Attention Shifting to 4GW

Many world powers are turning their attention to threats inside their own borders by their own people rather than outside.

Jennifer nails another one.  Great thoughts, great links.  Please go and read. 

Attention Shifting to 4GW

Jennifer brought you the what.  I'll venture a stab at the why. 

Turning attention inward actually makes perfect sense in a "one-world-government" (1WG) kind of way.  Are we there yet?  No-but we're not far away.  As a prelude to 1WG ruled under one leader, it seems reasonable to expect that the nations of the world would govern in like manner, think in like manner, behave and believe in a like manner.  So it should be no surprise that many of them seem to be turning the attention of their security organizations, their police, their armies inward instead of outward.  So long as a cartel of large, powerful nations (G20 anyone?) all agree in collusion to turn their attention inward instead of outward, then they have no worry of attack from each other. 

But why would nations want to turn their security forces inward instead of outward?  For the same reason that you are preparing.  (You are preparing, right?)  Impending economic doom.  The powerful are preparing to protect their way of life because they know this doom is coming.  In order to do that, they must protect their power.  Nothing else matters to them.  Not you.  Not your family.  Not your friends.  Not your job.  Not your house.  Not your starvation.  Not your liberty.  Not your prosperity.  Not your health.  Not your religion.  Not 20 million corpses stacked up in the streets.  Nothing. 

The economic doom will be especially hard on those countries where the leaders have risen to power by repeating the lie that government can meet all the needs of all the citizens-that is to say, most of the countries on earth.  In Greece, we're getting a preview of what happens when the spell of this lie is broken and the truth hits home.  Now multiply this outrage, this unrest and violence across the globe when the storm hits.  Thanks to the "global economy", and the intricate "interconnectivity" that our leaders are so proud of, there is no firebreak against a single point failure that could wipe out the whole system.  Thanks to that interconnectivity, the corruption has gone global as well. 

III
to get ready. . .

Whistling Past The Graveyard

In just 2 short minutes, Denninger shows you an amazing corelation in market behavior.

Please go and watch. 

Whistling Past The Graveyard

Strange that we should call it a "free market", huh? 

"Civil Rights" and Total War

Great read at Pro Libertate here.

Strange that it should be called, "Reconstruction." 

Memorial Day

There will be light posting ahead for this holiday weekend as we'll be traveling and visiting family. 

Please indulge a brief rant:

More than once, I've been a part of a service where the speaker wants to recognize those veterans in the audience.  Call me a grouchy old SOB, but the honor and remembrance of Memorial Day belongs only to those who died in uniform.  Not veterans.  If I stand up, then I'm accepting something that does not belong to me.  I have made it a point to correct speakers/preachers after the fact if they get this wrong and try to recognize anyone other than those who fell in the line of duty for their country. 

I encourage all of you to find your local Memorial Day service, go there, and pay your respects-rain or shine. 

Al
III

Traffic

What does traffic really mean?  Where does it come from (and go)?  And why? 

While sitting in a jam similar to this, I had the "opportunity" to think about it.  A brief self-conversation occurred. 

Why is there so much traffic? It's quitting time.

Yes, but why is there so much traffic going this way?  Because this is where the people live.

Isn't there another road going from one place to the other?  Yes. And It's all backed up to hell and gone just like this one. 

But why do they live over here in this county?  Why not live closer to their work?

That's when it hit me that a main driver behind routine traffic jams is the relative quality of the governments, the taxes, the services, and such in the two areas. The jobs are in one county, but apparently there are vast hordes who emphatically do not want to live there.

Perhaps instead of more lanes for traffic, governments could do a better job of bringing business in and not driving people out. 

So my example happened to be an automotive traffic jam.  Where the causes are concerned though, it's very similar to this:

Obama on Arizona: Presidents don't do boycotts

Story here.

Really?

Then perhaps Mister Pres__ent you could explain this boycottish quote?   

“You can’t get corporate jets. You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer’s dime, ”  February, 2009

By the way, he will heretofore be referred to as Pres__ent Obama on my blog.  You can't be President without ID.

Lessons from Lithuania -- Part I

Some brilliant lessons learned from across the pond posted at WRSA. 

Lessons From Lithuania -- Part I

I can't add a thing to it.

The Cold Civil War

You know, if Sarah Palin could only think and articulate like this, then she might be the "Jennifer III" of the Tea Party movement.  Check out the new and improved I Take Liberty website and this article. 

The Cold Civil War

Recall Obama in his first days in office. "I won." In other words, all of you can go to hell because the country is mine to do with as I please.  Rush said of Obama in those days that he didn't want to even the playing field, he wanted to clear the playing field. 

It may be a cold war now, but the ego of Obama can't tolerate any discussion, debate, or dissent.  Which is also why mini-tyrants like Deval Patrick think that harsh criticism is almost at the level of sedition. 

