<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Liberty Maven&#187; Liberty Maven: For Liberty, One Individual At A Time</title>
	<atom:link href="http://libertymaven.com/category/crime/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://libertymaven.com</link>
	<description>For Liberty, One Individual At A Time</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:30:04 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6</generator>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
			<item>
		<title>DownsizeDC.org: We want to speak truth to the Supreme Court</title>
		<link>http://libertymaven.com/2009/11/06/downsizedc-org-we-want-to-speak-truth-to-the-supreme-court/7940/</link>
		<comments>http://libertymaven.com/2009/11/06/downsizedc-org-we-want-to-speak-truth-to-the-supreme-court/7940/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:19:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Big Government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rule of law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amicus brief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belief system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[black death]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bureaucrats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[criminality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death and destruction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death toll]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deductible contribution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[epidemic of 1918]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flu epidemic of 1918]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[history of the world]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human existence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[murderers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[naivety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[r j rummel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[right to keep and bear arms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scourges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[statism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tyrannical government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[violent crimes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://libertymaven.com/?p=7940</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[D o w n s i z e r &#8211; D i s p a t c h
We need your help to join an amicus brief to the Supreme Court arguing that the right to keep and bear arms is not only a right to self-defense against criminals, but also against tyrannical government. 
If you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: green;"><strong>D o w n s i z e r &#8211; D i s p a t c h</strong></span></p>
<hr /><span style="font-family: Arial;">We need your help to join an amicus brief to the Supreme Court arguing that the right to keep and bear arms is not only a right to self-defense against criminals, but also against tyrannical government. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://secure.downsizedc.com/contribute/" target="_blank">If you want the Supreme Court to hear this argument please make a tax-deductible contribution for this purpose to the Downsize DC Foundation.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Why this is important</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Statism is the belief that politicians and bureaucrats should have broad powers to use force against citizens. In its most virulent forms Statism killed more people in the 20th Century alone than all of the individual non-governmental murderers in the history of the world, COMBINED! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/NOTE1.HTM" target="_blank">Professor R.J. Rummel estimates the total murderous death-toll of Statism at about 170 million people!</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Not even the Black Death of the Middle Ages, or the Flu epidemic of 1918, can approach these numbers, even if you combine the totals from those two epidemics and reduce the estimate for the total number of murders committed by governments. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">But the terrible statistics for Statist murder still only tell part of the story. We must add to them the statistics for the mass theft, imprisonment, and torture committed by governments against innocent people. These measurements of State criminality are even more vast, so much so that they are literally incalculable. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The State, and the belief-system that fosters its criminality &#8212; Statism &#8212; are the great scourges of human existence, against which no other source of death and destruction can remotely compare. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Of course, in reaction to all of these blood-curdling facts the fool argues that such things could never happen in this country. The same foolish belief was held by people in Russia, Germany, China, Cambodia, and a hundred other places, before such things DID happen in those countries. But such naivety is also exposed by one other crucial fact . . .</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Murderous and violent crimes by the State have already been committed by our government, on a massive scale. A partial list would include . . .</span><br />
<span id="more-7940"></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Our government&#8217;s eviction of the law-abiding Cherokees from the South Eastern U.S., the confiscation of their property, and the &#8220;Trail of Tears&#8221; Death March to Oklahoma that followed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Repeated massacres of Indian women and children by U.S. Army death squads throughout the 19th Century</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Two hundred years of State-enforced, multi-generational captivity for Africans, and the continual rape and torture that accompanied this enslavement </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">One hundred years of State-enforced segregation of Africans over broad stretches of the United States, including the unofficial collaboration by police in lynchings and beatings against unarmed African-Americans</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">The mass murder of Filipinos in a campaign of colonial subjugation following the Spanish-American war (which was supposedly fought against colonialism!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">The internment of innocent Japanese-Americans in concentration camps during World War II</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The United States is indeed special, but not as special as blind, adolescent patriotism wants to believe. And what remains of our specialness is under relentless and increasing pressure. <a href="http://www.downsizedc.org/blog/the-end-of-statism-after-its-rise" target="_blank">We have argued elsewhere that . . .</a> </span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">President George W. Bush laid the basic infrastructure for a future police state, and that .</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">President Obama has retained, and in some cases expanded, all the Bush-era policies &#8212; the PATRIOT Act, warrantless spying, REAL ID, imprisonment without due process, extraordinary rendition, etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Some future crisis, or series of calamities, could deploy this infrastructure in a freedom-crushing, and perhaps even murderous way</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">What has made America special are the controls that our Founders erected against the kind of Statist thuggery so-loved by President Bush, President Obama, and nearly all politicians. It is true that these controls have always been incomplete, and have failed repeatedly, as in the examples cited above. But it is also true that . . . </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>They have worked better than any other system yet devised by mortal man.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">To remain special, and to become more special, we must preserve and even enhance every protection we have against State criminality. Some of these protections could be thought of as a series of boxes . . .</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">The ballot box</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">The jury box</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">The mail box (which DownsizeDC.org is using in its modern electronic forms because the ballot and jury boxes have become so corrupted)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">And finally, as a last resort, the cartridge (ammo) box</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Cartridge boxes are what . . .</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jews, Gypsies, Poles and Russians needed against the Nazi Statists</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Russians, Chinese, Cambodians, and countless others needed against the Communist Statists</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Filipinos and many other peoples needed against American and other colonial Statists</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Cartridge boxes may also be what Americans need someday, against their own government, if current trends explode into the kind of mass Statist gangsterism that so many other societies have suffered. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Our Founders gave us the Second Amendment for exactly this purpose. They were not thinking of self-defense against individual criminals when they wrote the Second Amendment the way they wrote it, though they did not exclude that purpose. Instead, they were thinking about Statist thugs . . . </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The American people were to be armed as a final defense against Statist aggression, both foreign AND DOMESTIC. There is a mountain of evidence to support this view, and we want to see the Supreme Court exposed to this evidence. Do you?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Downsize DC Foundation is joining with Gun Owners of America and several other organizations in the MacDonald case, which challenges the handgun ban in Chicago &#8212; also being called by some, &#8220;Heller II.&#8221; With your help we will be the ONLY GROUP submitting an amicus curiae brief making the argument that the Second Amendment is much more than permission to have a handgun in your home. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">If you want to see this evidence presented to the Supreme Court, please make a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE contribution for this purpose. <a href="https://secure.downsizedc.com/contribute/" target="_blank">You can do so here.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jim Babka, President<br />
Downsize DC Foundation</span></p>
<p><span style="color: green;"><strong>D o w n s i z e r &#8211; D i s p a t c h</strong></span><br />
is the official email list of <a href="http://www.downsizedc.org/" target="_blank">DownsizeDC.org, Inc.</a> &amp;  <a href="http://www.downsizedc.com/" target="_blank">Downsize DC Foundation</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://libertymaven.com/2009/11/06/downsizedc-org-we-want-to-speak-truth-to-the-supreme-court/7940/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>To Serve and Protect or To Harass and Abuse?</title>
		<link>http://libertymaven.com/2009/07/13/to-serve-and-protect-or-to-harass-and-abuse/6444/</link>
		<comments>http://libertymaven.com/2009/07/13/to-serve-and-protect-or-to-harass-and-abuse/6444/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:15:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Gallagher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Liberties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[privacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rule of law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baton rouge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bumper stickers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[George Orwell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gravel road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legal reason]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mccain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nashville tn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new orleans airport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[own car]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pickup truck]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police car]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police cars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police officer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[proportions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rodney king]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ron Paul]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[suspicion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tsa]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://libertymaven.com/?p=6444</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here is yet another story about those who are supposed to serve and protect, harassing and abusing instead. One wonders how often these events occur but never rise to &#8220;Rodney King&#8221; proportions.
