The Browncoat Libertarian

"It's not about a bunny."

2010-04-02T18:33:00.002-05:00

On the way to the bowling alley and Texas Brahmas hockey games lately, I've noticed yet another of those annoyingly smug billboards from those deceiving idiots at iamsecond.com.

Said billboard's Easter message smugly reads:

"It's not about a bunny."

At first I was irritated, my usual reaction to any of those insidious "I am Second" billboards, but the other day I got to chuckling and thought to myself,

"You know, they're right. It's most definitely NOT about a "bunny", that would be SILLY! It's about a fictional Jewish zombie!"

I hope to see the day when some enterprising atheist group with deep pockets counters with my version of the billboard. Of course, this is bible-belt Texas, so you'd have to find a billboard-owning company with the balls to sell the billboard space and who isn't worried about offending the delusional masses.

Good luck with that.

--Browncoat

Image from here.

Theater-D.C. : Why the Liberty Movement Will Never Gain Significant Traction

2010-03-21T20:28:00.002-05:00

Here we go again. With the impending passage of health care "reform" all but wrapped up tonight, Theater-D.C. is setting the stage for more "good-cop, bad-cop" shenanigans in November. The biggest losers in this on-going Theater-D.C. production, besides the American taxpayer, is of course the liberty/smaller government movement.

Yes, the two-headed monster that is the "lesser of two evils"/"wasted vote syndrome" mentality is going to rear it's ugly head once again in November and virtually press the "reset button" on any gains the Libertarian Party and/or Ron Paul supporters have made over the last few years. Once again, voters will be saying things like "I WANT to vote libertarian, but I just can't afford to waste my vote, only Republicans can realistically work to repeal this health care mess!", and once again, Theater D.C. will win Tony Awards for Best Director and Best Actor in the Good Cop/Bad Cop category.

This mentality is, of course, nothing new, and Theater-D.C. knows it. Theater D.C. has mastered the good-cop/bad-cop scene, and this is why no non-Republocrat party will ever gain significant traction against them. If voters aren't casting their vote against imperialistic wars, they're casting them against tax dollar-sucking social programs...the elected performers of Theater D.C. just take turns bathing in our coerced box office revenues.

I've been saying this for a while now: There is only ONE political party in the United States, and that party's name is Theater D.C.. If you believe otherwise, go take your daily blue pill, because "Ignorance is bliss".

--Browncoat

From The Whited Sepulchre: What We Say vs. What They Hear

2010-03-04T10:16:00.004-06:00

Apologies to The Whited Sepulchre for swiping this, but I couldn't resist. The "retard" side is so freaking accurate in regards to the misinformation memes floating around about libertarians. Click the link or the image to better see the table.

Enjoy,

-Browncoat

So Who Should Govern Us , SkyNet?

2010-02-21T15:32:00.009-06:00

In my last post, I railed on the Austin IRS Jihadist not only for his chicken-shit attack on innocents, but his chicken-shit conceptual attack on capitalism, namely, the implications of the last two lines in his alleged online suicide note/manifesto:

The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed.

The communist creed sounds all fair and fluffy, doesn't it? Makes you want to join hands with everyone, sing "We Are the World", then retire to your straw hut for a delicious, communally apportioned Vegan meal, does it not?

I've had discussions about this capitalist/free market economy vs. communist/centrally planned economy debate with many of the fair & fluffy "progressive" robots being manufactured by our public school system and universities. The fluffers insist that greed and selfishness are inherent human traits and that the unwashed masses cannot, must not be entrusted with the stewardship of a free market economy. Only through government intervention and regulation can a properly fair and fluffed economy be erected.

Hmmm, okay, so if human greed and selfishness are root causes, then who exactly do we populate the government with, SkyNet Certified Terminators?
(Insert California/Arnie joke here)

"...to each according to his need"

My question to the fair and fluffy crowd has always been "Who the kumbaya determines the "need" part of this equation?" Am I supposed to believe that elected officials are somehow immune to the "greed & selfishness" root causes, then hand them the keys to the US Treasury, an immoral progressive income tax system, and an army of locked & loaded tax collectors so they can "fairly" apportion everyone's needs?

I've never gotten an answer out of the fluffers that doesn't reek of elitism or the naive Utopianism that is Marxist Communism. People, the great experiment of communism/economic central planning has already failed miserably as evidenced by the former Soviet Union, so why do US "Progressives" think they can do a better job of economic central planning than the Russians? Is it some weird red strain of "American Exceptionalism" we are witnessing here?

Again, do the progressives think they are somehow immune to human greed and selfishness?

Yeah, that's what I thought. Better get Miles Dyson on the horn.

-- Browncoat

Hijack the Language, Hijack the Nation

2010-02-19T21:02:00.013-06:00

First, a disclaimer: I in no way condone flying planes into buildings or any other chicken-shit form of violence that kills, maims, or otherwise injures unsuspecting people, no matter what the cause.

So if you are a jackbooted agent of the government trolling the Interwebs in search of potential threats to our Quasi-Fascist/Commie nation and you read the following blog entry and conclude that I am red-flag worthy, know this: Even if I was so inclined, mentally, to act out in violent rage against the "Progressive" Cartel that has hijacked our nation, I am too old, fat, lazy, wussified, and grossly out of shape to ever actually commit any act of violence...hell, I'm getting winded just typing these words. So chill the fuck out, I'm just a fat-ass working a keyboard.

That being said, I was reading the alleged online suicide note/manifesto of the alleged "lunatic" who flew a small airplane into an IRS office building in Austin, TX yesterday, and I found myself nodding my head vigorously and actually agreeing with this guy's beef against our national army of tax collectors. He railed on our out-of-control, corrupt national government and he railed on the Fat Cat Big Business Cartel. I thought he was coming to the same conclusion that I came to a long time ago, then I read the last two lines of his letter:

The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed.

I wanted to scream. Yet another fucking moron blaming capitalism for the crimes perpetrated by corporatism, or more specifically, given the corruption element, Crony Capitalism.

Repeat something enough times, and people will believe it.

That's the mechanism by which the meaning of this word:

Main Entry: cap·i·tal·ism

Pronunciation: \ˈka-pə-tə-ˌliz-əm, ˈkap-tə-, British also kə-ˈpi-tə-\

Function: noun

Date: 1877

: an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market.

