Well, this is supposed to be really really interesting things. But it isn't, that interesting, it never is.
1- Every year I am more and more prepared for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. Seriously when it happens y'all are gonna want to make it over to my place. I have lots of guns, and a defensible location.
2- I once punched a drunk guy who pissed near me. The guy turned out to be a cop.
3- I think I like conflict.
4- The thing I most liked about boxing was the adoration of the fans. I think that I might me narcissistic.
5- It is about time I changed my profile picture, but facebook doesn't really make it easy. Also, they don't allow nudes. The prudish bastards. I think a Chuck Norris poster is in order, but most people won't get it.
6- I think if my country gets any more socialist it might be time for a revolution.
Fuck dude, 25 of these?
7- I once evaded scores of cops in helicopters, and cars, and they had FLIRs and it was surprisingly easy.
8- I was in Egypt 7 months. After all that time you would think I would speak much better Arabic than I do. But, I spent my time with Europeans, and speaking English, and pretty girls, and not talking Arabic. If I actually learned Arabic, I would have a really cool job now.
9- I hate governments. All of them. I hate people telling me what to do, and setting rules. I am a sovereign.
10- It the robots in Terminator, really are that smart, and that capable of learning, we won't be at war with them, we'll be their pets. We'll be no threat at all to them, and there will be no need to kill us unless it entertains them.
11- Kiran is not scared of the inevitable moment of singularity, Kiran is intrigued, and eagerly awaits it.
12- I have never taken drugs, but I am more and more offended that people think that they have the right to tell other humans what drugs they can or can't take.
13- I really want to be a millionaire, I want to build a castle, with a bomb bunker, and a great view of Reno.
14- I like my small European car it is so easy to park, and it goes so fast. But I feel like I should be driving a hummer, it pisses off people who like to get involved in not their business, and it causes global warming, and I want the oceans to rise and drown hippies.
15- I waste a lot of time on the internet.
16- I hate paperwork, but I love coffee, and I like to write stuff because people read it and feed my narcissism.
17- I wanted to put here a list of the people that I miss. But the list is too long. I should be a millionaire so that I can go visiting the people that I know.
18- I am overdue to visit my mom.
19- My friends that I have on facebook fall into the following categories:
+ People that I know through "Reason" magazine. ("tReason" magazine for those of you who think that they are not true or pure enough)
+ People that I met in Egypt
+ People that I met in Iraq (a whole different species that the ones I met in Egypt)
+ Family
+ Friends from elsewhere.
Reason Magazine was the original reason I joined Facebook.
- 20 I want to go on Safari in South Africa, I want to see lions, and leopards, and Elephants and wildebeests. But the only animal that I want to shoot is baboons. I want to shoot a bunch of them. And maybe hunt one with an axe, or a samurai sword, I don't know.
- 21 I want to go to a gym and do curls, but instead of weights on the end of the bar, I want midgets hanging from the bar. I don't know, I am making stuff up now, I can't think of things about me now.
22- The coolest thing about Obama is how disappointed all of his minions are going to be of him. I mean, I don't really dislike the guy, but I really dislike the people who love him.
they were too stupid to see how stupid and empty his rhetoric was. You want to close Gitmo? Really? What are you gonna do with all the dudes? Send them to Egypt and Saudi Arabia so they can really be tortured? Is that really an improvement? I mean if they had thought it through, and he said: I am going to buy all of the prisoners a house in Detroit, at least it would have been balsy. (probably still crueler than Gitimo though)
23- Yeah, 23 was political too. I deleted it, that would be for another type of post. So now I am trying to thing of stuff related to zombies or cylons.
24- I am vehemently against government sanctioned marriage. I really don't think it is the governments business, ANY governments business who people have sex with. And it is doubly wrong that the government rewards or punishes anyone based on that.
It is true, everytime I get a message from one of my friends saying "congratulate me, I am getting married". I want to say "congratulations on getting laid by someone you like, but damned you for getting the government involved."
- Note that is not an invitation for anyone to talk about MY personal life here.
- BTW, if you are trying to get your sex partner a visa or permission to enter the country, I understand it. I mean screw the government for trying to deny you your guests!
25- I don't like Europeans.
I mean I like some of them a lot. But I figure it is good to end this on a pointless negative note.
