Making a case or making a claim?

There's a difference between repeatedly making a claim and making a case.

I see people getting those confused pretty often, and I'm sure I've done the same. It's easier to notice when others are doing it while disagreeing with you. 

When that happens you see them making the same empty political claim over and over again, acting like they've made their case through simple repetition.

They haven't. 

They are just chasing their own tail, believing they are getting somewhere. Like a hamster in a wheel or a mule on a treadmill. Hoping you'll keep following them as they go in circles.

I see it happening a lot. Online and in person. And always where political government is concerned. It can be amusing to watch for a couple of minutes but gets boring before too long.

(Even making a case doesn't necessarily mean they've proven their point, just that there's a possibility they are right. If they can't make a case, the chances are higher that they aren't right.)

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How to have a credible election

If you want to ever have a credible election, there are things you'd have to do. Not a legitimate election, of course, but a credible one.

First, count all non-v*tes (every person eligible to v*te, whether registered or not, who doesn't cast a v*te) as a v*te for "None of the above" or a v*te against the ballot measure. Yes, that would make them much harder to impose, but that's the whole point. It should be nearly impossible to govern people harder.

Then, where political offices are concerned, have "None of the above/Abolish the position" as the top choice on the ballot and as the default. As the default, if left blank, this is counted as a v*te for "None of the above/Abolish the position". If no candidate ends up with the winning number of v*tes, then that office is abolished and will never be re-established unless it later gets v*ted back into existence. The position's powers or duties don't get transferred to another office-- they just go away.

Next, have any politician who "wins" only represent (or pretend to do so) those who v*ted for that politician. To everyone else, that politician is nothing but another random person whose opinions are meaningless.

Finally, have any ballot measure only apply to those who will admit to v*ting in favor of it. If a "tax", only those who v*ted for it pay it. If a ban on some object or activity, only those who v*ted for this prohibition will have government violence directed at them if they don't comply. People who v*te against it, and those who didn't v*te at all, are exempt from the measure or any consequences of it.

That's an election I would probably not object to too much.

Now, even though this would make an election more credible, it still wouldn't be legitimate. The reason is, no one's rights or liberty are subject to a v*te. The mob doesn't have the right to decide which of your rights you are allowed to exercise. Not ever. So, no matter how credible the election may be, if someone's rights are up for grabs, it is not a legitimate outcome no matter how one-sided the v*te in favor of violating someone's rights ends up. No majority-- not even everyone except for one individual-- has any right to violate the rights of any minority.

If this makes it too hard to impose your government violence on others, too bad. Find an honest pastime instead.

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Don't ask permission!

Someone who recently moved to town put chickens in their backyard. This is against the rules in this authoritarian little town-- although others have chickens, too, and have for as long as I've lived here. I would have chickens if my yard weren't so ridiculously unsuited for ... literally everything.

Anyway, this new resident decided to ask permission from the town rulers to have his chickens. That was months ago, and they finally squeezed out a juicy decision after months of delays and indecision: "Yes, but".

The rules make me believe none of these petty tyrants have ever had chickens. Maybe they've never even seen one. They definitely must hate chickens and anyone who keeps them. And they obviously want to make it as burdensome as possible so as to convince people to not have them. (While right across the imaginary line that runs through town to divide "New Mexico" from "Texas", the residents of the NM side are "allowed" to have chickens. Because, states.)

First, no roosters are allowed. I have to put up with hearing dogs barking day and night, but Heaven forbid I hear a rooster crow! Just petty and stupid. Actually, I can hear roosters crowing because 2 blocks east of me is the "city limit" and homes across that road have roosters-- and guineas, horses, and cattle. (The town has tried to assert the "authority" to tell people within several hundred yards of the town limits what they are allowed to do and have, but this hasn't gotten anywhere yet.) So this arbitrary rule is pointless.

Then, the rules say you have to clean the chicken pen daily. And you aren't allowed to dispose of the bedding (or whatever) in the dumpsters the town provides for trash and garbage. They didn't suggest an approved alternative, and in cases like that, people usually just dump stuff along the road somewhere. Yeah, that's helpful.

There are more dumb little rules, but those are the main ones. Makes me want to get rheas.

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Find a way to make it work

It has always been surprising that people greet any solution you suggest with "that can't be done because..." instead of considering what you actually propose.

Often, the "because" is that government wouldn't allow it.

If that's the case, get rid of government.

"But you can't do that because..." See? There it is again.

Cops are a gang that violates liberty, but if you point out that the solution is to abolish police, "You can't do that because...". Insert whatever weakness, personal failing, or irrational fear causes a person to cling to government police (or any policing) as a concept.

I think a way to reduce opioid overdose deaths could be to invent a new drug that produces an even better high, but can't be overdosed on, and is entirely legal. Yes, I understand there are chemistry problems involved, but I think the political hurdle is bigger-- government and the Puritans who are addicted to government don't want people to enjoy themselves in unapproved ways. But I suggested this, as an alternative to the US gov declaring war on China and Mexico, and all I got was "but that wouldn't work because..." followed by ignoring the meat of what I had proposed.

