Hard facts. 147 countries. 476,039 soldiers abroad. Over 46,000 veteran suicides and 5,000+ combat troops dead during the War of Terror.
by Jake, the Champion of the Constitution
Originally published Thursday, April 9, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article6271.html
One of the sticking points I encounter in conversation is when someone challenges me that America does not have, as I allege, a military empire. However, they never seem to be able to rattle off any facts or statistics to the contrary. This article is my attempt to document facts that he is unaware of for our benefit. The Department of Defense last issued information on troop deployment in December 2008. Obama’s recent troop additions of 21,000 troops to Afghanistan were covered here, but is not factored into the below facts. (photo)
There are 194 states in the world, so therefore we have troops in 76% of all countries on the planet.
The size of America’s armed forces is 1,402,227 soldiers.
476,039 of these troops, or 34% are stationed overseas. 15% of our troops are engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan.
54,974 soldiers are based in Germany, although WWII ended 64 years ago.
34,039 soldiers are based in Japan, although WWII ended 64 years ago.
24,655 soldiers are based in South Korea as technically this “police action” that resulted in the deaths of 36,516 Americans and the wounding of 92,134. In my opinion, the greatest barrier to peace with North Korea is the presence of these soldiers.
We have 0 troops and bases in Vietnam, and get along with their nation fairly well, considering 58,159 were killed and 303,635 wounded during that “police action.”
America’s DoD is “one of the world’s largest “landlords” possessing 545,714 buildings, 5,429 bases, spanning 29.8 million acres of land. (p3/205)
761 bases, or 14%, are located on foreign soil. (p23/205)
12 of the 111 bases designated as “large” are located on foreign soil. (p33/205)
However, reading the remainder of the report reveals that bases in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Israel are not listed, so both number of bases and “large” bases are too low.
Over 5,000 soldiers have died in Iraq and Afghanistan for the War of Terror. (source)
When Ron Paul was laughed at and his supporters were mocked as “crazy” for believing in freedom it was usually done out of jealousy. Or at least that’s what I’d like to believe. Is the ridicule more or less vile when it comes from the Left?
Following this weekend’s appearance on CSPAN “In Depth” Robert Higgs received an email he chose to share with his readers to make a point about the difference between being ridiculed by the Right vs being ridiculed by the Left.
During the painful years of the Bush regime, we had to endure the slings and arrows of the brown shirts who compose the so-called Republican base. Now that Obama has ascended the throne, the brown shirts of the left are emerging as the more conspicuous barbarians. Thank God it is not the case, as far too many people suppose, that we must be on one of these sides or the other.
Much like he did during his CSPAN interview Higgs knocks ‘em down calmly and with logic. Higgs is a liberty hero.
Next Wednesday, April 15th, marks a day of nationwide protests opposing taxes, bailouts, so-called “stimulus”, and government overspending. A number of groups from across the political spectrum are coming together to remind our representatives that they work for us, and that if they don’t start acting in the best interest of We the People, We the People are going to FIRE THEM.
A bit of research revealed an excellent web site encompassing the laws for each state. The “Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press” has a section on their web site called “Can We Tape?” While the site is geared towards journalists the laws apply to all of us when recording conversations without consent.
From the site:
Federal law allows recording of phone calls and other electronic communications with the consent of at least one party to the call. A majority of the states and territories have adopted wiretapping statutes based on the federal law, although most also have extended the law to cover in-person conversations. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia permit individuals to record conversations to which they are a party without informing the other parties that they are doing so. These laws are referred to as “one-party consent” statutes, and as long as you are a party to the conversation, it is legal for you to record it. (Nevada also has a one-party consent statute, but the state Supreme Court has interpreted it as an all-party rule.)
Twelve states require, under most circumstances, the consent of all parties to a conversation. Those jurisdictions are California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington. Be aware that you will sometimes hear these referred to inaccurately as “two-party consent” laws. If there are more than two people involved in the conversation, all must consent to the taping.
Regardless of the state, it is almost always illegal to record a conversation to which you are not a party, do not have consent to tape, and could not naturally overhear. [Unless you are acting on behalf of the government, apparently.]