Also, Spaniards are excepted. I like Spaniards.
OK, I guess what I mean is that I don't like that our country is becoming like Europe.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
My time in a New York City Jail
I am becoming more and more concerned about the lack of freedoms in my country. The income tax, drug laws, and gun laws are becoming increasingly offensive to me, and I am not sure why.
Drugs:
I don’t do any drugs, so the constant violation of civil liberties with the excuse of saving us from our own harmful decisions, is a removed outrage, usually with that one.
Taxes:
I don’t pay taxes, so that one is also usually more theoretical. Again, I am outraged that my fellow Americans are victims of that injustice and basic violation of their civil liberties.
Guns:
And I live in a relatively free state in regards to gun rights, so the violations of a basic human right that New Yorkers and Californians are subject to is also usually an empathetic, but not personal outrage.
With all three of those issues my fellow Americans deal with their constitutional rights violated year in and year out.
Recently it became more real to me, despite my best efforts to obey the law, I spent two days and a night in a New York City jail. An uncomfortable and awakening experience. I became closer to the unconstitutional violations that take place every day in my country. And I now wonder how much free-er we are than Middle Eastern countries I have visited, and if the freedom gap between my country and those Arab countries is diminishing. The freedom gap between us and Europe certainly is diminishing.
OK, this thought is a long thought, so I will break it down to subjects of interest.
- My letter to the NRA
- My night a New York Jail cell
- My arresting officers
- NYPD is a corrupt and incompetent organization.
- Letter to the NRA
Here is my letter to the greatest organization defending, or attempting to recover our American freedoms. (If anyone can think of an organization that better fits that description, please pipe up. And don’t bother with the ACLU, because it is not them).
Dear Sirs:
I am trying to contact the NRA legal team.
I have a legal question, and I might need legal defense in an 2nd Amendment issue in New York.
I am a Nevada resident, I traveled to Atlanta, GA for a school, (I am a US Government contractor), and I finished earlier than expected. I approached the airline (United) for the quickest way back to my home in Reno, Nevada. All flights were booked; the quickest way for me to get back was to spend a couple of days in NY. I have a brother in New York, so that seemed like fair deal.
I was traveling with a firearm (proficiency with a firearm is part of my job.) It was only going to be a couple of days, so I was ok with my carry on luggage, so I asked United if they could ship my luggage straight home, if I could stay in NY without it. The answer was "No".
So I went with what was safe in CA. I had the gun in a locked box, unloaded and out of reach. I took a taxi to my brother’s house instead of the train, so it would be in the trunk out of reach. When I returned to the airport, I followed TSA regulations, and I declared the gun at the airline desk to be inspected, but there, the lady called a local police officer, and I was arrested.
I spent two days in a NY jail, a very uncomfortable experience compounded by the fact that I was weary of what would happen to me and to my record, and to my life afterwards. I am a US Government contractor and I cannot have a criminal conviction in my record. I served as a US Marine for 11 years, and I am in the process of trying to join once again. A gun charge may disqualify me from being able to serve my country again.
I met the public defender, and he said that the case will likely be dismissed. Still I am very concerned, everyone I have spoken to tells me not to trust the public defender.
I feel like the case will likely be dismissed. But my future is in the balance here.
If the case does not go well, can I count on the assistance of the NRA?
- My arresting officers:
The cops that arrested me were very apologetic. They said they were sorry, that if I had gone out of La Guardia instead of out of Kennedy, that I would have been smooth sailing. They said that they could not let me go now that my name was in the system. They said that they had also arrested Col. David Hackworth, and felt bad about that one too. There was also nothing they could do about that.
I have since talked to a lawyer, the lawyer had as a client before the former commander of Marine 1, a man that Ronald Reagan saluted. He was charged with the same thing as me.
The Police in the arresting department came in one at a time and said that I had done nothing wrong, and that they appreciated my time in the service. That I was declaring the gun, just like I had done in every other airport.
The cops said that I would go before a judge, and that the judge would most likely dismiss the charges. But I was weary, I have seen judges before take if very easy on repeat offender criminals and throw the book at generally law abiding citizens. (traffic court). I am weary, because I know the criminal justice system fails. I have first hand evidence of that. My friend Brian Straub is in jail wrongfully convicted:
[url=http://]www.helpbrianstraub.com/[/url ]
Everyone from the cops to the public defender were constantly claiming that the charges were nothing, and that they would be dismissed. And I wondered to them why I had even been arrested.
