is very telling that the party of reform in Egypt is also the party of war; that is the Muslim Brotherhood. I highly, highly, recommend folks read “The Looming Tower” by Lawrence Wright; the history of modern radical Islam in that book is enlightening (especially the relationship of the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Qaeda).
This movement has indeed emboldened many across the Middle East to do the same kinds of protests, and its fascinating to see whats going on in Iran. To me the silence of the American media and our current Administration is deafening. On the one hand, they covered Iran’s regimes mass demonstration in support of the Egyptian protests that toppled Mubarak (because Mubarak was an American supporter), yet on the other hand when the ‘chickens come to roost’ in Iran the Iranian government is seeking to crush them completely? Irony. Of course, you never saw the same level of support from Obama and the American Left for Irans protesters back in 2009, nor are we going to see the same level of support they gave Egypt this time as well. I believe that the current Administration needs to come out much more strongly in favor of the protesters in Iran, and do so publicly as a clear message that we aren’t going to play Iran’s nuclear game any more, nor are we going to accept their actions in the form of Hizbollah. We need to send a clear message that the current Islamic Regime is unacceptable and needs to be toppled. But that would require our government to grow a pair and wield the big stick that goes with talking softly. What ever happened to the idea of a war of liberation, or at least the threat of force to ensure liberation? If we do nothing, many more are going to die soon if we do little or nothing.
Got to love Doomsday scenarios… We are now an apocalyptic people, we all see apocalypse around us in our media; be it the zombie apocalypse (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Return of the Living Dead, and a whole host of clones and remakes), post nuclear apocalypse (Mad Max, Fallout 3, etc.), or biblical apocalypse (Left Behind, End of Days, etc..). New York has finally gone ahead and published a Doomsday ‘manual’! Really, its just a Public Health Legal Manual, a guide for Judges, Attorneys, and Public Health Professionals. What should be done is perhaps teaching their people how to be somewhat self sufficient… Or else when disaster hits the hordes of barbarians will raid and pillage those who have prepared and leave everyone starving. Its likely going to be a bloody mess of mobs and the Judges, Attorneys, and Public Health Professionals will likely be able to do too little to stop the chaos. It’ll be up to the people outside NYC to clean up the mess, most likely a disproportionate amount of American resources will be wasted trying to recover a dead NYC should an event of apocalyptic proportions affect NYC, thats the cost of most of the population not having to leave a three mile radius most of they’re lives (not to mention the proportion of welfare recipients who will suddenly cease to get any of it rather suddenly).
Perhaps what makes my head explode more is the fact that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) wants to end the practice of US Representatives living in their Congressional offices… Apparently, 33 Representatives who don’t leave the House when they are in Washington DC is ‘un-ethical’. They equate it being dorm rooms and frat houses? Apparently they believe it violates House Rules and and is an unreported tax benefit?! What planet are they on? I’m happy to see Representatives practicing some fiscal sense and not paying $2,000 a month to the Watergate Hotel for a one room suite! How much you want to bet Watergate is behind CREWs investigation?
On a more positive note, Soldiers love the XM-25 25mm ‘smart’ grenade launcher! Nothing like ‘smart’ grenades that explode overhead at specific distances needed by the soldier over the heads of stupid terrorists! Ballistic trajectories just got a heck of a lot more interesting!
On February 1, 2011 · Comments Off
A simple analysis would be to compare the Obama Administrations reaction to Egypts crisis right now to Carters response to Iran in the late 1970′s… There are some rather interesting comparisons. Namely a dictator who was supported by the West (namely the United States) for a time who became too inconvenient to support anymore (and honestly didn’t warrant much support in the first place…); and a revolt lead by Islamo-fascists hardliners. Neither are really desirable to support. Democratic revolts in the face of dictators are certainly something very satisfying to see happen as the will of the people is certainly what needs to be the mandate for a government to exist. However, certain organizations, in spite of democratic covers and front organizations, can swiftly destroy such mandates. They essentially become the very evil they overthrew. We’ve seen this during the French Revolution, and in every Communist Revolution from Russia to Cuba.
In Egypt, we have Mubarak instead of the Shah, and the Muslim Brotherhood instead of Islamic Revolution under Kohmeini. While the comparisons are largely superficial in regard to the exact circumstances, we shouldn’t under estimate the ramifications that this will bring between the US and Egypt, and indeed the view of Middle East toward the US. I can’t help but agree with Rick Francona that this isn’t going to end well for us no matter whom we support. This judgment is based on his experience in the Middle East with the DoD, DIA, and State Department; and his extensive background in understanding the Middle Eastern culture in all its various forms (Egyptian culture isn’t Saudi culture isn’t Persian culture…).
Once again, blood will pour out while our diplomats eat caviar and drink champaign thinking they are doing a wonderful job talking to other ‘diplomats’ who are charged with buying time for such killing to occur more efficiently for their masters. Lets not let history repeat itself… Mark my words, our lack of backbone in the Middle East and the idea that ‘engagement’ is best will do more harm than good in the next couple of years!
|
|
