Littlestuff Weekender-12-10-2011

As I sit here two weeks from Christmas pondering today’s Littlestuff Weekender, I am struck by how for me the past two years have been consumed by two consistent themes: Our alarming loss of personal freedom and the unwillingness of so called friendly politicians to aggressively battle for our Constitution and our freedom. Our liberties have NOT improved in the past 24 months. In fact our freedom has diminished, and the huge unwieldy governmental apparatus has grown larger. Senate Bill 1867 and House Resolution 1540 have given our military—posse comitatus Act of 1878 be damned—the right and power to apprehend and detain anyone for an indefinite period at an undisclosed location without the benefit of a trial. If you believe that our government will never abuse this, then you are smoking something illicit. When government grants itself special powers and authority, it exercises them. For example….how many elected Members of Congress (even the wealthy ones) refuse to accept their plush pensions when they leave office?

If you’ve been watching the fiscal fiasco in Europe, then you may agree with me that “can kicking” should be an Olympic sport. Borrowing worthless paper money from broke nations to prop up bankrupt countries is a recipe for disaster. You don’t have to be Bobby Flay or Paula Dean to recognize that cooking those books will result in everyone getting burned….that is except for the high rollers who jump off just before the fire. What’s worse…Ben Bernanke has been pumping trillions of our worthless dollars into that compost heap of fiscal irresponsibility. For some time now we have been balancing on the tri-fold cusp of hyperinflation, massive deflation or global depression. It doesn’t require a Nostradamus to predict that two of those three scenarios are probable. Truly…as the fortune cookie says ”may you live in interesting times.”

Equality is overrated: Now we are all becoming equally poor and equally fearful.

As we near the end of 2011, the Iowa Caucuses can’t be far ahead. As of this point, Newt Gingrich appears to be streaking towards an overwhelming victory….there, in South Carolina and Florida and is gaining ground in New Hampshire. A cautionary note: the former Speaker spins a grand vision for the nation with fragments of quasi-constitutionalism sprinkled about. To his benefit he is the anti-Mitt (the establishment choice), but his shortcomings are legion. He never lets the Constitution stand in the way of an inspired idea. His organization is skeletal at best and non-existent at worst. His admirers are many, and his detractors are numerous. He believes that he’s the smartest man in the room, and frequently he is. He suffers from a pompous hubris that may bite him (and us) some day. He is Newt.

We’ll be back on the air for Tuesday and Wednesday as the University of Toledo Rockets will not be pre-empting our show. Show time is 6:00pm and runs until 7:00 on 1370 WSPD.  www.wspd.com

Barrack Obama is the poster boy for incompetence. Eric Holder is the poster boy for perfidy. John Corzine is the poster boy for hypocrisy. John Boehner is the poster boy for clueless. Lindsey Graham is the poster boy for more clueless. We need fewer poster boys and more constitutional realists.

So the President arrives in Kansas and proclaims that the Internet and ATM’s have cost people their jobs. He may be right, but what about all the new jobs those technologies have fostered? Who builds and services ATMs? How many research jobs have been created because of the availability of information via the Internet? We could go on for a very long time identifying new opportunities as a result of technological innovation. In a twisted fashion Obama was consistent. If he successfully implements all of his Marxist policies, we will not need ATMs because we’ll be broke, and we won’t have the time to surf the ‘Net because we’ll be too busy scratching a living out of our government-assigned plot of soil. The only thing worse than a flaming ideologue is a stupid, stubborn, not-to-be-denied Marxist ideologue. “Nuff said…that’s probably “watch list” material.

Christmas time is special for me. From Thanksgiving onward my spirits are lifted, and I become slightly less curmudgeonly each day (Bah!). The joy continues for about 5 or 6 weeks after Christmas Day…it’s called bowl games and NFL playoffs. Although I suspect that the Christ child was not born on December 25^th and that in all probability the time was chosen to coincide with pagan celebrations, it doesn’t matter. We celebrate the birth of God as Man not the date of its occurrence. We celebrate the gift of a Savior who made us free….if we choose Him. It’s not the date, the season or the sentiment that matters. It’s the outcome….the Child’s and yours…that matters.

