This is actually a civics lesson. :) If you really want to see what your government is doing, has done you, and is thinking of doing you don't need to watch C-SPAN or read/listen to what any of the media decides to tell you about. All the action, without the posturing and filibustering is published daily in the Federal Register. The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents.
The GPO, Government Printing office works overnight to make it freshly available Mon - Friday. The Federal Register is online at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html
You can search the 2007 Federal Register by date at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/frcont07.html The info is arranged by departments so if there's some pet thing of yours it makes it easier to follow. My personal interests relate mainly to public land access (National Forests, National Parks and the BLM managed public lands), especially in the states of NM, CO & UT
No, I don't read it all myself. ::) A couple groups I belong to send out weekly announcements of things of interest.
Thanks for the reference, MtnDon :) It even had a listing for the upcoming meeting "the International Conference on Harmonization" - under the FDA heading - which plans to place all natural supplements under CODEX & restrict our access to them without a prescription... (I just started a new thread)
Here's a very short video with Ret. Gen. Wesley Clark speaking 3/2/2007 on future plans by our gov't
http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=94w1lron0j
Law of the Sea (http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/vernon/070514) another "LOST" scheme of the globalists... read it & weep - if you like taxes, this ones for you - "international taxes" could be levied by this UN/globalist plan & good 'ole Cheney is pushing it big time! >:(
The United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, also called simply the Law of the Sea or LOS) refers to several United Nations events and one treaty. Originally it was designed to protect fisheries and to address the differing territorial boundaries, 3 mile, 12 mile, even 200 mile territorial limits.
QuoteIt would end the domination of the world by intimidation and force on the seas...
America does not have the right to patrol and police the waters of the entire world to ensure that they get what they want throughout the entire world.
Not necessarily so, if I've interpreted things correctly. Countries would still only have a 12 mile
territorial limit. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea does include a 200 mile
economic zone, allowing countries to determine how resources within that area are used. Territorial or sovereign rights of 200 miles seem an excess to me. By 1950 four South American countries had declared a 200 mile territorial limit to protect their fisheries; an economic zone of 200 miles would make more sense.
The open seas are the "open seas"; that goes for everyone.
Straits used for international navigation would remain open to all ships of all nations. Our merchant ships as well as our warships could roll through at will; same goes for ships of other nations. However there is a clause that would prohibit research or survey activities. I have a problem with that in a world that is far from peaceful and friendly. Something like that could even be interpreted to make the operation of a recording fathometer on a merchant ship illegal.
I couldn't find a lot of info on this; there are different interpretations, I don't know what's correct
Some links I found
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Sea
http://www.oceanlaw.org/
and the entire text
http://www.oceanlaw.net/texts/losc-a7.htm
In closing, I find many decisions, recommendations, etc. of the UN to be suspect as far as being good for the people of the USA. Especially when the governments of some of those voting countries are totalitarian regimes.
QuoteDon. I think you are being paranoid...
Maybe. Is as in "suspicious"; antonymn = trustful. Yeah that's me. Watchful, careful.
QuoteCapitalism is a vicious cruel system that empowers the rich ...
B***c**p! :o Capitalism gave me the chance to work my way from being a lowly clerk in a retail photo store in early '70's, up thru every job in the place other than bookkeeper, to being able to buy the business from the founder's son who wanted to retire. All within 4 hardworking years. It gave me the opportunity to provide jobs for up to 15 employees at a time. Nobody ever quit because they weren't happy with me. They quit because they had an opportunity to improve their lot in life by going to work for another capitalist company. I also fired some who either didn't perform as well as their co-workers, were habitually late or absent and two who were thieves.
Capitalism gave me the chance to borrow money from a Capitalist Bank to improve and expand the business. That chance also included the chance that I might make an error and fall flat on my face. Capitalism gave me the opportunity to sell the business for a modest profit in the mid 80's.
Capitalism provided me with the ability to pursue my auto sport hobby for a number of years. Capitalism enabled me to save some money for retirement investments. Without Capitalism there would be no places to invest your savings for a decent return on your money.
I don't know of any economic system that is as user friendly or works better than Capitalism. Capitalism provides opportunity to enrich oneself and one's family. Capitalism has a reward for hard work. I do not consider myself rich either. Comfortable, maybe almost.
Quote...the attitude that you can do what you want on the open seas needs to change
My position on that does NOT include the raping of the fisheries, or the plundering of resources. As stated before a 200 mile economic zone seems reasonable. No other nation should be able to fish, drill for oil/gas, mine minerals, etc. within that zone without express permission from that sovereign nation. Anything within that economic zone is that country's's to use
and to protect from others.
However, there is no reasonable cause for barring the vessels of any other nation from traversing those waters. A 12 mile territorial limit is ample for national security purposes.
Quoteas for fishing... Despite Canada ceasing a commercial fishery in many parts of their 200 mile boundary and all their efforts to conserve and protect endangered and depleted stocks..... They are losing ground as other countries come in and just take what they want....
Canada has a Navy and a Coast Guard. One of their Coast Guard's jobs is fisheries enforcement. One of the Canadian governments duties is to ensure their Coast Guard has the facilities and equipment necessary to protect their fishery and other maritime resources. It's not the job of any other country, or the UN, or an arm of the UN, to protect Canada's or any other nation's waters unless there is some general and flagrant violation of territorial or economic sovereignty. But the first defense is the responsibility of the country itself.
Bad for US www.cei.org/pdf/5352.pdf
Did you remember to feed the dog?
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=25780
Now - as has been my belief it would be for some time now, our Government is not a Republic (or if you prefer "Democracy") but a Dictatorship - devoid of oversight by the US Congress and the Judiciary. Note that this issue will not be thrown into your face until it is too late. You will be allowed to believe it is for your protection and your own good. Oh help me -- oh protect me, I'm so scared of the mean terrorists . At least I might be if I didn't know it was our Government. :o
The tater himself needs simply to create an emergency (remember 9/11?) then declare martial law at his own whim. Read the story. Will he leave in 2008? Will they leave in 2008? :-?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20070627&articleId=6169
Our own military can now be used against us on our own soil. :o I can hardly wait. I want to paint happy faces on my ball and chain. :)
It had been changed to a hidden topic. I un-hid it.
I can get it now.... on the same subject, here is a link to a short video... (approx 2 min)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6771406957775433390&hl=en
and another one on "executive privilege"
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7186330954089809078 (approx 2 min)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3622191825057371061 (5 min)
I edited it back to original - back to our regular programming.
The Canadian (http://www.unknownnews.org/070628-fd-28-TheCanadian.html)
America, your president is about to launch World War III
The erosion of the legal system (and more specifically - loss of faith in the fairness of the legal system) will be one of Bush's most lasting legacies. :-[
How long can a lame duck waddle?
A couple of days ago somebody on Huffpost said that there was method in the madness of Bush's commuting Libby's sentence.
Especially with appeals still pending, Libby can still take the 5th amendment against incriminating himself. This works for court cases and Congress. In other words he couldn't be forced to testify in an impeachment trial.
It's my understanding that Libby has the goods on Bush and Cheney. He would make a pretty bad enemy. :-/
Remember the Ice from Katrina and all the government insiders that were profiting off the sale and storage of it -- Dan Quayle's company for one. Well -- I guess they have milked it for all they dare to-- now after $12,500,000.00 for storage it is time to melt the ice.
Your Tax debt dollars at work. :-/
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/15/national/main3058982.shtml
Outsourcing Intelligence: Author R.J. Hillhouse on How Key National Security Projects Are Contracted to Private Firms (http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/26/1410253)
"Red alert: Our national security is being outsourced. The most intriguing secrets of the 'war on terror' have nothing to do with al-Qaeda and its fellow travelers. They're about the mammoth private spying industry that all but runs U.S. intelligence operations today... the private spy industry has succeeded where no foreign government has: It has penetrated the CIA and is running the show." Those are the opening lines to a recent article in the Washington Post by R.J Hillhouse, a blogger and novelist who closely tracks the privatization of the nation's intelligence agencies.
Author R.J. Hillhouse caused a stir in Washington last month when she revealed more than 50 percent of the National Clandestine Service has been outsourced to private firms. Now Hillhouse has exposed private companies are heavily involved in the nation's most important and most sensitive national security document – the President's Daily Brief. And there appears to be few safeguards from preventing corporations from inserting items favorable to itself or its clients into the President's Daily Brief in order to influence the country's national security agenda. [includes rush transcript] "Red alert: Our national security is being outsourced. The most intriguing secrets of the 'war on terror' have nothing to do with al-Qaeda and its fellow travelers. They're about the mammoth private spying industry that all but runs U.S. intelligence operations today... the private spy industry has succeeded where no foreign government has: It has penetrated the CIA and is running the show." Those are the opening lines to a recent article in the Washington Post by R.J Hillhouse, a blogger and novelist who closely tracks the privatization of the nation's intelligence agencies.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,161962,00.html
U.S. Terror Attack — 'Ninety Days at Most'
"Counterterrorism expert Juval Aviv spoke with FOX Fan Central about what Americans can do to protect themselves in case of a terror attack.
