Allowing politics to divide us tragic

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for August 4, 2024)

Politics divides. That's the nature of the thing; what it's designed to do.

Worse, politics often culminates in elections. Every election feels like the majority coming together to give a mass murderer the keys to my house and holding me at gunpoint to make sure I won’t do anything about it.

This is an outcome I can't consent to. But in the name of democracy-- even if it was once a republic-- it’s the outcome which is guaranteed every time. Other political systems are not better.

It's natural that politics divides. No one wants to be ruled by people who have different values and preferences, and the power to enforce those values and preferences on them. Dog lovers don't want cat lovers put in control to outlaw dogs and persecute dog lovers. I can't blame them. Yet this is what politics is and what it does. It can't be otherwise.

Why is this hard to understand?

It's a ridiculous system. Society doesn't need to be run, which is good since it's not possible to run one. Any attempt to run society ruins society.

Politics guarantees that all elections are rigged. Even if there's no overt cheating, liberty is never on the ballot because there’s no option to abolish the political office.

I’m not saying all candidates are equal, or equally evil. I think the gross communist who promises to cut everyone down to achieve equity-- equality of outcomes rather than equality of rights-- is the worst possible choice. Others think the weird nationalist who is the focus of lawfare and who wants to imprison people over freedom of expression is more dangerous.

Both believe, without proof, that they have the right to govern you. This is an utterly absurd superstition, but it’s a popular belief they use to their advantage against you. As long as you don’t realize it’s superstitious nonsense, they have you under control.

The country, communities, friends, and families are divided over which one of these people should be running things. Neither should be. The last people you want to give power to are those who want power. It's disqualifying.

Allowing politics to divide us is a tragedy. Nothing will change as long as politics, through government and legislation, has the power to control our lives, destroy our liberty, and violate our natural human rights. This is the inevitable outcome. Don't pretend to be surprised when you get exactly what you choose.

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Make Statists irrelevant

It's fun to poke statists, to mock and ridicule their insane ideas, but the best way to make them irrelevant in the long run is through education.

And one of the best sources of the good kind of education is still TOLFA.

It has been a while since I recommended it to you, and I needed to fix that. So here it is: Go to http://tolfa.us/ and learn. It's not hard and it's fun. 

You'll be glad you did, and you'll be making the world a better place.

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The Evil Loser in Georgia

The FBI knew the kid was turning into an evil loser a year ago. They chose to wait.

The school knew someone had threatened to kill people at the school, that day. They chose to wait.

And now, anti-gun bigots like Koala Harris want to enslave us because those who knew what was happening, and could have done something to prevent it, chose not to. It's as though they want the deaths to happen. But that would be crazy... right?

I have sympathy for the victims, but nothing but contempt for those who chose to do nothing, And for those who want to blame me for something I didn't do and would give my life to stop if it happened in my presence.

Your safety-- your life-- means nothing to anti-gun bigots. They'll happily sacrifice you and your children for anti-gun talking points to sway the idiots among us. They don't want you to have effective tools of defense. They don't care who this would kill as long as they get what they want.

My rights don't go away because those who could have prevented it didn't. My rights aren't what stopped the teachers in that govschool from being effectively armed and equipped to stop the evil loser as soon as he pulled out his gun-- at least before he fired a second shot. Their blame and hatred condemn them.

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You can't put Humpty together again

Once the spell is broken, you can never again see government as anything other than a mafia. Never again will you be able to see it as a legitimate institution. Everything changes. Humpty Dumpty has shattered and can't be repaired.

The problem I see with most (if not all) "former libertarians" is that they never broke through that wall. They never stopped seeing government as legitimate; they just wanted it to do only certain things or to do things a certain way. But they couldn't let go completely. So the first time they wanted something they couldn't figure out a voluntary, mutually consensual way to have, they "realized" libertarians were "spoiled, selfish children clinging to something that would never work".

I see this in a lot of statists who have "libertarian" in their profile names; some who are quite "famous" in their social media circles. It's only a matter of time until they either denounce libertarianism or try to redefine it to be statist-lite. Some of them have already done so.

They are so close. 

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Statism's policies of statism

Governments and politicians have policies. I don't have policies. Policies seem to always involve using human lives as pawns.

Politically involved people want to hear politicians' policies. If a politician doesn't have any policies they are willing to let the public see, that's mighty suspicious.

I've heard some policies that were less bad than others, but I've rarely heard a policy that didn't sound like raw tyranny. Policies that are popular among some segments of statists.

But, policies are also information about how evil any particular politician is. Most politicians might like to hide this information. At least until they are in a position to commit these acts of politics against helpless victims, and it's too late to do anything about it.