This is why we are still stuck in the era of the state.

To get free, people are going to have to consider different ways out. They'll have to think of ways to make new things work instead of only focusing on why new things "can't work". If you are sure it can't work as proposed, fix it. Find a way to do the same thing in a different way that will work. Be part of the solution, not part of the shackles that bind us to the problem.

For every problem, there is a liberty-respecting solution. Someone only has to find it. Maybe it will be you.

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Day at the range

As much as it pains me to spend ammo, I spent a few hours yesterday at the range with my son. I almost never go to the Big City without coming home with more ammo; this time I came back with less. Ouch! But I'll be OK.

A while back I inherited a tiny rolling block .22 rifle that was my grandfather's. It's a J. Stevens Little Scout 14 ½. I had never shot it before. Until yesterday. I had to make a new front sight to replace the one that was missing when I got it, but it was right on-target. The only issue I had was that it doesn't like ejecting cartridges. Its extractor pulls them out but doesn't fling them because they stick. I had to use multitool pliers to get them the rest of the way out. I may do a little chamber polishing and see if that helps.

I also shot my carry guns and my scary black Sport Utility Rifle and a .22 revolver. It was a needed break and a useful way to spend a few hours. I always enjoy seeing other families out there practicing, too. It warms the heart. 

I may have missed Paratus (Paratus Day?) due to an unpleasant previous engagement, but better late than never.

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Government not worth trade-off

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for August 24, 2022)

Do you believe you need to be governed? I mean you, as an individual. If you didn't feel like government was watching over your shoulder all the time, would you steal, kidnap, or murder? I'm betting you wouldn't. Neither would I.

If you're saying you would commit crimes if not for government, I'm guessing you commit crimes anyway. By "crimes" I'm not talking about the counterfeit "crimes" which are only called crimes because government made up an arbitrary rule that says so. I'm speaking of acts which have a specific individual victim whose life, liberty, or property has been violated in some concrete way.

I doubt many in my audience would ever do anything actually criminal. People who read these columns simply aren't the sort. You govern yourselves perfectly well.

So, you probably don't believe you need to be governed. I certainly don't. It would be a very defeatist attitude to take. Nor do I want you governed on my behalf. I'm not helpless.

I'm glad we settled that.

Perhaps, like most people who still believe political government is necessary, you think you're not the problem; it's all those other people out there who need to be governed. People who won't, or can't, govern themselves.

Yes, there are people among us who violate others. Some of them choose this as a lifestyle; it's habitual. As you may have noticed, they don't stop committing crimes simply because government exists to punish them. Just like you wouldn't become a criminal if government went away.

Government makes it safer for the actual criminals to continue a life of crime. It protects criminals by enforcing rules against defending yourself and your property from them. Crime is largely a government-created problem. or at least a problem government doesn't want solved.

Maybe you can see that you don't need to be governed and criminals can't be governed, but you imagine you still need government in your life for some reason. Do you need government in your marriage? Do you believe there are things only government can give you which you couldn't get on your own? Things only someone with the power to steal can hand out, like a powerful, crooked Santa Claus. There's nothing I want bad enough that I'm willing to have government steal it from you to give it to me.

I'm not willing to trade what's right for what's expedient. Do you really believe it's worth the trade-off?

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The signpost up ahead...

I'll say a little about that recent experience I don't know whether I should relate.

It was either a neurological event, a "glitch in the matrix" type thing, or something else equally disturbing. It was completely unsettling, whatever it was.

I am meeting up with someone later today and I might feel comfortable enough to discuss it. I'll see.

Whatever else, I'll make an effort to get back to writing on topic as soon as possible. 

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The joy just keeps on coming

Yesterday afternoon the colonoscopy doc called to inform me of the lab results on the polyps he removed: one of them was "on the verge of being cancer", but wasn't yet. But, that's also the one he isn't sure he completely removed because it was so flat he couldn't get a good grip on it. I'll spare you the bloody picture.

So, of all the options for treatment he offered, I've chosen another colonoscopy in 6 months, with a backup surgery scheduled the very next day (to be canceled if it doesn't look necessary after the colonoscopy).

I'm glad he caught it, but this doesn't make me happy at all.

The insurance balked at paying for this last colonoscopy because it wasn't 10 years after the previous one. They are probably going to completely refuse to pay anything on this next one after only 6 months. The doctor says he will send a letter to them explaining why it is medically necessary, but he says the insurance company doesn't work for me or even him, so he doesn't know if it will do any good.

And, no, this has nothing to do with the other issue, it's an additional thing.

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Don't struggle to please the people who will never really be on your side

I don't understand the desire to water-down libertarian principles so that people who aren't really on our side might be tricked into v*ting for Libertarian Party politicians. Or at least not scared away.

Back before I knew I was libertarian, I disagreed with some of what I considered the "extreme" libertarian positions-- ditching prohibition and government borders, being two examples. But those issues didn't scare me away. 