Enjoy this:

http://youtu.be/GyyRLv0mFa4

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Tue. & Wed., 6-7:00pm, 1370 WSPD   www.wspd.com

After Sundown

During the day we go through our routines attending to the myriad of details that merge together to form a mini summary of whom we are. The jobs we do the tasks we perform and the people we touch are what will define our lives. The same is true of nations. Were they warlike conquerors? Industrious, prosperous and peaceful? Despotic or tyrannical? Democratic and law-abiding or a democratic anarchic mob? Did they practice “peace through strength” or belligerence through weakness and covetousness? For people as well as nations actions do speak louder than words. What we do and how we act are more illustrative about us than what we say.

Character is sometimes described as the way one behaves when no one is looking. That definition works for nations as well as individuals. Put another way…character is defined by how we act when the revealing sunlight is gone…how we behave after sundown. When we observe a political event on television or in person, we are often prompted by the speaker to celebrate a certain national character. For example when we listen to the President of Iran, Ahmadinejad, during one his tirades, he praises the purity of his nation while denouncing Israel and the United States in apocalyptic terms. Instantly we can assess the character of a country that allows such a hateful person to represent it. We get the sense that the Iranian leadership is unhinged and volatile. People more familiar with the Persian culture caution us that hyperbolic overstatement is a societal norm for the region, and that we should not be too alarmed. Nevertheless our skeptical antennae go up, and our level of mistrust increases because we assume that what is pondered after sundown is much worse than what is openly proclaimed.  

Maybe it’s a residue of our staid Victorian era that causes us to assume that most people or nations are hypocritical. We conclude that the unseen and unknown are generally worse than the open and visible. It’s probably human nature combined with nationalism that causes us to lower our shields of distrust when our own national leaders discuss our nation. Our fearless political leaders continually describe our nation as “the greatest nation in the history of the world,” or as “the most free nation on earth.” Are they being truthful? Or are they rubbing us with a blob of feel-good salve? If they are speaking historically, they are telling us the truth. If referring to the present time, they are not.

According to Freedomexistence.org our exalted and extolled position as most free is not the case:

Rank Nation            Overall    Property   Taxes      Speech     Ltd Govt   Guns   Drugs   Corruption Inflation  Business  

1    Switzerland       75         90         68         94         69         60         35         87         84         80        

2    Hong Kong         75         90         93         88         90         15         20         84         87         99        

3    Chile             74         85         78         100        87         47         45         72         78         67        

4    Canada            73         90         78         100        53         20         50         89         79         96        

5    Australia         73         90         61         100        65         20         55         87         85         90        

6    United States     73         85         68         100        55         80         15         71         77         91        

7    New Zealand       72         95         65         100        49         20         30         93         85         100       

8    Finland           71         90         65         100        26         40         45         92         81         95        

9    Netherlands       71         90         51         100        37         25         85         88         83         82        

10   Singapore         71         90         91         56         91         15         10         93         86         98        

Based on the nine criteria listed in the chart above the United States is ranked sixth (6^th) in overall freedom. Given the intensity with which the Administration is pursuing a Big Government agenda and the relative ineffectiveness of Congress, it is possible that we may have slipped even further down the chart. The last update was in June of this year and we’ve had an additional erosion of our liberty since then….including the just passed HR 1540 and S. 1867…an alarming restraint of our freedom and our rights. I’m not particularly disturbed that our politicians claim we are “most free” or “best” when we are not. Politicians frequently lie. I am distraught when those very same lying politicians unceasingly labor to make us less free. What they proclaim in the sunlight, they undo in the darkness. Sunshine patriots become freedom’s thieves after sundown…while we sleep and are unaware.

So why did I write this depressing column? We all agree that we have lost significant freedom in our lifetimes, but I wanted to illustrate just how far we have slipped. We continue to fall….perhaps into a free fall. This column was prompted by the GOP contest for presidential standard bearer. They discuss issues when they should be addressing principles and national character. They speak of cutting when they should eliminate unconstitutional agencies, departments and bureaus. They talk about too many regulations when they should defend liberty. Almost all of them appear to be somewhat cozy with the big statist government apparatus….after sundown. All of them that is….except one.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Tue. & Wed., 6-7:00pm, 1370 WSPD, Toledo www.wspd.com

Firewall for Freedom

Firewall: a barrier inside a building or vehicle, designed to limit the spread of fire, heat and structural collapse.