At least Ryan McCain&#8217;s story (included below) ends well. My Brother-in-law was in a similar situation recently. His pickup truck broke down, he fixed [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here is yet another story about those who are supposed to serve and protect, harassing and abusing instead. One wonders how often these events occur but never rise to &#8220;Rodney King&#8221; proportions.</p>
<p>At least Ryan McCain&#8217;s story (included below) ends well. My Brother-in-law was in a similar situation recently. His pickup truck broke down, he fixed it on the side of the road, and to test it out drove a bit and turned down a gravel road. When he turned around 3 police cars screeched into view, cops jumped out, guns drawn yelling. Apparently they thought he had stolen his own car. Of course, checking the registration didn&#8217;t stop them from taking him to the station before releasing him. This story, the Steve Beirfeldt/TSA story, the one included below, and countless others make me believe that these are not just isolated incidents. They are a disturbing trend.</p>
<p>Ryan McCain shared the following &#8220;isolated incident&#8221;:</p>
<p><span id="more-6444"></span></p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p><em>I had just flown in from Nashville, TN and was driving home from New Orleans Airport to my house in Baton Rouge, LA when I noticed a cop was behind me. I switched lanes and he switched lanes, about a minute later I switched lanes again and he did the same. At that time I decided to pull over to determine why I was being followed. As I pulled off onto the shoulder, the police officer finally turned his lights on and followed me until I came to a stop. I turned down my radio and was about to get out of the car when I heard “DRIVER, PLEASE STEP OUT OF THE CAR WITH YOUR HANDS IN PLAIN SIGHT.” I obeyed with my hands up high, parallel with each other, as I walked towards the police car.</em></p>
<p><em>He got out of the car and I asked him why he was tailing me. I had a suspicion it was my “GOOGLE Ron Paul” and “George Orwell said this would happen” bumper stickers but I wanted to hear the legal reason for being followed. He told me I was stopped because I was swerving and that multiple drivers called 911 to alert them of my “suspicious activity.” I denied that allegation and asked if he or any other police officer had witnessed me swerving. He said that no police officer had and instructed me to get my license, insurance and registration. This is when I was able to take the picture of the police officers from inside my car. I took 2-3 minutes to collect my thoughts and walked back to the police officer with the requested documents. By this time there were 3 police officers on the scene. The 2nd police officer (he seemed higher on the food chain) asked me where I was coming from. I ignored the question and told him that if I was not being arrested for anything I would like to get back on the road. He ignored me and asked if I had been drinking or doing drugs today. I again ignored him and asked to get back on the road if I was not being arrested. He asked why I wouldn&#8217;t the answer questions. I told him because I was not obligated to as a sovereign citizen of Louisiana. I asked him why he was asking me these questions? This went on for about a minute until I noticed the 3rd police officer on the passenger side of my car appearing to open the door.</em></p>
<p><em>I asked the 2nd officer if they had a warrant to search my car. He said no and the 3rd police officer came over to join the group. The 3rd officer also asked if I had been drinking or doing drugs. I again ignored the question and said I would like to return to the road if I was not being arrested. The 3rd officer (much more of an asshole than the other two) asked if he could search my car. I asked if he had a warrant. He said no and asked why I wouldn&#8217;t let him look in my car if I had nothing to hide. I asked him why would he want to search my car if there was no probable cause. He said my refusal to let him search my car was probable cause. This blew my mind. I explained to him how that is not probable cause and it was a circular argument and unless I was being arrested I would like to return to the road. I also asked if I was such a danger to others why didn&#8217;t the officer immediately pull me over right away rather than wait until I PULLED OVER TO FIND OUT WHY I WAS BEING TAILED. He then very sternly told me that warrant or not, a police dog could be here in a few minutes and we would get this squared away. I had nothing to worry about, I don&#8217;t drink or do drugs and told him I was fine with and informed him that I would be filming the entire incident (with my iPhone 3GS) so I can use it as evidence.</em></p>
<p><em>BTW, I suggest everyone get a iPhone 3GS. You can film something and upload it directly to YouTube from your phone. Using this feature, I don&#8217;t have to worry about my footage being thrown away by an out of control cop. Once it&#8217;s on YouTube, it&#8217;s out of their hands.</em></p>
<p><em>Anyways, he did not like this response and told me he was done playing games and I was going to be taken to the police station so he could get to the bottom of this. I asked why I was being arrested and was told “Disturbance of the Peace.” I asked whose peace I was disturbing and was basically ignored and put into the car of the 2nd officer. On the way to the police station I explained to the officer that my intent wasn&#8217;t to be a nuisance, I respected him and his occupation but felt my rights were being violated. He was actually very cool and didn&#8217;t defend the actions of the 3rd cop but I could sense he felt the guy went too far but he didn&#8217;t want to get into the middle of it. We discussed NAZI Germany, the Nuremberg trials, etc. He was fairly educated and without coming out and saying it I could tell he knew this was bullshit.</em></p>
<p><em>We get to the police station where I was cuffed to a bench in the hallway. A 4th officer came and spoke to me and we went over and over the same type of questions I had already answered by the first 3 officers. After going in circles, he left and I sat there for about an hour until the 2nd officer came over, uncuffed me and said I was free to go. I asked if I was going to be issued a ticket for swerving. He said no charges were being filed and I was free to go on my way because no officer viewed me swerving. I asked him what happened to my car. He went to check and found out it was still on the side of the road. I asked how I was going to get back to my car. He asked if a family member or friend could come get me. I said probably but this is not their problem, I was detained for no reason and expect the police department to provide me with transportation back to my car. He walked away them came back and said “let&#8217;s go.”</em></p>
<p><em>On the way back to my car he was a bit more open. He told me how the 3rd officer had been accused numerous times of abusing his power but never charged with anything. We started talking and he was curious why I put up all that resistance if I had nothing to hide. I went on to explain what rights, freedom and liberty really are and even shared with him websites such as <a title="The Daily Paul" href="http://www.dailypaul.com/node/99216" target="_self">dailypaul.com</a> where he could better educate himself. He was open to this and seemed very appreciative of my cooperation. I had a spare copy of “The Anatomy of the State” in my car which I went and gave to him. I shook his hand before I walked back to my car and after about 2 hours I was finally on my way home.</em></p>
<p><em>I am not going to file any charges. The further away I can stay from a courthouse, the better. There are much bigger fish to fry at the moment.</em></p>
<p><em>What is the moral of this story?<br />
-Know your rights.<br />
-The path of least resistance isn&#8217;t always the best path to follow.<br />
-Stay calm and never get belligerent with a police officer no matter how bad they are.<br />
-The opportunity to educate others can come at very strange times.</em></p>
<p><em>Hopefully this will encourage others to practice civil forms of disobedience.</em></p>
<p><em>Ryan<br />
Baton Rouge, Louisiana</em><a title="Mailing list for liberty" href="http://www.reboottherepublic.com/" target="_self"></a></p>
<p><em><a title="Mailing list for liberty" href="http://www.reboottherepublic.com/" target="_self">http://www.reboottherepublic.com/</a></em></p>
<p><em>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;<br />
</em></p>
<p>Thanks Ryan for sharing your story.<em><br />
</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://libertymaven.com/2009/07/13/to-serve-and-protect-or-to-harass-and-abuse/6444/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Prosecuting Rogue Bankers</title>
		<link>http://libertymaven.com/2009/06/25/prosecuting-rogue-bankers/6226/</link>
		<comments>http://libertymaven.com/2009/06/25/prosecuting-rogue-bankers/6226/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:20:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Gallagher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Banking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Constitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Court Cases]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew napolitano]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rule of law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Federal Reserve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[investment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prosecution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Treasury]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://libertymaven.com/?p=6226</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ 
By Judge Andrew P. Napolitano
FOX News Senior Judicial Analyst


 

The Secretary of the Treasury and the Chair of the Federal Reserve have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and the federal laws. Among those laws is the obligation of management of publicly traded corporations to inform shareholders in a meaningful way of the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"><em><strong>By Judge Andrew P.</strong></em><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span><em><strong>Napolitano<br />
</strong></em><strong>FOX News Senior Judicial Analyst</strong></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"><strong><br />
</strong></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div>
<p>The Secretary of the Treasury and the Chair of the Federal Reserve have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and the federal laws. Among those laws is the obligation of management of publicly traded corporations to inform shareholders in a meaningful way of the risks attendant upon all extraordinary corporate activity, including major acquisitions.</p>
