Apparently this is an actual image from a poster planned to be used in the case of a quarantine (page 420):
Via email from Chet.
Category Archives: Freedom
Quote of the day–Mark R. Levin
So distant is America today from it’s founding principles that it is difficult to precisely describe the nature of American government. It is not strictly a constitutional republic, because the Constitution has been and continues to be easily altered by a judicial oligarchy that mostly enforces, if not expands, the Statist’s agenda. It is not strictly a representative republic, because so many edits are produced by a maze of administrative departments that are unknown to the public and detached from its sentiment. It is not strictly a Federal republic, because the states that gave the central government life now live at its behest. What, then, is it? It is a society steadily transitioning toward statism.
Mark R. Levin
Page 192, Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto
[H/T to Kevin who inspired me with this quote to get the book.–Joe]
Quote of the day–Joe Golonka
The NRA perfectly epitomizes the paranoid and hate-filled mind-set of the Republican voting base.
The registration and tracking of firearms, which is so necessary for effective law enforcement and actually protects legitimate gun owners, is equated by the ultra-loons at the NRA with an utterly paranoid and wholly unsupported claim that “they are coming to take my guns away.”
Joe Golonka
Paranoid NRA thinking
July 11, 2009
[It sounds to me like Mr. Golonka has a little bit of hate going on there himself.
“Unsupported claim”?
- Does he remember Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans? I do.
- Does he remember what happened in California? I do.
- Does he know what happened in New Zealand, Canada, U.K. and Australia? I do.
- Does he know what the Weapons Control Act of 1938 enabled? I do.
“Necessary for effective law enforcement”?
- Does he know how many crimes have been solved in Canada because of gun registration? I do (as of 2000 it was one).
- Does he know how many crimes have been solved in Hawaii because of gun registration? I do (as of 2000 police did not know of any).
- Does he know how effective the Nazi Police Battalions were in law enforcement because of gun registration? I do. Between July 1942 and November 1943 just one Battalion murdered an estimated 38,000 Jews. They lost only two of their own (read Hitlers Willing Executioners for the details).
Ignorance and bigotry is a terrible thing. Poor Mr. Golonka exhibits all the symptoms.–Joe]
Quote of the day–Frederic Bastiat
Away with the whims of governmental administrators, their socialized projects, their centralization, their tariffs, their government schools, their state religions, their free credit, their bank monopolies, their regulations, their restrictions, their equalization by taxation, and their pious moralizations!
Frederic Bastiat
[This isn’t the first time I’ve quoted Bastiat see here, here, and here. I really should get a book or two on or by him.
Additional info about Bastiat from Wikipedia:
Bastiat asserted that the only purpose of government is to defend the right of an individual to life, liberty, and property. From this definition, Bastiat concluded that the law cannot defend life, liberty and property if it promotes socialist policies inherently opposed to these very things. In this way, he says, the law is perverted and turned against the thing it is supposed to defend.
Which is entirely consistent with our consititutions and entirely at odds with our governments.
Via Marc Gallagher.–Joe]
‘Investment Coordinators’
You can pick a socialist out of large crowd in about 3.5 to 3.85 seconds. He’s the one angrily protesting the use of the word “socialist” while simultaneously advocating socialism, while simultaneously trying to sound educated. That’s quite a trick. You have to give socialists that much; they can be fairly good at multi tasking and they have been known to work hard. Loudly advocating stagnation and decay, while strenuously denying it at the same time, all while taking and disposing of other people’s property and money, while compiling massive lists of massive lists of massive sub lists of dos and don’ts for all of us to follow, all under various threats, isn’t easy. Fighting the revolution and getting the constitution written and ratified was a minor task by comparison.
In comments here, Endif, running full speed and damn the torpedoes into my nets, referred to the federal takeover of banks and automakers (and presumably everything else the government has taken over in whole or in part, from education to agriculture to energy and transportation industries, to drugs, alcohol and gambling, etc., etc., etc., etc.) as “Investment”.