Do you believe another terrorist attack is likely on American soil?
I predict, based primarily on information that is floating in Europe and the Middle East, that an event is imminent and around the corner here in the United States. It could happen as soon as tomorrow, or it could happen in the next few months. Ninety days at the most.
What advice do you have for individuals that have the misfortune of finding themselves in the middle of a terror attack?
Since mass transportation is the next attack, when you travel to work have with you, a bottle of water, a small towel and a flashlight. What happened in London is exactly a point to look at. Those people who were close to the bombs died, then others were injured or died from inhaling the toxic fumes or getting trampled. The reason you take a bottle of water and a towel is that if you wet the towel and put it over your face, you can protect yourself against the fumes and get yourself out of there." (Continued @ Fox News link above)
Wonder how he knows so much... :-/
What a concept, and in agreement with what I have been saying may happen for a couple of years. Hope it doesn't. :(
QuoteThursday, August 16, 2007
Group that advocated Bush become "President-for-Life" linked to Bush Administration itself
http://mparent7777-2.blogspot.com/2007/08/group-that-advocated-bush-become.html
Look what our gov't is planning http://www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/training/gc_1179430526487.shtm
The TOPOFF 4 Full-Scale Exercise
A Rigorous Full-Scale Response to a Coordinated Attack
Taking place October 15-24, 2007, the TOPOFF 4 Full-Scale Exercise (T4 FSE) will feature thousands of Federal, State, territorial, and local officials. These officials will engage in various activities as part of a robust, full-scale simulated response to a multi-faceted threat. The exercise will address policy and strategic issues that mobilize prevention and response systems, require participants to make difficult decisions, carry out essential functions, and challenge their ability to maintain a common operating picture during an incident of national significance. As in a real-world response, agencies and organizations will deploy staff into the field and will face realistic incident-specific challenges, including the allocation of limited response resources and exercise actions needed to effectively manage conditions as they emerge. Planning and preparation for the exercise will also help strengthen working relationships between departments and agencies that are critical to successful prevention and response in real emergencies. con't at above link
Fits right in with Chertoff's gut feeling -- how surprising. ::)
I've been trying to stay off here and concentrate on building......Johns last post was just too tempting though. Bush has just taken the gradual decline of the system and accelerated it.
I have read for years about the upcoming disaster in this country and how we will save the day (we meaning the informed and prepared citizens).
Look at our country.
.
Our legal system has taken a dump and the response by our representatives, is to pass a few more laws.
We DON"T produce anything anymore. For the most part, we are a country of managers and supervisors.
WE have so damn many people immigrating here we don't have enough room to grow enough food for ourselves anymore.
We pay taxes out the wazoo.
I can go on and on but the bottom line is that this country is going to melt down just like the Soviet Union. Instead of going out with a bang, we'll go down with a whimper.
I look at my kids and grand kids and realize what a rotten mess I'm leaving them.
Not only has big business moved nearly all good jobs out of country, they and their whore, the Federal government are bringing in the illegals -- starting this Thursday, by the truckload. Mexican trucks will freely roam the US taking more of the jobs that the less educated could still do and make a decent living. I wonder if the Teamsters will have to bring out the goons again? :-? Who will benefit -- only big business and the corporate elite.
They tried the legal system joke and it didn't work as it is also in the hands of big business.
Tons of our manufacturing plants lie just across the border where near free labor increases the bottom line for the corporate execs so they can rip off all the profits. The politicians are kept well oiled by corporate lobbyists. Hecho en Mexico, eh. >:(
Example of execs. stating that they would pay the government prostitutes if they are allowed to take jobs away from the middle class to increase profits for the elite.:
QuoteMore than 40 percent of U.S. technology executives surveyed would be willing to pay higher taxes to compensate for jobs they send offshore
http://management.silicon.com/itdirector/0,39024673,39120467,00.htm
'A 1998 document which WND has obtained shows the North American SuperCorridor Coalition, or NASCO, was originally named the North American Superhighway Coalition.
The document plays into an emerging debate in which a number of critics, including President Bush, want to deny that a NAFTA "Superhighway" exists.'
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57444
Woops :o good thing the plane made it safely!
Nuclear warheads mistakenly flown on B-52, landing at Barksdale AFB
By Michael Hoffman
Military Times
A B-52 bomber mistakenly loaded with five nuclear warheads flew from Minot Air Force Base, N.D, to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Aug. 30, resulting in an Air Force-wide investigation, according to three officers who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the incident.
The B-52 was loaded with Advanced Cruise Missiles, part of a Defense Department effort to decommission 400 of the ACMs. But the nuclear warheads should have been removed at Minot before being transported to Barksdale, the officers said. The missiles were mounted onto the pylons of the bomber's wings.
http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070904/NEWS01/70904040
Martial law implementation practice coming up in 9 days. Perfect time for a false flag event. :)
http://iraqwar.mirror-world.ru/article/140290
Doesn't need my comments.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/16076312/the_great_iraq_swindle
Our missing nuke.
http://iraqwar.mirror-world.ru/article/141050
Here is a wonderful website to better understand our gov't's regulations - how to comment/petition/research etc.
http://www.ombwatch.org/regresources
http://www.ombwatch.org/article/archive/250
Our Mission
OMB Watch exists to increase government transparency and accountability; to ensure sound, equitable regulatory and budgetary processes and policies; and to protect and promote active citizen participation in our democracy.
Our History
OMB Watch, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, was formed in 1983 to lift the veil of secrecy shrouding the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). OMB oversees federal regulation, the budget, information collection and dissemination, proposed legislation, testimony by agencies, and much more. While OMB's actions were having an enormous impact on agency operations and the pursuit of social justice, it remained largely behind the scenes — unaccountable and little understood by the public and public interest groups. By explaining governmental processes and monitoring OMB, OMB Watch helped bring sunshine to this powerful and secretive agency.
Good links, especially the one about how to search/use the federal register. (regresources)
House Passes Thought Crime Prevention Bill HR 1955
http://www.roguegovernment.com/news.php?id=4682
Boom in biodefense labs sparks security debate
Biodefense facilities' dangers cited; backers call breaches isolated
11:55 PM CDT on Friday, October 26, 2007
By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News
eramshaw@dallasnews.com
WASHINGTON – Since Sept. 11, the federal government has spent billions of dollars on research to protect the public from an invisible but devastating threat: biological attack.
But a lack of supervision over the hundreds of labs and thousands of scientists now handling deadly germs – as demonstrated by recent problems at Texas A&M University – has put the country at higher risk for dangerous disease outbreaks than before 2001, federal investigators say.
"The labs are pretty much overseeing themselves at this point," Keith Rhodes, an investigator with the U.S. Government Accountability Office, said this month. "I would have to say we are at greater risk today" of an infectious disease epidemic.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/102707dntexbioterrorism.366092c.html
Do you ever wonder why so many hazardous toys & faulty appliances etc are in the marketplace? Read this...
Industries Paid for Top Regulators' Travel
Two Heads of Product Safety Agency Accepted Trips From Manufacturer Groups
By Elizabeth Williamson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 2, 2007; Page A01
The chief of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and her predecessor have taken dozens of trips at the expense of the toy, appliance and children's furniture industries and others they regulate, according to internal records obtained by The Washington Post. Some of the trips were sponsored by lobbying groups and lawyers representing the makers of products linked to consumer hazards.
The records document nearly 30 trips since 2002 by the agency's acting chairman, Nancy Nord, and the previous chairman, Hal Stratton, that were paid for in full or in part by trade associations or manufacturers of products ranging from space heaters to disinfectants. The airfares, hotels and meals totaled nearly $60,000, and the destinations included China, Spain, San Francisco, New Orleans and a golf resort on Hilton Head Island, S.C.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/01/AR2007110102732.html
Coed locker rooms given green light
Statute allows people to 'choose a gender'
Posted: November 14, 2007
8:21 p.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The Montgomery County Council, left to right, bottom row: George L. Leventhal, Marilyn J. Praisner (president), Phil Andrews. Top row: Marc Elrich, Valerie Ervin, Roger Berliner, Duchy Trachtenberg, Nancy Floreen, and Mike Knapp (vice president)
Coed locker rooms could be a reality now that a new statute to allow people to "choose a gender" has been approved in Maryland.
