Liberty Maven

Originally published February 10, 2010 at http://towneforcongress.com/economy/bloody-summer-ahead-in-afghanistan-1

The frigid winters in mountainous Afghanistan usually pass by with few combat deaths due to less mobility and less activity in the weather.  Each summer, the casualty rate has spiked.  However, this January was an exception with over the deaths of 30 American soldiers and 9 more to date in February. These totals, along with the arrival of close to 40,000 more NATO and US troops, suggest a bloody summer is ahead in Afghanistan.  Last year was a record-setting year for soldier deaths at 317 and the totals so far are about twice as high as the 2009 winter.

American citizens should question why exactly Nobel “Peace” Prize winner Barack Obama, the neoconservative chicken-hawk wing of the Republican Party (that is, most of them), and the interventionist war hawks in the Democratic Party (that is, most of them) are continuing to expend American blood and treasure on a meaningless war. HR 2647, the latest military spending bill of $680 billion for FY2010 was approved 389-22 in October by Congress.

As I have outlined in my platform, the Afghanistan and Pakistan Wars are unconstitutional and thereby illegal. These wars are unjust, preemptive wars of aggression that do not effectively address Al-Qaeda nor the real reasons America was attacked in the first place. Namely, this is our insistence to place over 761 military bases in 150 of the world’s 194 countries.  No other country seeks to station their troops on foreign soil as we have.  Americans certainly would not put up with the stationing of Chinese or Russian troops on our soil, so we should expect foreigners to feel no different.

Read More »

Three provisions of the PATRIOT ACT are due to expire at the end of this month. These provisions are . . .

1. Business Records: allows searches on your personal data without your knowledge if the FBI convinces a judge it is “relevant” to a terrorism investigation. The data could be computer-related, financial, medical, or even your library check-out history
2. Lone Wolf: allows the federal government to spy on a foreign person with no known ties to a foreign government or terrorist group — a power that’s never been used
3. Roving Wiretap: allows federal agents to intercept phone conversations without having to specify the person being investigated or which phone is being used

The House and Senate can’t seem to agree on reforming the Patriot Act. They might, however, agree on another temporary renewal of these provisions for 2-6 months.

We have a better idea. Use DownsizeDC.org’s “I am not afraid” campaign to tell Congress to just let these provisions expire.

You may borrow from or copy this letter . . .   Read More »

Ron Paul appeared on Fox Business and MSNBC today. Check out the excellent appearances below. For some reason I really enjoy Dr. Paul’s appearances with Rachel Maddow. He seems to rise above all the politics and just talks about what is right.

First on Fox Business:

Then, on Maddow:

For four years DC Downsizers joined with other organizations and countless farmers to oppose the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

Finally, the USDA saw the writing on the wall. It is scrapping NAIS!

The USDA still has plans for an animal tracing system, but it is to apply only to animals moving in interstate commerce, meaning . . .

* animal owners won’t have to file a report every time an animal leaves their property, whereas under NAIS horseback riders, for instance, would have had to file a report every time they went for a ride
* there will be no premise registration
* those who raise animals for personal consumption or to sell in local markets won’t be part of the new regulatory system

Moreover, the new system promises . . .

Read More »

“With the Democrats in charge, man exploits man. When the Republicans are in charge, it’s the opposite.” - seen on a local bumper sticker

The campaign is in serious need of funds to enable us to spread the message, and I have a challenge for supporters. If supporters raise $20,000 or more between Valentine’s Day (it’s a rEVOLution, after all!!) and February 20, I will donate an additional $5,000 of my own money. This is a significant amount for me personally, and is not a candidate loan but a donation. The challenge is if campaign supporters and donors are willing to make a significant contribution towards saving our country, I will do so with my wallet as well as with my time. During the week, grassroot supporters are holding two money bombs, and totals from both these will count towards the weekly total. Updates on the totals will befound here on February 15, and in the comment thread below.