So, I had to spend to days in a cage. Sleeping on a cement floor, and generally not eating because I didn’t want to have to take a crap in the prison toilets. And also because the food was crap. But I am kind of used to crappy food.
There were so many characters in there, and so many people that had no business being in jail in the first place.
Some didn’t belong there because what they did, though illegal, is not wrong.
Some didn’t belong there because though they were breaking the law, the cops didn’t really “catch them” they just arrested them on made up charges because they “knew”
And some didn’t belong there because they actually hadn’t broken any laws, they hadn’t broken any right laws nor any wrong laws.
- The NYPD is a corrupt and incompetent organization:
My guess, about two thirds of the people in the jail (there were lots and lots of them crowded in the rooms) did not belong in jail.
Here is a partial list of characters:
Head injury guy:
One man with head injuries, he had ran from the cops, and one of the cops chasing him slipped and fell on the ice, other cops caught him and handcuffed him. When the cop that fell caught up with the handcuffed and subdued non violent offender, the cop beat him on the head with his nightstick. The man successfully ditched the drugs he was carrying in his get away (the reason he ran was to be able to ditch the drugs). He was charged with trespassing.
Still had the drugs on him guy:
This guy when he was caught smoking some weed, had some crack cocaine on him, and when he spots the cops. He puts the blunt out, and makes like he is tossing it, but stashes it in his mouth, with the crack on one side and the cocaine on the other side. The cops search for the blunt that he pretended to throw. He told them they wouldn’t find it, but they searched anyways. He was just outside his sister’s building, (on his way to visit her, and maybe sell her some dope) and they arrested him for trespassing.
Well there were about 7 or 8 'Still had the drugs on him' guys. This dude thought he was caught though, so he was hinting to the police that he had his drugs still on him. He kept saying to them "you are not going to find the blunt over there boss", "white snow, brown blunt, you would have found it by now"
3 scared kids:
There were three scarred kids sitting together in the corner, with wide scared eyes. The looked so small and young. I asked them how old they were and what they were there for, and they said “drug possession” one of the regulars of that jail asked them if the cops had found drugs on all of them. The said that no, that it was in the car, and that it was their dad’s vitamins. At first I dismissed this as ridiculous, but then not so much. So jail regular, asked them which of them was going to take the fall. If one of them admits that it was his, then the other two walk out scot free. If no one does, they all get charged. I asked them what this b.s. story about vitamins was. They said that it was their dad’s car, and that the dad had a bottle with a mixed bunch of vitamins in it. So, I asked what the cops thought it was. They said the cops didn’t know. I was amazed that the cops would arrest someone without knowing what the drugs were.
The other white guy:
This was a big guy that looked like he had been in a few fights, he was in his mid 40’s, he got caught in his car smoking a joint. His neighbor ratted him out. I guess the neighbor fancies the guys wife. The guy had a record 22 years ago, he used to get charged with assault. The last time he got caught, the judge told him “the next time I get you, you are going away for a long time”. And he believed the judge and has kept his nose clean for 22 years. He has a good job now, but smokes a joint once in a while to calm down. Let the man enjoy his fucking joint!
The shady looking Arab guy:
This guy had the Palestinian scarf thing, and he kind of resembled some of the unsavory characters I have come across in the Middle East. I got to talking to him, I was hoping to get to practice my Arabic AND find out if I could be a hero for catching a terrorist while I was in prison. Turns out he was Pakistani, and that his crime was to compete with the yellow cap company. He gave cheaper rides, and made a bundle and the Yellow cap company didn’t like it. My guess is that they pay someone so they have exclusive rights to the airport. “Capitalism is not a crime”
There were a whole host of drug dealers who were arrested, and the cops didn’t find any dope on them, but they were arrested anyways and charged with trespassing. I guess, they live in government housing or something, and the government can charge them with trespassing at will for just being in their neighborhood.
My guess, 2/3rds of everybody in that jail were there because the cops suspected them of drugs. NO ONE was actually caught with drugs except the one white guy caught in his car smoking a joint. They were all booked with made up charges. Drugs were freely available in jail.