But the measure, given the green light by elected officials in Montgomery County, will soon be the subject of a court challenge, according to a non-profit public-interest law firm.
"The definition for 'gender identity' is so vague that no individual of ordinary intelligence can possibly know when they are violating Chapter 27," Robert Tyler, general counsel for the Advocates for Faith & Freedom, told county officials in a letter.
"Pursuant to the definition of 'gender identity,' an individual can choose a gender without limitation whatsoever," he said.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58695
All in all, our government is doing what the people in control desire. I hear now we're (our government_ is looking at making it illegal for Santa to say HO HO HO ....seems it not diversified for some folks. The ultra conservatives say it sounds too much like an old man calling for a "rent a date".....YEP....we're gettin what we deserve. The country has reared a generation of idiots and now they are in charge!
Ho, Ho, Ho is the call of the slimy haired congress critter --- the ones who aren't tapping their toes or waving their hands under the stall dividers in the park, or the ones who aren't in the pedophile ring in DC (http://www.apfn.net/Messageboard/02-19-05/discussion.cgi.32.html), that is. Why should they allow a Santa to use it? >:( ;D
The title of this thread is :What Your Government Has Done For You Today
Not one thing!
To me, paying taxes of any kind is the same as buying a ticket I am not going to watch....Just a plain waste of money.
This country is in serious trouble. Stock market's tanking again, Bush has spent us into debt for the next 5 generations and the dollars slipped even further. Oil's almost 98.00 again and headed to 100.00 and above.
One of the nice things about this site is that there are independent people that can and do, fend for themselves here. Even the new ones that don't know it yet c*
The state of our nation is one of the reasons I'm determined to be 100% off grid. I'm not sure there will be a grid to connect to in 10 years and if there is...Who will own it.
It's also the reason I'm getting diesel engines in everything now. I can make my own fuel if I need to.
Good rant, Peter, and you think like me, so there is not much I can say to improve on that. Power to the people! Off grid and love it :) ;D
I'll start a topic with that theme.
Supreme Court to rule on right to keep handguns at home (http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-scotus21nov21,1,4804010.story?coll=la-headlines-frontpage&ctrack=1&cset=true) n*
By David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 21, 2007
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court set the stage Tuesday for a historic ruling on whether the fiercely debated 2nd Amendment protects the rights of Americans to keep handguns at home.
The justices said they would review an appeals court decision that struck down a 31-year-old ban on handguns in Washington, D.C. The case will be heard early next year and decided by next summer.
Boston Police Go Door to Door to Search for Guns (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdPH-MDqtlY&eurl=http://www.infowars.com/articles/2nd_amendment/boston_police_door_to_door_gun_search.htm)
Good idea on that thread Glenn. We have lots of helpful information scattered around the site on off-grid and independent living and it would be good to get it corraled into one thread.
Methinks there may be even more interest in such topics in the coming months when it looks like we will enjoy BOTH inflation and recession. hmm
Seemed like it may gather some interested members.
I find there are still a few people around who think things are just peachy keen.hmm
Quote from: Sassy on November 23, 2007, 09:00:59 PM
Supreme Court to rule on right to keep handguns at home
Sassy, you knew that would get my dander up!
Let's hope the justices get this right! Yes, this case specifically addresses D.C., but it is vitally important. The second amendment clearly states
"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Too many anti-gun zealots get hung up on the "militia" thing, stating that has no bearing in today's world. That aside, the right of the
people is quite clear to me.
Legal gun owners tend to be among the most law abiding citizens, especially those owners who submit themselves to scrutiny when applying for concealed carry permits. Studies have shown, BTW, that these folks are unusually law-abiding, better/safer even than off-duty cops.
Studies have also shown that legally owning a gun makes a person less likely to be hurt by a criminal. EG. In the 90's assault victims who used a gun for self protection were injured 3.6% of the time. 5.4% of those who ran away were injured, 12.6% who screamed were injured, 13.6% who threatened their attackers without having a weapon were injured. And those who took no defensive action were injured; 55.2%!
Criminals move out of areas where concealed carry laws exist. (Shown in studies of adjacent counties on either side of state lines; one side allows and the other doesn't.)
Pardon my passion.
Here's a piece from VCDL that I put on my news Blog a couple of days ago Don.
This is a VERY important case and I'm with you. I hope they don't screw it up.
hmm
[idea]
Could you post the link, Peter? [ouch]
Sorry....I seem to have a lot of senior moments lately. [sad1]
http://news.oldva.org/?p=53
No problem. I'm working on forgetting names and places [smile]
OH! I know! I Know the Answer to the subject question here..............
What Your Governement has done for you today is......
Spend my money wrecklessly.
Very close, Stink. [sad1]
In actuality, your money and my money cannot even pay the interest on what they are spending. The presses keep printing more and more money that is worth less and less. Our criminals in congress do not work for us. Nearly all of them have one method or another of getting a piece of the pie, either now or when they leave office or for family and friends.
There is no way our children will even be able to pay off the debt they are creating through unlimited spending to feather their own nests. As you can see from when the dems took over -- their goals are all the same. They are all participating in the gang rape of America and very few will lift a finger to try stop it or even voice their disapproval, because it is our own team that is doing it.
Yea, team. dontlook
National Debt Grows $1 Million a Minute
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/120307J.shtml
The Associated Press reports: "like a ticking time bomb, the national debt is an explosion waiting to happen. It's expanding by about $1.4 billion a day - or nearly $1 million a minute. What's that mean to you? It means almost $30,000 in debt for each man, woman, child and infant in the United States."
So, explain to me how anyone can honestly defend George W Bush today? Are Americans really that stupid?
It is un-freaking believable, but I know some who are or they are afraid to look and they get totally pi$$ed when you try to tell them the truth.
They do not understand that true patriotism is caring enough for your country to want to see the leadership changed when it is the leaders who are destroying what made this country great. It is by not going along with criminal leaders that you prove that you love your country.
I guess fear and inability to admit that the person they voted for is leading our country down the path to destruction causes their reaction. They feel that they just couldn't have made the wrong choice (the deck was stacked - no right choice) plus Dubya is claiming God is leading him -- they love that -- Why can't they see he is lying.hmm
Gosh Glenn...you mean a patriot isn't someone who just goes along with the leadership...
like say....SHEEPLE?
Probably my concept, eh?hmm
ANYONE WANT A FREE GENERATOR
Well the pentagon has lost 12,000 generators in Iraq that belong to me, you, us and every other tax payer. Along with those there is a Billion dollar worth of equipment that has vanished. I realize Iraq is a big country but what there is 140,000 troops more or less. That is not even the amount of people in a large city in the states and they loose a billion dollars worth of equipment which included 6 tank retrievers, self propelled granade launchers. rifles and the like. If I was in the army and in Iraq I wouldn't want to be in logistics now.
Typical black market sales ripoff. Someone (likely group) in the military is feathering their nest and figured out a way to do it without (likely) getting caught. Could be arranged before it even gets to Iraq and sent somewhere else.
Note that the stuff is possibly being used against our guys somewhere too.
Another time stuff like this was going on was the 80's with Oliver North and the guns for drugs Iran/Contra thing. Don't fool yourself into thinking things have changed. They just know how to cover their tracks better.
Embattled State Department inspector general resigns
By Warren P. Strobel | McClatchy Newspapers
* Posted on Friday, December 7, 2007
WASHINGTON — Embattled State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard submitted his resignation Friday, forced out for allegedly impeding ongoing criminal investigations into the construction of a new, $740 million U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and security firm Blackwater Worldwide.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/22736.html
It was interesting seeing him lying on a video, and his brother was the one took out put options on airline stock (made money off of it dropping) just before 9-11. He had inside information. Google Buzzy Krongard for more info.
WILL U.N. HAVE JURISDICTION OVER ALL PRIVATE PROPERTY?
Derry Brownfield
December 28, 2007
NewsWithViews.com
H.R. 2421, "Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007" is due to be marked up for a vote in the US House sometime this fall. According to the bill, water is a unique and precious resource that is necessary to sustain human life and the life of animals and plants. This bill will protect intrastate waters and "OTHER WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES." "OTHER WATERS" are defined in the legislation as:
"All waters subject to the ebb and flow of the tide, the territorial seas, and all interstate and intrastate waters and their tributaries, including lakes, rivers, streams (including intermittent streams), mudflats, sandflats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, playa lakes, natural ponds, and all impoundments of the foregoing, to the fullest extent that these waters, or activities affecting these waters, are subject to the legislative power of Congress under the Constitution." (Playa lakes are dry lake beds usually found in a desert basin.)
