Putting Aside Prudence

Despite what you may think of them Wal-Mart has always offered its customers value for their hard earned dollars, allowing them to maximise their purchasing power. Even tho they aren't the "Buy American" store they once were, due to customer demand and the nature of the markets Wal-Mart has always been customer friendly. This is about to change, tho. Wal-Mart has announced that they are ending the practice of "layaway" which the chain has offered since its 1962 founding and are going to start offering credit terms instead.

I remember my folks using the layaway system for holiday shopping when we were kids. Why did they choose to use it? So that our family did not accrue any more debt than necessary for non-essentials. It allowed us to stretch our family budget a lot farther and still purchase the "necessary" holiday gifts (as determined by my mother) for all parties. We accrued no debt using this system and neither did other people who used it. That is now at an end, as Wal-Mart ushers in a new class of lower income debtors. People who truly cannot afford to assume credit card debt will now be welcomed with open arms by Wal-Mart's underwriters. This is not a good thing on any level.

Layaway programs foster fiscal responsibility and monetary prudence for people who normally would not be considered for credit cards, due to their income limitations or who are smart enough to eschew the assumption of unsecured credit card debt. Now Wal-Mart, like so many other retailers is adding another layer to our already burgeoning national debt problem. I will not be overly surprised to see a great number of credit defaults amongst people using this method for their holiday shopping. People who previously could only afford to purchase a limited number of items within a set price range will suddenly see an expensive cornucopia of items that were previously outside their grasp.

The time is coming, aided by events such as this when we will likely see ourselves in the same predicament that Great Britain now finds itself in, if indeed we're not already there. The low income segments of our population can ill afford to have unsecured credit dangled in front of them in such a fashion. While it is obviously not the place of businesses to hold the hands of their customers in such a situation, it does no great service to those same customers to place them in a situation where they become slaves to debt. A good customer is a lifetime project, not someone you use until the money dries up. Good customer service sometimes means not offering something to your customers, especially those who can afford that "service" the least.

Thanks to Kevin for the tip on the Brits!


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Wal-Mart, Debt, Libertarian

What Price Victory?

Election time is here and I must say that it is a serious disappointment to me, all in all. The numbers of people out there worthy of a vote are few and shrinking by the day and it is becoming painfully obvious to me that there is virtually no hope that libertarians are going to find themselves in positions where they can affect anything approaching change. Add in the fact that across the country libertarians have been disqualified from running for political minutiae by the powers that be and you can see why so many people are looking at routes other than the political to obtain their freedom and make the state irrelevant.

Needless to say I don't even look at political candidates from the BOYN Party, only at "libertarian" candidates and, with a few exceptions I find that most either do nothing for me or they make me wonder if these folks are actually libertarians in some cases. I've seen candidates endorse staying the course in Iraq, say they'd support a Constitutional amendment denying equal rights to homosexual Americans, vote the Republican line and in one notable case a candidate even said he'd consider joining the Republican Party if Libertarians gave him the go ahead. Sheesh, what a slap in the face to people who've worked so hard to do something with the political arm of libertarianism for so many years. (Here's my OK, for it. Don't let the door hit ya in the butt on the way out).

As far as I can see there are a large number of candidates who are running as Republican Lite and a handful of notables who are running true to their core principles. A recurring theme this round seems to be "let us in the boys club and we'll fall in line behind the Republican banner" all in an attempt to allow Republicrats to retain their dominance over the Democrats. This truly flies in the face of all reason, especially since most of these candidates are making small government a big running issue. The Republicrats, at all levels have been increasing the size of government, decreasing liberty, spending like drunks on a binge, taxing and indenturing our children and there are "libertarians" who would align themselves with these people? So much for principles.

This year, in an election cycle with the highest level of voter discontent with the Boot On Your Neck Party I have seen more candidates disqualified for minor things than ever before and frankly, I'm not that surprised by it. Those who currently hold the reins of political power are loath to surrender them and even more reticent to surrender even a few votes to a potential spoiler. Since so many locales have already done this and seen that they can get away with it, I suspect this will become the accepted practice in voting offices nationwide. Where ever there are third parties running look for the bar to be raised again and again by those in power.

Sadly, the day after Election Day 2006 will see a repeat of the all the other post election days in past years. There will be the disappointment, defections, resolutions to do things differently and renewed resolve that next time things will be different and nothing will really change. Somewhere along the political path we have lost the battle for hearts and minds. The people in this country have no desire to be free of government and its thieving power mongers. Those who have elected to pursue political office as libertarians are, more often than not sending out the message that we are just like the "other guys" and they shouldn't be afraid to replace them with us. Where's the incentive in that?

If libertarians are to do anything they need to re-engage in the battle for hearts and minds before they tackle the political aims. Until folks finally have the desire for change and the wish to be free then we will continue to see the same results election cycle after election cycle. If "our" candidates are just Lite versions of those already enjoying power there is no incentive to vote for us, nor should they if change is what people truly seek. Moderates cannot effect radical change...and that's what we so desperately need. What's type of victory is it if "our" candidates are just watered down versions of the current rulers begging for a chance to get into the club house? Victory at any cost is not a good strategy, especially if it means becoming what you say you detest.

