LP Vigo County Chair Blog

“Ralph” Asks, "Who Do We Believe?"

2010-09-15T12:21:00.003-05:00

During the build up to the attack on Iraq, a nice gentleman I’ll call “Ralph” asked, “Why should I believe YOUR guys and not MY guys?!!”

Well, at the time, “Ralph” was red faced and I did not answer.

But I had spent many hours looking into the situation and wrote many letters on the subject, none of which was printed.

“Ralph’s” informants were all connected with corporations looking for welfare. Examples: Mrs. Cheney was on the board of Lockheed and her straight daughter and son-in-law were lobbyists for Lockheed. Mr. Cheney was a board member of Morgan Stanley and a past CEO of Halliburton. Bush and Major were big into the Carlyle Group. Raytheon, Fluor, and newcomers like Blackwater and other “contractors” were to profit greatly.

Corporate media continued the blackout on truth and repeated the lies for “Ralph” and others to eat up.

From the internet we got information from Karen Kwiatkowski, a Colonel in the Air Force intelligence at the Pentagon. She told us her boss, General Michael Hayden was only letting lies (from Curveball) advance up and no truth. She was risking her life and fortune. Edward Kennedy used her as a source when he voted against the war. Karen is a Libertarian and her writings can be found at www.lewrockwell.com. NOTE: Hayden was promoted by Bush to head of the CIA. Obama promoted him again to Homeland Security head. I believe he is retired now but is still a douche bag. (He was asked by a reporter why he lied to Americans about being wired tapped, he answered that he needed to parse his words - MICHAEL HAYDEN IS A DOUCHE BAG!)

Trustworthy people from the Reagan administration include, Paul Craig Roberts, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury during President Reagan's first term. He is a great writer and source of information.

Also from Reagan is David Stockman, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (1981–1985). He fell out of favor because he was against huge deficits. Robert Reich recently blamed Stockman on the Reagan scheme to spend the way out of the welfare system. But this was not Stockman’s idea, please see his book, The Triumph of Politics: Why the Reagan Revolution Failed. David can be trusted.

Under Ronald Reagan, Bruce Fein served as an associate deputy attorney general from 1981 to 1982. This lawyer can be seen on liberal news supporting liberty. Bruce is a good and honest man who has read the Constitution.

From the W. administration is Paul O’Neal - Paul Henry O'Neill (born December 4, 1935) served as the 72nd United States Secretary of the Treasury for part of President George W. Bush's first term. He resigned in December 2002 under pressure from the administration and became a harsh critic. Prior to his term as Secretary of the Treasury, O'Neill was chairman and CEO of Pittsburgh-based industrial giant Alcoa and chairman of the RAND Corporation. A great man – told the public Iraq had no WMD, and was against the W. Bush tax cuts.

In the land of newspapers, I’ll read several authors and commentators, but one of the best that I recommend is Eric Margolis. Eric wrote for the Toronto Sun and now writes for the Huffington Post. He has praised Ron Paul but puts down the Tea Party as Republican and fear sellers.

Another newspaperman and author is James Bovard. George Will has called James, a "one-man truth squad." A truthful and funny man.

Congressman Ron Paul and wrestler Glenn Jacobs (Kane) can be found at www.lewrockwell.com . They are truth tellers and worth the read.

Yes, I do have others I follow, but these can get you started. Main Stream Media (MSM) lacks truth tellers. Pat Buchanan and Glenn Beck are entertaining.

Fuzzy Numbers Video

2010-09-09T10:11:00.002-05:00

Is inflation 5% or 13%. The old dogs (Ds and Rs) have learned new tricks. And YOU are the loser. Since the 1980s changes in CPI (Consumer Price Index)have hidden stolen money from Social Security and the toiler (worker). Watch this video until you understand the game.

Government says: "Heads I win, tails you lose."

Hey Democrats and Republicans - Let's flip coins for money and I'll put up two dollars for every one of yours. Heads I win, tails you lose. - Ed Gluck

WATCH THIS VIDEO!

Door Hangers On The Way

2010-08-31T10:37:00.003-05:00

Yes! 4000 on order. Order some for yourself and put out locally. Candidates John and I will make sure we put business cards on hangers donated to us. Send them to our addresses at our websites: www.ElectEdGluck.com (include the www.) and http://www.cunninghamforcongress2010.com/. See donation pages.

"Hang On" for a bumpy ride - for the corrupt parties.

Churchill quote for Bush

2010-06-04T15:19:00.001-05:00

April 15, 2006
Rants & Raves: April 15, 2006

From Tribune-Star readers …

Notable quote: Mr. Bush enjoys quoting Sir Winston Churchill. He seems to always miss this one from Nov. 21, 1943: “The power of the Executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to the law, and particularly to deny him the judgment of his peers, is in the highest degree odious and is the foundation of all totalitarian government whether Nazi or Communist.” — Ed Gluck, Terre Haute

U.S. National Debt Clock

2010-06-03T13:06:00.000-05:00

The Gross National Debt

CAMPAIGN CARD FOR INDIANA SENATE DIST. 38

2010-05-12T12:37:00.002-05:00

By-Laws of LPVC approved May 1, 2010

2010-05-08T11:53:00.003-05:00

By-Laws of the
Libertarian Party of Vigo County
As amended at County Convention May 1, 2010

Article I: -- Name, Identity and Structure
Article II: Purpose, Functions and Principles
Article III: Membership
Article IV: Business Meetings
Article V: Officers
Article VI: Conventions
Article VII: Adoption, Amendments, Standing Rules
Article VII: Vigo County Amendments

ARTICLE I - NAME, IDENTITY, STRUCTURE

Section 1. Name. The name of this organization shall be the Libertarian Party of Vigo County (Indiana), hereinafter referred to as the "LPVC."

Section 2. Structure. The LPVC is a political organization constituted by its membership, directed by its officers, governed by its Business Meetings, and affiliated with the Libertarian Party of Indiana, hereinafter referred to as the "LPIN."

Section 3. Bona fide party. The LPVC is a bona-fide political party under the laws of the state of Indiana, authorized to receive political contributions. The LPVC accepts political contributions in the name of the LPVC or the Libertarian Party of Vigo County.

Section 4. Device. The official device of the LPVC and all candidates nominated by the LPVC shall be a monochrome silhouette of the Statue of Liberty, a symbol which is also known as Lady Liberty.

Section 5. Address. The mailing address of the LPVC shall be that designated by the Chairperson of the LPVC.

ARTICLE II - STATEMENT OF PURPOSE, FUNCTIONS AND PRINCIPLES

Section 1. Purpose. The primary purpose of the LPVC is to promote individual liberty and to eliminate the intervention of government in moral, social and economic affairs.

Section 2. Functions. The primary functions of the LPVC are: (a) to recruit, nominate and elect candidates to all city, county, township, judicial, and town offices within Vigo County; (b) to assist the LPIN in the recruitment, nomination and election of candidates to state legislative and judicial offices affecting all or parts of Vigo County; and (c) to select and field LPVC delegates and alternate delegates to the annual business meeting of the LPIN’s annual convention, hereinafter jointly referred to as "the state convention."

Section 3. Principles. The LPMC affirms the following principles:

a. That all people possess certain unalienable natural rights, and that among these are rights to life, liberty, justly acquired property, and self-governance.

b. That the only moral basis of government is the preservation and protection of unalienable natural rights.

c. That no person or institution, public or private, has the right to initiate the use of physical force, coercion, or fraud against another person, and that all people are bound, without contract, to abstain from infringing upon the natural rights of other people.

d. That all people are entitled to choose their own lifestyles, as long as they do not forcibly impose their values on others.

e. That the voluntary and unrestricted exchange of goods and services is fundamental to a peaceful and harmonious society.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership Established. The LPVC hereby establishes membership in the LPVC.

Section 2. Membership Requirements. Membership in the LPVC is open to all residents of Vigo County who are also current members of the LPIN. The LPVC may add a charge for members not in the LP or LPIN.

Section 3. Membership Privileges. Membership in the LPVC shall be required to speak and / or vote in all Business Meetings and conventions of LPVC.

Section 4. Membership Suspension. The voting members at any LPVC Business Meeting or convention shall have the authority to suspend, terminate or refuse membership in the LPVC to any individual, who is otherwise a member of the LPIN, by a three-fourths (3/4) vote. In such event, the LPVC shall immediately notify the individual by certified mail of the suspension, termination or refusal, and the reasons for such, affording the individual the right to appeal to the LPVC at one of its next two Business Meetings. The voting members of the LPVC may uphold the suspension, termination or refusal by majority vote at said appeal. Upon appeal or the expiration of the time allotted for appeal, the decision of the LPVC to suspend, terminate or refuse membership in the LPMC shall be final and binding for a period of one year, after which time the individual may re-apply for membership in the LPVC by written request, subject to majority vote.

ARTICLE IV - BUSINESS MEETINGS

Section 1. Meetings. The LPVC shall hold Business Meetings from time to time as called for. Reasonable notice shall be given to all LPVC members. The Chairperson shall determine the meeting's agenda, subject to change by majority vote at the meeting.

Section 2. Purpose. The purpose of the Business Meeting is to control and manage all the affairs and property of the LPVC consistent with these by-laws. All decisions over the expenditure of LPVC property shall be by majority vote.

Section 3. Quorum. A quorum at the Business Meeting shall consist of two members of the LPVC.

Section 4. Executive Committee. An Executive Committee is created, consisting of the officers of the LPVC The committee shall have the authority to manage and control the affairs and property of the LPVC by unanimous vote of the officers subject to the approval of the next monthly business meeting.

ARTICLE V - OFFICERS

Section 1. Four Officers. The Officers of the LPVC shall be a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The Officers in place at the time of the adoption of these by-laws shall remain in office until the next regularly-scheduled election of Officers.

Section 2. Election of Officers. During odd-numbered years, the Officers of the LPMC shall be elected at the Annual Convention for terms of two (2) years. The Officer nominee who receives the most votes in each race shall be elected. Officers shall be selected by secret ballot unless there is only one nomination for the office, in which case election may be made by acclamation. Officers shall take office at midnight on the day of the Annual Convention and serve thereafter until midnight on the day of the next Annual Convention held during an odd-numbered year.

Section 3. Roles and Responsibility of Officers.

a. Chairperson. The Chairperson shall be the head of the LPVC, presiding over all meetings and conventions of the LPVC. The Chairperson is the official spokesperson for the LPVC. The Chairperson may appoint such committees as are deemed necessary to conduct the business of the LPVC.

b. Vice Chairperson. The Vice Chairperson shall serve as presiding officer in the absence of the Chairperson. The Vice Chairperson shall be responsible for the training and coordination of precinct committee persons.

c. Secretary. The Secretary shall record the minutes of all LPVC meetings and conventions. The Secretary shall be the custodian of these by-laws and their amendments, the minutes of all meetings and conventions, committee reports, standing rules, and correspondence designated by the Chairperson. Based on information from the Treasurer, the Secretary shall be responsible each year for notifying LPVC
members by a method reasonably certain to reach each member of the forthcoming expiration of their LPVC membership.

d. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be custodian of all funds. The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer responsible for the filing of all campaign finance forms for the LPVC. The Treasurer shall be
responsible for maintaining the current list of LPVC members and for providing this list to the Secretary prior to the annual expiration of memberships. The fiscal year of the LPVC shall begin on January 1 of each yr. ending on Dec. 31st of the same year. The treasury of the LPVC shall be audited at the end of the fiscal yr. by either the Exec. Committee or by a professional accounting firm selected by the executive committee. The audit will be reported to the general membership at the first regular business meeting following the audit's conclusion.

Section 4. Removal of Officers. Officers who are elected in convention may be removed only by 2/3 vote in convention.

Section 5. Vacancies. In event of removal or resignation of any officer, such vacancies may be filled by majority vote in convention or at the next Business Meeting following the notice.

Section 6. Standing Rules. The Standing Rules of the LPVC, shall be in harmony with these by-laws, shall be written, and shall be made available for general use. Standing rules may be adopted by three-fourths (3/4) vote at a Business Meeting, or by two-thirds (2/3) vote at convention. Standing Rules may be repealed by two-thirds (2/3) vote at a Business Meeting, or by a majority vote at convention.

Section 7. Authority to Contract. The Chairperson and the Treasurer shall have the sole authority to expend funds for goods or services without prior approval granted at a regular business meeting. Such expenditures and authority to contract shall extend only to the day-to-day operations of the LPVC and shall be limited to $250.00.

Section 8. Meetings Open to the Public. All Business Meetings of the LPVC shall be open for observation by the public.

ARTICLE VI - CONVENTIONS

Section 1. Annual Convention. The LPVC shall hold an Annual Convention during the second quarter of each calendar year. The Annual Convention shall be used to elect Officers of the LPVC; to nominate candidates of the LPVC; to make an annual reporting of the LPVC's financial condition; to amend these by-laws; and to elect delegates and alternate delegates from the LPVC to the state convention. During years in which an election is held, the Annual Convention of the LPVC shall nominate candidates for public office. During odd-numbered years, the Annual Convention shall elect the Officers of the LPVC.

Section 2. Attendance and Participation. Attendance at the Annual Convention is open to all LPIN members living in Vigo County. A nominal fee may be charged each attendee by the LPVC to defray the cost of the convention facilities. LPIN members living in Vigo County may speak and vote in said conventions on the nomination of candidates and the selection of delegates to the state convention. Only LPVC members may also speak and vote in said conventions on the election of LPVC Officers and amendments to these by-laws.

Section 3. Quorum. A quorum necessary to nominate candidates to any public office or to elect delegates and alternate delegates to the state convention of the LPIN shall consist of two (2) members of the LPIN who reside in Vigo County. A quorum necessary to elect any officers of the LPVC and to amend these by-laws shall consist of two (2) members of the LPVC. A quorum needed at any convention to remove an LPVC officer shall consist of fifteen (15) members of the LPVC. (And agreement of a majority of the Executive Committee.)

Section 4. Notice of Convention. Regardless if all convention decisions pertain exclusively to LPVC members, the Chairperson shall publish to all members of the LPIN who reside in Vigo County the date, time, location, proposed rules, and proposed agenda of the Annual Convention at least thirty (30) days prior to such convention by a method reasonably certain to reach such members, including by newsletter.

Section 5. The Chairperson of the LPVC shall serve as the Chairperson of the LPVC Annual Convention. The Secretary of the LPVC shall serve as the Secretary of the LPVC Annual Convention. In the event that either the Chairperson or the Secretary of the LPVC is unable to serve respectively as Chairperson and Secretary of the Annual Convention, such positions and responsibilities shall devolve, in cardinal order, to the Vice Chairperson and Treasurer of the LPVC.

Section 6. Order of Business. The order of business of the Annual Convention shall include, but is not limited to the following: After the Call to Order, the first item of business is to credential and seat LPIN members residing in Vigo County to the Annual Convention. The second item of business is the reading and approval of the minutes of the first preceding Annual Convention. The third item of business is to adopt rules for the Annual Convention. The fourth item of business is to adopt an agenda for the Annual Convention. The Chairperson shall submit proposed rules and an agenda for initial consideration. The attending members of the LPIN shall adopt said rules and agenda by majority vote. In the absence of the adoption of rules and/or an agenda, the Chairperson shall adopt rules and an agenda on his own initiative. The fifth item of business is the annual financial report by the Treasurer of the LPVC.

Section 7. Motions in Writing. All motions to amend these by-laws shall be in writing and submitted to the Chairperson at least fifteen (15) days prior to the convention.

Section 8. Credentials. The Treasurer shall be responsible for verifying the LPVC and LPIN membership of each speaker and / or voter at convention, as the case may be, according to the subject matter of the decision to be taken. No voting by proxy shall be permitted.

Section 9. Nomination of Candidates. In appropriate years the Annual Convention shall nominate candidates for all city, county, township, town and judicial offices within Vigo County. In appropriate even-numbered years, the Annual Convention shall assist the LPIN by slating candidates to state legislative and state judicial offices affecting all or parts of Vigo County. The qualifying nominee who receives the highest number of votes in each race shall be declared the nominee of the LPVC.

Section 10. Election of Delegates to LPIN Convention. If the Annual Convention is held prior to the state convention of the LPIN, it shall be used to elect delegates and alternate delegates to such state convention. If the Annual Convention is held after the state convention, a prior Business Meeting of the LPVC shall be used to elect said delegates. Any delegate positions which are not filled by these methods prior to the state convention shall be filled by the appointments of highest-ranking officer of the LPVC in attendance at the state convention.