This new definition of "WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES" strikes out all mention of the word "navigable." Up until now, if water is not navigable it is the property of the owner of the land on which the water is located. Webster's Classic Dictionary defines navigable as water sufficiently deep and wide enough to allow ships to pass. A farm pond, a manmade lake, sink holes, mudflats and all standing water was private property. If a farmer or rancher had a creek running through his land, if it was not navigable, it was his to use as he pleased. This bill is not about clean water; it's about restricting the use of all land, including private property by redefining "WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES."
Then there is the "LAW OF THE SEA TREATY." December 10, 1982 the United Nations held a convention on the Law of the Sea. An International Agreement resulted from the third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that took place from 1973 through 1982. The Law of the Sea Convention is a set of rules for the use of the world's oceans, which cover 70 percent of the earth's surface. The convention was concluded in 1982 and to date 154 countries and the European Community have joined. The United States did not and so far has not joined because it claims this treaty is unfavorable to America's economy and security. Ronald Reagan was President in 1982 and he not only refused to sign the treaty, he went so far as to fire the individuals who encouraged him to sign. President Clinton signed the treaty soon after taking office in 1993 but the Senate wouldn't ratify it. On May 16, 2007, President Bush announced that he had urged the Senate to ratify the treaty.
http://www.newswithviews.com/brownfield/brownfield60.htm
Quote from: Sassy on December 28, 2007, 02:14:52 PM
This new definition of "WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES" strikes out all mention of the word "navigable." .......... If a farmer or rancher had a creek running through his land, if it was not navigable, it was his to use as he pleased.
I'm probably nit picking but that last statement about the farmer is not 100% true. At least not true in the parts of the west I'm familiar with. The land owner can not, say, build a dam and divert all the water for his own agricultural or recreational use, like building a private lake or whatever. Ditto he can't build a dam that causes water to back up onto the neighboring upstream land belonging to someone else.
So while I'm not necessarily for this water act, especially when it gets the UN involved with America's internal affairs, I get ticked off when inaccurate claims are made as a portion of the argument. Inaccuracies cut both ways.
Quote from: Sassy on December 28, 2007, 02:14:52 PM
This new definition of "WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES" strikes out all mention of the word "navigable." .......... If a farmer or rancher had a creek running through his land, if it was not navigable, it was his to use as he pleased.
I'm probably nit picking but that last statement about the farmer is not 100% true. At least not true in the parts of the west I'm familiar with. The land owner can not, say, build a dam and divert all the water for his own agricultural or recreational use, like building a private lake or whatever. Ditto he can't build a dam that causes water to back up onto the neighboring upstream land belonging to someone else.
So while I'm not necessarily for this water act, especially when it gets the UN involved with America's internal affairs, I get ticked off when inaccurate claims are made as a portion of the argument. Inaccuracies cut both ways.
Thanks, MtnDon, for the clarification. I realize we can't do whatever we want with the water - even more so, since the UN Agenda 21 has placed so many restrictions on waterways. Therefore it is worth keeping an eye on these things.
Most people still have no idea what the UN Agenda 21 is all about & it was written back in the early 90's IIRC... to wade through all the double-meanings is difficult enough ie "sustainable development" or "National Heritage" sites etc. I don't have time to go back to the exact wording... many of our national parks are under the UN - look at their signs out front...
We need to keep an eye on the "elected" officials as well as the NGO's (non-gov't officials) who are running things.
Another example - North American Union (NAU) & Security & Prosperity Partnership (SPP) those are still being implemented. The Mexican trucks are still running in the US although congress or the senate (or possibly both) supposedly pulled the funding - yes, our tax $$$$ are paying all the security, inspections, etc to allow them to undercut the United States citizen truckers... >:( ??? Anyway, enough of a rant.
Thought that after all the "feel good" of Christmas, I'd go back to some cold, hard stuff that effects all of us as "independent" builders, land & homeowners. :) I'm sure everyone just couldn't wait ;D Happy New Year! :)
QuoteWe need to keep an eye on the "elected" officials as well as the NGO's (non-gov't officials) who are running things.
You can keep an eye on them all you want and you can even catch them red handed. But...we are dealing with people who are above right and wrong and make the laws to suit their purposes. You can point at them and say, "You are a bad man." and they will simply point out that you are an extremist or conspiricy theroist and poof your words lose all meaning and you lose.
The first step to any solution to the problem is the ending of the system that is. Just thinking such a thing is enough to get you in trouble. How far are you willing to go?
(https://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e44/kathykrn/ScreenShot003.jpg) This UN Agreement prohibiting nations to use "environmental modification techniques" does that mean weather manipulation? was signed in 1976... hmmmm, wonder what they knew then & what they were already doing & are doing now? ???
http://cuttingedge.org/news/n1196a.html#a1
I wonder if I could sue for lost sunlight when they make these fake clouds?
Seems like we should be able to but they don't often own up to any of it.
Once they admitted chaff but that time it was analyzed and had much more than that if I recall correctly.
In answer to the original question....
MY government has allowed the economy to crash!
I just heard a news person say "when Americans stop spending ... the whole world suffers"....HOW WE GONNA SPEND WHEN WE HAVE NO JOBS !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tomorrow will be a day to remember.
Well...Today, They're saying "The un regulated FREE MARKET and complete lack of oversight in banking the last 7 or 8 years ... MIGHT have had something to do with the problems we're seeing in the economy"....DA!....YA THINK!!!!!! d*
The Republican Party and "K" Street has served the country well....AND the Democratic Party allowed them to do it ..... The first group is consumed by GREED and the second has NO backbone.....
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE????????
I think it's all downhill.
Has anyone ever really looked at some of the "Executive Orders" signed by US presidents since Roosevelt? Very interesting... here's a link http://www.disastercenter.com/laworder/laworder.htm
If you Google these, there's lots of links...
The whole "Executive Powers" thing is just a way for the President to by-pass the Constitution. Each President has added just a little to the dictatorship powers. I can't think of any, Dem or Rep who has given any "power" back....This idea of a President being OVER the Legislative and Judicial is in complete contrast to the Constitution, but it seems to be what is being taught to many in public schools today.
It's even worse with the idea that the Commander in Chief is at the head of the government. I see more and more young people saying they vote on a President based on their ability to be Commander in Chief and not on their ability to be President. Young people seem to think the main purpose of a President is to head our military.....Am I confused? or is that a "just in case job?"....and NOT the reason for the office.
The argument is made that " as long as we're at war" the President/Commander in Chief can use "extra" powers to "defend" the country and keep us "safe"......SO a President declares war on an IDEA(nothing tangible) and predicts the country will be at "war" for as long as anyone can see in the future.....
My question.....Does this mean the President (Executive Branch) will have all those EXTRA powers ( Presidential Powers Act and Patriot Act) for as long as anyone can see into the future?????
The longer a President can use the Presidential Powers Act to invade other countries and the Patriot Act to by-pass the Constitution, the closer to a Dictatorship we'll become.
People who seek out the job of President LIKE power...if they didn't they wouldn't fight so hard for the job. Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers knew this and that's why the powers of the office were limited in the Constitution. ANY additional power is asking for trouble.
Another long post...and maybe off topic......BUT my government has done little for me today except possibly destroy my Nation and my way of life. When an Administration of this country enters into an agreement to form a North American Union, the United States of America will cease to exist.
I can't argue with any of that, Williet. All true.
The presidents gave themselves the power and the other branches, like him, don't care enough about the Constitution to take it back. Any resistance by the people will be met with massive illegal military style force as demonstrated in Waco and other places. Believe me - these power mongers don't have our interests at heart.
If the Constitution was still followed most of todays problems would be gone. That's it. Period.
Unfortunately, "they've" been "harmonizing" laws, regulations, codex (what drugs, herbs, vitamins are available to us) since at least 2005 when Bush, Fox (Mexico) & I think it was Calderon (Canada) signed the agreement. Those who are working out all the harmonizing logistics are NGO's (non-elected Gov't officials) & big corporations - can anyone say FASCISM [frus] [toilet] So now everyone can feel safe & prosperous with the "Security & Prosperity Partnership" Ah well, at least I know that this place isn't my permanent home - eternity is much longer than the brief time we live here on earth... ;D That's why I can study all this stuff & try to warn others that might not know about it... :)
I am 50 years old and when I was in High School, I was taught what Fascism was. I was taught the difference between Fascism and Communism and Capitalism. I was taught the difference in political schools of thought and economic schools of thought. I was taught WHY politics, economics and RELIGION all must have their seperate places......don't they teach this anymore? I have no children of my own, but my 15 year old niece don't know the difference in a Democrat and a Communist or a Republican and a Fascist. I know these lines can get blurred sometimes....but it IS possible to be a practicing Republican, Pagan, Socialist tree hugger.... hard..but possible.