One thing that is never a valid policy: Statism. And yet, aren't all government policies statist by their nature? Yes, they are.

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Concede the argument; let them feel their failure

No matter the plan, people will conspire to mess it up. That's human nature. You've got to keep maintaining it if you want it to work. No matter what it is.

Every time I'm discussing liberty with a statist-- especially a borderist-- they love to tell me how foreign gangs and governments will swarm in and enslave the lazy unorganized population, and stripmine the land of all its resources, without a government to protect them. "Libertopia" [sic] will last ten minutes at most, I'm told. All because people will mess up what their betters have created.

My thought is that if governments were able to prevent this with their wonderful military and borders, why aren't they stopping it now? What are they waiting for?

But, anyway, I may try a new approach next time. I may just agree.
"You're right. Liberty is impossible."

I'm not saying I'd really act like this, but I'll make the argument for it.

I am the liberty-loving frog, the Democrats are the frying pan, and the Republicans are the slow boil. The frog is doomed either way, but the slow boil is more dishonest. It might be more refreshing to get it over with in an honest fight than to keep dealing with quislings who won't allow liberty because it doesn't look like what they want.

So, if I'm not going to be allowed to live in liberty anyway, why would I help the side that's going to drag out the torture? Why not help the side that'll bring on the collapse faster? And get some handouts in the meantime. And make the elites happy so they can be distracted from telling me how horrible I am to believe people should keep their own property and speak freely.

Maybe I should register to v*te, then help the side that's going to destroy the whole broken system the fastest. Sure, things could get really bad, but if I'm not allowed to have what I want regardless, maybe it doesn't matter.

Maybe it's better to be surrounded by those who'll stab you in the chest rather than those who stab you in the back. I don't intend to comply with the "laws" of either side anyway, so what does it matter? If I'm going to be surrounded by people who won't let me enjoy liberty, maybe I can use that to my advantage in some way.

If the borderists love government so much, maybe the thing to do is use their precious government against them. Report them for every infraction of the rules they insist must keep being imposed on society. Make them miserable enough that they snap. Make their system fall apart as surely as they say liberty would fail. You'd think they would have noticed the failure of the Constitution by now, the failure of "limited" government, the failure of government to protect the rights of the people... but no. 

Being nice to statists doesn't work. It's not enough that you'd let them have their little governance clubs, they insist that I have to be subject to the rules of a club I don't belong to. Just because they can't allow anyone to opt out-- they know it would show the flaws in their system.

So I'm willing to hit them where it hurts. Sabotage what they want if they want let me have what I want.

Show them that you might as well take a chance at what you really want, rather than supporting a system that makes sure you can't get it.

Wouldn't that be horrible of me?

Added-- I just tried a "lite" version on someone. I'll see how that goes and adapt the strategy.

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No amount of slavery will be enough to satisfy them

I'm sad that Polymer80 was sued out of business by the anti-gun bigots. I shouldn't have put off buying a kit from them-- although, there haven't been any available on their site for a long time. I did keep checking.

People and activist groups shouldn't have the ability to do this.

I'm not saying "there oughta be a law", but what I am saying is that any "law" that makes it possible to sue a business for the acts of evil losers who just happen to have used their product is a "law" that shouldn't exist. That kind of "law" needs to be stricken from the books.

Anyone who does this sort of legalized extortion should be subject to repercussions of some especially painful variety. I hope they suffer the consequences while I'm still around to enjoy seeing it.

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Presidents a distraction from issues

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for July 28, 2024)

Is Joe Biden still the US President? Will he soon be forced out, by using the 25th Amendment, due to his cognitive decline? Is he physically healthy enough to continue in the position or to survive his term? Will Kamala Harris be any better? Interesting times.

What you may not realize is how little it matters. US Presidents have always been figureheads; this has become more obvious over the years. Presidents hold little power; most of it is exercised by unelected bureaucrats and those in intelligence agencies who tell the Presidents what they'll be allowed to do.

There's a joke making the rounds that America is running out of conspiracy theories because they're all being proven true. This is more accurate than most people want to admit.

I know "The Deep State" sounds like a conspiracy theory, but if you think rationally for even a minute, you'll see it has to be how things work.

A President takes office and changes the head of some agency, choosing among candidates for the position who have been pre-approved to pick from. The agency doesn't change, its agenda speeds up or slows down.

My go-to example is the unconstitutional BATFE. This agency may change the ways in which it violates natural human rights, but it never relinquishes power willingly. It never admits its policies are all unconstitutional and therefore criminal acts. No, it simply speeds up, slows down, or picks a new target.

