Liberty Trivia

Q: Who is known as "The Father of Liberalism'?

Answers:  

A. Thomas Hobbes

B. John Locke

C. Karl Marx

D. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

E. Some other dead white guy

An Evening at Bernie's

I attended one of Bernie's Town Hall Meetings in Woodstock the other night. Here's my report:

Bernie's 'Town Hall' meeting was a bit one-sided. There was one conservative vs. 100+ plus sycophants in the audience. The usual parade of 'gimme groups' was represented. At the table were 5 or 6 talking heads from the Windsor County Poverty Center (needs more funding) , Head Start (needs more funding), Insufferable Woodstock (needs more funding), Health Care is a Human RIght (needs Single Payer system), etc. They gave a short spiel which basically centered around the government being parsimonious, especially at a time when so many people need help during the recession. Bernie would cap their presentations with his normal well-honed spiel. Jerry from the Senior Center was on the panel, he wasn't too bad, and seemed a little uncomfortable being up there with the rest of the gimme girls. 

Questions were asked from the crowd which were basically half plants from people who were with Bernie's travelling road show (most of whom were wearing the red Health Care is a Human Right tee-shirts); and half from Woodstock. 

Our townspayer's questions were generally good and interesting, the stooge questions the regular soft-ball pablum. Bob Williamson asked Bernie to join his anti-gun violence group, one person (Ola) suggested we support the troops, then asked Bernie if it was time to bring back the draft. This brought on a lot of sucked-in breaths and muttered under the breath comments "She must be a Republican". I don't know, is she?

I wish I had started to record how many times Bernie brought up the word 'Bush". It was at least 12 times, Cheney even got mentioned. Obama's name came up a couple of times. He ragged on free-trade, on how the US buys goods manufactured by Bangladeshis for 11¢ an hour and bemoaned the loss of union jobs. He extolled Keynesian economics and generally denigrated capitalism. 

Amazingly I heard something new: he actually said that the deficit is something to be concerned about. But that didn't stop he and the crowd from seeking to increase spending on every pet project or special interest they could possibly think of settling their thoughts on. 

A few interesting comments I jotted down:

Bernie called the Democratic party 'centrist' as opposed to the extremely right-wing GOP. I laughed out loud at that one. 

He spoke long and often on the decline of the middle class. Not seeming to realize that high taxation and loss of small business jobs is the primary reason for this economic shift.

He warned that there would be a lot of out-of-state money coming in to fight off the Single Payer plan that leftists in Vermont are fighting for. I found that pretty ironic, considering the audience was stacked with mysteriously funded and organized out-of-state Health Care is Human Right activists.

There was a moment of levity when Bernie called Harry Reid, 'the least charismatic guy' in the Senate.

An alarming occurrence was the number of people who were seeking the Senate to change it's rules to change from a 60 vote majority for passage of bills to a simple majority. They complained about the Republican filibusters blocking their very important legislation. Seemingly oblivious to the fact that they might not have a majority in Congress come November when they'll surely be filibustering the bejeesus out of everything and declaiming the horror of the Tyrannical Rule of the Majority.... but of course, they're not known for long range thinking. 

Bernie complained about some conservative's plan for raising the Social Security retirement age to 70, a move I've personally believed in for the last 30 years, and asked if anyone thought it was a good idea. I chickened out and didn't raise my hand. Considering I was within choking distance of ten or twenty seasoned citizens, it didn't seem too 'politic'. It was not my finest hour.

There were many calls from the crowd to 'ration and sacrifice' in the cause of global warming. Many comparisons on how we won World War Two in two years by a national effort, and why can't we do the same thing to save the planet? Bernie pointed out how the world's scientists were all agreed on the threat to the earth from rising temperatures, and how the opposition was only represented by arch-conservative talk show hosts like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. The crowd jeered and booed at those references, as you might expect, but they seemingly never heard of the Midland scandals of false science that came out to discredit their position last fall. Much easier to ignore reality for these deluded souls. Oh, there was much talk of the coming utopia of green jobs, a seemingly surefire way to save the Vermont economy if only we would open the taps and pour in enough government money. I couldn't help but think as I watched the optimistic, wide-eyed true believer faces, 'Hey if it's such a good idea, why don't you people go invest in windmills and photocells down in the Arizona deserts'? With all this untapped free power all around us, why is it that the government has the only keys to unlock the natural nirvana? 