"No child left behind" must be leaving everybody behind........
Willet I think education is going right down the drain with everything else. My son had to send letters out to various buisnesses for his 4-H project. He is 13 and has never been told how to address an envelope in school. He honestly didn't have a clue to the recipient name, address or return name and address went. I fixed that. But I was shocked that he had never even touched on the subject in school. I try to think exactly what they are being taught. Some will be lost in the real world. Or will they be right at home in the real world once we are gone?
Government is teaching them to follow orders, salivate at bells like Pavlovs dog, and be cannon fodder for their endless wars. They don't need a lot of training besides Gameboy for that.
Redoverfarm,
That's what I keep saying.In the world they will live in...they might be right at home. A person who has knowledge or can think will be an outcast.
Glenn,
You're right there too...I keep waiting to see some kid holding a cell phone that can do everything and try to figure out how to actually make a call. LOL
How bout these cars that park themselves? If one were to have an accident while the car was driving ...who's fault would it be???? (same as now when a person is driving, I guess....the auto maker!)..
It's really hard to see an up side to where we've sunk in the US of A....BUTmaybe it was the same with our parents. People evolve with the times and maybe my time is just over.....
Now as long as you have some "bling" it's cool...no matter how you got it...you go to a church...no matter how you live or what you believe...it's cool....you have babies...no matter who "my baby daddy is"...it's cool.....you can't read ...you are lazy ... you are ignorant...you are a filthy person...you have a filthy house and yard.....it's ALL cool. Someone else caused you to be in your situation.
We're a nation of VICTIMS and we're born with endless excuses as to why we're the way we are. I remember the childs song "The little engine that COULD" ...I guess it's not taught anymore.
That is one thing I like about Mexico. If you fall off of the 4 foot high sidewalk with no handrails and break your leg because you are clumsy or stupid it is your own fault. There is no one to sue or blame except yourself. Should have walked on the inside near the wall. Why can't we go back to that?
Maybe things will change here in a couple of years then. With all the illegals here and us allowing the Mexican government to make our policy...we'll soon be more like Mexico than anywhere else!
I guess they have come to get it back... When I left the valley, the schools were appx 66 percent Mexican Students.
NATIONAL HERITAGE AREAS: ASSAULT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY
By Tom DeWeese
January 23, 2008
NewsWithViews.com
One of the dangerous pieces of legislation lying in wait as Congress reopens for business is the "Celebrating America's Heritage Act." The bill has already passed the House (H.R.1483) by a vote of 291-122 and now awaits action in the Senate. Why is it so dangerous?
If passed, it would create six new national Heritage Areas and increase federal funding for nine existing heritage areas by 50 percent. The bill would send over $135 million of federal pork to special interests to be used to influence local zoning laws and help lock away private land in the name of historic preservation.
The six Heritage Areas to be created by the legislation include The Journey Through Hallowed Ground National HA, covering parts of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania and West Virginia; Niagara Falls National HA in New York; Muscle Shoals National HA in Alabama; Freedom's Way National HA in Massachusetts and New Hampshire; Abraham Lincoln National HA in Illinois; and the Santa Cruz National HA in Arizona.
To understand the massive size and impact of these designations, consider the controversial "Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area" (JTHG). JTHG is designed to cover a 175-mile corridor from Thomas Jefferson's "Monticello" in Charlottesville, Virginia to the battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Sold as a way to "honor" and promote tourism to the many historic sites in the area where much of the Civil War was fought, the Heritage Area really serves as a stealth land grab. Heritage Areas are federal land use mandates with specific boundaries foisted on local communities. Those boundaries have consequences for property owners caught inside.
It must be understood the Heritage Area affects all the land in the designated area, not just recognized historic sights. The federal designation, made from congressional legislation, like H.R.1483, creating federal regulations and oversight through the National Park Service, require a form of contract between state and local governmental entities and the Secretary of the Interior. That contract is to manage the land-use of the region for preservation. That means federal control and zoning, either directly, under the terms of the "management pact" or indirectly.
http://www.newswithviews.com/DeWeese/tom102.htm
Between crap like this and the extremist greens who want to rewild America there won't be any place left to call your own.
Where the People Don't Rule
by Fred Reed
Common delusions notwithstanding, the United States, I submit, is not a democracy – by which is meant a system in which the will of the people prevails. Rather it is a curious mechanism artfully designed to circumvent the will of the people while appearing to be democratic. Several mechanisms accomplish this.
First, we have two identical parties which, when elected, do very much the same things. Thus the election determines not policy but only the division of spoils. Nothing really changes. The Democrats will never seriously reduce military spending, nor the Republicans, entitlements.
Second, the two parties determine on which questions we are allowed to vote. They simply refuse to engage the questions that matter most to many people. If you are against affirmative action, for whom do you vote? If you regard the schools as abominations? If you want to end the president's hobbyist wars?
Third, there is the effect of large jurisdictions. Suppose that you lived in a very small (and independent) school district and didn't like the curriculum. You could buttonhole the head of the school board, whom you would probably know, and say, "Look, Jack, I really think...." He would listen.
But suppose that you live in a suburban jurisdiction of 300,000. You as an individual mean nothing. To affect policy, you would have to form an organization, canvass for votes, solicit contributions, and place ads in newspapers. This is a fulltime job, prohibitively burdensome.
The larger the jurisdiction, the harder it is to exert influence. Much policy today is set at the state level. Now you need a statewide campaign to change the curriculum. Practically speaking, it isn't practical.
Fourth are impenetrable bureaucracies. A lot of policy is set by making regulations at some department or other, often federal. How do you call the Department of Education to protest a rule which is in fact a policy? The Department has thousands of telephones, few of them listed, all of which will brush you off. There is nothing the public can do to influence these goiterous, armored, unaccountable centers of power.
Yes, you can write your senator, and get a letter written by computer, "I thank you for your valuable insights, and assure you that I am doing all...."
Fifth is the invisible bureaucracy (which is also impenetrable). A few federal departments get at least a bit of attention from the press, chiefly State and Defense (sic). Most of the government gets no attention at all – HUD, for example. Nobody knows who the Secretary of HUD is, or what the department is doing. Similarly, the textbook publishers have some committee whose name I don't remember (See? It works) that decides what words can be used in texts, how women and Indians must be portrayed, what can be said about them, and so on. Such a group amounts to an unelected ministry of propaganda and, almost certainly, you have never heard of it.
Sixth, there is the illusion of journalism. The newspapers and networks encourage us to think of them as a vast web of hard-hitting, no-holds-barred, chips-where-they-may inquisitors of government: You can run, but you can't hide. In fact federal malefactors don't have to run or hide. The press isn't really looking.
Most of press coverage is only apparent. Television isn't journalism, but a service that translates into video stories found in the Washington Post and New York Times (really). Few newspapers have bureaus in Washington; the rest follow the lead of a small number of major outlets. These don't really cover things either.
When I was reporting on the military, there were (if memory serves) many hundreds of reporters accredited to the Pentagon, or at least writing about the armed services. It sounds impressive: All those gimlet eyes.
What invariably happened though was that some story would break – a toilet seat alleged to cost too much, or the failure of this or that. All the reporters would chase the toilet seat, fearful that their competitors might get some detail they didn't. Thus you had one story covered six hundred times. In any event the stories were often dishonest and almost always ignorant because reporters, apparently bound by some natural law, are obligate technical illiterates. This includes the reporters for the Post and the Times.
Seventh, and a bit more subtle, is the lack of centers of demographic power in competition with the official government. The Catholic Church, for example, once influentially represented a large part of the population. It has been brought to heel. We are left with government by lobby – the weapons industry, big pharma, AIPAC, the teachers unions – whose representatives pay Congress to do things against the public interest.
Eighth, we are ruled not by a government but by a class. Here the media are crucial. Unless you spend time outside of America, you may not realize to what extent the press is controlled. The press is largely free, yes, but it is also largely owned by a small number of corporations which, in turn, are run by people from the same pool from which are drawn high-level pols and their advisers. They are rich people who know each other and have the same interests. It is very nearly correct to say that these people are the government of the United States, and that the federal apparatus merely a useful theatrical manifestation.
con't @ http://www.lewrockwell.com/reed/reed139.html
My Government is working on the budget according to Ron Paul. Actually that is not my Gov't. That is the Dem's Gov't. It is just mine by default. d*
http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2008/tst031608.htm
A return to local government would be great but I don't see it happening anytime soon.
