Questions from Facebook

Below are two questions which came up in a recent Facebook conversation, and my responses. Let me know what you think:

"I don't see the connection between hunting down international terrorist criminals and funding wars and keeping armies everywhere on the globe."

The connection is this: we are not confronting "terrorist criminals," we are confronting war criminals who use terrorist attacks. These are people who deliberately and indiscriminately cause massive civilian casualties; who use children and the mentally disabled as unwitting human delivery systems; who commit military actions not only using civilian populations as shields but without a uniform to distinguish them from the civilians.
All of these are war crimes, and war crimes are dealt with by the military. Personally, I would be just as happy if Obama whole-heartedly committed the American Armed Forces to this attack and just finished it, rather that sending half the troops he's asked for in order to prolong the crisis for his own political gain. But, I knew better than to vote for him. As for keeping forces around the world--who else is doing anything useful?

"Has it decreased radicalism?"

"Radicalism" isn't a problem. Firstly, because people should be free to believe whatever they want--we aren't the thought police. It is ACTION which must be answered with action. Second, because what the liberal imbeciles in our media and political circles refer to as "radicalism"--presumably to support the farcical oxymoron of "political correctness"-- is, in fact, the CORRECT interpretation of Islam. Mohammed really did direct his followers to murder and torture those who did not follow Islam, to take their lands and valuables (among which he included women), to marry girls as young as 9 (and mutilate their genitals)... It is the Muslims who respect the inherent human rights of freedom and dignity, who choose to live in America and embrace the values of the U. S. Constitution, who are "radical" Muslims.

Free-Market Health Care?

Faced with an overwhelmingly deadly heart condition, a 9-year-old boy in Georgia has raised $12,000.00 towards his own medical expenses. Essentially, the boy wrote a short story and sold a limited-edition run of autographed copies on E-bay. So Barack Obama and the Democrat-led Congress have passed a gigantic, fascist law mandating that all Americans purchase health care plans, because the adult population of the United States just has no other way to cover their medical expenses, and the free market can't possibly work.

Yet this third-grader used the free market to pay his own way. Amazing. I'm sure we'll be hearing an apology from the administration any minute now--not only for the un-Constitutional legislation, but for their lack of faith in the American people.

Best. Workout Song. EVER!

Disturbed - Indestructible

DISTURBED | MySpace Music Videos

The Fruit of the Poisonous Tree

In 1920, the U.S. Supreme Court heard Silverthorne Lumber Co. v. the United States. This case was to overturn the judgment of the District Court of the Western State of New York, which had made a judgment against the plaintiff based on secondary evidence. This secondary evidence had been gathered based on earlier evidence which had been gathered unlawfully; that is, in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

The Supreme Court overturned the earlier judgement, establishing a judicial precedent known as "The Fruit of the Poisonous Tree Doctrine." This title comes from the Book of Matthew 7:17-20, "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

The idea is this: if evidence is gained in an illegal way (in this case, in violation of rights affirmed by the Fourth Amendment), then anything gained from that evidence is ALSO in violation of the law, and inadmissible. I bring this up because, as I am typing this, I am listening to politicians and pundits talk about how public opinion will change on the new health-insurance regulation legislation as people begin to see the "benefits" coming to them. These so-called benefits are nothing but "fruits of the poisonous tree," in the most certain definition of the term: the bill itself is a direct violation of the Tenth Amendment; therefore, nothing associated with it can be considered a "benefit." At best, they are bribes--paid not by the politicians who passed the legislation, but with money they have confiscated from other people's work--to keep you a quiet subject rather than a full citizen under the Constitution.

UPDATE: Missouri has joined the joint lawsuit with 13 other States to repeal this legislation.

Damned Selfish Conservatives!

Recently on Facebook, I came across the question: "Do conservatives ever care about anything except their own money?" Here is my response:

If American conservatives were ever primarily concerned with money, that period ended with the ascent of the New Right in 1980. The concern of conservatives today is FREEDOM--specifically, those freedoms won by the Founding Fathers and enshrined in the U. S. Constitution. To say that American conservatives are unconcerned with other peoples' welfare is the height of absurdity; American conservatives are hands down the most generous people in the world, giving dozens of times the amount in donations to charity that liberals do (as a percentage of individual income, and not just in toto).

The difference is that, being concerned primarily with keeping people FREE to live their own lives, conservatives do not use the government to FORCE everyone else to pay for what they think is good for them (under threat of prison). That is the province of today's so-called "liberal." Conservatives take care of their own house, so as not to burden others, and help others from their own pocket... rather than helping themselves TO everyone ELSE'S pocket.

Bitch Slap

Well, we're almost three months in to 2010, and they've finally released a movie I find watchable--straight to DVD, of course. Even the mighty Avatar has taken its place next to Pearl Harbor and Titanic in the dustbin of "Blockbusters I will probably never, ever watch."