There were the usual rallying cries of rolling back the estate tax breaks, and to increase taxes to even higher levels upon the 'rich'. Not much talk about how to make people rich. Same old same old.

The night was capped for me when one of the red shirts stood up and asked Bernie when he was going to get a government waiver (whatever that is) since he has a very rare form of undiagnosed depression that prevents him from doing anything constructive. (Other than following Bernie around). He said he came from Michigan and now lives in Rutland, where I guess someone gave him a shirt. I chickened out again when I didn't stand up and tell him I had the simple prescription for his mental problem: a job.

Don't Treat the Symptoms, Cure the Cause!- part 2: A friend visits

The door to Bo DePaulotic's apartment slowly opened and in trudged Bo. His face was empty of emotion and his eyes a blank stare. However, inside his head, his mind was a racing as it tried to deal with the news that he just heard. While his mind was thus occupied, his body went into auto pilot and the habits of so many years just took over.

His keys found their usual place on the entry way table. His coat was hung on the coat rack without thought or attention from its owner. His feet walked the oft travel path through his apartment, first to the kitchen and then to the living room. His body positioned himself on the couch located there and flopped into it. His right hand did as it always did in such a position and grabbed the remote, turning on the television. His eyes, seeing, but not perceiving, looked toward the images before him. In some distant corner of his occupied brain, the thought "this is my favorite show", floated up for a second or two and then died in the maelstrom around it.

For what could have been several minutes or hours, Bo sat deep in thought while his electronic companion attempted to distract him with trivialities and non-sense. Yet, through his deep meditations, something before him finally caught Bo's attention.

"New, improved, give it a try!"

These words led Bo out of his contemplations and caused him to focus on the image on his television. On the screen was a tall, thin man with an usually huge grin. His large hands emphasizing the words uttered by his dark, sonorous voice. "You have tried Change!" he said with a big smile, "for the original trial offer, but you want it to work better. Well, I am Dr. Ohamamama, and though I am not a real doctor, I play one on the campaign trail, and have I got the thing for you. It's the new and improved Change with Extra Benefits!!! That's right, with Change with Extra Benefits all you do is take it, nothing more, and let me do the rest. Soon, your problems will all be gone. All of your responsibilities and worries will be a thing of the past. Just select Change with Extra Benefits and your life will be changed forever! So take it today! Here's how......"

Bo heard a loud, different voice from behind him. "Bo? Bo? Can I come in?" The voice, familiar but not heard in a long time, broke the spell casted by the television and brought Bo back to his apartment. He turned to look in the direction of the voice and found the smiling face of an old friend.

"Doctor Ben!" Bo cried as the friendly old man entered his living room and sat on the chair across from the couch.

"I hope you don't mind me coming over uninvited?" The silver haired man said with a small smile.

"Of course not, you are always welcomed." Bo said. Doctor Ben had helped give birth to him and saw him through his first few years in life. The Doctor then retired, which was many years ago. Yet despite his age, his mind, if not his body, was as sharp and as engaged as always.

"What brings you here?" Bo asked.

"Well, I know that you had an appointment today and I came to talk to you about it." The old man said in a pleasant voice.

Bo started to relate what happened at the doctor's office and his recommendations. Old Doctor Ben stopped him in mid explanation, "I know what the doctor found and what he prescribed."

Bo was startled, "You do!?!?"

"Of course I do," Ben replied. "It is obvious what is the problem and what is solution."