<p>The acquisition of Merrill Lynch by the Bank of America was surely a major acquisition and an extraordinary corporate act. The president of B of A now tells us that the Secretary and the Chair told him not to inform his shareholders that Merrill Lynch was truly a risky investment. As it turns out, when Ken Lewis learned that Merrill Lynch was worth about $17 billion less than the $50 billion agreed upon amount, he attempted to invoke the material adverse change (MAC) clause in the contract of acquisition, which would have given him the option of getting Merrill Lynch for $33 billion or walking away from the deal.</p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><em><strong>“Ken Lewis, Henry Paulson, John Thain, Ben Bernanke, and Jeffrey Lacker, the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, should all be prosecuted for extortion, conspiracy to extort, criminal fraud, and theft of honest services; and they should be imprisoned if convicted.”</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><em><strong><span id="more-6226"></span><br />
</strong></em></span></div>
<p>The former president of Merrill Lynch, John Thain, is not happy that he was fired from B of A, even though he left a very wealthy man. He does not refute Ken Lewis&#8217; statements. He only argues that Lewis and the B of A folks knew what Merrill Lynch was worth when they bought it. He may have inadvertently opened a new can of worms for himself: Did he knowingly sell an asset to a public company, which had received a huge federal investment, for $17 billion less than he knew it was worth?</p>
<p>The failure of the president of B of A  to have revealed the risks of the acquisition to shareholders, as the law requires, and his failure to exercise the MAC clause were acts of fraud and directly violate laws enforced by the SEC. As for Paulson and Bernanke, they were participants in a criminal conspiracy to defraud B of A shareholders. We also now know that the Fed in DC and its regional bank in Richmond threatened to fire Ken Lewis and his management team if B of A did not follow through with the Merrill Lynch acquisition for the full $50 billion.  This is EXTORTION. It is the threat to perform a lawful act in order to compel a person to exercise his free will adverse to his own interests or his fiduciary obligations.  Unfortunately for Ken Lewis, “the government made me do it” is not a defense to a criminal indictment. Ken Lewis, Henry Paulson, John Thain, Ben Bernanke, and Jeffrey Lacker, the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, should all be prosecuted for extortion, conspiracy to extort, criminal fraud, and theft of honest services; and they should be imprisoned if convicted.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://libertymaven.com/2009/06/25/prosecuting-rogue-bankers/6226/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>SCANDALS &#8211; The Jane Harman, Nancy Pelosi, AIPAC, Alberto Gonzales, Power Ranger Spy Plot and the Biden Boys</title>
		<link>http://libertymaven.com/2009/05/02/scandals-the-jane-harman-nancy-pelosi-aipac-alberto-gonzales-power-ranger-spy-plot-and-the-biden-boys/5544/</link>
		<comments>http://libertymaven.com/2009/05/02/scandals-the-jane-harman-nancy-pelosi-aipac-alberto-gonzales-power-ranger-spy-plot-and-the-biden-boys/5544/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2009 03:47:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jake Towne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Big Government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rule of law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aipac]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aleksandr solzhenitsyn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[best news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[case of the flu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[comedy show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[congresswomankhobar towers bombing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fellow columnist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[former congresswoman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[israel lobby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jane harman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[keith weissman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mainstream media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nobel prize winner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[one hundred times]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[saudi arabia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[steven j rosen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[swine flu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wiretapped conversations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[word of truth]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://libertymaven.com/?p=5544</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie. One word of truth outweighs the world.&#8221; &#8211; Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, imprisoned Soviet dissident and Nobel Prize winner
by Jake, the Champion of the Constitution
Originally published Friday, May  1, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article6368.html
WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; In January, I wrote an Austrian economic [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>&#8220;The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie. One word of truth outweighs the world.&#8221; &#8211; Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, imprisoned Soviet dissident and Nobel Prize winner</strong></p>
<p><em>by Jake, the Champion of the Constitution</em><br />
<em>Originally published Friday, May  1, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article6368.html</em></p>
<p>WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; In January, I wrote <a href="http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=3" target="_blank">an Austrian economic proof</a> that the Obama stimulus plan would fail, I noted that one of the many symptoms would be inevitable, unstoppable corruption. Well, I suppose it&#8217;s no surprise to any American that corruption in our government is already widespread. And it&#8217;s pretty sad to see the mainstream media freak out over a case of the flu. As fellow columnist Jonathan Cymberknopf writes in &#8220;<a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article6362.html">Swine flu make for great ratings</a>&#8220;, 36,000 died due to influenza in 2008, so there is no need for a mass freak out. (And yes, there is a possibility that it could become serious. A small possibility.)</p>
<p><img class="alignleft" style="margin: 10px 15px;" src="http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/5505/458pxharmanjane.jpg" alt="har" hspace="15" vspace="10" width="162" height="213" align="left" />After returning to the USA last month, I found that, perhaps paradoxically, the best news is being reported on Jon Stewart&#8217;s Daily Show, a comedy show. Check out the &#8220;Your Government NOT at Work&#8221; excerpt from <a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=225890" target="_blank">the April 28 episode 07:45 to 12:00</a>. Stewart outlines a scandal involving my former Congresswoman, Jane Harman, of California. My residence used to lie in Harman&#8217;s district, she failed to reply to a single one of my attempts to write or be heard.  I contacted her over one hundred times over two years without reply, but perhaps she was busy covering up.  In Harman&#8217;s defense, she would like to <a href="http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ca36_harman/42109_AGHolder.shtml" target="_blank">release all of her wiretapped conversations to the public</a>.</p>
<p><span id="more-5544"></span></p>
<p><strong>FACT:</strong> In 2005, AIPAC (aka The Israel Lobby) lobbyists Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman were charged in 2005 with conspiring to obtain classified documents dealing with Al-Qaeda, the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, and, perhaps most importantly, Iranian foreign policy. They are still awaiting trial. (<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/21/jane-harman-denies-interc_n_189399.html" target="_blank">Huffington Post, 4/21/09</a>)</p>
<p><strong><img class="alignright" style="margin: 10px 15px;" src="http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/8302/nancypelosi.jpg" alt="nan" hspace="15" vspace="10" width="202" height="270" align="right" />FACT:</strong> Representative Harman (D-CA) was under wiretap for suspicion of covertly aiding Israeli spies at this time. Recently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) revealed she had known for over 3 years that Harman was being wiretapped and kept it secret. (<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21614.html" target="_blank">Politico, 4/23/09</a>)</p>
<p><strong>CONTESTED:</strong> Two former senior national security officials, one read the transcript and were briefed on its contents, said Harman agreed during the conversation to &#8220;waddle into&#8221; the AIPAC case &#8220;if you think it&#8217;ll make a difference.&#8221; This was confirmed by a third source from the current national security administration. Harman allegedly hung up the phone after saying, &#8220;This conversation doesn&#8217;t exist.&#8221; In exchange, the sources reported, the suspected Israeli agent pledged to lobby Pelosi, who was then the House minority leader, to appoint Harman chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee if Democrats won control of the House in the 2006 elections. (<a href="http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=hsnews-000003098436&amp;cpage=1" target="_blank">Congressional Quarterly, 4/19/2009</a>)</p>
<p><strong>CONTESTED:</strong> The Israeli agent allegedly mentioned that Haim Saban, a dual citizen of the USA and Israel and wealthy creator of Mighty Morphin&#8217; Power Rangers, would withhold campaign contributions from Pelosi unless Harman was named chair of the Intelligence Committee &#8211; which ironically meets to discuss federal wiretap results. (<a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-cause22-2009apr22,0,1654633.story" target="_blank">LA Times, 4/22/2009</a>)</p>
<p><strong>FACT:</strong> Haim Saban financially supports Pelosi and the DNC through AIPAC. Pelosi said this week that &#8220;Haim Saban has been a friend of mine for many years&#8230; Many, many, many of Jane&#8217;s friends talked to me about her being named chair of the committee.&#8221; (<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21614.html" target="_blank">Politico, 4/23/09</a>) Last month, Saban held a cocktail reception and dinner for Pelosi and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at his home. (<a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-cause22-2009apr22,0,1654633.story" target="_blank">LA Times, 4/22/2009</a>)</p>
<p><img class="alignleft" style="margin: 10px 15px;" src="http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/1599/480pxalbertogonzalesoff.jpg" alt="al" hspace="15" vspace="10" width="168" height="210" align="left" /><strong>CONTESTED:</strong> Then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales allegedly prevented the CIA director to hold off on making the wiretap information public to the House and initiating a formal FBI investigation since &#8211; get this &#8211; he allegedly wanted to return a favor to Harman for suppressing a NY Times article about warrant-less wiretapping on the eve of the 2004 election, and allegedly still needed Harman&#8217;s help defending the Bush administration&#8217;s warrant-less wiretapping policy (in blatant violation of the Constitution&#8217;s <a href="http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am4" target="_blank">Fourth Amendment</a>.)  (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/us/politics/24harman.html?_r=1&amp;pagewanted=print" target="_blank">NY Times, 4/24/09</a>)</p>