I realized libertarians were right on the other stuff, so I examined my own positions on the things I disagreed with them on. Even if I had eventually decided they were wrong, it wouldn't have been enough to drive me away.

I was really and truly done with DemoCRAPublicans, and nothing could have driven me back into that circus.

If I had been so close-minded that those disagreements had been deal-breakers, I wouldn't have embraced it at all. Not even if someone had told me "Well, we don't really mean it" or "Those are only the extremists-- we reject their position". That would have seemed sketchy.

Stick to principles and let people either side with us or choose some other path, but at least it will be an honest choice. Not based on some weak statist-lite version of libertarianism that is palatable to those who will abandon us at the first sign of disagreement anyway.

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I chickened out. Twice.

For the second day in a row, I canceled the post I had scheduled for this morning before it could post.

Why?

Because it scares me to think about it, and I wonder if critics could use it against me in the future.

No, it's nothing illegal or unethical/unlibertarian. Just personal.

I need to wrestle with this some more. I feel the need to talk about it, but I'm not sure putting it in writing or on any electronic media is smart-- although since it's already written and in "the cloud", that's a moot point. And there's no one in my personal life I trust with this.

But since it is in the cloud and discoverable by any bad guy with keys to the backdoor to the internet, maybe it would be better to go ahead and let some good guys in on it. Maybe.

I'll keep thinking about it (I can't seem to put it out of my mind), and try to focus on something else to write about in the meantime. But this is seriously distracting me.

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Twitler's Brown Shirts demonstrate their stupidity. Again.

I'm currently in Twutter jail because Twitler's goose-stepping Brown Shirts are too stupid to understand the difference between encouraging "self-harm" and ridiculing those who are actually trying to trick people into harming themselves.

I was replying to someone who was making fun of people gullible enough to try the TikTok "challenge" of cooking and eating Nyquil-marinated chicken. I have no idea whether the guy I was replying to was also put in time-out. It seemed to be a repeat of the Tide Pod "challenge", and those looked like a natural side dish to such an entree.

So I've been locked out unless I delete the tweet and "agree" that I violated their rule against encouraging self-harm. In other words, I'm falsely accused of doing what Twutter is doing in reality by objecting to my tweet. 

Yes, Twutter is encouraging those who actually promote self-harm by making it against the rules to ridicule them.

I appealed, but I will delete the scary tweet if my appeal fails. Then I will post this multiple times.

Update: My account was restored because they say they made an error. 

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Being better

I've made some people extremely angry in the past by saying I was trying to help them be better. That was a mistake! I probably could have phrased it better, but it might have made no difference anyway.

I can't remember all the specific topics, but I know spelling and grammar figured in a couple of times that are burned into my memory. I was told, "I don't want to be better! I don't need to be fixed!"

I've run into this same issue even when I've just tried to demonstrate an easier or better way to do something I've seen someone struggling with. They'd rather keep struggling than learn something new.

This is an attitude I can't wrap my head around. I always want to be better. I love learning new ways to do things-- even if I eventually go back to doing it the way I did before. I've even let people try to fix me. (It's not their fault I'm difficult to fix.)

I have seen the same attitude in people who have a problem that could be solved, but they don't want to solve it. They'd rather pretend it's not a problem because they get their identity from it. It has given them a culture.

This is why you'll never be able to help most statists. They love their defect and will stand firm in denying it is a defect. They get an identity from it-- its "pole quilts" and other symbols, its rituals and documents, its beliefs and camaraderie. It has given them a culture and they aren't letting go. Not even when you offer a healthier culture in its place.

Part of it is probably that they don't want to admit they've been wrong; that they've wasted years of life going down a terrible path. I can't really blame them, but I wish they'd take the hand I offer. You can't help people who don't want to be helped.

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It's all in the accessories

Apparently, my glasses make me look really intelligent-- like that guy... what was his name?... a long time ago... he invented gravity or something.

That's from an actual conversation I recently had with someone. Well, she was doing most of the talking. I just sat there in a hospital gown being medically assessed, poked, and prodded before being violated. But looking intelligent, I guess.

It was one of the oddest compliments I've ever received. Or, that my glasses have received.

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Drug abuse is a risky choice

Dilbert's Scott Adams has been extreme on the topic of Fentanyl ever since his stepson died of an overdose a few years ago. I understand the pain, but I can't condone using that pain as an excuse to advocate wrong.

He claims it is terrorism and mass-murder-- an act of war-- to provide Fentanyl to Americans.

He wants the US government to invade China and kill the manufacturers, invade Mexico and kill the cartel leaders, and use drones to kill anyone crossing "the border" to bring it into the country.

An important piece of this emotional puzzle is that he also claims addicts bear little (or no) responsibility for their addictions once they are addicted. "Once they are addicted..."

I think drug abuse deaths are tragic. I care. I also hold the addicts 100% responsible for their own death. It's suicide, not murder. They know the risks involved in abusing substances-- they don't care enough to stop. They knew when they first chose to try something they knew could be addictive and knew might contain ingredients they didn't necessarily want. You've got to take that first step on the road to addiction yourself. They made a choice. It turned out to be a bad choice and there are consequences. Welcome to reality. It's the same reality we all face all our lives.