Just then the pseudo-doctor Ohamamama came back on the television. Dr. Ben turned to look at the tv and gave it a look of disgust. Bo, seeing the reaction of his guest, immediately turned off the television.

"That is exactly what you don't need!" the Doctor said with some irritation.

Turning toward Bo, the Doctor leaned in, "But you tried it, didn't you? Of course you did and all the other lame-brained promises of other false prophets. So many others too, I am sure. Did you understand what it was all about? Did you ask any questions? Did you think about what would be the consequences?"

The Doctor looked sternly at his friend and for several seconds let the weight of his questions sink into his companions head. Slowly, his severe expression mellowed and his pleasant smile returned to its rightful place.

"Listen my son, to change your ways is hard. But so are good habits, at first. It requires consistency and practice to make them part of your life. After a while, they become second nature and requires little to engage in them." The Doctor got up and sat down next to Bo.

"When you were born, your mother asked me would you live and be happy. I told her that you would, if she could keep you that way. But her job is over and it is your turn to fend for yourself." Ben placed a reassuring hand on Bo's shoulder.

"The best way to change is to become involved in your health. Ask questions, learn more, demand better of those who wish to serve you. Don't just take their recommendations and words for it. Make sure you know what it is that they are suggesting and think about the long term consequences of their actions and ideas." The Doctor straightened out his posture and his voice lowered a little.

"It has been a long time since I have practiced my art and offered advice. I am only fondly remembered as of late, but rarely listened to. You want everything to be all right, but you leave it to others to make it right. Never questioning, never wondering, never trying to be involved, even when it is your health that they were playing with."

For the next several minutes, Old Doctor Ben delivered an impassioned lecture to his young patient. He told Bo that to change his ways means first he must get educated about his health and the ways to maintain it. The Doctor emphasized that Bo needed to learn about how things worked. How plans and ideas were applied by his servants and how to monitor, guide and evaluate them. He urged Bo to go where his servants work, understand the work they do, and be intimately involved in their workings. The good Doctor words drove home the point that to improve his health, Bo had to understand the process and involve himself.

"Knowledge is power. If your servant acts with such knowledge withheld from his master or the master acts in ignorance, then it will not be long before their roles are reversed." The Doctor concluded.

The old man stared for a minute at his young charge observing the effect of his lecture and then let his eyes roam the apartment. As his eyes settled on the clock hanging on the wall, he bolted up right.

"Oh my! It's late! I have to go." Doctor Ben arose. "I have a date and I don't want to make her wait." Dr. Ben moved quickly toward the door, Bo followed with a thinly veiled smile. Dr. Ben had the reputation of being a ladies man despite his age. Bo wasn't able to suppress the urge to ask, "But Dr. Ben, you are a man of retiring age, isn't your dating age a little behind you?"

The Doctor stopped his rush to the door, turned on his companion, and said, "Sir, I am retired, but not dead. As for being too old, you are never too old nor is it ever too late to see to your needs and wants, regardless of whether it is the love life or the health of Bo DePaulotic."

The old man turned and stepped out of the door with a wave of good-bye. Bo returned to the living room and by habit more than volition, turned on the television again. A fat, ruddy face popped into existence and filled the screen. "I told you that change wouldn't work, but you didn't listen to me." The face said with a small scowl. "I'm Rushford Limpbomb, and have I got an answer to all of your problems!"

Bo reached out with his remote and turned off the television. As he did so, Bo said, "We'll see about that!"

To be continued.

A Bad Week for Liberty

I thought this article from Glenn Greenwald at salon.com was worth sharing.

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/07/29/change/index.html

It's titled "this week in change" summarizing a few news items from the week which provide yet more evidence that nothing has really changed. In brief:

1. Congress passes legislation to provide billions of dollars in new War funding

2. The treatment of the Wikileaks story by the MSM basically ignores the horrific revelations of the Afghanistan war, and instead focuses the discussion on how evil and unpatriotic it is to publish such information.

