The Truth Comes Out...

Every so often there will be a story that lets a small glimpse of the truth come out for us to see. A local newspaper of mine managed to spill a small amount of truth out while doing a story on an upcoming gestapo DWI checkpoint. It has been my contention for many, many years that tickets, arbitrary traffic laws and the like were nothing more than revenue raisers for local politburo apparatchiki and other party members. Now comes a quotable quote on the matter that clinches it for me.

“When officers pull drivers over, that's income for us,” said Hamilton County Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs Executive Director George Kristo.

It's not about safety. It's not about "the chiiiiiillllldren". It's about money beyond what they already take in the form of taxation and it's about flexing their muscle through their armed and uniformed minions.

As the story also points out the Enforcers will also be taking the time to raise revenue by citing people for whatever else they can come up with, too.

Police will be looking to make OWI arrests as well as hand out citations for other infractions, such as driving without a seatbelt.

I have to wonder why they don't just do away with all the pretense and just set up roadblocks all over the place? Just get it over with and jump right into the inevitable "Show me your papers" society that they long for? At least we have, for a moment managed to get a glimpse into what these checkpoints are really about. Money.

Now, here's the question. What do you call it when an armed individual stops you and forces you to hand over money? And will libertarians do things differently when they are in power?


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Libertarian, Politics, Police State, Indiana

They Always Get Their Man!

That's been the case with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for ages and it is apparently truer than the Bush loving Conservative government of Canada can stand. Looks like a pair of gay Canadian Mounties are to marry June 30th in Nova Scotia. Their fellow Mounties are seemingly happy for the soon to be wedded couple bu,t Prime Minister Harper has apparently ordered his government to "Shut the hell up!" where the matter is concerned. Out of sight, out of mind, eh?

Needless to say, while government has no business involving itself in private affairs this is a good use of their time and political efforts. Insuring that the people in their country are accorded equal rights, regardless of what some Puritan thinks is what government should do, when it does anything at all. UnCivil Defence wishes the Boys in Red a Happy Nuptial Day, Long Life and Happiness!

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Gay Marriage, Canada, Mounties


The Trans-Atlantic Playbook

My guess is that George Bush and Tony Blair and their respective parties spend inordinate amounts of time chatting and exchanging recipes for violating the rights of people and the utilisation of force to keep their people under control in this "time of war". At least that is the impresion I get after reading this little missive of a government anti-terrorist raid gone so predictably wrong.

Not only did they shoot yet another innocent man, Tony Blair stole a line right out of the Republicrat handbook of Liberty Jihadist Justifications.

"There is no doubt at all if they received information that there was a possible terrorist attack and did not act on that information and such an attack then took place, you can just imagine the outcry, the justifiable outcry, there would be," the prime minister said.

Wow...that could have leapt straight from the flapping lips of Hannity, Boortz or Limbaugh. Who says they aren't on the same page? Hell, it's a certainty they're all reading the same playbook.


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Bush, Tony Blair, War On Terror


Living Proof Of The One Party System

As if we really needed more proof that there was only one political party in this country we get to see Hillary Clinton boo'ed by her "liberal" constituency for...well, for acting like a Republicrat. Things must be plenty messed up in their wing of the party when they start to go after their anointed one. Not that this will change the fact that they'll vote for her come '08. Shoot, by that time she'll have remade herself into a Libertarian and be running on our slate...

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Libertarian, Politics, Democrats, Hillary Clinton

"The Time Has Come..."

The Walrus said, "to speak of many things."

And so it is. The time has indeed come to speak of many things, but mostly to speak of things Libertarian related. L. Neil Smith recently gave a speech to the the Larimer County LP which he posted at The Libertarian Enterprise and it got me to thinking about things I had decided to place on the back burner for awhile.

As I speak to you here this evening, ladies and gentlemen, our libertarian movement—in fact, what I have always referred to as the "general freedom movement"—is in the worst disarray I've ever seen it in, in my 44 years as an active, self-conscious member of it. The traditional American aspiration toward individual liberty is in greater danger at the moment than probably since the War Between the States.

Truth such as this is painful and necessary if change is to occur. It is also a necessity if change for the worse is to be stopped from ocurring. I have spoken around this matter in the past and mentioned some of the parties involved, but L. Neil has made me take the decision to point one or two things out to a few people.

