Moving beyond misconceptions Comment threads on part I and part II were full of interesting insights. Well, comments around here nearly always are. But these were interesting for the mix of wisdom and folly they contained — both held with equal passion. When I challenged people (sarcastically, I admit) to point me toward a single local government that consistently and reliably obeyed the law, respected individuals, and kept within its bounds, people responded with exactly the sort of examples that proved my point. Yes, you can demonstrate that when local governments become sufficiently corrupt and abusive, angry voters will rise…
Category: Government
Government evils — but I repeat myself
This wasn’t actually intended as part of the “Responsibilities” series. But it’s related and I had to get it off my chest. So consider it a mini rant within the larger rant, an interlude, or whatever you like. —– I have a question for the folks who are always saying we can end tyranny (or corruption or government overspending) by a) keeping an eagle eye on “our” politicians and b) voting the rascals out of office. Ready for the question, you advocates of politician-watching? Here goes: The governments of your city and your county are as uncorrupt and responsible as…
First they came for the … One of the hardest things about living in a police state is watching other people be crushed by state power and feeling unable to do a thing about it. We read Pastor Neimoeller’s famous lines as a warning to ourselves. But really, there’s not much chance of heeding the warning in a way that changes anything — except perhaps for the worse. If the police state is as ruthless (and as popular among the citizens) as Hitler’s, speaking out is only likely to get the speaker rounded up along with all the other “enemies…
“Relevant stakeholders in the Second Amendment debate” my Aunt Fanny … Judge dismisses lawsuit against the TSA citing … wait for it … “a secret order issued by the TSA.” I marveled the other day that these days we take spying on innocents for granted. Yeah, and secret laws and orders, too. Well, that’s how it is when you live in a police state. (Tip o’ hat to D.) The lightbulb of the future? It doesn’t have to be a mercury-filled coil that induces headaches and adds 10 years to your appearance. “10 Reasons I’m Canceling My Credit Cards by…
When rumors of this started circulating a few days ago, I thought it was probably conspiracy-theory hysteria. But it now appears more likely that the fedgov (and specifically the Dodd-Frank bill) has made over-the-counter trading in precious metals illegal for Americans I don’t know the implications of this. I don’t think anybody does, at this point, but this sort of trading is seriously over my poor hermitty head. The restrictions do not apply to physical buying or holding of gold or silver, though. We the Free and the Brave are still “allowed” to do that. I hope that -S and…
I’ve had the good fortune over the last couple of years to preview and comment on bits of James Bovard’s funny and politically astute memoir (so far untitled and still in progress). Bovard, OTOH, has had the misfortune to be on the receiving end of my perpetual whine, “So when are you finally going to publish the darned thing, Jim? Huh? Huh? When?” Well, it looks as if the first “leak” is out. The Wall Street Journal (of all unexpected pubs) has run Jim’s account of his slacker summer on a slacker road crew.
In case you missed this … I usually take these things with a grain of salt. We’ve just seen a lovely example of how embarrassingly fallible predictions of doom can be. But John Williams of Shadowstats is the very definition of credibility, so it’s worth taking a new look at his most recently updated predictions for hyperinflation. In a word, he says: SOON. Within the year. Here’s Silver’s take on Williams’ report. And Williams’ report in full. —– Have you also noticed that we’re hearing the term “stagflation” again — meaning an economy that’s going nowhere while prices soar? Well,…
Yegads. It’s enough to drive even a dedicated “creators’ rights” person into the anti-IP camp. From W.K. (who also wonders if one can make a living coming up with euphonious acronyms for bad laws) — meet the proposed “PROTECT-IP” Act. You can just call it (as they do on Ars Technica’s Law & Disorder Blog) the Revised Net Censorship Act: The PROTECT IP Act makes a few major changes to last year’s COICA legislation. … But what the PROTECT IP Act gives with one hand, it takes away with the other. While the definition of targeted sites is tighter, the…
Well. That didn’t take long. Vanity Fair decrees that anybody who doesn’t believe the fedgov’s every word on the death of Osama Bin Laden is a member of the tinfoil hat brigade. I don’t know what really happened. You don’t know what really happened. But we’re apparently nuts simply because … get ready for it … we suspect the federal government doesn’t always tell the exact, absolute truth about everything! Remember yesterday’s moronic economic analysis from the Washington Post? I think there’s a conspiracy between that guy and this NY Times opinionator. Two people just can’t be that stupid in…