3. President Obama pushes for expanded government power to use the so-called "National Security Letters"(NSLs) to enable warrantless access to citizens' Internet records.

Unfortunately, Mr. Greenwald's article only touches on the bad news of the week for those of us who love our civil liberties. To add to the pile:

Another U.S. citizen, "Imam Awlaki" is added to the Administration's assassination list ... with no criminal conviction or even charges being filed. Just another un-proven accusation "you're a terrorist" that brings a death sentence on a U.S. citizen, due process be damned.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128831726

More unearthed land mines in the 2000+ page so-called "Financial Reform" bill. A provision which:

" . . . exempts the SEC from disclosing records or information derived from surveillance, risk assessments, or other regulatory and oversight activities." ( i.e. from FOIA requests).

I love the part about "other regulatory and oversight activities". Terms so vague that the entire agency and all of its activities might as well be exempt from any public scrutiny.

http://market-ticker.org/archives/2533-Oh,-They-DO-Intend-To-Steal-From-You.html

From 'antiwar.com': Our Congress debates "H.Res 1553" basically declaring that we give our full support to Israel should they decide to use military force to “eliminate nuclear threats” from Iran.

http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2010/07/24/stop-congress-from-green-lighting-attack-on-iran/

AND, as every C4L member has no doubt heard, the U.S. Senate is holding debates and cloture votes on the DISCLOSE Act.

The vast majority of "We, The People" work hard to support ourselves and our families, pay taxes, and possibly engage in some part-time political activism. Meanwhile, our tax dollars fund a gangster-government that's working FULL TIME to erode our freedom and further involve us in imperialistic military crusades.

Don't Treat the Symptoms, Cure the Cause!

Bo DePaulitic rushed into the room. "Doctor!" he said in a panicked voice, "you got to help me!"

Bo took a seat across from his physician. "I am desperate, you see."

"What's the matter?" his doctor inquired.

"Look" Bo stood up and showed his arms and chest to the doctor. They were covered in horrific sores. "You see," Bo said as he pointed to each sore, "I am covered in corruption, cronyism, profligates, and waste."

The doctor approached Bo and looked over his sores. After a second or so, he returned to his desk while asking, "Do you also suffer from inflation, intrusions on your freedom, wasting of your hard earn money, and loss of control over your property?"

"Why yes!" Bo gasped.

The Doctor went on, "and this condition started over twenty years or so ago?"

Bo nodded vigorously.

The Doctor continued, "and it has been growing worse."

Bo was startled. "How did you know?"

The doctor ignored the question. Instead, he asked "Mr. De Paulitic what have you done to get rid of these sores?"

Bo thought for a moment and replied, "Well, I tried everything. First I tried throwing the bums out. Then I used caring and compassionate. Next, I tried hope followed by compassionate conservatism, and finally, in desperation I tried change. But nothing worked. It has only grown worse."

"Of course it has Bo!" Said the Doctor, "You have been treating only the symptoms, but the cause remains untouched."

The Doctor approached Bo DePaulitic and placed his hand on his shoulder. "You see" he said, "you have within a horrible cancer which is slowly spreading throughout your body. It is destroying you. This cancer interferes with your thinking, making you believe that you can have something for nothing, that wealth can be unearned, that you can swap safety for liberty, and that you can fix all the ills of the world solely through governmental action."

"What will happen to me Doctor?" Bo's voice wavered and a look of fear crossed his face.

The Doctor looked grimly at his patient, "Well, at first you will not feel anything. Over time, you will being to feel pinched, restricted, and finally hopeless. Toward the end, you will simply act out of fear. You will follow the herd like sheep, and pray that your masters will let you have a crumb. In the end, you will be inert, apathetic, and ignorant."

"OH MY GOD DOCTOR!" Bo jumped from his seat, "I already am starting to be apathetic and ignorant. What can I do? Can you give me something!"