If I knew of people who insisted on dashing across railroad tracks without looking, I would wish they'd stop, but I wouldn't imprison them to force them to stop. I wouldn't arrest the train engineers or the workers who built the tracks. People have to be free to do stupid things that can kill them. If someone chooses to use an addictive drug, then they get addicted and can no longer stop and they die of an overdose, it is on them.

To commit a larger wrong-- to involve government to impose your will on others-- in an attempt to solve a problem, is not a good way to do anything. It's not going to work anyway, since humans have always sought out mind-altering substances and experiences, and they always will. Risk, government opinions, and whatever else will always be irrelevant to their behavior and the choices they make.

The smart move is to know it's going to happen and take measures to protect yourself. Some drugs should be avoided, some drug sources shouldn't be trusted, and some behaviors can (and probably will) kill you. And some addicts will be a danger to you.

As I and others have pointed out for decades: drug abuse is stupid, but prohibition is evil. Don't be stupid or evil, but if you feel you have to pick one, pick stupid.

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Government waging war against you

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for August 17, 2022)

Have you realized yet that the U.S. federal government is waging a one-sided war against you?

The IRS plans to hire around 87,000 new armed IRS employees-- the exact number is disputed; what they are being hired to do is not. The job posting, before they edited it, said new hires must be willing to use deadly force-- against you. Think about it: they will only be hired if willing to use deadly force against their bosses. They are being hired to "Sheriff of Nottingham" you into destitution. A government which is on your side wouldn't do this.

Then there's the FBI raid on Donald Trump's home. I'm not a Trump supporter, but this politically biased enforcement is not a good sign. The FBI and the DOJ are more politicized than ever-- and they have never been exactly non-political. Now they are being used to target the current regime's political enemies. Probably as a way to keep Trump from running for the presidency again, although this may backfire on them.

If the FBI can raid Trump's house, there's no one safe from their overreach. If you make the wrong enemies, be ready for that early-morning flash-bang.

The legislation mill is also reaching new levels of dishonesty. You can almost guarantee any new bill will do the exact opposite of whatever they name it.

The "Inflation Reduction Act" will not reduce inflation, but will make it worse. An honest name would be the "Inflation Expansion Act".

All the various "safer community" or "safe our children" acts invariably make communities and children much less safe by empowering criminals and disarming good people.

The "PATRIOT ACT" was probably the most dishonest example in history. It was, and is, the most anti-American legislative tyranny ever foisted on us. No patriot would have supported this rejection of everything America stood for.

If a bill can't be named honestly, it needs to be scrapped. No matter how "essential" its supporters claim it is. Either give it an honest name or put it in the shredder.

I wonder if the federal government is trying to incite rebellion so it has an excuse to crack down even harder on the population. Open rebellion would give justification for nationwide martial law and all the Soviet-style governing which goes with it.

I won't be baited. I've never trusted them. I can't be shocked or disappointed by anything they do.

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Back when I was a single-issue v*ter

If I were to fall back into the vice of v*ting, I would probably be a single-issue v*ter again.

Back when I was naive and gullible I v*ted based only on the issue of the fundamental human right to own and to carry weapons. I believe the freedom to exercise other rights depends on that one not being violated. 

I agree with L. Neil Smith that this issue, like no other, is an X-Ray into the "soul" of a politician. 

The problem I noticed was that the politicians who said the right things did the wrong things as soon as they got into office. That's when I realized the "pro-gun politician" is as elusive as Sasquatch (and twice as smelly).

Usually, the "pro-gun politician" also supported things I opposed (police, borders, prohibition, marriage legislation, etc.) and I had just held my nose and accepted that this was the price of getting what I wanted on the issue of guns. Then I lost anyway.

The choice is between an anti-gun bigot who's open about it and an anti-gun bigot who lies about it and would impose other anti-liberty legislation if he gets the power he wants. This applies even to those politicians you think it doesn't apply to.

All my v*tes were a waste of time and effort. They gave false hope (when the politician I v*ted for won). It did nothing useful. I won't be fooled again.

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Don't sacrifice essential truth to politeness

So much of being "polite" these days is just participating in lies. Which is something I find hard to do-- which is why I am sometimes not as polite as I could (should?) be.

I want to be polite. But not enough to participate in harmful lies.

I saw someone who seems to be an influential (at least, online) libertarian scolding someone that "libertarians are not for open borders because the Constitution gives the feds the authority [sic] to defend the coasts" and called the person they were scolding a commie for disagreeing. This had something to do with the Texas (or Florida?) government vs Martha's Vineyard residents concerning (apparently) unwanted people, I think. (I was still groggy from the anesthesia, so I might have been confused and probably shouldn't have been on my phone.)