When you leave zero room for common ground with an opponent, then is your opponent not absolved from even the making the token attempt to find such common ground?  

Now would be a great time to recall Pete's admonition.

The simple formula is this:

- We're screwed
- There's gonna be a fight
- Let's win

Which way are you facing?

Yahoo CEO tells Tech Crunch Blogger, "F*** off"

Carol Bartz To Michael Arrington: “F*ck Off!”

Perhaps she was a roommate with Madonna for a while.  Watch the video.

But don't stop there, read the transcript.  Consider for just a moment that Carol F***'in' Bartz is not a unicorn-there's plenty of others like her. Just lean back and take in all the condescension that she has for this guy who happens to ask a few questions she doesn't want to answer. 

This is how so many of the powerful view you.  Whether you're a blogger with a few visitors.  An individual with a Jury Info sign outside of a courthouse.  A Tea Party protester on 9-12-09 in Washington, D.C.  Joe the plumber.  A man trying to hold on to what you earn through the sweat of your brown.  Or even if you're a loyal and productive employee in their business.  (And woe be to you if you're not politically correct enough as an employee for them.  They'll fire you for not being nice enough and cuss at you while they do it.)  This is how many of you are viewed by people like this. 

And I can't let pass the irony that Yahoo was started by people who are probably not all that different from Arrington.  This is the kind of arrogance which rules our country, our businesses, our economy, and our world.

Road Rage: 'No Latinos' on Highway Sign

Hackers are apparently able to change the message on highway signs in Florida. 

Now if you're going to go to the trouble of hacking the sign to deliver a message, why not get the right message?  I don't have a problem with Latinos or Tacos either one.  What I do have a problem with is illegal immigration unchecked across our borders. 

Story here

A few selected ideas for alternative signs:

• NO LIBERALS
• NO PRAGS
• NO EMPTY HOLSTERS
• NO RETREAT
• NO SURRENDER
• OH HELL NO
• ECONOMIC COLLAPSE AHEAD
• HOPE AND CHANGE LEFT LANE, LEFT LANE CLOSED.  KEEP RIGHT (yeah, I know, it's too long)
• FREE THE TELEPROMPTERS

I had never thought about these signs being hacked.  Opens up a whole new realm of possibility, doesn't it.  Especially if the sign gives incorrect instructions that cause an accident.

Photographer faces 8 years

Story is linked here at Photography Is Not A Crime.

As some of you pointed out, the photographer who had the courage to videotape the handing out of Jury Info outside a Philadelphia courthouse has been arrested and faces up to 8 years in prison. 

His name is George Donnelly and there are links to his blog and a legal defense fund if you are so inclined.   

Showtime!

Sounds like there may be some long overdue media attention on the ATF. 

Regular readers on Sipsey Street already recognize the importance of this event (provided that CNN goes through with it).  For any newbies out there, I encourage you to cruise through some of the archives on Sipsey Street related to ATF misbehavior and malevolence.  Or even better, check out Cleanup ATF.org. 

Why I Love My Wife

Got this e-mail today from the Mrs. 

Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 1:59 PM
Subject: Hang up call from NC

Got another one today, so I called it back. Some kids’ cancer charity. The following conversation is going to make me look heartless. Meh.

AGENT: Children’s Cancer Research, can I help you?
Me: Yes…you can explain to me why I’ve received two calls from your organization and both times I was hung up on when the call was answered.
AGENT: (hesitantly) Oh, I’m sorry. We never mean to hang up on you. Our system sometimes does that because of the overload of number.
Me: Well, perhaps I can help you. Take my number off your list and that will be one less it has to worry about.
AGENT: That’s fine ma’am, but I do have to warn you that we will not be able to contact you for 5 years.
Me: That’s a problem, how? Take us off.
AGENT: (hesitance replace with huffy attitude) Fine. Wish granted. God bless.

I don’t think she found me amusing. I thought it was quite witty, myself.

Put the Hell to the Yeah Lady Zane! 

Wonder what she'd have to say to get us off of there for 10 years?  Radley Balko did a great job nailing this a couple of weeks ago over at The Agitator.  A Minor Irritation

Welfarization & The Capsizing of Democracy

Welfarization & The Capsizing of Democracy

WRSA posts a link to some great stuff by Jim Bovard. 

Money is good for what you can buy with it. 

So who wants to put their money into the stock market through their 401k and IRAs?  Isn't it convenient that the market recovered just enough to stave off the torches and pitchforks of We The Productive?  And don't worry about the Social Security system.  Rather than privatizing Social Security, the plan is to federalize your 401k. 

Who wants to put their money into the banks?  The same people who caused all this mess are in collusion to hold interest rates very low.  Which means that the miracle of compound interest gets you a measly 0.57%.  Not to mention the occasional quiet press releases from an FDIC that's out of money as well. 

Mattresses? 

