The Fat Police are Comin' for Ya

So I'm reading a CNN-Online article about the new round of Nanny-State taxes being proposed by the governor of New York(aka the Nanny-State Mother Ship), David Patterson...I'm sure you've all heard about this by now. He's wanting to tax sodas containing sugar to help stop the "epidemic" of obesity, using the laughable "logic" that high taxes on cigarettes reduced the amount of smokers. Ask any cigarette smoker and they'll laugh hysterically at the idea that higher taxes would keep them from their smokes.

But I digress. While the notion of any nanny-state taxes, ordinance, or other gets me riled, what really got my goat was the reader comments from the "Healthier-Than-Thou" crowd condemning fatsos like me and blaming The Donut Nation for high health insurance premiums. They applaud the governor for his fatty-tax and offered up even more suggestions to punish the metabolism-impaired, like charging "obese" airline passengers double airfare because their disgusting love-handles might ooze over into adjoining seats on the plane. "Why should I pay high insurance rates because YOU are OBESE?!?"...they scream.

Well, never mind that they don't consider who defines "obese"...the same simple-minded mentality that's in favor of heavily taxing "The Rich"...don't get me started on that. Those that set the insurance rates are concerned with risk, nothing else. So yes, those of us in The Donut Nation do engage in risky behavior. Therefore, we should be taxed to discourage our risky behavior, right? Stop and think carefully about that one before you start enthusiastically nodding your head. I'll give you Fatty-Tax supporters a moment to digest the thought.

*Scarfs another donut*

Risky behavior. Yes, even you Healthier-Than-Thous engage in risky behavior that affects MY insurance premiums. When you're jogging downtown sucking in car farts, rock climbing, playing rugby, cycling on the busy streets of Fort Worth...putting yourself at RISK. Should we tax your ten-speeds or issue you traffic tickets to discourage where you ride? How about imposing taxes on your rugby league? Here's a citation for choosing to jog within 100 feet of car exhaust fumes.

Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Well folks, those are the doors that get opened when you support "behavior taxes"...not so gratifying when your behavior is being targeted, now is it?

I See Dead People

I see dead people. They're everywhere. They don't know they're dead. They have poor dental hygiene...some of them wear wooden dentures, however they speak eloquently with almost foreign accents. The ideas they speak of seem foreign, yet hauntingly familiar.

They often appear to me on Sunday mornings, while perusing the Sunday morning paper. One of the more charming of these spirits appeared to me just this morning after reading this article.

He shook his head and told me, "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."

I see dead people. They're everywhere. They don't know that they, as well as their words, are dead.

A Beginner's Guide to Freedom

Thanks to The Whited Sepulchre for turning me on to Stephen Smith's blog, "A Beginner's Guide to Freedom". I had the pleasure of chatting with Stephen and watching him calmly destroy his Republocrat opponents in debates during the 2008 election year...he's a great guy.

His blog entries are smart, full of common sense, and written a helluva lot better than this untalented hack.

If we are lucky, Stephen will run for office again...we need guys like him in office.

Yes, I'm Still Here

Unfortunately, I can't think of a damn thing to write about. I am seriously thinking about running for Fort Worth City Council in 2009 though...we'll see how that goes.

The Radical Sabres are Rattlin'

The election is over, so let the childish foot-stomping begin. Yes, folks, after just ONE election cycle, the radical wing of the Libertarian Party, who, BTW, have had control of the party since it's inception, are already calling for the heads of the Libertarian Reform Caucus(LRC).

As some of you may or may not know, the LRC is a group of Libertarians who are tired of the LP being a floundering, "cute little philisophical debate club", which is all the party has been since 1971. At the National Convention this year, the LRC majority took control of the LP platform, ripped up all of the insane planks, and ran on a more moderate platform to "widen the tent" of the LP to attract more people to the party(which it did...the LRC is the only reason I joined).