<p><strong>FACT:</strong> Alberto Gonzales stated he has no comment at this time.  (<a href="http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=hsnews-000003098436&amp;cpage=1" target="_blank">Congressional Quarterly, 4/19/2009</a>)</p>
<p>As Jon Stewart laments, the NY Times still printed the article, Harman didn&#8217;t get her coveted chairwoman status, the Israeli spies are still on trial, and Saban still donated to Pelosi. Not quite like NCIS, CSI, or <a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article6273.html" target="_blank">any other of those twenty-plus cop programs on TV</a>, but&#8230; this is your government.  Not at work.</p>
<p>In other news, evidence is rapidly accumulating that have implicated James Biden and Hunter Biden, Joe&#8217;s brother and son, in a possible Madoff-Ponzi scheme. The facts are that the <a href="http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2009/2009-90.htm" target="_blank">SEC has frozen</a> the assets of hedge fund Ponte Negra Group LLC. Ponte Negra was marketed under Onyx Capital, which is owned by a hedge fund of funds, Paradigm Capital, where Hunter Biden was CEO. The Biden Boys were sued by Anthony Lotito of Ponte Negra Group, and James Biden <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/14758437/James-Biden-sworn-statement" target="_blank">gave a sworn affadavit</a>.   The relationships between Ponte Negra, Onyx, and Paradigm are entangled, but they all refer to the same office on the 17<sup>th</sup> floor of 650 Fifth Avenue in New York City, and callers have reached voicemail boxes of all three companies. I highly recommend <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/134227-is-biden-associated-with-a-hedge-fund-scandal" target="_blank">this well-documented synopsis from &#8220;Tyler Durden.&#8221;</a></p>
<p><img class="alignright" style="margin: 10px 15px;" src="http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/7480/480pxstewartusometromer.jpg" alt="stewart" hspace="15" vspace="10" width="168" height="210" align="right" />The Bidens do not appear criminal at the moment, but the James Biden&#8217;s sworn affadavit from April 2007 reveals that:</p>
<ul>
<li>The Bidens were aware that funds under their control had less 	than 20% of the assets they publicly claimed they had.</li>
<li>The Bidens were aware that the funds&#8217; returns were 	misrepresented.</li>
<li>The Bidens were aware that Paradigm&#8217;s manager had &#8220;an apparent substance abuse problem&#8221; and had not reported to work for years.</li>
</ul>
<p>The kicker is that after becoming aware of these details, it appears the Bidens failed to complete due diligence after buying in, they let this hedge fund continue business for another 2 years until the SEC closed it down on April 27, 2009.</p>
<p>Somewhat ironically, their father and brother, Joe Biden <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/12/biden-tax-returns-revealed/" target="_blank">made a big deal</a> on the campaign trail last fall that he and his wife are the second poorest family in the Senate, earning &#8220;just&#8221; $2.5 million over the past 10 years and having a net worth no higher than $220,000. &#8220;I make a good salary, although I am listed as the second-poorest man in this Congress. I&#8217;m not proud of it. I&#8217;m not proud of it. But that&#8217;s what happens when you get elected when you&#8217;re 29 years old.&#8221; Well, hopefully the hedge fund trader branch of the family has done better!</p>
<p>I&#8217;d rather not dwell on the fact that I&#8217;ve begun quoting Soviet dissidents. I&#8217;ll leave you with two simple quotes from a couple Americans.</p>
<p>&#8220;Discussion in America means dissent.&#8221; &#8211; James Thurber (1894-1961)</p>
<p>Silence can be the equivalent of acquiescence. In a free and open society, dissidents should be welcomed, never feared, and their evidence coldly subjected to the discerning blaze of truth itself.</p>
<p>&#8220;Silence is violence.&#8221; &#8211; song by Aimee Allen.</p>
<p>Indeed, sometimes this is true as well, the worst possible consequence for inaction. All actions &#8211; including inaction &#8211; have consequences. Such is life.</p>
<p>Jake, the Champion of the Constitution</p>
<p><a href="mailto:jaketowne@gmail.com" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">[Reach the Author Here!]</span></em> </a> <a href="http://www.campaignforliberty.com/">www.CampaignForLiberty.com</a> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> <w:UseFELayout /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--  /* Font Definitions */  @font-face 	{font-family:SimSun; 	panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; 	mso-font-alt:Ã¥Â®â€¹Ã¤Â½â€œ; 	mso-font-charset:134; 	mso-generic-font-family:auto; 	mso-font-pitch:variable; 	mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} @font-face 	{font-family:"@SimSun"; 	panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; 	mso-font-charset:134; 	mso-generic-font-family:auto; 	mso-font-pitch:variable; 	mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;}  /* Style Definitions */  p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal 	{mso-style-parent:""; 	margin:0in; 	margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:12.0pt; 	font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink 	{color:blue; 	text-decoration:underline; 	text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed 	{color:purple; 	text-decoration:underline; 	text-underline:single;} p 	{mso-margin-top-alt:auto; 	margin-right:0in; 	mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; 	margin-left:0in; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:12.0pt; 	font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;} span.sensecontent 	{mso-style-name:sense_content;} @page Section1 	{size:8.5in 11.0in; 	margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; 	mso-header-margin:.5in; 	mso-footer-margin:.5in; 	mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 	{page:Section1;} --> <!--[if gte mso 10]><br />
<mce:style><!    /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-parent:""; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:10.0pt; 	font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-ansi-language:#0400; 	mso-fareast-language:#0400; 	mso-bidi-language:#0400;}  --></p>
<p><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.endthefed.us/"> www.EndTheFED.us</a></p>
<p>(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Harman_jane.jpg" target="_blank">Harman photo</a>) (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nancy_Pelosi.jpeg" target="_blank">Pelosi photo</a>) (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stewart_-_USO-Metro_Merit_Awards_2.jpg" target="_blank">Stewart photo</a>) (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alberto_Gonzales_-_official_DoJ_photograph.jpg" target="_blank">Gonzales photo</a>)</p>
<p>___________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p><strong><em>We the People</em></strong><em> of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.</em></p>
<p><em>As always, unlike the NFL, the author grants full permission to allow any accounts of, rebroadcasts, retransmissions, repostings in part or full of this article to your blog or anywhere else in order to promote the Restoration of our Republic.</em></p>
<p><em>Veritas numquam perit. Veritas odit moras. <strong>Veritas vincit</strong>. Truth never perishes. Truth hates delay. Truth conquers</em>.</p>
<p><em>Tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito. <strong>Do not give in to evil but proceed ever more boldly against it.</strong></em></p>
<p>___________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5093.html">Nolan Chart Facebook Group Page Created</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5069.html">Summary of Articles and Bibliography for Jake, the Champion of the Constitution (4/8/2009)</a></p>
<p>___________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p><em>Other Recent Articles by the Author </em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article6335.html">China Nearly Doubles its Official Gold Reserves</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article6332.html">The Zombie Bank Dance:  Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, the FED, and Treasury Do a Jig</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article6325.html">Ron Paul &#8211; The Gray Champion</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article6305.html">Off a Cliff with No Airbags: The FED Banking System Quivers in Fright</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article6283.html">Thank You for Paying Your &#8220;Voluntary&#8221; Income Tax! Love, The IRS</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article6281.html">Amazing Public Comments on the FDIC/Treasury &#8220;Legacy Loans Program&#8221;</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://libertymaven.com/2009/05/02/scandals-the-jane-harman-nancy-pelosi-aipac-alberto-gonzales-power-ranger-spy-plot-and-the-biden-boys/5544/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ron Paul Takes Down A Baldwin On Legalizing Drugs on Larry King</title>
		<link>http://libertymaven.com/2009/03/13/ron-paul-takes-down-a-baldwin-on-legalizing-drugs-on-larry-king/4776/</link>
		<comments>http://libertymaven.com/2009/03/13/ron-paul-takes-down-a-baldwin-on-legalizing-drugs-on-larry-king/4776/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:48:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Gallagher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Liberties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Constitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Individual Responsibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ron Paul]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rule of law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[appearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[audience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cnn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drug case]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drug war]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feeble attempt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[joy behar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[larry baldwin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[larry king]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legalizing drugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marijuana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prosecution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stephen baldwin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thre]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[violent drug]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://libertymaven.com/?p=4776</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ron Paul completely annihilated Stephen Baldwin over legalizing drugs tonight on CNN&#8217;s Larry King with Joy Behar filling in for Larry. Baldwin&#8217;s feeble attempt at supporting keeping drugs illegal were the same old trite things we&#8217;ve been hearing for years that have been refuted time and time again.