If there's any uptick at all in the economy right now, it's most likely from people stocking up on beans, bullets, bullion, and band-aids in anticipation of the coming "man-made disaster".  (Hope Big Sis doesn't mind me using her phrase.) 

Which way are you facing?

Stupid Army risk aversion in combat zones

Mike links to an article detailing some incredibly dumb orders (link here)

Sounds like someone is gunning (pun intended) for that new Courageous Restraint Medal.  You all reckon that the CRM will just be a totally plain white ribbon with a tombstone shaped piece of brass, kind of like this...

Anyone else notice the inversion going on here? 
Our police in the US get more geared up and militarized.  Our military is getting police-ified. 

Our military is leaning towards creating an award for "restraint".  Our police seem to be perpetually rewarded for their aggressive behavior. 

Our army overseas seems to be getting into this idea that using good intentions alone on evil people will somehow produce peace.  Our police here at home seem to be getting the idea that using excessive force on good people will somehow produce peace.  The truth on this last point is that less force against evil people and more force against good people will lead to more violence in both cases.  

Interesting.  It sounds like both groups are standing at the Cliffs of Insanity and both are facing the wrong direction. 

Al
III

Fear and Pride

Check out Mike's comments and open letter to Hillary
 The Treaty is Coming!

I'm reminded of the scene in the movie, The Right Stuff, where they consider pulling Glenn off of the mission. The rest of the astronauts crowd the director and ask, "Well who are you gonna get?"  It was made abundantly clear that they'd get Glenn or no one.  (if anyone can find a youtube link to that clip, I'll link or embed)

So Hillary, just who are you gonna get to come around and collect all those guns? 

SWAT units?

I am convinced that SWAT units thrive on pride and fear. 

Pride: Elite!  All the best tools and toys, body armor, helmets, weapons, sights, nightvision, armored cars, etc.  Look at us, we're all Bad Mofos dressed in black from head to toe.  Just add guyliner for instant Goth!  Better yet, we've got our own TV shows.  And if you can't find us on TV, check YouTube because we're always filming our own raids. 

Fear: We need all those goodies to take on the dangerous situations and people.  Guys with a single joint.  Corgi dogs, 92 year-old grandmothers, and sleeping 7 year olds.  We could never take these dangerous people with a simple warrant and a holstered sidearm. 

If I'm right and they're driven by fear, then SWAT members must ask themselves whether they really want to go out on gun confiscation raids.  Would they rather face determined, prepared, capable, alert opponents defending their life and liberty-unwilling to yield either?  Or would they instead rather play it safe with foes who will be stoned and passed out in the hallway in their underwear?  Who of the SWAT only ones wants to be the first to meet a real live Phil Gordon?  Who wants to find the second one, or the third, or the 1000th?  And you just never know until you force the door, do you. 

SWAT members may make a wise judgment, "This is the UN's treaty, let them enforce it."

Say, what happens when people decide not to just go down in Pyrrhic victories, but instead organize to support each other in their own community?  Community organizers.  Put the hell to the yeah!

Paul Kersey, Death Wish II Community Organizer

Then what, Hillary?  Your move.  Choose wisely. 

We're the Only Ones taking Census enough: The Spate continues.

I haven't seen this on The War On Guns yet, so I'll thought I'd put on my Codrea hat and spring into action.
 
Woman shot, killed by Yuba City police

Some salient facts reported in the article (comments in italics):

• A U.S. Census worker “had been confronted by residents who pointed a firearm at the worker and said they would not answer any questions and closed the door,” said police spokeswoman Shawna Pavey.  (So more than one resident pointed a firearm at the worker?)
• Officers responded after receiving a call at 9:04 p.m. about weapons being brandished.   (Begging the question, exactly what in the hell was the US Census doing taking the census at that hour?)
• When two male officers arrived, 51-year-old Lionel Patterson answered the door, armed with a handgun, police said.  (And who were the "two male" only ones?  Did Mr. Patterson commit a crime by being armed in his own home?)
• 
  As officers were dealing with the male... (dealing with?  Meaning what exactly?  Does simple conversation = dealing with?) 
• ...a female approached the door with a shotgun and ignored officers’ orders to release the weapon.  (approached the door from where?  Inside?  Outside?  In front of them, behind them?  Did the officers order Patterson to release his weapon?  If not, why not?  Enquiring minds...)
• "As the female advanced on officers, she continued to point the shotgun at officers in a threatening manner ...(meaning that she held it.) 
• ...and the two officers fired their service weapons, hitting the female,” police said.  (I suppose that it never occurred to the officers to change things up-maybe fall back to cover, maybe split up so as to offer her only one target to "point" at?  Maybe to attempt some non-lethal force?!  So tell me again, at what point exactly did the officers draw their weapons?  Oh that's right, you didn't say.  Of course.) 
• Pavey (Only One Spokeswoman) said toxicology testing after an autopsy Friday morning will determine if alcohol or drugs were factors in the incident.   (So the cops will be tested?  I'm all in favor of it.)
• Patterson lives at the same address (as the deceased).  Pavey and neighbors said it wasn’t clear what the relationship was between him and Roger-Vasselin.  (Uh, maybe ask Lionel Patterson?  Duh.  By the way, is it any of their damned business!!??  The newspaper sure was able to find out a lot about the deceased.  Can we at least hear the names of the Only Ones who killed this woman?)