Section 11. Special Conventions. Special Conventions may be convened by a majority vote at the Business Meeting, or shall be convened by the Chairperson of the LPVC upon written request or petition of over one-half (1/2) of all current members of the LPVC. The Chairperson shall provide notice of the dates, times, location, and particular subject matter of Special Convention to all members of the LPVC at least fifteen (15) days prior to such event. Special Conventions are limited to the subject matter agreed upon, and shall otherwise be run by the same provisions which govern the Annual Convention.

ARTICLE VII - ADOPTION, AMENDMENTS, AND STANDING RULES

Section 1. These by-laws shall be adopted when approved by a majority of LPIN members attending an Organizing Convention. These by-laws shall take effect on the first Monday following their approval.

Section 2. These by-laws may be amended by two-thirds (2/3) vote of LPVC members attending the Annual Convention. Every amendment shall take effect on the first Monday following the enactment.

Section 3. Affiliation with LPIN. The LPVC hereby ratifies the by-laws of the LPIN, and authorizes the Officers to certify such by submitting a signed Petition for Affiliation and a copy of these by-laws to the LPIN.

ARTICLE VIII – VIGO COUNTY AMENDMENTS

Section 1. All decisions will be subject to approval of the Executive Committee of the LPVC.

Section 2. All county officers, except a “rules” (as in Robert’s rules of Order) person must have run as a Libertarian.

John Cunningham - U.S. Congress Candidate for Indiana's 8th District

2010-05-08T11:40:00.001-05:00

Ed Gluck Candidate for Indiana State Senate - Dist. 38

2010-05-05T12:32:00.001-05:00

LIBERTY 101 From LPIN.ORG

2010-03-27T11:32:00.001-05:00

Word Verification Now Needed

2010-03-23T10:04:00.001-05:00

Sorry,

Due to Viagra leaving ads, we now require commenters to verify they are human with words.

Ed Gluck

Ron Paul Ain't No Poser - He Needs John Cunningham

2010-02-24T10:07:00.001-05:00

Good site for letter info

2010-02-03T13:18:00.001-05:00

This letter was sent to Terre Haute's Tribune-Star. No indication they might print it.

Http://www.opensecrets.org/ contains donation information. One Congressman has donations from, Eli Lilly & Co. (H.W. Bush was on that board), and Lockheed Martin (yes the first bailout company that had Lynne Cheney on the board and her daughter and son-in-law were lobbyists for Lockheed Martin). Also on the list of donators is Wal-Mart Stores, Hillary Clinton was on the board of what many call China-mart. Now tell me the President that had to return money to Red China.

One Congressman with the above donors is Brad Ellsworth. Go to that sight and see who the Congressman really represents.

Look at these impressive donors: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase & Co., American International Group (AIG), and Bank of America. All big winners in the latest money grab. All of these donors can be found on Evan Bayh’s list. With your help, we can say the banks will be laughing all the way to Evan Bayh.

This interesting web site was brought to my attention by John Cunningham, candidate for Congress, Indiana eighth. Thank you John.

The Libertarian Christ

2010-02-03T13:13:00.001-05:00

Note: This was printed in the Terre Haute Tribune-Star a few days before Christmas.

It’s time to celebrate the birth of Christ. We should acknowledge Jesus as the second well known libertarian. (The first, also crucified, was Spartacus.)

This year we should focus on the story of the money changers. Jesus used violence against these rats because manipulating the currency hurts the poor the most. Ben Franklin suggested the Revolutionary War was fought to free the colonies from the Bank of England. Madison then called central bankers money changers. Jackson started the Democratic Party to oppose re-charter of the so-called Second National Bank of the United States . After the Federal Reserve triggered the Great Depression, the term banksters was often used in place of money changers.

Now we see the largest transfer of wealth in history. We know who, but the how is often portrayed as inscrutable. Similarly, we have our TARPies, so-called representatives who voted for the bail out. Ellsworth, Lugar, and Bayh represent today’s banksters, not the people. Government (Roman or U.S. ) in league with money changers means rough economic times ahead.

The Libertarian Party National Platform (section 2.5) returns to the solution of Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Jackson. It would be nice to see a similar plank in “Corporate Party D” and/or “Corporate Party R”. (Notice I have cleverly disguised party names to protect the guilty.)

If you are energized by the words of Bon Jovi’s “We Weren’t Born to Follow” or even Glenn Beck; visit http://lpin.org/ to find an affiliate and level of action.

PEACE PRIZE, SMEACE PRIZE

2009-12-15T14:20:00.000-05:00

HOW IS WEALTH CREATED?

2009-12-07T13:23:00.003-05:00

Printed in Tribune-Star 12/7/09

Gentlemen, how is wealth created?

ISU’s Donald Richards disagrees much with the Tribune-Star’s Arthur Foulkes on economic issues. I would like to put a question to these two gentlemen. (We can invite Rose Hulman’s Kevin Christ to add his thoughts.)

How is wealth created?

I certainly tend to agree with Mr. Foulkes much more than “conventional” present-day economists. Mr. Foulkes and I lean much toward the Austrian School. I suspect we will come close to the answer of Murray Rothbard.

I hope Richards and Christ will answer differently than the mistaken thought of printing money and giving it to the state (Federal) government to spend. I consider that a silly answer. (Not to call the men silly. There is a distinction here which some seem to miss. The most admired people can support silly propositions.)

Gentlemen, please keep answers under 500 words.

How is wealth created?

— Ed Gluck

Terre Haute

Here is a great letter from 12/6/09:

Freedom, not government is the answer

A prophet is without honor in his own land … and the statists of the ISU economics department are sharpening their personal attacks on Arthur Foulkes and his advocacy of freedom.

The latest is a defense of Keynesian economics coupled with an ad hominem attack on Mr. Foulkes, by Mr. Richards of the aforementioned econ department. When a letter starts and ends with name-calling (“would-be expert”, “ersatz economic journalist”), it is likely that in between won’t be much of an improvement.

Week in and week out in his columns, Mr. Foulkes argues solidly for freedom, property rights and individual self-determination. These principles are the antithesis of Keynesian ideas that government knows best; that the state must step in when individuals, in Mr. Richards words, suffer from distorted “animal spirits.”

One doesn’t need a degree in economics, only common sense and thoughtfulness, to determine they should control their own life and not some politician or bureaucrat seeking some amorphous “common good,” macroeconomic or otherwise.

It is a non-partisan fact, which Mr. Richards blatantly disregards in his letter, that the government has nothing to spend except what it has confiscated, by force, from private citizens.

Nobel Laureate F.A. Hayek identifies what he describes as the fatal conceit; the notion that some government or academic pogue can know all that is necessary to direct and plan what is best for everyone else. They can’t know what each of us, as individuals, value when we decide on a course of action for our property or ourselves.

It is Keynesian economic ideas that drive the destructive government interventions we have been and are experiencing in our economic lives. Mr. Foulkes advocates freedom, not government, as the answer.

It would be interesting to know just what it is about freedom and liberty that some economists find so frightening.

— Ryan Cummins

Terre Haute

RON PAUL DEFENDING AUDIT OF FED

2009-11-25T12:22:00.000-05:00

Killer McChrystal

2009-11-19T13:06:00.004-05:00

Here is a letter soon to be in the Terre Haute Tribune-Star. There needs to be more written on this slime ball. I tend to lighten my opinions for MSM. Here is the unedited letter:

Do we need to surge now into " Afghanistan - Graveyard of Empires" or do we need to leave?

Here is my investigation.

Let's look at adviser Stanley McChrystal. First, who is advising McChrystal? From "The New American" magazine issue for November 9, 2009 in the article, "More U.S. Troops Going to Afghanistan " we read, "...The quote was by the Institute for the Study of War's Kimberly Kagan, who has advised General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of forces in Afghanistan.

"That number, Kagan said, would help fill in gaps around Kandahar in the southern part of the country where Taliban forces have amassed. But she warned that, eventually, troops would also be needed to tamp down the insurgency in other parts of the country."

Kimberly married into the Kagan clan, Neocon PNACers (involved with the Project for a New American Century) who I would describe as crazy un-American warmongers.

So, McChrystal is a Neocon drone. He can be steered to kill innocent civilians.

Experience? In “ Afghanistan – Graveyard of Empires” McChrystal was head spook (spy) and is best know for the killing of Pat Tillman. In Mary Tillman’s book, “Boots on the Ground by Dusk” McChrystal lies to cover the fact that Pat was shot by “friendly” fire. Then on investigation we see that the same person that ordered boots on the ground by dusk and splitting the troops – two mistakes warned against by an underling, also did the second autopsy on Pat. Later information was that a different General gave the order.

So we see that at best McChrystal is a liar and is an idiot for having very bad subordinates. (and no demotions)

My conclusion is that a lying Neocon drone whose actions suggest at best he is an idiot (my personal opinion is not that high), must not be trusted to give a reliable opinion on anything.

It is time to leave “ Afghanistan – Graveyard of Empires”.

Printed in T-S 11/23/09

Pat Tillman

2009-11-13T01:26:00.001-05:00

Wrote this letter to the editor. Not printed.

Pat Tillman died in 2004. But the research by his family is still important. Stanley McCrystal was involved in the Tillman death cover up. He lied to a Senate committee recently. He now wants a "surge" in Afghanistan sold as "like in Iraq " but that is another lie.

Now we realize that Obama is just "Black Cheney". (We are in two illegal occupations, rendition continues perhaps to put a final end to Gitmo, writing statements continue, the Patriot Act is supported, and the worst leftovers from Bush remain - Gates, Hayden, and Bush golden boy McCrystal. Black Cheney has his own terrible appointments that can be summarized as lobbyists and money schemer insiders.)

Pat’s birthday is November 6. We should remember Pat every November. We should reprint the letter written by his brother Kevin in 2006.

FDIC Coverage Change

2009-10-28T17:54:00.002-05:00

This letter was printed recently. Pithy. But with bank failures to continue we should be concerned:

Local banks display signs that the FDIC is temporarily raising insurance from $100,000 to $250,000 through December 31, 2013.

Hooray!

But wait a minute. With fractional banking and a chance of 100% failure of a fiat currency, the guy making $100 a week must pony up $900 a week to insure that money. The FDIC is and always has been, a fraud. To quote from a book on the subject, "'...Deposit insurance' is simply a fraudulent racket, and a cruel one at that, since it may plunder the life savings and the money stock of the entire public...."

Should we consider the once loved Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation? It no longer exists.

So what happens January 1, 2014?

Republicans are bankrupt, in ethics and ideas, but not in Green, Greenscam is not just a past Fed Chair anymore!

2009-10-23T14:12:00.002-05:00

Brad Ellsworth is a Traitor

2009-10-23T11:29:00.005-05:00

Ellsworth may be stupid, a dupe, or paid off. These only describe WHY he is a TRAITOR. I leave the WHY for you to choose.

Gangster Government List of Shame
Bayh, Evan (D - IN) 202 224-5623 fax: 202-228-1377
Lugar, Richard G (R - IN) 202 224-4814
Donnelly, Joe (D)
Carson, Andre (D)
Ellsworth, Brad (D)
Hill, Baron P. (D)

Phil Schmitt is in this video. His email with Campaign for Liberty is: rephil513@gmail.com.

Let's hope he supports Libertarian John Cunningham
John Cunningham

RON PAUL on "The Daily Show"

2009-10-09T12:05:00.001-05:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Ron Paul

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Ron Paul Interview

RON PAUL INTERVIEW WITH "RUSSIA TODAY"

2009-10-07T17:46:00.001-05:00

Twelve minutes. Unbelievable!

FTC Disclaimer Requirement

2009-10-07T11:02:00.002-05:00

Heard about this on MSM news. So I have to post this. I'll do it with a ditto to Mark Rutherford, past Chair LPIN, he posted this yesterday:

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Federal Trade Commission Required Disclaimer

The Federal Trade Commission requires the following disclaimer on this blog site:

I occasionally get a free beer and stale barbecue potato chips from the Libertarian Party of Indiana, presumably because I usually spell its name correctly when I mention it in this blog.

Since there is some danger that a federal bureaucrat charged with regulating speech and ignoring the First Amendment to the US Constitution might investigate this site and discover this possible source of compensation, I felt that it was best to disclose it.

I thought about closing this blog down because of the chilling effect of the FTC edict, but decided against it because I like free beer and stale barbecue potato chips.

Posted by Mark W. Rutherford at 6:41 PM

Dr. Paul's "End The Fed" Exposes Lies

2009-10-05T11:27:00.004-05:00

Sent this letter with P.S. to Max. Not in paper yet. Fed stories must bore Max.

Too bad I will send Max another letter connected to a Murray Rothbard book, The Case Against the Fed, which has a great page about Big Business and Big Intellectuals. Written in 1994, it needs to be read by all who think about voting.

Ed Gluck
235-0412

Dear Max,

On page 94 of Ron Paul's latest book, End The Fed, he contends, "...This depression will likely last and last. If the depression lasts a decade or more, its length cannot be blamed solely on Greenspan. That blame will be placed on the current Federal Reserve Board, Congress, the President, the Treasury, but above all on Keynesian economic policy, the same philosophy that gave us the Great Depression of the 1930's...." Dr. Paul is correct. The very wealthy mock the workers whose families once worked about forty hours per week but now work over 70 hours per week for a lower standard of living.

Hey, the World Is Flat! People are in a wage competition with starving folks around the world.

The earth is an oblate spheroid. The People have been fed a diet of lies. Paul mentions the reason we work twice as long for a lower standard of living. In August of 1971 the dollar was cut from its last connection with gold. Since then the Fed (Federal Reserve) has printed money (inflated the money supply) causing a rise in prices. It was doing this since 1913 but now it has no limits. Since 1970 the worker and saver have lost ground. The wealthy get their money first and the toilers (a word used by C.A. Lindbergh; Congressman, bank board member, and father of the famous pilot) blame unions, small entrepreneurs, and others for their troubles.

Fed Chair Bernanke has said the recession is about over. Why would he say this?

Bernanke said this because it will stop you from discovering the reason for the latest crisis and how to stop the stealing. The wealthy will drink their booze and mock you for believing the lies. So often has the Fed Chair been wrong, this lie will not hurt him in the least. Half of the college economic professors are paid by the Fed, and we see these paid liars or dupes printed in papers and on our television screens. They will be as wrong as often as the Fed.

We must believe the lies. Don't read the truth in Paul's End The Fed. The super rich need you for their entertainment and unlimited money supply.

In Liberty,

Ed Gluck
Terre Haute, IN

P.S.
That the super wealthy mock us is my assertion. The working hours and standard of living is my observation not Ron's. You can look up the working stats for yourself (the U.K. and U.S. work over 70 hours per week, France is limited to about 35 hrs per week per job) Hans Hoppe, a favorite economist of mine, notices the standard of living fall from the 1970s but blames it on divorce and behavior changes. Here is a quote of his:

A Quote by Hans-Hermann Hoppe on democracy, truth, justice, beauty, poliics, envy, and ignorance

What is true, just, and beautiful is not determined by popular vote. The masses everywhere are ignorant, short-sighted, motivated by envy, and easy to fool. Democratic politicians must appeal to these masses in order to be elected. Whoever is the best demagogue will win. Almost by necessity, then, democracy will lead to the perversion of truth, justice and beauty.

DAYBREAK: UNDOING THE IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY AND FORMING A MORE PERFECT UNION

2009-09-08T15:08:00.003-05:00

Here is an excellent book telling much about Presidential abuse and the Congress that let it happen. It is full of facts and information about the Constitution. It has sources that readers of this blog may not be aware of.

Here is the letter (Review) I sent the local Terre Haute paper:

Ed Gluck

235-0412

9/7/09

Dear Max,

David Swanson, author of Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union, due out September 15, is a man in search of truth. Already a big seller, many think he found some.

An unabashed progressive, Swanson nevertheless mentions that rendition began under Clinton . Bush made it “extraordinary” by adding “for the purpose of torture.” Obama continues rendition, although not “extraordinary rendition.” Swanson explains that repeated abuse by different presidents leads to the acceptance of bad government. Abusive signing statements, obstruction of justice, illegal wars, and corporate welfare continue the list of presidential abuses.

Swanson criticizes House leader Pelosi for taking impeachment “off the table” and “holding back” until 2012 when census redistricting becomes law. She is putting party above country.

Swanson’s solutions are to change laws and change the Constitution through a convention. Perhaps more practical is a call for activism. He includes instructions on how to become an activist.

