Feb

27

Foreign Aid Duplicity

Filed Under Global, National | 3 Comments

Foreign Aid

Congressman Ron Paul wrote about the hypocrisy of US foreign policy in his Texas Straight Talk column today. You can’t argue with hypocrisy of “spreading democracy” rhetoric while US foreign aid dollars flow in the hands of our so-called friends and enemies alike.
President Bush has proposed a $785 million aid bribe package to Pakistan in his new budget, which includes $300 million in military aid, supposedly to help Pakistan fight Islamic radicalism, the same Pakistan that, as Ron Paul says harbors more members of al Qaeda than any other country today”, the same Pakistan that offers refuge on its border for the Taliban. I wonder why poor Pakistan needs our aid so much, when they seem to have no problem continually funding and developing their long range missile capability.
It makes you wonder where that aid money really goes to work and what for, doesn’t it?

Is it any wonder that U.S. taxpayer dollars end up funding groups and countries that consider the U.S. their enemies? Here’s the latest. And here too. It’s the old tired dictum, “the ememy of my enemy is my friend”, well at least for a week or so.

“Some US aid distributed to Sunni groups in Lebanon falls into the hands of radical groups, US, European and Arab officials told Hersh, who named Fatah al-Islam, based in a refugee camp in northern Lebanon, and Asbat al-Answar in a Palestinian refugee camp in the country as beneficiaries.”

In short, the Pentagon is attempting to battle Iran’s extremists and Hezbollah (both Shiite) by funding the violent Sunni factions that oppose them. Hersh speculates that the money is coming from the pallet-loads of cash floating around Iraq and has already reached “three Sunni jihadist groups.”

The fact the the US government has subsidized friend and foe alike, either directly or indirectly is a matter of public record and has been going on since WWI. Most Americans have no idea, I’m sure.
Correction: By friend, I may be more correct in calling them fair weather friends, because if they were real friends, they wouldn’t require a constant flow of bribe money into their treasuries to stay our friends. They also wouldn’t require constant bullying to stay on course and kowtow to US interests.
It’s time to cut off the foreign welfare queens and stop the so-called US adventures in spreading democracy. Ron Paul seems to be the only 2008 presidential candidate that understands that.

Feb

27

Death by FDA

Filed Under National | 1 Comment

February 26, 2007
Prescription drug deaths skyrocket 68 percent over five years as Americans swallow more pills
by M.T. Whitney

(NewsTarget) Poisoning from prescription drugs has risen to become the second-largest cause of unintentional deaths in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers found that deaths from prescription drugs rose from 4.4 per 100,000 people in 1999 to 7.1 per 100,000 in 2004.

Psychotherapeutic drugs, like antidepressants and sedatives, nearly doubled from 671 deaths to 1,300.

The FDA is a two prong killer, it delays and discourages approval of life saving drugs, many of which have been proven effective and available in foreign countries for some time, while at the same time encouraging highly profitable psychotherapeutic feel good drugs that can and will be abused.

“The entire drug industry, including the monopolistic drug giants and their FDA co-conspirator, has clearly become the single greatest threat to the health and safety of the American people,” Adams said. “And yet the FDA continues to push more drugs onto more Americans than ever before, all while pretending these drugs are safe and effective when, in reality, they are neither. Today’s pharmaceutical industry is a massive fraud being perpetrated against the American people, propped up by illegal trade practices, monopolistic behavior and outright criminal behavior on the part of the FDA.”

I don’t know what this guy expects, when a government bureaucracy like the FDA gets to regulating, out goes the free market and competition, and in goes cartelization and profiteering. Only the government can destroy competition and create monopolies, which they will always do in the name of protecting you. The problem is not big bad business, the problem is big bad government that enables big bad business.
Couple this with expanded Medicare entitlement programs like the prescription drug benefit that encourages prescribing government subsidized drugs and the result will be expanded drug taking and more people dying from prescription drugs and interactions between drugs.

We already have a quasi-socialized health care system in the US today and this story is just one of those unintended consequences of that kind of system that creates guaranteed customers and guaranteed profits for the medical establishment and the drug companies.

Ludwig Von Mises wrote about the dangers of socialized medical insurance in his book SOCIALISM An Economic and Sociological Analysis (1951), he warned that it “produces the habit of complaining - which is in itself a neurosis - and neuroses of other kinds.” and when there is more complaining there is will be more financial incentive for doctors to write little permission slips for patients to buy some drugs, especially when the tab is being subsidized by taxpayers.

“Social insurance has thus made the neurosis of the insured a dangerous public disease. Should the institution be extended and developed the disease will spread. No reform can be of any assistance. We cannot weaken or destroy the will to health without producing illness.”

Remember that when you hear some politician promoting National Socialist Health Care. The moral of the story is government is an addiction that is not only bad for your wallet, it’s bad for your health.

