Flying Naked

Some people have laughingly said that naked flying is the logical progression for airline security. It certainly looks like that may be coming, in one form or another. The governments plans to install terahertz wave "x-ray" machines to give full body scans is proceeding at breakneck speed. So, what are they going to see when you step into one? Apparently an embarrassing amount as new scans show.

Is this something we really want to be subjected to in the name of security circus? Do we really want our loved ones, especially our kids, to have to go through this? Is being virtually strip searched really going to make anyone safer? No. We already know that there are thieves at TSA. Who is going to insure that there aren't perverts there, too? Undoubtedly there will be a mechanism to save images taken by these scanners. Do we really want people to have access to these pictures? How long till pictures start making their way onto the internet? Not long is my guess.

This is just the latest in a long train of government giveaways in the name of security. The companies that make these scanners couldn't sell them on the free market, so they're in bed with government, which is a sure thing for them. It's always about money, in the end and there's no doubt that the underwear bomber set off opportunistic alarm bells in the boardrooms of scanner companies worldwide.

And what about radiation? Do I really need to add to my lifetime exposure every time I decide to fly? How much radiation do these things give off? There's been no definitive study on terahertz wave exposure and yet governments worldwide are rushing to install these things. Maybe they're harmless. Then again, maybe they're not, but we'll be forced to accept the governments word on them or refuse to fly. I think I'll just drive from now on.

(For a look at what TSA really sees you might want to look at this de-negatived look from Freedom Flies A Black Flag)

A Good Start To Every Day

They say that a good breakfast is the best way to start the day. I have a better recommendation, tho. Good news came this morning from Indiana's next door neighbour, Illinois. It looks like their criminal in chief governor has managed to go and get himself arrested by the Feds.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiring to get financial benefits through his authority to appoint a U.S. senator to fill the vacancy left by Barack Obama's election as president.

According to a federal criminal complaint, Mr. Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in the sale of Wrigley Field. In return for state assistance, Mr. Blagojevich allegedly wanted members of the paper's editorial board who had been critical of him fired.

Mr. Blagojevich also was charged with using his authority as governor in an attempt to squeeze out campaign contributions.

Mr. Blagojevich's chief of staff, John Harris, also was arrested.

Federal agents were in Mr. Blagojevich's office in the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago on Tuesday morning.

Imagine my complete and utter lack of surprise. What are the odds that a Chicago, Illinois politician is corrupt? What are the odds that any politician is corrupt? Pretty good, all in all, wouldn't you say? The fact that its Blagojevich makes this all the more delicious, if only for his anti-2nd Amendment stances. One can only wish that the powers that be would add the charge of violation of oath of office to the list of charges.

This makes 2 in a row for Illinois, given that their last governor is still behind bars for essentially the same crimes as Illinois' latest ruler. Maybe the people there will get lucky and they'll replace him with nobody. Naw, no-one could get that lucky. This is a good start, tho. Maybe we could make a new policy and arrest at least one politician per day? I'd be happy to provide a list of people to be removed from office and placed behind bars. Of course, it would clear out most of the Democrats in the House and Senate from the top down. Then we could get to work on the Republicans. Hmmm...maybe we could make the job so risky that no-one would want to do it. Ah, well. A guy has to have a dream.

Wonder what the Lightbringer will have to say about this, considering it was his seat that the governor was trying to sell? I also can't help but wonder what, if anything, he might have had to do with this and how he'll spin it to grab credit? We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.

Technorati Tags:
Politics, Blagojevich, Libertarian, Illinois

D.C. To SCOTUS: Screw You

It looks like the powers that be in the District of Columbia have decided to give a hearty "screw you" to the Supreme Court.

Dick Heller, the man behind the case which brought down the DC handgun ban has been denied a permit by the DC powers. It's also likely that his firearm has been confiscated, as well, even though the article fails to mention it.

WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- District residents can start registering their guns today. But at least one very high profile application was already rejected.

Dick Heller is the man who brought the lawsuit against the District's 32-year-old ban on handguns. He was among the first in line Thursday morning to apply for a handgun permit.

But when he tried to register his semi-automatic weapon, he says he was rejected. He says his gun has seven bullet clip. Heller says the City Council legislation allows weapons with fewer than eleven bullets in the clip. A spokesman for the DC Police says the gun was a bottom-loading weapon, and according to their interpretation, all bottom-loading guns are outlawed because they are grouped with machine guns.

So, semi-automatic handguns are now "machine guns"? Insanity certainly rules inside the Beltway, (but, we already knew that now, didn't we?). Looks as if we are in for yet another round of court battling. I can't help but wonder if this will be an example of Scalia's "reasonable restrictions".

As an aside, I cannot help but wonder if Mr. Heller and his attorneys did not pursue this particular course on purpose. It would certainly be a good case to bring before the courts in order to force DC to implement a rational policy, rather than the overly restrictive current policy.
Technorati Tags:
2nd Amendment, Libertarian, Heller, Police State

Obama's Army

It looks as if Comrade Obama has, yet another use for government. He would like it to be the next big service sector for the youth of America.

"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," he said Wednesday. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

He said he would make federal assistance conditional on school districts establishing service programs and set the goal of 50 hours of service a year for middle school and high school students.

I've seen this in action before and cannot help but wonder what colour the kerchiefs will be. Maybe he'll regress to the older brown shirted uniforms. The simple fact is that requiring service, as he wants is nothing less than state sponsored involuntary servitude and is forbidden by the US Constitution. Not that something like that means anything to him or other politicians of his stripe. Service to the state is not something any candidate needs to be calling for at any time. It's repugnant on more levels than I even like to think of.

"Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, our country will be stronger."

This man needs to learn that the country is not the same as the government. I don't want a stronger American government. I want it weaker than a kitten. That leads to a stronger America, better communities and healthier people. There are thousands of opportunities for voluntary voluntarism every day, in every community. Those who wish to freely associate are able to do so in myriad ways, without Mr. Obama's government compulsion. The last thing we need is more DHS lunacy. We've seen where "civilian national security force"'s lead. The 20th century was filled with them, most led by people like Mr. Obama.

"We will ask Americans to serve," the Illinois Democrat said. "We will create new opportunities for Americans to serve."

Yep...he'll make government even larger than George Bush did and reach his tentacles into every corner of our lives, starting with our children. No thanks.

Technorati Tags:
Obama, Politics, Libertarian, Marxism

They Steal Babies, Don't They?

As if placing people under constant surveillance via CCTV wasn't enough of an outrage we have this latest story out of England. It seems that the British have taken to stealing babies from their parents before they're even born, so they can place them in state sponsored foster care and then have them adopted by others, (a common practice it seems) . And, to make matters even more interesting they're targeting people who haven't even done anything.

She recorded a social worker telling her and her husband Martin, 41, that even though there was "no immediate risk to your child from yourselves", the council would seek a court order to place the child in foster care.

Mother and baby would be allowed "two or three days" in hospital together, but should not leave the premises until social workers came to remove the infant. In a desperate attempt to keep their baby, the couple have published the recorded conversation on the internet.

The bureaucrats in their social services admit there is nothing wrong and yet, they still wish to steal this couples child from them. The bureaucrats,tho aren't overly concerned with their own outrageous behaviour. Nope. They are much more concerned with the fact that Mrs. Brookes secretly tapes their conversation and posted it on YouTube.

What can you expect, tho? This is what happens when you allow yourselves to be disarmed and are subjects and not free men. This is what happens when bureaucracies are allowed to do as they wish without fear of dire consequences and retribution. Some reading this will salve their consciouses with the oft repeated mantra that it won't or cannot happen here, but fail to realise that we are only one step away from just this sort of event at any given moment. Social workers in American often seize children for all the wrong reasons and have done so for decades.