This is how something on the edge of the Deep State works. Now imagine how it is for nameless agencies which are completely hidden from public view. It's worse than you can imagine.

The most any President can manage is to ask an agency to double down, to concentrate more on something else, or do what it does a little differently. So far no President has had the ethical courage to start abolishing these agencies. Nothing really changes; it just gets a new paint job and the doorknobs get updated. Even if every employee were replaced the agency has a life of its own and will continue doing what it does.

Whatever your feelings on the topic, the truth is the President is neither the problem nor the solution. Some are worse than others, but they are mostly a distraction to keep you from seeing who the real enemy is. The root problem must be dug out and burned before liberty can thrive.

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How 'bout neither

Statists love the false dichotomy. Such as the one above. You either accept government violating you or Venezuelan gangs violating you. There is no third option of not being violated.

I'm protecting the identity of the "libertarian" minarchist who posted it. Whether I should or not.

I waded in where I knew I wouldn’t be welcome.

I pointed out that "No gangs would be taking over anything had government not whittled away the natural human right to defend life, liberty, and property with the most effective modern tools available. Government is the problem; more government is not a solution."

Instead of addressing my point, he said: "Yet here we are, in the real life world. Not a philosophical thought experiment in a vacuum."

Me: "So you believe a real world tighter border wouldn’t require a much stronger, bigger government than currently exists? In real life? I’m talking real world, not utopian 'necessary government' delusions."

Him: "I subscribe to the minarchist view on this, that pragmatically, securing a border is one of the few “legitimate” functions of govt in our current reality. Allowing culturally distant, militant, organized, criminal, communist people or organizations to come free is suicide" There's that evil "pragmatism" again-- the belief that anything is excusable if you can make the argument that it "works".

Me: "Are you a libertarian or a minarchist? There are libertarian solutions and there is statism. The gulf between the two is unbridgeable. 
https://kentmcmanigal.blogspot.com/2024/08/it-seems-almost-intentional.html"

He stopped replying, but someone else jumped in: "Given that our government is already the most overblown, powerful force in the history of the world I think we could conceivably direct some of that power to the border without 'expanding it'”

Me: "'Could conceivably'… But they wouldn’t. Nothing in the history of government gives any indication that they would."

Person 2: "So you’re fine with millions of people from 3rd world countries pouring in who cost taxpayers billions a year, who do not share your values whatsoever and who will cement a permanent one party state if they are naturalized, as long as the gov doesn’t get a little more power?" Mind reading must be such an exciting superpower... if only they could do it well.

Me: "Read the blog post I linked to and you’ll find the answer."

And so it goes. Of course, I eventually got blocked. I get it- I'm frustrating. I'm the tar baby. I have patience and I've heard it all before.
Anyway...

If government can get you to beg them to save you- with legislation or border control- they win. And you won’t actually be saved.

To those who believe government holds the answer, the statist approach is always the "pragmatic" way, even if you know government will never do it. Government might close the borders, but if they do, it won't be to make you safer or make your life better in any way. It will be to trap you. To control you. You'll still need to take up arms to defend your own life, liberty, or property.

To them, the libertarian approach, even when it’s no more far-fetched than the statist approach, is “philosophical” and not realistic. Just because they seem to believe so strongly in government. Even when both approaches are on equal footing as far as the state agreeing to the conditions. (It won't.)

"Close the borders", using the government power that already exists so you don’t end up with more powerful government, knowing that this isn't how government has ever worked, and it's not going to magically change now. It might work this time?

But respecting the natural human right to defend life, liberty, and property? The ONLY thing that has ever worked or ever will? This is unrealistic. You've got to beg government to save you from the conditions it created and sustains with its illegitimate power.

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I’m resting

I’m still alive.

I’m spending my days bingeing Mystery Science Theater 3000– napping through a lot of it. 

Not feeling great physically. Feeling much worse about rescheduling the surgery.

I was so looking forward to being able to see with two eyes again. I’m tired of reaching for things and missing because I have poor depth perception. And missing steps when going down. 

I understand there are people in worse shape, permanently, but I hate having the rug pulled out from under me like this. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel and it got switched off by the Fauci Bug.

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Things never go smooth

Last night I developed a fever, cough, runny nose, and body aches. My daughter tested positive for the Fauci Bug on Monday, so that's probably what I've got.

So, I'm off the surgical schedule for tomorrow. #@%*!

The next available date is October 16, but they'll watch for any openings before then.

I'm really unhappy about this.

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Better than any government

Any ordinary criminal is better than any government.

