Liberty Maven

Michael Moore utilizes  a word in the title of his new movie to elicit praise and respect from his Left-leaning fans and derision from his Right-leaning critics. Unfortunately for all of us, he uses the wrong word to describe his movie’s subject matter. It’s not capitalism, silly man; it’s corporatism. Therefore, I refuse to call his movie anything but what its true title should be: “Corporatism, A Love Story“.

Let’s head to Merriam-Webster to clear this up. Which one of the following best describes America today?

capitalism: an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market.

corporatism: the organization of a society into industrial and professional corporations serving as organs of political representation and exercising control over persons and activities within their jurisdiction.

The correct answer is, of course, corporatism. A  key phrase in the definition of capitalism is “by investments that are determined by private decision“. How do government bailouts of private industry reconcile with this definition? They don’t. And if you think this is a recent phenomenon then I urge you to consider the Savings and Loan bailouts back in the 80’s and 90’s.

Another assertion in the definition of capitalism that does not compute in America today is that the prices, production, and distribution of goods are supposed to be determined by a free market.

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During the general election Presidential campaign of 2008 I had no love for the decidedly non-libertarian views expressed by Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate. Prior to McCain selecting her I kept reading about how she could be considered a great libertarian leaning Republican. Then McCain chose her and the truth came out. Or did it?

Is she now going to try to undo the neo-conservative views she expressed while campaigning as McCain’s running mate? It would certainly be a good political move for her, but can she be successful doing it? I’ll be reserving judgment until she makes another statement on foreign policy and interventionism, but at least she’s joining the chorus of critics against the Federal Reserve.

During her Hong Kong speech today she took aim at the Fed for playing a role in causing the economic crisis. The Wall Street Journal blog reports:

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin fired a shot at the Federal Reserve in her coming-out speech in Hong Kong today, blaming the central bank for the current crisis and disagreeing with the idea that the Fed should have a greater role in preventing the next crisis. It was an echo of fellow Republican and Texas congressman Ron Paul, who has led the charge in Congress to perform an audit of the Federal Reserve with an eye to eventually eliminating it.

“How can we discuss reform without addressing the government policies at the root of the problems? The root of the collapse? And how can we think that setting up the Fed as the monitor of systemic risk in the financial sector will result in meaningful reform?” she said. “The words ‘fox’ and ‘henhouse’ come to mind. The Fed’s decisions helped create the bubble. Look at the root cause of most asset bubbles, and you’ll see the Fed somewhere in the background.”

More generally, Mrs. Palin took the tack that the financial crisis occurred because government got in the way of free enterprise.

So, thanks for jumping on the anti-Fed bandwagon Sarah, now do liberty-loving Americans another solid and start preaching non-interventionism and a strong focus on national defense rather than preemptive national offense. Do that, then continue it and over time some of us may start believing you.

In one corner we have a man that has lived his life inside politics. He has been campaigning for his chance at a Senate seat for several years. The stodgy big government Republicans have anointed him the chosen one. In the other corner is the energetic and principled outsider who is standing up to fight because he can’t take it anymore. The downward spiral of today’s America pried him away from his “normal” life to serve the cause of liberty and limited government.

It is Trey Grayson vs. Rand Paul in the event known as the KentuckyFight. It’s not a battle of fists, but a battle of funds. Sure, Rand is Ron Paul’s son, but when was the last time Ron Paul was labeled an insider by anyone?

The event was spawned due to the anger many felt toward Grayson for allowing his fellow Republican insiders to hold a $500/person fund raiser in Washington DC. The act of fund raising isn’t the problem. The problem is that Rand Paul is a Republican too and many of the incumbent Senators attending the Grayson fund raiser voted for last fall’s bailout. This reinforces the notion that Grayson has no intention of being fiscally conservative with our tax money.

So, the grassroots supporters of Paul decided to hold a brilliant fund raiser of their own. It’s another money bomb in an effort to raise more money than Grayson raises at his “i’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” fund raiser. Ron Paul’s supporters are fully backing his son. Given this it is not a question of if the money bomb will raise more than Grayson, but by how much.

Beginning at midnight tonight and ending at midnight tomorrow night, September 23rd, please donate to Rand Paul and send a message to Grayson and his political elitist friends. Let them know that small government is not just rhetoric. It is a philosophy that we demand of our elected officials.

The morons who are adding the “N word” to the end of “You Lie!” need to simmer down. Yes, that means you Jimmy Carter.

Following Joe Wilson’s outburst during Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress I suggested he was merely representing his constituents. I also suggested that he’s probably a liar too, but not many picked up on that. They were too interested in discussing how disrespectful it was for a man to yell two words at the President during his address, two words that probably should have been three words: “We all lie!”