So, my brother who lives in Manhattan, and is a liberal, recognizes that NYC is a fascist state, but says that is necessary for the people to feel safe. He says they elect liberal Senators and Governors, and liberals for president, but that then they elect “tough on crime” Republicans for mayor. They believe that these police tactics make them safe. That NYC is safe now, and it is because of Guliani, and some of the wide spread ignoring of civil liberties. “Government that governs least is government that governs best” is not on their radar screen I guess.
Lots of places in this planet are safe as long as you don’t get on the governments wrong side.
Another thought: Why is something that is considered a constitutional right in the rest of the states forbidden in New York? Why is something that is a basic human right in the rest of the nation, not a human right in New York?
But yes, lastly, I am an idiot. I have known this for a while, nothing can drive this depressing fact home like sitting in jail a place where people who are smart do not sit in jail cells.
I am seriously bitter about this.
Drugs:
I don’t do any drugs, so the constant violation of civil liberties with the excuse of saving us from our own harmful decisions, is a removed outrage, usually with that one.
Taxes:
I don’t pay taxes, so that one is also usually more theoretical. Again, I am outraged that my fellow Americans are victims of that injustice and basic violation of their civil liberties.
Guns:
And I live in a relatively free state in regards to gun rights, so the violations of a basic human right that New Yorkers and Californians are subject to is also usually an empathetic, but not personal outrage.
With all three of those issues my fellow Americans deal with their constitutional rights violated year in and year out.
Recently it became more real to me, despite my best efforts to obey the law, I spent two days and a night in a New York City jail. An uncomfortable and awakening experience. I became closer to the unconstitutional violations that take place every day in my country. And I now wonder how much free-er we are than Middle Eastern countries I have visited, and if the freedom gap between my country and those Arab countries is diminishing. The freedom gap between us and Europe certainly is diminishing.
OK, this thought is a long thought, so I will break it down to subjects of interest.
- My letter to the NRA
- My night a New York Jail cell
- My arresting officers
- NYPD is a corrupt and incompetent organization.
- Letter to the NRA
Here is my letter to the greatest organization defending, or attempting to recover our American freedoms. (If anyone can think of an organization that better fits that description, please pipe up. And don’t bother with the ACLU, because it is not them).
Dear Sirs:
I am trying to contact the NRA legal team.
I have a legal question, and I might need legal defense in an 2nd Amendment issue in New York.
I am a Nevada resident, I traveled to Atlanta, GA for a school, (I am a US Government contractor), and I finished earlier than expected. I approached the airline (United) for the quickest way back to my home in Reno, Nevada. All flights were booked; the quickest way for me to get back was to spend a couple of days in NY. I have a brother in New York, so that seemed like fair deal.
I was traveling with a firearm (proficiency with a firearm is part of my job.) It was only going to be a couple of days, so I was ok with my carry on luggage, so I asked United if they could ship my luggage straight home, if I could stay in NY without it. The answer was "No".
So I went with what was safe in CA. I had the gun in a locked box, unloaded and out of reach. I took a taxi to my brother’s house instead of the train, so it would be in the trunk out of reach. When I returned to the airport, I followed TSA regulations, and I declared the gun at the airline desk to be inspected, but there, the lady called a local police officer, and I was arrested.
I spent two days in a NY jail, a very uncomfortable experience compounded by the fact that I was weary of what would happen to me and to my record, and to my life afterwards. I am a US Government contractor and I cannot have a criminal conviction in my record. I served as a US Marine for 11 years, and I am in the process of trying to join once again. A gun charge may disqualify me from being able to serve my country again.
I met the public defender, and he said that the case will likely be dismissed. Still I am very concerned, everyone I have spoken to tells me not to trust the public defender.
I feel like the case will likely be dismissed. But my future is in the balance here.
If the case does not go well, can I count on the assistance of the NRA?
- My arresting officers:
The cops that arrested me were very apologetic. They said they were sorry, that if I had gone out of La Guardia instead of out of Kennedy, that I would have been smooth sailing. They said that they could not let me go now that my name was in the system. They said that they had also arrested Col. David Hackworth, and felt bad about that one too. There was also nothing they could do about that.