The British are now reaping the fruits of their decades long labour. They have built up and allowed the current system to become their master and now it even endangers their unborn children, turning them into a commodity to be taken from the breeding stock and placed with "suitable" families. The petty bureaucrats are even paid bonuses for meeting certain quotas of adoptions.

I, for one have no hope that the people of Britain will do the necessary and right thing. They, like their American cousins are enamoured of the state and will allow it to continue its cancerous growth. Even if it costs them their children. What a sad and frightening state of affairs. A state of affairs which will likely come to our shores all too soon. Hopefully the minions of the state will be met with the appropriate response when that time comes.

Technorati Tags:
Great Britain, Forced Adoptions, Politics, Libertarian

Coming Soon To A Bus Stop Near You

From the people who brought you pat downs and feel ups at the airport comes a new travesty. The TSA has decided that bus stops in the Mid-West and across the nation should be graced with their groping and rights violating presence. Indianapolis looks like a good place to start, too.

(Indianapolis) -- Transportation Security Agents are stepping-up their visibility in Indianapolis. They have begun security screening for bus riders. TSA officers were stationed at the IndyGo bus stop at Capitol and Market Thursday morning checking passengers as they boarded the buses. Officials say the added security was not a reaction to any threats. The airport-style security checks actually started Wednesday at Ohio and Meridian. It appears no one was denied access to the buses although several knives were found discarded at the bus stop.

The sad thing is that altogether too many people submitted to this and some even went so far as to throw away pocket knives before they were searched. I cannot help but wonder what the TSA reaction would have been had I been a passenger on that bus and they'd found my trusty .45 ACP strapped on? What kind of alarm bells would have been set off for someone like me who was exercising their lawful right to carry a concealed weapon?

Thank goodness I'm never going to find out. I drive my own vehicle wherever I wish and do not contribute to the mass transit delusion. I can only imagine that these checkpoints will spread over time and everyone will become complacent about the ever encroaching security state being foisted upon us by governmental entities such as TSA and Homeland Security. CCTV cameras on every corner and random ID checkpoints will become the norm and very few voices will be raised against it. The police state is growing and the people behind this know that if they can get Americans in the heartland to go along with it, then it will be a done deal.

Given the number of issues currently besetting the people in Indiana, (like out of control property taxes, new taxes, rampant crime, etc) it is no wonder that the TSA chose now to start their little program. Like most governmental cancers we can expect to see this one spread.

So, get ready folks. Here it comes and very, very few will raise a stink about. Certainly not Republicans or Democrats, this is their idea of a wet dream. Perhaps the Indiana Libertarians will speak out, if anyone cares to listen. My guess is that this will grow into a full fledged, permanent event that will spread throughout the state. Checkpoints will likely be next, and considering that Indiana just did away with seat belt checkpoints the cops are champing at the bit for something new to do. This seems tailor made for people who like to stop other people going about their business. I am reminded more and more of my years in South Africa during the Apartheid era. I never thought I'd see the day come when I could make that sad comparison while living in the States.

Technorati Tags:
TSA, Police State, Indianapolis, Libertarian, Homeland Stupidity

Protect And What?

Repeat after me. "They are not your friends". Repeat it as often as necessary until it sinks in. This poor lady found out the hard way that rendering assistance to members of the Thin Blue Line gang gets you nothing but trouble, when she complied with their requests for assistance at the scene of an accident.

Add this incident to the long and growing list of "Cops Gone Wild" and you have a very clear picture of what's going on. When you could easily put up an "Incident of the day" list, then the cries that these are isolated events no longer tends to hold water. Sure, there are "good cops" out there. Unfortunately, that number is affected by the same bug that drives the ones who commit these travesties of false arrest, assault and murder. They are aided and abetted in this by a prosecutorial, judicial and oversight system that enables and protects them from justice. When facing charges, (like child molestation) that would result in years of imprisonment for the average person they get off with token punishment.