The New York Times did not report about government spying until James Risen was about to release his book State of War. Daybreak uncovers many facts and polls not seen in corporate media. Don’t expect the New York Times to inform you. Follow Swanson’s notes to find other sources.

Truth, however ugly, is needed at the base of everyone’s opinions. Accept or reject Swanson’s spin, but ignore truth at your and your country’s peril.

In Liberty ,

Ed Gluck

Terre Haute , IN

http://www.amazon.com/Daybreak-Undoing-Imperial-Presidency-Forming/dp/1583228888/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252440928&sr=8-1

Glenn Beck's Common Sense

2009-07-30T14:41:00.005-05:00

Glenn has some good information. He goes on about the trillions of dollars that posterity will have to pay back. He includes my favorite Samuel Adams quote which I haven't vetted yet but I have used it in an LTE to the Tribune-Star.

Quoting Beck, "Samuel Adams said that those who prefer the 'tranquility of servitude' had best be prepared to 'crouch down and lick the hands which feed you.' that advice is as relevant today as it was back then. And so are his closing words: 'May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!'"

He mentions the meltdown and expects hyperinflation. He notices that the tax code is a weapon and both Ds and Rs are the privileged class. He mentions that Specter is only interested in getting re-elected, party and principles be damned.

With Specter as an example of bad government, Glenn spouts some very good common sense. "Every time you vote 'against' someone rather than 'for' someone the two-party system wins and America loses."

"When we support or vote for candidates outside the two major political parties we are immediately lectured about wasting our vote or making it easier for the less desirable of the two major candidates to claim victory. These lies are repeated every election and they must be ignored."

"You never waste your vote if you vote your conscience. ...Common sense tells us that supporting the individual of our choice, after having studied his position on the issues, is never a waste. Are truth, honesty, and candor any less desirable in candidates that don't happen to be Republican or Democrats? Stop believing their lies!"

He tells these folks who do not study and whose chains may lay lightly upon them, expect the Specter in your future. Expect the cancer of progressivism and he explains how it has hurt for over a hundred years.

Government is eroding gun and property rights and we are the country that stole from American Japs in world war II. Beck says we need virtue, honesty, and character and Godly people. He mentions the "common good" of the progressive socialist way.

His closing chapter includes the following, bold is mine, italics are Beck's.
This revolution will be won when enough Americans rebel against the lies that are being told by those in power, lies such as the idea that we can't look at the past to learn about the future, that our founding principles are outdated, or that only those in power know what's best.
The tangible result of this rebellion, the way you can show everyone that your are serious, is to leave whatever political party you currently belong to. Stop donating to the faceless RNC or DNC and starting (sic) devoting your time, energy, and, if appropriate, your dollars to the people who stand for your values.

Good advice.

If I may digress, here is James Perloff writing in The New American: "Syndicated columnist Edith Kermit Roosevelt, granddaughter of Teddy Roosevelt, explained:
The word "Establishment" is a general term for the power elite in international finance, business, the professions and government, largely from the northeast, who wield most of the power regardless of who is in the White House. Most people are unaware of the existence of this 'legitimate Mafia.' Yet the power of the Establishment makes itself felt from the professor who seeks a foundation grant, to the candidate for a cabinet post or State Department job. It affects the nation's policies in almost every area."

"Roosevelt added that this group's goal is 'a One World Socialist state governed by 'experts' like themselves.'"

So is Glenn Beck a James Perloff yet? No. But he is doing good to make people think about their vote and how they have destroyed this country. (But enriched the establishment)

Beck is doing good to say what he says in Main Stream Media. (MSM) Attacked as a nut, he must be respected at the very least. He seems to be trying. I'm not recommending this yet.

You may have noticed that I am recommending The New American the magazine of the John Birch Society.

I found a person who explains things well. She is Shelly Roche. See her videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlXUFlQIUBA

The Fed is stealing your money

2009-07-15T12:23:00.004-05:00

Notice today's date and the date of the Blog below. In September 2008 the take over started. It "looks" like the government is "saving" the property of the irresponsible. What is really going on is that responsible people will not be able to refinance and will lose their property. Watch this video closely. "The People" lost their property to the money changers (200 years before Christ exposed the scam). This was "solved" by assassinations of persons wanting to limit ownership of property to 500 acres. (Not a bad idea for today.)

After Caesar was killed, property was taken and taxes were raised, starting the dark ages.

(Please view this video!)

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Three and a half hours about the Federal Reserve - Every American needs to see this!

Posted by Vigo County LP Chair at 3.11.07 0 comments Links to this post

RON PAUL - Audit the Federal Reserve!!! - H.R. 1207

2009-06-16T12:47:00.001-05:00

2009-05-29T11:31:00.000-05:00

Paine on War and Taxes

War is the common harvest of all those who participate in the division and expenditure of public money, in all countries. It is the art of conquering at home; the object of it is an increase of revenue; and as revenue cannot be increased without taxes, a pretence must be made for expenditure. In reviewing the history of the English Government, its wars and its taxes, a bystander, not blinded by prejudice nor warped by interest, would declare that taxes were not raised to carry on wars, but that wars were raised to carry on taxes.

--Thomas Paines, The Rights of Man

RAGE AGAINST BIG PHARMA - PRINTED IN T-S 5/24/09

2009-05-29T11:22:00.000-05:00

Kristin (Nicoson) Merritt’s response to Dean May’s earlier letter shows some misconceptions held by much of the public. Describing Meth as “a POISON, a TOXIN, a KILLER.” and its effects on users and their families and neighbors, may well be true. But compared to “legal” drugs the effects are very similar to antidepressants, stimulants, tranquilizers and sleeping pills, antipsychotic drugs, and “mood stabilizers.”

Kristin mentions the dangers of recreational pharmacists. A free market for these drugs and those types listed above would bring safety and cost to the best possible position. (This appears to be the best of a bad situation.)

Kristin believes Mr. May is “… obsessed with the ‘artificially defined crime of the state.’” Well, one reason we have the highest percent imprisoned in the world is that a few solved drug cases look better on the resume than a solved crime case. Also many lives are wasted and fortunes made defending and prosecuting the accused. The prison industry is supported by these follies.

Before we finish, a look at the “legal” drug industry may prove educational. For drugs that kill, search Evelyn Pringle and add the word Vioxx or similar suspected drug.

For drugs that make people do crazy things, read Dr. Peter R. Breggin’s book, “Medication Madness.”

For unreasonable corporate actions against employees read “The Whistleblower” by Peter Rost MD known for his speaking out on drug reimportation. Within these two books you may notice that only drug companies see the danger of drug reimportation and the FDA has no study proving antidepressants work, only drug companies have such studies. (Antidepressants plus tranquilizers have some effectiveness, but some doctors view this combination as VERY DANGEROUS.)

Drug companies extend patents with Me Too drugs, changing doses and possibly glue for a “new” drug. (Seen with Cholesterol drugs) Saying the drug is now for children can give a patent three extra years. Perhaps you have heard of the new PMS drug. It is just Prozac but of course you do not pay the generic price. (I don’t know if the dosage is much different.) Marcia Angell discusses much of this in her 2004 book, “The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It.” She goes into some detail on what passes these days as research and education. The pusher man has nothing on these guys. You may expect some of this knowing President H.W. Bush was on the board of Eli Lily.

Billions in fines for promoting unapproved uses for approved drugs. Yet I don’t see many of these law breakers behind bars.

Bottom line is, if your local meth folks had the billions of drug companies, their work may also be viewed as beneficial. This then, would be another misconception.

In Liberty ,

Ed Gluck

Peter Schiff Video

2009-03-24T18:24:00.001-05:00

BIGGEST TAXER - THE FED

2009-03-24T11:30:00.002-05:00

KELO CASE

2009-03-13T12:30:00.007-05:00

Do you remember the Kelo case? Eminent domain was used to steal property from an individual to enrich the coffers of New London in Connecticut. A museum and other stuff was supposed to be put in. In this follow up it appears the city spent $78 million dollars to get less revenue but gain the right to steal property from individuals. New London was known to me as the place where the Sedition Act put a person in jail. See the video at the bottom of the article which may allow you to believe America might return.

KELO CASE

This still makes my blood boil.

Last letter printed today

2009-02-15T15:53:00.001-05:00

In the series of letters below, my response to Jim was printed today, Feb. 15, 2009. The word ever was not italicized.

Series of Letters to the Editor

2009-02-11T18:04:00.002-05:00

This first one is below:

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Letter to Editor - Science

Finally, I have a new article. This is a letter to the editor I sent but has not been printed yet.

Tribune-Star contributor, Saul Rosenthal, lent me a book critical of milk. It changed my mind on the "goodness" of dairy and meat products. Science backs this conclusion. Thanks Saul.

The Center for Disease Control, since 2006, wants to test the entire U.S. population for HIV. The false positive result for the HIV antibody tests (tests not approved by the FDA with the disclaimer, do not use results to diagnose AIDS) is very high. Healthy women in their third trimester and newborns will be mandated by state laws to take deadly drugs.

In 1990 I checked my Mechanical Engineer's Handbook for the energy contents of gasoline and ethanol. Ethanol has lower energy content. Testing my 1978 Aspen , my results gave over an eight percent advantage to gasoline. I asked my friend Scott to run the same test on his fleet of cars. Scott reported about a ten percent difference. Two years ago, Consumer Reports tested E-85 and the ethanol blend. They also reported about a ten percent disadvantage with the ethanol blend. (This would be an excellent project for children in elementary school - test mpg ethanol blend/mpg gasoline.)

Science needs to be questioned. The dairy and meat industries along with the medical profession, the pharmaceutical industry, and Big Oil have proved they cannot be trusted. Perhaps the worst secret learned is that education professionals do not have to disclose payment from companies whose products they are testing.

Here is a response from Jim Hughes:

Letter contained false statement

In a recent letter (Feb. 8, Tribune-Star), Ed Gluck stated “Perhaps the worst secret learned is that education professionals do not have to disclose payment from companies whose products they are testing.” Wrong, Ed.

“Education professionals” have to disclose affiliations at virtually every step. Universities require blanket disclosure statements. Disclosure statements are required before one can present at meetings. Disclosure statements are required before one can publish in most journals.

The primary journal in my area is Endocrinology. Every paper published in the journal is accompanied by a disclosure statement. Researchers report consultant activities, lecture fees, stock options, patents, royalties, and other affiliations. In addition, researchers report all grant support, including support from the government, because they must demonstrate what was accomplished with the money.

Perhaps the worst secret learned is that some statements in letters to the editor have no basis in fact.

— Jim Hughes

Terre Haute

Finally, my response not printed yet:

I appreciate Jim Hughes responding to my letter printed February 8. Before answering, I will explain my letter in which I related three shocking discoveries.

First, ethanol in gasoline acts as if it has an energy content of zero. We have all seen alcohol on fire or a flambeyd food and know it must have some energy. Readers may question Consumer Reports on their results.

Secondly, I mentioned the test for HIV has a very high false positive rate. (Now, I do not even believe there is an HIV virus but we all know the test "they" say "they" perform is for the HIV antibodies. They test for twenty proteins and if three are positive, "they" have a positive HIV test. That's U.S., in some European countries the criterion is four positive proteins. Four positive proteins needed would, I guess, produce less false positives.) To many readers it may be shocking to hear of state legislators forcing many healthy persons to take possibly harmful treatment.

A third discovery was that the exalted positions of dairy and meat were found to be sacred cows (yes, pun intended). More vegetables in our diet seem to be called for. This is shocking for some.

Mr. Hughes has problems with my stating perhaps a fourth shocking fact. This is that "...education professionals do not have to disclose payment from companies whose products they are testing." I do not dispute the assertions by Mr. Hughes that universities and his journal require disclosure statements. One source in the food question, T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, has found problems with research and disclosures. I believe Mr. Campbell is alive and retired.

If I implied education professionals don't ever have to disclose payment, I apologize.

I hope people understand why I wrote about these shocking facts.

Defense of libertarian newspaper guy

2009-02-04T18:12:00.002-05:00

Here in Caps is my defense of Arthur Foulkes, a local newspaper guy who is accused of being a libertarian. Written in the Tribune-Star forum.

COMMENTS IN CAPS

Flashpoint: Foulkes’ libertarian perspective demands alternative view

In his recent opinion piece on the current state of the U.S. economy, Tribune-Star columnist Arthur Foulkes presents a limited and biased analysis. His extreme libertarian views obscure a balanced evaluation. Since most of us are affected by economic conditions, and since macroeconomics is mysterious to much of the public, a response to his essay is appropriate.

My purpose is to provide readers of the Tribune-Star a different perspective on the nation’s economy and the corrective policies under development.

Foulkes makes three essential points in his essay. First, the “spiral theory” of macroeconomics, on which the Obama and Federal Reserve policies are based, is fundamentally wrong. Second, economic recessions are a natural and necessary corrective tonic that serves to “wash away poor investments” … i.e., they destroy businesses that should never have been established in the first place. Third, macroeconomic expansions (“booms”) that are driven by either monetary or fiscal policies will inevitably lead to “a bust”, i.e. … We would all be better off if the government would just leave the economy alone and let it correct itself.

The “spiral theory” to which Foulkes refers was developed in the 1930s by J.M Keynes in his classic book, “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money”. A key concept in this theory is the spending multiplier, which works more or less as Foulkes described.

However, it is a gross distortion to speak of the multiplier effect as a “bottomless downward spiral.” No. Keynes’s essential idea was that declines in spending would be amplified and lead the economy to an equilibrium output below its potential, not a free-fall.

HE DID NOT SAY KEYNES WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPIRAL THEORY, THUGH THAT MAY WELL BE THE CASE.

Keynes also recognized that, with time, spending and output would recover, and production would be restored to the economy’s potential in the long run, even without any government intervention.

I BELIEVE FOULKES IS SAYING AS THE BAD INVESTMENTS ARE CORRECTED, ELIMINATED, THE ECONOMY WILL RECOVER.

The problem with waiting is that productive resources are wasted during the waiting period, which is characterized by high unemployment and low capacity utilization of installed plant and equipment.

THIS IS JUST MADE UP. FOULKES SAYS WE NEED REAL SAVINGS. THIS WOULD BE OPPOSED TO BORROWING FOR INVESTMENTS. SEE HIS EXAMPLE. SLEEPING MAY ALSO BE A WASTE OF RESOURCES BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME PROOF.

Foulkes completely ignores this inefficiency, which corrective macroeconomic policies can address. (Keynes also noted that in the long run we’re all dead.)

IGNORES SOMETHING THAT IS PURE FABRICATION? SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD CHOICE.

Such counter-cyclical macroeconomic policies have been followed since the 1930s. Foulkes’s libertarian philosophy would replace these with the laissez-faire approach that prevailed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A cursory look at business cycles over the past century shows clearly that their magnitude and frequency diminished after Keynesian macroeconomic policies were adopted. It seems odd to recommend that earlier approach as better.

IF ALL ELSE FAILS, LIE, LIE, LIE. THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND 1969 TO 1980'S RECESSION WERE THE TWO WORST ON RECORD. BANK FAILURES WERE COMMON. BEFORE THE FEDERAL RESERVE, BANK FAILURES WERE RARE. WHAT IS ODD IS THAT PEOPLE LIKE MR. LOTSPEICH DEFEND FAILURE.

Foulkes makes two more fallacious points about this theory. He writes that the “spiral theory” ignores that consumer goods must be produced. This is nonsense and simply not true. He also writes that the theory incorrectly assumes that systemic market failure initiates a downturn, when it is actually caused by a desirable recognition of poor investments.

There are two problems with this. First, the systemic market failure identified by Keynes was not the initiation of a recession, but rather the failure of a market system to maintain, or quickly return to, production at the economy’s potential. Any number of shocks to spending could initiate a downturn; they need not be market failures. Examples include reductions in exports, government spending and investment.

VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THIS. BUT THERE HE GOES AGAIN WITH MARKET POTENTIAL. REDUCTION IN EXPORTS IS A MARKET FAILURE TO SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES IN FREE MARKETS IF THE REDUCTIONS ARE DUE TO SOMETHING BEYOND THE FREE MARKET. GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND INVESTMENT IN THEMSELVES DON'T CREATE DOWNTURNS. 0 FOR 3 MR. LOTSPEICH.

Second, the recognition of investments as “poor” will not necessarily reduce aggregate spending and thus initiate a downturn. Poor investments are consequences of past spending. Future investment spending might be reduced as a result, but more likely it would simply be diverted to different kinds of projects. This is an appropriate correction that markets would promote, but it is not the cause of a downturn.