But what I’m most miffed about is all these charges of racism going around. There’s nothing about what Joe Wilson said that was racist.  Those jumping to conclusions about race are instigating racism instead of helping prevent it. Now Jimmy Carter says he believes that Wilson’s comment was “based on racism.” Well I suppose that settles it.

The bottom line is that it is not in any way racist to disagree with the President on health care or any number of issues. Why does having a black President turn so many into race-card-playing Al Sharptons? If this is the way it is 9 months into Obama’s Presidency I’m really starting to worry how this country will be 2-3 years from now.

Here’s a tip. Unless the person disagreeing with Obama is wearing a white hood, is burning a cross, or actually says or writes something that is racist, put your race card back in your pocket where it belongs. If you don’t, you are perpetuating racism by “crying wolf” when there is no “wolf” to be found.

The most recent Rasmussen approval rating for Obama is at 50%. That means that 50% disagree in some way with Obama. Do you seriously believe that in 2009 half of America is racist? I’d suggest seeing a therapist if you do.

Instead of  straw-man-jumping directly to racism in your counter-arguments why not argue the actual issue? If you don’t then you are only reinforcing that you have no counter-argument.

Jimmy Carter is setting a very bad example. Do the opposite.

Oh dear, now look what Rep. Joe Wilson got himself into.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic leaders are planning a House vote early next week to admonish Republican Rep. Joe Wilson if he does not apologize on the House floor for yelling “You lie!” during President Barack Obama’s health care address to Congress.

What is the point of this other than more political gamesmanship? The “Democratic leaders” should be paying attention to more important things than Joe Wilson’s outburst. I don’t know about you but I don’t vote so my lawmakers can stand up in the House wielding a verbal paddle for someone who happens to disagree with the President.

Meanwhile, the Constitution is “shat” upon almost daily by these same lawmakers who apparently have the authority to “admonish”. I bet Joe Wilson is shaking in his shoes. The last thing he wants is to get spanked (verbally) by his peers for speaking his mind in an attempt to lower the pedestal a bit that Obama stands upon.

How nice that the above linked article includes a demand from South Carolina’s beloved James Clyburn to do more than merely “admonish”:

But many Democrats remain angry and have pressed for further action. They say Wilson clearly violated House rules.

“This is about how elected officials should be conducting themselves in the well of the U.S. House of Representatives,” Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, the third-ranking House Democrat, said in an interview Friday.

No, Jim. Elected officials like yourself should be following the supreme law of the land also known as the U.S. Constitution. Of course we know exactly how much you value that oath you took from your interview the other day with Judge Andrew Napolitano.

Jim, go ahead and admonish Joe Wilson. The American people should be admonishing you and many of your colleagues (including Joe Wilson) for pulling down your pants and pissing all over the Constitution on the House floor with just about every single vote you make.

That is at least a million times more disrespectful than the Joe Wilson outburst.

Let’s make a deal. How about the American people stop charging our elected officials with lying when they actually, oh I don’t know, STOP LYING?

Joe Wilson is no hero for shouting out “You Lie!” during Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress last night. He was just being a good representative, for a change.

The words are constantly echoed “We must respect the office of the President”. But why? It’s not like the President is a King or a God. The “office” should be ridiculed constantly with what it has become.

George W. Bush had a shoe thrown at him by a foreign journalist. America’s shoe closets should be empty right now between what Bush did and Obama is now doing.

The office of the President deserves disrespect. The entire government deserves disrespect. Joe Wilson’s anger last night was quite representative of many of his constituents own feelings. That is part of his job description.

In fact, that type of dissent is every single American’s job description. WE THE PEOPLE are supposed to enforce the Constitution.

I don’t care if you are on the Left, Right, up, or down the essence of American patriotism is to denounce the State when it goes out of control with power.

There is a certain element of the pot calling the kettle black with what Joe Wilson did last night. Those on the Left and many on the Right are denouncing him. I think it’s quite amusing that America is talking about Joe Wilson today rather than Obama’s most recent effort to hypnotize America into accepting health care reform proposals that will hurt us more than heal us.

Yes, we’ll probably get some kind of health reform and both sides will claim victory. And once again Americans will get what they deserve and they’ll get it good and hard.

NOTE: Please note in the video link of the “You Lie” incident at 0:47 Obama accuses his detractors of lying saying, “It is a LIE, pure and simple”. Then at 1:27 Joe Wilson returns the charge back on Obama. I hereby declare this event as the “Health Care Liar Liar Pants on Fire Debate”.

The soon to be released feature length documentary film, “For Liberty: How the Ron Paul Revolution Watered The Withered Tree Of Liberty“, will tug at your hope-strings and heart-strings. It is a definitive portrait of the passion for not just the man Ron Paul, but the glorious message of liberty.