It has become increasingly plain that there is no recourse to the law where these people are concerned. The cover ups and false internal investigations allow this type of behaviour to continue. Our only recourse is to with hold consent and assistance. Unlike the lady in the above story, do not assist these people in any way shape or form. Let them get themselves out of any situations which they create. Render nothing unto these Praetorian wannabes.

Technorati Tags:
Police State, Libertarian

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

Well, the family and I made it back from our yearly sojourn to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, once again. The weather there was beautiful and I got to see my eldest catch his first 5 fish. He was fit to bust over that event, (and the fact that he managed to catch 1 more fish than I did). The weather back in Indiana...well...not so good, apparently. My garden is a wreck due to the heat and a lack of water. My tomatoes are still wilted, but I have hopes that they will recover and my lettuce and radishes are about to bolt. Ah, well.....what's a gardener to do?

On this trip I did manage to see a part of the Police State Virginia that was away from the Interstate by traveling a smaller state highway route. I must say that it was filled with many more police than one usually sees while on the Interstate. All of whom were trolling for speeders to fill their small town coffers. What a sad way to raise money. Of course I did have an edge over many other motorists. I completely ignored forgot about their silly "No radar detectors allowed" regulations and received sufficient warnings as to their presence.

I did get to see one poor individual, on our way back who was obviously guilty of bicycling while black in one small town in Virginia. Three cop cars and numerous cops all to handle one spreadeagled and cuffed guy. Who knows? He may even have been guilty of a "crime". One thing that did strike me this time was the number of prisons and jails that I saw along our route. At least half a dozens prisons and at least as many county jails and juvenile jails. I'd much rather have seen historical markers and roadside diners and I cannot help but wonder what foreign visitors to our shores must think when they see the preponderance of imprisoning facilities in our country, all with big signs proudly advertising what and where they are.It's rather a sad state of affairs that we likely have more prisons than museums in this country.

So now it's back to fixing what went wrong with my garden during my absence and preparing for the next phase of planting and harvesting. I'll long for peaceful rainy days and pull out the hoses when the clouds fail to form. I'll put away my saltwater fishing gear and break out the freshwater stuff and see what the kiddo can catch at home. Summer's here and we'll enjoy the freedom while we can.

Technorati Tags:
Police State, Libertarian, Virginia

It's Not Apathy

We've got nothing to fear...but fear itself?
Not pain, not failure, not fatal tragedy?
Not the faulty units in this mad machinery?
Not the broken contacts in emotional chemistry?

With an iron fist in a velvet glove
We are sheltered under the gun
In the glory game on the power train
Thy kingdom's will be done

And the things that we fear are a weapon to be held against us...

-Neal Peart "The Weapon"

Political pundits often decry the perceived apathy of the American public when it comes to involvement in the political process. They wonder why people stay away from the polls, drown themselves in reality TV and talent shows, rather than engage themselves in changing the growing tyranny of government run amok. Why is it that so many people prefer to finish their day off being lulled to sleep by the droning of entertainment TV, rather than involving themselves in the process of downsizing the state? Even the large numbers of people who make the effort to go out and vote in the elections only do that one thing. That's barely an effort at all in any meaningful sense. So, why the apathy? Is it true, as some would contend, that the masses are “sheeple”, mindlessly going where they are told and doing as they are commanded? I cannot think that's correct for the great majority of people.

It's something much worse than mindless, unintelligent apathy. It's fear. Not the crippling, mind numbing visceral fear of eminent danger. It's the grinding, low frequency fear engendered by nothing more than the ever looming potential for destruction at the hands of another. The fear of being noticed by the powers that be and their representatives. The representatives who, even at the lowest levels, hold the power of life and death in their hands and over the heads of everyone. When even a petty bureaucrat in a tax department or a secretary in a government office can destroy a lifetimes accomplishment with the stroke of a pen there is reason to fear. Even simple tasks, such as a trip to the grocery store have the potential to end in death or imprisonment at the hands of a state minion. Over time these fears cannot help but become ingrained into the very fibre of a persons being and make them long to become invisible.