Feb

24

Michael Badnarik, Ron Paul and the U.S. Constitution

Filed Under Libertarian, Libertarian Party, Republican Party, Ron Paul | 5 Comments

Everybody probably knows by now that 2004 Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik has endorsed Republican Congressman Ron Paul for the 2008 presdential race at the 2007 New Hampshire Liberty Forum.

Like Ron Paul, Badnarik is quite a constitutional scholar in his own right and teaches introductory classes on the U.S. Constitution. You can take his course online for free in a 7 part series on Google Video.

This is part 1 here…

Feb

24

Ron Paul - Freedom Under Siege

Filed Under Libertarian, National, Republican Party, Ron Paul | 3 Comments

Great News! Ron Paul’s 1988 book Freedom Under Siege will be available as a free download in PDF format any day now. You can read the announcement at the Daily Paul and the forward of the book by Lew Rockwell.

We have not seen Ron Paul’s like in Washington since the days of the Founding Fathers. And this book helps demonstrate why. On the economy, civil liberties, the IRS, foreign policy, the gold standard, the draft, and the Power Elite, he takes the hardcore, principled Libertarian position. He is the 20th century’s Thomas Jefferson. - Lew Rockwell

Feb

22

Ron Paul - PEC Announcement Video

Filed Under Libertarian, National, Republican Party, Ron Paul | 3 Comments

Ron Paul’s Presidential Exploratory Committee

Feb

21

Rent-Seekers For The Minimum Wage

Filed Under Economics, Minimum Wage | Leave a Comment

“In economics, rent seeking occurs when an individual, organization, or firm seeks to make money by manipulating the economic environment rather than by making a profit through trade and production of wealth. The term comes from the notion of economic rent, but in modern use of the term, rent-seeking is more often associated with government regulation than with land rents.”

Over on the Lou Dobbs web site, there is a little item that says:

For a list of companies across the country supporting a raise in the minimum wage for their workers, see the following link:
http://www.businessforafairminimumwage.org/signatories

I found the choice of words interesting, specifically “supporting a raise in the minimum wage for their workers”. Looking over the short list of signatories of Business Owners and Executives for a Higher Minimum Wage, I found that most, if not all of these businesses that are actual businesses and not left wing 501(c)(3) organizations look like long established companies, many of whom by the nature of their business probably don’t even hire young or unskilled workers. Even if some do, I would ask a question. If they support a raise in the federal minimum wage for “their workers”, why do they even need a law to force them to do so? Are they mentally incompetent, unable to make that decision for themselves and require the government to point a gun to their head to force them to pay their workers more?
Of course the question sounds ludicrous, and everybody with a three digit IQ would say; it is obvious that they are able to make that decision for themselves and anybody that needs the government to force them to do what they are more than willing and able to do themselves must be an idiot!
Now we can logically speculate two possible scenarios about these so-called “socially responsible” businessmen, assuming they do hire young or low skilled workers.
One, they already pay their low skilled, entry level workers more than the minimum wage, probably much more.
Or, the second scenario, they are only willing to pay those workers a higher minimum wage if their competitors are also forced to pay the same higher minimum wage.
In either case, the benefits are the same for the type of businessman who promotes a higher minimum wage. If he doesn’t hire minimum wage workers or he does, the damage he can inflict on his less profitable smaller competitors or new startups that have a lower wage work force will more than make up for any personal financial loss, if any in the long run. If he’s lucky, he’ll force his competition out of business.
The only conclusion I can reach is that these socially responsible businessmen are really self interested rent-seekers, political entrepreneurs who favor the seedy world of gaining competitive advantage through politics instead of the honorable practice of free competition.
It’s either that or they are incredibly naive to think that artificially raising the minimum wage everywhere regardless of local economic conditions will not have adversely affects, like hours being cut or some entry level jobs disappearing altogether.

Feb

21

They Said Liberty, Post Say’s Drop Dead

Filed Under National | 2 Comments

Radley Balko reports that the Washington Post is offended by freedom, saying that Virginia lawmakers have said to drivers: Drop Dead.

Radley say’s “The Post is upset that Virginia has stubbornly refused to enact primary seatbelt legislation” and “Old Dominion lawmakers won’t pass legislation allowing for red light cameras”. They even passed up a “$16 million federal blackmail grant” attached to the seatbelt law. I know, it’s hard to believe. It’s an anomaly in legislatures nowadays.
I think Thomas Jefferson would be proud.

Hey Washington Post editorial writer…DROP DEAD!

Feb

20

Free AmSoc From Big Brother!

Filed Under Global, National | 2 Comments

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

So they say nowadays, but we don’t believe it…do we?

