Category Archives: Freedom

We now return to our regularly scheduled program

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TheLittleThingInYourHead

After the previous lightness I decided we needed a gentle transition back to the serious business at hand.

It’s time we stopped “biting our tongue” out of politeness. Hatred, aggression, and criminal violence must no longer be tolerated. It’s time for “that little thing inside your head” to be told, “It’s time to be honest, courageous, and do the right thing rather than just trying to avoid trouble.” We are already in trouble. Extremely serious trouble. We are facing the end of civilization. We are facing budding tyrants who would enslave everyone in a Marxist systems of governments. We know Marxist governments murdered 100’s of millions in the 20th Century.

Our technology is better now than it was during the great 20th Century democides. Our surveillance system of cameras, location tracking, and communication monitoring combined with databases of almost unimaginable scale and detail and artificial intelligence enable an Orwellian dystopian future of tremendous power:

There will be no loyalty, except loyalty to the party, but always there will be the intoxication of power. Always at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face forever. The moral to be drawn from this dangerous nightmare situation is a simple one. Don’t let it happen. It depends on you.

Quote of the day—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

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[This is my only hope, and a slim one at that, for a semi-peaceful resolution to our current situation.—Joe]

Google invasion of privacy lawsuit

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This will be interesting to see how it plays out:

Google was sued on Tuesday in a proposed class action accusing the internet search company of illegally invading the privacy of millions of users by pervasively tracking their internet use through browsers set in “private” mode.

The lawsuit seeks at least $5 billion, accusing the Alphabet Inc unit of collecting information about what people view online and where they do their browsing, despite using what Google calls Incognito mode.

It’s really, really tough to be anything close to truly anonymous on the Internet these days. You can get close enough for all practice purposes but it takes a lot of effort and a certain amount of skill.

I think it should be much easier and that Google is a huge part of the problem in achieving anonymity just further confirms my opinion that they are evil (also here and here).

I hope the lawsuit is widely successful and is applied, as needed, to other Internet privacy violators.

Quote of the day—Don Kilmer @donkilmer

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Obama might have started out as a likable, naïve socialist.


But he became the inevitable state-worshiping fascist that is always necessary to sustain socialism in the face of its inevitable failure and devastation.

Don Kilmer @donkilmer
Tweeted on May 21, 2020
[This may be giving Obama more benefit of the doubt than he deserves, but that doesn’t change the correctness of the conclusion.

As my friend Eric E. once described it, “Socialism is like a piece of candy which, years later, causes terminal cancer.”—Joe]

Quote of the day—Gabriella Hoffman

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Criminals will use whatever tool is at their disposal—be it a 3-D printed AR-15, handgun, or knife—to inflict pain onto their victims. Unfortunately for gun controllers, none of their beloved laws or bills have deterred criminals from committing ghastly acts. In fact, they have invited more crime.

It’s time for our opponents finally to get serious about tackling criminal misuse of firearms, not scapegoat 3D printed firearms.

Gabriella Hoffman
May 15, 2020
The Truth About 3-D Printed Guns and Criminal Gun Usage
[If it were about crime the anti-gun people might be persuaded by the truth. But the truth about guns and crime is irrelevant to the motivation of most anti-gun politicians. Power flows from the barrel of a gun and they want that power removed from the hands of those who might oppose their accumulation of power.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Hamilton Spectator

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The assault weapon ban is fine, as far as it goes. But since a real handgun ban is unlikely, to what extent can Canadians feel safer?

Hamilton Spectator
May 5, 2020
Assault-style weapon ban is like Swiss cheese–The majority gun crimes involve handguns. This legislation doesn’t address that at all.
[I find the phrase “feel safer” very telling.

The author could have said, “… to what extent will Canadians actually be safer?” Or “… a real handgun ban is required to improve safety.” That they said, “feel safer” strongly implies they know gun bans won’t make the average person safer. They apparently have some motive other than public safety when they advocate for gun bans.

Since this is Canada it’s more difficult to get traction with a principled statement of rights. But that doesn’t mean the victimized gun owners don’t have verbal tools to fight back with.

People need to demand gun control advocates openly state their motive for restrictions on self-defense tools. If they claim public safety, then demand they supply the data that restrictions achieve that goal.—Joe]

Quote of the day—MTHead

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Changing the gun control debate is trivially easy.

…

Arrest and convict a few politicians and it would disappear in a matter of minutes. And finding a rights violating politician would be about as hard as finding a rock in Utah.