Nearly every extraordinary criminal, like a mass-murdering child rapist, is still better than any government. And better than most government employees.

If you side with government against other criminals you're not helping. You're not on the right side. At best, you are choosing one monster over another monster.

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The more you know... the unhappier you are

The more you know about what's happening in the world, the less happy you'll probably be.

If you don't pay attention to it you'll be uninformed, but if you do pay attention to it you'll be misinformed. And miserable. It's quite the conundrum. 

You need to remember that "the news", when the topic is anything political, is fake. It's all lies.

One way to deal with this is to not listen to anything going on outside your personal sphere. You'll run the risk of being blindsided by something horrible you didn't see coming because you weren't paying attention, but you'll avoid the constant bad feeling of knowing what's happening in other places-- things you can do nothing about. 

Which is worse? Which will have more of an impact on your quality of life? It may depend on who you are.

People who use politics against others are just the worst. It's dangerous to not watch them and see what they are doing, but it is going to ruin your life if you spend much time seeing the evil they are perpetuating on everyone around them.

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Giving government power over you

Government really only has whatever power over you that you give it.

It doesn't seem like it much of the time. 

Government employees can murder you-- and may be as likely to do so as freelance thugs. If not yet, then soon. 

Just as the amount of property stolen by government now exceeds the amount stolen by freelance thieves (and has for several years- and this doesn't even count taxes!), the number of people murdered by government may soon surpass the number killed by freelance murderers. It wouldn't surprise me even a little.

Still, if you don't let freelance thieves and murderers control how you live your life now, why let government?

You don't owe them your compliance and obedience. You don't owe them respect. If you owe them anything, it is only what they have earned: contempt. 

If you go out of your way to express this contempt, you are still letting them control you. I have known people who couldn't pass a cop without flipping them the digitus impudicus. Me? It's not worth my time and effort. I neither go out of my way to avoid cops, nor do I seek them out. They are irrelevant to my life, just like a noxious weed or diseased vermin (until someone has shoved them down my pants). Other coercive government employees are the same.

I refuse to give them the power to control what I do, beyond what I have to do in the instantaneous present to keep them from murdering me. And even that is probably too much.

What are your thoughts on this?

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Assassination wrong, counterproductive

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for July 21, 2024)

Once again, some evil loser killed a person, but not the specific one he wished to kill. Donald Trump, his presumed primary target, survived with a minor injury. I am no fan of politicians or their institutions, but this isn't the way to change things for the better. Not even close!

If you dislike a politician, vote against him, or better yet, do something productive. Build a life for yourself that doesn't hinge on politics or depend on government doing things your way. Be independent.

Don't try to kill the politician or his fans. It's wrong and doing so only proves the point that you, and those like you, are the problem. You've proven your opponents' narrative about what kind of people those who are against their agenda are. Is this what you want? To become the terrible person your opponents claim you are?

A violent revolution will only engender a new violent regime. It may be different from the old regime but it won’t be better. For real, lasting change, a peaceful revolution always beats assassination.

The best solution-- the right one-- is to walk away. Remove the power of politicians and their institutions by refusing to serve them from this moment forward. This works better than voting. If no one obeys, no one rules.

Politicians need you; you don’t need them. The same goes for any government employee- they need you and your compliance much more than you need their "services".

I encourage this kind of peaceful revolution; simply growing beyond fawning over, or obeying, political regimes. None of them are worthy of your respect. Democracy is mob rule and republics always become democracies on their sure slide into tyranny. Don’t keep following that path if it’s not where you want to end up.

This doesn't mean any other political system is better-- it isn't. No one has the right to govern anyone but himself. Nothing can create such a nonsensical "right" based on the dangerous superstitious belief in political "authority".

Abraham Lincoln was a racist tyrant. "The American Lenin", some have called him. His legacy embodied the domestic abuser's threat: "If you leave me, I'll kill you!" Then, John Wilkes Booth turned him into a martyr whose actual deeds and opinions have been sanitized from most history books. You don't change things for the better by elevating your opponent to martyr status.

Assassination is wrong, but it's also counterproductive and stupid.

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This next week is a doozy

Just a quick note. Today begins the most insanely busy week: a comic-con for my daughter, a follow-up appointment for my left eye, my daughter's birthday, the surgery on my right eye, then a follow-up appointment on my right eye. Followed by making trips to take care of my sister's cats (including one that is elderly and on medication to keep her from dying) while she goes on a weekend vacation. In that order. All except for the cat sitting are at least an hour and a half from home, and all are on different days so nothing can be combined into one trip.

This is the week I warned you about.