He is entirely correct when he states that Libertarianism and the Liberty Movement, such as it is are in disarray. Why? My guess is the influx of disenchanted "others" and their attempts to "reform", the apathy of the duh masses finally getting to folks and the government running roughshod over everyone with no sign of let up. It can get downright discouraging.

And the problems are getting worse by the day. Taking a look at the 'Reformista" in the Libertarian party, it's fairly easy to see that they are, for the most part refugees from the Republicrats and their ilk. These folks want to see "electability" as goal number one for "their" party and principles are of no concern and may be set aside to insure "electability" of their candidates. Of late the rhetoric in some circles has become what some could easily term as hateful. In a political party that has a big enough tent to suit almost anyone these folks are strong on "get out" and weak on "come in", (and, yes the LP is a big tent. The price of admission is a simple affirmation of Zero Agression). I've seen some of them come right out and and damn libertarian principles in their headlong rush to get elected. They abhor the Zero Aggression Principle and it's adherents, cursing them as obstructionists and worse. They are attempting to rewrite the Libertarian Party Platform, (which I will admit could use a tweak or two to make it a bit more relevant to the times) but, are seemingly not too concerned about growing the government and its reach. One plank of their proposed reformed platform goes so far as to call for the Federalisation of ALL police, from the local to the Federal. That's not a very libertarian principle, regardless of what they may contend.

In the headlong rush to become like the very party (BOYN) they fled from they are intent on changing the party that welcomed them as refugees and lost souls into the very monstrosity they fled in the first place. These folks actually trust government to "do the right thing", sad to say. What they think of the Free Market and Murray Rothbard is not to even be repeated in polite company and most get a quizzical look if you even mention Konkin, (or they froth). They advocate limited freedom, regulated life and "good government" under the misleading title of "incrementalism".

Incrementalism: Patrick Henry said "Give me Liberty or give me death" he did NOT say, "Give me Liberty Sunday through Thursday and the rest of the week is yours, umm-kaay?" This is the problem with the Reformista and incrementalism as they would take it.

Political candidates being pragmatic is one thing, eschewing core principles in the name of electability is quite another. If the denizens of the LP wish to be perceived as Republican Lite, as seems painfully obvious in many cases, then they should join back up with their fellow Republicrats and go that route. Libertarianism, in all its many forms is just not for them...and that's OK. It's a big world. When I see so many supposed Libertarians (big and small L) supporting Republicrats in so many different ways it makes me wonder about them and their agenda. Are they just so many deep cover, Karl Rove inspired 007 wannabe's? I don't know...but it makes me wonder some days.

As we have seen in recent weeks Republicrats are quite eager to use the Libertarian Party to goad their fellow statists into choosing them over another Republicrat statist. And the Reformista are more than happy to see this, falling all over themselves because big name Republicrats have "defected". It apparently lends "credibility" of some sort to the LP in their eyes, altho I fail to see how. Of course, as we have also seen these "defectors" are more than willing to drop out on a whim...leaving state LP's with no candidate in the November elections. Talk about getting played...I have to wonder if anyone other than myself remembers the Reform Party and what happened to them when they accepted "renegade" Republicrat Pat Buchanan into their ranks as a candidate.

Let's face it, folks. Things are FUBAR in a massive way and that's exactly what the powers that be want. The Libertarian Party may not have enjoyed a lot of success over the years but it has managed to do one thing that others haven't. It has survived where others have not. The successful Reform Party is gone. Sabotaged unto death by people who wished it to become the very thing they fled in the first place. We know for a fact that history repeats itself and that is what is about to happen with the LP, if some folks get their way.

That said, it is my opinion that it really doesn't matter anyway. The Powers That Be are assured of victory and will never relinquish control to Liberty minded individualists. The Machine is here and will keep running until it is dismantled, breaks down or runs out of fuel. All we can hope for is to stay out of its way and toss in the occasional Monkey Wrench in an effort to slow things down. The certainty is that politics ain't working anymore.