The Doctor stared hard at his companion and in a level voice said, "Bo DePaulitic, the only way to cure this disease is to address the cause. It is systemic, that is its within you, and the only answer lies there as well. To purge this evil will require you to be active, get involved, and clear your head. You want to get rid of the sores, cure the cancer. You want to cure the cancer, change your ways!"

TO BE CONTINUED.........

Musings on this Bastille Day.

Today is Bastille Day in France, the equivalent of Independence Day in the United States. Since I am part French (which explains the constant use of my hands while talking and the frequent tears in my eyes), I find myself contemplating the nation of my roots and its history.
This morning I found myself thinking on a particular event that happened just 94 years ago in the hills of eastern France. Tucked away near the Ardenne Forest, is the little city of Verdun. The city itself is hardly remarkable. Yet, historically, it holds a special place in the history of France and the honor roll of courage.
During the First World War, Verdun became, by accident or design, the linchpin of the French Lines. To its south, the French clung to a series of fortifications and earthworks. To the North, the Armies of France, Belgium, and England were spread in a line of trenches extending to the English Channel. Verdun connected the two lines. At the beginning of 1916, Verdun was the apex of an angle sticking into the German Lines. In February, 1916, realizing the importance of Verdun, the Germans threw three army corps, 1,400 artillery pieces firing over one million shells, and newly formed shock troops, called “storm troopers” specially trained in trench warfare at this critical juncture. Hills were literally reduced to level ground and vast craters, some thirty feet deep, were created by the shelling. The tidal wave of men, nearly overwhelmed the outnumbered French.
Over the next month, the Germans pushed in the French lines and closed in on Verdun from three sides. All roads into the city were cut, save one, the “Voie Sacree”, the Sacred Way. Along this lone, single lane road rolled the only supplies and reinforcements that Verdun would receive for almost a year. In Late February, 1916, as the French lines slowly fell back, General Philippe Petain was appointed commander of the city. Gen. Petain looked over the battle field and returned to his headquarters. He then drew a line the battle map outlining the new French positions and directed that this line must be held.
For the next two months the Germans pressed in on all sides, but the French Lines held. With the coming of Summer, the Germans changed their tactics and proceeded to strike from one sector of the line and then another, but each time the French fought them off. In June, 1916 the Germans threw 60,000 men against the critical fort of Souville. Fort Souville was the final line of fortifications between the Germans and the Voie Sacree. In command was a young general by the name of Robert Nivelle. As the attack was launched upon his fort, a cable came from headquarters, “Can you hold?” Gen. Nivelle’s simple reply was “Il ne passant pas!” (They Shall Not Pass.) For a solid month, the French stood their ground within Fort Souville as the Germans pummeled them with bombs and wave upon wave of men. By July 12, 1916, the Germans had exhausted themselves upon the walls of Fort Souville, but did not take it. The French held. The tide had turned.
Over the next year, the French slowly and surely pushed the Germans back. First by opening up additional roads to allow manpower and supplies to flow. Then a step at a time the French advanced, returning their lines to where they were at the start of 1916. By August, 1917, the Germans were thrown out of the last trenches originally held by the French. The Battle of Verdun ended. Over 700,000 men were killed, wounded or captured during the course of this fight. The city and its surroundings were devastated.
Verdun was the last bastion, the final stronghold of the people of France during that trying time. Sometimes it feels like we face something similar here in Vermont. There are so few of us who strive for liberty in this State. We look around and see on all sides those who seek to expand the state and limit the freedom to choose for all. Their march seems relentless. But now is not the time to despair. We must continue our struggle to get our message out to our fellow citizens. We must carry on the struggle to be the change we seek in our society. We must hold the line and insist on limited government, personal/economic liberty, and fiscal sanity. We must not give up and concede this ground. “This far and no further.” must be the watch word of the day. We must inscribe on our hearts and in our minds, “Il ne passant pas!”
Happy Bastille Day.
Steven J. Howard

Word Play

As I settle into the cantankerous, contrary and curmudgeonly second

half of my life the following words or phrases make me smile - or

wince. You hear them all the time by serious, well meaning and awfully

earnest people.