...has been hijacked and made synonymous with this one:

Main Entry: greed

Pronunciation: \ˈgrēd\

Function: noun

Etymology: back-formation from greedy

Date: 1609

: a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (as money) than is needed

,,,and by association, this concept:

Main Entry: free market

Function: noun

Date: 1897

: an economic market operating by free competition.

...has become collateral damage.

If you truly believe that we have a free market economy, despite the mountains of laws regulating American businesses(including the health care industry), and you want to blame this alleged "free market" and "capitalism" on our nation's current economic/health care woes, then with all due respect, you are a moronic fucktard and need to open your goddamned eyes.

This moronic fucktard that flew his plane into the IRS building correctly identified all of the toxic elements poisoning our nation and economy, but he failed miserably to connect the dots and identify the true culprit:

Crony Capitalism
: A description of capitalist society as being based on the close relationships between businessmen and the state. Instead of success being determined by a free market and the rule of law, the success of a business is dependent on the favoritism that is shown to it by the ruling government in the form of tax breaks, government grants and other incentives.

...which is basically this:

Main Entry: cor·po·rat·ism

Pronunciation: \ˈkȯr-p(ə-)rə-ˌti-zəm\

Function: noun

Date: 1890

: the organization of a society into industrial and professional corporations serving as organs of political representation and exercising control over persons and activities within their jurisdiction.

When corporate fat cats are garnering favors from elected officials in the form of taxpayer funded grants/bailouts/"stimulus funding", not to mention writing legislation that favors their interests while crushing others, this hardly makes for a "free" market. And without a free market, Jack, you do not have "capitalism".

The "Progressive" Cartel that has managed to infiltrate our government over the last 60 or so years wants to convince you that free markets and "capitalism" are the harbingers of economic doom, when in fact it is their very own interventionist policies that enable the true culprits mentioned above, corporatism and crony capitalism.

I'm betting that the progressive cheerleaders in the mainstream media are going to be using this guy's disgruntlement with the IRS(and subsequent violent act) to smear the Tea Party movement, libertarians, and anyone else who wants to dismantle the progressive's abominable brainchild, aka the Progressive Income Tax.

No, Plane Crashing Fucktard didn't "stick it to the man", he just aided the Progressive Cartel and their army of Useful Idiots in the media in further hijacking our language and thus, our nation.

-- Browncoat

The Ever-Encroaching Epiphanies of Aging

2010-02-15T18:39:00.007-06:00

Epiphanies can be a wonderful experience. You know, those "ah-ha" moments of perceptive clarity when you suddenly "get it". As a kid, it may be that moment when you're standing at the plate and you finally recognize the spin of that nasty curve ball the little sh!t on the mound has been using to strike you out all day. You get that grin on your face, cock your bat, kick your leg, then still flail at it like you're waving a NASCAR checkered flag. Indeed, maybe you'd be better off writing about baseball than playing baseball.

Or maybe, as a teen, it's that embarrassing moment when you realize that Dawn Jamison from across the street didn't come up to your room to see your Al Oliver rookie baseball card after all, and it hits you the next day with profound clarity, "OF COURSE she didn't want to see my Al Oliver rookie card, she wanted to see my Fergie Jenkins card!"

As you get into your twenties, you may start having political epiphanies, especially if you participate in the Progressive-Collectivist indoctrination process known as "College" (or as you Brit readers say, "University"...that is so friggin gay) The feeding-from-the-taxpayer-trough professors fill your young mind with Keynesian wealth redistribution economics(how convenient for them), cross-discipline, create-a-crisis enviro-science, and of course, Progressive History 101 - All White Males are Evil Incarnate, the sum total of which leads you to the inevitable conclusion that you are a Democrat and that Republicans suck a$s.

Of course, the political epiphanies may change as you hit your thirties. If you majored in something marketable and start actually making a little money, you tend to want to keep that money and suddenly another epiphany hits - all of that feel-good Keynesian nonsense fed to you by your fiery, state-employed professor is nothing but a bunch of Robin Hoodesque bullsh!t...the only difference is that the smiling Progressive Democrat or Folksy Republican you fawned over and voted for isn't stealing from "the rich", he/she is "the rich" and is stealing from you, Joe Middle-Class! Thus spawns the epiphany that there's really only ONE political party in this country, but they've brilliantly managed to keep up the facade of a two-party system in order to fool the people into thinking their vote counts for something, when in reality, the ruling class is merely taking turns p!ssing away our coerced tax dollars!

*takes blood-pressure meds*

But I digress. Today I had another epiphany, it was the epiphany that my life is one giant string of epiphanies, and that said epiphanies just get progressively worse, constantly reminding me that I'm getting old.

Here are some of the ones you may recognize (or will eventually recognize, for you young farts/fartesses out there):

1. The "Sir/Ma'am" Epiphany.
This one is pretty cliché, but inevitable nonetheless. It usually strikes shortly after your thirtieth birthday when you are addressed as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by someone younger than you. Your first reaction is usually something like "WTF did you just call me, kid?", which spawns the add-on I-might-be-getting-old epiphany of "I just called that 21 year-old college kid 'kid'!" This one is dangerously recursive and might drive you insane if you don't discover the recursive epiphany termination statement of "21 year-old college student". No wonder the Powers-That-Be in Logan's Run chose 30 as the Friday Night Fireworks age.

2. The "Hollywood Regurgitation" Epiphany
I always wondered why my mom and step-dad never went to the movies after they hit their mid-fifties. Now I know - all the stories have been told, and I'm just now arriving at my mid-forties. Hollywood continues to tell the same stories, they just repackage each one with better special effects and a seemingly endless stream of attractiveness-to-talent inverse ratio "hottest young stars". I had this epiphany a couple of weeks ago when I went to see "Legion". It didn't take long to realize I had been sucked into yet another zombie flick disguised as yet another Armageddon flick disguised as a fairly cool-looking pseudo-biblical flick (I was wondering why there were so many cars in the parking lot displaying that idiotic Christian "fish" magnet on their trunks). Anyway, let me save you the 10 dollar ticket and 40 dollars worth of artery-clogging concessions: go rent "Shaun of the Dead", it's the only zombie movie you'll ever need to see.