The census worker was female.  So presumably no one should have to worry about a home invasion or being raped by the non-threatening female census worker.  Because as we all know, all females are sweetness and light and could never be a part of anything hideous or criminal.  Although, if you're running a small crime team, the female member could get residents to open the door so that the rest of the team could bumrush their way in.  Just saying. 

Given the recent spate, can you blame anyone for being armed when they open the door when they knocker announces themselves as US Census?  ...at 9:04 PM?! 

At 9 PM, if ANYBODY comes to my door uninvited or unexpected, a gun will be in my hand.  (especially if they're from the US Government)

A simpler solution for the victim might have been not to open the door at all.  Just ignore them and they'll leave if they're peaceful.  But that's probably a felony in California-what with their total open door policy for everything except common sense. 

I guess that reduces work for the Census worker, huh?  Another life destroyed.   

Bastards. 

"I Don't Protest"

Watch this:

The War on Guns: Now This One P****s Me Off

A great video linked by Codrea.  There's an Only One in here to get the blood pressure up. 

For the real learning session, take notes on how these guys conduct themselves, what they say and how they say it.  

Notes:

• Simple, non-threatening responses (even for the fargain icehole).
• Don't volunteer anything.  (not even a name)
• The coup de grace is when you see how much police manpower is given to just three men who are FREE.

A tip of the boonie hat to these three fellers and their stand as free men.  What really grabs me is the response to the officer's question, "Are you protesting?"  "I don't protest."  What a fantastic statement worthy of remembrance.  First of all, they're not there to protest, they are there to instruct.  Listen to the way he says it.  Protesting is not something I do.  I don't protest, I act.  Amen!!

Second, I'm guessing that the local laws-like most places say that you have to get a permit to protest.  But wait, they're not protesting...are they?  Oooh!, The Man almost had them there.  Once they said that, what else could the police do to them? 

Nothing. 

California boycott of Arizona, "I'll show ME!"

http://itakeliberty.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/we-got-the-power/

More great stuff from Jennifer, who beat me to the punch with her thoughts on this. 

California has for years been unable or unwilling to actually run the generation capacity they have in-state due to the environmental restrictions they are so very proud of. 

They probably haven't resolved the big transmission bottleneck they have between San Francisco and L.A. either.  Anyone remember the brownouts and rolling blackouts? 

And I seem to remember a few years ago that they were boasting that they wouldn't buy any power outside of California that was generated by coal. 

Though it has been a while, does anyone remember the great "deregulation" experiment that Cali did in 2000?  Where the California PUC told power companies to buy power only on the spot market, prohibited them from locking in long-term contracts, and demanded that they sell it to the customer for a fixed price-no matter what?  Yeah, the market totally works like that.  And then Governor Gray "Totally Recalled" Davis whined that the power companies weren't being team players when some of them declared bankruptcy. 

Dumbasses. 

I am 100% behind Arizona on this one.  Put the Hell to the Yeah!  Open the breakers at the state line, unplug the Golden State and let them walk this greener-than-thou BS talk they've been preaching at the rest of us for the last 30 years. 

The Bunker: Tunnel Home in Austin

Apparently, a man in Austin, Texas got underneath his home and started digging and digging and digging...

Story Here

• Search warrant was executed by code compliance officers. 
• Who found 19 guns, ammunition, chemicals, and batteries.  (What?  No shovel?!)
• No word on whether anything was confiscated.  (But since guns and ammunition were found, the man must be eeevil.)

Later a quote from the compliance department officer. 

"I can tell you that our consulting engineering group has given a recommendation on the extent of the excavation and they believe that filling the hole is a viable option,” Martinez said.

But according to the dear leader of the regime, aren't we supposed to dig ourselves out of a hole? 

I have a thought or two as to the objective of the digging as well as some lessons learned.  But I'll leave this to the reader's imagination and comments.   

Advanced Geometry: Assassination

The city of Birmingham has many "achievements" for which they can be proud.  Steel mills, A statue of Vulcan with naked buns of iron.  A golden statue of a naked Electra on the top of Alabama Power Building.  A miniature Statue of Liberty-shrunken to reflect the diminishing liberties (note, torch is not lit), Larry P. Langford.  The $3B sewer bond mess.  And now, a geometry teacher who chose to use assassination as a way to work out a geometry problem.  Link 

1. Why use an assassination attempt as an example for working out geometry? 
2. Why use Obama as the target? (The Real Men of Genius commercial is surely being written as we speak.)