Socialists get all agitated and defensive at the mention of the “S” word. What is to be done about it? What term designating state sponsored coercion would they accept as properly defining their belief system? We know they quit liking the term “Liberal” and they never understood that “Fascist” applied to them. You call one of them a Fascist and they’ll take offense, thinking you’re calling them a conservative. It’s great fun but it doesn’t lead to even a rudimentaqry level of understanding when two people are using the same words but speaking entirely different languages. They seem to be using “Progressive” less and less too, now that more people know where and when that political term originated.
What’s happening in the U.S. is more akin to Fascism. It’s all the same to me, or to put it another way; the subtle distinctions between different versions of state sponsored coercion don’t interest me, nor do the distinctions between the Crips and the Bloods. Nor do I much care what the advocates and practitioners of socialism prefer to be called– I just know what they don’t like being called, and that in itself is interesting.
Tell us which you prefer, Socialists, the word “socialism” or the word “Fascism”. If you dislike being called a socialist, surely you have some specific preference. We know you don’t like “Nazi” mainly because you think it too means conservative. “Moderate” works for me, since moderates are people who have accepted the premises of socialism but aren’t willing to admit it. “Socialist in denial” is pretty descriptive too, if redundant. Ooh; how about “Investment Coordinator”? Hey, I like that. We can henceforth refer to socialists as Investment Coordinators. They’ll like that, I bet. But wait; what would we call real investment coordinators?
On second thought, I’ll keep calling socialists socialists. We all know what it means, even if socialists try to act like they don’t.
Merchants of death cooperate with ATF
Even though gun businesses are vilified by the anti-gun bigots there is a lot of cooperation with the ATF when they play half-way decent toward reasonable goals. The NSSF is gearing up for another “Don’t lie for the other guy” campaign. My experiences with the ATF have all been positive even if there have been a few government bureaucracy moments.
I am of the opinion the ATF is unconstitutional and should be completely disbanded but that doesn’t mean they don’t do some good as well as the obvious harm. Ruby Ridge and Waco are just two of the worst instances, dozens, if not hundreds of incidents of abuse occur each year. But I don’t really see the harm advocating gun dealers not sell to violent criminals or them asking for a sample of my explosives for forensic comparison (they haven’t actually done this, but they said they might and I agreed to do so).
When the anti-gun bigots whine about people exercising their specific enumerated right to keep and bear arms I think they should be asked, “Who has done more to catch criminals using guns and explosives for evil, anti-freedom advocates, or the “Merchants of Death”?
I know this guy from East Germany
A guy on our team speaks with a very noticeable German accent. I never thought much of it. Another guy is from South Vietnam, another from China, the new person on our team (just today) and my officemate are both from India. If there is anything unusual about the foreigners around the office is that they work harder than the U.S. born people. This guy is no exception. I see emails sent by him from late at night and all weekend.
But he stopped by to talk about stuff last Thursday and we ended up talking about where he grew up. He was born in East Germany. I hadn’t realized that. For some reason I always thought of West Germany whenever I might have considered his origins. He hates the communists. “Communism makes people lazy. Yah!”
I said it always amazes me that experiment has been run so many times and resulted in 10s of millions dead and still people keep wanting to try it again. I told him of someone I know who told me they didn’t think people should own their own houses. The government should own them and allocated them on the basis of need. This person told me, “You and Barb don’t need such a big house. Some other family with a larger family needs it more than you do.”
His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. “You tell them I lived that. You tell them to go visit this town. Yah!”, and he showed me a town on a map of Germany. “Not one bomb was dropped on that town during the entire war”, he said. “There was no fighting in that town. But if you go there that town looks like it was all bombed out. When people don’t own their property they don’t care. The roofs, they are all falling down. Yah! You tell him to go there and look for himself.”
After he got married they applied to the housing allocation board for a place to live. There was “nothing available”. But other people who applied after him got really nice places. But they were the children of the people on the board, and the people who had connections to people on the board. After two years the housing board told him that his parents had permission to make some changes to their place (I understood this to be partitions, plumbing, etc.) and then he and his wife could live there.