I was lucky enough to acquire an advanced copy of the movie. It went straight from the mailbox into my DVD player. You are going to adore this movie. In fact, you are going to EVOL this movie.

Without revealing too many details (I don’t want this to be a spoiler) it covers all of the major grassroots events, efforts, and activists that were the essence of the Ron Paul Revolution. It begins right around the time Ron Paul announced his candidacy and culminates with the Rally for the Republic.

The creators utilize the “Walk4Freedom” (perfectly I might add) as an avenue to tie the “story” together. The story is told by the grassroots activists themselves, individuals such as Michael Maresco  (Walk4Freedom, Ron Paul Rider, Ride For Honesty), Lawrence Lepard (Full Page Ron Paul Ad purchaser and organizer), Trevor Lyman (Money bomb promotion, Ron Paul Blimp), and many others.

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Judge Napolitano took another “Anti Ron Paul” to task over support of government health care. In fact, Judge Napolitano asked the one question we Constitutionalists have wanted to ask all of the health reform supporters in Congress. Is government health care Constitutional? We all know how Ron Paul and many free market supporters answer that question. How does an “Anti Ron Paul” justify the opposing answer?

The Judge’s target was House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC). In a 13 minute plus interview Clyburn said some rather telling but unsurprising things. I’ve included the entire interview audio below. I don’t want to be attacked for taking his words out of context. If you’d like to only hear the Constitutional question portion then jump to 5:00 in the audio at the bottom of the article.

First the discussion is about Clyburn’s idea to have a 3 year “test” period for health reform. The Judge chimes in and correctly surmises that it’s just a slower path to the public option.  During Clyburn’s next remarks he mixes up the meaning of words. He says the following:

“So what is a fact to me, may not be a fact to you. So what kind of independent facts can we develop?“

Ridiculous. This is the 3rd ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. He doesn’t know the difference between “fact” and “opinion”.

The Judge then pops the question: “Where in the Constitution is the federal government charged with maintaining people’s health?”

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Alan Greenspan has been dubbed “The Maestro”, but of what? He became what he once despised. He “sold out”. He’s the geeky kid who just wanted to have all the cool kids like him. So he did what they wanted rather than what was morally responsible.

It turns out he was not much more than the architect of the housing bubble which contributed greatly to the economic mess we are suffering through right now. He was the maestro of moral hazard.

Greenspan’s successor, along with his partner in the Treasury are traipsing down the same path. Bernanke and Geithner are the Dukes of Moral Hazard. Bernanke is Luke and Geithner is Bo.

While they tinker with the economy (General Lee) they are making life hell for the rest of us. We are a bunch of Rosco P. Coltranes to them.

What is this moral hazard that I speak of?

Moral hazard is the prospect that a party insulated from risk may behave differently from the way it would behave if it were fully exposed to the risk.

So the Dukes continue their bailouts, money printing, and money laundering just to keep the moral hazard government-sponsored Ponzi scheme afloat.

Meanwhile the dollars we are left with purchase less with every passing day. This is how our dearly beloved government can utilize the hidden tax of inflation to raise taxes. And they can do it without major public scorn since most do not understand that inflation is as evil a tax as the income tax.

There are a few things we can do to help people understand. First, make sure you contact your representative and request they cosponsor HR1207 or S604 to audit the Fed. Next, read Ron Paul’s newly released book, “End the Fed“. It will give you a deeper understanding of The Federal Reserve and arm you with persuasive arguments for abolishing it. Paul effectively ties the Fed to the general persistent growth of government and its intrusion in our lives.

With the Fed around there is no such thing as “limited” government. Government is a perpetual growth industry.

Aren’t we tired of this constant heavy hand regulating us into oblivion? It is high time for the people to stand up and regulate the government.

That would be change I could believe in.

If Ron Paul won last November he could have easily started his inauguration speech with the following quote:

The type and formula of most schemes of philanthropy or humanitarianism is this: A and B put their heads together to decide what C shall be made to do for D. The radical vice of all these schemes, from a sociological point of view, is that C is not allowed a voice in the matter, and his position, character, and interests, as well as the ultimate effects on society through C’s interests, are entirely overlooked. I call C the Forgotten Man.

- William Graham Sumner, “The Forgotten Man“

Sumner effectively describes the agitated state of America’s overlooked citizens in 2009 even though his words were penned in 1883. These are the people you see walking and driving to work every day after dropping their children at school. These are the retirees taking up a hobby after working for themselves and the State for their entire lives. These are the stay-at-home mothers and fathers keeping the house clean and the children fed. They go about their daily routine with hardly a complaint nor a frown.

Well, they used to.

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