Littlestuff Weekender-7-16-2011

Littlestuff Weekender-7-16-2011

Apparently many of the political class are illiterate because they can’t read the handwriting on the wall. The discourse surrounding the debt ceiling talks reminds me of a group of angry cats in an alley in the middle of the night. It is clear that progressive statists remain wedded to their ideology even when the facts suggest a different course. Here we are with a huge national debt that we will never repay, the value of the dollar is shrinking because of our perilous financial condition, and as a result, inflation is beginning to ratchet upward. What do the statists do? Why, insist on MORE SPENDING AND MORE DEBT plus HIGHER TAXES.

The GOP leadership must be clueless. It is impossible to negotiate with people who are so divorced from reality. The House should go ahead and do the responsible thing and let the statists howl. If a “deal” is struck, it will be because the GOP has sold out the country and the citizens….again. No more negotiation, no more “middle ground,” no more spending, no more debt, no new taxes and no more yielding to the statists’ agenda of bankrupting the country so they can consolidate their tyrannical power. NO MORE.

My friend and fellow patriot, Jack Kemp, forwarded this Timothy Birdnow article about Midwest flooding and the government response:

http://tbirdnow.mee.nu/the_muddy_brown_revolution

July 10, 2011

The Muddy Brown Revolution
Timothy Birdnow

The Army Corps of Engineers held water in reservoirs during the spring despite high snow pack and compelling evidence that flooding was immanent. According to this article in the Great Plains Examiner:

http://www.greatplainsexaminer.com/2011/07/02/public-records-show-corps-reacted-too-late-to-avoid-flood/

"The period between March 20 and May 6 has been difficult for the Army Corps of Engineers to explain. During that span, the Corps’ water managers kept river levels low and stockpiled near-record amounts of water behind the three upper basin dams on the Missouri River, despite evidence that the Rocky Mountains were holding a lot more snow than normal.

The reservoirs were so full by early May that they couldn’t contain the late-spring rainfall that pounded Montana and the Dakotas.

Public records studied by the Great Plains Examiner show Fort Peck, Garrison and Oahe dams each were holding more than 99 percent of their total water capacity in late April. Lake Sakakawea, the largest reservoir along the river, had risen 10 feet into the flood-control zone before the Corps of Engineers began ramping up release rates from Garrison Dam to create storage space for the heavy rain and melting snow.

Emergency releases from the reservoirs in June flooded communities along a 1,700-mile stretch of the Missouri River. Almost immediately, people who live in the watershed accused federal water managers of mismanagement, officials with the Corps of Engineers pointed at their operations manuals and elected officials cast a wide net of suspicion over the two-month period leading up to the flood.

[...]

When flood conditions arise, the three upper-basin reservoirs act as the the primary storage units because they have the greatest storage capacity and their locations upriver provide the most flexibility to manage floods in the system as a whole.

But when asked repeatedly whether early spring floods downriver caused more water to be held at Fort Peck, Garrison and Oahe dams, the Corps of Engineers said no. Farhat also said concerns about flooding along the Mississippi River had no bearing on water releases into the Missouri River.

"We do not make release decisions based on conditions along the Mississippi River,” she said.

[...]

Daily logs kept by the Corps of Engineers show that water managers began 2011 on an aggressive schedule to draw down the levels at Lake Sakakawea, releasing high amounts of water through the dam in January, February and the beginning of March. The average release rate of about 25,000 cubic feet per second during the first two-and-a-half months was almost twice as much as average for that time of year.

But instead of pushing more water through Garrison Dam to keep up with high inflows, the Corps of Engineers reduced the release rates. The rate of release from the dam during the next 45 days was lowered to an average of about 16,000 cubic feet per second. During that time, water flowed into Lake Sakakawea at an average of 60,000 cubic feet per second and raised the reservoir levels by about 10 feet.

End excerpts.

Now, why did they reduce release? Was it fear of drought? To keep levels up to protect endangered species? Who ultimately gave the order.

I suspect it came straight for Washington; most likely from the office of Ken Salazar at the Department of the Interior.

Why do I suspect that? Because the Army Corps of Engineers blew some levees to protect Democrat strongholds and flooded farm country, then swooped in to buy this fertile bottom land for pennies on the dollar. http://tbirdnow.mee.nu/guess_whos_buying_flooded_midwest_farmland

Who said "never let a good crisis go to waste"? I believe it was Obama's former chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel.