MTHead
April 22, 2020
Comment to Quote of the day—Trevor Burrus
[If we could only come up with a plan on how to get to the point where prosecutors start prosecuting and then execute that plan. That is not trivially easy.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Lisa Vaas

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We would be remiss were we to not point out what has been demonstrated time and time again: that Big Data can be dissected, compared and contrasted to look for patterns from which to draw inferences about individuals. In other words, it’s not hard to re-identify people from anonymized records, be they records pertaining to location tracking, faceprints or, one imagines, anuses.

Lisa Vaas
April 8, 2020
As if the world couldn’t get any weirder, this AI toilet scans your anus to identify you
[It’s a lot like most encryption*. Data is only “anonymized” in the minds of those doing the anonymizing. The right people, with a big enough dataset, and enough CPU cycles can deanonymize/decrypt it.

So, other than the obvious embarrassment of having pictures of your anus being featured in the next big data security breach, what is the worst way this technology be abused?

It turns out that just like fingerprints and irises you can be uniquely identified by your anus. If all toilets were equipped with cameras and the data obtained by a totalitarian government it would becoming far more difficult to keep your location private. It would violate my Jews in the Attic Test.—Joe]

* There are exceptions. One-time-pads come to mind.

Quote of the day—Sheriff Steve Reams

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While I understand each person’s choice to disagree with me, my response to those individuals is this: I’m not comfortable giving up the fight for their constitutional rights in exchange for their vote/support.

Steve Reams
Sheriff Weld County Colorado
March 2020
Colorado Inmate Red Flags Sheriff
[And others are not only comfortable and willing but desirous and eager to strip the people of their constitutional rights.

Culture, philosophy, and elections are important.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Kirby Ferris

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We all might wish that evil men could be persuaded from their vile behavior with bleeding heart entreaties, a kiss on the cheek, or proper toilet training. But it ain’t that way, folks, Pacifism is a sickness, an actual moral perversity, and dangerous when its effects spread to anyone else beside the pacifist. You may choose to walk to the cattle car, but damn you if you let your children be led up the ramp. You must never allow any group or government to steal your right to exercise armed lethal force in a just situation.

Kirby Ferris
Research Director of JPFO
Violence solves a lot
1998
[I have nothing to add.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Alex Gangitano

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The Brady Bill, which Biden helped pass in 1998, implemented the modern background check system.

Alex Gangitano
March 13, 2020
Brady PAC endorses Biden, plans to spend $4 million in 2020
[That would be the same type of background check John Hopkins and UC Davis found had no impact on gunshot related deaths. And, in fact, no background check system can possibly work to make people safer.

But that doesn’t matter to them. It’s not, and has never been, about public safety. It’s about a backdoor registration scheme, ultimately confiscation, and control of the general population.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Anthony Smith

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No, Voting is NOT the Answer.

Are Your RIGHTS Up for a VOTE?

Anthony Smith
2A Productions
March 9, 2020
YouTube Video

[Via JPFO new alert.

Elaboration here.

This reminds me something I have said before:

Some questions don’t make sense in a free society.

Just say, NO!

molṑn labé.—Joe]

COVID-19 exemption to the Bill of Rights

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Via email from Jason.

Apparently there is a COVID-19 exemption to the Bill of Rights. At least a judge found one. I just looked at my copy of the BoR and didn’t find it. But I guess Federal Judges just have better eyesight than I do. Here is what he said:

Given the significant number of identified and projected cases of COVID-19 in this
District and the severity of risk posed to the public, and given the above public health
recommendations from local public health authorities, it is hereby ORDERED that, effective
Monday, March 9, 2020:

1) All civil and criminal matters scheduled for an in-Court appearance before any district or magistrate judge in the Seattle or Tacoma Courthouses, including any associated
deadlines, are CONTINUED pending further Order of the Court;

2) All grand jury proceedings in this District are CONTINUED pending further Order of the Court;

3) With regard to criminal matters, due to the Court’s reduced ability to obtain an adequate spectrum of jurors and the effect of the above public health
recommendations on the availability of counsel and Court staff to be present in the
courtroom, the time period of the continuances implemented by this General Order
will be excluded under the Speedy Trial Act, as the Court specifically finds that the
ends of justice served by ordering the continuances outweigh the best interests of the public and any defendant’s right to a speedy trial, pursuant to 18 U.S.C.
§3161(h)(7)(A);

4) Case-by-case exceptions to the continuances provided herein may be ordered for nonjury matters at the discretion of the Court after consultation with counsel;

5) This Order does not affect the Court’s consideration of civil or criminal motions that can be resolved without oral argument.

Here is the clause in Federal Law he refers to:

A) Any period of delay resulting from a continuance granted by any judge on his own motion or at the request of the defendant or his counsel or at the request of the attorney for the Government, if the judge granted such continuance on the basis of his findings that the ends of justice served by taking such action outweigh the best interest of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial. No such period of delay resulting from a continuance granted by the court in accordance with this paragraph shall be excludable under this subsection unless the court sets forth, in the record of the case, either orally or in writing, its reasons for finding that the ends of justice served by the granting of such continuance outweigh the best interests of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial.