3. The "That Hip Adjective Sounds Stupid to Me" Epiphany.
This one took a while for me. "Cool" was the first one I remember growing up, it was ok because, well, I was young and old people were old. Then somewhere along the line, everything was suddenly "awesome", but I'm cool, so I rolled with it. Mixed in there somewhere was "excellent", which was the first one that had a tinge of awkwardness, but The Simpsons saved that one for me because saying it like Montgomery Burns just feels right for some reason. But I knew it had to end, and end it did with the recent rise of the catch-adjective "epic". My youngest nephew loves this one, and he regularly reminds me that many things are "epic", like the latest album from "Nickelback" ("album", you say? WTF is THAT, old dude?), or "Ninja Assassin" is "most epic" (uh-oh, variation), to which I try to be hip and agree, even though I have no idea what "Nickelback" or "Ninja Assassin" might be. I keep waiting for him to inform me that Legion was "epic".

4. The "Religion/Supernatural Cognitive Dissonance" Epiphany.
The path to this one varies, and may not occur at all, depending on how you were raised, how much of the kool-aid you've consumed, and how obstinate you are. For me, it was a three stage process:
Stage One: Yeah, some kind of God exists, mainly because I live in Texas and that's all I've ever been taught.
Stage Two: (An epiphany in itself) There definitely IS a God because apparently, I'm susceptible to logical fallacies! Hallelujah! Praise-UH Jayyyysuss-UH! Republicans Rock!
Stage Three: (After several thorough readings and studies of "The Bible") "Holy F**k! What a bunch of contradictory, control-the-ignorant-masses bunch of garbage! How did I EVER believe this sh!t?!? In fact, why the hell would I believe in anything supernatural when there is absolutely no credible evidence for any of it?!? What sort of insane cognitive dissonance was I engaged in? Holy Christ, I'm getting OLD...I just said cognitive dissonance!!!"

5. The "Major League Baseball Players are really just in it for the MONEY" Epiphany.
HA! Liar! No they're not!! Our heroes play the game for the love of the game, you blasphemous fktard! Shut the hell up! I SAID SHUT UP!!!!

Long live cognitive dissonance.

:^)

Cheers,

Browncoat

Belief in "God" has nothing to do with Patriotism

2009-10-28T13:35:00.024-05:00

Ask anyone I know, they'll tell you I'm a "Militant Atheist". They'd be wrong, of course, I do not take up arms, burn down churches, murder Christian physicians, or fly airplanes into mosques. I don't even like the word "atheist", it's a label that delusional religious folks came up with to single out and marginalize those of us that refuse to believe in or "respect" their silly fairy tales.

No, I would characterize myself as an "Outspoken Non-Believer", or "Skeptic". If a person makes an extraordinary claim and expects me to believe that claim, they better have damn good, credible evidence to back it up. Religion, especially the three pillars of Abrahamic Idiocy, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, lack all of the above. All three claim to have evidence, which always turns out to be fabricated or at the very least, completely unverifyable.

Also, I don't care how many delusional people are infected with a religious mind virus, regardless of the strain...it is NOT up to me to prove that their imaginary friend does NOT exist. That's called a logical fallacy, "Burden of Proof" flavor.

I honestly wouldn't have a damn thing to say about religion if the religious would keep to themselves, stay out of our legislative processes, keep their ignorant noses out of the science classroom, and most of all, quit trying to marry "God" and country.

This guy:

Florida man says Home Depot fired him over "God" button.

...is a prime example of the latter.

But, you say, he was just wearing a button, right? It's not like he refused to comply with the company dress code or something! This is just another War on Christianity®, isn't it?!?

"A Home Depot spokesman said Keezer was fired because he violated the company's dress code.

"This associate chose to wear a button that expressed his religious beliefs. The issue is not whether or not we agree with the message on the button," Craig Fishel said. "That's not our place to say, which is exactly why we have a blanket policy, which is long-standing and well-communicated to our associates, that only company-provided pins and badges can be worn on our aprons."

Oh, er...well, how 'bout that.

I have a dress code at my job that I must adhere to...I may not like it, but it sure as shit isn't worth losing my job over. Home Depot sounds like they are in the clear on this one.

But that isn't even what chaps my ass about the story, it's this shit:

"It feels kind of like a punishment, like I was punished for just loving my country," Keezer said."

NEWSFLASH, moron, if you just want to "show your love for your country", as you claim, then wear one of those American flag lapel pins. Otherwise, you're just prothlesizing, plain and simple.

But maybe this good, honest Christian had no other option:

"Fishel said Keezer was offered a company-approved pin that said, "United We Stand," but he declined."

Natch. Again, his intent had nothing to do with patriotism, and everything to do with prothlesizing disguised as patriotism. This reminds me of the compelled patriotism one is forced to endure at Major League Baseball ballparks during the seventh inning stretch...one could write an entire blog post on that alone.

Then there is this bullshit:

"Skorupa noted the slogan on Keezer's pin is straight from the Pledge of Allegiance.

"These mottos and sayings that involve God, that's part of our country and historical fabric," Skorupa said. "In God we trust is on our money."

Skorupa has obviously consumed too much revisionist Kool-Aid. The slogan was not part of the original pledge...it was added much later. Our currency didn't have that First Amendment shredding phrase on it originally either.

Cases like this are EXACTLY WHY these idiotic statements do not belong on our currency, in our pledge, or in our ballparks...delusional revisionists just LOVE to pull these "examples" out of their pockets as *cough*, "evidence" to perpetuate the myth that the US is a "Christian Nation".

I live in this nation, I love my country, and I am not a Christian.
The revisionists are wrong...period.

So long, and thanks for all the Kung Pao...

2009-10-19T11:49:00.003-05:00

Today, I mourn the loss of a good friend: Wan Fu Chinese Restaurant on West Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth, Texas...they shut the doors for good last night.

Yours truly has been gorging himself on their cuisine for 12 years now, my bloated wasteline being a testament to the fact. Great dumplings, great Kung Pao, perfect Garlic Chicken, all gone with the click of a lock.

I'm very lucky that I had a hankering for some Kung Pao Shrimp yesterday afternoon, otherwise I would have discovered their demise during lunch this week and gone postal.

I spoke with the owner and he cited ever rising food costs after Katrina as the culprit.

All the years I've been going to Wan Fu they've always been friendly, provided great service, and the food quality was never once compromised. Those times when I'd get a little burnt out on the place and subsequently take a break from it, never once did I get an annoying "Where have you been?!?" from the owners or employees (I actually quit going to a different place years before I discovered Wan Fu for that very reason).