He told me he graduated, “The best in my class.” But he couldn’t get into college because his family weren’t “good communists”. He got a job in a picture tube factory (television sets I presume) and he did so well the company used its pull to get him a position in school. He got a B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering. Then he got a PhD in Computer Science.
After the Germany’s were reunited his father obtained his secret police file. Every letter to or from West Germany, where some of their family lived, was read and a summary was put in his file. He found out who had spied on him and who said things about him that put his loyalty to the communist party in doubt and stopped his career.
“Joe”, he said, “People complain about how unequal things are with the rich executives in a capitalist society. But it’s just the same under communism–it’s the politically connected that have the money and the people that aren’t connected don’t have anything. I know. I lived it. Communism, it’s very bad.”
I need to ask what he thinks of the plans for health care and the take over of the banking industry, etc. in this country. That should be interesting.
Quote of the day–Maxwell Smart
Don’t be silly, Ninety-Nine. We have to shoot, kill, and destroy.
We represent everything that’s wholesome and good in the world.
Maxwell Smart
Get Smart TV show
[I was going to save this for another Ruby Ridge, Waco, or other similar incident but I’ll used it now anyway. Just imagine another “wrong house” raid occurred or something, okay?–Joe]
Live Free or Die?
I’ve wondered for some time what that New Hampshire slogan really meant. On the surface it seemed to have the wrong people dying. “Leave me alone or die”, I thought, would make more sense, or “live free or kill”, but the meaning of the slogan is something different, as Walter Williams reports. He goes through some development before getting to the New Hampshire bit;
[Mark] Steyn points how it might seem bizarre to find the progressive left making common cause with radical Islam. One half of that alliance is pro-gay, pro-feminist secularists and the other half is homophobic, misogynist theocrats. Steyn argues what they have in common overrides their differences, namely, “Both the secular Big Government progressives and the political Islam recoil from the concept of the citizen, of the free individual entrusted to operate within his own societal space, assume his responsibilities, and exploit his potential.”
I never thought it bizarre at all. I’ve referred to Progressives and radical Islam as somewhat kindred spirits for years. They both hate capitalism, both hate liberty in general, both want to control the individual, both hate the very fact that the U.S. and Israel exist, and both thrive on chaos and hate prosperity. I could go on for quite a while, but you get the point.
“Live Free or Die,” which graces New Hampshire’s license plate, are the words of John Stark, New Hampshire’s Revolutionary War hero. He uttered those words decades after the War when he was 81 years old, the complete sentence being: “Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.” Steyn says these words should not be interpreted “as a battle cry: We’ll win this thing or die trying, die an honorable death. But in fact it’s something far less dramatic: It’s a bald statement of the reality of our lives in the prosperous West. You can live as free men, but, if you choose not to, your society will die.”
This weekend as we celebrate the Declaration of Independence and the successful revolution that resulted, lets keep that in mind. To pledge one’s life, fortune, and sacred honor to the overthrow of an over-reaching government that possesses the most powerful military in the world is as serious as it gets, and many of those who did so faired rather badly during the war. We owe them a lot of respect, and only way to do that is to keep from throwing away that which they have given us.
How many Americans could even describe this country’s founding principles without getting sarcastic, to say nothing of being able to defend them? Try asking some of the people you meet this weekend and report back. I’m curious. Something like this; “Can you define this country’s founding principles?” and then, “What would you say to defend them if someone told you that those were outdated, inflexible, and dreamed up by some radical, violent, old, paternal, dead, white slave owners?” (use your own words)
Quote of the day–John Longenecker
Gun control does not seek safer streets, it seeks greater dependency on officials by removing the better tools of weapon and wisdom.
John Longenecker
July 1, 2009
BOOK REVIEW: Lethal Logic by Henigan, Part II.
[Hence the results you see in the U.K. and why they haven’t reversed course on their gun control agenda.