Not surprisingly, Ron Paul truly schooled him and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ron Paul completely annihilated Stephen Baldwin over legalizing drugs tonight on CNN&#8217;s Larry King with Joy Behar filling in for Larry. Baldwin&#8217;s feeble attempt at supporting keeping drugs illegal were the same old trite things we&#8217;ve been hearing for years that have been refuted time and time again.</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, Ron Paul truly schooled him and the audience on why the drug war is horrid, marijuana should be legal, and he did it with a smile.</p>
<p>I loved the fact that Behar allowed Ron Paul to speak. In fact she allowed him to speak much more than Baldwin. Perhaps it was because Baldwin had nothing new to say.</p>
<p>Ron Paul&#8217;s appearance and words on this show should be played in court in any federal non-violent drug case, and there&#8217;s no way anyone would side with the prosecution. That is unless that person was lying to himself (or herself).</p>
<p>Watch Ron Paul break it down for the defense below.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufekh_SwZd0"><img src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/ufekh_SwZd0/default.jpg" width="130" height="97" border=0></a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://libertymaven.com/2009/03/13/ron-paul-takes-down-a-baldwin-on-legalizing-drugs-on-larry-king/4776/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Highway Robbery</title>
		<link>http://libertymaven.com/2009/02/18/highway-robbery/4406/</link>
		<comments>http://libertymaven.com/2009/02/18/highway-robbery/4406/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:06:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Big Government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Liberties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DownsizeDC.org]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[terrorism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[acts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aggressiveness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[America]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[army]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[assets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[balko]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[berwyn heights maryland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[billions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[burdens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[car]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[civil asset forfeiture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commentator]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commitments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[congress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[convictions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[county]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[county police]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime wave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crimes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[downsizing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[east texas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[educated]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[educator]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[evidence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forces]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foundations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free societies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[great grandmother]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[highway robbery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[innocents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[johne]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[johns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law enforcement agencies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legal crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marijuana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[maryland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[maryland county]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mistake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mother in law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new police station]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police car]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police departments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[possibilities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presidency]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presidents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[principle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[principled]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[proceeds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quote of the day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reporter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[robbery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[senate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Senator]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[senators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[state senator john]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stimul subjectivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surprise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[swat teams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[systems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[target]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[texas state senator]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travelers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[valuables]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wrongdoing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://libertymaven.com/?p=4406</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[D o w n s i z e r &#8211; D i s p a t c h
Quote of the Day: &#8220;The idea that people lose their property but are never charged and never get it back, that&#8217;s theft as far as I&#8217;m concerned.&#8221; &#8212; Texas State Senator John Whitmire 
Subject: Highway Robbery
If you happen [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: green;"><strong>D o w n s i z e r &#8211; D i s p a t c h</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Quote of the Day:</strong> &#8220;The idea that people lose their property but are never charged and never get it back, that&#8217;s theft as far as I&#8217;m concerned.&#8221; &#8212; <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6252365.html" target="_blank">Texas State Senator John Whitmire</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Subject: Highway Robbery</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">If you happen to travel through east Texas, avoid Tenaha, especially if you&#8217;re African American. The Tenaha police may stop you and rob you, without even charging you with a crime. <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6252365.html" target="_blank">They even took $4,000 from a great-grandmother.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tenaha, a town of 1,000, has used its robbery proceeds to build a new police station, and buy a second police car to extend its legal crime wave. But perhaps it&#8217;s unfair to single out Tenaha. Police departments all over America are doing the same thing, committing not only robbery, but also acts of terrorism. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Apparently, <em>no one</em> is safe. Just ask Cheye Calvo, the Mayor of Berwyn Heights, Maryland . . .</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">County police mistakenly targeted the Calvo home as a marijuana drop-off point. <a href="http://freedominourtime.blogspot.com/2009/02/police-state-keynesianism-stimulating.html" target="_blank">Police invaded the home, bound the mayor&#8217;s mother-in-law, and shot the family&#8217;s dogs. The Calvo&#8217;s were cleared of all wrongdoing, but the police won&#8217;t admit it made any mistakes.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.reason.com/news/show/131131.html" target="_blank">Radley Balko reports</a> that the use of SWAT teams and no-knock raids has soared, even when there&#8217;s no evidence that a targeted home poses any threat. These aggressive raids allow police to surprise the suspect and find as much valuable property to seize as quickly as possible. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Law enforcement agencies then auction off this property and spend the money on themselves, even when the victims they robbed are never convicted of any crime. Instead, the victims must prove that they are NOT guilty of a crime. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Proving a negative is almost impossible. That&#8217;s why innocence is presumed in free societies, and the state bears the burden of proving guilt. Civil asset forfeiture turn this principle on its head. It even forces victims to prove that their property was <em>never</em> used in a crime.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">This means that most seized property is never returned, even to people who are completely innocent. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The asset forfeiture laws give police a huge incentive to steal as much as possible. They also create a conflict-of-interest. Police make more money seizing the proceeds of drug sales than by preventing drug sales. This contradicts the supposed purpose of <a href="https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/109" target="_blank">drug prohibition.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">But it gets worse . . .</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span id="more-4406"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.ncja.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=JAG_in_the_Economic_Stimulus_Bill" target="_blank">The newly-enacted &#8220;stimulus&#8221; bill includes $4 billion for state and local law enforcement.</a> You will now be funding an expanded wave of police robbery.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/99" target="_blank">Please use our quick and easy Educate the Powerful System to ask Congress to repeal civil asset forfeiture.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">You can cut and paste the examples provided above into your personal comments. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Please also share this Dispatch with others and <a href="http://www.downsizedc.org/blog/highway-robbery" target="_blank">Digg it on our blog.</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Thank-you for being a part of the Downsize DC Army.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">James Wilson<br />
Assistant to the President<br />
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: green;"><strong>D o w n s i z e r &#8211; D i s p a t c h</strong></span><br />
is the official email list of <a href="http://www.downsizedc.org/" target="_blank">DownsizeDC.org, Inc.</a> &amp;  <a href="http://www.downsizedc.com/" target="_blank">Downsize DC Foundation</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://libertymaven.com/2009/02/18/highway-robbery/4406/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pirates!</title>
		<link>http://libertymaven.com/2009/01/28/pirates/4154/</link>
		<comments>http://libertymaven.com/2009/01/28/pirates/4154/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:16:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jake Towne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Constitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreign Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[barack obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cynthia mckinney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gulf of Aden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Military of the United States]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ron Paul]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[united states]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States Army]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US Navy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://libertymaven.com/?p=4154</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Acts of piracy whether committed by Somalian nationals in desperation or by nation-states like the United States are still acts of piracy!
by Jake, the Champion of the Constitution
Originally published Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article5898.html
Well, technically I suppose if committed by the US it could be called privateering.  (photo)
I am sure that most are familiar [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Acts of piracy whether committed by Somalian nationals in desperation or by nation-states like the United States are still acts of piracy!</strong></p>
<p><em>by Jake, the Champion of the Constitution</em><br />
<em>Originally published Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article5898.html</em></p>
<p><img class="alignright" style="margin: 10px 15px;" src="http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/8574/744pxpirateflagofrackratt3.png" alt="jolly" hspace="15" vspace="10" width="223" height="149" align="right" />Well, technically I suppose if committed by the US it could be called privateering.  (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pirate_Flag_of_Rack_Rackham.svg" target="_blank">photo</a>)</p>
<p>I am sure that most are familiar with the Somalian pirates, who have taken over quite a few merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden over the past few years with the aid of a few assault rifles and motorboats.  These criminals are mostly concerned with obtaining a ransom, and have kept ship crews and cargo hostage for fairly lengthy periods of time.  I am under the general impression that these pirates are more concerned with their ransom booty and do not really intend to take their hostages&#8217; lives.</p>
<p>What some may not know is that Blackwater, an American private mercenary and security firm <a href="http://inthesetimes.com/article/4173/blackwater_to_battle_pirates" target="_blank">is preparing to start a new &#8220;business&#8221;</a> in protecting Gulf of Aden ships from these rascals.  That should bloody the waters a bit, but probably few would claim that these pirates are anything but armed robbers.</p>
<p><span id="more-4154"></span></p>
<p>What still fewer will know is that the <a href="http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232643736860&amp;pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull" target="_blank">Jerusalem Post just reported</a> that the US Navy allegedly committed an act of privateering to seize explosive artillery shells aboard an Iranian merchant vessel flying Cypriot colors.  A Department of &#8220;Defense&#8221; spokesman stated that the US military was &#8220;aware of the media reports and are looking into them, but we have nothing to provide at this time.&#8221;</p>
<p>The US Navy originally thought the ship was carrying arms intended for Hamas in Gaza, but the US Navy became uncertain over the identity of the intended recipient since &#8220;Hamas is not known to use artillery,&#8221; the Associated Press cited a defense official as saying.</p>
<p>Professor Raymond Tanter, president of the Washington-based Iran Policy Committee, said, &#8220;It is not surprising that the US Navy is reluctant to acknowledge the operation, which may have been covert,&#8221; adding that maritime law posed challenges when it came to intercepting ships that fly the flag of a sovereign country.  The Jerusalem Post notes:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Maritime law provides a basis for the interception of suspicious vessels not flying a country&#8217;s flag (called &#8220;stateless vessels&#8221;), such as the North Korean ship carrying Scud missiles intercepted in the Arabian Sea by the American and Spanish navies in 2002. However, in last week&#8217;s incident, &#8220;it was a Cypriot-flagged, Iranian-owned commercial vessel, and the maritime law is less able to justify stop and search operations against such ships,&#8221; Tanter said.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Well, my only question is why on earth is it so believable to me, and Professor Tanter, the Associated Press, and the Jerusalem Post that my country, the United States of America, may be committing acts of privateering for Israel while fighting wars in Pakistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan?  Can&#8217;t they do their own dirty work?</p>
<p>And perhaps the Iranian vessels should hire Blackwater as well!  <img src='http://libertymaven.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>___________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p><strong><em>We the People</em></strong><em> of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.</em></p>
<p><em>As always, unlike the NFL, the author grants full permission to allow any accounts of, rebroadcasts, retransmissions, repostings in part or full of this article to your blog or anywhere else in order to promote the Restoration of our Republic.</em></p>
<p><em>Veritas numquam perit. Veritas odit moras. <strong>Veritas vincit</strong>. Truth never perishes. Truth hates delay. Truth conquers</em>.</p>
<p>___________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p><strong>The Gaza Slaughter January 2009 Miniseries </strong></p>
<ol>
<li>
<address><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5741.html">Israeli Conscientious Objectors &#8211; The Shministim (The Gaza Slaughter PART 1/6)</a></address>
</li>
<li>
<address><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5741.html">Israel Military Bulldozes &amp; Kills American Protester in Gaza (The Gaza Slaughter 2/6)</a></address>
</li>
<li>
<address><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5742.html">Israel Military Kills American Protester &#8211; An Economic Perspective (The Gaza Slaughter 3/6)</a></address>
</li>
<li>
