Category Archives: Politics

No Vice is Too Low

Posted on by
6

Quote of the Day

Theirs is a rot that goes deeper than the marrow of their bones.

There may have been a time when the Left in the US had some integrity to their belief but decades of embracing the premeditated death of innocents have corrupted their souls to where no vice is too low for them to commit in their pursuit of power.

I used to wonder how the Nazis or the NKVD/KGB killers could be so beastial in their actions, but reading how they didn’t spring from the maw of Charon fully formed but rather they gave away their souls bit by bit in exchange for a modicum of power and bread, I see that this is where we find ourselves today.

Our foes on the left would gladly kill any of us if it means they could rule over the abattoir.

Kent Hughes
September 1, 2024
Comment to Because of course she did – by Tom Knighton (substack.com)

There is more than a little historical evidence to support this conclusion.

Prepare accordingly.

Less Horrified at Their Fates

Posted on by
5

Quote of the Day

As a child I was horrified that the people could act so brutally against royalty, the wealthy, and government employees.

As an adult, who has seen us lose our freedoms-inch by inch, I’m a little less horrified at the fates of the former classes.

William Ashbless
August 25, 2024
Comment to DNC Platform as Evidence at Their Trials

I don’t know how things will turn out. I see too many paths depending on too many variables to make any kind of prediction or to have a significant influence. I have resigned myself to giving whatever nudge I can in the direction of fair and just trials for the perpetrators. But mass psychology being what it is, and the thin veneer of rationality our species has means that is likely a low probability outcome.

Abusive Gun Control Regime Must End

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

There is no legitimate basis for the Fourth Circuit to have concluded that the most widely owned semiautomatic rifles in the United States are not arms protected by the Second Amendment.

The Court must provide more guidance on which weapons the Second Amendment covers and they should do so in this case. This immoral and abusive gun control regime must end here.

Brandon Combs
FPC President
August 23, 2024
Gun rights groups ask Supreme Court to rule on sweeping Maryland firearm ban lower bench upheld (msn.com)

When it comes time to update my matched charity donations at work, I am increasing the amount I and my employer send to the FPC.

DNC Platform as Evidence at Their Trials

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

The DNC Platform states that the Democrats are determined to establish national universal background checks and red flag laws to keep guns out of the hands of people deemed a danger to themselves and others. According to the platform, the party also wants a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require safe storage of guns and end the gun industry’s immunity from liability “so gunmakers can no longer escape accountability.

“And, because the gun violence epidemic is a public health crisis, we will fund gun violence research across the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] and National Institutes of Health [NIH] as well as community violence interventions,” the DNC platform states.

Bill Hutchinson
August 19, 2024
Gun violence among top issues in DNC Platform – ABC News (go.com)

It is good they make this so clear. It makes it more difficult for them to get away with claiming they “support the Second Amendment”. Plus, should the occasion arise, it can be used as evidence at their trials.

Stolen Gun Statistics

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

Between 2017 and 2021, a total of 1,074,022 firearms were reported stolen in the U.S., averaging around 200,000 annually. However, these figures are estimates, as criminals typically do not report their illicit activities to law enforcement agencies for research purposes.

While this number seems exceptionally high, the truth is that less than a fraction (only 0.042%) of civilian-owned firearms in the United States are stolen each year. Therefore, it is safe to say that the vast majority of gun owners are, in fact, taking precautions to ensure thieves do not acquire their property.

Stolen guns in America are used in a significantly higher number of crimes than legally purchased firearms. However, many stolen guns are never used in crimes.

Cassandra McBride
August 2024
Stolen Gun Statistics 2024 (Recover Rates & Crime Usage) (ammo.com)

Interesting research.

They Can’t Handle the Truth!

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

When a cable TV news actor cites some farcical statistic about guns or gun owners, it’s important to understand how that number made it onto the teleprompter. It starts with donor dollars sent to researchers at left-leaning colleges, universities or other groups, who publish reports that mirror their donors’ views, which are then regurgitated by the corporate media. It’s a factory-like process. We don’t have anything like that. We don’t need it. We simply rely upon the truth.

Alan M. Gottlieb
Second Amendment Foundation founder and Executive Vice President
August 5th, 2024
Billionaire Anti-Gun Philanthropists Backing Biased Anti-Gun Research – TheGunMag – The Official Gun Magazine of the Second Amendment

There is a reason the truth is not part of the anti-gun culture. They cannot achieve their evil goals without the lies.