Adios, good friend, you shall be missed.

Yes, I'm bummed.

:^(

--Browncoat

Good, er-ay-uh, Riddance!

2009-08-26T12:20:00.008-05:00

I know it's rude to speak ill of the recently departed, but I'd rather be rude than dishonest:

GOOD RIDDANCE to that piece of shit Ted Kennedy!

The only "legacy" that corrupt, leftist, machine politician leaves behind is the rubble of what's left of our alleged constitutional republic.

I'm as relieved to see him part as I was when this self-righteous ass-hat croaked:

And while I'm at it, how about some preemptive "rudeness", i.e. others I will be overjoyed to see six feet under:

1. Barney Frank, Architect of the current recession.

2. George W. Bush, Architect of the accelerated US Police State.

3. Pat Robertson, Another Religious-Right Asshat.

4. Tom Daschle, Why is this guy still being quoted in the media...oh yeah, the media are nothing but a bunch of leftist, partisan DNC ass-kissers.

5. Nancy Pelosi and this entire crop of socialist-democrats infesting Congress.

6. All Neo-Con Republicans currently infesting Congress.

7. Rick Perry and his anti-evolution dimwit religious coherts who corrupt Texas Politics and make Texas science-education a laughing stock.

8. And of course, The Obamessiah and his socialist regime. (I'd include his Useful Idiot, "Progressive" flock, but some of these unfortunates are friends of mine).

Ahhh, I feel much better now.

:^)

--Browncoat

How Misinformation is Born

2009-08-24T12:20:00.003-05:00

The other night I'm sitting at Pop's Safari Room having a discussion with fellow libertarians regarding how the USA has become the self-appointed World Police, the insanity of the Iraq War, and how tax-payer dollars are being spent on propagandist recruitment advertising by the U.S. Military to sucker young men and women into joining these unneccesary, meddling conflicts around the globe. The main focus of our ire wasn't military recruitment or even military advertising, but specifically, propaganda-style recruitment a la those ridiculous Kid Rock "American Warrior" videos one gets bombarded with before every movie at the theater.

See, I have no problem with military recruitment or advertising for the sake of recruitment. We need to keep our military staffed, I get that. And there's nothing wrong with laying out the benefits derived from military service, i.e. learning a trade, college tutition, serving your country, etc.(all, let's not forget, at the expense of taxpayers)

But I have a problem with popular entertainers creating testosterone-driven, nationalist propaganda music videos to brainwash young minds into thinking it would be "cool" to join the National Guard because Kid Rock says it's bad ass!

That night, this led to a discussion of the Nazi propaganda films, Hitler youth, etc. and as luck would have it, there was a couple sitting near us who were not part of our group, and who apparently had not heard all of the lead-up to the Kid Rock/Nazi propaganda portion of the discussion. The gal portion of the couple spoke up first, asking us in a fairly disgusted tone, "So, you don't think the military should be able to recruit?", followed by the guy she was with pointing out that he was an 11 year veteran of the Air Force.

There was no mistaking the assumptions made by said couple: Libertarians are anti-armed forces. I tried frantically to explain what led up to the bashing of the Kid Rock video, and that libertarians are FAR from anti-military, but alas, I could tell the seeds of misinformation were sown. Plus, being the crappy "salesman" that I am, I failed to convince them of what a ludicrous piece of propaganda the Kid Rock video truly is.

We're all doomed.

What's wrong with this story teaser?

2009-08-11T12:24:00.004-05:00

I saw this headline teaser on CNN.com today...take a guess at why it pisses me off:

Angry crowd confronts senator on health care
A hostile crowd shouted questions and made angry statements today at a Pennsylvania town hall meeting on health care led by Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter. The meeting drew an overflow crowd of about 250 people, with more gathered outside to demonstrate for and against President Obama's push to expand health insurance for 46 million people without coverage while bringing down costs.

*rolls eyes*

--Browncoat

The Knee-Jerk Idiocy Meter

2009-08-05T10:53:00.006-05:00

I should really stay away from CNN.com and their Knee-Jerk Idiocy Meter, i.e. their "Quick Vote" polls. The poll I see this morning: "Should texting while driving be banned?". The results: 92% Yes, 8% No.

By all means, let's encourage the idiots in Washington to pass another unenforceable law just so they can justify their existence and get re-elected year after year.

This isn't the first "Quick Vote" that has irked me. Almost every one of these "pulse taking" polls contains a carefully calculated question just begging for the knee-jerk answer. What typically follows the results of these polls is a CNN.com article claiming, e.g., "Majority of Americans Want Texting in Cars Banned". Irresponsible "journalism" like this just provides fuel for more of the knee-jerk legislation that is eating away at our liberties.

We are a nation of childish morons.

Cartoon from The Daily Scoff, along with a humorous related article.

Yes, They Can

2009-07-21T16:13:00.009-05:00

Please forgive the redundancy, but this is more of an add-on to my previous post, "An Incoherent Truth".

I got to thinking more about Uncle Sam controlling my health care and how this will indirectly give the government power over my entire life. Many of the interventionist fools I talk about this with just laugh at me, calling me paranoid. I reel off potential infringements of our liberties that may come to pass because of this scam, and I get laughed at again, with them saying things like "They can't do that!"

Well, I've got news for you: Yes, they can. Here is a real-life example I experienced a couple of months ago:

One Sunday afternoon, the Mrs. and I lugged our masses of bulk trash out to the curb, which, while close to the street, is still our property. A week goes by and the bulk trash still hasn't been picked up by the city. No biggie, I have no complaints about this...my stuff on my property. Then we get a notice from the city telling us we have 48 hours to clear the bulk trash from the curb...again, our property. Seems we missed the memo that accompanies the rest of the unnecessary junk in our City of Fort Worth water bill stating that bulk trash week has moved. Fine, my bad, but I tend to ignore the non-bill nonsense that typically accompanies my, again...and remember this...water bill.

Now, consider this: the next new bulk trash pickup day was only about a week and a half away, yet I was going to get fined if I didn't clear the bulk trash off the curb (to the garage, wherever) in 48 hrs, then have to drag it back out a mere week and half later. We call the city to point out how ridiculous this situation was. Sorry, move it or get fined. My first reaction was "Well, screw you, I just won't pay this silly-ass fine."

