The Debt Machine Roars On

Well, the national debt has reached a staggering $18.2 TRILLION and shows no signs of decreasing. Each of us, unwilling slaves to that debt, now owe $154,161. Most of us couldn't afford to pay our "fair share" of that number even if they came and confiscated all of our yearly earnings and left us thoroughly skinned.

   The congress, for all their talk of being fiscally responsible republicrats have managed to slow our economy and hasten the demise of the shrinking middle class with their spending on their pet projects and lobbyist masters in various industries. Their democrat buddies have been no better, saddling us with historically high levels of social spending. And the president shows no signs of that he won't sign spending that comes across his desk. None of these cretins has anything approaching the best interests of this country and its future in mind. They simply do not care about anything but their partisan politics and appeasing their monied constituencies and masters.
   We have reached the point where pumping the brakes is not even nearly enough. Slowing the accrual of further debt is untenable. The brakes must be applied and the course reversed, if we are to avoid catastrophe. The debt currently stands at 102.6% of GDP and is going to rise to more than 105.7% by 2019, by some estimates. I have no faith that it won't be higher than current estimates, because no-one within the DC Beltway has any intentions of actually cutting spending and ridding us of this onerous debt that they have accrued in our name with their endless programs, conflicts and cronyism.
   This is a drum we libertarians must be beating. The two wings of the Boot On Your Neck Party have shown their clear intention to continue business as usual, using us and our economy as their personal piggy banks to fund their draconian dreams. Their avarice, where our money and future are concerned, knows no bounds. We must, somehow, force these political robber barons to cease their spending. They must all be replaced with people who will actually act as stewards of the nation, its economy and our future, not as masters within their own petty fiefdoms. I would encourage any reader to forward the linked article, or this one, to their representatives, if I thought it would make any difference, but I fear we are beyond that point. The people who are robbing our children and grandchildren of their futures have no interest in having their crimes pointed out to them. They are safe in their partisan electoral havens and the people who continue to put them there are seemingly oblivious to the coming train wreck. Perhaps all we can do is take some small measures to soften the blows for ourselves, as we continue to cannonball towards the inevitable.
   Best of luck to everyone. We're going to need it.

You Don't Own That Tractor

You don't own your tractor and you don't own your car. You're just leasing it, for all intents and purposes from the manufacturer, (even if you've "paid it off"). That's the case that the corporations are making to the Copyright Office, anyway. Since they've managed to put so much software into your modern vehicles, (like your John Deere tractor and your Honda) they are using the DMCA to assert ownership over your vehicle. You're just buying a license to use the vehicle. This kind of nonsense goes a long way towards destroying what little faith people have in the concept of Property Rights and the "intellectual property" movement. I, as a consumer am at the mercy of these corporations and their highly paid lawyers, if I want to attempt to repair my own vehicle. They assert that they, not I, are the real owners of the vehicle, because they wrote a a few pages of code to aid in the operation of the vehicle. Sorry, intellectual property mavens, I don't buy it. I didn't sign a contract or users license when I purchased my vehicle that allowed for anything other than full ownership of the vehicle and its contents, software included. If I want to tinker with it, that's my affair once it's in my hands. This nonsense has to be stopped. At the rate we're going the entire concept of ownership will be destroyed, and with it, our basic rights as property owners.

Happy 4/20 Day To All Those Folks That Indulge

Here's a little something to get your 4/20 day toes a tapping. Two highly successful potheads still rocking it after decades of partying. They're letting their liberty flag fly and not caring who knows it.

Having It Both Ways

The government is, as they often are, schizophrenic in their dealings with cannabis. They make it illegal for everyone but themselves and continuously beat the prohibitionist drums to in an attempt to make their case. Then they go and file a patent for certain cannabinoids so they'll have control of them, should they ever decide to reschedule cannabis from not medically useful to medically useful. They're deliberately trying to interfere with already existing businesses who've already done the yeoman's work on medical cannabis. They want to rake in the money and make businesses that have already been doing the development and research pay them for the privilege of existing. Here's hoping this patent nonsense gets slapped down and the government is told to take a back seat. You really can't have it both ways.

An interesting note, the woman featured in this video, Shona Banda was recently arrested after her child corrected a school indoctrination officer about medical cannabis. She has lost custody of her children and is awaiting trial for using her life saving medicine.

Here's a look at the patent.

On This Day In 1968

We had a great man taken from us by a vile murderer. Dr. Martin Luther King was taken from us all too soon, at a time when he was still desperately needed. We have never, and may never, fully recover from this loss as a nation. We can only hope to try to continue forward with his message and hope for the best. His messages still resonate across the years and we should be willing to lift up the torch of his message and carry it forward, until we too reach that promised land.

Censorious Country

Once again, censorship of music is rearing its ugly head. It's been going on for some time now, but this latest example managed to make the news, for once. Country music radio has seemingly always pandered the lowest common denominator in listeners and here we have a case of them having to cave in to the wishes of a vocal few where the band Little Big Town's latest song, Girl Crush, is concerned.
   Those of use who listen to country music have seen this going on for years, now. Radio stations blank out a word, or repeat a phrase on a recording (as with the Zac Brown Band's "Toes") or just flat out refuse to play award winning music because they are pandering to a few vocal listeners who threaten them with leaving. Let 'em leave, I say. Every DJ out there should be required by management to tell these fools to not let the door hit them in the ass on the way out. The demographics of country music listeners has changed dramatically over the years. No longer should stations be playing to the whims of 60 and 70 year old listeners, (unless you have a country oldies station or segment specifically geared towards the geezer crowd). Many of today's listeners are much younger, well below 40, and the artists are gearing their music music to a much younger demo. Just look at the likes of Eric Church, Luke Bryan and the other young artists.
   Here in Central Indiana you would be hard pressed to find a station that has played Kacey Musgraves' "Follow Your Arrow" or her new song "Biscuits". Requests for the songs go unheeded and commentary about their refusal to play goes unanswered. Even the largest stations, like WFMS, NASH FM and the others, play the censorship game, much to the detriment of the artists and the listening fans. It's a sad day when the listening public is fed only "approved" music. We are left with the Top 40, pop inspired, insipid music that has no real country soul to it. There was a time when country liked it's music with a bit of edge. But now they'd rather not offend the bigoted few out there. What a sad commentary on the state of country music.

It's no o wonder so many people are moving from terrestrial radio to satellite and streaming. The radio stations are going out of their way to alienate fans with their idiotic censorship of music. If they wish to survive in the coming years they really need to up their games and embrace freedom to listen. In the meantime here at UnCivil Defence we'll play what we like.