Consider Liberty

When I wrote about the Occupy Wall Street movement a few weeks ago I had not really intended on it becoming a recurring topic, but as events transpire I find myself compelled to speak out further.  The movement has continued to gain momentum and has spread all over the country, and to various locations around the world.  More people are getting involved, and more media attention is being cast in their direction.  Some of the attention has been on the movement itself, and some on the actions of the NYPD and other police departments in response to it. At this point, we should regard the Occupy movement as a potential danger.  It is very volatile.  I do not suggest that we should be concerned that it will escalate to a point of violence, though that is not out of the question, it seems unlikely at this point it time.  The danger stems from the fact that the protestors are so very disjointed.  There is no leader, and there is no clear mission or set of demands.  The protestors might as well be there for the simple fact that they have nothing better to do.  Clearly they share in their frustration […]

I have watched all the GOP debates up until this point and I plan to watch all future debates as well.  Though, I cannot say particularly that I look forward to them.  The debates so far have been biased, and rather worthless as far as highlighting the differences between candidates.  What they do highlight for those paying attention is how the media attempts to pick favorites and how the favorite’s favorite activity is pointing fingers at one another. The newcomer Rick Perry has been at the last three debates.  While new ideas and approaches should always be welcomed, Perry did not have any to offer.  His only contribution to the debates so far has been to give Mitt Romney someone to bicker with – which now happens at every debate.  Generally the topic of the bickering is who flip-flopped on what when.  The only thing this proves is that they are both inconsistent and would rather sling mud at one another than address the real issues in a thoughtful and creative way. Michele Bachmann who narrowly won the Iowa Straw Poll has slipped in the polls since Perry’s entry in the race and now she sits outside of the top […]

There is a protest taking place in New York City.  A rag-tag group of passionate citizens are making their voices heard regarding the economic mess taking place in our country, and the world.  The goal of the protest is simple; to occupy Wall St. for an extended period of time to draw attention to the misdoings of our banking institutions.  The protest began on Saturday, 9/17.  Around 1,000 protestors showed up.  That number has fluctuated over the following days of the protest.  A few hundred have been camping out overnight. The protestors are non-violent and receiving significant support from the Internet.  The protest was suggested by the Canadian magazine AdBusters and has been heavily promoted by the “hacktivist” group known as Anonymous.  The protest website (https://occupywallst.org/) is updated frequently on the current activities of the protestors.  Twitter is also being utilized heavily as a medium of communication from the people on the ground to the rest of the world.  Donations are being taken for the protest in general, and for food, camping supplies, and other needs.  The goal of the leaderless group is to occupy Wall St. for a few months in an effort to express their anger with what […]

One of primary reasons for the American Revolution was “taxation without representation”.  This is exactly what it sounds like.  The colonists did not want to be taxed unless they had a say in it, via a representative who could convey their interests to the Crown.  Today, we are in a similar situation.  Our modern taxation without representation comes in the form of inflation. Must people have likely heard the term before, but few seem to understand it, or recognize the damage it causes.  Inflation is basically the creation of new money.  At first, this does not sound like such a terrible thing.  I mean, who wouldn’t like more money?  But we have to take into account that the US dollar is (like all other major currencies) fiat.  A fiat currency is one which derives its value entirely from the authority of the government.  In other words, the US dollar in its present form only has value and buying power because the US government says it does.  Essentially, the dollar in physical form is nothing more than paper, and coins made of common metals such as copper and nickel.  None of these physical materials have any particular sustaining or widely recognized […]

This Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks against the United States that leveled the World Trade Center in New York City, punched a hole in the side of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and left the burning remains of a commercial airliner in a field near Pittsburgh, PA.  The official death toll from that day was 2,975 including the hijackers of the 4 planes.  Those of use who remember the day will never forget it.  We will never forget where we were, or what we were doing when we heard the news.  We will forever have burned into our mind’s eye the image if the Twin Towers falling.  We will never forget. On Sunday, we should all take some time to reflect on the lives lost on that day 10 years previous, and on the lives lost since that day as a result.  Prayers and kind wishes go out to those who lost friends and loved ones in the attacks, and in the wars that followed.  When we heard the news, the foremost question was ‘why?’  Why would a group of people plan and execute such a horrific act against the United States?  We were told by our […]