This is where the real-life example of government control over ones life comes in: Trash pick-up is billed via the City of Fort Worth Water Department. Had I left my trash out and gotten a fine, the fine would be tacked on to my water bill. If I chose only to pay the water portion of the bill, no matter, the city could still SHUT OFF MY WATER because I objected to paying an unnecessary punitive fine for leaving bulk trash on the curb of my property. I can, however inconvenient, live without the trash pickup...I have a truck and can haul it down to the dump if I so choose. Last time I checked, I can't live without water, nor do I have a reasonable alternative to the municipal monopoly on the water supply. Sure, I can still haul my own trash down to the dump if I want, but guess what? The city still gets to bill me for trash pickup because the local-government controlled water system is, naturally, tied to the local-government controlled waste management system. I no longer have the freedom to make a reasonable decision regarding bulk-trash on my curb. Liberty, albeit a miniscule piece, has been lost here.

And you interventionists want the government holding the keys to your healthcare? Can you not see the logical progression of this unmistakeably Orwellian disaster you are supporting, as demonstrated in the example above? Do you really want the government micro-managing your life in the name of cost-cutting(see my previous post)?

"Oh, they can't do that."

Yes, they can.

--

An Incoherent Truth

2009-07-21T10:10:00.008-05:00

I'm in one of "those" moods. It's my Incoherent Rant Mood, i.e. so many things in the world of politics are ticking me off I just don't know where to start ranting, so you might want to move along, there's nothing to see here but directionless rambling about things wayyy out of my control.

I think the latest "last straw" came yesterday while reading one of my favorite baseball blogs. Said blog is a brilliant mix of baseball, wit, politics, and more wit. Now, I don't know why I was so surprised to get bothered over one of the posts, I know the author is a "progressive" Democrat Obama-worshipper and that he works in D.C., so naturally he is going to spew Obamessiah "New New Deal" propoganda and regurge all of the "FDR Policies got us out of the depression" lies we were all brainwashed to believe in high school/college. But it did bother me. Subsequent comments on said blog just gave virtual nods to the interventionist bullshit, which just ticked me off further. The Cold War and all the trillions spent fighting government-enforced collectivism was for nought. Our nation has become infested with Big Government, feel-good collectivists. How the hell did this happen?

Later, at lunch, I go to the cafeteria, only to hear a cafeteria worker telling another how she got the government to pay for her analog-to-digital converter for her TV set. The sense of entitlement in her voice was flabbergasting. Our nation has become infested with entitlement-minded losers. How the hell did this happen?

Then I hear bits and pieces on the news about the inevitable national healthcare system that is about to be thrust upon us. All the feel-good interventionists seem to care about is that "the poor" and "everyone" get insurance coverage. That seems to be all that matters to them, forget the quality of care or the inevitable rationing of healthcare(see Canada), just as long as they can say everyone is "covered", everything will be utopian. None of them seem concerned about the rest of us ultimately being forced into this socialized medicine disaster and all of it's unintended consequences. Think about this for a sec: Uncle Sam is in charge of your healthcare needs. Uncle Sam needs to keep costs down, so suddenly, Uncle Sam can start dictating how you live your life, i.e. the risks you are willing to take with your health, be it riding a motorcycle, climbing a mountain, or eating too many cheeseburgers...the government can now penalize you in the name of cost savings. Why? Your risk-taking is bad for the collective. Because YOU took the risk of riding that motorcycle and getting in a wreck, YOU climbed that mountain and got injured, or YOU chose to eat too many cheeseburgers and got fat, YOU have run up costs for the collective. Our nation is surrendering individual liberty, the absolute keystone of this nation's founding, to feel-good collectivism.

How the hell did all of this happen?

Baseball, Apple Pie, & False Patriotism

2009-07-08T12:13:00.010-05:00

So I've had a few days to reflect upon my July 4th weekend, a time of mixed emotions for me since my feline friend of 16.5 years, "Bill the Cat", died on July fourth of last year. Despite this sad reminder, I did enjoy an outstanding weekend of baseball(Rangers swept Tampa), apple pie, and love of country. Unfortunately, I was also subjected to numerous incidents of dishonest, false patriotism. Even though these incidents annoyed the shiite out of me, I was going to abstain from posting an angry diatribe here on the Interwebs. Then I ran across this story. Several of my biggest soap-box "buttons", dear readers, were subsequently pushed.

Seems that in August of 2008, this unfortunate fan at Yankee Stadium decided to go take a whiz during the 7th inning stretch singing of that annoyingly false anthem, "God Bless America". Said Whizzer was ushered out of the stadium by the NYPD under the pretense of "drunk and disorderly conduct". The man says he had two overpriced beers...one hour apart.

Now, I wouldn't blink an eye if this story took place here in Jesusland(Texas), hell, I'm surprised the Jesus-Police haven't already locked me up for my deliberate butt-planting at Rangers Ballpark during the 7th innning stretch. But [NASCAR Redneck Voice] Newww York City? [\NASCAR Redneck Voice] That bastion of Blue State, "progressive" thought? I couldn't believe what I was reading. I did some additional reading-up on this, only to find out that this was an ongoing issue at Old Yankee Stadium, and that stadium ushers used to chain up aisle barriers to prevent people from leaving their seat during "God Bless America". Again, in Newww York City?!? No freakin way!

Then I had to remind myself that Newww York City is also the country's petri dish of Nanny-State thought leading us down the road to, yes, I'm going to say it: a Police State. You scoff. I can hear you scoffing through the Interwebs, really. But think about this for a sec. A citizen of this "free" country was ejected from a baseball game because he was being "disrespectful to his country". He failed to obediently stand during a fking song! The Jackboot who ejected the man pulled the "drunk and disorderly" card, which is Orwellian Police-State code for "Urinate on the Bill of Rights". Fortunately, the man sued Newww York City and won.

ANYWAY, while I was surprisingly not jack-booted from Rangers Ballpark this weekend, I was subjected to our ballpark PA announcer's false-patriotic preamble to the singing of GBA...he always says something to the tune of "To honor our men and women serving in the armed forces around the world, please stand as [some twit] sings "God Bless America". No thank you. I will honor our service folks by keeping my rather large buttocks planted firmly in my undersized, maximum attendance-generating seat. "But why?", you ask with incredulous indignance. Simple. What the hell are our members of the armed services (alledgedly)fighting for, or more appropriately, against? They are fighting against this exact form of false patriotism, a.k.a. Islamacism, a.k.a. Theocracy, a.k.a. Marriage of Church and State.