You can have this protractor when you pry it from my cold, dead hand!!!!!!

Another Empty Holster Discarded

Specter Rejected

Sure is a good thing that you switched parties to get away from all those "extremist" GOP'rs, huh Arlene? 

4G Popo

Not another rap group.  Just great stuff from Threeper Jennifer.  Go and read.  You know you dig the pink against the Woodland multicam BDU pattern, so just go ahead and add her to your favorites.

Fourth Generation Policing.

Technology has given us many fascinating inventions that make our life "easier".  (and harder)

As we must plug ourselves into "the matrix" so to speak, we disconnect ourselves from each other.  So we don't talk with each other like we used to.  We don't interact like we used to.  That mental distance increases the distance in terms of relationships.  Does it work that way for the police too?  I think so. 

Jennifer says,

"Police work is 99% boredom and 1% terror."

...if it's done right. 

I shouldn't wonder that the boredom to terror ratio isn't more like 60/40 instead of 99/1. 

F-16s respond to flight near Mexican border in AZ

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/f-16s-respond-to-528430.html?imw=Y

• F-16's respond to a flight near the Mexican border.
• Unknown plane crossed into American airspace.
• F-16's shadow the ultralight for ~30 minutes.  (Any pilots out there?  How do you "shadow" an ultralight whose cruise speed is probably well below the stall speed of your own aircraft?) 
• Ultralight flies back into Mexico.

Now I'm going to have that tune "Low Rider" from War in my head.   

Low
Ri
der
Is a little lower

Low
Ri
der
Drives a little slower

So you reckon that was just air support for the endless stream of humans and drugs coming up the trail? 

Say what you will about the Evil Empire, but they didn't just let Mathias Rust fly home.

POSSIBLE names of SWAT officers in Columbia, MO raid

An update from RTC regarding the dog-shooting raid for misdemeanor possession in Columbia, MO. 

Possible names of officers involved.  Read the unredacted PDF linked on RTC's blog. 

Got corroboration? 

Al
III

A tribute to Sipsey Street

It's over here:

Empty Holsters

Editor's note: This post may cause many of you say, "Ewww!"  Please don't blame me for the true nature of politics.  

Jennifer writes about the Empty Holsters at the NRA convention.  She asks excellent question that deserves an answer. 

A similar question got a resounding answer on April 19th of this year.  While the 2A March (unarmed) inside Washington, D.C. was a worthwhile effort and drew media coverage, the RTC rally (armed) outside D.C. had the media practically frothing for weeks before the date of the event as well as the day of.  While fewer in number, the rifles got more attention than the empty holsters.  For the record, I don't believe the NRA supported either event-though both were held in the NRA's backyard.  

It’s not the left that is so surprising or even troubling.  The left we can understand and predict like sunrise and sunset. The country could live with a couple of years of the left showing their true colors so long as someone is providing balance. That critical element is lacking. 

I am convinced that a major factor in the US Despair Index is the deepening realization that the GOP in real terms represents nothing more than an empty holster.  Sure, they lack the numbers to stop Obama's agenda, but does that relieve them of the responsibility to block, delay, obstruct and filibuster everything that they can?  It’s the lack of effective resistance to this agenda that has folks despairing. 

The left has been acting like the 2010 elections won't matter.  My mind raced to the darkest scenarios: A false flag, Reichstag fire, a civil disturbance, elections delayed until public safety can be assured (which would mean the elections wouldn't be held until the Democrats could assure themselves of a majority or not at all-what's the difference).  Now, I’m not so sure.  When the minority party that is as inept as the GOP seems now, why do anything to change the status quo? 

Does anyone else remember this?

It was Bob Dole that introduced much of America to Viagara.  Profiles in Courage!  While Bill Clinton was busy with interns, Bob Dole was advertising Viagara.  (Ironically, it was Dole who helped provide the balance to the 1993-1994 Clinton agenda and derail Hillarycare.  While things were headed downhill in those days, I don't recall despair anything like what we're seeing now.) 

Dole's party seems equally impotent to the task before them.  Some coincidence, huh?  A shot of political Viagara might provide enough of a boost to make a difference in November, but to what end? 

In 2001, the GOP had what they had only dreamed of for generations.  Control of the White House, the Congress, and the Senate.  And what lasting change did they accomplish with this advantage?   

Those of us who voted for the GOP were stuck with Empty Holsters and Electile Dysfunction.  

The GOP's strongest rallying cry for 2010 is, "Repeal Obamacare!"  How reasonable is this expectation?  Even if the GOP wins the House and Senate, Viagara wears off.  Then what? 

The same bunch couldn't accomplish even a little with a lot will now expects you to believe that they can accomplish a lot with a little?!  

I bet they'll still respect us in the morning too.

One last question:
What happens when the Tea Party comes to the realization that no one represents their interests anymore?