In short, the correction of investment mistakes that Foulkes asserts is the function of recessions can be accomplished without recessions, and it frequently is.

This is not to say that a recession has no role in sweeping away poor investment. Indeed the process of enterprise destruction is amplified in a recession. However, there will also be many businesses destroyed that are viable when the economy is operating at capacity. They are “poor investments” only during recessions, and their destruction reduces social prosperity. This collateral damage of downturns is selectively ignored by Foulkes.

I BELIEVE WE ARE TRYING TO COVER TOO MUCH HERE. IF TOO MUCH MONEY IS PUMPED INTO THE ECONOMY AND PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE DOING BETTER, TOO MANY RESTAURANTS MAY BE BUILT. DURING THE RECESSION THESE RESTAURANTS MAY DISAPPEAR AS "COLLATERAL DAMAGE" BUT FOULKES WAS CORRECT IN IGNORING THIS AS IT WOULD CONFUSE THE QUESTION.

Finally, it is simply not true that a recovery from recession that is engineered by the government must culminate in a new recession. This is an unsupported assertion. The U.S. has experienced extended periods of economic stability and growth following such recoveries.

THIS DEPRESSION WILL BE EXTENDED. THE GREAT DEPRESSION WAS EXTENDED WITH GOVERNMENT SPENDING. I CAN'T ARGUE THAT EXTENDED PERIODS OF ECONOMIC STABILITY AND GROWTH FOLLOWED SOME RECOVERIES. BUT OF COURSE THE RELATIVE GOVERNMENT SPENDING (STEALING OR TAXING) WAS LESS.

Moreover, government spending for infrastructure (“roads and bridges”) that Foulkes suggests is unwise, usually provides substantial public returns for both households and businesses. While true that we should not build bridges to nowhere, this does not mean all government bridge construction should cease.

I BELIEVE HE USED THE WORD MASSIVE AS IN spend massively on roads and bridges. ALSO, not necessary DOES NOT = SUGGESTS IS UNWISE.

— Richard Lotspeich

Department of Economics

Indiana State University

MR. FOULKES IS A GREAT ASSET TO THIS COMMUNITY. HE CERTAINLY HAS PROVOKED MUCH THOUGHT ABOUT ECONOMICS.

2009-02-03T12:44:00.002-05:00

Jacob Hornberger writes about Tom Dilorenzo talking about Hamilton's Curse and other thoughts and writings HERE. This is a blog so it may be a ways down if you arrive after 2/3/09.

I wrote a letter to the editor about this book myself. Here it is:

Ed Gluck
235-0412
Terre Haute, IN

Dear Max,

During a Candidate's Forum in 2003, I mentioned that the Federalist Party did not believe in federalism but in nationalism. They believed in centralized government, big government, imperialism, and corporate welfare. I do not know if anyone understood what I was talking about although Professor Linda Maule seemed to know. (I believe Dr. Maule helped in my understanding of these facts.)

I believe my reason for mentioning this history was to label my two opponents as big government Federalists while I was a small government Jeffersonian. Now there is a new book, Hamilton's Curse by Thomas J. DiLorenzo, which explains the corrupt connection between the Federalists, Whigs, and Lincoln Republicans that brought us to the corrupt government of today.

Every voter should read Hamilton’s Curse and notice the silly or specious arguments of today which were used by Alexander Hamilton. DiLorenzo also advises how the U.S. can reverse this too big and too bad government.

Letter to Editor - Science

2009-02-01T14:18:00.002-05:00

Finally, I have a new article. This is a letter to the editor I sent but has not been printed yet.

WHY IS YOUR COUNTRY AT WAR?

2008-05-19T15:08:00.002-05:00

A year and a half ago I presented this banned book for your thoughts. He actually gave numbers for profits of corporations. The poor giving to the rich and record profits for the wealthy is going on now as it was in 1918. Yet the answer to "Why is your Country at War?" remains the same.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Charles Lindbergh Senior - "Why Is Your Country At War?"
INTRODUCTION

"Why Is Your Country At War?" by Charles A. Lindbergh senior written in 1917. (published in July) It was banned (copies burned and the plates destroyed) and the pocket sized version I read was falling apart. On line here lacking the picture of his beautiful daughter and granddaughter.

An article from "American Opinion" (now "THE NEW AMERICAN" from the John Birch Society) gives their very similar view here.

I was impressed with C.A.'s (He was called C. A. and that is what I will use from now on to refer to senior.) quotes and will use them to aid my explanation.

A book you can get through inter-library loan is C.A.'s 1913 book, "Banking Currency and The Money Trust", 318 pages. It explains the Federal Reserve Act and the troubles it will bring. The 1917 book, "Why Is Your Country At War?" follows up on the Fed Reserve scam and shows war profiteering by quoting profits of record. (something like today's http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/)

C.A. wanted a book to tell the average voter what was going on in simple language. Perhaps not so simple to today's readers, but worth knowing about none the less because we see the same things happening today.

CONTENT

On page 70 he mentions we are working more hours for less.

Page 82 - C.A. quotes a Lincoln letter to Mr. Elkins of Illinois. He seems to have helped in making Lincoln a hero (is C.A. naive or political?) whose transformation into a God amazed H.L Mencken. Quote: " ...As a result of the war corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before in the midst of the war."

Quote from the Hazard Circular - a letter from an agent of the English money loaners:
"Slavery is likely to be abolished by the war power and all chattel slavery abolished. This I and my European friends are in favor of, for slavery is but the owning of labor and carries with it the care of the laborers, while the European plan led by England, is that capital shall control labor and wages."
Employers will not have to pay for sickness or retirement.

Page 83 has a less "naive" C.A. quoting Jefferson on banking institutions being more dangerous than standing armies. This may be a slight misquote substituting "institutions" for "establishments" and a letter to John Tyler perhaps should be John Taylor, in a letter of May 28, 1816.
(dictionary of American quotes 1997: "Banking establishments are more danerous than standing armies" to John Taylor May 28,1816)

In a Jefferson letter to Monroe we have:
"We are completely saddled and bridled, and the bank is so firmly mounted on us that we must go where they ill guide."

From Jefferson writings:
"All eyes are opening to the rights of man. The general spread of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred ready to ride them legitimately by the grace of god."

C.A. gives us the Ruskin quote Americans should hear everyday the U.S. carries debt:
"National debts paying interest are simply the purchase of the rich of the power to tax the poor."

Starting in Chapter IV we see that there are EXPLOITERS taking from toilers who do the work of the country. He gets his statistics from a Wisconsin professor:
50 years previous - 98% owned greater than 95% of wealth
Now (1917) - 2% owned greater than 60% of wealth

We see a similar trend in this century. In a very practical book everyone should read, Your Bank is Ripping You Off, 1997, the author mentions the Federal Reserve Act and then mentions that the banking industry employs 2% of the population yet they own 31% of the nations wealth. (This author may also explain better than C.A. that the Fed's prime rate is theft from the borrower to the super rich. Of course every one gets burned when a country falls into debt and this scheme just adds to that humiliation. Debt to foreign nations saps credit to Americans.) This author also mentions the Glass-Steagall Act which came from an investigation of the Crash of 1929 and it stopped banks from corporate underwriting. Now Paul Volcker and Alan Greenspan want more "freedom." This author correctly has the fortitude to disagree with these highly respected men.

On a world basis we are seeing that 2% owns half the wealth and what is different in this study is that if you have more debt than assets this gives zero wealth.

In a good book by a communist leaning fellow, James W. Loewen writes in Lies My Teacher Told Me, 2005, 1% own almost 40% of the wealth.

C.A. wasn't afraid to say we were tricked into war and wanted people to join the Non-Partisan Organization (League) to vote for economic reform (against the Federal Reserve) and against war.

He warned the Big Business owned press will call you a radical and obstructionist if you tell the truth.

He wrote neither of these parties which were, "...led and manipulated by an 'invisible government' is fit to manage the destinies of a great people...."

Called for bankers to be off the banking committee, predicted foreign loans would put the U.S. into the foreign war, and said special interests funded both parties.

C.A. mentions the "trick" they use to stay in power. By giving small amounts of stocks, bonds, and other interests to get small holders to vote for special priviledge the theft continues.

Patriotism is also used as a trick. C.A. writes, "Patriotism is worth nothng to the special interests except when it supports its system."

C.A. wrote don't be fooled, you must support "a true reform of our economic system."

WHAT SHALL WE DO ABOUT IT?

Put transportation, mail, telephone and all natural monopolies under government control. (Not very libertarian)

Less military (war is unpatriotic) and more education - KNOWLEDGE is the key.

VOTE - or all the wealth will go to corporations. (We may be seeing this with another controlled depression that will sap the wealth of many Americans.)

ECONOMIC REFORM TO END WARS - (Kill the Fed. The wealthy may know all these facts. Author Gore Vidal, of the Kennedy clan, and their compound in Florida, outs the elites in Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace. (Insight from an insider?)

From C.A.: "Mankind is not reformed by punishment, and very seldom by force...." With a just economic system we can, "conquer the world and win the respect of all mankind."

He wanted, "...an equal opportunity for all and special privilege to none."

Greatest victory would be to get out of that system - meaning to stop the exploiters' stealing from consumers.

CONCLUSION

C.A. is saying, VOTE to make CHANGE which would be ECONOMIC REFORMS - END THE FEDERAL RESERVE which would stop the stealing by the elites and end unnecessary WAR.

Aside from these benefits, the respect of other nations is also needed today.

We still have UNDERLINGS doing the work of EXPLOITERS who benefit from the sweat of the TOILERS. Only the names have changed.

LINKS USED IN THIS BLOG:

Site with Lindbergh book:
http://judicial-inc.biz/Lindbergh.htm

John Birch view:
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22787621_ITM

More of the Hazard Circular in this article:
http://www.honestmoneyreport.com/archives/2004/112204.htm

Your Bank Is Ripping You Off:
http://www.amazon.com/Your-Bank-Ripping-You-Off/dp/0312152469

2% Owns half the Wealth:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6211250.stm

Lies My Teacher Told Me
http://www.amazon.com/Lies-My-Teacher-Told-Everything/dp/0684818868

Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace:
http://www.amazon.com/Perpetual-War-Peace-Gore-Vidal/dp/156025405X

Posted by Vigo County LP Chair at 2.1.07 0 comments Links to this post
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Libertarian running for governor
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Click on this to join Terre Haute Ron Paul Meetup
Printed in Sunday's Tribune Star - Was it a mistak...
Ron Paul 2008
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A David Dees Graphic Design
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Ron Paul video featuring Pokerface
Ad in Ames Iowa
Let's Talk Ron - On MSNBC
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Should We Believe Rudy's Client?
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Updates
What Reagan Said
Ron Paul Makes Sense In October 2002
BANNED!
Interview with Tucker
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Ron Paul Hits It Out of the Park
Ron Paul Waterboards Hannity and Fox
CONFESSIONS OF A JUNKIE
Ron Paul on Cspan "The Voice of the People"
Ron Paul Rally (1 of 3)
CORRECTIONS For Last Post
The PIG for Capitalism
RON PAUL AGAINST GHOULIANI
Pajama Poll
The Riverbend link
Yahoo and ABC have been omitting Ron Paul
Best Paul Video Yet
Paul Video - Transfer payment to Wall Street, ..
GOP DEBATE
New Information, Old Problems
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General Wayne Downing is a Traitor
Classified Ad: Wanted: Traitors - No Exp. Requir...
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Property Rights Are Needed Everywhere
More questions about Rumsfeld
Libertarian Platform for City Elections
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Ron's 35 Questions
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What is Unspoken in "Unspeak"
Karen Kwiatkowski Gets It
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Libertarian running for governor

2008-02-16T12:57:00.002-05:00

Andy Horning has declared his candidacy for Governor. As far as I know he is unopposed right now in the Libertarian Party.

Here is his website: http://www.horningforgovernor.com/

May have to copy and paste.

Three and a half hours about the Federal Reserve - Every American needs to see this!

2007-11-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

Click on this to join Terre Haute Ron Paul Meetup

2007-10-31T14:14:00.001-05:00

Click here to check out
The Hoosiers For Ron Paul - Terre Haute!

Printed in Sunday's Tribune Star - Was it a mistake?

2007-10-22T18:52:00.000-05:00

Ron Paul 2008

2007-10-02T10:22:00.000-05:00

Chorus:

We need Ron Paul,
For the long haul.
Cause he'll stop all the wars,
Where the bombs fall.
So it's Ron Paul,
We got to stand tall.
Every other politician made the wrong call.
Pass the long ball,
We need a long pause,
From the lies,
That's why we need Ron Paul.
We need truth like the border need a strong wall,
Ron Paul 2008.com y'all!

Clinton:

Hillary Clinton is big money pimpin',
With cash from the corporations going in sin,
Because she Bilderberg, CFR, Pro-War,
Scumbag,
Planning on invading Iran,
We better run fast,
Lady Clinton want to manage a Police State,
Pan American,
She bring death like cheese steak.

A David Dees Graphic Design

2007-09-08T13:19:00.001-05:00

Ron Paul video featuring Pokerface

2007-08-27T18:43:00.001-05:00

Ad in Ames Iowa

2007-08-10T15:36:00.001-05:00

Let's Talk Ron - On MSNBC

2007-08-09T12:19:00.000-05:00

Should We Believe Rudy's Client?

2007-07-14T09:21:00.000-05:00

Updates

2007-06-20T09:09:00.000-05:00

At the Vigo County convention of June 16, 2007 Kevin Ward was chosen as an at large candidate for the City Council. The Convention remains open for more candidates.

For easy access to news of Ron Paul, we have a link to "Libertarians for Ron Paul" and hope you will use this resource. Great for activists.

What Reagan Said

2007-06-13T19:42:00.001-05:00

Ron Paul Makes Sense In October 2002

2007-06-13T19:31:00.000-05:00

A man of principle speaks out before the greatest blunder by a modern nation.

BANNED!

2007-06-12T14:25:00.000-05:00

This clip was banned by Republicans in Congress. All the more need to make it available.

Interview with Tucker

2007-06-07T12:56:00.000-05:00

People are learning much from Ron Paul. Before the last debate one young lady (on NPR) seemed shocked to hear Ossama bin Laden was once a U.S. ally.

In the debate Ron was the only candidate against nuclear nuttiness. Pardon Scooter Libby? NO. I.D. card? NO. Yes for Ron Paul. Tucker realizes Paul is a great teacher. One Bush would say "Watch and Learn". Here is the Tucker Carlson interview from MSNBC.

Ron Paul Hits It Out of the Park

2007-05-29T11:33:00.000-05:00

This is an old picture from when Ron played on the Congress baseball team. But it tells the future as on June 5 CNN will broadcast the next Republican debate and history will repeat. Stay tuned.

Ron Paul Waterboards Hannity and Fox

2007-05-25T15:41:00.000-05:00

Dr. Paul turned over 4000 people upside down and slapped their behinds. Now he intellectually waterboards the fools at FOX in this video of an after-debate interview. Well done.

CONFESSIONS OF A JUNKIE

2007-05-24T12:40:00.001-05:00

Ron Paul on Cspan "The Voice of the People"

2007-05-22T14:16:00.000-05:00

Ron Paul Rally (1 of 3)

2007-05-22T14:11:00.000-05:00

CORRECTIONS For Last Post

2007-05-18T14:03:00.000-05:00

Mr. Murphy was kind enough to question my rush to judgement concerning him and Mr. Laffer.

The section in question is this:

"One thing that made me uncomfortable was the correct knowledge that cutting taxes doesn't mean a drop in revenue to the State. With praise from Arthur B. Laffer, Murphy can easily be seen as endorsing the Laffer curve which absurdly suggests the optimal taxing point is the point that generates the most revenue. This is one position that makes Murphy appear to be pandering to Republicans."

Mr. Murphy corrected me with this, "I work for Arthur Laffer. He got really mad when I suggested that he thought the optimal tax point was the one that maximized revenues. He said a journalist invented that and he has never said it, and I've never seen him say it. All he did was make the point that cutting tax rates didn't necessarily make you lose revenue, especially in the long run. If that convinces big spenders to go along with tax cuts, he thought it was a great strategic point."

I believe this is important information we can all use and I hope Wikipedia is challenged in its definition and explanation.