Through December 31, 2009, 387 donors have raised $16,400 for the campaign, including over $2,000 from myself. As a small independent campaign, we do not have a fundraising coordinator, so all funds raised has come from grassroot supporters in the district and nationwide. The median donation is about $25, so no donation is too small.

Read More »

Originally published on February 7, 2010 at http://towneforcongress.com/economy/americas-greatest-and-strangest-political-secret-1

The path I have chosen in 2010 is to run as an independent under no political party in 2010.  As a candidate for United States Congress, this was – and still is – the best possible route for myself to win the November election and fulfill the campaign’s mission statement.   I have a severe dislike for both the Republican and Democrat politicians and party leaders as they are taking my country  - OUR country – on a path to both moral and economic ruin.  In my particular district, third parties are unfortunately not active and (locally in my district) have largely missed the boat on addressing the economic unrest.

However, as your fellow citizen, I want to share with you all the most effective way to become politically active, and that is to join with one of the two major parties and run for committeeman or committeewoman.  This gives you a vote in selecting local party leaders, and both major parties can be taken over on the local level by a determined minority.

America’s greatest and strangest political secret is that, in the dead of the winter, the two parties have a brief signature gathering process and then each precinct (usually just the few streets around your home) elects a committeeman/woman.  In Pennsylvania, just 10 signatures are required to be listed on the May 18 primary ballot.  The signature gathering is from February 16 to March 9, hence the timing of this post.  The May primary vote elects the precinct committeemen/women.

Read More »

by Peter Schiff, president of Euro Pacific Capital and author of Crash Proof 2.0: How to Profit from the Economic Collapse

With today’s unexpected decline in December payrolls, the cry for more job-related stimulus will grow even louder. But the sad truth is that any new stimulus or jobs bills will ultimately swell the ranks of the unemployed, thereby raising calls for an even bigger federal effort. If we are not careful, government regulations, subsidies, and spending, all designed to fight unemployment, could push the labor market into a death spiral.

Regulation acts like a tax on job creation. By subjecting employers to all sorts of extra expenses when they hire people, regulations increase the cost of employment far beyond the wages employers actually pay their workers. In fact, some regulations are specifically tied to the number of workers employed. This provides some employers with a strong incentive to stay small and not hire.

The minimum wage law, which is really just a very visible workplace regulation, actually makes it illegal for employers to hire certain individuals and destroys entire categories of jobs. For instance, faced with high labor costs, some restaurants will avoid hiring dishwashers by switching to plastic utensils and paper plates. On a larger scale, factories may decide to switch to robotic assembly lines if human labor gets too expensive.

Read More »

by John Browne – Senior Market Strategist, Euro Pacific Capital

President Obama’s State of the Union message only serves to reinforce my forecast that investors will continue to find better returns in markets outside America and in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Indeed, the reward gap may well increase.

Nothing in the President’s speech indicated willingness to do the hard work of cutting spending. Rather, he reiterated his commitment to a costly new healthcare entitlement and more spending on make-work programs. Only days later, his budget acknowledged that, even before factoring in the cost of his proposals, the federal government is unlikely to be in surplus for the foreseeable future. In response, Moody’s has issued a warning that the United States’ triple-A credit rating is not unassailable. In short, the trend set some ten years ago will continue.

Read More »

On Monday, President Obama proposed a federal budget for 2011. It features record-setting spending and borrowing. We believe it will do more harm than good. Please tell Congress to oppose this budget and work to cut federal spending.

You may copy or borrow from the following letter . . .

I demand that you oppose President Obama’s $3.83 trillion budget with its $1.56 trillion deficit. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9715793

* the deficit alone will be larger than individual and corporate income taxes combined http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/classic.html#usgs30210
* the cost of the federal government will be over $36,000 per family
* of which $17,000 will be new debt http://www.washingtonwatch.com/blog/2010/02/01/washingtonwatch-com-digest-february-1-2010/

The cost of the federal government is vastly greater than the benefits it provides. And the American people don’t want such a bloated budget. According to a January 29 Rasmussen Report . . . Read More »