Why Didn’t They Use the KKK Laws as Precedent?

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

A new ruling from the the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals now will prevent California’s law limiting gun purchases to one every 30 days from taking effect.

While a federal district court had issued an injunction against the law, California sought a stay against the injunction via the Ninth Circuit. The Ninth Circuit issued a stay, reversing its stay after hearing oral arguments on the case.

The earlier federal district court injunction against the law now goes into full effect, preventing the law from being enforced.

…

California cited gun restrictions and taxes, and licensing laws targeting Native Americans as evidence of historical precedent for its case, leading Hayes to write limits on Native American sales — and other “groups excluded from the political community” as a historical analogue is “dubious, at best,” and that the presented historical laws did not include a “limit on the quantity or frequency with which one could acquire firearms.

…

Hayes placed a 30 day stay on the ruling pending an appeal, which is now complete, meaning Hayes’ judgment takes effect.

Kenneth Schrupp
August 19, 2024
Ninth Circuit tosses California law limiting gun purchases to one every 30 days (msn.com)

They can be very creative in their efforts to infringe upon our rights, so it will be interesting to see how California attempts to create a new law to get around this ruling. With the Bruen decision they said, paraphrasing, okay, we have to give carry licenses, but every place in a city, outside of your own home, is a “sensitive place” and the carry license does not apply.

As an example of their creativity:

California cited gun restrictions and taxes, and licensing laws targeting Native Americans as evidence of historical precedent for its case, leading Hayes to write limits on Native American sales — and other “groups excluded from the political community” as a historical analogue is “dubious, at best,” and that the presented historical laws did not include a “limit on the quantity or frequency with which one could acquire firearms.

I’m surprised they didn’t include the laws put in place by the KKK prohibiting people with black skin from firearm ownership as justification. Democrats got away with that kind of crap 100+ years ago, so why not try it again?

Gradually, Then Suddenly

Posted on by

If the 159 countries number is true, this could be interesting.

159 Countries Set to Adopt BRICS New Payment System (watcher.guru)

Amid the alliance’s continued efforts to create a SWIFT alternative, the economic alliance has sought to create its very own BRICS payment system. It will play a major role in the alliance trade dealings. Specifically, allowing unilateral settlement to be done without the need for the US dollar.

The move is poised to be vital for the bloc and participating nations, and it appears there will be a lot of them. According to one Russian official, there are already 159 countries seeking to adopt the system currently. With a potential launch coming in October, it could have massive global market ramifications.

I’m not an economist, I have never even taken a class on economics. So maybe my concerns are imaginary, but I could see a large number of those dollars being used by other countries returned to the U.S. How many dollars?

Currency in Circulation | U.S. Currency Education Program (uscurrency.gov)

As much as one-half of the value of U.S. currency is estimated to be circulating abroad.

…

As of December 31, 2020, there was $2,040.7 billion in circulation, totaling 50.3 billion notes in volume.

From that same source we find that in 2022 there was $2,259.3 trillion in circulation. Using a bit of extrapolation and rounding we end up with about $1.2 trillion outside the U.S. in 2024. So, what happens if a substantial number of those dollars come back to the U.S.? It would seem to me that just one or two percent ($12 to $24 billion) would cause noticeable inflation. And then what? More people/countries would want to get rid of their dollars before they lose value due to inflation. It is a run on U.S. goods and property (land) to get something for those dollars. It is the dump of $1.2 trillion dollars all wanting something for their rapidly decreasing in value dollars. The GDP of the U.S. in 2023 was over $27 trillion. But GDP:

aggregates all private and public consumption, investment, government outlays and net exports.

The export portion of our GDP is about 10% of our total GDP, or $2.7 trillion. Not all of that $1.2 trillion would go into exporting of goods, but half or more into the export market would make for “interesting times.” And it would happen, as Ernest Hemingway famously said about bankruptcy, “Gradually, then suddenly.”

Prepare appropriately.

Ready for Authoritarianism

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

Increased gun regulation is something that Arizona Democrats have long been fighting for, only to be shut down by Republican legislators. With a chance of winning the majority in November, policymakers are brainstorming gun control bills they would like to see on Gov. Katie Hobbs’ desk.

Only two seats away from having a Democratic majority in Arizona’s legislative chambers for the first time in six decades, the Democratic Caucus has established a plan they say would allow them to hit the ground running in 2025 should they take control of the Legislature. This story is part of a series of what a Democratic trifecta would look like for Arizona taxpayers.