If I were polite, I wouldn't have said anything, but would have let the lies sit there unchallenged. Yes, there are borderist libertarians and there are constitutionalist libertarians and there are political statist "libertarians", but to pretend that these encompass the opinions of all libertarians is dishonest.

That is just one example out of many I could list. 

Beyond the self-professed libertarians the situation is even worse. A lot worse. 

The list of lies you are expected to just go along with-- or be considered a horrible person (and risk being canceled)-- is staggering. But I've never been good at staying quiet when someone is deceiving people. Even when they might have "good" reasons.

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Is it pointless to promote liberty?

It's probably not going to convince many statists to abandon their beliefs if you and I keep promoting liberty. They are just too deeply brainwashed. They are scared of liberty and prefer their chains of "freedom".

But, it's the right thing to do anyway. It's not pointless.

You've got to cover your bases. I want to be able to say, with complete sincerity and honesty, "You were warned what would happen. You can't say you didn't know."

Writing about liberty offers them the opportunity to change their ways. If they choose not to, that's on them. At that point, they aren't your responsibility to rescue from their own choices.

It's sad, but you can't save those who refuse to be saved. You have to spend your effort to save those you are responsible for-- yourself, your family, and your true friends. Why would you be responsible to save those who proclaimed you the enemy for telling the truth?

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Enemy of the state

Being called an enemy of the state is a compliment if you understand the nature of the state. It's like being called an enemy of slavery, or an enemy of mass-murder. The alternative isn't anything to crow about.

I'm happy to be an enemy of evil.

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Tired and miserable

I'm overwhelmed, tired, and stressed. And miserable.

For the past 2 weeks I have been taking care of 2 additional households and their cats while the people are on vacation. That's 2 trips per day to the next town over. It has really worn me down. Today should be the last day for that, if things go according to plan.

I have a cat that seems to be nearing the end. He's not old, maybe only around five years, but has always had health problems. He's the one who I think probably got Covid a while back-- I pulled him through that, but he hasn't been the same since and has lost a lot of weight. He's fading, but I'm still trying.

On top of that, I'm completely stressed because I have a colonoscopy scheduled for Friday. That's bad enough without the financial and insurance aspects of it. The clinic was telling me I have to pay $300 the day of the procedure-- now they've increased that to $400. The insurance has said repeatedly-- every time I call about this problem-- they cover colonoscopies 100%. Something doesn't add up.

So checking with the clinic again they say the problem is that the insurance will only cover one colonoscopy every ten years. Everything I've heard says a colonoscopy is recommended every five years for people of my age if there's no problem, but I grow polyps like crazy, which is why I need one every 3 years. The first time I had one, they removed 3 pre-cancerous polyps, and the last time (almost 4 years ago) they removed six. So, yes, I do think I need this, even as much as I hate it.

Called the insurance again, and now they say they only pay 70% of the cost of a colonoscopy... which directly contradicts what I've been told by them multiple times.

They are making me hate them all. 

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Cannabis not an excuse to kidnap

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for August 10, 2022)

An American basketball player was recently arrested and imprisoned in Russia for possession of Cannabis. Some people are outraged over this; others claim she deserved to be arrested because she broke Russian law. A "law" without any ethical basis; a fake law which goes against Natural Law, as does most legislation.

The Russian government imprisoning an American for marijuana possession isn't more wrong than the US government encouraging local governments in America to do the same. Wrong is wrong.

The basketball player may get more attention, but the millions of prohibition victims in America are a larger problem. Even if you support prohibition and punishment, prohibition is hurting you.

Possession or use of a plant can never be a real crime. Cannabis is the most obvious example, but this remains true for Peyote, Opium poppies, coca leaf extract, and everything else. Drug abuse is stupid, but prohibition is evil.

You still have the right to defend yourself from those under the influence of a drug or in any otherwise altered mental state.

Those under the influence of "authority" are much more dangerous than any common drug abuser, though. They hallucinate the imaginary right to run your life, and to destroy you "for your own good" if you disagree. They tell each other it's OK to rob, kidnap, and kill people who aren't suffering under the same hallucination-- and they do so regularly. Of course, they give their crimes other names to hide the true nature behind a veil of "legality". A "fine" is still armed robbery and an "arrest" is still a kidnapping. No mere chemical comes close to the destructive power of imagined political authority.

Where does the Russian government get the "right" to kidnap people over a plant? From the same source the US government gets the identical "right": from imagination. Many people in society might even want them to do it, but since no individual has the right to kidnap, rob, or cage a neighbor over a plant, no one-- and no majority-- can transfer such an imaginary right to a government on their behalf.

Authoritarian behavior erodes belief in all the real laws that protect life, liberty, and property. If government pretends there's no difference, the people will see no difference. Once they realize it's not really wrong to ignore one type of law, it's easy for them to ingore the legitimate laws as well. This isn't good for anyone.

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Fadin' in, fadin' out...

I've recently had the opportunity to do something I haven't done in a very long time: listen to broadcast radio.