Think about it; it was obvious a flood was coming anyway. Barack Obama's administration is chock-full of revolutionaries who want to fundamentally remake America, and along comes this looming crisis. There is a great deal that can be taken from this. For starters, it helps sew chaos, the goal of Frances Fox Piven and Richard Cloward, who advocated the "Cloward-Piven Strategy" of overloading the system. A flood that engulfs the Midwest puts serious strain on a system already strained, and adds to the feelings in this country of impending doom and disaster. It drives people off the bottomlands - a goal of environmentalists, who want to restore the "wetlands". It allows government to take some of the most productive farmland in the world. It Punishes political enemies. A pre-planned disaster allows friends of the Administration to make money (Soros, anyone?) It helps to bankrupt Midwestern states, who may well have no choice but to crawl to the federal government for help. Oh, and it could be blamed on Global Warming, too!

In short, there was going to be a flood anyway. Why not use it to advantage?

At every turn this regime finds excuses to grab more power. Why should we assume anything different here?

The Great Flood of 2011 is starting to look like a revolution in muddy brown.

One little certitude: If the government controls productive farm land and its use, it will no longer be productive farm land.

Tune in to our radio program on Tuesday and Wednesday from 6:00pm to 7:00pm on 1370 WSPD.  www.wspd.com

On Friday I’ll be at the Warren County Fair working with the Libertarian party organization there.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com     or    www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Heartbeats and Hoofbeats

Some events are pleasant for us, and others fill us with apprehension. The only people whose lives are a straight line with no ups or downs are those in a coma. When we are excited, our hearts beat faster and our adrenaline kicks into “turbo mode.” When the anticipated event is a happy one, our senses are heightened so that we may enjoy the moment to the fullest. Pending peril, too, generates a similar response. Our sensory tools are sharpened as we wait for the danger to reveal itself to us. After identifying the threat, we determine our response…usually fight or flight.

Most of us who love our nation experience the swelling pride and joy whenever we hear a patriotic song, view a film clip of homecoming soldiers or witness a community pulling together following a natural disaster.  Our sense of connection is more than patriotism. It is a sense of common place…shared experiences and views. Happy heartbeats germinate in a similar environment. When we encounter something that springs from the familiar but contains a positive joy-inducing stimulus, we respond with happiness…unrestrained and glowing. Heart beats induced by happiness may be fast and furious, but they do not consist of the heavy pounding intensity that fear-based ones do.

The thundering hoof beats of Paul Revere’s galloping steed echoed through the night as many in Massachusetts slept. Those who were awake, however probably felt apprehensive heart beats in their chests as Revere spoke the alarm. For them it marked the beginning of new and unknown chapter in their lives. Their zeal for liberty must have been tempered to some degree by the knowledge that they were about to challenge the greatest military power on earth. Second thoughts must have entered their minds as Revere’s hoof beats faded into the dark, and the pounding staccato of their beating hearts may have caused them to fear that the noise might stir their neighbors. The rhythmic sounds of hoof beats and heart beats blended to form a melody of freedom with minor chords of fear.    

The thrill and challenge of facing overwhelming odds when you know that your cause is just can be an exhilaratingly fearful time. The body springs into alert mode and all of the senses are on “super-sensitive.” Muscles twitch with anticipation, and a surge of energy flows through the body. Do you feel that way now? Are your body, your mind and all your senses on “high-alert?” They should be. The hoof beats of alarm have left the area and are moving to call out the next alarm. Your liberty is threatened. Your life, as you know it,…is in danger. Your nation faces its most grave crisis since 1861. You as a champion of liberty and as a defender of the country are being called to action.

This danger is not new to you. I am aware of that, and I know that you have been battling for months or years to stem the flow of a big government run amok. This column is nothing more than an attempt to reinvigorate you because I sense that many of you may be getting weary. Each effort begins with so much hope and anticipation, but the turnout for the meeting is too small, the volunteers at the event are too few, or the hardheads in another group are too obstinate to cooperate. The obstacles sometimes seem too great to overcome. After watching Congress or the President, the legislature or the Governor, the Commissioners or the mayor all do something grievously unconstitutional or monumentally stupid, the task seems too difficult. The sound of the hoof beats reminds you that the alarm is real, and you are needed once again for this just and worthy cause.