Pro Libertate: Idiocracy's Finest at Work

Pro Libertate: Idiocracy's Finest at Work


Though I haven't seen it, the movie Idiocracy is set in the year 2505. Based on what Grigg writes, it would seem the future is now.


Queen had a #1 smash in 1980 with "Another One Bites The Dust." Were they writing about hitmen or cops as the shooters?

Monkey in the Middle

Great stuff from WRSA. 
Go.
Read.  Rants on the other side.

http://westernrifleshooters.blogspot.com/2010/05/imf-us-faces-one-of-biggest-budget.html


Also view the Meltup video.  It's a little long at 54 minutes, so I'd recommend watching a little, noting the timestamp, and coming back to it later.  "Embrace the suck" piecemeal, as it were. 

Another column worth a read is this one from Tom Baugh titled, New York Who?
____________________


In the Meltup video on WRSA, one of the gents makes a brilliant analogy that these banksters are "money junkies."  They can't get enough money.  He explains that those in our government are power junkies who fed the money junkies addiction. 

Our government is overwhelmingly populated with career political hacks who owe their position and power to these money junkies.  Thus being contaminated, corrupted, and compromised by the influence of the money, they long ago forfeited their independence....and yours.  So when the money junkies came to Washington in September of 2008 to demand money at the threat of tanks in the streets, what happened? 

In a just world, those in power would maintain some independence and integrity so that they could starve the junkies, let them fail and give them jail.  (Many of you will know that I'm making a practical extension of the title of Starving The Monkeys in a way makes sense.  I exhort you to read this book.)

In reality, a symbiotic relationship exists where each supports the addiction of the other and their fates are bound together.  Money junkies fail = power junkies fail.  Money junkies jail = power junkies as cellmates.  They are slaves to each other.  Both addictions are fed from the same place-your wallet.  This isn't surprising; What do either of these groups really provide of value? 

Why would anyone try to radically expand the size and scope of government spending-especially in a time like this?  Why would a leader let government spending soar when there's clearly no money to pay for it? Why would a leader encourage other governments to do likewise?

You want to see a hatriot?  I give you Barack Hussein Obama II.  At his core, Obama hates America.  Understand this, and everything else is simple.  

To him, the destruction of America as a concept and perhaps a sovreign nation is irrelevant.  Why?  Has the relationship between power junkies and money junkies changed much through the ages, from nation to nation, or government to government?   

One more thought for the dear reader; Laid out on a continuum line, the power junkies might occupy one end with the money junkies on the opposide end.  All the rest of us are in the middle.  As these two draw themselves ever closer together, they are literally squeezing the middle (i.e. you and me). 

To make this real and personal;
Am I going to continue being the monkey in the middle with two sets of addicts on either end-tossing their goodies back and forth-hoping I might be able to jump up and snag one for myself?  Or will I change the game altogether so as to starve the junkies?

What ways can I reduce or eliminate avenues for taxation and sources of debt in my own home?  Is merely voting enough?  What can I do to eject the power junkies and elect representatives that are not bought and paid for by the money whores?  And who will join me? 

Al
III

The War on Guns: Well, the Sentiment Looks Right

The War on Guns: Well, the Sentiment Looks Right


In Illinois, they're having trouble even buying ammunition because they are so broke. Denninger covered that here. Another link here. Anyone else think California, New York, and other highly liberal states could soon be in that same boat?


What would happen then if other suppliers of guns, ammo, and parts for law enforcement refused to sell based on the government's inability to pay?


Can you say, "Starving The Monkeys"?

Drug Raid in Columbia, Missouri

I have not been living under a rock on this one. Just call me late to the party. Sometimes, I'd like to see what develops before I start talking/typing.

If anyone out there hasn't seen the video of this drug raid, here's the link.  Radney Balko has covered this extensively on The Agitator.

The head CoMo PoPo (stand back, I'm 'bout to go rappin' up in here), "hates the internet"

"Don't give in to hate. Hate leads to fear and fear to the Dark Side." Yoda

I wonder how he feels about cameras? Or dogs? Or maybe the drugs themselves?

Of course you hate the internet, chief. Because without it, who would know of your deeds? And if the citizen himself tried to plead his case, you could just dismiss him as a druggie and ignore all criticism.

Without the internet, there might not be this…
Citizen Review Board

Community Organizing. Madea say, "Hell to the Yeah!"

A few other thoughts:

• One poster to the Columbia Tribune claims that Whitworth had quite a record-but I can't verify this. (I link, you decide) Still seems like excessive force to me. If the man is truly a repeat offender, then couldn't this problem have been avoided by not returning him to the streets? Just saying…
• We can't change the past. We can't restore this man's dogs or make him whole-no matter how much money the state pays him. (to say nothing of the child who witnessed this)
• Local attention and organization directed at the chief is probably the most effective route. If a horde of out-of-staters drive in with the explicit intent to target the police chief, then they might wind up like Darren Huff. And of course, crossing state lines invokes the federales. Not so the locals. It's their community. So what about your community? We're at the cliffs, which way are you facing?