Quote of the day–Dmitry Orlov
One interesting observation is that once collapse occurs it becomes possible to rent a policeman, either for a special occasion, or generally just to follow someone around. It is even possible to hire a soldier or two, armed with AK-47s, to help you run various errands. Not only is it possible to do such things, it’s often a very good idea, especially if you happen to have something valuable that you don’t want to part with. If you can’t afford their services, then you should try to be friends with them, and to be helpful to them in various ways. Although their demands might seem exorbitant at times, it is still a good idea to do all you can to keep them on your side. For instance, they might at some point insist that you and your family move out to the garage so that they can live in your house. This may be upsetting at first, but then is it really such a good idea for you to live in a big house all by yourselves, with so many armed men running around. It may make sense to station some of them right in your house, so that they have a base of operations from which to maintain a watch and patrol the neighborhood.
Dmitry Orlov
February 13, 2009
Social Collapse Best Practices
[I’d feel a whole lot better about those last two sentences if they had been written by P.J. O’Rourke instead of someone purporting to give serious advise.–Joe]
Quote of the day–Sebastian
We’ve been through the Republican Revolution once already, and I don’t know if liberty could afford another.
Sebastian
June 30, 2009
Taming the Beast
[This is not to say the Democrats are any better at defending liberty. Just that the Republican party is not who you want to “take point” in the fight to restore it.–Joe]
Women and Guns (and some other stuff)
I’m just wondering aloud here. When will we decide that women are regular citizens, instead of treating female shooters as though they are a separate class of citizen? I understand that there is a perception that women need their own, separate training classes and all that, so they feel comfortable. Is that condescending to women or am I missing something? At what point, or under what circumstances, will we be treating female shooters the same as we treat male shooters (within the sport I mean)?
Maybe it’s a dumb question. Maybe men can’t help but see a woman as something special and maybe that attitude is bound to find its way into our chosen sport. Maybe some women are so accustomed to being treated differently that they expect it without a lot of thought.
Maybe the question is simply premature. Any female shooters want to comment on that? Do you believe you need separate training or separate categories in a competition, and if so, why? Should there be guns made for girls, and others for the boys and if so, why” Marketing strategies are beyond the scope of the question. Hell, maybe it’s all about marketing, in which case, never mind.
I could understand if shooting involved some heavy lifting, but even then we’ve all seen some women who can out-lift some men. So you want different weight classes, like in wrestling?
Here’s another. How long is it going to be before the various races of humans are treated the same in general, in the media, and in the courts? I understand personal preferences, but that’s quite different. I’m talking socially, politically and legally. When will I be able to tell a black guy he’s being a fool without being accused of racism, or tell a Mexican woman she’s wrong without her getting in my face on some racial or sex-related tangent? When will we be able to disagree without changing the subject as a form of crutch? I really am getting sick and damned tired of this, so I am herein putting my foot down. Knock off the race and sex defenses. Some people are using it as a tool and I’m not buying it. Not at all, and I’m getting right back in your face if you try it with me so don’t even start.
When, or under what exact specified circumstances, will the gun-restriction advocates declare their work done, pack up their tents, and get jobs? Any time you hear one of them guffaw over the assertion that they won’t quit until all guns are banned, your immediate response must be, “OK, then tell me precisely when or under what circumstances you will stop, declare victory, and find something else to do, ’cause what I see is that any time you get a win, you’re right on to calling for another restriction. This has been happening for over 70 years, so, you know, we have a pretty undeniable track record here. Go ahead. Lay out the circumstances. I have all day.”
Staying on the title subject;
A problem with saying, “this far and no farther” is you’ve already established that a) you’re willing to give ground, and/or that b) you’ve accepted or granted your opponent’s basic premise(s). Some things are properly subject to compromise (such as where to go for lunch, assuming you want the company) and others are not (such as basic rights). When it comes to basic rights, the response it not, “this far and no farther”. Properly, the response is zero tolerance, same as it would be for a robber or a rapist. If someone violates your basic rights, they are criminal and it is not incumbent upon you to prove your magnanimity by compromising with them. You fight to win, then you fight for compensation and restitution, then you fight for justice, assuming your opponent is still breathing. Few if any in Congress, for example, seem to have a clue how that might happen with regard to their violations of our basic rights.