I have since talked to a lawyer, the lawyer had as a client before the former commander of Marine 1, a man that Ronald Reagan saluted. He was charged with the same thing as me.
The Police in the arresting department came in one at a time and said that I had done nothing wrong, and that they appreciated my time in the service. That I was declaring the gun, just like I had done in every other airport.
The cops said that I would go before a judge, and that the judge would most likely dismiss the charges. But I was weary, I have seen judges before take if very easy on repeat offender criminals and throw the book at generally law abiding citizens. (traffic court). I am weary, because I know the criminal justice system fails. I have first hand evidence of that. My friend Brian Straub is in jail wrongfully convicted:
[url=http://]www.helpbrianstrau
Everyone from the cops to the public defender were constantly claiming that the charges were nothing, and that they would be dismissed. And I wondered to them why I had even been arrested.
So, I had to spend to days in a cage. Sleeping on a cement floor, and generally not eating because I didn’t want to have to take a crap in the prison toilets. And also because the food was crap. But I am kind of used to crappy food.
There were so many characters in there, and so many people that had no business being in jail in the first place.
Some didn’t belong there because what they did, though illegal, is not wrong.
Some didn’t belong there because though they were breaking the law, the cops didn’t really “catch them” they just arrested them on made up charges because they “knew”
And some didn’t belong there because they actually hadn’t broken any laws, they hadn’t broken any right laws nor any wrong laws.
- The NYPD is a corrupt and incompetent organization:
My guess, about two thirds of the people in the jail (there were lots and lots of them crowded in the rooms) did not belong in jail.
Here is a partial list of characters:
Head injury guy:
One man with head injuries, he had ran from the cops, and one of the cops chasing him slipped and fell on the ice, other cops caught him and handcuffed him. When the cop that fell caught up with the handcuffed and subdued non violent offender, the cop beat him on the head with his nightstick. The man successfully ditched the drugs he was carrying in his get away (the reason he ran was to be able to ditch the drugs). He was charged with trespassing.
Still had the drugs on him guy:
This guy when he was caught smoking some weed, had some crack cocaine on him, and when he spots the cops. He puts the blunt out, and makes like he is tossing it, but stashes it in his mouth, with the crack on one side and the cocaine on the other side. The cops search for the blunt that he pretended to throw. He told them they wouldn’t find it, but they searched anyways. He was just outside his sister’s building, (on his way to visit her, and maybe sell her some dope) and they arrested him for trespassing.
Well there were about 7 or 8 'Still had the drugs on him' guys. This dude thought he was caught though, so he was hinting to the police that he had his drugs still on him. He kept saying to them "you are not going to find the blunt over there boss", "white snow, brown blunt, you would have found it by now"
3 scared kids:
There were three scarred kids sitting together in the corner, with wide scared eyes. The looked so small and young. I asked them how old they were and what they were there for, and they said “drug possession” one of the regulars of that jail asked them if the cops had found drugs on all of them. The said that no, that it was in the car, and that it was their dad’s vitamins. At first I dismissed this as ridiculous, but then not so much. So jail regular, asked them which of them was going to take the fall. If one of them admits that it was his, then the other two walk out scot free. If no one does, they all get charged. I asked them what this b.s. story about vitamins was. They said that it was their dad’s car, and that the dad had a bottle with a mixed bunch of vitamins in it. So, I asked what the cops thought it was. They said the cops didn’t know. I was amazed that the cops would arrest someone without knowing what the drugs were.
The other white guy:
This was a big guy that looked like he had been in a few fights, he was in his mid 40’s, he got caught in his car smoking a joint. His neighbor ratted him out. I guess the neighbor fancies the guys wife. The guy had a record 22 years ago, he used to get charged with assault. The last time he got caught, the judge told him “the next time I get you, you are going away for a long time”. And he believed the judge and has kept his nose clean for 22 years. He has a good job now, but smokes a joint once in a while to calm down. Let the man enjoy his fucking joint!