This is but one small piece of the larger problem. I can't solve this issue for Columbia or for Whitworth. But I could try to make Columbia's problem my police chief's problem. I could show it to my own sheriff and then ask open-ended questions to engage him in a discussion.

• Do you see anything wrong with this entire episode?
• Do you think these police officers should be prosecuted? If you were a part of the raid, would you immediately cooperate with an investigation, or would you back your buddies to cloud the facts?
• What is the bar for a SWAT raid in this locality? (1 oz. of pot? 1 pound? More than 5 rifles? Camo clothing?) What crime justifies this kind of force?
• And how much does a raid of this nature cost-if everything goes well? ("Well", being defined as no one got shot, no property or pets were damaged or destroyed.)
• Better still, what does the cost/benefit ratio look like for this raid? Cost of the raid in labor and materials, intangibles for media headaches, real cost of certain litigation to follow, real cost of productivity used to alter procedures. Benefit, one guy in custody, a dog dead, and a little bit of paraphernalia. Was it worth it?
• Since there are so many non-lethal weapons available to police, I wonder why none were used? Does our local SWAT unit put the non-lethal weapons in the front row so that low levels of force may be initially applied and then escalated? (Not to sound like the McNamara doctrine in Vietnam, but hey, we are civilians here. Use a tazer and many folks will get the message and stand down without shooting their dog.)
• Do you film your SWAT raids? How do I get a copy of the tapes?
• What kind of training do your SWAT officers undergo? (How much classroom work is there around the mental over the physical?)
• How many SWAT raids did (insert unit here) conduct in the last 12 months? Can I get the reports?
• What were the targets?
• How many of those targets were armed, weapon drawn and in hand a clear and present threat to the police?
• How many known gangs were raided in that time and what percentage of all SWAT raids is that?
• Where did the intel come from to make the raids? You obviously won't name a source, but you could classify the type of source you got it from without revealing identities.
• What's the incentive for people to come forward and provide intel that leads to such a raid?

So you probably don't ask all of those questions, but you let the law know that they are being policed. I'm in favor of ensuring peace and domestic tranquility. I'm in favor of locking up repeat offenders. I'm in favor of law and order. The war on drugs even sounded good in principle, but in practice it seems that users are the most frequent targets while the cartels and their networks remain largely untouched. And what's done with the money involved corrupts both sides. Taking another tack, what kind of war is it when the "civilians" are the primary targets while the "military" is largely ignored. (Sounds an awful lot like the definition of terrorism)

A friend reminded me of Bush's post 9/11 quote regarding terrorists. How we'd make no distinction between terrorists and those who harbor them (i.e. accomplices). If I try to shield a friend from justice for his misdeeds, then I could be accused of being an accomplice. How does that work if you're wearing a police uniform? If the men in blue don't effectively police their own so as to publicly expel the bad cops from their midst, then how in the world am I supposed to draw any distinction between the dog shooters and those who cover for them? And how can I consider either one to be a friend of liberty?

Paul Helmke - Attention Deficit Disorder

A good word from Sipsey Street re: Helmke, publicity sponge.  More on the other side. 

http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2010/05/what-loser-pity-poor-paul-helmke.html

original article here:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/05/15/1437048/gun-control-advocate-nra-out-of.html

You know, I actually thought about registering at the Charlotte Observer website so that I could offer a comment or two about Helmke.  But when I viewed the page, there were only 5 comments.  5.  Helmke probably gets more opportunities to be interviewed on the TV than there will be comments on this article. 

This happened at Gravelly Point.  Helmke showed up, stayed around the edge and only wanted to talk with his own people.  Hmmm, edge?  Isn't that like a fringe?  Just saying. . .  Showing up and trolling around the edges, a lack of attention?  Hmmm, this might otherwised be called "Attention Deficit Disorder." 

An idea:

What if a committed group of III percenters decided to carry their Restore The Constitution signs and their guns (open carry if possible) and follow this guy at those gun-related events?  This could magnify the attention Helmke gets (unintended consequences).  Or the press might turn their focus on the III with the guns.  It's clearly okay in Helmke's book to continue ghosting gun-related gatherings, so he won't mind turnabout, right? 

It's not confrontation or conflict, not counter demonstration or counter-counter demonstration.  Let's not be too witty by half.  It's a simple, legal, peaceful, open, public demonstration.  In retail terms, think loss prevention.  The goal is to prevent the loss of media attention to the gun-grabbers. 

Walk on Paul, walk on.

Clinton: We won't 'abandon' Afghan women

Bill Clinton living under Sharia law?  Great!  Let me know how that works out...
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/13/karzai-visits-graves-us-fallen-afghan-war/

Oh dang, Hillary said that.  My bad. 

Seems like the stories are always much more boring than the headline. 