How do we combat this domestically? Easy. Start with the Separation of Church and Baseball: keep your hiny planted during "God Bless America".

I refuse to embarass myself by believing in Bronze Age fairy-tales, yet I still bleed red, white, and blue. Imagine that.

Polluting the Message of Liberty With Irrelevant Christianity

2009-06-09T15:42:00.013-05:00

When it comes to alliances in the fight for liberty, I am not one who subscribes to the "Politics makes strange bedfellows" way of thought. I often butt heads with my fellow libertarians on this issue when fiscal-sanity/smaller government "alliances" are proposed with groups like the Glenn Beck 9/12ers, The Constitution Party, Republican Tea Partyists, Meetup.com groups like the Texas Liberty Campaign, and yes, to some extent, The Campaign for Liberty, aka Ron Paul Republicans.

Why? All of the above groups(some CFLers) seem to insist upon injecting their Christian beliefs into the fight-for-liberty equation. Case in point: this meetup posted by the Texas Liberty Campaign. In what universe does Christianity have ANYTHING to do with responsible fiscal policy and limiting the size and scope of the federal government?

"But why not ally with these groups in order to win the battle for fiscal sanity and smaller government? Strength in numbers, you know."

Simple. I do not want to trade one form of tyranny for another, i.e. Big Government for Big Theocracy.

"Well, aren't you injecting your atheism into the same equation?."

No. Take the inane meetup linked to above. Did you see the text of the signs being proposed for the "liberty sign wave"? Here they are:

Side 1:Be Free in Christ
Side 2:Christian Libertarian (or Christian Constitutionalist) ETC

Side 1: I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.
(Psalm 120:7)
Side 2: Jesus Christ: Prince of Peace

Side 1: No King but King Jesus
Side 2: Resistance to Tyranny=Obedience to God (Debbie's personal favorite!)

Side 1 and Side 2: Fish swimming against the tide/school of fish image

Side 1: It was for freedom (Galatians 5:1)

Side 2: that Christ set us free

My desired ommission of the Christian nonsense proposed above is NOT "injecting my atheism". Read up on the burden of proof fallacy if that's what you were thinking.

Now, if this were MY "Celebrate Freedom Sign Wave", I'd at least keep it honest. You'd never see something like "Freedom From Religion", "The Bible is Bullshit", or other non-fiscal policy/smaller government sayings on the flip side of my liberty signs. THAT would be injecting atheism into the equation.

Again, what the hell does any of the above Xtian signage have to do with liberty?!? (I especially love the contradictory "Resistance to Tyranny=Obedience to God" proposed sign.) Yeah, I know, the meetup specifies that it wants to "Spread the Liberty Message to Christians..", but it's doing this at the "Celebrate Freedom Sign Wave"! And to boot, this meetup is posted on a religion-neutral sounding meetup called "Texas Liberty Campaign"! How in the name of Jeebus can you possibly "Celebrate Freedom" in one breathe then brag about "Obedience to your imaginary master" in the next?

Anyway, I believe all of these pseudo-libertarian groups don't give a crap about true liberty. Their ultimate goal is a Christian Theocracy, and as I said earlier, I will not ally myself with people trading one form of tyranny for another. I will not exhaust my energies in the battle for fiscal liberty, only upon victory to have to fight again for social liberty.

So to all of the above groups, stop calling yourselves "libertarian", you are nothing but refried neo-conservative sore-losers. Leave your religilous idiocy out of the fiscal sanity/smaller government equation, and I'll be happy to chat with you about alliances.

----
Image from here.

When "Belief" Becomes "Delusion" (Part Two)

2009-05-31T20:46:00.001-05:00

I think the slaying of Dr. George Tiller says more about this than I could ever write. (Yes, I'm in another blogging rutt)

EDIT - ...and the religilous nut discussed in this Whited Sepulchre piece is just icing on the cake.

When "Belief" Becomes "Delusion" (Part One)

2009-05-11T13:08:00.061-05:00

The last couple of weeks I've spent quite a bit of my time arguing with those of the religious persuasion. The arguments have included a variety of topics, including why I consider the "We believe in God" principle of the Glenn Beck 9/12ers to be divisive and unnecessary in the fight for less government and fiscal sanity, the effectiveness of prayer, the existence of Jesus, "God" as a delusion, and even the nature of the "real world". Each culminated, just as they usually do, in either the incredibly weak "it's all about belief/faith" rationalization/surrender or the "agree to disagree" compromise.

(Note: henceforth, I'll use the words "faith" and "belief" interchangeably, since the two are equivalent within the context of this discussion. Also in the context of this discussion, I will be using the following definition of the word Faith: firm belief in something for which there is no proof (i.e. blind faith), and NOT - Faith: complete trust (i.e. contingent faith), which the religilous love to falsely equivocate.)

The common thread I see among each of these arguments? : how "benign belief" (i.e. imagination, open-mindedness) can mutate into "benign delusion" (i.e. dogma, true closed-mindedness), and ultimately, provide the scaffolding for "malignant & destructive delusion" (i.e. flying planes into skyscrapers, undermining public school science classes with creation myths, electing fking morons to the U.S. Presidency)

Now, the simple cognitive act of believing in the possibility of something, i.e. the existence a god, gods, evil alien overlords that populated the earth by dropping souls into volcanoes, or alternate states of reality, is not, in and of itself, delusional. All of us have some degree of imagination, and simply positing the existence of something is harmless...life would be pretty boring if Gene Roddenberry had never imagined the world of Star Trek, Joss Whedon had never believed in the possibility of the Firefly universe (or simply 'Verse, as we Browncoats like to say), or the Wachowski brothers hadn't challenged our notion of "the real world" by positing The Matrix (and subsequently flubbing the sequels). Accepting the possibility of these and other products of the imagination that might be is benign belief. This is using one's imagination. THIS, is open-mindedness.

However, one begins descending into "benign delusion" and true close-mindedness when the "possibility" clause is removed from the notion of benign belief. When one starts actually believing that Lord Xenu populated Earth with(whatever the fk Scientologists believe), The Matrix is actually real, or that unseen deities actually exist and control our fate...again, actual belief without a shred of creditable evidence to support the belief(which is now a truth claim)...one has, by definition, become delusional.