I am trying to make sure I have things written to post, but I can't guarantee it. I may not respond to comments or emails in a timely fashion. If I do things right, you won't even notice if you forget about this note. And that's my intention; to make you forget I even mentioned it by keeping things going without a hitch.

Keep me in your thoughts.

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Resistance is essential

Speaking of boxes...

To me, it is clear Kamala Harris is worse in every way than Donald Trump. She echoes all his bad traits and adds some creative evil of her own. (I realize I may be attributing to candidates what those pulling the strings are doing. Just go with it.)

I'm also aware this makes Trump the more dangerous of the two in some ways.

If you're trapped somewhere inside the box, you probably balk at some part of this claim. 

You may have a little extra emotion involved, making you hate one or the other beyond what reason would indicate. It's even possible this is why I see Harris as worse than Trump- I may be suffering from HDS rather than TDS. I don't think so, but who would? We all think we see the situation clearly, even if we are in a box we can't see. 

Being outside the box (or some particular box) I understand it doesn't matter as much as those inside the box believe it does. I don't need (or want) to be governed by anyone. I don't require a president; I won't bow to one. I can govern myself just fine-- as can you. Politicians are parasites. Government and liberty are mutually exclusive, and I value liberty. Anyone trying to govern me is the enemy.

Presidents are an unnecessary evil. They aren't part of the solution until or unless you find one willing and able to dismantle the entire structure that gives them and their opponents their power. Don't hold your breath, since the Deep State will never allow anyone like this to get close to being on the ballot, much less to be elected. 

The best power you have right now is in your refusal to comply and your willingness to accept the consequences of noncompliance if there's no way to avoid them. Do not be assimilated. Resist. This is what those outside the box understand. It isn't pretty, but it's true.

The tighter they grip, the more who will slip between their bloody fingers.

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Trapped in the box

Statism is a box. It's a trap. It is hard for people to think outside the box; to escape the trap. It's even harder when they can't see they're trapped in a box.

It's a big box. There's lots of room inside.

There are partitions inside the box, keeping matter and antimatter apart so the box can survive. Or, rather, keeping those trapped in the box from communicating with those inside the other chambers and discovering their common condition. If they were really allowed to get to know each other and to communicate, the box wouldn't survive.

Inside the box are things like both defending and defunding the police, borderism and importing migrants, taxation and how to spend it, support for presidential candidates, Constitutionalism, citizenship, woodchippers and other death penalties, the myth of the rule of law and the superstitious belief in political authority. It's where people debate what kind of government to impose on themselves and others.

Outside the box is where you can see beyond the greasy cardboard walls. 

There you can see that borderism and importing migrants look opposed, but are both flavors of statism. Both lead to the same tragic end: government supremacy.

It's where you can see that copsuckers and most of the "defund the police" people have more in common with each other than with those who understand that cops are the standing army the founders of America warned about. They each think cops are the key-- either to "law and order" or to ending racist policing. Either path, separated from the human right to defend yourself and others from ALL attacks, leads to a police state.

Outside the box is where you can see that taxation is theft, extortion, and slavery, and arguing over how to spend the stolen loot is evil. The outside-the-box discussion is how to stop the taxers from taxing.

Outside the box is where you can see the futility of arguing which politician should be running your life rather than demanding they back off.

Inside the box are all those who aren't aware that everyone has the right and responsibility to govern himself, and no one else. 

Is there a way to get through to those trapped inside the box? Yes. It's rare but it happens. Is it more useful to notice that even outside the box is a larger box encompassing those who think they've escaped?

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It doesn't mean you're a monkey

The first time I ever heard of Monkey Pox was when I worked at a pet store. We had ordered some prairie dogs but the order was canceled by the wholesaler because Monkey Pox had been found in their facility. 

That would have been in the mid-90s.

Back then no one was afraid the name Monkey Pox would offend anyone, so no attempt was made to change the name to "M Pox". 

I guess now Chicken Pox and Rat Bite Fever need to be dishonestly renamed in case anyone feels they are being equated with chickens or rats, or are being accused of having sex with chickens or rats, if they catch those diseases.

It's just so stupid.

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Toxic twins

Imagine twins who have been hurting each other since they were in the womb. Neither one wants to stop, and each points to all the times in the past when his twin has hurt him as justification for each new attack. As adults, the twins have formed mafias to commit their acts on each other and the family members of the other. Somehow they believe this mafia makes their behavior more legitimate.

Each twin has his own supporters and haters. Egging him on to hurt the other again. Their behavior threatens everyone in the whole world.

I have zero sympathy for either twin.

This, to me, is the story of the Middle East.