Before I go any farther, let me state for the record that this movie is not for everyone. Am I recommending this movie because it has an inspiring message of reason and liberty? No. Am I recommending this movie because it is all about three incredibly hot chicks in skimpy, skimpy outfits who alternate between cat-fighting and making out with each other?

Hell, YES!

If hot chicks shooting things with incredibly large guns (occasionally from motorcycles) doesn't appeal to you, may I recommend Bitch Slap for the sheer inventiveness of its vulgarity? I couldn't even follow some of the invectives.

Adding to the fun is the fact that the cast of Hercules and Xena are on board. And I don't mean a couple of recurring extras like you find in other B flicks--I mean Kevin Sorbo, Lucy Lawless, Michael Hurst and Renee O'Connor! This makes it even better, because I've been using these shows as mental floss between homework assignments.

Folks, if what I've described has intrigued you, watch this movie. It's LOTS of fun. Guys, you can watch this with your girlfriend--in the week between the moment the final credits end, and the moment she finally starts talking to you again, you can drop back by here to thank me.

Hardly Historic

So, the LA Times, the Wall Street Journal, MSNBC and others are reporting that on Sunday night, the House of Representatives passed an "historic" health care bill. In point of fact, the is nothing historic about this bill.

From the Soviet Constitution (1936):

Article 42. Citizens of the USSR have the right to health protection.

Other socialist dictatorships, such as Fascist Italy and NAZI Germany, had the same mandates. This is not to say that people interested in universal health care are NAZI's or Communists; it is only to illustrate the roots of the school of thought which gave birth to these ideas. Remember, when the government runs health, the government RUNS health--by ceding control of our own health-care to the Federal government, we have given up the protection of Bill of Rights and given the Federal government license to regulate and penalize any activity which may affect our health in any way.

I know that there are people out there who are either devoted leftists, or who think that they're apolitical and don't realize how deeply the left has affected their thinking, who don't see a problem with this. Being "healthy" is good for us, so who cares if the government mandates it? Ignoring the obvious question of who defines what "healthy" is (by guidelines currently accepted by the U. S. government, Arnold Schwarzeneger at the height of his bodybuilding career was grossly obese), let's look at the right of the government to mandate how we live our lives at all.

What if this mandate had come from the Right instead of the Left? What if, instead of Nancy Pelosi deciding that she knew what was best for everyone's physical well-being, Newt Gingrich decided that he knew what was best for everyone's spiritual well-being? After all, from his point of view, the well-being of your eternal soul is far more important than the well-being of your physical body. What if he formed a coalition that rammed through (against massive protests) a measure which mandated that every American citizen would attend services at a Roman Catholic church weekly, and that if anyone could not afford a minimum required tithe, federal funds would be used to subsidize them?

Would you still fail to see the Constitutional problems of the Federal government mandating activities and funding them with taxpayers' money? Please let me know what you think below.

When You Get Angry...

Starting today, and progressing until either Obamacare's full effect in 2014 or its hopeful repeal, you will notice changes in your insurance. First, it is by definition no longer insurance; that is, a back-up investment to cover the expense of potential future problems. From now on, what we call "health insurance" is really a government co-op, just like your utility company, designed to be your sole method of payment for medical expenses.

Of course, there are a few differences. The increased regulatory measures of Obamacare are going to INCREASE your insurance costs--insurance companies now have to "insure against" things which have already happened. It will also raise your taxes--and the taxes of employers, who will be able to hire fewer people. The government-mandated subsidy will do to general medical care precisely what Medicare has done to the pharmaceutical industry--consumer prices will skyrocket.

As our economy stagnates and your bills rise, remember this: the Democrats, who are now utterly controlled by the elitist Progressive movement (Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have all stated so publicly), OWN THIS THING lock, stock and barrel. We have to get as many of them out of office as quickly possible. I'm not saying that Republicans have all the answers... but they are the only ones who can mount a majority quickly enough to fix ANY of this.

The bottom line is this: America tried to send a message to the Republican Party, and wound up selling itself down the river. Make sure you know EXACTLY whom you're voting for.

Upon Further Consideration...

Man, I just can't sleep.

At any rate, last night I watched the House of Representatives vote as it occurred. At about 9:45 pm, the "health-care" bill passed, and I wrote a vehement note on Facebook that if Obama signed this bill into law, I would drop my health insurance rather than comply with an illegal Federal mandate.

I'm now rescinding that decision.

I know that very, very few people read this blog or give a hoot what I think. I know that some people will read this and think that I'm a coward who caved on his convictions when he finally took the time to consider the consequences. That's fine. Those who know me personally know that I'm hardly one to be put off by the threat of physical or financial hardship, and those who've deployed with me know that the threat of legal action won't deter me from doing what's right (Prison? Hell, have you met my ex-wife? FEAR HER STEREO.)