So is the individual's delusion benign, or malignant? The delusion is relatively benign as long as the delusion motivated actions of the individual do not infringe upon the life, liberty, and property of other individuals who do not share the delusion. Building conceptual models of alternate realities, prayer, attending church, abstaining from sex, drugs, and rock n roll...all benign. Unfortunately though, when an otherwise benign delusion begins to be spread and shared amongst groups of individuals, the scaffolding for malignant delusion begins to manifest.

I'll tackle "malignant & destructive delusion" in Part Two of When "Belief" Becomes "Delusion". Right now, I'm hungry.

Random Rant: Preemptive War Muggering, Iraq, and "The Meth Lab Next Door"

2009-05-05T14:12:00.028-05:00

So I'm helping man the Tarrant County Libertarian table at the Fort Worth Gun Show last Saturday, when up strolls the inevitable NeoCon Republican ready to educate us on why the libertarian policy of "isolationism" is just flat WRONG and why Uncle Sam was perfectly justified in the mugging of Iraq.

First of all, it's a "non-interventionist" foreign policy, not an "isolationist" policy....there is a HUGE difference between the two. See, Libertarians believe in "National Defense" in it's purist form, the optimal word of the phrase being "defense". If our nation is attacked, we believe in kicking the buh-jesus out of the attackers. We do not, however, subscribe to the notion of "The best defense is a good offense"...that phrase belongs on the football field, not in the State Department.

If libertarians had an "isolationist" policy, we would be against trade with other nations, which would contradict our pro-free market economy positions. Again, we believe in a non-interventionist approach when the military might of the US is concerned. The cost and unintended consequences of U.S. meddling in the middle east has been staggering. A non-interventionist approach would have saved us trillions, not to mention the lives that would NOT have been destroyed as a direct result of said meddling.

Anyway, the NeoCon mentioned above tried to rationalize the mugging of Iraq and preemptive mugging in general by comparing the baddies of the world to a hypothetical meth lab two doors down from your house. The meth lab, like Saddam, is a threat to your life and that of...wait for it...the chilllldren.

First of all, there wouldn't even BE a meth lab two doors down from you, much less one that would be a threat, if we would end this ridiculous and costly "War on Drugs"...but don't get me started on that...I'll save it for another post. Second, this guy's analogy is flawed beyond repair. In his world, it is the responsibily of the Arkansas State Police to eliminate the meth lab next door...you know, the one next door in...BOSTON (go Red Sox!). Which leads to, lastly, IT IS NOT THE JOB OF THE U.S. MILITARY TO POLICE THE FKING WORLD AND "SPREAD DEMOCRACY".

"But Saddam wanted to destroy us!"

Well, so does North Korea, Venezuela, and countless other nations around the world...so why aren't we in North Korea and Venezuela? North Korea has nukes and Kim Jong Il's horrible fashion sense, while Venezuela has the noxious fumes emitted from Hugo's armpits. Said NeoCon didn't have an answer to either one.

"But all the Kurds slaughtered by Saddam...how do we just let that happen?"

The same way we let millions die at the hands of warlords in Africa, gawd knows how many under Kim Jong Il, and countless others killed under the rule of other despots around the globe. The U.S. is not the world police, nor did the founders intend for us to be:

"...it is proper you should understand what I deem the essential principles of our Government, and consequently those which ought to shape its Administration. I will compress them within the narrowest compass they will bear, stating the general principle, but not all its limitations. Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political; peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none."
-- Thomas Jefferson, from his 1801 inagural address.

...THAT dear readers, is the heart and soul of a non-interventionist foreign policy.

The U.S. would be MUCH better off if we'd keep our noses out of other nations affairs. The cost and unintended consequences just aren't worth the price.

So...What the Hell is a "Browncoat"?

2009-05-05T11:34:00.022-05:00

I often (well, once or twice) get asked this question by my vast army of loyal readers (one or two), so I'm finally going to 'splain: Simply put, a "Browncoat" is a rabid fan of the late, great, shortlived television show "Firefly" and the movie "Serenity". A Browncoat will tell you without hesitation that Firefly was the greatest TV show...ever. Period.

The show premiered in the Fall of 2002, and died in December 2002 after the knucklehead executives at FOX Television (who didn't like the show in the first place) sabotaged and sunk the show before it had a chance to take flight.

In a nutshell, the show was about nine people aboard a transport spaceship named "Serenity". The setting of the show takes place 500 yrs in the future where we've terraformed and colonized planets and moons in a distant solar system. The central planets are very modernized and "futuristic", while the outer planets are much like the American wild-west of the 19th century. The outer planets had no desire to be under the thumb of "The Alliance", the governing body of the central planets, so there was a war of independence pitting the Alliance against the outer planets, a.k.a. "The Independents", a.k.a. "The Browncoats". Needless to say, the Browncoats were on the losing end of the war. The show picks up six years after the war, following the lives of a former Independent Sergeant named Malcolm Reynolds (played most excellently by Nathan Fillion) and his crew.

But it's not the sci-fi setting that makes the show so wonderful, it's the characters on Serenity, their interactions with each other, and the snarcky dialog... you immediately bond with the characters and feel like "part of the crew".

Anyway, I won't ramble on about the show, here's a link to the Firefly Wiki page if you want to learn more:

http://www.fireflywiki.org/

Needless to say, I highly recommend this series...it's fun, entertaining, and leans very libertarian. You can purchase the complete series and movie "Serenity" on DVD from Amazon.com.

I must warn you though: once you finish the series and movie, you will definitely be craving more and, well, there ain't. (Note: be sure to watch 'em in DVD order, not the screwed up order they were aired by FOX).

Oh, and did I mention: Nathan Fillion f'n rocks. Be sure to watch him Mondays on ABC starring in the new show "Castle"...he's ruttin' hi-larious!

Random Rant: Madonna's Elbonian Kids, "Political" Science, etc.

2009-03-31T11:58:00.013-05:00

So I'm persusing CNN.com and notice their latest poll: "Should Madonna be allowed to adopt another Elbonian child?". Now, personally, I think the Madonnas and Brangelinas of the entertainment industry adopt children because it's some kind of weird Hollywood trend...the poor kids are more for show as fashion accessories than anything. I'm willing to bet all of the chidlins will likely end up being raised by an army of nannies once the fad dies out and/or the Mabrangelinas decide to move on to The Next Big Ego Stroking Cause.