I hope the coming meltdown is total.
First, no matter what you think of the government, good, bad or indifferent, the government we have
is your government at the moment. There are governments at different levels, local village.town/city, county, state and federal. There is one government at each level and they are all yours and mine.
QuoteWhere the People Don't Rule, by Fred Reed
I read the article in its entirety. However, like too many there are no solutions suggested. There's only criticism. Mr. Reed blasts our form of government as being some sort of a false pretense at democracy. A lie in other words. I disagree.
If Mr. Reed, and others, don't like the way things are going, I would be more interested in hearing their suggestions on the "how" of change rather than continuing the incessant same-old thing spouting of complaints about the way things are. Calling for change or saying start over from scratch doesn't mean anything without suggestions.
Democracy is by far the most challenging form of government - both for politicians and for the people. Winston Churchill stated,
"Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." I totally agree. I have traveled (for periods of 2 to 4 weeks duration) in countries with authoritarian, communist and military dictatorships. I wouldn't care to live under those systems as a permanent condition.
The USA is a republic with a representative constitutional democracy. A pure democracy is not practical at population levels above the village or small town level. The ancient Athenian democracy probably only had a voting population of 5000 - 6000. Over that it becomes virtually impossible to have everybody cast their vote on everything.
So if you don't like our democratic republic form of government, and you can't come up with ways to solve problems, what other form of government would you endorse?
Totalitarian regime Government by a little group of leaders on the basis of an ideology, that claims general validity for all aspects of life and usually attempts to replace religion. The regime does not tolerate any deviation from its state ideology. Regime opponents are persecuted, tortured, detained in concentration camps and members of ethnic minorities are killed in mass executions (genocide).
Historic examples of totalitarian regimes include: National Socialism (Germany under Hitler, 1933-1945) and Stalinism.
Authoritarian regime Government by a little group of leaders. In contrast to totalitarian regimes, authoritarian regimes have no distinct state ideology and grant some amount of freedom (e.g. economic and cultural) as long as their rule is not jeopardized. The most important goal of authoritarian regimes is the maintenance of power and the personal enrichment on cost of the country and its population.
Theocracy "Government by God": in reality this means government by religious leaders. Usually a certain interpretation of ancient religious laws replaces modern forms of law and is enforced with utmost severity. Example: Islamic Republic of Iran.
None of those for me.
Some times I do feel I'm beating my head against a brick wall. I've been involved with public land use and abuse with the BLM and the Forest Service for a couple decades. It is most frustrating at times, both from the standpoint of seeing stupid public abuses and from seeing the abuses from stupid over zealous rangers and district managers, enforcing their own narrow perspective of right and wrong. However, I can count victories and compromises that work, among the failures. Here in NM I am again in the midst of dealing with the forest service travel management review process in two of the forests closest to me. Coming up is another similar process involving some of the BLM lands near me.
I could sit back and say "what's the use?" That's easy. However, if I did that I believe I'd have no right to complain about the status of things like trail closures, camping restrictions, etc. I do believe my efforts, and the efforts of my fellow 4-wheelers, dirt motorcyclists, and ATV users have made a difference. That's participatory government.
Participate or don't bitch. (Can I say that? If not, the word complain may be substituted.)
I participate - write letters, faxes to my representatives concerning issues that are important to me; participate in groups who are endorsing Ron Paul & his solutions to some of the problems we have in the USA... but all I ever get are form letters back from the representatives & the MSM has pretty much put a total blackout on any info about what Ron Paul is doing... don't know what I can do about that except keep trying... [noidea' [frus]
For several years I was very active in the politics at the VA Hospital - helped to get a Wellness Program going with classes, access to the physical therapy dept during off hours for use of the equipment, got organizations to donate new equipment that helped the veteran as well as staff. We had a yearly Wellness Fair & fitness challenge, went around giving massages (a person would sit in a chair, we'd give them a headphone to listen to classical music & give them a shoulder massage) during stressful times. I organized group diabetes classes for patients & family... health fairs for patients, families & staff to educate them on what services were available through the VA & the community; there were lots of things I could do to improve care...
We do our part in trying to be self-sufficient by building our own home, providing our own power, growing our own fruits & veggies...
I support organizations that try to improve people's lives - Salvation Army, Prison Fellowship, Homeless mission, & other organizations like the NRA, Immigration reform, etc.
Those are all things that anyone can do to help take care of others, improve their community, impact laws & policy... but I still think that "telling it like it is" will hopefully wake more people up to engage in their communities & nation so that it won't all slip away while they are watching their favorite sitcom or reality show... it may sound like complaining but how else do you let people know what's happening? ???
Hey Sassy, I know you are a participator. In fact you likely do a greater diversity of participation than I do. I may have a rather single minded focus (on public land use issues) than may be healthy. :-\ I do give our local politicians a hard time over dumba$$ ideas and fiscal irresponsibility though. I simply get annoyed at bellyaching with no attempt at positive corrective input. And sometimes I let fly on the heat of the moment. It's fine for Mr. Reed and others to criticize; it is a free country after all. I would just like to see some suggestions along with the critique.
I guess one thing to remember is that we do have the freedom to be critical and be outspoken about it. We still have many things to be thankful for.
What would be wrong with the limited form of government our founding fathers made via that GD piece of paper called the Constitution, without the illegal executive signing orders, with the president having no right to make war -- that was for congress -- oh yeah -- but we have a fairly worthless congress.
What about having a President elected by the people rather than installed by the court, but how about a president who is a man of the people and for the people rather than for self serving big business interests. What about real elections rather than computer fraud, MSM owned by big business interest - read monopoly on government - and a bunch of people who feel they really voted?
Religion is good for crusades, man killing in the name of god, men presumptuously assuming they are the right hand of god-- I'll bet they are all the ones he will say he doesn't know.
Naw -- I don't want the others. It would just be nice if we had a good ol' common law Constitutional form of government un-enhanced by all of the un-Constitutional ex-post facto laws and regulations the politicians and lawyers have created to twist and sidestep the Constitution to fit their special interests.
Why can't farmer Sherri sell me a gallon of raw milk? Why can't farmer John sell his 5 acres of almonds? Why must Doctors prescribe drugs they don't believe in or be sued? Why must even the little guys hire a engineer for their driveway now? Why must children have dozens of unsafe vaccinations? Government sold out to big business interest could be part of it.
A government that has left the Constitutional government set up by the founding fathers could be better if it was taken back to the way it was intended to be.
I will be the first to admit that I am not a participant. That would be like taking on another full time job. I admire those that have the time and perserverance to do that. I guess I have a need for my time to be productive and I don't think my voice has any impact, thus it would be wasted time. I still maintain that the only impact my vote ever has is when I vote or abstain from voting with my checkbook. And even at that I am such a smaller player that hasn't much effect. So there you go, it would need to be a concentrated effort from many small players to carry any weight. It is really quite a trap isn't it?
Quote from: desdawg on March 19, 2008, 11:59:34 AM
That would be like taking on another full time job.
That's why the majority of my participation is in one rather narrow field, public land use. I do send some Faxes on some things, through a website. I'm not sure of the efficacy of faxes and emails though. Dealing with the FS and BLM it seems that attending public meetings carries more weight IF they are accepting written input at the meetings as well. In any event comments made via a real paper letter works better with those outfits.
Speaking of that, some Dems introduced a new bill today that would designate five new Wilderness areas in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and West Virginia. According to E&E's report, the legislation (H.R. 5610) was introduced by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall of West Virginia and Reps. Jim Costa of California, Peter DeFazio of Oregon, Raï¾£l Grijalva of Arizona and Tom Udall of New Mexico.
The bill would designate just about 500,000 acres of Wilderness in West Virginia, Arizona's Tumacacori Highlands; the Redwood Mountain Grove in California's Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park; the Sabinoso Wilderness in New Mexico; Oregon's Copper Salmon area and the South Fork of the San Jacinto River Canyon in Riverside County, California. E&E's report says the Wilderness proposals are also included in separate measures.
We have enough Wilderness already! If you aren't aware, Wilderness, with the capital W, means areas you cannot use any mechanized transport to access, not even bicycles. People of foot and horses are okay.
previously I stated...
QuoteI'm not sure of the efficacy of faxes and emails though. .... In any event comments made via a real paper letter works better with those outfits.