<address><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5744.html">Cynthia McKinney and the Israeli Attacks on the Dignity and USS Liberty (The Gaza Slaughter 4/6)</a></address>
</li>
<li>
<address><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5748.html">Ron Paul and I Stand Alone on Gaza and Israel (The Gaza Slaughter 5/6)</a></address>
</li>
<li>
<address><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5754.html">Deceptions: A Short Essay on Labeling (The Gaza Slaughter PART 6/6)</a></address>
</li>
<li>
<address><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5782.html">Ron Paul Shows Some Outrage (The Gaza Slaughter &#8211; Epilogue)</a></address>
</li>
<li>
<address><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5795.html">Ron Paul, Gaza, and the BIS &#8211; (The Gaza Slaughter Epilogue II)</a></address>
</li>
<li>
<address><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5824.html">Barack Obama on Gaza and Mumbai &#8211; Hypocrite Extraordinaire</a> </address>
</li>
</ol>
<p>___________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p><em>Other Recent Articles by the Author</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5876.html">&#8220;Oh-Bomb-Ah&#8221; Launches First Attack on Pakistan &#8211; THE OBAMA WARS PART 1/2</a><br />
Published: January 24, 2009<br />
&#8220;We must make it clear that if Pakistan cannot or will not act, we will take out high-level terrorist targets like bin Laden if we have them in our sights.&#8221; &#8211; Barack Obama, July 2008.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5862.html">Obama Takes One Big Step Forward on Guantanamo Bay!</a><br />
Published: January 23, 2009<br />
In his first Executive Orders, Obama restores habeas corpus and declares the shuttering of Guantanamo Bay within a year.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5816.html">The Oath of Obama, Why His Stimulus Plan Will Fail and What to Do Instead</a><br />
Published: January 22, 2009<br />
Keynesian and Monetarist economic central planning always comes to a nasty end, as shown by the Austrian School&#8217;s Henry Hazlitt, F.A. Hayek, Ludwig von Mises, Leonard Read and Ron Paul.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nolanchart.com/article5797.html">Anthropogenic Global Warming or an Ice Age, Which Is It? (PART 2/2)</a><br />
Published: January 15, 2009<br />
Barack Obama just crowned socialist and environmental regulator Carol Browner as our Climate Change Czar. Propelled by her English degree, Browner is a vocal proponent of Anthropogenic Global Warming Theory. What if her pet theory is wrong?</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Zemified by Zemanta" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/0f7c18e0-b35a-4512-bd43-5288279413ee/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: medium none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=0f7c18e0-b35a-4512-bd43-5288279413ee" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a></div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://libertymaven.com/2009/01/28/pirates/4154/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mexican Civil War could spill over into U.S.</title>
		<link>http://libertymaven.com/2009/01/21/mexican-civil-war-could-spill-over-into-us/4083/</link>
		<comments>http://libertymaven.com/2009/01/21/mexican-civil-war-could-spill-over-into-us/4083/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:36:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Big Government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blowback]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Constitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DownsizeDC.org]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[War]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreign aid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aim]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[american businessmen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[authorities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[automatic weapons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[avail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bernard shaw]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[billions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bloodshed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[call]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[costs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[county]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dallas morning news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[downsizing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[educated]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Election]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[estimates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fighting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foundations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[george  mexican civil war]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[governments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[greate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[greatness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hearings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homeland securityhidalgo county texas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human rights groups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insiders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intelligence official]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iraq]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[journalists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kidnappings in mexico]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mafia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[message]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mexican gangs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael chertoff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minnesota]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nebraska north carolina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nolan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[number]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[operatives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[other elected officials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pakistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pennsylvania]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[policemen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politician]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politicians]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presidency]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presidents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[privatization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[profits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quote of the day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reporter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rio grande valley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[secretary  military law enforcement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[senate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Senator]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[senators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stresses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[subjectivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[systems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[taliban]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[target]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[terrorists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[texas officials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transitions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[troops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[truth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[violence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[warlord]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[warlords]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wars]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://libertymaven.com/?p=4083</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[D o w n s i z e r &#8211; D i s p a t c h
Quote of the Day: &#8220;All great truths began as blasphemies.&#8221; &#8212; George Bernard Shaw, Annajanska, 1919
Subject: Mexican Civil War could spill over into U.S. 
You&#8217;re not hearing about it yet, but a civil war is raging in Mexico [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: green;"><strong>D o w n s i z e r &#8211; D i s p a t c h</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Quote of the Day:</strong> &#8220;All great truths began as blasphemies.&#8221; &#8212; George Bernard Shaw, Annajanska, 1919</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Subject: Mexican Civil War could spill over into U.S</strong>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">You&#8217;re not hearing about it yet, but a civil war is raging in Mexico &#8212; between drug lords and the government. The Mexican government deployed 36,000 troops to fight this war in 2006, but the problem is getting worse. <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008602532_mexico08.html" target="_blank">Here are the disconcerting results . . .</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">* There have been more kidnappings in Mexico than Iraq! 1,000 have been officially reported, but human rights groups estimate the real number at 3,000. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">* Despite high-profile arrests but the bloodshed has doubled from 2007 to 2008, with between 5,300 and 5,700 dead in the past year from attacks related to the drug trade. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">* The city of Ciudad Juárez ended the year with 1,600 of those deaths</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now this violence is threatening to spill across <em>our</em> border! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">* <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008602532_mexico08.html" target="_blank">The violence is so bad in Ciudad Juárez that the mayor and other elected officials have moved to El Paso, Texas, and commute to work from there.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">* <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28589917/" target="_blank">In October, Hidalgo County, Texas officials issued fully automatic weapons to deputies patrolling the river in the Rio Grande Valley. Sheriff Lupe Trevino has authorized his deputies to return fire across the border if smugglers or other criminals take aim at them.</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">* <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008602532_mexico08.html" target="_blank">According to the Dallas Morning News, &#8220;A U.S. intelligence official based along the Texas border (has) warned that U.S. officials, American businessmen and journalists will &#8216;become targets.&#8217;&#8221;</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">* <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/zoom/html/2008602533.html" target="_blank">Mexican gangs have begun to expand their operations into several states, including some in the northern tier, such as Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">* <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28589917/" target="_blank">Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has ordered plans for a &#8220;surge&#8221; of civilian and perhaps even military law enforcement. Even Chertoff concedes that his plan could cause the bloodshed to spill over into our country.</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Why is this happening, and how can we stop it? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span id="more-4083"></span><br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The politicians have their typical answer, which is to do more of what hasn&#8217;t worked. They want to spend more of your tax money trying to keep drugs out of the U.S. We&#8217;ve been doing this for nearly half a century, and it hasn&#8217;t worked. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/7bxgeo" target="_blank">Even people inside the government admit this.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">On top of that, a government plan called the Mérida Initiative is sending $400 million to help the Mexican government fight this war. The details of this plan are still incomplete, but the total projected cost over the next 3 &#8211; 6 years is $1.4 billion. This is yet another foreign war, on top of Iraq and Afghanistan, at a time of severe economic stress.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The U.S. intelligence official quoted above by the Dallas Morning News provides the key to solving this problem when he says, &#8220;. . . you can&#8217;t really do that (stop the fighting) until you weaken (the) drug traffickers . . .&#8221; </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">How do you weaken the drug traffickers? <a href="https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/109" target="_blank">You take away their obscene black-market profits.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Al Capone and the mafia got rich running alcohol during Prohibition. When Prohibition ended the violence ended too. Jim Beam distributors don&#8217;t do drive-by shootings on outlets that sell Jack Daniels. And neither Jim Beam nor Jack Daniels are killing politicians, policemen, journalists, and private citizens. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Black-market drug profits fund criminal enterprises that threaten your safety, not only at home and in Mexico, but around the world. Taliban warlords in Afghanistan and Pakistan fund much of their operations through the illicit drug trade. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The solution to the coming spillover of the Mexican Drug War is simple: Stop doing the same failed thing over and over again. Do something different. End drug prohibition in the United States, and thereby defuse the Mexican Civil War and defund the terrorists in Afghanistan. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">TAKE ACTION using our Educate the Powerful System. <a href="https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/109" target="_blank">Please send your Representative and Senator a message telling them to defund the Mexican drug lords by ending the war on drugs.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Use the points made in this message to personalize your letter. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">And once you&#8217;ve done that, help us spread the word by &#8220;Digging&#8221; (Digg.com) this message, from our blog, at <a href="http://www.downsizedc.org/" target="_blank">DownsizeDC.org.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The more Diggs this blog receives, the more people will see DownsizeDC.org for the first time. Last week, we had a Dispatch that received 167 &#8220;Diggs.&#8221; Can you help us break that record? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jim Babka<br />
President<br />
DownsizeDC.org, Inc. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.S. Jim Babka is a guest on Gary Nolan&#8217;s talk show this evening. <a href="http://www.downsizedc.org/blog/jim-babka-on-quot-the-drive-quot-w-gary-nolan" target="_blank">Details are available at the Downsize DC blog. </a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">P.P.S. Not all new office holders have Internet contact pages yet. We&#8217;re updating our system as the new contact pages come on line. Your message will go through to any of your representatives that remain the same, or for which we&#8217;ve received new information. Don&#8217;t let this transition slow you down. Your message will get through to someone. It will make a difference. <a href="https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/109" target="_blank">Take action!</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: green;"><strong>D o w n s i z e r &#8211; D i s p a t c h</strong></span><br />
is the official email list of <a href="http://www.downsizedc.org/" target="_blank">DownsizeDC.org, Inc.</a> &amp;  <a href="http://www.downsizedc.com/" target="_blank">Downsize DC Foundation</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://libertymaven.com/2009/01/21/mexican-civil-war-could-spill-over-into-us/4083/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bush-Cheney Deserve Censure for Declaring War Against the Constitution</title>
		<link>http://libertymaven.com/2009/01/06/bush-cheney-deserve-censure-for-declaring-war-against-the-constitution/3920/</link>