The shady looking Arab guy:
This guy had the Palestinian scarf thing, and he kind of resembled some of the unsavory characters I have come across in the Middle East. I got to talking to him, I was hoping to get to practice my Arabic AND find out if I could be a hero for catching a terrorist while I was in prison. Turns out he was Pakistani, and that his crime was to compete with the yellow cap company. He gave cheaper rides, and made a bundle and the Yellow cap company didn’t like it. My guess is that they pay someone so they have exclusive rights to the airport. “Capitalism is not a crime”
There were a whole host of drug dealers who were arrested, and the cops didn’t find any dope on them, but they were arrested anyways and charged with trespassing. I guess, they live in government housing or something, and the government can charge them with trespassing at will for just being in their neighborhood.
My guess, 2/3rds of everybody in that jail were there because the cops suspected them of drugs. NO ONE was actually caught with drugs except the one white guy caught in his car smoking a joint. They were all booked with made up charges. Drugs were freely available in jail.
So, my brother who lives in Manhattan, and is a liberal, recognizes that NYC is a fascist state, but says that is necessary for the people to feel safe. He says they elect liberal Senators and Governors, and liberals for president, but that then they elect “tough on crime” Republicans for mayor. They believe that these police tactics make them safe. That NYC is safe now, and it is because of Guliani, and some of the wide spread ignoring of civil liberties. “Government that governs least is government that governs best” is not on their radar screen I guess.
Lots of places in this planet are safe as long as you don’t get on the governments wrong side.
Another thought: Why is something that is considered a constitutional right in the rest of the states forbidden in New York? Why is something that is a basic human right in the rest of the nation, not a human right in New York?
But yes, lastly, I am an idiot. I have known this for a while, nothing can drive this depressing fact home like sitting in jail a place where people who are smart do not sit in jail cells.
I am seriously bitter about this.
Government cannot and does not create wealth
Here are some random posts in reply to this article:
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=65899465481&h=Ek1F-&u=AvM32
Kiran Hill
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=65899465481&h=Ek1F-&u=AvM32
Kiran Hill
Indeed a lot of people would be out of work. A lot of people would lose some sweet gigs. It is good to be king, and the drug war makes a lot of kings.
However in keeping with the theme that government cannot but be a burden on the overall creation of wealth;
though many would lose their jobs without a drug war, and lose their sweet gigs, many more would flourish, and flourish in a more honest way. And the creation of wealth would increase.
Slaves and slavemasters lost their jobs with the end of slavery.
Kiran Hill
However in keeping with the theme that government cannot but be a burden on the overall creation of wealth;
though many would lose their jobs without a drug war, and lose their sweet gigs, many more would flourish, and flourish in a more honest way. And the creation of wealth would increase.
Slaves and slavemasters lost their jobs with the end of slavery.
Kiran Hill
If the government is adding teachers, and adding cops, the two are not as different as it seems. Both are funded through force.
Cops, as they are now are funded to have authority over you (though that was never the intention in the constitution).
Teachers paid by the government are funded by you whether or not you agree. Whether or not you use their services. Whether or not you agree with what they teach. Whether or not you like their methods or morals.
Kiran Hill
Cops, as they are now are funded to have authority over you (though that was never the intention in the constitution).
Teachers paid by the government are funded by you whether or not you agree. Whether or not you use their services. Whether or not you agree with what they teach. Whether or not you like their methods or morals.
Kiran Hill
As for Japan; Government can conceivably make one choice for others better than they could for themselves. That is, one out of 100. However, when you allow government the power to make choices for you against your will, they will make more than that one right choice.
And more choices will be wrong than right. Hence the failure of the Soviet Union. Hence the success or the more capitalist more free countries.
You can always point to one right choice. But success is a series of right choices, and government doesn't make those, individuals do.
Japan in the long run would have been better had their government not had the ability to do that.
John | February 6, 2009, 12:46pm | #
I would reccomend a book called Dogs and Demons.
http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Demons-Tales-Dark-Japan/dp/0809039435/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233942280&sr=8-1
It is about Japan in the 1990s. No one borrowed more or invested more in "infrastructure" in response to an economic downturn than Japan did in the 1990s. They basically paved over their entire countryside. No kidding. It did them absolutely no good and left them with anemic growth and the highest national debt of any industrialized country. Anyone who thinks that we can borrow our way to prosperity, needs to explain why such an approach failed so miserably in Japan.
Kiran Hill
And more choices will be wrong than right. Hence the failure of the Soviet Union. Hence the success or the more capitalist more free countries.