This, I think is the reason for the perceived lack of activism and caring. The need to become small and unnoticed by the powers that be. The constant small fears foster an old instinct that drives people to turn away and hunker down, hoping the danger will pass us by or take another, instead. Gathering around the television has become the modern equivalent of gathering around the fire in the darkness of the cave. The government has created a country where ruling by low level fear is the paradigm. Whether it's the police, the IRS, DHS, Child Services, the mayor, Al Quaida or whomever they all have one thing in common. They create fear in people and that cannot be good for anyone in the long run. It's no wonder so many people seek refuge in pharmaceuticals and entertainment.

It's no wonder that the masses cannot be reached past the myriad fears which they have to live with in their day to day existence. On some level they know that carrying the torch in the darkness gives you some degree of light, but it also lets the enemy in the darkness know where you are. Better to let someone else do it than be devoured by the beast.

Those who would promote a freer world are going to have to find a way to surmount the deeply ingrained fears that dominate so many of their neighbours if they wish to motivate the masses to action. It will be no easy task, either, so folks had best be prepared for the long haul and great disappointments. With the ever present fear so many already have it will come as no surprise that any message concerning freedom will elicit even more fear in many of the people who hear it. Those involved with the political aspects of the freedom movement are fond of mentioning it, often saying that messages should be moderated in order to avoid scaring people. Well, folks are already afraid so what's a little more fear if you might break a few of them free of the shackles of the ever present, grinding fear that already keeps them immobile?

Regardless, it's time we all left the confines of the campfire and the cave and somehow manage to walk without fear. Maybe we'll manage to bring a few others along for the journey.

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

Only I will remain.

-Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear

Frank Herbert "Dune"

Technorati Tags:
Libertarian, Fear, Police State

It's Always About The Money

All of us have, at one time or another heard a cop, or one of their innumerable supporters say writing tickets for speeding was being done for safety. Of course, those of us who know better have known for ages that tickets are not given out to promote safety in any way, shape or form. They are always about the money and as if we didn't know it as a matter of fact, we have just been presented with all the evidence we require.

“The town of Moffett recently filed Chapter 9 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Okmulgee, according to a legal notice that appeared in the Eastern-Times Register Wednesday.”

--------

The audit of the town's 2003 and 2004 budgets revealed that 78 percent of the operating budget was from traffic tickets in 2003, and 84 percent of its operating budget came from traffic tickets in 2004, OHP officials said.

--------

It seems that the small town of Moffett, Oklahoma has had to declare bankruptcy, since their key method of gathering revenue was declared illegal back in December of 2006. More than 50% of their budget was derived from revenue generated by harassing drivers on US 64 as it passed through their little fiefdom and according to their Highway patrol that was a no no, (apparently you can derive 49% of your budget through speed traps and that's OK in OK). In 2004 Moffett collected a whopping 84% of their towns budget via armed robbery speeding tickets.

Imagine the sighs of relief that are going through peoples minds now as they find out that this speed trap of a town is now permanently out of business, as both a speed trap and a town. It seems that their former mayor left them saddled with a nice debt that can no longer be met so they are likely going to close up shop, unincorporate and become just another speck on the map as people zoom on by.

Traffic tickets are always about the money, not safety. That's why speed limits are set to arbitrary standards, even within the same locale. They want your money and they are more than willing to use armed force to take it from you. At least there's one place where the frequency of this will be lessened in the future. Hopefully something similar will be coming to a town near you soon.

I can't wait till the day comes when the same thing happens to federal, state and local governments across the country.

Technorati Tags:
Libertarian, Police State, Just Desserts