But after one election cycle (keep in mind the radical "purists" have had 35 frickin YEARS), the new platform "failed" to deliver miraculous numbers, so the radicals are declaring the LRC an utter failure. Just check out this asinine article. I especially love the use of the "true libertarian", aka the "True Scotsman" fallacy used by the author.

Nevermind that the LP had a record turnout this year and Barr got the second highest vote total in the history of the LP. Nevermind that scores of voters were casting "revenge votes" against the George Dubya Knucklehead regime of the last eight years. And oh, certainly sweep under the rug that the LRC has 35 years of radical perception baggage to shake off. Yes, people think libertarians are lunatic isolationists who want to destroy the federal government, let the poor and elderly starve, and want to sell heroin to children.

It will take more than one election cycle, folks. If the LRC hasn't made progress in 10-15 years, then maybe you can stomp your feet and cry foul. Notice I didn't even ask for the 35 years that the radicals have had to screw up the party.

Fair-Weather Libertarian Syndrome

As I meet more and more folks with strong libertarian leanings who, for one reason or another, won't vote for libertarian candidates, I've come to recognize what I'm dubbing the "Fair-Weather Libertarian Syndrome" in some of these curious specimens.

A conversation with those afflicted with FWLS typically goes something like this:

Jonestein: So, Mark, you say both factions of the Republocrat Party have failed you, and there are no optimal candidates to vote for in either the New Bolshevik Faction (D), or the New Roman Empire Faction (R), correct?

Mark: Correct. The Democrats and Republicans are one and the same...all about Big Government, irresponsible spending, and the redistribution of MY tax dollars to either the Welfare State, or the Crony Capitalism State. I'm sick of it! This goes for our lousy selection of presidential candidates, McCain and Obama...one and the same.

Jonestein: Sounds like you are as disgusted as I am, that's why I'm voting for Bob Barr, in fact, I'm voting a straight Libertarian ticket.

Mark: Well, I hate to break this to you, but you are seriously wasting your vote!

Jonestein: Really? How so?

Mark: Barr and the Libertarians have no chance of winning, that's why.

Jonestein: Let me get this straight, you are thoroughly disgusted with both factions of the Republicrat Party...so who are you voting for?

Mark: Probably McCain, I don't want to see Obama in office.

Jonestein: But you just said 10 seconds ago that McCain and Obama are the same. You identify more with the Libertarians; why not vote for Barr instead of McCain?

Mark: McCain has a better chance of winning, that's why.

Jonestein: So even though neither McCain nor Obama represent anything you stand for, you feel the need to vote for one of them just because they "have a better chance of winning"? Exactly how are you winning in this situation? Both just represent more of the same crap. Aren't YOU the one wasting your vote?

Mark: No, you are...your candidate has no chance of winning..
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And there, my dear readers, is a prime example of FWLS. Mark is more concerned about being associated with a contender than what his candidates stand for ideologically. Ideologically, Mark is a Libertarian, but he is infected with Fair-Weather Libertarian Syndrome.

So what is FWLS? FWLS is a mutated form of Fair-Weather Sports Fan Syndrome, a rampant disease that plagues Dallas/Fort Worth area sports franchises. When one of our professional sports teams is having a losing year, the stands tend to be pretty empty. But when one of our sports teams starts winning, suddenly the stands are packed as "loyal" fans start coming out of the wood-work. And Gawd forbid, if one of our teams wins a championship! When this occurs suddenly team logo flags are proudly displayed from vehicles, jersey sales sky-rocket and are seen on every youth that can't seem to pull their sagging pants up. Yes, suddenly, everyone on the street has "been a huge fan for YEARS".

Why? Psychologically, most folks like to be associated with a winner, no one likes to be associated with a loser. This, depending on your opinion, is fine and dandy when it comes to following sports...I'm certainly as guilty as anyone.

But sports teams are not the guardians of our personal and economic freedoms in this country. Fair-Weather Sports Fan Syndrome is a benign condition, Fair-Weather Libertarian Syndrome is far from benign, it is in fact, quite malignant. People like Mark want the rest of us to do the heavy lifting by "wasting our votes" first. If we are ever able to garner enough support to become a "contender", then and only then will the Marks of the world jump on the Libertarian bandwagon.