		<comments>http://libertymaven.com/2009/01/06/bush-cheney-deserve-censure-for-declaring-war-against-the-constitution/3920/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:11:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Big Government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bruce Fein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Liberties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Constitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreign Policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Impeachment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[REAL ID]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[congress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreign aid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rule of law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accusations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[affirmation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[al]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[allegiance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amendments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[american citizens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[article]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[assets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[authorities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[billions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boundaries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bruce fein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bush]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bush cheney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[congressional subpoenas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[congressman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[constitution of the united states]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[constitutional]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[constitutions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contempt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[declarations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decline]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[declines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[democrat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[democrats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[enemies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[enemy combatants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[executive privilege]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forces]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[futures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[god]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[governments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[harriet miers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[international boundaries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[international terrorism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iraqi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ivism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legal accountability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mental reservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mentality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nationalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nationality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nationalization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[obligated]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[obligation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[party]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pledges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politically]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[predecessor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[predecessors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presidency]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presidents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prisoners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[privilege]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public servants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[purpose of evasion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[purses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[republican]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[republicanism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[republicans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[risk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[s]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[san francisco chronicle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[senate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Senator]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[senators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[state secrets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supporters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surveillance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tactic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[terrorism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[testimonies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[testimony]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[true faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[u s presidents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[u s senate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[undertaken]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vice president cheney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[War]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waterboarding]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://libertymaven.com/?p=3920</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve long held that just about every U.S. President and U.S. Congressman deserve to be hanged (or at least some sort of punishment) for violating their oaths of office.
Upon entering office, U.S. Presidents must pledge:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3923" style="margin: 10px;" title="Bush/Cheney" src="http://libertymaven.com/wp-content/uploads/bush_cheney.jpg" alt="Bush/Cheney" width="168" height="155" />I&#8217;ve long held that just about every U.S. President and U.S. Congressman deserve to be hanged (or at least some sort of punishment) for violating their oaths of office.</p>
<p>Upon entering office, U.S. Presidents must pledge:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. </em></p></blockquote>
<p>Similarly, members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives must affirm:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.</em></p></blockquote>
<p>If our public <em>servants</em> aren&#8217;t held to their oaths, then the oaths are rendered meaningless.</p>
<p>In similar fashion, Bruce Fein has opined in the <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/05/EDED15262K.DTL" target="_blank">San Francisco Chronicle</a>, that the actions of President Bush and Vice President Cheney have violated the Constitution in a variety of ways, and indeed deserve censure.  Here&#8217;s a piece of what Fein had to say:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>By wielding the threat of international terrorism, the Bush-Cheney team put the nation on a permanent war footing &#8211; the first time in history that war has been undertaken against a tactic. They maintained that the entire post-9/11 world is an active battlefield where United States military force may be used to kill suspected members of al Qaeda irrespective of international boundaries.</em></p>
<p><em>They claimed executive privilege and state secrets to conduct secret government &#8211; thereby circumventing political and legal accountability. This included directives to former White House officials Karl Rove and Harriet Miers to flout congressional subpoenas for testimony. They detained hundreds of people (including American citizens) as enemy combatants without accusation or trial. They authorized torture (waterboarding and extraordinary rendition), abductions, secret prisons and illegal surveillance of American citizens.</em></p>
<p><em>Like its immediate predecessors, the 110th Congress eagerly yielded its authorities &#8211; even the power of the purse &#8211; to the president. The Iraqi War Resolution, the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Act, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act amendments, and the declination to hold Rove in contempt of Congress were emblematic.</em></p>
<p><em>If left unrebuked, the Bush-Cheney usurpations of power will become part of the constitutional firmament and risk creating a safe harbor for future presidential abuses. Every member of Congress, moreover, is required to take an oath to &#8220;support (the) Constitution&#8221; pursuant to Article VI. There is no corresponding oath to support the Republican or Democratic parties or to subordinate the Constitution in the name of political harmony. Censure would be no novelty.</em></p></blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/05/EDED15262K.DTL">Read the whole article</a><em>.<br />
</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://libertymaven.com/2009/01/06/bush-cheney-deserve-censure-for-declaring-war-against-the-constitution/3920/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Life-and-Death Cost of Gun Control</title>
		<link>http://libertymaven.com/2008/12/04/the-life-and-death-cost-of-gun-control/3543/</link>
		<comments>http://libertymaven.com/2008/12/04/the-life-and-death-cost-of-gun-control/3543/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:26:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Big Government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Liberties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Constitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FOX news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gun Control]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Individual Responsibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[terrorism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abiding citizens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[athlete]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[banning guns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bias]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brilliant piece]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[call]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contributor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[costs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crimes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[debates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economist john]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extremes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[firearms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[football player]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gun control legislation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[handgun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[john r lott]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[johns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legislation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legislator]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legislators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life and death]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[machinations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[machine guns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[maryland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[maryland  plaxico burress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[muslims]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nfl players]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[promises]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research scientist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[s]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seniority]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supporters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[terrorists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unconstitutional gun control]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[university]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[university of maryland]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://libertymaven.com/?p=3543</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Economist John R. Lott is a senior research scientist at University of Maryland, College Park with a Ph. D in economics from UCLA who has written well-known books such as Freedomnomics, More Guns, Less Crime, The Bias Against Guns, and Straight Shooting: Firearms, Economics and Public Policy. As such, he is a well-known supporter of our [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Economist John R. Lott is a senior research scientist at University of Maryland, College Park with a Ph. D in economics from UCLA who has written well-known books such as <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1596985062?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=libertymaven-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1596985062" target="_blank">Freedomnomics</a></em>, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226493644?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=libertymaven-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0226493644" target="_blank">More Guns, Less Crime</a></em>,<em> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895261146?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=libertymaven-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0895261146" target="_blank">The Bias Against Guns</a></em>, and <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936783478?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=libertymaven-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0936783478" target="_blank">Straight Shooting: Firearms, Economics and Public Policy</a></em>. As such, he is a well-known supporter of our right to own and freely carry firearms.</p>
<p>Also a contributor to the <a href="http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/12/02/jlott_guncontrol/" target="_blank">Fox News Forums</a>, he has written another brilliant piece discussing the attacks in Mumbai, New York Giant’s receiver Plaxico Burress, and the ill-advised (and unconstitutional) gun-control legislation that has harmed us as a society:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Banning guns is in the news. India practically bans guns, but that didn’t stop the horrific Muslim terrorist attacks this last week.</em></p>
<p><em>A football player concerned for his safety violates New York City’s tough gun control regulations by <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8866348/Giants%27-Burress-accidentally-shoots-self-in-leg" target="_blank">carrying</a> a concealed handgun, and people call for everything from banning NFL players from carrying guns to demanding that the athlete serve many years in jail.</em></p>
<blockquote><p><em><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong>When police can’t promise to protect law-abiding citizens such Plaxico Burress or the victims in India, why don’t we allow people the right to protect themselves?</strong></span></em></p></blockquote>
<p><em>Where is the sympathy or debate in either case over letting people defend themselves?  Given that the terrorists <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122809281744967855.html" target="_blank">smuggled</a> their machine guns in with them, would anyone argue that India’s extremely strict gun licensing and artificially high prices for guns helped prevent the terrorist attacks? In fact, the reverse is more likely the case.</em></p>
<p><em>Would Plaxico Burress, the New York Giant’s receiver who was arrested yesterday, really have been safer just trusting the police to protect him?</em></p></blockquote>
<p><a href="http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/12/02/jlott_guncontrol/">Continue reading the article here</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://libertymaven.com/2008/12/04/the-life-and-death-cost-of-gun-control/3543/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>No Liberty For Dogs?</title>
		<link>http://libertymaven.com/2008/11/19/no-liberty-for-dogs/3390/</link>
		<comments>http://libertymaven.com/2008/11/19/no-liberty-for-dogs/3390/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:52:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Big Government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Liberties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[article]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blood loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[burglary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[call]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[call of nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canine friends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[children]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disloyal opposition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[doors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drug war]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[enforcement attitudes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family pets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[follower]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[followers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[german shepherd]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[handful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[illinois police]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[incident]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[innocents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[investigations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[investigators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[liberties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[losses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[maven]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opposition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[park forest illinois]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pit bull mix]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police canine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police dog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police drug]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[population]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service revolver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[southtown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[star walker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[violent confrontations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[walker family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[War]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wars]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://libertymaven.com/?p=3390</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Following an earlier Liberty Maven article (Mayor’s Dogs Shot Dead By Police, Drug War Victim?) is an article on Disloyal Opposition entitled &#8220;Maybe cops and dogs don&#8217;t mix so well&#8221; recounting several more stories of police officers gunning down our innocent canine friends.