1984
by George Orwell
Read it here

Watch it here…

Cast:
John Hurt……….Winston
Richard Burton..O’Brien
Suzanna Hamilton…Julia

Feb

20

Ron Paul Removed From Poll For Winning

Filed Under Libertarian, National, Republican Party, Ron Paul | 15 Comments

In the fourth week of the Pajamas Media Presidential Straw Poll, which ended yesterday, Congressman Ron Paul received 43.3% of the Republican vote, trouncing second place Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani.

So what do we find at the start of the fifth week of the poll? Ron Paul’s name is mysteriously missing from the choices.

Pajamas Media’s reason:

“From this point on, our weekly poll will be updated to those national candidates of both parties that score at least one percent on the previous month’s Gallup Poll”

Nice trick Pajamas Media , Ron Paul is not even listed in the Gallop Poll! The intellectually dishonest neo-cons at Pajamas Media, upset over Ron Paul’s victory must have been up pulling their hair out last week trying to find another excuse to exclude Ron Paul from their poll. They found it, make out like the main stream media and the main stream polls and disregard the only real Libertarian candidate amongst the Republicans.

So much for Democracy on the Internet, at least as far as Pajamas Media is concerned.
No voting for me until such time Ron Paul’s name is returned as a choice on the poll.

UPDATE: MORE COMMENTARY FROM OTHER BLOGS

LRC Blog: Global Democracy Mongers
“The neocon site, Pajamas Media, was mightily upset at the results of its presidential stawpoll. After four weeks, Ron Paul was #1, with 43.3% of the vote to Rudy Giuliani’s 20.1%. So they purged Ron and started the vote over again.”

disinter Blog: Ron Paul wins straw poll again, Pajamas Media removes his name
“After claiming some sort of bizarre conspiracy when Ron Paul won their straw poll two weeks ago, Pajamas Media declared Rudy Giuliani the winner. They proudly claimed that they fixed their “spamming” issue and all was well. The only problem is, Ron Paul also won last week’s poll - overwhelmingly:”

Reason Hit & Run Blog: Paul Purged from Pajamas Poll
Commenter “jf” notes in the post below that Pajamas Media has eliminated Ron Paul from its weekly online straw poll. This is odd, considering that Paul had a 2-1 lead over his nearest competitor in last week’s poll, and came in the second the week before.

The Arkanssouri Blog: Arrogance and presumption worthy of Big Media
Pajamas Media has the gall to decide FOR it’s readers whether or not they would vote for Ron Paul.
AND to engage in historical revisionism about it’s previous polls.

Feb

20

Thinking Anew About Lincoln

Filed Under History, National, Thomas DiLorenzo | 3 Comments

So you’ve probably been partying all day celebrating Presidents Day. It’s not really Washington and Lincoln’s birthday, but by federal dictate it is the official birthday holiday for these two very different presidents which only have one thing in common, they were both born in the month of February.
Government types always seem to assume the right to revise history for its own purposes, usually to glorify big government and justify their unconstitutional laws, and I’m sure politicians everywhere are quoting (usually out of context) Washington and Lincoln to make themselves look smart and patriotic, when in reality they are more likely dumb or dishonest.
One thing about history as told by politicians and court historians that is interesting, but disturbing, is that a lot of history is not history at all, but myth. For book authors, writing warm and fuzzy biographies about past presidents, no matter how nefarious they may have been in real life, are a sure ticket to a best seller and maybe even a fat paycheck at a government institution for further spreading propaganda. People love to believe past presidents were all heroes (especially war presidents), and they’ll eat up the myths hook, line and sinker, and give up their money readily to feel good about American history, no matter how skewed it is presented.
Of all presidents, Lincoln is probably the most mythical and most revered as a saint-like figure among Americans. Thank god for guys like Tom DiLorenzo, author of The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War and Lincoln Unmasked: What You’re Not Supposed to Know About Dishonest Abe, who has busted the Lincoln myths and has presented the uncomfortable historical record as it really was. You can believe DiLorenzo or not, if not look up the sources yourself, I did. The truth is stranger than myth.

Read Tom’s latest article from LewRockwell.com

Presidential Repression
by Thomas J. DiLorenzo
The neocon pundit Frank Gaffney had his war lust tempered a bit last week when he invoked a fake quote by Lincoln in a Washington Times column in which he viciously attacked congressional opponents of an escalation of the war in the Middle East to Iran and beyond. He called them all traitors by quoting Dishonest Abe as supposedly saying, “Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged.”
The source of the quote was a December 23, 2003 Insight magazine column by Michael Waller, who now admits that the quote is not genuine. How disappointed our Strangelovian neocons (a.k.a., the Republican Party) must be. Poor Rep. Don Young of Alaska was forced to apologize for calling his congressional colleagues traitors under the supposed cover of “Father Abraham,” as the Jaffa cult calls him. In a supreme act of humility, Congressman Young confessed to the Washington Post on February 16 that he “was not advocating the hanging of Democrats.” (Not yet, anyway.)

READ ON

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