Harness your fear for the future, and corral your anger about the audacity of those who foul the Constitution and the rights of our citizens. Bind them, merge them into a burning white-hot heat that will not be denied until your country has been restored…recaptured…returned. Remind yourself again and again that your fight is not for you but for those who follow. Your fervor and energy must not waver. You must persist and persevere because failure is unacceptable and leads to despotism and tyranny. You cannot stop. You must not stop. Your emotion-filled heart reminds you with every forceful beat why you must fight on……………………….and you will.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com     or   www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Liberty-First, Foremost and Forever

Liberty is the basis of living. Without freedom, without the opportunity to make one’s own decisions and choices, a person becomes a ward…a supplicant…chattel for someone or something. The individual who does not inhale the fresh air of freedom may be bound to the fecklessness of the state…never knowing  which rule, law or regulation he or she may be violating at any given moment. The individual whose freedom has been taken by another person is a slave, and the person who submits his freedom to another person or a state is a fool. Throughout human history individuals have battled for freedom from the chains of oppression while others have willingly yielded to the fetters of others. Those who have struggled for freedom have nourished the spark of humanity within their souls while the others who have chosen to forfeit their liberty have assumed the posture of domesticated beasts of burden.

When someone surrenders her liberty, she is, in essence, admitting that she’s either incapable of or too lazy to manage her own affairs. Choosing dependence and supplication as a lifestyle destroys the humanity of the dependent. Initiative and creativity become blunted, and the dependent individual becomes a constant grumbler about the quantity and quality of the care provided by the controller/director/master. The motto for the purposeful supplicant could be: Bitch, moan and whine while taking the freebies provided by others. Intentional dependency leads to a death by a thousand cuts as one’s self-worth, self-esteem and confidence are slowly eroded away. Even with the strongest mindset of entitlement comes the uncertainty that the provider may tire of the arrangement…leaving the hapless, thoughtless dependent to forage for survival.

Learning is a byproduct of one’s pursuing something new. The goal may be firmly fixed in the mind of the seeker, but the nuggets of knowledge acquired during the quest are usually unanticipated. Liberty opens the portals of exploration and innovation whereas dependence deadens curiosity and ambition. Free people are learners. Dependent drones are not. Learning is the only mechanism for a society or culture to advance. No one can invent or create if one is unaware of what has already been accomplished or attempted. Dependents are condemned to the status quo because of their failure to learn…to broaden their horizons. Achieving and reaching goals is impossible when one is immobile.

The people of our nation seem to have lost their respect for liberty. We can see that attitude reflected in the abysmal performance of our students on so many levels. Quality service has become a rarity in many of our commercial encounters. Rudeness and crudity are abundant in the marketplace and on our public streets. True liberty requires that one be accountable and responsible for one’s actions, and does not intentionally interfere with the actions, lives or property of others. In other words liberty contains a rich component of respect for others without being obsequious. A person who respects liberty will perform at her highest level possible because of the commitment to responsible behavior. Observers sometimes confuse those who have no responsibility as enjoying freedom, but in fact they are dependent on others—individuals or institutions—for their guidance and direction. Their “free and easy lives” are illusionary and self destructive.

Liberty, personal freedom, must be the primary motivator if a society is to prosper. A dependent social structure cannot succeed because the producers withdraw from meaningful activity, and dependents do not produce in a significant way. When producers have been turned loose to perform at their highest level, the entire community reaps the benefits. Freedom is the critical component for a growing society whether it be in economics, the arts or any other aspect for measuring the progress of a nation.

Liberty is the most essential element for building a positively dynamic country. Liberty is the most critical attribute for maintaining a society committed to growth. Liberty is absolutely vital if a nation is to survive. Thousands of despotic or tyrannical regimes have disintegrated on the ash heap of history. Many dozens of existing nations are suffocating under repressive governments and have lost their zest for excellence. Liberty offers the only means for energetic and creative citizens to flourish, and as they prosper, the nation benefits. Dependence leads to decay and despair….and tyranny.