What about interstate communications? Can they be recorded? Yes, they can, but it is best to adhere to the state’s laws that are more restrictive to be safe. That is the advice given to reporters on the site, but it is a good method to follow for everyone.
So if you live in Virginia and you want to record your conversations with your crazy girlfriend who lives in Maryland you should get her consent before doing so to be safe from the law.
To all of the potential Steve Bierfeldt’s out there… know the law then record away!
This week’s Freedom Watch as another great one. Judge Napolitano interviewed British MEP Daniel “Devalued Prime Minister” Hannan to kick off the show. The rest of the show was pretty much dedicated to the TSA audio that Steve Bierfeldt captured as he was detained trying to fly back from the Campaign For Liberty event in St. Louis, MO 2 weeks ago.
In addition to Bierfeldt, joining the Judge for the discussion were Peter Schiff, Mike Ferguson, Lew Rockwell, Michael German (ACLU), and Michelle Muccio (Acton Institute). Apparently, Ron Paul was unable to participate this week marking the first time in 9 weeks that he’s been absent from the show.
Still it was a great in depth discussion surrounding the TSA and knowing your rights when flying. Watch it all below in the embedded playlist. You can watch all the previous episodes of Freedom Watch at FreedomWatchOnFox.com.
This 3 hour discussion consists of some of the best arguments for supporting free markets and limited government. Robert Higgs is truly a modern founding father. If you have any desire to learn the reasons why the free market is the best path out of our current economic crisis then this lengthy and lovely discussion is for you.
A few choice quotes from Higgs are below.
“Don’t just stand there, undo something!”
“The FDA is probably better than any other government agency as an example of fraud.”
“Government purports to help the little guy… but government is not beholden to the little guy. Government is beholden to all those interest groups organized for supporting politicians for office and keeping them there.”
“Government is organized coercion…. It’s like a loaded gun sitting there waiting for someone to pick up and use for their own purposes.”
On systemic risk (Too big to fail): “Systemic risk is a very very small risk, almost negligible risk. But it’s a very fine political lever..”
“I’m going to try to stay afloat in this world. I don’t like the shape it’s been put in, but I didn’t put it in this shape.”
“The corporations only have as much power as they wield through government.”
I could quote Higgs on and on, but you get the idea. I must say that I haven’t enjoyed listening to someone speak free market language this much since Ron Paul’s presidential campaign of 2007 and 2008. Higgs is a breath of fresh air as we lovers of liberty navigate through the socio-fascist flatulence cloud emanating from the Obama administration. Please find time to watch this. You’ll be glad you did.
Quote of the Day: “The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments. The state can be, and has often been . . . the main source of mischief and disaster.” — Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) Economist and social philosopher
It’s not hard to see why. Many Americans hate REAL ID, and 22 states have refused to comply with the program. DC Downsizers alone have bombarded Congress with 112,227 message demanding that REAL ID be repealed. So . . .
Should we be happy that Napolitano wants to review the REAL ID program? Not very. At best, we believe the outcome will be to . . .
* Repackage the program, perhaps under a new name
* Divide the program into parts, so it can be implemented in stages, such as with the TWIC program
* Concoct ways to bribe and coerce state governments to submit to the revised program
It’s hard to envision that REAL ID will really disappear, until or unless we compel Congress to repeal the authorizing legislation. In fact, we believe that REAL ID, in one form or another, is part of a grand scheme to empower the federal government to track everyone and everything at all times! This grand scheme includes . . .
Are we being hysterical? Many would claim that we are, and they could point to aspects of current government plans that fall far short of being able to “track everyone and everything at all times.” But such criticisms miss a crucial point. The evidence is overwhelming that government programs . . .
July 24, 1998, was an epic day for the global financial system. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan stood before Congress’s Banking and Financial Services and testified. This article and the next part will focus on these two testimony excerpts concerning derivative regulation and the gold market.
by Jake, the Champion of the Constitution
Originally published April 7, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article6266.html
WASHINGTON D.C. – July 24, 1998, was an epic day for the global financial system. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan stood before Congress’s Banking and Financial Services and testified. This article and the next part will focus on these two excerpts from this testimony.