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Amendments Convention a trap

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for July 14, 2024)

Roosevelt County has stepped into a trap. Convening a U.S. Amendments Convention would be a mistake.

The Bill of Rights already contains the most important Constitutional amendments and the federal government usually disobeys it. They interpret those amendments into nothingness any time one would stand in the way of government doing something it wants to do.

The fundamental human right to own and carry weapons? Government illegally decides what kind of weapons it will allow the people to keep and bear, which people it will allow to exercise their rights, where those rights will be allowed, what kind of government fees will be charged, and it regularly throws people in prison for exercising the right in a way government doesn't like.

It's also an amendment many people would repeal.

Any faction which doesn't like any of the amendments in the Bill of Rights will claim it can simply pass another amendment to change it. Of course, alter any part of the Bill of Rights and the whole deal is off; the federal government can pack up and leave the country.

The only justification for amending the Constitution is to close loopholes which allow tyranny to sneak in; to place more rights off-limits to legislation and more limits on government. New amendments would need to restrain government, not the people.

I don't trust politically motivated people to amend the Constitution responsibly, but to try to buy votes with tyrannical amendments their base wants.

What if they did stick to limiting government power? History suggests it won't work any better now than it has over the past two-and-a-half centuries. Government will not be limited.

How about adding an amendment to strengthen the rest? I'm talking about an enforcement amendment, spelling out exactly what the penalty would be for any government employee who violates any part of the Constitution; hot tar and feathers or a rope being historically appropriate fates. This is the only sort of amendment I would support. It won't work. As long as government gets to investigate itself, it will keep finding it did nothing wrong. Or someone would find a way to use it against the people.

The best use for the Constitution at this time in history is to illustrate how criminal the US federal government has become. Inviting more amendments won't turn out well for anyone other than those who won't let a document restrain their power.

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Reminder: Keep prepping

This seems like a good time to remind you to keep prepping. 

Expect trouble during and after the s/election. If it doesn't happen, at least you were ready in case it did. The natural world can always throw a disaster your way, too. As can general human incompetence. Be ready- stay ready. It will never hurt to be more ready than is necessary.

If anyone makes fun of you for being ready for something that didn't happen, just know that smart people will never do that.

Lately, my prepping has come to a grinding halt, due to various circumstances. But there's nearly always something that can be done. This is a reminder to myself to find something and do it.

If you don't have money to stock up on things, practice your skills (they'll always matter more than the things anyway).

If you can't practice for some reason, read books or articles, or watch videos on prepping. Get ideas.

Make lists. What you have (check expiration dates), what you need, what you've realized you don't need, what might need to be replaced... whatever lends itself to a list. See what you might be missing that you didn't notice until you had things written out. 

Sort through your preps and make sure everything is in order. If nothing else, this will help keep you in the prepping state of mind, which is always useful.

Be ready out there.

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What brings her joy?

Koala Harris' cackling is being rebranded as "joy". She's "joyful".

Perhaps.

I know people whose sense of humor is limited to enjoying seeing people get hurt. Jokes or humor which would require thought to find funny don't register as funny to them. That kind of stuff is more likely to anger them.

Evil people feel JOY when they violate others.
So, yes, I'm sure the Kackling Thing truly is joyful. It would fit her type.

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I can see clearly now (out of one eye)

I'm back. I had to get reading glasses before I could do anything on the computer.

I'm seeing pretty well... out of the left eye. The shortcomings of the formerly "good" eye are more obvious now. Having a good lens shows me how bad my vision has been- shockingly bad. I have apparently been seeing everything in a muted sepia-tone. And clouded and smeared. An unexpected benefit: the new lens is making the world bright and colorful. I didn't know what I was missing.

I'm having a bit of trouble adjusting to using the eye I haven't been able to see out of since the end of October. But now it's the good eye, so I have to consciously switch to it sometimes.

I'm anxious to get the right eye done. Even knowing what it entails.

The laser procedure was kind of horrific. The lens replacement actually was, too. I think I would prefer to be unconscious for both, but I guess they don't do that. At least it was fast.

As soon as I left the surgical center, my vision in the eye was perfect. Soon the post-op swelling and grittiness set in and the vision got blurry. The next morning, my vision was still bad, but it cleared up within just a few hours. It still has a ways to go, but the surgeon said it will continue to improve over the next couple of weeks.

It's not quite a bionic eye, but it almost feels that much superior to what I have been living with.

I'm already really impressed.

I highly recommend having it done if you need it.

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Speaking of being able to see...

Being able to see through the lies of all political parties is a superpower. It's not something very common in today's world.