Clarification: It's not that emails or Faxes carry less weight than a written on paper letter. What makes a difference is a communication that expresses your concerns and desires
in your own words. A canned paper letter is really no better than one of those online emails or faxes. Not that you will ever get anyone on the receiving end to admit that original thoughts count for more than form letters. I have been told that from people I know who work with the lobbyist organizations from my side of the public lands use fence.
FWIW
My participation in gov has been limited...helping a state rep get elected. He was a republican, myself, pretty much a lifelong democrat. But his strong suit is education. And I believe in that very much!
The last few years of my life have altered the political idealogy I consider.
I've come to one conclusion.....'they don't work for us'.
Found this, just for laughs http://jokelibrary.net/yyPictures/m/2008b.html (http://jokelibrary.net/yyPictures/m/2008b.html)
Hope it doesn't offend anyone.
Supporting the Constitution makes you a terrorist suspect.
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/FBIsuspect.html
How about selling us out a little deeper -- shhh --- secret.
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/jos-can-you-see-bush-s-trojan-taco
http://www.newswithviews.com/DeWeese/tom110.htm
FIRE MARY PETERS
By Tom DeWeese
May 11, 2008
NewsWithViews.com
The Bush Administration has directly defied, not only the will and intent of Congress, but it is now openly ignoring legislation that the President himself signed into law. As a result a Constitutional crisis is rapidly developing over a project to let Mexican trucks on U.S. roads. As a result, many are now calling for the firing of U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.
In September 2007, the Bush Administration began a pilot project to allow Mexican trucks to drive on U.S. highways. The project is, frankly, necessary if goals for the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) are to be achieved. The SPP openly calls for "harmonizing" the borders between the U.S. Mexico and Canada. In fact, the Bush Administration sites the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as its authority to push the project.
Congress was not happy with the program. Several members immediately sighted problems with safety of the Mexican trucks, including the inability of Mexican drivers to read English road signs in the US. Within weeks of the beginning of the project, both houses of congress began to draft legislation to put a stop to it.
Quickly, Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) introduced an amendment to the Department of Transportation (DOT) appropriations bill to remove funding for the project. The amendment was passed by a bi-partisan majority of 74-24 and subsequently became part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed into law by President Bush on December 26, 2007.
To make it perfectly clear that the legislation was a demand for the Administration to stop the Mexican truck project, Senator Dorgan received a letter from the Senate Legislative Council to confirm the law's intent. The letter said, "No funds made available under the Consolidation Appropriations Act, 2008, were to be used in fiscal year 2008 to establish or implement a cross-border motor carrier demonstration program to allow Mexican-domiciled motor carriers to operate beyond the commercial zones along the international border between the United States and Mexico."
con't at link above
Not just today but over time...sold us out -- our government is someone else's or a great part of it.
http://www.viewzone.com/dualcitizen.html
Well....I do participate even though I don't believe Don. I am a great believer in lobby politics and it works in the limited areas I can raise enough bodies. Sort of Government by threats and intimidation. It seems to be the only voter input they listen to.
I am also sure there will be a meltdown and in fact, think it's coming to a head quickly. It may be wishful thinking because if I had to describe my political standing, it would be anarchist. If the Government shut down today, I would be just as happy.
Until and if, people start pulling together as a community again, instead of asking our neutered Government to do for them, there is no hope to recover what we once had and were. Until that time, I'll be an anarchist.
I didn't feel that way when I worked for the Government, but as we get older, we change! ???
I have always said I was an anarchist or at least anti-authoritarian. I'm right there with you, Peter.
Notable just because this is the guy the Bush family has "adopted" as their son, Dubya's brother. Shows a bit of the family character. I skimmed it - seems a little towns pension is in jeopardy buy his corruption or something. Bandar Bush they call him. 2 Billion in bribes accepted.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91332402
Seems like national security really means government security. At what dollar amount does theft stop being criminal and simply becomes corruption that no one does anything about?
As the dollar amounts get larger, less and less attention is paid to it as these ripoffs are generally pulled by our leaders.
As you implied -- it's business as usual. They won't do anything about it as they are for the most part, all pulling the same stuff.
Read a really disturbing article about some of our troops in Iraq...
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/7/23/suicide_or_murder_three_years_after
I can not remember there ever having been a time with so many cover-ups, secrets, lies, threats and just down right nasty stuff going on in the government / military. WW3 is almost here folks. Get ready. The whole damn navy is headed to the persian gulf and the propaganda is puoring out. Iran is bad. Pakistan is bad. China is bad and now Russia is bad again. September will be very interesting. There is no way they can seriously be planning on Obama or McCain being president. I've never seen worse canidates. It's obviously a joke of some kind. They even got Paris Hilton involved. Very strange days indeed.
Scott, I not sure that the 'whole damn navy' is there, but something is occurring again. Two carriers and their support groups, etc. In addition to the two carriers there now.
What I find some what interesting is the number of guided missile cruisers and their support groups.
Last report I read there were over twelve of these ships headed to the area. If they are all Aegis class, that s one hell of a lot of fire power.
Very large chess pieces.
http://europebusines.blogspot.com/2008/08/massive-us-naval-armada-heads-for-iran.html (http://europebusines.blogspot.com/2008/08/massive-us-naval-armada-heads-for-iran.html)
The last two paragraphs are also something to think about.
Whew, insane [crz]
well, that made for some light reading.
Is that called posturing? Intimidation. Does George want to leave office with a bang?
And yet another article to ponder...
Obama and McCain: Pawns of the Global Elite?
By Patrick Wood, Editor
Will it matter if Obama or McCain are elected in November? Hardly.
Both are rigidly backed by important members of the Trilateral Commission who hijacked the Executive Branch of the U.S. government starting in 1976 with the election of Jimmy Carter.
In Obama's case, Zbigniew Brzezinski (co-founder of the Commission in 1973) is emerging as his principal advisor on foreign policy. Ex-Fed Chairman Paul Volker has made a once-in-a-lifetime, glowing endorsement of Obama. Madelyn Albright is seen sitting next to Obama in several conferences. Shoot, even Jimmy Carter himself endorses Obama. All are top members of the Commission.
John McCain is being supported by several Trilateral Commission giants including: Henry Kissinger, George Schultz, Lawrence Eagleburger and Alexander Haig. All of these are ex-Secretaries of State who issued a joint endorsement of McCain early-on in his campaign.
And, unless Obama shoots both of his own feet (or...?) before the general presidential election in November, he is most likely to be the next president of the United States.
You would think that Americans would want to know who the "special interests" are that are embodied by this Trilateral Commission, and what they intend to do or not do with America.
What is the Trilateral Commission?
The Trilateral Commission was founded by the persistent maneuvering of David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski in 1973. Rockefeller was chairman of the ultra-powerful Chase Manhattan Bank, a director of many major multinational corporations and "endowment funds" and had long been a central figure in the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Brzezinski, a brilliant prognosticator of one-world idealism, was a professor at Columbia University and the author of several books that have served as "policy guidelines" for the Trilateral Commission.
Brzezinski served as the Commission's first executive director from its inception in 1973 until late 1976 when he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.
The initial Commission membership was approximately three hundred, with roughly one hundred each from Europe, Japan and North America. Membership was also roughly divided between academics, politicians and corporate magnates; these included international bankers, leaders of prominent labor unions and corporate directors of media giants.
The word commission was puzzling since it is usually associated with instrumentalities set up by governments. It seemed out of place with a so-called private group unless we could determine that it really was an arm of a government - an unseen government, different from the visible government in Washington. European and Japanese involvement indicated a world government rather than a national government. We hoped that the concept of a sub-rosa world government was just wishful thinking on the part of the Trilateral Commissioners. The facts, however, lined up quite pessimistically.
If the Council on Foreign Relations could be said to be a spawning ground for the concepts of one-world idealism, then the Trilateral Commission was the "task force" assembled to assault the beachheads. Already the Commission had placed its members in the top posts the U.S. had to offer. **go to link for the rest of the story
http://www.augustreview.com/news_commentary/u.s._elections/obama_and_mccain%3a_pawns_of_the_global_elite?_2008080597/
I don't think Obama will make it. My record of being right isn't very good lately. Maybe I am just hearing what I want to hear. I can't afford for Obama to be President. I hope there enough others in the same situation maybe people who actually think. Sean Hannity has made it his mission in life to see that it doesn't happen. But he is just a loudmouth talk show host. When Carter was President we saw 16-18% interest mortgages. One of the Zionist goals is to do away with private property ownership. Is this all part of that? I have never really dug into that stuff. But one of my friends is citing it all of the time saying see, it is all part of the One World Order plan.