Probably the last time I really listened to the radio much was when the station I had listened to all the time changed formats. That was around 25 years ago. For some reason, they decided they had to play the same thing the other stations in the area played instead of being the one station that played something unique. So they went from being the one country station to being the third or fourth "alternative rock" station. Ugh.

Anyway...

My pickup hasn't had a working radio as long as I've owned it, so that eliminates most of what would have been listening time. But recently I've been taking care of multiple households' feline residents while their human servants are on vacation, and have the use of the car of the farthest household to use for the trips, and I have left the radio alone. I've kind of enjoyed it, but I have noticed that about half of the advertisements are for government.

There are ads for various gov-school related things and events, "public service" announcements telling listeners to make sure their kids get the Covid shot because the CDC says it's safe and necessary (recorded months ago, I'm sure), government job listings, reminders that the Blue Line Gang is looking for "impaired" drivers, and others.

I didn't remember this being the case when I last listened, but I'm open to the probability that I just don't remember. I wonder if government is a primary advertiser in order to prop up the industry, or if they honestly just find radio ads that helpful.

Anyway, I've found it difficult to stifle the scoffs I feel building in response to the obvious nonsense I hear. It's been interesting, though.

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I hope this doesn't destroy the Universe!

Apparently, sometime in the future, I travel back in time to this week, in London, England... I'm not quite sure why. 

I offer the above photograph-- taken at a restaurant in the Tower of London on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, by my mother-- as proof. Obviously, that's "older me". I wonder where my hat is.

Maybe my presence there (and lack of a hat) has something to do with current events (which would be old history by the time I travel back). Perhaps I am there to change the timeline to prevent TEOTWAWKI somehow. I like to think so. You're welcome.

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I wasn't going to mention that several family members are currently in Europe, but they seem to be constantly violating OpSec on social media, so I guess anything I say is not going to make things worse.

My youngest sister and her wife gave my parents this trip for Christmas last December. They spent a few days in Scotland, then arrived in London on Tuesday. Earlier yesterday they toured Buckingham Palace, then went to a restaurant to eat. 

They were there when the staff announced to the diners that the queen had died. This was at 6:30PM local time, just after it was announced by the "royal family". I got a text from my mother telling me the news 2 minutes later. (I've never been so promptly aware of something of that nature.) 

My sister and her wife then took a taxi back to the palace. They got there pretty early, but said the crowd was already big and growing fast. It soon got "crazy" huge. Roads all around the palace were being shut down and it started to rain, so they decided to leave while they still could.

So, they all got to the UK when it was ruled by a queen, and will leave it ruled by a king. And the Prime Minister changed while they were there, too. Maybe they should all go to Washington DC next-- maybe some changes would be triggered by their presence there, as well. I know what change I'd like to see.

I'm no fan of monarchy, but historical events do interest me somewhat.

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Legislation of mass destruction (that's all of it)

It is just as barbaric to use legislation against someone as it is to shoot them. Shooting them is more honest.

In fact, legislation is much worse because it is impossible to aim "laws" accurately enough to avoid hitting bystanders. It's like using a bomb to get one guy at a picnic or spraying a crowd with a full-auto rifle because there might be some people among them who are terrible people. 

If you use legislation against someone, you are no better than the worst of them.

This is why "gun control" is evil... even if your aim is to target only bad guys, you can't.

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Trump's documents and the Feral Baby Incinerators

Do I care whether Trump had "classified" or "Top Secret" documents at his house? Nope. Not even a little.

There is just nothing there for me to care about.

I don't need a president-- I don't need to be governed. I don't support current or former presidents.

Neither do I support any criminal government agency such as the FBI conducting raids to protect government secrets, not even when the target is a current or former president (or any other political criminal).

I'm more in agreement with L. Neil Smith on that topic when he said: "...government secrets must be forbidden by law, and ... any government employee who is convicted of lying to any member of the public for any reason must be hanged by the neck—in public and on prime time network television—until he or she is dead." (from here)
He made similar statements about government secrets multiple times.

Government secrets are protected by government lies, so the two are inseparable and are both completely inexcusable and intolerable.

Now, obviously, I don't support any "laws" or an institutionalized death penalty, but I agree with the sentiment that nothing is worse than government keeping a secret. Government (if legitimate in any way) is your servant, not your master. The servant can not be allowed to keep job secrets from the boss. Doing so is at least a firing offense-- I don't care what the secret is, or how many people would justify it. Just, No.

If you're worried that people might die if a secret gets released, those people shouldn't have gotten involved in political games in the first place. Doing so isn't ethical or honorable, it's evil, and sometimes evil behavior has painful consequences. Too bad.

No government secrets, ever, for any reason. Release them ALL immediately.

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Staying aware of the predators among us

There's nothing I'd love more than being able to safely ignore politicians-- and politics in general. I hate them both.

But... I understand the value of situational awareness. You've got to know when some predator is stalking you or waiting in the shadows to jump out and attack you. And that's precisely what politicians-- predators wielding the weapon of politics-- are doing. If you don't pay some attention to their movements you'll be caught off-guard. They'll get the drop on you.