The time has come to build a firewall for freedom. Each day, every day some new action by our federal, state or local governments with the willing complicity of certain large corporate and banking interests generates some rule, law, regulation or constraint that limits our liberty. Our citizens and our freedom are under siege. We are surrounded by interests who seek to enhance their own power and diminish ours. If seems as if our foes are bold, and our allies are ineffective. We are facing a conflagration that is obsessed with consuming our rights and our lives. The oxygen that stokes the all-consuming fire is our indifference and our ignorance. The accelerant that increases the intensity of the flames is our propensity for looking to government for solutions.

Firewalls must fulfill three functions: external protection, internal limits and damage mediation. The ideal firewall will prevent corrosive outside forces from doing harm to our liberty and our nation. In my view, the external component has already been breached and the destruction has been underway for many decades. The charred remains of our Republic are standing but teetering. The internal function is designed to protect the elementary core of the nation from total destruction, but the flames of socialism are flickering dangerously close to our inner essence. Minimizing the damage appears to be the current mode for our liberty firewall as so many of our freedoms and rights have been abridged by overzealous governments at every level of our nation.

Our firewall has been weakened, and the heat is gaining intensity. To avoid having our Republic consumed by the flames we must step into the fire and rebuild the firewall. Clearly that effort has begun on many levels through the liberty, Tea Party and affiliated organizations. The educational programs they have undertaken have informed thousands about the history and advantages of a constitutional republic. The reach must be broader and deeper for rebuilding the wall because the numbers of people who wish to save the nation must be significant and effective.

Educating and motivating the voting electorate represents the outer layer of the firewall structure. This reconstruction has begun but needs to be dramatically expanded in order to be effective. The outer layer is the first line of defense when the attack comes. It must be equipped for slowing the pace and the intensity of the onslaught while the inner core and the final shield adjust to the oncoming assault. The inner core….similar in function and substance to the EPA/OSHA-dreaded asbestos….is built for a longer-lasting endurance in the face of high-powered attempts to bring down our constitutional republic. Our inner core will be solidly intact if we can train, educate and arm the next generation with knowledge about the Constitution, the Declaration and their purposes. It is absolutely vital for the survival of our republic for the next generation to be informed and prepared to defend liberty and life. Under the present circumstances I would define the “next generation” as those less 40 years of age.

If you were to attend a number of liberty groups or Tea Party-affiliated functions, you would note that the demographics tend toward older citizens. Obviously soccer matches, school events and hefty work obligations may limit the time available for middle-life activists in the restoration movement. Despite their shortage of time, our groups of activists must find a means for educating and informing this next generation of leaders and restorers. We cannot allow their cohort to remain uninformed and uninvolved because as our generation tires or expires the torch will not be advanced. Our outreach to them must require a minimal time investment and a maximum of information. No long, drawn out meetings absorbed with minutiae and minutes will hold their interest. The sessions geared for them and others must start promptly, load them with historical and political data, and end promptly … preferably 90 minutes or fewer. Another option is to provide them free dvd or cd learning opportunities, but if cost is an issue, a lending library could be established for the purpose. We must reach them and teach while working within their time and priority constraints.

The final wall of our firewall is the final wall. If the external wall and the core are functional, but the final wall is faulty, we will merely retard our demise….not stop it. The final wall is the group of young people who are 25 or younger….all the way to infants. Statists, socialists, communists and humanists have been having their way with our young people for several generations. We must recapture the educational initiative. Clearly the best path is through their parents, but if that route is unavailable, then a more direct approach is needed. Animated dvd’s could be produced (preferably in a serial) and distributed through fairs, festivals, scout troops and other youth groups. Perhaps a direct-mail campaign could be developed to get them into the area homes, or some time on local cable access channels might be available. Will we be accused of brainwashing the crumb crunchers and rug rats? Yes, so what? Lombardi said it ”Winning is the only thing.” Aside from their personal salvation, the best gift we can give our grandchildren is a love for liberty and the passion to promote it.  It is our duty to God, our progeny and our nation.

Comment: cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Tue.& Wed., 6-7:00pm, 1370 WSPD, Toledo… www.wspd.com

 

Public Interest versus Property Rights

A recent article from Godfather Politics illustrated that the federal government was acquiring land at an accelerated pace.