I understand the practical matters involved. And I’m not sure I disagree with the action taken. But it does worry me that such precedence will be misused in the future.

How many times have we heard about “The Gun Violence Epidemic”?

Fill in the dots as appropriate.

Quote of the day—Widener’s Blog

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Cooper understood that legislating guns away from the public was only a small part of the problem. The larger issue was a false social construct. One that was intent on disarming the populace of reason and will, of the mindset to act when necessary. He was not just talking about the direct attack of a mugger, but the steady erosion of “society” through the demand of conformity in defenselessness. Whether it be against criminals on the street or those in the capitol. Small wonder his copious quotes are often questioned by those who refuse to understand the virtues of violence.

Widener’s Blog
March 5, 2020
Historic Profile: Jeff Cooper
[Reading his profile made me miss him again.—Joe]

Public safety

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Via sofa @room101_

PublicSafety

It was, of course, in response to Rolf.

Quote of the day—Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn

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To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he’s doing is good, or else that it’s a well-considered act in conformity with natural law. Fortunately, it is in the nature of the human being to seek a justification for his actions

…

Ideology – that is what gives the evildoing its long-sought justification and gives the evildoer the necessary steadfastness and determination.

Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn
The Gulag Archipelago, 1918-1956: An Experiment in Literary Investigation (Volume One) page 174.
[Via Extreme Retribution Punishment Orders: ‘Red flag’ laws are the death of due process and the Constitution.

We have some extremely evil ideologies in the world whos followers believe they are the good guys.

Nearly 170 years ago Thoreau put it more succulently.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Tamara K. @TamSlick

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Party politics today is a race to the boxcars; first team there gets to make the other team ride.

Tamara K. @TamSlick
Tweeted on February 21, 2020
[There is a certain amount of ominous truth to that.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Mark Judson For Congress @Judson4Congress

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In 2021, after Trump is gone, we will be able to tell who 90% of his supporters are via Social Media records.

Should we fire all of them from any Federal Jobs, to include the military, in order to protect the Nation?

Mark Judson For Congress @Judson4Congress
Tweeted on February 23, 2020
[This reminds what Nazi did when they came to power. No more Jews in government jobs.

Perhaps someone already pointed this out to him because the Tweet no longer exists.

Too bad the Internet is forever.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Micah Uetricht and Meagan Day

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Eventually, after the Left has won significant gains at the ballot box and in civil society, the capitalist class will take the gloves off against socialists and do whatever it takes to destroy our movement. We’ll need to fight back. The democratic road to socialism seeks not to elide this confrontation, but to make it possible.

Micah Uetricht and Meagan Day
February 22, 2020
Why Bernie Sanders is just the beginning of an American turn to the left
[Via email from Chet.

Remember when I said the other day that these crazy laws have to be deliberate attempts to destroy society?

Take appropriate action.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Tana Senn

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I’ve never thought about it.

Tana Senn
Washington State Representative, 41st District
February 22, 2020
This was in response to the question, “What sort of gun law do you think would violate the Washington State constitution?”
[The Washington State constitution says:

SECTION 24 RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.

My guess is that she has never read it. Another guy at the town hall meeting asked a related question and she went off with something about the militia. Which, of course, might have been relevant if we didn’t have the Washington State constitution protection for the right to keep and bear arms clause and the Heller decision. The Heller decision, of course, making it very clear the militia clause does not limit the right to keep and bear arms to the militia.

I got the last question of the meeting and I decided to directly ask her to address the Washington State constitution clause. The QOTD above was the beginning of her response.

The rest of her response was about hunters, she has “no problem” with hunters—as long as they don’t use “military type guns” which are only for hunting humans. She was a bit more hesitant but also said she didn’t have a problem with people who wanted to have a gun to defend themselves.

But, of course, the Washington State constitution does not give lawmakers a “military type gun” loophole to write laws restricting individual possession and use of firearms.

I find her response very telling.

If she has never concerned herself with the limits to the power she has under the constitution this isn’t going to stop. Whatever restriction she and her type can get passed this year or next, or the year after is just another step toward the practical, if not literal, elimination of the right.

I was telling someone else about what Senn said and I got a surprising response:

Crazy must run in the family.

It turns out that Senn is is a first cousin, once-removed of former Washington state Insurance Commissioner Deborah Senn. Deborah Senn had a reputation such that many people suspected she was a sociopath and perhaps had other psychology issues.

My live tweeting of the meeting:

This should be good evidence. I hope she enjoys her trial.—Joe]