"Fair Trade"

Isn't trade fair by definition unless there is a monopoly or cartel in

operation which should be dealt with? What they really mean is

preferential or even unfair trade to benefit an individual or group

that can't otherwise compete in an open market. It might be for very

good reasons and greatly benefit deserving recipients but the

implication of the phrase is that simple "Trade" is something bad.

"Social Justice"

Implies that simple "Justice" isn't good enough and that she should

lift her blindfold and tilt the outcome in favor a particular and

favored group - which is really tending towards injustice. If there is

something wrong with "justice" it should be fixed and not supplemented

with a prefixed variant.

And I heard "Environmental Justice" the other day too.

"Sustainable"

Why would any sane individual not want the results of their actions be

sustainable? What they really mean is static or unchanging - as in why

aren't we all still sitting in the mouth of our cave watching the

world go by. Amazingly these same Luddites seem to favor economically

unsustainable proposals and programs.

"Organic"

I must have been eating "inorganic" food all my life up until now. OK

that one is a bit facetious - and besides who would deny hard up

farmers and small holders the opportunity of charging more for their

tomatoes and corn while keeping a straight face and getting away with

it.

All things "Green" - economy - jobs - energy - monsters, etc - well

perhaps not monsters :)

Green is a nice color. It makes us feel good but it is also one of

nature's danger signs - as in green eggs and other green things

lurking in the back of the fridge.

I had the good fortune to visit the Farnborough and Paris air shows

during the past two summers as part of my job. They are the premier

trade shows for the global aerospace industry and the big engine

manufacturers had their latest and greatest on display. Millions of

market driven man hours of science and creativity all aimed at

squeezing the most passenger miles out of a gallon of fuel for their

customers benefit - and therefore with as little waste and pollution

as thermodynamically possible. They were objects of great power,

beauty and the most elegant efficiency possible to date - OK I'm an

engineer - but much to my amusement the marketers had literally turfed

the display booths and mounting pedestals to emphasize their "green"

credentials. Stainless steel is so passe.

As part of the trip I traveled on Easy Jet, a low cost UK airline and

was asked if I wanted to pay extra to offset the "carbon footprint" of

my flight from Glasgow to Paris. Apparently the money would go towards

planting a tree by someone, somewhere, eventually - yeah sure! I

politely declined saying that I lived in the middle of giant forest

and grew a vegetable garden every year - the poor girl must have

though that I was a demented overgrown Hobbit dressed in a coat an tie

and let out for the day. Soon however such "indulgencies" might not be

an option. They did stick me for 5 quid for a checked bag but that's

their business model and the basic flight only cost around $30 thanks

to these wonderful engines made efficient - and therefore clean - by

the economic demands of the market.

People don't use resources for the hell of it as some imply. They do

so for benefits such as staying warm in the winter and expanding their

experience through travel and leisure pursuits. They always want to do

so as cheaply and therefore as efficiently as possible. If scarcity

increases the price of the benefit they will cut back until eventually

someone finds a cheaper and therefore more efficient way of providing

it - and I hope that when they do it is purple, or orange or puce -

anything but !@#$, worn out, knackered green:)

"Hate Crime" - sounds too much like Orwell's Thought Crime - a crime

is a crime, is a crime. Categorizing a "hate" version is really meant

to elevate, reinforce or otherwise legitimize a particular class of

victim and by definition demote everyone else. So much for equality

under the law.

"Laws Named after Victims" - good law shouldn't play on ephemeral

emotions tied to a particular victim.

And I'm not too sure about "allergies". I don't remember lots of

people dropping dead from exposure to peanuts when I was growing up -

mind you we only seemed to eat them at Halloween in Scotland :)

Just musing on some pet peeves and how language influences the debate.

Perhaps you can think of others.

Jim Sharkey