Twice in recent days, police officers have gunned down family pets in incidents [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Following an earlier Liberty Maven article (<a href="http://libertymaven.com/2008/07/30/mayors-dogs-shot-dead-by-police-drug-war-victim/1342/" target="_blank">Mayor’s Dogs Shot Dead By Police, Drug War Victim?</a>) is an article on <a href="http://www.tuccille.com/blog/2008/11/maybe-cops-and-dogs-dont-mix-so-well.html" target="_blank">Disloyal Opposition</a> entitled &#8220;<em>Maybe cops and dogs don&#8217;t mix so well</em>&#8221; recounting several more stories of police officers gunning down our innocent canine friends.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Twice in recent days, police officers have gunned down family pets in incidents where the animals posed little or no clear threat to humans. The killings raise serious questions about law enforcement attitudes toward the use of force, law enforcement attitudes toward the general population and the potential for violent confrontations between police and the people they are supposed to protect. </em></p>
<p><em>In Park Forest, Illinois, police investigating a burglary entered the yard of the Walker family with a police dog in tow. Princess, the Walker&#8217;s German shepherd-pit bull mix, apparently smelled the police canine on the other side of the door and scratched to be let out. Thinking the dog needed to answer a call of nature, the Walkers&#8217; 10-year-old son opened the door, at which point Princess ran to investigate the intruders.</em></p>
<p><em>One of the officers promptly shot the dog with his service revolver.</em></p>
<p><em>According to the <a href="http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1274132,111208pfdog.article?plckCurrentPage=1&amp;sid=sitelife.southtownstar.com#Comments_Container" target="_blank"><em>Southtown Star</em></a>, &#8220;Walker said the bleeding dog crawled back into the house, spilling blood everywhere, including on the hands of Walker&#8217;s two stunned children.&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>Princess died of blood loss.</em></p></blockquote>
<p>The sad stories go on and on.  <a href="http://www.tuccille.com/blog/2008/11/maybe-cops-and-dogs-dont-mix-so-well.html">Continue reading here</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://libertymaven.com/2008/11/19/no-liberty-for-dogs/3390/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A State of Permanent Preparedness for Impeachment</title>
		<link>http://libertymaven.com/2008/11/04/a-state-of-permanent-preparedness-for-impeachment/3006/</link>
		<comments>http://libertymaven.com/2008/11/04/a-state-of-permanent-preparedness-for-impeachment/3006/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:50:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Miller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Big Government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Constitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DownsizeDC.org]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Impeachment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rule of law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abuses of power]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bush]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[call]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[campaign]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[campaigners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[campaigning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[campaigns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chief energies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commentator]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[congress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[constitutional]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[constitutional violations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[constitutions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[declarations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[democracy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[democrat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[devotion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[downsizing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[educated]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Election]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[election day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[faction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[factions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feelings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[follower]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[followers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foundations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[founders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[governments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hearings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hopkins university press]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypocrisy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypocrite]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypocrites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[impeachment of]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[impeachment of    johns                 impeachment of]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[impeachment of president bush]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indictment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[johns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[johns  hopkins university press]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[johns hopkins university]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loyalties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[many things]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mentions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[message]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minority report]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mistake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[motivations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new president]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[objection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[offense]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[partisan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[partisan loyalties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[party]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[possibilities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[preparedness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presidency]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president bush]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presidents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[proceedings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quote of the day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[republican]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[s]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[subjectivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supporters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[systems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[today is the day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[university]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[warrant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://libertymaven.com/?p=3006</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[D o w n s i z e r &#8211; D i s p a t c h
Quote of the Day: &#8220;Under democracy, one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule &#8211; and both commonly succeed, and are right.&#8221; Source: &#8220;Minority Report&#8221; (The Johns [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="color: green;"><strong>D o w n s i z e r &#8211; D i s p a t c h</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Quote of the Day:</strong> &#8220;Under democracy, one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule &#8211; and both commonly succeed, and are right.&#8221; Source: &#8220;Minority Report&#8221; (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997 [1956]), p. 222</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Subject:</strong> A state of permanent preparedness for impeachment</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">It&#8217;s Election Day. What should we say about it? We&#8217;re tempted to declare it a day of mourning, but instead, we&#8217;re going to argue that today is the day to adopt a state of permanent preparedness for impeachment. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">As of yet, neither a Democrat nor a Republican has been elected President. That outcome will be revealed later today. But before that happens, we should commit ourselves to closely monitor the actions of the new President, and to be ready to call for his impeachment, should that become warranted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">We should be prepared to do this regardless of partisan loyalties.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">What warrants impeachment? Different people will have different standards. We plan to maintain a running &#8220;bill of impeachment,&#8221; listing broken laws, Constitutional violations, and abuses of power. It will be up to you to agree or disagree with the items we choose to list, and to decide whether or not any one item or group of items justifies impeachment. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">It&#8217;s possible, given your level of sensitivity, that the new President could do something on his first day that would immediately warrant impeachment in your eyes, or that he will never do enough bad things to justify such an action. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The call will be yours. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Some people reasonably object that impeachment is too vulnerable to partisan ax grinding. There are also many things for which a president could be impeached of which the impeachers themselves will be guilty. It is precisely these concerns that prevented us from advocating the impeachment of President Bush. But . . .</span><br />
<span id="more-3006"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We have come to believe, after long consideration, that this<strong> was a mistake on our part</strong>. President Bush should have been impeached. In our view, he richly deserved it, as have many previous presidents, both Democrat and Republican. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Founders provided impeachment as one of many checks on government power. In doing so they were painfully aware of the dangers of faction, or what we call partisanship. They must also have known that no president would ever be impeached by a saintly Congress. But they provided for the impeachment power anyway. We think we know why . . .</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Unchecked government power is so toxic that it must be limited by every means available. Impeachment is one tool for doing so, even when it is tainted by partisanship and hypocrisy. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Which is better, to allow a president to run wild, or to check his criminality through impeachment, even if the impeachers are hypocrites with partisan motives? We would choose the latter outcome. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">But there is one other factor to consider. The mere threat of impeachment could itself regulate presidential actions, long before formal impeachment proceedings became necessary. This is especially true if the President and Congress begin hearing a growing cry for impeachment from a large number of citizens. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Calling for impeachment, when each of us feels it is justified, could serve as a powerful warning to both the President and Congress. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">As of today, there is no &#8220;bill of indictment&#8221; for an impeachment proceeding. No such list can even be compiled for the new president until after January 20, 2009. But what we can do today is warn Congress that we intend to be vigilant this time. Toward that end . . . </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">We&#8217;ve created a permanent impeachment campaign, where we will list, if necessary, any potentially impeachable offenses by the incoming president. In the meantime, the message-to-Congress for this campaign reads as follows . . .</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">&#8220;I&#8217;m serving notice that I&#8217;ll be watching the actions of the incoming president very closely. Should he break laws, violate the Constitution, or abuse his power, I&#8217;ll be urging you, early and often, to start impeachment proceedings.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/107" target="_blank">If you like the idea of maintaining a &#8220;permanent state of impeachment preparedness&#8221; then use our Educate the Powerful System to send this message to Congress.</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">If you feel that President Bush should have been impeached, then you could, if you wish, use your personal comments to state this opinion, and any supporting justifications you care to mention. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">This is the most appropriate action we can suggest on Election Day. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Thank you for being a member of the growing Downsize DC army. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jim Babka<br />
President<br />
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: green;"><strong>D o w n s i z e r &#8211; D i s p a t c h</strong></span><br />
is the official email list of <a href="http://www.downsizedc.org/" target="_blank">DownsizeDC.org, Inc.</a> &amp;  <a href="http://www.downsizedc.com/" target="_blank">Downsize DC Foundation</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://libertymaven.com/2008/11/04/a-state-of-permanent-preparedness-for-impeachment/3006/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