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Libertarian, Politics, Election 2006

11 Billion Reasons To Oppose REAL ID

As if we needed even the single reason that a National ID scheme was a honkin' bad idea, here comes the National Governors Association, the National Conference of Legislatures and even the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to put a price tag on REAL ID. More than $11 billion over a five year period and that's just the cost in tax dollars. The average citizen being forced to obtain a REAL ID compliant drivers license will likely spend a couple of hundred dollars or better and lose who knows how much time.

The Washington Post is reporting that the cost to re-ID 750,000 transportation and port workers will be in the area of $140 each. The costs for government workers will run $100-150 to make them all compliant...and that's just more tax dollars and time, (which boils down to money). REAL ID just keeps getting worse and worse, despite the protestations of its perpetrator, James Sensenbrenner. As with any government program we can look for the real price tag on this one to continue to climb, especially when we factor in lost productivity due to extremely long waits, system failures and multiple visits. How many people possess, at this time a certified copy of their birth certificate and all the other necessary documentation that will be required?

What will these new licenses cost the average person? Hard to say, but it will likely be well over $100, especially when you start factoring in lost time, cost of obtaining documentation and the rest. The cost to each state will be much higher and will ultimately fall right back into the taxpayers laps, as usual.

The cost in lost freedom will be much greater. Failure to comply with the National ID scheme, (its supporters have now ceased even attempting to say that it is not a National ID) will result in people being barred from a variety of places and things. They'll be unable to fly, enter federal facilities and possibly even be denied any federal services, such as Social Security. The entire REAL ID scheme rests on our new Department of Homeland Security to draft requirements for new ID's, something its creators failed to do. The creation of this Homeland Security ID, which is what it boils down to, should be of great concern to everyone. It puts one last nail in the illusion of 50 independent and sovereign states. DHS has already established offices in every state and most large towns and cities. As someone who has lived under communist rule, in police states and in Middle Eastern dictatorships all of this looks exceedingly familiar to me. "You want the papers you must have? Show us some more money."

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REAL ID, Libertarian

Bush's War On Dissent

Taking a page from the Bill and Hillary Clinton book of Evil, King George's administration has decided to use the IRS as a tool to quash dissent by religious institutions. Most of us who remember the Klintonista misuse of government agencies, (primarily the IRS) for purposes of political retribution find the Republican hypocrisy immensely gratifying and frightening. There can be no doubt now that there is no difference between this inhabitant of the White House and his predecessor. Using the IRS in exactly the same manner which Republicans, neo-Conservatives and even neo-Libertarian talking heads have decried, Bush is finally showing his true colours. By using the Infernal Revenue Service as a tool of retribution and intimidation George Bush is showing himself to be no better that Bill Clinton in the socialist thuggery department. In fact, it is quite clear that Bush's use is even worse, given the neo-Con squawking over Clintons misuse of the same agency against his enemies.


This is a continuation of an event which I touched on some time back and points out the primary reason there should be a separation of church and state. Churches of all religious stripes are at the mercy of the State as long as they seek permission to exist from that State, as this most recent event clearly shows. Churches which seek permission to exist from the government lose their power to speak out against the evils of that State. One of the things which our Founders tried to avoid by calling for the separation of church was State sponsored religion and now we have that very thing. State approved churches are the norm in this country and no-one seems to mind, until events such as this and others occur.

That no-one seems to be picking up on this says quite a lot. The Left doesn't care because it's a religious institution and the Right doesn't give a damn because it's an anti-war/anti-Bush organisation. I feel for this church, (even tho I am not an adherent of their particular mythology) for they are seemingly all alone in this matter. Will no-one be siding with them against this blatantly evil government attack? It's doubtful, since there is a history of people turning their backs on religious institutions who buck the State. The reasons for ignoring events like these are many and varied and range from support of the State to dislike of religion to just being happy to see someone getting theirs. These institutions are doing the right thing and deserve our support when things such as this occur.

Political speech in churches is a long established tradition in this country and dates back to before the Revolution. Many of the most inflammatory speeches of the Revolutionary period were made in churches. Patrick Henry and many others uttered their famous speeches in churches and the pastors in the many churches across the land spoke eloquently to their congregations, exhorting them to embrace freedom and oppose tyranny.

That people like George Bush, who is supposedly a religious person (altho there is proof that he is, in actuality a heretic) would seek to persecute a church for exercising their right to free speech is an affront to all who value Freedom, Liberty and all the things which this country was founded upon. That the very act is an act of blatant hypocrisy should be infuriating to everyone, especially those who make a habit of criticising the naked emperor. Today it is a church in Pasadena speaking out against war. Will it be you and your fellow bloggers tomorrow? It will if you don't stand up and make yourself known.

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Libertarian, Bush, Republican, IRS, Clinton