A major concern I had in my writing was NOT to endorse deficit spending by government. The line of Hamiltonian Federalist - Whig - Republican did endorse debt to transfer money to the banking interests. Now that we have a 100% fiat currency, there is no, or less, restraint on spending. Mr. Murphy certainly did NOT endorse this Mercantilism, American System, or corporate welfare.

I may also owe Thomas DiLorenzo an apology as I probably slam people too hard for not coming down on the Rockefellers. (He expressed displeasure with my assumptions.) In the last hundred years that family has done much damage to the country. (Last night I was reading a very good book, Collusion, and it mentioned on page 82 how the University of Chicago put together Albert Wohlstetter and Chalabi. Wohlstetter introduced Chalabi to today's neocons. It looks to me like evil attracts evil.)

I certainly thank these impressive writers for their input.

Note: DiLorenzo and Murphy writings can be read at: www.lewrockwell.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laffer_curve

http://www.amazon.com/Collusion-International-Espionage-War-Terror/dp/1933633271

The PIG for Capitalism

2007-05-17T12:33:00.000-05:00

Robert P. Murphy, Ph.D. did a good job on what Ron Paul said was, "An invaluable introduction to free market economics." Lew Rockwell was quoted praising its truth.

Perhaps I can be quoted as praising the book for calling capitalism propertyism rather than letting commies define it.

But the book tries to cover too much. To stay within the parameters for the P.I.G., probably hundreds of pages hit the editing room floor and it shows. Mr. Murphy, a writer on Lew Rockwell, comes off as naive in this situation. He may well be naive.

One thing that made me uncomfortable was the correct knowledge that cutting taxes doesn't mean a drop in revenue to the State. With praise from Arthur B. Laffer, Murphy can easily be seen as endorsing the Laffer curve which absurdly suggests the optimal taxing point is the point that generates the most revenue. This is one position that makes Murphy appear to be pandering to Republicans.

The worst part of the book makes Rockefeller look like a great guy. Lew Rockwell writer DiLorenzo also heaps praise on what many consider "Robber Barons". I agree with the facts, but these "doctors" come off as naive. Rockefeller opened the University of Chicago which excused the Federal Reserve and had a professor fight for it. See: http://www.amazon.com/Creature-Jekyll-Island-Federal-Reserve/dp/0912986212

Milton Friedman became libertarian after he left Chicago for San Francisco. Lastly, Rockerfeller paid off trustees to admit a doctor guilty of fraud. His money could only buy so much. See: http://www.amazon.com/Inventing-AIDS-Virus-Peter-Duesberg/dp/0895263998/ref=sr_1_1/102-2631430-5920964?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179426092&sr=1-1

What might be seen as an establishment book, an idiot's guide, http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Federal-Reserve/dp/0028643232

is a good place to start and it does reference the Jekyll Island book above.

Perhaps Lew can have someone do a P.I.G. on the Federal Reserve. Hopefully the writer won't believe the crap Murphy believes when it comes to failures of the World Bank loans. What Ron Paul calls the "Inflation" Tax is a scheme to rob the working and bail out elites. Think fellows, why do American Workers bailout banks that loan to Mexico whose safety net is a map to the U.S.?

Maybe I did not care for the attack on Paul Craig Roberts. He is not so naive.

Another person I respect is Gene Epstein, author of Eonospinning: http://www.amazon.com/Econospinning-Between-Lines-Manipulate-Numbers/dp/0471735132

A P.I.G. on the Federal Reserve must be brought to the People by someone not naive.

A response by any listed will be printed as a post and all can comment.

RON PAUL AGAINST GHOULIANI

2007-05-17T11:20:00.000-05:00

Rudy - the baby killing, gun grabbing, Liberal Democrat supporting (Mario Cuomo), gay rights promoting transvestite - Ghouliani talks stupid in the debate and Paul answers here:

Pajama Poll

2007-05-15T12:33:00.000-05:00

Pajama Poll is a fake and phoney. Last week I was trying to prove Mike Gravel votes were being counted as Dennis Kucinich votes. This week Mike Gravel is off the choices as well as Ron Paul even though the Republicans have 13 candidates listed, some not running yet.

The Riverbend link

2007-05-11T13:14:00.000-05:00

The Riverbend link will remain for a while. I say this after reading in the Guardian that she will be leaving Baghdad. I believe things will get HOT there this summer.

Yahoo and ABC have been omitting Ron Paul

2007-05-11T13:08:00.000-05:00

Best Paul Video Yet

2007-05-08T15:23:00.001-05:00

Paul Video - Transfer payment to Wall Street, ..

2007-05-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

GOP DEBATE

2007-05-07T11:40:00.000-05:00

Here is a very good cartoon of what happened at the GOP debate at the Reagan Library. Interesting that the "TRUTH" is not out yet. The "Mainstream Media"has been deflecting TRUTH so far and I see "Special Interests" are not yet ready to strike a blow.

Maybe this year will be different.

Good luck Ron.

New Information, Old Problems

2007-05-05T15:16:00.000-05:00

George Tenet's new book contains many lies and some very interesting possible truths.

The most interesting truth is that papers were planted in Baghdad to make it look like Saddam had WMD. These poor forgeries did not fool the CIA (according to Tenet) and as far as I know this is the first revelation on this. It sure looks like the Shia puppets planted this for their American "Liberators."

Tenet wants both credit for being a good soldier and an A for effort when it came to getting and getting out facts. George will find out most believe his failures include keeping too quiet.

A counterpart from the Pentagon did her part as told here by Lawrence M. Ludlow from http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/ludlow3.html:

Karen Kwiatkowski, a retired USAF lieutenant colonel and information specialist posted in the Pentagon’s Near East South Asia (NESA) office, supplied strong corroboration. She provided the world with an insider’s view of how the Bush administration was able to create the facts that “supported” its predetermined policy to go to war. While posted at the NESA office in the spring of 2002, she personally witnessed the unholy creation of the Office of Special Plans (OSP), a project that was close to the hearts of Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
A lifelong conservative, Kwiatkowski was appalled by the neoconservative agenda that was being constructed within the OSP. She watched as bona fide information specialists at the Pentagon were replaced by politically appointed information magicians in the OSP. The chief task of these magicians was to toe the White House party line, bury the objections of lifelong Pentagon professionals, twist the facts, and orchestrate the flow of information to build a case that supported the administration’s decision to launch a war. As her frustration mounted in the months before the invasion, she decided to tell the world the truth about what was happening inside the Pentagon; she wrote a series of anonymous dissenting newspaper “columns” that were posted on the Internet by recently deceased decorated Vietnam War veteran Col. David Hackworth. Finally, during the week of the invasion in March 2003, she left the military and went public with her columns – placing her name on her web postings and accepting speaking invitations.
Although the administration attempted to blame its decision to go to war on intelligence errors, the secret Downing Street memo and Kwiatkowski’s reports have exposed how these “errors” were created by the White House to obtain the desired results. Consequently, the House of Representatives published Iraq on the Record: The Bush Administration’s Public Statements on Iraq. This report has received little attention, but it kept a running tab on the lies manufactured by the White House. A key paragraph reads as follows:
The Iraq on the Record database contains 237 misleading statements about the threat posed by Iraq that were made by President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld, Secretary Powell, and National Security Advisor Rice. These statements were made in 125 separate appearances, consisting of 40 speeches, 26 press conferences and briefings, 53 interviews, 4 written statements, and 2 congressional testimonies. Most of the statements in the database were misleading because they expressed certainty where none existed or failed to acknowledge the doubts of intelligence officials. Ten of the statements were simply false.
The Downing Street memo also made it clear that the war planners gave no thought to the vast damage and upheaval that the invasion would create in Iraq and how it would be remedied. According to the memo, “There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action.” Is it possible that the lack of discussion about the aftermath of the war explains why Iraq has become a blood-soaked basket-case of a country and a recruitment center for terrorists as a result of the U.S. invasion? Meanwhile, how many Americans are concerned about the origins of the war as well as its long-term effects?

Voters had problems figuring out who were the heroes. The press is much to blame. Countercurrents has some good writers. See www.countercurrents.org.

Durbin Gives Edwards More To Apologize For is one of their good articles. Edwards and Fred Thompson knew about the intelligence Durbin more or less says is a "slam dunk" against the war they voted for.

Inform Americans of what is going on this time. Please.

http://www.amazon.com/At-Center-Storm-Years-CIA/dp/0061147788

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/ludlow3.html

General Wayne Downing is a Traitor

2007-04-24T13:19:00.000-05:00

This could be one conclusion you reach when you read Evelyn Pringle's latest submission to Countercurrents', How Iraq Was Looted . Once again we see the relatives of the elites profiting from the devastation of an illegal invasion.

Troops get in trouble for stealing and torture. Others get away with theft because the CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority) is not covered by U.S. law, so says an appealate judge.

Why Americans put up with a class of Gods that can do no wrong and the rest of us guilty upon charge, is something that may make our founders wake up to get sick.

Pass this excellent read on to friends.

http://www.countercurrents.org/pringle240307.htm

Classified Ad: Wanted: Traitors - No Exp. Required

2007-04-20T11:38:00.000-05:00

This is a must read. The Inexplicable Enrichment Of Bush Cronies by Evelyn Pringle, from the liberal Countercurrents News Letter.

Evelyn has done some fine writing in the past, but here she mentions some traitors for whom justice would demand a hanging. She goes easy on John Edwards but in slamming Republican profiteers, she includes a Clinton Defense Secretary, Cohen. I believe this arrogant traitor is married to a wealthy black woman. THIS DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT!

Here is a snipet on him:

"Former Republican Congressman and Secretary of Defense under President Clinton, William Cohen, sits at the helm of the Cohen Group, and according to a report by David Hilzenrath in the Washington Post on May 28, 2006, when he left office in January 2001, Cohen was saddled with debt and his final financial disclosure form, "listed tens of thousands of dollars of charge-account debts at interest rates as high as about 25 percent."

However, within a matter of weeks Cohen and his wife were residing in a $3.5 million mansion. It seems Cohen had wanted this house but was still in office and had no way to finance the purchase, so Frank Zarb, then chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market, sold the house to Michael Ansari, chairman and CEO of defense contractor MIC Industries, in October 2000, and the Cohen took up residence in January or February of 2001, according to the Post.

From there, Cohen went on to join the board and audit committee of the Nasdaq Stock Market, and 11 days after he left office, MIC announced Cohen's appointment as chairman of its board of advisers in a press release.

In no time at all the Cohen Group was raking in mega-bucks. In applying for one contract, that earned the Group $490,000 over seven months, the firm bragged that it had helped Lockheed win a $3.6 billion contract for the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Poland, financed by the US government.

The Group's proposal said its efforts for the Lockheed deal included "advocacy with key decision-makers in the White House, Office of the Vice President, National Security Council, Department of Defense and the State Department during an 18-month campaign," according to the Post."

Here we see more of the Emporer's New Clothes, where the U.S. military is clad in nothing at great expense to the U.S. taxpayer and workers:

"On thing is certain, Lockheed was not lacking for administration insiders when Allbaugh came knocking. For instance, before Cheney took over as VP, his wife, Lynne served on the board of Lockheed, receiving deferred compensation to the tune of half a million dollars in stock and fees, according to a January 16, 2007 report by Richard Cummings.
Cummings notes that Cheney's "2004 financial disclosure statement lists Lockheed stock options and $50,000 in Lockheed stock."

In addition, Cheney's son-in-law, Philip Perry, Cummings says, was appointed to serve as general counsel to the Department of Homeland Security, and he had been a registered lobbyist for Lockheed who had worked for a law firm representing Lockheed with the Department of Homeland Security.

According to Cummings, less than a month after 9/11, in October of 2001, the Pentagon announced a $20 billion contract for Lockheed for the development of the Joint Strike Fighter, called the F-35. At the time, Edward Aldridge was Undersecretary of Defense for acquisitions, technology and logistics, which was responsible for the approval of the contract. Aldridge left his government post in 2003, and he now just happens to serve on Lockheed's board of directors.

However, the most stunning revelation in the Cummings report, is that in November 2002, Stephen Hadley, deputy national security advisor at the time, called Lockheed employee, Bruce Jackson, to a meeting at the White House and told him that the US was definitely going to war in Iraq but there was one small hitch, the administration could not decide what reason to use to justify it.

So Jackson formed the "Committee for the Liberation of Iraq," and its mission statement said it was "formed to promote regional peace, political freedom and international security by replacing the Saddam Hussein regime with a democratic government that respects the rights of the Iraqi people and ceases to threaten the community of nations."

According to Cummings, the "pressure group began pushing for regime change - that is, military action to remove Hussein - in the usual Washington ways, lobbying members of congress, working with the media and throwing money around.""

You may be familiar with these players from previous posts. They also make an invisible set of clothing for the banking corporations, paid for, once again, by the "cool" American taxpayer. The Right cries "we need these F-35s and Blackhawk helicopers for our troops!" and the Left deals with the devil for "education and food for the children" while freedom and individual liberty vanish from the North American continent.

You can find your libery with your money - in the pockets of your elected and chosen Masters.

http://countercurrents.org/pringle200407.htm

Property Rights Are Needed Everywhere

2007-03-27T13:49:00.000-05:00

Left wing peace activist Uri Avnery writes unlike the crazy right wing Jews and Christians who spout the neocon line. Uri, a Jew, wrote an article, Without Borders, which tells a different story than what we are fed from the corporate media.

Uri tells us where we get our information about the "scary" things in Arab children's textbooks:

"The ammunition is always provided by one of the "professional" institutions that deal with this matter. These are foundations of the far-right, disguised as "scientific" bodies, which are lavishly funded by Jewish-American multi-millionaires. Teams of salaried employees apply a fine-tooth comb to every word of the Arab media and schoolbooks, with a pre-ordained objective: to prove that they are anti-Semitic, preach hatred of Israel and call for the killing of Jews. In the sea of words, it is not too difficult to find suitable quotes, while ignoring everything else.
So now it is again perfectly clear: Palestinian schoolbooks preach hatred of Israel! They are breeding a new generation of terrorists! Therefore, of course, there can be no question of Israel and the world ending the blockade on the Palestinian Authority!"

Uri has something to say about the Israel-Jew indoctrination:

"When he comes out of the pedagogic mill, the Jewish-Israeli pupil "knows" that the Arabs are a primitive people with a murderous religion and a miserable culture. He brings this view with him when he (or she) joins the army a few weeks later. There, it is reinforced almost automatically. The daily humiliation of old people and women - not to mention everybody else - at the checkpoints would not be possible otherwise."

Uri is writing about borders and the Green Line; but having been a terrorist (for the Jews), he understands where the Palestinians come from. He does not succumb to the brainwashing.

Drawing lines is not a libertarian thing to do. But libertarians part ways with themselves when it comes to drawing lines at borders. Most Libertarians believe in drawing lines protecting property rights and this includes borders and lines between countries. It is this basic property right that Uri is acknowledging, whether he knows it or not.

And it bears repeating, the corporate media in the United States does not recognize or defend property rights unless it is the rights of the wealthy and corporations. (And corporations do not have rights.) The corporate media whores are getting worse when it comes to repeating lies and propaganda.

The decentralization of news will be welcome if civilization (and I use that word loosely) can exist that long.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uri_Avnery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism
http://www.countercurrents.org/avnery270307.htm

Libertarian Platform for City Elections

2007-03-05T18:40:00.000-05:00

With the primaries looking at us for 2007 city elections, the Terre Haute Libertarians are developing a platform.

1. No Extra-constitutional government - This means no communist buying of buildings like a previous government did with Center City. Also no fascist government with resources going from the poor and working classes to the large corporations. As mentioned below, Hayek noticed that whether communist or fascist, the result is an anti-moral government that makes leaders behave badly. Plainly, this means no special bonds or tax abatements handed out as corporate welfare. Bids will be open to the public.

2. Protection of property rights - The reason for government is to protect rights, personal and property rights included. Libertarians will respect eminent domain, the blighting of property and other tricks to steal property for the special class, and an end to fines for so-called offenses like grass being too high.

3. Transparent Government - "The People" must know what the government is doing to be able to petition it and bid on projects. To aid citizens, we plan to televise City Council meetings. (and paid for by taxes!)

4. Minimum wage or payroll relief - For the poor and small businesses we are looking at a minimum wage for the city and county. This may end with the more libertarian payroll relief rather than a minimum wage hike (socialism?) which might put the city and county too dependent on the State and Federal governments for relief if for some reason small business is chased away. Your opinions are welcome here.