The Federal Government owns millions of acres, most of it in western states and Alaska. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Nevada : 84.5%
2. Alaska: 69.1%
3. Utah: 57.4%
4. Oregon: 53.1%
5. Idaho: 50.2%
6. Arizona: 48.1%
7. California: 45.3%
8. Wyoming: 42.3%
9. New Mexico: 41.8%
10. Colorado: 36.6%

If this weren’t enough, plans have been in the making for even more land to be designated as federal land. Here’s part of a report from Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican, who is chairman of the U.S. Senate Steering Committee. To my chagrin, I have not known about this:

A secret administration memo has surfaced revealing plans for the federal government to seize more than 10 million acres from Montana to New Mexico, halting job-creating activities like ranching, forestry, mining and energy development. Worse, this land grab would dry up tax revenue that’s essential for funding schools, firehouses and community centers.

President Obama could enact the plans in this memo with just the stroke of a pen, without any input from the communities affected by it.

Administration officials claim the document is merely the product of a brainstorming session, but anyone who reads this memo can see that it is a wish list for the environmentalist left. It discusses, in detail, what kinds of animal populations would benefit from limiting human activity in those areas.

The 21-page document, marked “Internal Draft-NOT FOR RELEASE,” names 14 different lands Mr. Obama could completely close for development by unilaterally designating them as “monuments” under the 1906 Antiquities Act.

This is a story that hasn’t gotten much attention. I suspect that it hasn’t been acted on because the president is in a tough election fight. If he gets re-elected, a real possibility, don’t be surprised if more of America comes under the control of the federal government.

To show you what we’re up against, DeMint sponsored an amendment to block Mr. Obama from declaring any of the 14 lands listed in the memo as “monuments.” The Senate, because it is a Democrat majority, rejected it by a vote of 58–38. This means that some Republicans voted with the Democrats.

Read more: Federal Land Grab in the Works | Godfather Politics http://godfatherpolitics.com/2399/federal-land-grab-in-the-works/#ixzz1fV1NauDd

December 2, 2011

The government’s justification for the land grab is that it “serves the public interest” to do so. Related to the tension between big government and individual liberty is the public interest versus private property conflict. Similar to the economic dynamic of taxation (government’s swallowing of financial resources hinders private capital formation and development), when government absorbs land—a finite commodity, the private sector access is either severely curtailed or totally eliminated. The land, its mineral rights and the local tax potential are removed from the gross economic activity of the locality and the nation. From an economic perspective….the fruit and bounty of the land ceases to exist. It may even generate a negative productivity in the sense that tax dollars may be necessary to maintain the property and provide security. So in most cases the property becomes a public obligation rather than a contributing component for the national prosperity.  

In my view it is immoral for a government to own land beyond the absolute minimal amount needed for vital constitutionally-ordained functions. Even within those strict parameters, an overreaching government will be tempted to have too-large military bases, expansive and ornate buildings and post offices, and excessive space surrounding its venues. The mindless system called government always seeks to broaden its power through any means available, and title to real property is a method for limiting citizens’ power and increasing government’s. If one controls the means of production, one can direct the quantity, quality and value of the product. In essence, when government controls the land and the resources upon it and below it, the opportunities for private development are severely restricted.

Serfs work the land and keep a portion of the productive value. Slaves work the land and rely on the largesse and generosity of the master for sustenance. Neither position is consistent with a truly free republic. To allow government to create serfdom or to enslave the people is the antithesis of the Founders’ and Framers’ intent. One should review the constitutional debates for insight into how our early leaders viewed slavery and servitude as loathsome and undesirable. They considered private property as the anchor of personal liberty. They believed that individual freedom was contingent on the right to acquire and possess private property. That right…that critical element of liberty…is jeopardized when government with its vast array of resources and force competes with the citizens for ownership of property. Freedom is at risk when government employs force to require property-owning citizens to utilize their property in ways that are acceptable to the government. The titles may reflect individual ownership, but the control belongs to the State. In effect the citizens are serfs. Liberty is undermined and the Republic is in peril.

Puddles are NOT wetlands. Snail darters are not vital for the survival of the nation. Potential Pfizer offices in Connecticut do not justify the seizure of private homes for community development. Creating National Wilderness Monuments with the stroke of a pen and isolating millions of acres from private ownership is not in the public interest because the public interest includes liberty, potential, opportunity and prosperity for the citizens of the nation. Today is not 1889 but it seems that something like the Oklahoma Land Rush would be in order. A free people have property rights. A despotic government limits and denies those rights. A freedom movement will reclaim those rights.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 6-7:00pm, 1370 WSPD, Toledo  www.wspd.com