“In conclusion, the [Federal Reserve] Board continues to believe that, aside from safety and soundness regulation of derivatives dealers under the banking or securities laws, regulation of derivatives transactions that are privately negotiated by professionals is unnecessary.”
“Nor can private counterparties restrict supplies of gold, another commodity whose derivatives are often traded over-the-counter, where central banks stand ready to lease gold in increasing quantities should the price rise.”
In his testimony, Greenspan recommended to Congress that regulation of Over-The-Counter (OTC) derivatives between private parties was not necessary. These derivatives are referred to as “dark derivatives” as they take place away from exchanges where the terms could be made public and the companies examined by the exchange for counterparty risk – the risk that a company would be insolvent or bankrupted by the time when the derivative comes due. For instance, the metal commodity markets like the NYMEX require a 100% cover of all deliverable contracts (leverage transactions still require a 90% cover per 17 CFR 31.8), and examine the solvency of both parties. The remainder of this article will delve into the consequences of this action.
Less than two months after Greenspan’s testimony, the failure of the hedge fund Long Term Capital Management nearly deflated the developing stock market bubble as it took $4.6 billion USD in derivative-based losses. The Federal Reserve leapt to the rescue, leading a cabal of investment banks to pony up $3.6 billion USD. Goldman Sach’s CEO Jon Corzine was forced out shortly afterwards by the future Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Paulson. Corzine would move on to become a US senator and is the current governor of New Jersey. Bear Stearns refused to cooperate and later became the first major casualty of the Panic of 2008.
On Monday a few of us here at Liberty Maven took the opportunity to attend a speech given by Bruce Fein at George Mason University as part of The Economic Liberty Lecture Series sponsored by The Future Of Freedom Foundation. I must admit I was surprised at how animated and passionate Fein was during his speech. I was expecting a more subdued speech after watching him testify on Capitol Hill and seeing him deliver the speech he gave at Ron Paul’s “Rally for the Republic” last year.
He spoke without notes and hammered home the ideas of foreign policy non-interventionism. The Q and A period following his talk was in some ways better and more passionate than the speech itself. Luckily the FFF recorded the entire event and has put it online for viewing.
It’s hosted at Vimeo which sometimes presents connection problems for me, but your patience with it loading will pay off in the end when you get to watch this foreign policy expert rip apart any notion of supporting the idea of American empire.
While carrying Ron Paul bumper stickers, Campaign for Liberty staffer Steve Bierfeldt in St. Louis Airport.
by Jake, the Champion of the Constitution
Originally published April 7, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article6264.html
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – Campaign for Liberty staffer Steve Bierfeldt was detained in the St. Louis Airport last week by Transportation Security Administration officials for carrying $4,700 in cash in campaign contributions. Due to a recent posting by the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) sent to Missouri law enforcement authorities that labeled C4L supporters of Texas Congressman Ron Paul as terrorist threats (see page 7/8), Bierfeldt first attempted to ascertain whether he was legally required to answer their questions regarding the origins of the cash. Unbeknownst to the TSA officials, Bierfeldt was able to tape the conversation on his iPhone per the Washington Times as they threatened to deliver him to the FBI and DEA.
“You want to play smartass, and I’m not going to play your ****ing game,” a TSA official had told Bierfeldt during the playback aired on Judge Napolitano’s Freedom Watch show.
Strangely as Bierfeldt was being forced to move by the TSA officials to go to the DEA/FBI offices, an unidentified officer approached him and inquired whether Bierfeldt worked for Ron Paul and whether the cash he had were campaign contributions. After answering “yes” Bierfeldt was released and even managed to make his flight. Bierfeldt pointed out in his talk with Judge Napolitano requiring all citizens to inform government officials of the origins of their money upon request is a violation of civil liberties.
Liberty Maven
One of the sticking points I encounter in conversation is when someone challenges me that America does not have, as I allege, a military empire. However, they never seem to be able to rattle off any facts or statistics to the contrary. This article is my attempt to document facts that he is unaware of for our benefit. The Department of Defense last issued information on troop deployment in December 2008. Obama’s recent troop additions of 21,000 troops to Afghanistan were covered here, but is not factored into the below facts. (photo)
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