It seems to be limited to libertarians and anarchists. Which isn't surprising.

You'll get used to being accused of being on "the other side" each time you criticize the stupidity or evil you see on one side. Or assumed to belong to a side each time you call out something a side is doing right. (Yes, they do occasionally do something right.)

Let it roll off your back.

Politics makes people stupid, and usually evil, too. It makes them blind to reality, seeing everything through the lens of politics-- a lens even worse than the one I had surgery to remove. But they don't want their flawed lens removed. It lets them imagine they see what they want to see.

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Surgery day

I’ll be arriving at the eye surgery center in about 10 minutes. I’m getting there a bit early- hopefully they’ll let me in. They were a bit adamant about not having much of a waiting area.

I’ll see how this goes. Smoothly, I’m hoping. I hate medical procedures, though.

UPDATE: I’m home. My eye feels gritty and dry. As long as the eye anesthetic was working I could see perfectly out of that eye. Now that the anesthetic has worn off I’m keeping that eye closed for comfort.

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They'll sell you out

If government does manage to get the rifle ban it drools over, don't expect any meaningful support from gun stores.

In particular, I don’t trust any gun store that promotes drug prohibition to stand up against a ban on AR15s. 

They'll roll over and sell you out, just as I've heard of them doing to people who bring in a firearm that lacks a serial number.

I understand why they feel they have to do it-- they believe they require licensing from government, and these licenses can be revoked. And will be revoked if they don't carry water for the authoritarian state. This is why licensing of any kind-- even if you feel like it's a good idea-- is one of the worst things ever.

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It might be an improvement...

My daughter asked her mom if she knew who the vice president was.
She didn't, so my daughter said "It's Kamala Harris".
Her mom said "Koala?"

So, now when I hear of Harris and her campaign, I think of a red communist koala eating your dollars, pooping out equity and gun bans.

(Image generated with Gab AI)

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I will speak out as long as I'm able

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for July 7, 2024)

You are probably familiar with the poem, First They Came, by Martin Niemöller. The one which begins, "First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist." It goes on to list more groups "they" came for.

We are living in such a time again. People in power are coming for those they don't like: often the ones who speak out against the evil being committed by political criminals in positions of power. They are coming with lawfare, inflated charges, SWAT raids, and censorship.

What would the poem say today?

First they came for the January 6ers and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a January 6er. Then they came for Donald Trump and I didn't speak out because I'm not Donald Trump. Then they came for the Republicans and I didn’t speak out because I’m not a Republican.

Remember how Niemöller's poem ends? "Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me."

When they come for me, will there be no one left to speak out for me? That's the way it might go if society stays on the same course. I don't intend to let that happen.

The reality is I have no illusions I would be last on any list to be rounded up. With this realization, from the beginning, I-- unlike the man in the poem-- have spoken out. Even though it makes people mad. I will continue to speak out against those who come for any individual for any reason besides violating the life, liberty, or property of another person. Even if I don't otherwise support anything they believe or do.

It's also an unfortunate fact of life that those who have been targeted in the past will usually target those they see as their oppressors as soon as they gain the power to do so. I've seen this happen repeatedly as long as I've been alive. It's wrong, making things worse instead of better, but they do it anyway.

With this in mind, when they come for the addicts I will speak out though I'm not an addict. Then they come for the migrants, the sexually confused, and the Democrats I will speak out though I am none of those.

Whatever happens, I will continue to speak out as long as I am able, and I hope you do, too.

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Feeling a little Jonah-ish

The world has gone mad. It didn't have far to go to get to this point, but it made the last jump pretty fast.

It could be interesting to sit and watch everything play out.

Stay armed. Stay prepared in other ways, too: food, water, off-grid energy (solar, muscle power, etc,), and above all, skills and mindset.
Do not comply.
You don't owe loyalty to any politician or state-- they've put in the work to earn your contempt. Let their chickens come home to roost.

Take care of yourself and your tribe-- however you define it. Let the archators take each other out-- out of your way; it's what they want most and what they've v*ted for. Honor their wishes. And duck!

Those who have begged for authoritarians to rule them are getting ruled good and hard. They won't learn anything through this lesson. They'll keep believing superstitions such as that money can't exist without the state because theft gives money its value. Or that government can be good and is necessary, and that anarchy is death and destruction.

If you want to warn them of their folly, go ahead. They won't thank you or even listen. Maybe a bystander will, though. If you'd rather watch them burn for their ignorance, that's fine too. At this point, whatever happens to them is because they've demanded and enabled it. I know I have no right to force them to safety.

I just hope you and I can avoid the worst of it. Preparedness will help.