When they are saying they are going to come after you, isn't it good to know ahead of time? Isn't this part of your situational awareness?

That this is necessary kind of makes me angry.

I get it-- it's just part of the environment. Politics is like weather. Except that no one decides to create a tornado to send after you; individuals do decide to use politics to destroy you. It's not necessary for them to do so. Society doesn't depend on it. They choose to do it to you. Nothing, and no one, is more evil. No part of it is good and it isn't done for "the right reasons". Even if, on occasion, it temporarily benefits you in some way. In the long run, the cost will always be too high.

Even though it costs some to stay alert to the predators, I think it would cost me more to be too complacent. This fact makes me dislike them even more. I want them out of my life entirely, but it isn't safe to ignore them.

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Needs should be met by the people

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for August 3, 2022)

People see me say I don't want government doing something and often jump to the conclusion I don't want that thing done at all. Sometimes they are right, as in the case of legislation enforcement. More often they are wrong, as in the case of environmental protection, security, or justice.

Government is more likely to make a mess of it.

I love the natural environment, which is why I oppose letting government control it or set rules concerning it. I've seen what happens when government is put in charge of protecting the environment. So have you. The most obvious example being the devastating wildfires which result from a century or so of wildfire "prevention".

I've also seen state-controlled forests which looked beautiful from the car, but were a barren clearcut once you pulled over and ventured away from the road. Sure, private property owners also clear-cut, but this shows letting government "protect" something isn't better.

How about security? It would be terrible for America to be attacked or invaded. I believe an effective militia-- which, by the way, is all the people, not something government runs-- is the only real defense. Government's idea of "national security" is to wander the globe antagonizing other governments with its military to the point they start financing attacks on American soil. By making enemies of the people under those governments, you make them willing to die for a chance to strike back. You don't make America safer by invading, occupying, and destroying people's homes. That's how you recruit young people to join the fight against you; against the people in America you claim to be protecting. Great for military contractors, terrible for Americans.

It may even be worse to let government control justice. It has gotten so bad most people mistake punishment for justice. Those are not only not the same, but are closer to opposites. Government's courts don't deal in justice, despite the name they give themselves. It is a rare accident if any justice comes out of a court. The market could do better.

If something is needed or wanted, there is a way to get it without stealing from-- taxing-- the population; a way to provide it voluntarily, without government. Government only needs to step in to force us to accept things we don't want badly enough to pay for them. I believe all those things should be allowed to go away.

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I guess more people disagree

I would say, going by the total likes and shares on both posts, this didn't go the way the anti-gun bigot political criminal hoped.

Of course, then someone chimed in to reply to GhostGuns.com (and LP National, for some reason), saying "This is a stupid idea. Why have any laws ar [sic] all. Let's just get rid of them all and have anarchy. It [sic] that what your goal is? Gun laws keep guns out of the hands of violent offenders. Like all laws the dems take our freedom but we need some gun laws to keep us safe"

Their response was like government-supremacist anti-gun bigot bingo. Lies, lies, and more lies, seasoned with a bit of gov-school ignorance. "Liberty: it's a stupid idea" could be the universal DemoCRAPublican campaign slogan.

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The High Chancellor has dropped the veil

When reality mirrors fiction

High Chancellor Biden has jumped the shark. He nuked the fridge. He has shown his hand in a way he won't be able to take back.

High Chancellor Biden just went full fascist on national broadcast-- never go full fascist. (No wonder he hates semi-fascists; they are too lukewarm for his tastes). Yes, all political government is fascist. It's just how it is. But there are degrees, and he just stepped it up. 

When I first saw the photos I thought they were Photoshopped. No one could be stupid enough to... Oh. They're real... (I realize they are cropped, but it doesn't make it dishonest-- they showed what they intended to show.)

Was it a messaging error, or did he mean to cross that line-- to set things into motion? Is it real, or is he cosplaying? I guess we'll find out.

Or is he being martyred; sacrificed by those who pull the strings but find him inconvenient now? It would solve a few of the Deep State's problems with one stone.

Yes, the political xombies who idolize him (or his handlers' agenda, anyway) will do their best to sweep this under the rug, but the visuals are too strong. The message, too clear.

Not only did he copy fictional tyrants, but he seemed to be channeling some real, historical monsters, too. I mean, look at his posture and demeanor in the pictures of the event. 

Don't look at this as a problem. Don't let it frighten you. It's an opportunity and a warning. It's great he told us exactly who he is and where he stands. Maybe this will be fun. It's sure to be interesting.

He has clearly declared it time for V to show up. If only...

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Milestones

I'm late. I've started doing something I should have started years ago. But I have my (bad) reasons why I didn't until now.

My daughter is now 15 and I've started teaching her how to drive. I have given her the chance in the past, but I never really pushed the issue because she wasn't interested. Now she is interested and I discover I'm hesitant, and it's causing me secret pain to see her reach this milestone.

I'm pushing through anyway.

As most of you probably know, my older daughter was killed in a car wreck 7 years ago this coming November. So I haven't been terribly excited to see my youngest start driving. (I even get stressed out when I know my son is driving somewhere.) 