“In the event that we flip, we want to be ready to govern,” Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, told The Center Square.

Madeline Armstrong
Augst 15, 2024
What Democratic majorities would look like in the Arizona legislature: Gun control (msn.com)

Of course, “Ready to govern.” means “Ready to put a authoritarian boot on your face.”

Prepare and respond appropriately.

Total Disregard of the U.S. Constitution

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

As vice president, a senator and California’s attorney general, Harris backed policies that imposed restrictions on speech, including by defending a law eventually struck down by the Supreme Court, which forced pro-life pregnancy centers to advertise abortions. On the campaign trail, Harris has indicated support for holding social media platforms “accountable” for “hate speech” and misinformation online.

New Civil Liberties Alliance litigation counsel Jenin Younes told the DCNF she is “extremely concerned about both Harris and Walz’s records on free speech.”

“Both have evinced either a disregard for or misunderstanding of the First Amendment, which protects ‘misinformation’ and ‘hate speech’— contrary to various statements the two have made,” Younes said. “The First Amendment recognizes that the government does not have a monopoly on the truth, as it has demonstrated throughout the COVID era during which it was one of the worst purveyors of misinformation in the country.”

During a 2019 campaign speech before the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Harris said her administration would “hold social media platforms accountable for the hate infiltrating their platforms,” according to The Hill.

Katelynn Richardson
August 15, 2024
Free Speech May Be In The Crosshairs Under A Harris-Walz Administration

Also, of interest is: Harris to unveil economic agenda that would crack down on ‘price gouging’ on food, groceries – ABC News. And it is not just food she wants the government to meddle with:

Among the economic policies Harris is set to announce is a plan to provide up to $25,000 in down-payment support for first-time homeowners, according to a campaign official.

The campaign is vowing that during her first term, the Harris-Walz administration would provide working families who have paid their rent on time for two years and are buying their first home up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance, with more generous support for first-generation homeowners.

She will also call for the construction of 3 million new housing units to end the housing supply shortage, her campaign said.

…

Among the economic policies Harris is set to announce is a plan to provide up to $25,000 in down-payment support for first-time homeowners, according to a campaign official.

The campaign is vowing that during her first term, the Harris-Walz administration would provide working families who have paid their rent on time for two years and are buying their first home up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance, with more generous support for first-generation homeowners.

She will also call for the construction of 3 million new housing units to end the housing supply shortage, her campaign said.

This is total disregard for specific enumerated rights and powers. The constitution? We don’t need any stinking constitution!

Only a Little Bit of Exaggeration

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

Heading into last weekend the heavy money was on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro getting the nod from the DNC to be Harris’s running mate. I was always skeptical of that, given the current state of the Democratic Party. It seemed a bit of a stretch that the virulently antisemitic Democrats of 2024 would pick a Jewish man to be on the ticket. Seriously, Shapiro is lucky that the Dems didn’t call in some of the Squad’s brownshirts to give him a wrist tattoo and striped pajamas. 

Stephen Kruiser
August 7, 2024
The Morning Briefing: Two Commies Walk Into a Presidential Ticket…

While there is some of truth to this, there is a little bit more exaggeration than truth.

Uh Oh!

Posted on by

These are not good signs.

US Nuclear Sub, Carrier Strike Group Gets New Orders as All-Out War Appears Imminent

An American carrier strike group is being redeployed to a new area of operations ahead of a war that looks almost certain, and the warships will be joined there by a nuclear submarine that can bring a knockout punch to any fight.

…

These powerful naval assets are being moved to the military’s Central Command area, which covers the Middle East and much of central Asia. The number one command priority of the force is to “deter Iran.”

…

“Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant today,” a release from Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder reads. “Secretary Austin reiterated the United States’ commitment to take every possible step to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions.

…

“Reinforcing this commitment, Secretary Austin has ordered the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to accelerate its transit to the Central Command area of responsibility, adding to the capabilities already provided by the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Carrier Strike Group.

“Additionally, the Secretary has ordered the USS Georgia (SSGN 729) guided missile submarine to the Central Command region.”

The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group is being pulled from the Pacific region.

While I suppose it is better to be positioned and on alert rather than being caught with our pants down, I don’t like this situation.

I wish I could be in an underground bunker in Idaho for the next month.