If I had the ability, I might be tempted to poke and prod to see what happens. 
On one hand, the longer things take to play out, the more time you and I have to prepare.
On the other hand, the longer this goes on, the worse the final implosion will probably be. And it might be on the heads of our kids and grandchildren.

And, yet, maybe things will settle down. A little worse than before (as always), but not so bad that it crashes around our ears. The slow crawl to collapse could keep moving relentlessly onward. Like a glacier. I would like to think it could be reversed, but I see no evidence anyone but you and I are even aware of what's going on. How can it be reversed if no one will even admit what's happening?

Part of me says that previous generations have also thought the world was in trouble in their time. Some of them were right. We may be in a similar situation, but there are new variables that have never existed before. Will they make a difference? I guess we'll find out.

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Taxation gives money its value?

The guy mentioned in the previous post, who wanted me to admit to loving some forms of socialism, also has strange ideas about money. Ideas so odd that I'll just have to show you exactly what he claimed.

I've explained my understanding of money in the past.

When I said if something can't be provided voluntarily, without "taxation", it needs to go away, he countered with:

"You're effectively asking for an anarchy where everyone looks after themselves. No laws, no money. I say no money because it's something created by the state. Taxation is interesting, it's something that has to happen to give value to money. Without it you could use anything you can get people to agree on. But taxes make you need $s so the gvmt are in charge of money. There's a conversation to be had about the rate of tax though"

Yes. Anarchy, please. It's not what he claims, but that's for him to learn by experience. I'm surprised he didn't whip his Somalia out and wave it around.

Anyway, he believes money is "created by the state"? That money has no value unless it is given value through taxation? It sounds like he's describing fiat "money", not real money. 

I told him that was cute and asked if he'd like to admit to any other superstitions.

"No doubt you think money comes from the people, or business. You got a printing press laying around?"

My response was: "That’s not money. It is a substitute for money that people accept. It’s a receipt for money that no longer has money backing it up. Just the promise that government will keep stealing to prop it up. The US dollar has lost nearly 100% of its value since it [sic] the Fed began the scam."

He concluded with "As Minsky said anyone can create money, the trouble is getting other people to accept it."

He's not wrong about that. I suppose the way government pulled off the scam was to start with real money, then take away the reality of it a little at a time until nothing is left, but people still accept it out of habit when they probably shouldn't. The same scam is likely to work for anyone with the resources to pull it off.

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"But you love THIS socialism, right?"

In response to the sick Tim Walz comment about "One person's socialism is another person's neighborliness" I posted the image shared above.

A statist thought he'd get me with "Is the police department socialism? Fire department? Military? If you think any of these being controlled at the national, state, [or] civic level is a good thing then you just supported a form of socialism."

I know. And...?

No. I don't think letting government control any of those things is a good thing-- I don't support them. At least not in their government iteration. They are funded with theft ("taxation"), you can't opt out or provide a competing service for yourself (and others) and save your money. And I told him so.

So he tried a different approach: "Police & fire departments are funded by local taxes. The military is funded by the senate authorising the creation of money."

What does that have to do with the topic? But, I'll play. I told him they were still socialism and unethical. If something can’t be funded voluntarily it needs to die.

Because of his bizarre comment about money, though, and his apparent need to educate me, this then devolved into a discussion of what "money" is, which will be part 2.

Really, though. Do people who oppose political socialism have that hard a time grasping that government police, firefighters, and military don't get a free pass? That if a service is actually necessary and wanted, people will support it without being robbed and threatened?

Do socialists believe the rest of us are this clueless? And is this why they think they can get us to embrace socialism if they frame it a certain way?

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Blog alert

I'm approaching time for my eye surgeries, which means blog posts may not be as regular as normal after next Tuesday. But they may be-- I just don't know how things will go until I get there.

However, this morning as I was leaving for the final requested pre-surgery eye test, I managed to slam the end of my right index finger in the front door. 

I'm not good at typing under optimal circumstances. I use 3 fingers, and now I've lost the use of one of those-- the primary one and the one I depend on for using the mouse-- for a couple of days or so. Depending on how long it keeps throbbing. 11.5 hours and it's still exceedingly painful, but maybe it will not be as bad by morning.

Anyway, if blog posts are a little less reliable for a while, that's the reason... or the reasons. I'll do what I can. I did manage to get one written and scheduled for tomorrow morning, and I wrote this.

Yay, me.

(UPDATE: It's morning. The back (proximal) half of my fingernail is a nice blackish-purple color and my fingertip is swollen and a little red. The finger still hurts, but it is usable as long as I don't hit the keys too hard.)

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