Unfortunately, folks with FWLS help contribute to the self-fulfilling prophecy of the "Libertarians can't win" outlook. The FWLS affects their ability to see that if the hoards of FWLS stricken voters would just vote Libertarian, we'd be able to compete with the Republicrats and break the two-faction, one party stranglehold that is choking the liberty out of our nation.

Please help fight FWLS, if not for yourself, for (everyone sing along now...) the chilllldren.

**This message brought to you by the Help Fight FWLS or Your Children Will Die Foundation**

What Free Market Economy?

During this whole mug-the-taxpayer debacle, a.k.a. the "Bailout", or *cough*, the "Rescue" of Wall St., I've been having some "spirited debates" with various members of the Sociocrat wing of the Republicrat Party.

"SEE!", they howl with a misinformed smugness, "THIS is what you get with a *sneer*, free market economy!!!"

Ahem. "Exactly what free market economy are you referring to, sir?", I retort.

"Wha-wha-WHAT?!?", shrieks the stunned Sociocrat. "Why, the evil, greedy, capitalistic free market economy of America...the one you 'fiscally conservative' Republican & Libertarian types brag about! What do you have to say about your hero Adam Smith now?"

*Cough* "Exactly what fiscally conservative Republicans are you referring to, sir?", I ask incredulously. "Nevermind. How can you possibly consider Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac part of a free market economy? Remember the Clinton administration, Barney Frank, and their legislation to force mortgage companies to make loans to people who would otherwise not qualify in a free market economy?"

"Oh, well, they were just helping out the poor and the common man.", says the Sociocrat.

"No, don't try tugging on my heartstrings...come back over here to the discussion of our alleged free market economy. How does government enforced lowering of mortgage qualifications even remotely fall in the realm of the free market?"

Answer: It doesn't...it is one of many examples of how we DO NOT have a free market economy, so stop blaming capitalism, do your homework, then open your eyes to reveal the true culprit of this Latest Economic Apocolypse.

Take the Red Pill

When politics seeps into conversations I have with new acquaintances, it’s not long before I see curious eyebrows rise and the inevitable line of questioning begins:

“You’re a Libertarian? Really? Why? Aren’t you just wasting your vote?”

Yes. Really. I took the Red Pill. As of 2008, I'm a card-carrying Libertarian. Why? Because I'm through wasting my vote. In 2005, I threw up my hands in disgust and had a disturbing epiphany...the United States does not have a "Two-Party" political system, we have a two faction, ONE PARTY political system, a.k.a. "The Republocrats".

After the ascension of George "Dubya" Knucklehead, I eventually realized that the Republican Party had abandoned everything that differentiated them from the big government, welfare/nanny state Democrats. It also became clear that the Democrats had finally caved and started pandering to the religious vote...so much for the party of "tolerance". I was past the point of no return...I had swallowed the Red Pill.

Clearly, the Democrats and Republicans are now one and the same...they are the Republocrat Party. Their similarities far outnumber their differences. They are the party of Big Government, irresponsible spending, and religious pandering, all driven by fear-mongering elitists.

Sadly, Republocrat voters blissfully fool themselves, as I once did, into believing they have a choice, that their faction is the right choice and that the other faction is wrong and must not be allowed to take power. Newsflash: no matter what faction a Republocrat votes for, or in many cases, against, they still end up with a big government, fiscally irresponsible, police-the-world nanny-state theocracy. A Republocratic government, fueled by truly wasted votes.

Most new acquaintances I talk with agree with the libertarian philosophy and the Libertarian Party platform of smaller government, fiscal responsibility, and enjoying personal liberty free of an Orwellian nanny-state, yet they won’t vote for Libertarian candidates for fear of “wasting” their vote, so they vote Republocrat.

Folks, it’s time to wake up and realize that a Republocrat vote is the real wasted vote. Take the Red Pill, vote Libertarian, and start putting liberty-minded people in office.