Keep an eye on this Georgia - Russia war. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26080747/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26080747/) This is the begining. Georgia has asked the US for military aid today.
Georgia President Mikhail Saakashvili said 150 Russian tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles had entered South Ossetia from neighboring Russia.
"Russia is fighting a war with us in our own territory," Saakashvili told CNN, calling on Washington to help.
Why do we need so many ships in the persian gulf? http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1218104233164&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1218104233164&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull) Why are they now talking about invading Pakistan? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26091229/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26091229/) This snowball is going to get away from them.
http://www.conspiracypenpal.com/rants/ww3.htm
For what it's worth. Check it out.
Interesting read Glenn. I've been talking about Iran the last two years, and my friends laughed at me. I believe this all being orchestrated, and has been for some time.
Here's another link, that touches on a lot of these subjects, as well as being prepared for what seems like the inevitable.
http://www.survivalistboards.com/
Thanks for the link --
Interesting that citizens guns were stolen from them by police after Katrina. So much for the Constitution in this day and age. Looks like an off premises cache is in order.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taU9d26wT4&eurl=http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=15097
Once martial law is declared you no longer have any rights. All laws are suspended. It is no different than if you where in a war zone.
Shrub is all prepared -- all he needs to do is create another disaster and he has all of his illegal signing orders in place to make himself dictator and send dissenters off to his prepaid Haliburton camps.
Yep it is scary but I think it always has been to some degree. I think we have a right feel less free than we did 20 years ago. I've always belived you only have as many rights as you can enforce or have enforced. As Glenns fire episode proved to some degree. Those people in New Orleans who had their guns taken where under martial law at the time if I understand it correctly. Not much they can do or say in that situation. It's not fair or right but when the law is what the army says it is what can you do?
Lots more going on in NOLA than meets the eye also.
The NO mafia and gov. supposedly had plans for NOLA that didn't include lots of poor black people so they used the - possibly assisted disaster to disperse them into all parts of the United tates with no hope of ever being able to gather up enough to get back to their homes.
Lots of money to be made in foreclosures and redevelopment- buying land with unmade payments and in changing NO from the "Chocolate City" as Ray put it, to a Mocha City.
http://www.blackcommentator.com/167/167_cover_fighting_no_theft.html
What cracks me up, is the guy got re-elected mayor AFTER all this BS went down. What's it like to be an automaton anyway? d*
He is the mobs buddy - no problem.
Excellent article from The Daily Reckoning
REALITY BITES AGAIN
by James Howard Kunstler
The U.S. had taken advantage of temporary confusion in Russia, during the ten-year-long post-Soviet-collapse interval, and set up a client government in Georgia, complete with military advisors, sales of weapons, and even the promise of club membership in the Western alliance known as NATO. These blandishments were all in the service of the Baku-to-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which was designed specifically to drain the oil region around the Caspian Basin with an outlet on the Mediterranean, avoiding unfriendly nations all along the way.
At the time this gambit was first set up, in the early 1990s, there was some notion (or wish, really) among the so-called western powers that the Caspian would provide an end-run around OPEC and the Arabs, as well as the Persians, and deliver all the oil that the US and Europe would ever need – a foolish wish and a dumb gambit, as things have turned out.
For one thing, the latterly explorations of this very old oil region – first opened to drilling in the 19th century – proved somewhat disappointing. U.S. officials had been touting it as like unto "another Saudi Arabia" but the oil actually produced from the new drilling areas of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and the other Stans turned out to be preponderantly heavy-and-sour crudes, in smaller quantities than previously dreamed-of, and harder to transport across the extremely challenging terrain to even get to the pipeline head in Baku.
Meanwhile, Russia got its house in order under the non-senile, non-alcoholic Vladimir Putin, and woke up along about 2007 to find itself the leading oil and natural gas producer in the world. Among the various consequences of this was Russia's reemergence as a new kind of world power – an energy resource power, with the energy destiny of Europe pretty much in its hands. Also, meanwhile, the USA had set up other client states in the ring of former Soviet republics along Russia's southern underbelly, complete with U.S. military bases, while fighting active engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, if this wasn't the dumbest, vainest move in modern geopolitical history!
It's one thing that U.S. foreign policy wonks imagined that Russia would remain in a coma forever, but the idea that we could encircle Russia strategically with defensible bases in landlocked mountainous countries halfway around the world...? You have to ask what were they smoking over at the Pentagon and the CIA and the NSC?
So, this asinine policy has now come to grief. Not only does Russia stand to gain control over the Baku-to-Ceyhan pipeline, but we now have every indication that they will bring the states on its southern flank back into an active sphere of influence, and there is really not a damn thing that the U.S. can pretend to do about it.
We could have spent the past ten years getting our own house in order – waking up to the obsolescence of our suburban life-style, scaling back on the Happy Motoring, reconnecting our cities with world-class passenger rail, creating wealth by producing things of value (instead of resorting to financial racketeering), protecting our borders, and taking the necessary measures to defend and update our own industries. Instead, we pissed our time and resources away. Nations do make tragic errors of the collective will. The cluelessness of George Bush is nothing less than a perfect metaphor for the failure of a whole generation. The Boomers will be identified as the generation that wrecked America.
con't in next posting
So, as the vacation season winds down, this country greets a new reality. We miscalculated in Western and Central Asia. Russia still "owns" that part of the world. Are we going to extend our current land wars there into the even more distant and landlocked Stan-nations? At some point, as we face financial and military exhaustion, we have to ask ourselves if we can even successfully evacuate our personnel from the far-flung bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
This must be an equally sobering moment for Europe, and an additional reason for the recent plunge in the relative value of the Euro, for Europe is now at the mercy of Russia in terms of staying warm in the winter, running their kitchen stoves, and keeping the lights on. Russia also exerts substantial financial leverage over the U.S. in all the dollars and securitized U.S. debt paper it holds. In effect, Russia can shake the U.S. banking system at will now by threatening to dump its dollar holdings.
The American banking system may not need a shove from Russia to fall on its face. It's effectively dead now, just lurching around zombie-like from one loan "window" to the next pretending to "borrow" capital – while handing over shreds of its moldy clothing as "collateral" to the Federal Reserve. The entire US, beyond the banks, is becoming a land of the walking dead. Business is dying, home-ownership has become a death dance, whole regions are turning into wastelands of "for sale" signs, empty parking lots, vacant buildings, and dashed hopes. And all this beats a path directly to a failure of collective national imagination. We really don't know what's going on.
The fantasy that we can sustain our influence nine thousand miles away, when we can't even get our act together in Ohio is just a dark joke. One might state categorically that it would be a salubrious thing for America to knock off all its vaunted "dreaming" and just wake up.
Until next time,
James Howard Kunstler
for The Daily Reckoning
And while the US citizen flounders we're giving the Mexican truckers $2.2 billion to help them buy new trucks!!!
SPECIAL REPORT: L.A., Long Beach OK grants for Mexican carriers
Friday, Aug. 15, 2008 – The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach boast of bringing in 40 percent of the nation's imported goods, and plans to cut emissions at each port have been highlighted in mainstream news programs and the cable TV show "America's Port."
A Land Line investigation into the ports' multibillion-dollar clean truck program, however, shows that the $2.2 billion program could pay for the replacement of trucks owned by Mexican trucking companies while it excludes U.S. trucks that run any miles outside of California.
The Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles each have adopted clean trucks programs that phase out all pre-2007 emissions level trucks by December 2012, and phase in requirements that all trucks be operated by licensed concessionaires approved by the port. The Port of Los Angeles adopted further restrictions that eventually require all drivers to be company employees.
On page five of the Clean Trucks Program application – which features logos of each port – the form asks applicants to check one of three types of operating authority numbers.
1. MC for motor carrier
2. FF for freight forwarder
3. MX for Mexican companies with federal authority to operate beyond commercial zones
The MX stands for "carriers that are based in Mexico," said Art Wong, a spokesman for the Port of Long Beach. con't at link
http://www.landlinemag.com/Special_Reports/2008/Aug08/081508_LA_LongBeach.htm
So if I get a Mexican CDL I can get a free truck. But I can only haul to CA ports. Does that cover registration and insurnce too. Those items are darned expensive.
I want a free truck too.
I should be so lucky.
Why Glenn you are already a Californian so you are half way there. Just tell them your old truck won't pass emissions. The port of Los Angeles is just down the road a piece. Just past Nancy Pilosi's house. You have all of the hot stuff right there. You could make a combined trip in the name of demand destruction.
I can't deal with the politicians - I am trying to remain crime free.