Quote of the day–Yemen Times
It is estimated that 60 million pieces of weapons are in the hands of Yemenis, which indicates that on average, each Yemeni carries three pieces of weapons.
Yemen Times
October 2002
Sept. 29 fatal firefight near British Embassy Gun battle ‘normal accident’
[Remember this the next time someone says the U.S. has the most heavily armed private citizens.–Joe]
Quote of the day–Wat Tyler
Next they’ll be coming for our pitchforks. Oh well, let’s hope they bring cake.
Wat Tyler
June 17, 2009
Comment to Pocket knives now in feds’ gunsights
H/T to Sebastian.
[For some reason I found this terribly amusing.–Joe]
Quote of the day–Robb Allen
Funny how regressives are all about due process and rights so long as it’s for the right people. The Klan is just as progressive, they just hate a different subset of the populace.
Robb Allen
June 22, 2009
Secret lists cannot stop firearm purchases
[Ahhh…. It’s so nice to have “my” meme being adapted, propagated, and utilized so smoothly. Thank you Robb.–Joe]
Buy your assault knife now
Partially because I’m concerned they will soon be difficult to get and partially because some of the women in my life have lost or misplaced the knife I gave them earlier after putting them through knife school I purchase several Spyderco Delicas a few minutes ago. I ordered them from The Blade Shop who seemed to have the best price ($45 when the MSRP is $90) in the quick search I did. Free shipping on orders over $125.
Protect your knife rights
A sample letter from Gay Cynic.
Background:
- Obama’s Quiet War on Knives
- Obama’s War on Knives
- It depends on what your definition of ‘or’ is
- Pocket knives now in feds’ gunsights
To those of you who told me you would write if given the information, see the link to Gay Cynic’s letter.
Quote of the day–Neal Knox
The officer displayed a paper describing a Luger pistol, a relic of the Great War, and ordered the father to produce it. That old gun had been lost, stolen, or misplaced sometime after it had been registered, the father explained. He did not know where it was.
The officer told the father that he had exactly fifteen minutes to produce the weapon. The family turned their home upside down. No pistol. They returned to the SS officer empty-handed.
The officer gave an order and soldiers herded the family outside while other troops called the entire town out into the square. There on the town square the SS machine-gunned the entire family-father, mother, Charley’s two friends, their older brother and a baby sister.
I will never forget the moment. We were sitting on the bunk on a Saturday afternoon and Charley was crying, huge tears rolling down his cheeks, making silver dollar size splotches on the dusty barracks floor. That was my conversion from a casual gun owner to one who was determined to prevent such a thing from ever happening in America.
Neal Knox
The Belgium Corporal, prologue to Neal Knox – The Gun Rights War
[I’m proud to have met and talked to Neal Knox on two occasions. He did amazing things for the gun rights movement. He is one of my heros.
Give very careful consideration to a demand to register your guns.
My conversion to gun owner and civil rights activist was Ruby Ridge.–Joe]
A baby step against the TSA
The ACLU has filed suit against the TSA claiming they are:
…subjecting innocent Americans to unreasonable searches and detentions that violate the Constitution, according to a lawsuit filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU filed the complaint on behalf of a traveler who was illegally detained and harassed by TSA agents at the airport for carrying approximately $4,700 in cash.
The way I see it any search by the government without a warrant is unreasonable. When it was the FAA requiring the airlines to do the searches it was questionable at best. But as soon as it was a government entity doing the searches it was way over the line.
What the TSA is doing isn’t nearly enough but it’s far better to get a small win that a big loose in the courts and for their efforts in trying to make that happen I applaud them.
Unfortunately, I’m not King of the United States and able to send the TSA clowns to the dungeon for their costly Security Theater at tax payer expense.