Liberty, individual liberty, must be the first value of a nation. Liberty must be the preeminent protected value of a people. Liberty for all, for all time should be the dream of a free people…first, foremost and forever.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com      or      www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

       

Paying for Parties

Quick! How many of you are aware that the two old parties’ quadrennial conventions are subsidized by taxpayers? For you more conservative followers of the GOP are you now all-a-tingle knowing that your (borrowed) taxes were used, in part, for John McCain’s grand RINO march across the stage in St. Paul while fiscally responsible and possibly lamenting Democrats all pooled tax dollars for Barrack Obama’s triumphant grand eloquence before the pillars in Denver? How do you feel now…knowing you helped pay for both huge events? How can it be in a country that is so broke and nearly bankrupt, we subsidize the two political parties who have controlled the electoral and governing apparatus for 150 years? This travesty is compounded by the fact that that one third of the voters identify themselves as Republicans, one third as Democrats and the final third is split between minor parties and independents. So, why subsidize a grand march and booze-ridden blowout for a party or any entity that represents a mere third of the voters? Also, the presidential nominees for both parties have usually been chosen via the primary and caucus process prior to the convention’s opening. The gripping national interest in the convention outcome is nonexistent….so, again, why should the taxpayers pay?

As a Libertarian, I am double-minded about this fiasco. If Big Brother is going to throw worthless cash around to benefit the national political system, some of those dollars should flow into the convention coffers of those of us who actually believe in the Constitution. But…my Libertarian principles prevent me from crying “for my fair share” because I truly desire Constitutional government, equity in government services and fiscal responsibility. This isn’t just about my political preferences, however, because so many voters self-categorize themselves as “independent.”  Independents have no convention, no nominating process and no structure for snookering the American people. Why can’t they have a huge party with the funny hats, rivers of lobbyist-provided booze and legions of hospitality suites… all provided by the taxpayers hard-earned money? You may not share my alarm and disgust that the two-party oligarchy dips into the public trough for their every four-year party parties, but the practice is not small “d” democrat nor small “r” republican. One party despotic states use the government’s resources to maintain power and crush opposition. The difference here in the United States is merely one of tone…not of practice. The two old parties and their buddy-buddy system have corrupted our government to the point that they believe they are entitled to do the Watsui, drink the Dom Perignon, and munch on broiled salmon at your expense.

Each of the fossilized controlling parties received $18 million dollars for their 4-day bashes. In the grand scheme of government waste 18 million is but mist in a bucket, but the principle of forcing United States taxpayers to underwrite a partisan convention, smacks of Soviet-style rule wherein one could not participate in the electoral process unless one belonged to “THE” party. In our case all taxpayers are required under penalty of law to shell out the fruit of their labor for ideologies, personalities and policies with which they may diametrically disagree. This is a free country, right?

This practice might not be so egregious if some semblance of equity were involved for those voters who object to the ruling duopoly. Just the opposite is true in many cases. For example the two old party career politicians have erected barriers and hurdles that make it nearly impossible for other representative parties to have ballot access. They claim these parties do not have much support ergo they haven’t earned a reasonable standard for ballot qualification. Clearly, our exalted careerist rulers are masters of circular reasoning: Minor parties cannot gain traction without appearing on the ballot, and they must have traction to meet the excessively restrictive criteria established by the duopolistic goons. The 156 years that the two ruling elites have held absolute power is not enough time. They need more time…just like Obama says does. The century and a half of deal-making, compromising and collusion have given us an ungovernable monstrosity in the halls of power.

If defunding sweetheart deals for the two tyrannical parties and allowing dissenters access to the process has an impact, what would it be? For one, some small savings would be achieved, and second, perhaps the career ruling elites may be forced to be more accountable because of their third-party challengers. Historically republicans run to the right in primaries then backtrack to the “mushy middle” for the general election. Democrats do the opposite, but the compromisers meet in the middle without very little distinction between them. Third-party candidates from the left and the right would encourage the two old party careerists to be more honest about their positions for fear of losing votes to a minor party. It’s time for the oligarchic duopoly to remove the pacifiers from their mouths, the tax-funded benefits from their party coffers, and the deal-making abuse of the people and our liberty. We have anti-trust laws, but they have exempted themselves. It’s standard operating procedure….sadly.

Comment:    cearlwriting@hotmail.com       or   www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com