All that to say I personally don't like the Elbonian adoption fad, however (back to the CNN poll), I checked "Yes" on the poll. I may not LIKE what Madonna is doing, but she has every RIGHT to adopt as many Elbonians as she pleases. What stunned me was the results of the poll which, at the time, were neck and neck! Roughly 40 something percent of people taking the poll think Madonna should not be allowed to adopt more Elbonian human accessories! ALLOWED?!? Allowed by whom? Why, Big Government, of course. Do these folks really want the Obamessiah & co. dictating whether or not they can adopt? Don't answer that...

"Political" Science
No, not the two courses you took in college. I'm talking about "Science" used to push political agendas. My opinions that second-hand smoke is harmless and that "climate change"(is that what we're calling it now?) is happening regardless of what we pesky humans do are often challenged by people sporting incredulous looks. "But aren't you a science-loving atheist?!?" Yes, as a rule, I put my trust in credible, non-politically motivated science. However, I do not trust politically motivated "science" whose results are exaggerated to the nth degree. The "dangers" of second-hand smoke are a prime example of hysterical, politically motivated "science". I've read some of these "studies" and the ludicrous conditions under which the hapless rats were exposed to. None of these conditions resemble anything close to reality, yet the "results" have worked their way into public opinion and your average schmo on the street will think you insane if said results are questioned.

We are truly a nation of sheep.

Newsflash: You ARE "The People"

2009-02-26T15:13:00.013-06:00

So I just finished Fredric Bastiat's masterpiece of socialist repellent, "The Law", which, IMHO is probably the most brilliant treatise on the subject of liberty ever written. If you didn't know better, you'd swear you were reading the work of a 21st century author, not a 19th century economist/political philosopher.

One particular section really hit home with me where he writes about how the socialists of his time were either elitist snobs or contradictory knuckleheads. You see, I’ve had a few run-ins with 21st century socialists, a.k.a. Democrats, who really aren’t that different than their 19th century counterparts. Both share the same condescending attitude that “the people are not capable of governing themselves”. I’ve heard this pillar of socialist wisdom countless times in discussions and from local democratic congressional candidates.

After one of these recent discussions, I got to thinking, “so exactly WHO or WHAT is supposed to govern us then, HAL?” After all, aren’t politicians “people” too? Bastiat takes it a step further, basically saying: “If people aren’t capable of governing themselves, why in the world do people, a.k.a. YOU, person who believes people are incapable of governing themselves, have the right to VOTE”? After all, if you are incapable of governing yourself, why should you be entrusted with the awesome responsibility of electing your representatives?

Bastiat goes on to point out that those that espouse this condescending opinion of mankind naturally do not include themselves in the category of lowly incapables, proving his hypothesis that socialists, or rather, Democrats of both centuries are either elitist snobs or contradictory idiots.

So the next time one of your friendly neighborhood Democrats states that “people are too irresponsible or incapable of governing themselves”, when defending their socialist ideology, pull out your lighter and kindly ask them to hand over their voter registration cards for incineration.

[EDIT] Lest I be accused of being Pro-Anti-Democrat, I must give credit to the Democrats for being open about their elitist mentality. The GOP simply pays lip service to the concept of "government by the people"...they tell us what we want to hear during the elections and promptly start treating us like serfs once in office.

Back From the Abyss

2009-02-16T16:11:00.004-06:00

Well I'm back from my interview at Grim Reaper, LLC. Looks like I didn't qualify for the position of Associate Casket Weight...oh well, maybe next time.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who visited the hospital, sent cards, thoughts, etc. my way, I deeply appreciate everything. I'm currently recouping at home and doing dialysis three times a week, hoping the kidneys come back...we shall see.

Once I'm caught up on everything, I shall return with more snarky commentary.

See ya soon,

Browncoat

Just Call Me "D-FENS"

2009-01-12T07:42:00.019-06:00

Do you remember the 1993 Michael Douglas movie "Falling Down"? You know, the one where he plays a laid off defense contractor who's fed-up with the state of our country and his life, which leads him to ultimately lose it and go postal on a convenience store after the non-English speaking clerk won't give him change for the pay phone? Well, dear readers, according to my nephew(who is only 3 years my junior), I am that guy.

See, my nephew and I try to go out and have a beer every couple of weeks, just to keep up with each other, something we haven't done too well until last summer. Last week, we get on the subject of politics and the new anti-smoking legislation being proposed by the Republocrat nannies in Austin. Anyone who's been around me for more than five minutes knows this is a hot button for me. And it's not about the smoking(I'm a "small-s" smoker), it's about the loss of liberty and my frustration with the politically mindless proponents of the ever encroaching Nanny-State. I get worked up about our daily loss of liberty, and I'm passionate about the subject.

My nephew, an intelligent, successful guy, is one of these politically mindless proponents of the Nanny-State and Big Government. His attitudes towards liberty, voting, and the role of government in our lives encapsulate all that is wrong with today's voters. He doesn't understand, or, he even admitted, care, about the concept of "unintended consequences". Since HE doesn't like smoking, he's all for smoking bans. Even though I pointed out the endless potential unintended consequences of such bans, he flat out said he doesn't care. He'll "deal with it and adjust when and if he crosses that bridge." "When it comes to government, I'm only concerned with the here and now," says he.

Now, I'll admit, my nephew has a healthy attitude about change. When he has to wait five months for gall bladder surgery at the Clinton Memorial State Hospital, at least he'll have adjusted and accepted the excruciating healthcare delays. Assuming he survives the wait AND survives the surgery, he'll be much more mentally prepared to wait in the ten block long line to receive his monthly soylent green rations from the U.S. Department of Plenty. And admittedly, he'll fare much better than I when the Jefferson Memorial in D.C. is demolished and replaced with the Marx Memorial.

Me, I'll take the horn-rimmed glasses, the crew-cut, and the license plate that reads "D-FENS", thank you.

The Fat Police are Comin' for Ya

2008-12-29T11:02:00.012-06:00

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

2008-12-14T10:40:00.006-06:00

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

2008-12-04T12:43:00.005-06:00

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

2008-12-04T08:23:00.001-06:00

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'

2008-11-07T14:29:00.005-06:00

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

2008-11-04T15:22:00.014-06:00

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?

2008-10-16T12:01:00.010-05:00

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

2008-10-15T13:23:00.007-05:00

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.