5. Healthcare for a fraction of current costs - In Greeneville, TN, my brother can visit Dr. Berry. With no third party pay, costs will be much less for the uninsured and those with high deductibles and co-pays. Pass on this site which has much valuable information on it including how to start up, to any doctors you think might be interested.

http://www.aapsonline.org/

The employees of the city of Terre Haute will be a good starting point to the healthcare of the future. This is an assist to a free market in healthcare, giving higher quality at lower prices.

We hope to bring responsible government to Terre Haute which cannot be accomplished without the help of informed and involved citizens.

In 2008, county libertarians will be running on a similar platform including $100/day jury pay. This may be raised to $200/day pay with the hope of getting poor and wealthy to work together for the good of the county, developing mutual respect.

Respond here in comments or to my email - edgluck2@yahoo.com.

Thanks.

http://www.emergiclinic.com/
http://www.aapsonline.org/

JebWorld: Coming to a State Near You

2007-02-23T12:57:00.000-05:00

This is from the book The Good Citizen's Alphabet by Bertrand Russell, with illustrations by Franciszka Themerson. (Written in 1970) L is for LIBERTY in this picture.

I took it through a link provided by Chris Floyd in his very good article Bearing False Witness: A New Tool for Authoritarians.
In this article Floyd explains that Florida has a bill, where if it is passed, police will be able to tamper with evidence (by rewriting history) and he calls it JebWorld. Jeb may not be Governor, but this is not a good sign.

Now before you think JebWorld is Rational and Liberty means the right to obey the police, please realize the definitions are meant as a joke.

Ron's 35 Questions

2007-02-18T15:04:00.000-05:00

In 2002 Ron Paul asked 35 questions that should be answered before the U.S. went into Iraq. Anyone thinking about invading Iran should read these.

Dick Cheney Board Member

2007-02-16T16:56:00.000-05:00

After my blog showed up on a search for Cheney and their board memberships, I searched for other sources. Here is one:

http://www.newsmakingnews.com/archive7,24,00,7,29,00.htm#CHENEY%20AND%20THE%20MORGAN%20STANLEY%20GROUP

He was on Stanley Morgan in 1995.

From site:

CHENEY AND THE MORGAN STANLEY GROUP
MORGAN STANLEY GROUP INC /DE/DEF 14A filed on 4/26/95Dick CheneyMr. Cheney, age 54, has been a senior fellow of the American Enterprise Institute, a public policy research organization, since January 1993. He served as Secretary of Defense of the United States from March 1989 to January 1993 and as a member of the United States House of Representatives from January 1979 to March 1989. Mr. Cheney is also a director of IGI, Inc., The Proctor & Gamble Company, Union Pacific Corporation, and U.S. West, Inc. Mr. Cheney has been a director of the Company since June 1993.The other nominees for election as directors and a brief biography of each nominee are listedbelow. There are no family relationships among any directors, executive officers or nominees.

Not in there is that he quit the Board of Perot's EDS in 2000 to run for VP.

This information will help in drawing conclusions and making hypothesises.

Rule Of Law

2007-02-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

I have been mentioning "The Rule of Law." Others talk about the rule of law in Iraq but mean a police state.

What should it mean?

It means government limited by constitution. It means a separation of powers in the State. And it means everyone is treated the same according to a law that is written. This law should protect us from force and fraud.

Ron Paul says in his latest writing, Political Power and the Rule of Law:

Our constitutional system, by contrast, was designed to restrain political power and place limits on the size and scope of government. It is this system, the rule of law, which we should celebrate – not political victories.

Thank you Ron for running for President.

What is Unspoken in "Unspeak"

2007-02-05T19:08:00.000-05:00

A little book I figured to rifle through looking for secrets of the enemy turned out to be a great libertarian read. Yes, Unspeak by the Englishman living in Paris, Steven Poole, says what cannot be said by an American or he would have to have his blog registered for sure.

One delightful bit of information is how the U.S. denies using napalm even though we see the melted skin of Iraqis. Napalm is banned internationally. But the U.S. substituted kerosene for petrol, calls this 'Mark 77 firebombs' (quotes are in Steven's English style) and the U.S. is not criminal. Troops still call it napalm.

You may have noticed how libertarian writers use the words mercantilism, "internal improvements" and "American System" followed by corporate welfare. Mr. Poole writes about the word corporate: (I put it in red.)

Most radical of all the attempts by business to insinuate itself into pre-existing civil vocabularies was the borrowing of the term 'corporation'. It originally meant a political grouping of people united along local-government, religious, or other lines. Its first use in a commercial sense came in the US, noted by Charles Dickens in 1842. The word literally means embodiment. By the process of 'incorporation', the company becomes flesh, and is understood in law to be a person. Conversely, the rhetorical attitude of corporations to their workers took a dehumanising turn: remember how the phrase 'human resources' implies that people are undifferentiable assets that can be used up and replaced. Thus, by means of Unspeak, businesses became people, and people became fungible matter.

I won't go into 14th Amendment arguments here.

In the interesting arguments that Paine produced with his Rights of Man came the libertarian definition of crime that the late Johnnie Sancedio loved so much, and Poole explains it contrasting it with what is to be taken in Iraq for freedom:

... This contrasts with the classical liberal view of freedom as one thing, hedged around by law but homogeneous, in terms both of the set of 'rights' it affords individuals, and the relationship of each individual to everyone else, so that unjustly to curtail one person's freedom is an insult to all. The growth of civil rights - or, if you prefer, the march of freedom - thus consists not in adding extra discrete freedoms to those we already have, but in approaching ever more closely to the ideal of this one big freedom, defined by Thomas Paine simply as 'the power of doing whatever does not injure another.'

Now I purposely reference a FOX News guy, Judge Andrew Napolitano below, to explain how Natural Law's "Rule of Law" is slipping away in the U.S. to a positivist horror.

This is because, from a book which has too much TRUTH - YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! - I would like to quote a silly phrase from a FOX guy.

...which, as you will remember, hosts Bill O'Reilly's denunciations of civil libertarians as 'terrorists', refuses to call US Marines snipers because it sounds too violent,...

I here want to focus on old Bill calling civil libertarians terrorists. What if a civil libertarian said, "kill Bill"? Then he would not be a civil libertarian. By definition a civil libertarian cannot be a terrorist and a terrorist cannot be a civil libertarian. Now if terrorist meant freedom fighter....

One last shot by me. Madison by Garry Wills is a terrible book. But it does show how Neocons are using circular arguments. He uses encroachments on freedom by Wilson and FDR, popular yet oh so evil, to make the excesses of the Alien and Sedition Acts look okay. Now we see Cheney and Rumsfeld speaking of the beloved Lincoln, evil incarnate (how about evil incorporated), saying if old Abe could be a tyrant, why not our beloved W.

If you can handle more humor, this guy mocks Madison for calling for Hamilton's impeachment. He does this without mentioning the cause. (The cause was Hamilton stealing money appropriated for one thing and spending it on another.) Only read this book if you are very well read on Madison.

Turn to Unspeak. It should be hated by Ds and Rs. (It got a so-so to poor review by Labour.)

http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1706247,00.html

http://www.amazon.com/James-Madison-Presidents-Garry-Wills/dp/0805069054

http://www.amazon.com/Unspeak-Weapons-Message-Becomes-Reality/dp/0802118259

Karen Kwiatkowski Gets It

2007-02-02T11:24:00.000-05:00

Yes, Karen in her article today has a link to the Mises video and notes how the Federal Reserve is stealing money from the owners of the country.

No shit on this: Karen mentions the $2 trillion going into Iraq. When I mentioned this to my pal Scott before the "war" he said, "That's a lot of money."

That is a lot of money. If you did not catch that we will be staying in Iraq until Stanley-Morgan says we can go - they control the eight largest banks in Iraq - (See the letter below) - you can read a great article in Playboy here. It tells that Cheney was not only on the board of Halliburton, but he was on the board of Stanley-Morgan. Wife Lynn was on the board of Lockheed and daughter Liz (the straight one) and her hubby are lobbyists for Lockheed. A great story. (Although Scott may believe none of it.)

Something else you may not believe is a story coming out about the Najaf Battle. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has been portrayed by the western (American) press as a great man. He is a nutty Shiite. According to this story, the battle was to kill a "growing Shia-Sunni unity in the area."

From the article:

Many southern Shia Arabs do not follow Iranian-born cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. They believe the religious leadership should be kept in the hands of Arab clerics. Al-Hatami and al-Khazaali are two major tribes that do not follow Sistani.
Tribal members from both believe the attack was launched by the central government of Baghdad to stifle growing Shia-Sunni unity in the area.

This story is believable because the muppet (yes the U.S. government has its hand up their ass) government of Iraq wants the destruction of anything civil in the country. I believe this will eventually include the Kurds, who the U.S. not only protects but is counting on.

Well, believe this story or not, how long before the government of exiles breaks up? (Eleven of the twelve "leaders" were not in Iraq before the war - and the U.S. government neocons love Chalabi an embezzler and Iyad Alawi a child killing terrorist.) I figure about six months. Expect something after the fourth of July. Yet we are already recycling the evil ones because we don't have willing leaders like we did in Nam where we killed about seven leaders. Let's give the Neocons credit on this one, Iraq and Vietnam are different!

Links:

http://forums.appleinsider.com/archive/index.php/t-43604.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/post_saddam_iraq/html/secgroups_iyad_alawi.stm

http://www.countercurrents.org/iraq-jamail020207.htm

http://www.playboy.com/magazine/features/lockheed/index.html

http://www.lewrockwell.com/kwiatkowski/kwiatkowski172.html

Another Video

2007-02-01T17:16:00.000-05:00

The Monopoly Men is a video that adds more information to what most of us already know. My good friend Scott seemed to think I was kidding or was misled about the federal reserve.

Yes, even when we have a midnight Congress voting on things they dare not in the light of day. Keeping open the vote - until arms are twisted to help sell out our country. Yes, even a very intelligent person like Scott is buying the crap of our so-called leaders. (And he is paying a great price.)

This video suggests that War Of The Worlds was a test of mind control. With a government testing air flow for viruses in our subways and killing the problems, this is very plausible.

Scott is not really naive. That's his soul riding that ostrich - too busy to see the protest of the staged "depression" of the 1930s.

Is this all true? I do not know about the specifics of this particular video. But the main facts are true and the mention of C.A. warms my heart.

If you haven't seen Aaron Russo's movie Freedom to Fascism, I ask you to watch. (It is less than 2 hours.)

Spread this information around. This is the education Jefferson said was needed for a democracy (or republic) to exist.

And Scott, time to wake up and find out what is really going on.

Ron Paul for President

2007-01-19T13:14:00.000-05:00

Republicans have John McCain a front runner for President whose mind seems more battered than his body. Liberal Rudy Guiliani talks like brain matter sloshing around in his head is spilling out. Chuck Hagel seems to talk like a populist but he also votes like a big government, corporate whore. Tom Coburn was impressive as a Congressman, but since moving to the Senate Tom has supported "stay the course" in Iraq and in September 2006 had nothing but praise for Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. Lying down with dogs has given Dr. Coburn fleas. Am I the only person who expects these guys to earn their pay?

Meanwhile, the Democrats have nothing but jokes running for the highest office in the land. Hillary and Obama seem to be the tops, but Senators haven't won that spot since JFK; just ask President (JFK) Kerry. And the big commentary here should be how terrible Illinois candidates have been. Obama beat a very nutty Alan Keyes, and before Durbin? was Carol Moseley Braun.

I have been watching Dr. Ron Paul since his run for President in 1988. I voted for him that year. As he has been writing his position papers since I talked with him, and his presentation has improved.

Lies about Congressman Paul are spread by Democrats and Republicans. He is a grassroots candidate in that his support more and more is from individuals around the country (over 96% in 06). I am very impressed that his supporters don't need "Talking Points."

He is the only man for the poor and working class and opposes monopolies. I do not know all his positions, but I assure you they are well thought out. I have seen him on many videos and he is often mentioned in articles by those who support freedom.

The praise I've been seeing in the last few days is tremendous. (Not by the corporate press, but by those who are in the know.) Here a blogger includes Aaron Russo's endorsement and has a link to Aaron's movie, a must see:

http://www.jeremyryan.org/

Steven Yates at www.newswithviews.com has an article on Ron's exploration.

Tommy Thompson and Ms. Rice may have the support of Gods, but Ron Paul represents "The People" and "The Peoples Article" (Bill of Rights) and 2008 may just be the election where The People flex their muscles.

Once a week Ron gives a toll free short comment (changes by Monday) at:

1-888-322-1414

Feel free to listen to his message and comment here.

The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek

2007-01-12T15:13:00.000-05:00

A bit too advanced for many, I will give a brief summary (synopsis) of each chapter.

Hayek examines how Germany devolved from believing in the liberty Mills wrote about in On Liberty to the sick fascist state of 1944. In so doing, he uncovers some disappointing truths that apply to politics and governments. That these horrors must have some connection to being human is a weight that presses uncomfortably on the modern soul.

This will let you reference a Nobel Prize winner who may have the same opinions as yourself. Coming of age before the Thatcher era, Hayek was influential in rolling back the socialist excesses of the British. Let's hope we can vote out the socialism that led Germany to its perversion. Or is it too late?

1 The Abandoned Road

Free enterprise did not fail, it wasn't tried. In attempts at a greater good, man has worsened his condition; Germany, Russia, Italy, and now England are examples.

This quote, "The attitude of the liberal (read that libertarian today) toward society is like that of a gardener who tends a plant and, in order to create the conditions most favorable to its growth, must know as much as possible about its structure and the way it functions." helps lead me to believe libertarians believe in all government minus failed government.

Hayek points out that for 200 years the freedom of England was spread around the world. Then 1870 to 1944 socialism spread from the East and it was perfected in England. British and American capitalism and freedom became uncool.

2 The Great Utopia

The attempt at making life heavenly through government has created hell instead.

Socialism was to be the equal distribution of wealth but it becomes Stalinism and some consider it worse than fascism. Hayek refutes that communism and fascism are opposites. They are brothers. Brothers of tyranny.

3 Individualism and Collectivism

The good intentions of socialist planning lead to tyrannical governance. Planning becomes central as opposed to laissez faire. This can also be contrasted with the libertarian little platoons where the individual is more important than the collective.

"Atomistic" competition with private property is contrasted with central direction and controlled monopolies. The idea of a middle ground (third way) is just a dream. (Havel wrote on this.)

Hayek quote - "Although competition can bear some admixture of regulation, it cannot be combined with planning to any extent we like without ceasing to operate as an effective guide to production. ...Or, to express it differently, planning and competition can be combined only by planning for competition but not by planning against competition."

The argument of this book is to remember it is against "the planning against competition - the planning which is to be substituted for competition." Today we see a real problem with oil. The monopoly plays with regulations and prices. (Perhaps prices are historically low, but compare it with cars or computers.)

4 The "Inevitability" of Planning

An interesting observation here is that Hayek does not believe in "economy of scale." Nor does he believe that economies of size necessitate a monopoly. What looks to be economy of scale is just an agreement for monopoly as opposed to competition. Screw the planning as it will fail and go with competition for the best results of low price, quality, and availability.

5 Planning and Democracy

The state cannot plan well for the individual. Common goals are not often the same ultimate goals. This is especially true of economic concerns. Socialism is only considered during economic chaos like the hyperinflation of Germany before Hitler.

Liberty is the ultimate end and the means of democracy should be used to achieve liberty.

Planning leads to dictatorship because it is effective at its goal by using suppression of freedom.

6 Planning and the Rule of Law

Governments are limited by the Rule of Law, no ex post facto laws and rich and poor must be treated the same. You can read about Rule by Law but Hayek claims the opposite of Rule of Law is Rule of Status. Advantage goes to the wealthy. Equal execution is more important than the content of the rule.

Central Europe proves that bad governments can detour around rights.

7 Economic Control and Totalitarianism

People hate political dictators but often want an economic dictator. Hayek concludes as the Hilaire Belloc quote, "The control of the production of wealth is the control of life itself."

Planning is no longer considered as productive as the free market but is considered a "more just and equitable distribution of wealth." Socialist offer freedom from economic care but in that they take the power of choice so real freedom is given up to the planners.

8 Who, Whom?

Once the planners take a little control it snowballs until they have full control. At a certain "tipping point" the "rulers" start controlling everything and everyone.

It was not Fascists but socialists who took children at young ages for indoctrination. Same with sports, games, and clubs. Distinguishing greetings and forms of address as well as organizing into "cells" for supervision of private life was all socialist. Uniforms and military party formation were started by socialists.