Lately Rick Perry has been all over the headlines.  He is the new media darling in the race for the Republican Party nomination.  Talk of Perry entering the race has been going on for months, but was recently confirmed by his formal announcement, made the day of the Ames, IA straw poll.  Ever since he has been touted as the candidate to beat in the Republican race; taking the lead spot from Mitt Romney in nearly every poll.  As the new leader, he is drawing flack from all over the political spectrum.  He is a target of Democrats and competing Republicans. So who is Rick Perry?  Is he just another man running in an already broad field, or is he truly the candidate to beat?  Is he really the kind of person we want in the White House?  Does he have a consistent and Constitutional stance on the issues?  These are a few of the questions that will be addressed as we delve into Republican Presidential Candidate Rick Perry. ♦♦♦ Personal Life James Richard “Rick” Perry was born on March 4, 1950 in Paint Creek, TX.  His father was a Democrat, which is the party Rick Perry held to until […]

One of the most important tasks that I would like to see this site accomplish is the dissemination of knowledge.  Throughout history there have been numerous contributors to the cause of liberty.  Some of those fine individuals saw fit to frame their thoughts, arguments, and wisdom in written form for the betterment of posterity.  I find that utilizing these powerful texts is a wonderful way to advance thought and expand the mind’s plain of consideration.  As I have the opportunity to complete each of the many books on my reading list it is my intention to provide you with my impressions of each manuscript.  Perhaps doing so will prompt you to discover the book for yourself, or encourage discussion of books we have had the mutual pleasure (as I hope the case will be) of reading.  To kick things off, I will begin with the latest book I’ve been able to check off of my list. Liberty Defined: 50 Essential Issues That Affect Our Freedom by Ron Paul   In Congressman and Dr. Ron Paul’s latest book he tackles alphabetically 50 of the issues that he believes are the most important to the cause of liberty.  Each of the 50 […]

The mainstream media, like many other things in our Republic is failing to do its job.  The primary purpose of newspapers and news broadcasts is to collect information, verify its accuracy, and present it in a neutral light to the masses.  One news company likes to remind us of this frequently with their slogan “Fair and Balanced”.  Too bad it is nothing more than an empty and meaningless tagline.  In reality, news media is almost never fair or balanced.  This is evident if we look at almost any newspaper ever to come off of a printing press. In recent history some important top stories have been influenced heavily by the bias of news organizations.  One that everyone is likely familiar with is the trial of Casey Anthony.  Judicially she was found “not guilty” of the murder of her daughter by a jury of her peers.  In the court of public opinion, Casey Anthony was well… utterly crucified.  This was largely precipitated by the mainstream media reports on the trial, personalities such as Nancy Grace, and even some celebrities.  Whether you are in agreement with the outcome or not, the system worked in the case of Ms. Anthony.  If anything can […]

The saga of the Great Debt Ceiling Crisis of 2011 came to a disappointing end Tuesday when President Obama signed into law the lousy “compromise” that was sent to him by Congress.  Let us look back on the events that brought us to the pathetic end of the over-hyped debt ceiling “crisis”. The President addressed the nation on Monday July 25, in the hope of frightening the American people into a blind, thoughtless frenzy that would have them pressure their respective members of Congress into a “compromise”.  The days following his speech brought the introduction of several plans by various leaders in Washington DC.  The primary of those being one from House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) – who incidentally filibustered his own bill for more than 20 hours. In the President’s speech Monday he did his very best to explain the problem to the American people.  He did so by: Demonizing tax cuts as an expense to the government – as if the money belongs to the government, and the government is being inconvenienced in allowing you to have it, as their gift to you.  This money belongs to you!  The government has […]

On Thursday Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) posted the results of a Government Accountability Office audit of the Federal Reserve on his Congressional website.  The audit was conducted by order of an amendment that Sen. Sanders had added to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act which was passed a year ago this week.  The results of the audit should be of little surprise to opponents of the Federal Reserve as they only confirm long-held suspicions of the Fed’s surreptitious dealings. The 266 page report released by the Government Accountability Office identified a number of serious concerns regarding the Fed.  It outlines $16 trillion in secret loans made by the Federal Reserve to domestic and foreign corporations, as well as foreign banks.  To put this into prospective, the current national debt of the United States is around $14.5 trillion.  Sen. Sanders described this by saying: “This is a clear case of socialism for the rich and rugged, you’re-on-your-own individualism for everyone else”, an interesting statement, coming from Sen. Sanders, who is a self-proclaimed Socialist. The audit shows quite clearly that there is a serious problem with the way our economy is run in this country.  We must be in a […]