Well maybe she could over there to live under sharia law and put on the burqa.  Push the "reset" button as it were.  Now there's some change you can believe in!

On this date in history 5-13-85

I had to read some because being a youngling then, I paid little attention. 

Philly neighborhood scars unhealed from 1985 bomb

Some statistics and noteworthy facts from the article:

• 5 children and 6 adults dead.
• The police dropped a 4 pound bomb made of C-4 and Tovex.  (uh, is that an Improvised Explosive Device?  According to some, those are Weapons of Mass Destruction now.)
• 61 homes destroyed
• $43 million spent on redevelopment of Osage Avenue
• $1.5 million awarded to the adult survivor and two relatives.  (An article from 1996: Link) 

The jury found that, "the city used excessive force and violated MOVE's constitutional protection against unreasonable search and seizure"

One of those neighbors, whose house was burned in the subsequent fire, said earlier this year, "Move was a pain in the neck for 25 hours a day."


"But we didn't believe the police should have come in here like it was World War III," the neighbor added. "Those children in that house weren't criminals."

___________________

Sounds like the MOVE bunch was a whole lot of trouble for a whole lot of folks.  The government resolved their issues with MOVE, but did so at an enormous cost. 

My only commentary is that there seems to be a common theme between this...

...and this.

They Live

The story of the movie, They Live is simply this; Aliens have come to earth and now inhabit human bodies and are taking over the world. 

They Live was largely forgettable as a movie, but it is memorable for Rowdy Roddy Piper's one line of immortal cinematic glory at 0:27.

"I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass. . . . . . . . . and I'm all out of bubble gum." 

_____________________

If only it were as simple as putting on a pair of shades to tell friend from foe and to see clearly what their intentions, methods, and ends are. 

The moral I suppose is this; Be intentional about putting on your own "sunglasses."  Look around and figure out what's really going on.  Know your family, your neighbors, your friends, and your tribe.  Intentionally talk with them about "the hard stuff".  Find out where they stand (which way they are facing).  Do not mistake friend for foe, neighbors for tribesmen, family for friends, or friends for family.  Know them.

Now for the punchline which I will trust my readers to understand without the cold water of an explanation:

Al
III

Iceland Jails Bankers

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.4090f16a5abf84c5a5adff0665cbc792.3a1&show_article=1

Right on!

We need some of that stone cold Icelandic spirit here boys and girls. 

Al
III

Audit the Fed

I saw on the news a few minutes ago that today, by a 96-0 vote, the Senate passed a bill to audit the Federal Reserve.  You know, the bunch that's been bailing out every failing business under the sun with your tax dollars. 

I wondered what Ron "Mr. Audit the Fed" Paul had to say about this. 

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=842

96-0!  Really!?

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  

And if you think you've seen this before, you probably have.
__________________

Remember the closing scene from The Godfather?

Kay asks Michael whether he killed Carlo.  Michael instructs her that she cannot ask about the family business.  But Michael eventually relents and lets her ask, just this one time, so she does. 

Kay uses her "one rub of the lamp" to ask her one question and Michael cashes in every shred of trust to lie to her and tell her that no, he didn't do it. 

"Hold me Michael!"

Michael walks to the office, leaving Kay alone. 

And then it's back to business as usual.  Capos kissing rings, addressing The Man as royalty, and the "muscle" closing the door to and keep ordinary people-even family-especially family-out. 

So does the Fed = Mob boss?  Well, there are parallels.  Didn't they tell Congress that there would be tanks in the streets if TARP #1 wasn't passed.  An offer you can't refuse.  I'll leave it to you all to break the parallel or develop others. 

Keep preppin'

From Sipsey Street: Strategy and Tactics in one paragraph

A short and good read from Mike at Sipsey Street. 

http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2010/05/praxis-strategy-and-tactics-in-one.html

Is our government maneuvering opposition into a position where they can eliminate them in safety? 

Have they been feasting upon an unending string of victories dependent solely on an "honor gap"?  (i.e. perpetually and petulantly demanding that their opposition be honorable while they refuse to be.)

So what happens when the opposition refuses the maneuver and refuses further honor and deference to the dishonorable? 

Remember folks; No Fort Sumters. 

Which way are you facing?

See, The Gun Is Loaded!

http://market-ticker.denninger.net/archives/2303-See,-The-Gun-Is-Loaded!.html


Denninger writes:
See, lending someone money when they're bankrupt can't possibly make them not-bankrupt.  It can only make them more-bankrupt.  As a consequence the ECB's action (backstopping the currency-Alvie) is self-destructive and doomed to fail, and as a consequence there is no reason for these banks to back off at all!  Indeed, quite to the contrary - they have (correctly) deduced that they can make billion in bonuses by shorting their own currency to destruction, forcing ever-larger "interventions" by the ECB!


Doesn't sound familiar, does it? 


Keep prepping.