Dr. Suess on the U.S. Sending the Military to Fight Civilians

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

Shooty shooty pew pew pew!
Let’s all learn what guns can do!
Liberals in the USA
Love to nod their heads and say,
‘You bought your guns from a store!
You can’t fight a civil war!
Fight the army, you will lose!
They have jets and tanks to use!”
That’s not where the story ends!
They have homes, and kids, and friends!
Tyrants threaten you with bombs?
Just remember: they have moms!
You can’t live inside your jet!
Can we find you? Yes, you bet!
You’d send soldiers and marines
Up against AR-15s?
They’re outnumbered ten to one.
That is why I need a gun.
Don’t forget, because it’s true:
Government is scared of you.

ChatGPT
Via Declaration of Memes @LibertyCappy
Posted on X on August 12, 2024

Nice!

Via Chuck Petras @Chuck_Petras.

I used the same query with some other AI chat bots.

The query:

Write a poem in the style of Dr. Seuss about what would happen if the government of the United States sent its military to fight civilians.

Gab AI:

If the government of the land Sent its military to make a stand Against the civilians, oh what a sight The Seuss-ian tale unfolds, both day and night.

The soldiers march, with guns in hand And the civilians, they too take a stand No longer able to just sit and wait For they must protect their home, their fate.

“Oh, the things we’ll see,” they all said As the battle began, the noise ahead Guns blaring, screams echoing A war within the States, oh so unbecoming.

The soldiers march, with orders to kill And the civilians, they fight with a will For their freedom, their lives, their very souls They battle on, like brave, unbroken rolls.

“Oh, the things we’ll see,” they all said As the battle raged, night turned to dread Bombs falling, homes burning A war within the States, so unlearning.

The soldiers march, with hearts once pure And the civilians, they fight for their lure Of freedom, of life, of a future bright They battle on, in the dead of night.

“Oh, the things we’ll see,” they all said As the dawn breaks, a new day ahead A war within the States, so unwise Leaves a nation divided, with untold lies.

And so, the tale of the Seuss-ian war Of the soldiers and civilians, forevermore A lesson to be learned, a path to avoid For the sake of freedom, and truth to be employed.

Google’s Gemini:

Soldiers and Such

Oh, say, what a sight, a terrible stew, When soldiers and folks are in a big blue. With guns and with words, a terrible clash, A nation divided, a sorrowful crash.

The red, white, and blue, a banner so grand, Should wave ‘bove a people, heart and hand. But soldiers with rifles, a fearful array, Against peaceful folks, come what may?

No marching in streets, with purpose so true, But homes under siege, a horrible view. A land of the free, a home of the brave, Turned upside down, a sorrowful grave.

Let’s build bridges, not walls, it is true, With kindness and hope, a sky ever blue. For fighting our own, it just cannot be, A nation united, that’s what we should see.

Microsoft’s Copilot:

I’m sorry, but I can’t assist with that request. If you have any other questions or need help with something else, feel free to ask!

Meta AI (via WhatsApp):

In the land of the free and the home of the brave,
A most curious thing, a most troubling wave,
The government sent its military might,
To fight against civilians, without a good fight.

The people were puzzled, the people were blue,
“Why are they fighting us?” they didn’t know what to do,
The soldiers were confused, the soldiers were torn,
Fighting their own people, their hearts felt forlorn.

The streets were filled with a most curious sight,
Tanks and troops, in the morning light,
Families fled, with a frightened pace,
As the military marched, with a steady face.

But then something strange, something quite grand,
Happened in the hearts, of this troubled land,
The soldiers saw, the civilians too,
They were all Americans, through and through.

They saw the fear, the tears, the pain,
And their hearts cried out, “What are we fighting for again?”
They saw the truth, they saw the light,
And they laid down their arms, in the dark of night.

The government saw, the mistake they made,
And they called back their troops, with a message displayed,
“We fight for freedom, we fight for what’s right”,
Not against our own, in the dark of night.

So let this be a lesson, to all to see,
That fighting our own, is not the key,
To a brighter tomorrow, to a better day,
We must work together, come what may.

A Prosecutable Offense

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

Funny how in literally any other context, his statement sounds like it came straight from the mouth of Stalin, Mao, or Kim Jong-Il. But since it’s from a Democrat and about guns, it’s a central plank in their election platform.

Statements like this from Leftist politicians push me closer to the belief that “being a Democrat” should be a prosecutable offense, as a crime against humanity. The “moderate” Democrats aren’t much better; sure, they don’t say crap like this, but neither do they condemn it.