9 Security and Freedom

Although this chapter ends with the famous Franklin quote, it is out of context. Hayek is speaking of economic security and admits that, "...there can be no doubt that some minimum of food, shelter, and clothing, sufficient to preserve health and the capacity to work, can be assured to everybody." Beyond this "safety net" freedom is sacrificed when a minimum level of income is assured.

When the "planners" regulate activity and people are taught to command for government rather than make filthy profits, the poor are especially hurt and placed at a disadvantage.

10 Why the Worst Get on Top

Hayek gives three reasons:

1) Educated and intelligent have varied views and tastes. Lower moral and intellectual standards find a high degree of uniformity. A dictator will increase these numbers by converting others to his creed.

2) The docile and gullible will support the dictator. A ready-made system can be "drummed into" supporters.

and 3) Negatives of hate the enemy or envy those better off are used to bring unreserved allegiance of huge masses.

Minimize the power of man over man by decentralization. Separation of economic and political aims also gives individual freedom. Power in the individual cannot be complete power. Centralized power looks exactly like slavery.

A useful assistant in the totalitarian state must be prepared to break every moral rule he has known, must commit to the leader, have no ideals or ideas of right and wrong. "The only tastes which are satisfied are the taste for power as such and the pleasure of being obeyed and of being part of a well-functioning and immensely powerful machine to which everything else must give way."

Hayek continues, "...the readiness to do bad things becomes a path to promotion and power."

11 The End of Truth

Truth in politics and science must be collective in a totalitarian society. Only the individual can guide the growth of reason.

12 The Socialist Roots of Naziism

Hayek names some socialist philosophers from around the world other than Germany. Unlike Liberalism (libertarianism),and Democracy derived from individualism and limited government, the individual under socialism is the product of autocracy and militarism.

Begun in 1914, Germany's socialism fought against liberalism after the war. It was a fight against the "enemy" which united socialists and conservatives. Starting with the German Youth Movement, this philosophy spread to intellectuals by the late 20s. "Conservative Socialism" or "Religious Socialism" led to "National socialism."

Hayek was concerned (in 1944) that "conservative socialism" was becoming popular.

13 The Totalitarians in Our Midst

The Nazi horrors may make us overconfident that we could never do that. Yet we have socialists saying the same things Germans did in the 20s and don't see where these thoughts lead.

Monopolies are accepted by people who benefit from them and the rest stay silent. In fact, Britain's Labour party in favor of a planned society is leading the country down the wrong road.

14 Material Conditions and Ideal Ends

Maybe exceptions can be made in time of war but a planned system with destruction of wheat and coffee, the over control of patents, allows the idealist to destroy freedom and ultimately bring down the country.

Collectivism's destruction has been "both inevitable and undeniable." Restraints on selfishness we learn as individuals is unleashed when we become part of a collective. This collective is antimoral as the tolerant and independent individual is sacrificed.

15 The Prospects of International Order

A world federation will not work. Wealthy countries using machines will give dollars per man-hour an advantage over poorer nations. Countries with no "Rule of Law" will be disadvantaged. The "League of Nations" did not work so another federation is not likely to be of much benefit. But we should work against war independently.

16 Conclusion

Hayek explains this book was meant to tell of past mistakes and tell how to escape the troublesome path we appear to be traveling. (The Road to Serfdom) His last sentence is, "The guiding principle that a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy remains as true today as it was in the nineteenth century."

Charles Lindbergh Senior - "Why Is Your Country At War?"

2007-01-02T14:17:00.000-05:00

INTRODUCTION

"Why Is Your Country At War?" by Charles A. Lindbergh senior written in 1917. (published in July) It was banned (copies burned and the plates destroyed) and the pocket sized version I read was falling apart. On line here lacking the picture of his beautiful daughter and granddaughter.

An article from "American Opinion" (now "THE NEW AMERICAN" from the John Birch Society) gives their very similar view here.

I was impressed with C.A.'s (He was called C. A. and that is what I will use from now on to refer to senior.) quotes and will use them to aid my explanation.

A book you can get through inter-library loan is C.A.'s 1913 book, "Banking Currency and The Money Trust", 318 pages. It explains the Federal Reserve Act and the troubles it will bring. The 1917 book, "Why Is Your Country At War?" follows up on the Fed Reserve scam and shows war profiteering by quoting profits of record. (something like today's http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/)

C.A. wanted a book to tell the average voter what was going on in simple language. Perhaps not so simple to today's readers, but worth knowing about none the less because we see the same things happening today.

CONTENT

On page 70 he mentions we are working more hours for less.

Page 82 - C.A. quotes a Lincoln letter to Mr. Elkins of Illinois. He seems to have helped in making Lincoln a hero (is C.A. naive or political?) whose transformation into a God amazed H.L Mencken. Quote: " ...As a result of the war corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before in the midst of the war."

Quote from the Hazard Circular - a letter from an agent of the English money loaners:
"Slavery is likely to be abolished by the war power and all chattel slavery abolished. This I and my European friends are in favor of, for slavery is but the owning of labor and carries with it the care of the laborers, while the European plan led by England, is that capital shall control labor and wages."
Employers will not have to pay for sickness or retirement.

Page 83 has a less "naive" C.A. quoting Jefferson on banking institutions being more dangerous than standing armies. This may be a slight misquote substituting "institutions" for "establishments" and a letter to John Tyler perhaps should be John Taylor, in a letter of May 28, 1816.
(dictionary of American quotes 1997: "Banking establishments are more danerous than standing armies" to John Taylor May 28,1816)

In a Jefferson letter to Monroe we have:
"We are completely saddled and bridled, and the bank is so firmly mounted on us that we must go where they ill guide."

From Jefferson writings:
"All eyes are opening to the rights of man. The general spread of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred ready to ride them legitimately by the grace of god."

C.A. gives us the Ruskin quote Americans should hear everyday the U.S. carries debt:
"National debts paying interest are simply the purchase of the rich of the power to tax the poor."

Starting in Chapter IV we see that there are EXPLOITERS taking from toilers who do the work of the country. He gets his statistics from a Wisconsin professor:
50 years previous - 98% owned greater than 95% of wealth
Now (1917) - 2% owned greater than 60% of wealth

We see a similar trend in this century. In a very practical book everyone should read, Your Bank is Ripping You Off, 1997, the author mentions the Federal Reserve Act and then mentions that the banking industry employs 2% of the population yet they own 31% of the nations wealth. (This author may also explain better than C.A. that the Fed's prime rate is theft from the borrower to the super rich. Of course every one gets burned when a country falls into debt and this scheme just adds to that humiliation. Debt to foreign nations saps credit to Americans.) This author also mentions the Glass-Steagall Act which came from an investigation of the Crash of 1929 and it stopped banks from corporate underwriting. Now Paul Volcker and Alan Greenspan want more "freedom." This author correctly has the fortitude to disagree with these highly respected men.

On a world basis we are seeing that 2% owns half the wealth and what is different in this study is that if you have more debt than assets this gives zero wealth.

In a good book by a communist leaning fellow, James W. Loewen writes in Lies My Teacher Told Me, 2005, 1% own almost 40% of the wealth.

C.A. wasn't afraid to say we were tricked into war and wanted people to join the Non-Partisan Organization (League) to vote for economic reform (against the Federal Reserve) and against war.

He warned the Big Business owned press will call you a radical and obstructionist if you tell the truth.

He wrote neither of these parties which were, "...led and manipulated by an 'invisible government' is fit to manage the destinies of a great people...."

Called for bankers to be off the banking committee, predicted foreign loans would put the U.S. into the foreign war, and said special interests funded both parties.

C.A. mentions the "trick" they use to stay in power. By giving small amounts of stocks, bonds, and other interests to get small holders to vote for special priviledge the theft continues.

Patriotism is also used as a trick. C.A. writes, "Patriotism is worth nothng to the special interests except when it supports its system."

C.A. wrote don't be fooled, you must support "a true reform of our economic system."

WHAT SHALL WE DO ABOUT IT?

Put transportation, mail, telephone and all natural monopolies under government control. (Not very libertarian)

Less military (war is unpatriotic) and more education - KNOWLEDGE is the key.

VOTE - or all the wealth will go to corporations. (We may be seeing this with another controlled depression that will sap the wealth of many Americans.)

ECONOMIC REFORM TO END WARS - (Kill the Fed. The wealthy may know all these facts. Author Gore Vidal, of the Kennedy clan, and their compound in Florida, outs the elites in Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace. (Insight from an insider?)

From C.A.: "Mankind is not reformed by punishment, and very seldom by force...." With a just economic system we can, "conquer the world and win the respect of all mankind."

He wanted, "...an equal opportunity for all and special privilege to none."

Greatest victory would be to get out of that system - meaning to stop the exploiters' stealing from consumers.

CONCLUSION

C.A. is saying, VOTE to make CHANGE which would be ECONOMIC REFORMS - END THE FEDERAL RESERVE which would stop the stealing by the elites and end unnecessary WAR.

Aside from these benefits, the respect of other nations is also needed today.

We still have UNDERLINGS doing the work of EXPLOITERS who benefit from the sweat of the TOILERS. Only the names have changed.

LINKS USED IN THIS BLOG:

Site with Lindbergh book:
http://judicial-inc.biz/Lindbergh.htm

John Birch view:
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22787621_ITM

More of the Hazard Circular in this article:
http://www.honestmoneyreport.com/archives/2004/112204.htm

Your Bank Is Ripping You Off:
http://www.amazon.com/Your-Bank-Ripping-You-Off/dp/0312152469

2% Owns half the Wealth:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6211250.stm

Lies My Teacher Told Me
http://www.amazon.com/Lies-My-Teacher-Told-Everything/dp/0684818868

Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace:
http://www.amazon.com/Perpetual-War-Peace-Gore-Vidal/dp/156025405X

Why the U.S. will stay in Iraq

2006-12-29T11:48:00.000-05:00

Sent this to Max on December 5, 2006. Not printed yet perhaps because it is anti-corporate or uses the word Nigger. I think Max may believe we will leave in the next two or three years.

Most Americans say leave Iraq. Most Iraqis say the U.S. should leave. But the U.S. will stay for quite a while.

This paragraph will seem as out of place as the arguments from the left and the right, but wait for the connection. When young folks blame the poor for not working as hard as they should, I point out that we should look at the name on the food stamp card and admit that that is who benefits from the program.

Here is the connection. The name on the back of the food stamp card is the same one in charge of the eight largest banks in Iraq. This name was also involved with the set up of the Federal Reserve.

Let the rich steal our money to steal the Iraqi oil. We have important things to debate; like banning the word Nigger, gay marriage, and flag burning.

Didn't Jefferson warn of something more dangerous than standing armies? Didn't Jackson say there will be Jackson and no National Bank or a National Bank and no Jackson?

Americans need to do more than watch the news the week before an election.

In Liberty,

Ed Gluck

P.S.: Morgan Bank is the name.

Perhaps Morgan-Stanley would be more correct or more current.

Lilly, wasn't Gov. Daniels a CEO there?

2006-12-23T15:19:00.000-05:00

Sent this to Maxx and Tavel:

Taxing smokers. Next the obese. But where does it come from? Read this.