It's something I've been told I need to "deal with"... as if I can just switch it off. I try. I'm never going to just "get over it" like some think I should. This is bringing it up again, fresh and painful.

I do think driving is an important skill; one that enhances liberty. It is a right, regardless of what government would have you believe. I just wasn't ready for her to start wanting this yet. I'd probably never really be ready, though, and I have no right to hold her back because of my issues.

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...and throw away the key

Found here

The all-American political sport seems to be suggesting that your political enemies, especially their rulers/"leaders", be thrown in prison.

I've applauded and promoted the joke myself.

"Joke"!?

I don't believe in imprisonment. No exceptions.

I can still enjoy calls to imprison political criminals anyway-- especially the ones I personally dislike the most. Just because it enrages the government-supremacists who support them.

I'm not going to joke about the average DemoCRAPublican being tossed in prison (If I've ever suggested such a thing, I repudiate it now) because I think they are what they are out of ignorance and because others have been lying to them their whole lives. They are victims, but often victims with Stockholm Syndrome who advocate victimizing others. Yes, they still owe restitution even if they don't mean to harm others, but punishment or imprisonment isn't that.

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Doing bad things "for the right reasons"

If any part of your "job" includes governing other people, you are not doing it "for the right reasons".

George Washington didn't become president "for the right reasons" any more than any modern president becomes president "for the right reasons". He was an evil tyrant just like his modern counterparts-- remember how he dealt with the Whiskey Rebellion.

You can't do bad things "for the right reasons", and ruling or taxing others is something no one has a right to do.

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Pressing the "Do Not Press" button

I've discovered that many-- if not most-- people have one issue or topic that if you don't exactly match their views on that topic, you have crossed a line-- you're dead to them. You're blocked, hated, and shunned.

I'm not talking about anything like saying you believe it's OK to rape and murder children. Nothing of that magnitude where right and wrong are obvious to any who aren't trying to cover for something. Just things that seem to be differences of opinion where reasonable people could take either side.

I'm constantly crossing those lines. It's not intentional; it's a consequence of saying what I honestly think.

To me, that kind of standard seems odd. There's no topic or issue that will make me reject everything else a person says or does over disagreement on it. Opinions differ and people are even free to be wrong on a few issues. If they are right on everything else what value is there in rejecting the whole enchilada? Does every single topic or issue have to be potential poison?

Example: I hate cops. I don't hate or block people who don't hate cops-- not even people who believe there can be "good cops". I wouldn't block a cop I was connected with on social media, unless it was to protect myself (which I doubt would work if they were out to get me).

As I say, it just seems to be a very strange standard to have one issue that everyone in your circle is absolutely required to agree on 100% or else. Or am I missing out on something by not having such an issue?

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Hoping future has more liberty wins

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for July 27, 2022)

It feels like the future is being pulled in two directions at once. Things are getting better, while things also feel like they are getting worse. Both are probably true.

I'm not so naive as to believe this is something new. Looking back at history I see how every era of the past had opposing forces pulling in different directions, fighting to shape the future. Two steps forward and one step back, as one or the other got the upper hand for a time.

I do believe the long-term trend-- with notable exceptions-- has been toward a better future. And to me, better always means greater liberty.

We may be the generation to see humans walk on Mars. Maybe even to begin emigrating off this planet. If, that is, the control freaks among us don't succeed in forcing us to live medieval lives of serfdom to advance their agenda.

Both futures seem equally possible today, depending on whose vision wins. Depending on who has the power to prevail.

In the governmental realm, liberty has been shielded from some tyrannical government overreach, while at the same time being violated by these same governments. Sometimes even over the same issues.

Just after the Supreme Court admitted the Second Amendment mostly means what it says, some backward states began desperately trying to find ways to avoid respecting the natural human right of their residents to own and to carry weapons. This should embarrass them after "Constitutional carry" of firearms proved its value against an evil loser in an Indiana mall recently.

Yet, at the same time, Congress debates a new ban on "assault weapons"-- a made-up political term for something which doesn't exist outside their imaginations. A ban they already know is unconstitutional and unethical, and which will harm more people than it would help until it inevitably gets thrown out. Opposing forces pulling toward a better future and a worse one.

This isn't the only demonstration of this effect. Marijuana legalization seems assured nationwide at this point. Taking away government's power to punish people for having or consuming a plant is better for liberty. On the other hand, if you can be punished by government for refusing to use wrong pronouns when speaking, you are not free.

I hope the better future wins. I'm not a fan of tyranny and slavery, no matter how "safe" the political criminals say this will make us.

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Which evil should you support?

Which is dumber: supporting the police or supporting the military?
Is supporting a political criminal (a redundant term which means "politician") even worse than either of those?

I can't answer that for sure. 

Some days I have different opinions on the matter, depending on what I see happening at the moment. This probably means it's too close to call, 

Supporting any of them is supporting the evil act of politically governing others, so it's probably best not to support any of them.

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