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Libertarian, Politics, Republican, Democrat
Karl Rove, Movement of the Libertarian Left, Reform Party, Liberty

"Hey, It's Good To Be Back Home Again"

So sang John Denver and truer words were never spoken, or sung as the case may be. My family and I arrived home yesterday after a much needed vacation. No internet, no blogging (online, at least) and not really much in the way of news despite having access to television. I did manage to catch brief glimpses into the news (the death of Zarqawi and the defeat of an anti-Gay American Amendment) now and again but, the desire to seek it out was just not there. I must admit that there were moments when I wondered what some of my compatriots were writing about but I knew I would catch up on them in time, so I didn't fret about it.

That's not to say that my mind did not wander in the usual directions. There were plenty of things during our trip to and from our vacation site to raise my hackles and point up the fact that this country is going down the wrong road, with little hope that it can or will take a turn for the better.

Along the way we were asked to provide government approved ID almost any time we sought lodging, as well as providing the state government vehicle ID number. Sad to say, I am pretty sure that I managed to mangle that plate number every time it was asked for. It sucks to have dysnumeria, (which I actually do have to deal with) but it's a convenient excuse. And, as I found out an ATM card with your photo on it is accepted by virtually everyone (other than guys in jackboots) as legitimate photo ID. Something for my comrades in arms to bear in mind.

As usual, there were numerous signs along the Peoples Highways that let us know that the powers that be were not only watching us, they were spending lots of money to do so. This was never quite so clear as it was in Virginia, a place where I attended High School and worked as an adult. Here we have a state which was once the cradle of Liberty in our country and now it is no more than picture of the coming police state. Mind you, this is nothing new! Even when I was a teenager going about my teenaged business in Mt. Vernon it was abundantly clear that Virginia was headed this way. Fairfax County, Virginia was quite proud of the fact that their law enforcers were the number 2 department in the country, (behind that fine upstanding organisation out in Los Angeles) and their enforcers were always going about their business in a forceful manner. So, who couldn't see where this would inevitably lead?

Not only was my legally obtained Radar Detector illegal in Virginia, (Honest, officer it was unplugged. Would I lie to you?), but there roads were covered by federally funded signage imploring me and my family to buckle up, (something we do as a logical precaution anyway and not because someone in a uniform might force us to do). After all it was for our own good and our safety, right? Surely, it had nothing to do with raising revenue via a Federal program that put money in local law enforcements pockets, right? Right.

And the constant reminders about the need for security could not have been driven home any more than they were when we were winding our way through the highway system at Hampton Roads. Traffic cameras are one thing, but really guys...do you really need a pole mounted camera every 1/10th of a mile!?! And on ever ramp and junction? That's not a traffic system, folks. That's a surveillance system and is many multitudes beyond anything I ever saw in communist China or anywhere else. And, somehow the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia have allowed this to happen. So much for the cradle of Liberty. I find it odd that Virginia has gone this way, especially given their state motto, "Sic Semper Tyrannis"...oh, the irony.

I did get to see something interesting at a 7-Eleven in Chesapeake, Virginia. My guess is that some of these stores allow law enforcers to have free beverages while on duty. OK, as private entities that's their business and they can do as they wish. The cops I saw taking their Big Gulps didn't pay and, even when addressed by the staff didn't even bother to say thanks for the refill, they just took their stuff and left without a word. I asked my wife, after we left what she thought would have happened if I had approached the staff and pointed out that I had a gun, so why couldn't I have free stuff like the cops, too? We got quite a laugh out of that, since we knew the answer.

I must say that it was a relief to get into North Carolina. They should call the crossing at the border Check Point Charlie, because that's what it felt like.

It was a nice week in quiet Avon, North Carolina. We enjoyed the food, (for the most part...see my upcoming Roadfood blog for more on that), weather and beaches. My wife took up windsurfing and I reacquainted myself with the peaceful joys of fishing and playing on the beach with the kids. Even that was ever so slightly tainted by the tentacled grasp of politicians...starting next year North Carolina will force people to beg and pay for permission to fish in the ocean. All in the name of adding revenue to government coffers, as usual.

Despite all this, I'll likely return next year and have an equally wonderful time being with the people I love the most and taking a peaceful respite from everything else. Even blogging. Unless the place we rent next year has broadband......oh, dear.....


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Libertarian, Politics, Virginia, North Carolina