The fact is, on the off chance that anyone cares or, God help me, wanted to join me in dropping their insurance, that it would actually be counter-productive. Not only am I not actually "obeying the Federal mandate" (I'm not buying health insurance; I already have it), but in dropping my insurance I would be taking money away from the working Americans in the insurance company, and FUNDING the very tyrants whom I oppose (via the penalty which will be applied to uninsured individuals, which will not be applied to any insurance coverage).

It pains me to have voluntarily contracted my entire adult life to allow myself to be put in harm's way to protect the world from tyrants, only to have tyrants take over my own country through a dishonest back-door. However, I'm a big enough man to admit when I'm wrong (unless it involves asking for directions), and my quick decision on Facebook was poorly-considered. Here's to the United States of America using this debacle as a rallying cry for freedom and common sense.

PACE

The Second-Funniest Thing I've Ever Heard...

A friend of mine asked me yesterday why I don't blog anymore, so I guess I feel motivated today...

Anyway, I heard the second-funniest thing I've ever heard yesterday. The funniest thing I've ever heard was (embarrassingly) on an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess. In it, one of the characters gives this advice to another: "write what you know." Now, this is sound advice on writing--but coming from writers whose mouthpiece to deliver it is a woman, supposedly of Classical Greece but sporting red hair and calling herself a "bard," it's downright hilarious.

The second-funniest thing I've ever heard was delivered in speech by President Obama yesterday: he told Congress that the *ahem* "health-care" bill should be passed because "it goes right down the middle of American politics." Let me give you a counter example of this logic: Here I have a roast-beef sandwich. Here I have a sandwich made from my own feces. I'll split them right down the middle, and you can have the resulting sandwich.

How's your appetite?

A Question of Hypocrisy

In consideration of today's impending House of Representatives vote--allegedly on a bill to reform health-care, but really to expand the power of the Federal government far beyond its legal limits--some proponents of the legislation have decided that my opposition makes me a hypocrite. Being always interested in a fair argument, I propose the following for consideration:

1) As a civil servant, I am directly involved in every disaster relief response undertaken by the State of Missouri.

2) As a member of the Missouri Army National Guard, I have personally taken part in some of these responses, including our relief mission to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I was there three days after the hurricane, personally handing out food and water, and protecting fire fighters who were being shot at by arsonists.

3) I have been certified as an EMT, and used my training to save at least two human lives (on my own time, separate from any lives I have saved by use-of-force as a military policeman).

4) I am a dues-paying member of organizations which, when totaled, provide millions of dollars a day in charitable donations to hospitals across the country, especially childrens' hospitals.

5) I donate, in addition to other charities, 5% of every paycheck I make to the American Red Cross.

6) I have had surgery while unemployed and uninsured--after which I got a job and paid for surgery on my own.

Given these items for consideration, how does my objection to your demands that the Federal government exceed its Constitutional powers to take even more of the money that I earn through my own labor make me an uncaring hypocrite? Have you done more than I to help others?

Supreme Court upholds First Amendment

In a case originally regarding a film examining the Presidential qualifications of Hillary Clinton, SCOTUS voted 5-4 to uphold the validity of the First Amendment in allowing freedom of political speech.

Democrats Doing Good in Indiana

Defending the right to privacy, not only for gun-owners but for non-gun owners as well.

The U. S. Marines leave Iraq

Today, the U. S. Marine Corps leaves Iraq and turns over all American military authority to the U. S. Army. How's the war looking now, Harry Reid?

Happy Centennial!

The Boy Scouts of America turns 100 years old this year. If you know any Boy Scouts, give them a pat on the back--not only for surviving 100 years, but for surviving this long against the ACLU.

Happy New Year!

Well, here it is, January 1st 2010. Last year was rough. My best wishes to everyone, and of course, I'm making my New Year's Resolution public (and hopefully more binding): I resolve to get my Bachelor's degree this year.

Confirmed

Roger Ebert is a gigantic tool, but at least he's a reliable water-mark. His endorsement of "Avatar" (both in fact and in verbage) confirms that I am NOT interested in seeing it, big budget or no. The blatant politics of this movie are going to prevent it from doing as well as a film with this level of commitment really should, but either way it's a loss for conservative movie-goers: if it does well, Hollywood will consider it an endorsement that their pro-green, anti-war message is finally marketable. If it tanks, Hollywood will retreat to smaller-budget versions of what it considers "safe" movies--all of which have liberal sensibilities.

HEY!

Somebody made a poster for my nightclub idea!

Entertainment Update

I have achieved electronic nirvana: Netflix just shipped me a disk which I can permanently use to stream videos into my PS3.

Less significantly, but of more immediate satisfaction, witness the video that Hot Air calls "the greatest rock cover evah."

Cloture vote passes Senate 60-39

The Democrats have betrayed the American people again. Don't forget this vote when you cast YOUR vote next year.