Ed Gluck, Terre Haute

http://countercurre nts.org/pringle2 31206.htm

Court Allows Eli Lilly To Bury Zyprexa Documents
By Evelyn Pringle

23 December, 2006Countercurrents. org

Alaskan attorney, Jim Gottstein, says that after being served with a mandatory injunction, he has returned the internal Eli Lilly documents that he obtained in litigation and provided to the New York Times to the court.
Information from the documents related to Lilly's antipsychotic drug, Zypexa, was highlighted two days in a row in front-page articles in the Times
The documents reveal the illegal marketing schemes used by Lilly to make Zyprexa its best-seller, which the company has managed to keep hidden for years by entering into out of court settlements in civil lawsuits which included confidentiality clauses and by getting judges to place the documents under protective orders to shield them from public view.
For instance, the documents under seal here are from a case where Lilly entered into an out-of-court settlement in June 2005, and agreed to pay $690 million to cover claims by about 8000 Zyprexa victims. But in order to get paid, the plaintiffs were required to sign a confidentiality clause and basically keep their mouths shut about Zyprexa from then on.
Its really comical the way Lilly keeps acting all indignant over the disclosure of these documents as if they contain brand new charges, when the company has been under federal and state investigations related to its off-label marketing of Zyprexa for several years already. The company is also facing Medicaid fraud charges in lawsuits all over the county.
In 1996, Zyprexa was approved for the treatment of adults with schizophrenia, and a few years later, it was approved for short-term treatment of adults with manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder.
Yet despite these extremely limited approved uses, Zyprexa went on to become the top selling antipsychotic worldwide with an estimated 20 million people having used the drug and Lilly’s best-selling product, with $4.2 billion in sales in 2005, which translates into 30% of its total revenues.
The documents provided to Times, span a decade and clearly show that the company promoted off-label the sale of Zyprexa for uses not approved by the FDA as being safe and effective. They also reveal that Lilly knew about Zyprexa's link to drastic weight gain and diabetes for years but failed to inform prescribing doctors and consumers.
In fact according to the Times, Lilly knowingly distributed false information to doctors about the risks as late as 2001. On December 21, 2006, the Times reported that the information provided to doctors about the blood-sugar risks of Zyprexa did not match data circulated inside the company after a review of Lilly's clinical trials.
The Times quotes a Lilly report from November, 1999, that shows that after examining 70 clinical trials, Lilly found that 16% of patients taking Zyprexa for a year had gained over 66 pounds. But instead of making these findings public, the company used data from a smaller group of trials that showed roughly 30% of Zypexa patients gained 22 pounds. Mr Gottstein is not involved in the case in which the judge issued a protective order In re: Zyprexa Products Liability litigation, MDL No. 1596, United States District Court, Eastern District of New York (MDL 1596), "in any manner whatsoever," he says.
He is the leader of, "The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights) , a public interest law firm devoted to the defense of people facing forced psychiatric drugging against their will.
Currently, Mr Gottstein represents an Alaskan patient and says the injunction will prevent him from using the Lilly documents to show that the side effects of Zyprexa are well-established by the company's own clinical trials and therefore, his client should not be forced to take such drugs against his will.
In Myers v Alaska Psychiatric Institute, 138 P.3d 238 (Alaska 2006), a case argued by Mr Gottstein last summer, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that Alaska's forced drugging procedures were unconstitutional because they did not require the court to find such drugging to be in the person's best interests, and that there were no less restrictivealternatives.
In order to present the evidence in the case he is handling now, Mr Gottstein is looking to the Alaskan courts to issue a ruling that says his client's right to avoid forced drugging outweighs Lilly's right to keep the information about risks hidden.
He says the documents are highly relevant to a court inquiry, now required in Alaska, before a court can make an informed decision about whether to order forced drugging for his client.
In a December 17, 2006, letter to the court in the New York case, Mr Gottstein stated: "In large part, this state of affairs has been created by the lies told by the manufacturers of psychiatric drugs."
"My impression is," he wrote, "that Eli Lilly's lies about Zyprexa form the basis of the plaintiffs' claims in MDL 1596, but that is not PsychRights' focus."
"PsychRights' focus," he explained, "is helping people avoid being forcibly drugged pursuant to court orders, where the courts have been, in my view, duped by Eli Lilly and other pharmaceutical company prevarications. "
"In my view," Mr Gottstein concluded, "the proper disposition of the question would be in favor of my client's right to inform the court of the extreme harm caused by Zyprexa, which Eli Lilly has successfully hidden for so long, while making its billions off the pill."
A court hearing was held in Brooklyn, New York, on a December 18, 2006, on a motion by Lilly, asking the court to order Mr Gottstein to the return the documents to the court, and to bar him from disseminating them any further.
According to the transcript, Lilly also asked the court to require Mr Gottstein to "preserve all emails and all correspondence of any kind, whether it's voice mail, written letters, emails, so that we can pursue a contempt proceeding against both he and Dr Egilman."
Even though the Lilly documents prove that the company knew that Zyprexa was causing diabetes, and kept pushing the drug anyways, potentially harming millions more patients, the judges gave Mr Gottstein hell and threatened to find him in contempt for doing nothing more than warning the public about the side effects of Zyprexa after Lilly concealed the information for a decade.
There is not one single word in the transcripts about Lilly knowingly injuring and killing people with Zyprexa or illegally pushing the drug to unwitting victims for off-label use.
Instead, Judge Brian Cogan, granted Lilly's motion, and told Mr Gottstein's attorney that his client, "deliberately aided and abetted Dr Egilman in getting these documents released from the restriction that they were under, under the protective order. He knew what he was doing, and he did it deliberately. "
Judge Cogan went on to tell the attorney, "your client should be on notice that of this moment, he is under a mandatory injunction to return those documents ... to take them down from any websites that he may have posted them on, and to take any reasonable effort to recover them from any sites or persons to which he has delivered them."
On December 18, 2006, at an earlier telephone conference in Brooklyn, Judge Roane Mann also did not utter one word about Lilly's illegal conduct, but instead admonished Mr Gottstein for not playing fair with poor Eli Lilly in making the information about Zyprexa public, stating:
"I personally am not in a position to order you to return the documents. I can't make you return them but I can make you wish you had because I think this is highly improper not only to have obtained the documents on short notice without Lilly being advised of the amendment but then to disseminate them publicly before it could be litigated. It certainly smacks as bad faith."
These judges apparently believe that an expert, such as Dr David Egilman, who is hired to review documents in a case and subsequently learns that people are being seriously injured and killed, should be forced to keep that knowledge a secret if a judge issues a protective order.
There is something very wrong with this picture. It begs the question of how can an ethical doctor not speak if he knows that patients are being harmed
The reason always cited for the need to keep documents under seal is the claim that the information contains trade secrets. However, just as Lilly has done here, drug companies have for too long been abusing the process by using protective orders to hide illegal conduct by concealing documents that show the company is illegally promoting the off-label use of a drug or that a drug can cause serious injuries or that a drug does not work.
In a case like this, if a court truly does not have a choice and is required to seal documents even when they show blatant illegal conduct on the part of a drug company, then Congress had better get busy and pass a law to stop the use the US court system to protect what could very easily be described as corporate murder.
In response to an earlier article on this issue, reader Larry Bone wrote and asked this author, "Is the corruption on this so widespread that no one would dare prosecute?"
"It is criminal behavior," he points out, "on a huge scale that is being virtually totally ignored by the authorities responsible for the public safety."
"I just feel," Mr Bone wrote, "that there has to be an attorney or someone in a judicial or ethical capacity who would have the guts, and persistence to prosecute Lilly."
"It seems incredibly ridiculous," he states, "let alone obscene, that such blatant wrongdoing seemingly continues to be ignored by the legal authorities with jurisdiction over these sorts of cases."
"If these companies believe they have done nothing wrong," he says, "then let them prove their innocence in court."
Ellen Liversridge also wants a criminal investigation of Lilly. She lost her 30-year-old son, Rob, to the adverse effects of the drug. "He gained almost 100 pounds while taking Zyprexa," Ellen says.
"Rob lapsed into a coma," she recalls, "and died of profound hyperglycemia four days later on October 5, 2002."
"I believe that the people who did this should have a criminal trial," Ellen says. "Enron executives went to prison for wiping out people's life savings," she points out.
"Lilly executives should go to prison," she says, "for knowingly being responsible for people's deaths, shattered families; ruined and grieving families."
Ellen has nothing but praise for the New York Times and its source. "I am grateful to Jim Gottstein for making available this awful truth and hope it results in justice being done."
"If there can ever be justice for a crime as heinous as this," she adds.
Daniel Haszard, of Bangor Maine, feels the same way. In 1996, he was prescribed Zyprexa off-label to supposedly treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and he remained on the drug for 4 years.
Although he paid $250 a month for the drug, Mr Haszard says the drug did not relieve his symptoms of PTSD at all and in early 2000, he was diagnosed with diabetes.
He was shocked to hear the diagnosis, he said, because there was no history of diabetes in his family. Just as thousands of other Zyprexa victims, Mr Haszard did not make the connection between his diabetes and the drug until he saw a commercial for a law firm in December 2005.
Zyprexa causes diabetes, he says, and public health programs are left to pick up the tab for the medial expenses. According to Mr Haszard, "there are now 7 states going after Lilly for fraud and restitution, " related to the promotion of Zyprexa for off-label use and the concealment of its risks.
Dr Stefan Kruszewski, MD, a Harvard trained, certified psychiatrist in adult, adolescent, and geriatric psychiatry, from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, also finds Lilly's conduct appalling.
"Neither health professionals nor consumers," he states, "can accurately provide information about the risk and benefits of a drug like Zyprexa - or any drug for any condition - without a comprehensive awareness of the risks and benefits."
"If the clinical research data regarding effectiveness, efficacy or safety is sequestered or misrepresented from observation studies, randomized drug trials or meta-analyses, " he says, "then it is not possible for any provider to give any patient what he or she needs to make an informed consent."
"At that point," Dr Kruszewski says, "individuals receive drugs that may or may not help them, but always at their own peril."
"Zyprexa causes both a severe metabolic syndrome consisting of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular problems," Dr Kruszewski advises, "at the same time that it continues to cause neurological side-effects like the older antipsychotics. "
"Zyprexa and its antipsychotics cousins," he explains, "were marketed to be safer and easier to tolerate because the pharmaceutical companies said that the newer drugs caused fewer neurological injuries, like restlessness or ‘akathesia,’ and tardive dyskinesia."
Those assertions are false he says, and "what we have now is a drug whose massive revenues and promotion are based upon faulty disclosures by Eli Lilly."
(Evelyn Pringle evelyn-pringle@ sbcglobal. net is a columnist for OpEd News and an investigative journalist focused on exposing corruption in government and corporate America)
"When the government fears the people, there is liberty.
When the people fear the government, there is tyranny...."
Thomas Jefferson
visit: www.lpvc.blogspot. com
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Thomas Paine

2006-11-21T16:10:00.000-05:00

I usually refer to reviews by Amazon.com for books but for "Thomas Paine" by Craig Nelson I refer to a review by Edward J. Dodson. It may just be too early for good reviews at other places. I am not familiar with the www.cooperativeindividualism.org/ but it does look interesting. Like the review by Dodson, it looks a little to Anglo for me. (Therefore I do not now recommend his course.)

I do agree with Dodson that Nelson may miss at his interpertation of background. What is good about this book is that it comes close to placing Paine in the "good" camp. Madison, Jefferson, Mason and Paine are the "good" guys. Hamilton, Adams, and Washington are the "bad" guys.

This book has valuable information that can also be found in American Aurora. To understand American beginnings these books should be along side Hogeland's The Whiskey Rebellion and Leonard L. Richards' book, Shays's Rebellion. They represent a change in writers from slamming the "slave holders" to seeing big government mercantilists for the thieves they were. We can only hope freedom loving founders will continue to be portrayed honestly.

Here is an excellent paragraph from page 334. These authors lean left and worship "progressives" at times. But their history beats the lies of the "interested" mercantilists.:

"In at least the United States today, however, that coalition seems to have come to an end, with the Adams-Hamilton style of government triumphant, as even American news anchor Walter Cronkite admitted in 2005: 'the ruling class is the rich, who really command our industry, our commerce, and our finance. And those people are so able to manipulate our democracy that they really control the democracy.' While Franklin, Paine, and Jefferson would be crestfallen that the modern-day American federal government is the reserve of a new aristocracy -- multimillionaire plutocrats and their corporate sponsors -- Adams and Hamilton would be just as shocked to learn that their admired ruling elite no longer even pretends to lives of virtue."

I would call those with a lack of virtue not plutocrats (rule by the rich) but oligarchs (rule by oppressors in favor of a class system).

Lincoln Unmasked

2006-11-13T15:53:00.000-05:00

LINCOLN UNMASKED by Thomas J. Di Lorenzo is a scholarly work written at a level for college graduates. Teachers need to read this book and put it into language children can understand.

What makes this a great book is that Di Lorenzo links the damage Lincoln did, with the damage happening today. He correctly links the neocon's references to Lincoln with strange beliefs that his (Lincoln's) misdeeds make today's atrocities forgivable.

An excellent link is his case that Lincoln ended the Independent Treasury System in 1862 with his greenbacks thus bringing back the National Bank in 1863. (in essence) The nonbacked greenbacks caused fantastic inflation. It should not be a surprise that in 1863 coins were issued with "In God We Trust" on them. We certainly could not trust the government to make real money. So much for our pious "conservatives" and their "God is on money."

This book is highly recommended.

Back to School

2006-10-16T12:22:00.000-05:00

Heard from the School board candidates - Alpa Patel and Rosemarie Scott.

Ms. Patel is a lawyer and looks like a good candidate.

I talked with Mrs. Scott and will vote for her.
Perhaps of some interest to voters - registered for candidacy:

Patel 8-24
Scott 8-22

(Information thanks to Sandy at the Clerk's office.)

Why War?

2006-10-16T12:21:00.000-05:00

Mark Fiore has the answer here:

http://www.markfiore.com/animation/profiteer.html

IN Senate Race

2006-10-13T15:05:00.000-05:00

Here's some info:

Vote for Lugar if you like this:

On illegal tuition:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/677109/posts

On the 2nd Amendment:
http://www.bendomenech.com/blog/archives/000294.html

On Teacher money:
http://www.lugar2006.com/egov/docs/1147900514362.htm

If you can think, vote for Steve Osborn.

John Birch Society Members' books not bad

2006-10-11T13:16:00.000-05:00

G. Edward Griffin's book, "The Creature From Jekyll Island" and James Perloff's book, "The Shadows of Power" are very informative. Written by John Birchers they tell a story of the take over of the U.S. government by the wealthy insiders.

The Birchers seem a little obsessed with the Commies. The real enemies are the people in control. This may seem more obvious in today's world. The New York Times and major news outlets refuse to acknowledge Libertarian candidates and mention a Republican who is a write-in candidate. Notice that they will mention "Establishment" candidates like the "Independent" from CONnecticut. (LIEberman the socialist-warmonger) (Many journalists are listed as part of the 'organization' - Council on Foreign Relations -CFR - and this is seen today.)

Birchers seem to love God a little too much. Makes us wonder if the Pope mates with the new Establishment - and popes have been the Establishment - will the Birchers follow that leader.

Still, these are good books for listing the enemies of "The People" and the Constitution. They list the enemy as Globalists. This may be the most correct term for the enemy. George Soros is rich and hasn't figured out exactly who the enemy is, but seems less of a Globalist. This may be an illusion as the Neocons are so big government Hitler and Stalin look like good alternatives. So the liberals don't look so bad, . . . today. And of course the Birchers were ahead of their time and may continue to be ahead of the curve. This they have also found out can be dangerous. (My counter to this is to always be on the front page if you can.)

A good quote from Perloff, "James Madison said: 'The accumulation of all power - legislative, executive, and judiciary - in the same hands . . . may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.'"

A change in the U.S. House (at the least) is welcome from most of us who cherish liberty.

For full disclosure G. Edward Griffin has worked with Aaron Russo on his latest release - "From Freedom to Fascism" and I support Aaron. Still this book "Creature" should be read by every American.

25 considered worst than Lugar

2006-10-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

At http://www.beyonddelay.org/ we can see some of the dirtiest U.S. reps.

I asked about our filthy Lugar and eagerly await a reply.

I don't believe there are 25 worst than Lugar. He hasn't been caught. Give me a Constitutionalist who steals, beats his wife, and sometimes kills, and he may get my vote. These globalists should find another country.

Wake up c-span!

2006-10-06T14:21:00.000-05:00

Due to a pathetic lack of coverage of one Libertarian candidate, I Posted this at Hammer of Truth:

Sent this letter to journal@c-span.org. Perhaps others can add their opinions.

Ed

Dear producers,

I’ve seen on Washington Journal and in a Cheney rally for a write-in candidate coverage of Delay’s old Congressional seat. Yet no mention of the Libertarian candidate Bob Smither. What’s the problem? I do not see this same noncoverage of all candidates polling second in U.S. Congressional Districts.

I hope you have Mr. Smither as a guest to make up for this terrible mistake.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/15313886.htm

Thanks for your prompt attention.

Ed Gluck, Terre Haute, IN

I'll post any reply from C-span.

Vigo School Board Elections

2006-08-29T12:33:00.000-05:00

It looks like two good candidates have challenged Tom in the race for school board. The other incumbents are unchallenged.

One challenger worked as a civil rights attorney and the other mentioned she was for the individual.

I would like to question these candidates before I choose between them.

Read more here: http://www.tribstar.com/local/local_story_240233835.html

BOOK REPORTS

2006-08-24T15:35:00.000-05:00

Constitution in Exile: By Judge Andrew Napolitano

This book, by a Fox News guy was surprisingly Libertarian. His first book leaned a little Republican, although I must say I enjoyed his attacks on Reno.

This book must be read by all because he gives an excellent explanation of the difference between Legal Positivism and Natural Law. If nailed down, I would say that all laws are agreements between men which sounds positivist, but I believe that agreement must be on laws that do not disturb individual freedom that does no harm to others. Napolitano captures this thought of our founders. (For Libertarians, Jury Rights Day - September 5, reminds us that the jury rules on not only the facts of a case but also the law itself. If clarification is needed visit Fully Informed Jury Association - FIJA.)

My rating would be similar to the ones you can read at Amazon.com. The weakness I saw was, as in his first book, a belief that the government can demand a license for my traveling. (unless he is parsing words like the bad guys) He also seems to have missed the part in history about the founders having conventions so that the Constitution was approved not by the states but by We the People. It was the People who demanded a Bill of Rights be placed in the Constitution.

Size Matters: By Joel Miller

This book brings up all the Republican "ideas" on what is wrong with the U.S. and goes half-way in giving solutions. I will sound here like the Green guy (reviewer at amazon.com) who gave it one star when I say it points at a Social Security "problem" and the Republican solution of retirement savings accounts. Mr. Miller is young and perhaps influenced by his father Dennis Miller, who may be the "funny" guy/football commentator.

In a chapter on licensing and regulation, he writes this very true paragraph:

"By killing competition in a trade, we also remove a crucial incentive to improve quality. Once your job is safe from competitors who would happily filch your customers, it is easier to let stuff slip now and then, take it easy, stop pushing to improve and please, innovate and anticipate new customer demand. Such a lowering of quality is not inevitable, but the possibility goes up the moment competition goes down."

Four pages before that paragraph Mr. Miller ends a paragraph with this nonsense: "Given the highly specialized and technical knowledge needed to perform in some of these trades, licensing seems reasonable, even smart. License physicians? Of course!"

Mr. Miller does us one favor although by accident. He quotes Jefferson from his first inaugural:

"...[W]hat more is necessary to make us a happy and prosperous people? Still one thing more, fellow-citizens - a wise and frugal government, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities...."

This part: "and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned" means no tax on labor. As income taxes are being raised on labor in cities, counties, and states, we see a transfer from slave labor to giant international corporations. Who pays for tax abatements and incentives to land new business? The workers and small business.

Since I did not see any call for banning homosexual marriages I admit this book could have been worse. Compared to his writing on Lew against the "Drug War" I found this book a let down. It gives a snapshot in time. I have thought about regulating engineers as their calculations have life and death consequences, but now they make less than teachers. (according to Paul Harvey - summer "moonlighting" not included) I give this book two stars out of five for giving Republicans something to hope for. Though we all know Republicans say one thing and do something very different.

My obvious comment: It is time the voters demanded real action. Don't vote for anyone who approved the Patriot Act or Iraq War. Congressional and Presidential candidates must favor Roberts Rules - NO LOG ROLLING! - vote one issue at a time.

Nader makes another good point

2006-08-04T15:36:00.000-05:00

Here is an article by Ralph about Dem. LIEberman and a connection with corporate theives.

http://www.countercurrents.org/us-nader040806.htm

Once again the facists have us looking to the socialists.

Watch As Nuts Bolt Away From U.S. Constitution

2006-08-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

After reading discourse on Global Warming here, I noticed a similar type of argument put forth by Greenies and Neocons.

Neocon: WMDs are so scary and destructive we must do something. Waiting for facts is deadly. We must act NOW!

Greenie: Global Warming is so scary and destructive we must do something. Waiting for facts is deadly. We must act NOW!

How about this Boogeyman and solution:

Drug Warrior: The "Scourge of Drug Abuse" is so scary and destructive we must do something. Waiting for facts is deadly. We must act NOW!

This last example brings the right (more prisons, more cops, more courts, stricter laws limiting rights) together with the left (more government programs for addicts, more government child welfare bureaucracy, more government workers to investigate spouse and child abuse).

Are we teaching our children to listen to emotionally crippled crackpots?

What do textbooks tell our children?

Are there any School Board candidates out there with a better plan?