You can always point to one right choice. But success is a series of right choices, and government doesn't make those, individuals do.
Japan in the long run would have been better had their government not had the ability to do that.
John | February 6, 2009, 12:46pm | #
I would reccomend a book called Dogs and Demons.
http://www.amazon.com/Dogs
It is about Japan in the 1990s. No one borrowed more or invested more in "infrastructure" in response to an economic downturn than Japan did in the 1990s. They basically paved over their entire countryside. No kidding. It did them absolutely no good and left them with anemic growth and the highest national debt of any industrialized country. Anyone who thinks that we can borrow our way to prosperity, needs to explain why such an approach failed so miserably in Japan.
Kiran Hill
The way I see it in a free country, citizens have certain duties, to protect the rights of others in their society. Some are going to be more busy, and are not going to have time to do their duty, and can pay others who have more time and inclination to help the fulfill their responsibility. Those would be the full time cops.
I think the origin of modern day police departments in the US are private detective agencies of big companies. They were, like todays police notorious for not being to concerned about citizens constitutional rights.
Kiran Hill
I think the origin of modern day police departments in the US are private detective agencies of big companies. They were, like todays police notorious for not being to concerned about citizens constitutional rights.
Kiran Hill
Alexander,
There can't be personal freedom without economic freedom, but there can be somewhat economic freedom without personal freedom. As such, there are places with a little more economic freedom than the US. Taiwan, Singapore, used to be Hong Kong.
(pretty much everywhere that is extremely prosperous, is also very economically free, the two go hand in hand)
Also, I don't think we are less free in the social realm (I mean except for outposts of fascism like NY) I think that on the contrary we are among the most free socially. We are becoming less so more and more.
The Patriot Act
McCain Feingold
This recent absurd stimulus package
are reducing our freedoms continuously. But unlike the rest of the world we still have a 1st A (at least supposedly) we still have a 2nd A (supposedly) a 4th and a 5th A (on the books).
Even with our loss of liberties it will still be our men with guns going over to fix Europe when their governments start throwing brown people in ovens again
Kiran Hill
There can't be personal freedom without economic freedom, but there can be somewhat economic freedom without personal freedom. As such, there are places with a little more economic freedom than the US. Taiwan, Singapore, used to be Hong Kong.
(pretty much everywhere that is extremely prosperous, is also very economically free, the two go hand in hand)
Also, I don't think we are less free in the social realm (I mean except for outposts of fascism like NY) I think that on the contrary we are among the most free socially. We are becoming less so more and more.
The Patriot Act
McCain Feingold
This recent absurd stimulus package
are reducing our freedoms continuously. But unlike the rest of the world we still have a 1st A (at least supposedly) we still have a 2nd A (supposedly) a 4th and a 5th A (on the books).
Even with our loss of liberties it will still be our men with guns going over to fix Europe when their governments start throwing brown people in ovens again
Kiran Hill
Also, America unlike Japan or Europe is founded based on the idea that the only legitimate use of government is to protect life, liberty and property.
We came to exist because our people were doing fine without government, we had established infrastructure and society without government. When our English government pulled its head out of its ass, and tried to re-establish its domain, and do for its colonies what other European governments were doing for their colonies, we rebelled and said "we don't need you".
And in doing so we created the most prosperous, most innovative, fastest wealth creating country of any country in all of the history of the world.
When the US Government started to build highways and bridges and infrastructure From FDR onward. It was a move AWAY from what had made us so prosperous and free, not towards it. It was a move toward European fascism. FDR was a fan of Mussolini and Lenin, and not of Thomas Jefferson.
We came to exist because our people were doing fine without government, we had established infrastructure and society without government. When our English government pulled its head out of its ass, and tried to re-establish its domain, and do for its colonies what other European governments were doing for their colonies, we rebelled and said "we don't need you".
And in doing so we created the most prosperous, most innovative, fastest wealth creating country of any country in all of the history of the world.
When the US Government started to build highways and bridges and infrastructure From FDR onward. It was a move AWAY from what had made us so prosperous and free, not towards it. It was a move toward European fascism. FDR was a fan of Mussolini and Lenin, and not of Thomas Jefferson.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