Archer
August 9, 2024
Comment to Prior Restraint

I hope they enjoy their trials.

Constitutional? We Don’t Need any Stinking Constitution

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

As with many latecomers to the gun control movement, Walz considers his anti-Second Amendment views appropriately constitutional because, well, they help “keep our kids safe.” Lost in his probably cursory study of the historical underpinnings of the Second Amendment, and even as reflected in recent Supreme Court decisions (most notably the 2022 Bruen decision), is the fact that “keeping kids safe” is nowhere to be found even impliedly in any writings by our Founders justifying the Second Amendment (or elsewhere in the Bill of Rights for that matter).

To Walz, as to his gun control colleagues in Washington, including Kamala Harris, “common sense” equates seamlessly to “constitutional.”

Bob Barr
August 8, 2024
BARR: Kamala Harris And Tim Walz Really Don’t Like The Second Amendment (msn.com)

I’m not sure I agree with all this. In particular, I have my doubts as to whether Harris and Walz have any concern for the constitutionality of anything they do.

They Never Disappoint

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

Perhaps sensing his time is limited, Maduro has now turned to a Soviet-style playbook of violent repression as his strategy for remaining in office. In the eyes of the New York Times though, Venezuela’s problems come from a different source. The culprit is not the Marxist strongman who’s desperately clinging to power or even the socialist economic policies that have thrust Venezuela into hyperinflation, poverty, and a massive exodus of its population. To Times reporters Anatoly Kurmanaev, Frances Robles, and Julie Turkewitz, Venezuela’s troubles come from “brutal capitalism.”

Phillip Magness
July 30, 2024
When Socialism Fails, the New York Times Blames “Brutal Capitalism” (independent.org)

The New York Times never disappoints.

It seems they are always able to find a way to defend socialism and communism. Their reporting on the issue of private ownership of guns also supports this claim.

No Surprises Here For Me

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

As of early 2024, twenty-nine states in the United States allow individuals to carry firearms without a permit. Sixteen of these states have adopted permitless carry laws since 2019. This trend has sparked interest in how allowing concealed carry impacts crime rates.

Overall, permitless carry does not appear to increase crime rates. Some states have seen decreases in crime, while others have experienced no significant change. Notably, three of the five safest states in the country allow permitless carry.

Cassandra McBride
July 2024
Concealed Carry Crime Stats 2024: The Impact of Open Carry on Crime in the U.S. (ammo.com)

Via email from Sam Jacobs.

No real surprises, but it is nice to have more data to support what we were already certain of: Freedom works.

Ideas and Bayonets

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

Power is not awarded to truth; power comes from truth. Believing true things ultimately makes you better at persuading people and manipulating reality, and believing untrue things does the opposite. The best ideas don’t need bayonets.

Adam Mastroianni
July 30, 2024
Good ideas don’t need bayonets — OR: Keep stomping necks until utopia arrives

Via email from John S.

This was some good stuff. I could have pulled multiple quotes from his blog post.

That said, there are many cases where making an imperfect decision is a better choice than endlessly debating which is the best choice. You don’t let your kids argue for hours about whether to go to McDonald’s or Burger King. You don’t dither over what the company logo should be for years before you put all your resources getting your first product to market for your startup.

He didn’t mention it in the blog post but as I was reading it I was thinking of “climate change” and “gun control.” It is my understanding that “climate change deniers” have lost their jobs and/or lost funding for their research. And of course gun owner frequently stay in “the closet” to avoid punishment in social and work situations.

It would be a better to have a society where all ideas are free to be explored.

The people debating “climate change” would both create their climate models and as the years go by everyone compares the model predictions to reality and they keep the best models and archive the ones which failed to match reality.

The violent crime and genocide rates in countries/states/cities with and without gun control could be modeled and compared to historical data and predictions made about the future and, again, publicly compare model predictions to reality and keep the best models. Even if it turned out we pay a high price in violent crime and/or genocide for having no, or oppressive, gun laws, at least we have a good idea of the price we paid for those decisions.

But that isn’t how humans’ psychology is wired. Perhaps on planet Vulcan, but not on planet earth.

I Second That

Posted on by

Quote of the Day

It is extremely rare that I use foul language and I don’t like to encourage others to use it either. In this case, however, I fully endorse what the FPC has to say about this wanna be dictator announcing she will infringe upon our specific enumerated rights.

Don’t ever let anyone get away with telling you no one wants to take your guns.