Concepts like probable cause, innocent until proven guilty, checks and balances on government power, government for the people and by the people, restriction on governmental power --- are best described as "quaint"?
I wish the people who want to destroy America would take up arms and revolt -- that's easy enough to put down. Insidiously destructive notions such as yours that fundamental rights for individuals and limits on government power are "quaint", ensures that American principles of government will die out. America may keep the name, but that's it.
The Obama administration is arguing that the Feds have sovereign immunity from any Federal Laws -- in other words, the Federal Government is not required to follow statutes or the constitution. We are apparently continuing fast down the Bush road to a completely independent, unaccountable, all-powerful presidency.
Personally, I've bought quite a lot of stuff of iTunes but I've been using Emusic recently. I pay something like $10/month for 40 songs. Sure, the names aren't as big, but when I look at the songs I've listened to the most number of times, there are a lot of bands from Emusic showing up there. There are a lot of small time or independent artists that are really good with the only real difference between them and those with world-wide name recognition being luck.
Of course, if the labels kill iTunes and people don't go back to buying their stuff, it's a killed-the-goose situation.
Why doesn't this get modded up when the partisan "it's the fault of the Democrats" or "it's the fault of the Republicans" goes to "+5 myopic"? I can say with 100% certainty that 99.999% of our political problems are due to the Republicans and/or Democrats. So why don't we jettison them all?
Voting D or R is like voting for death by guillotine with one of two options: belly down or belly up.
While I have no delusions that a third party candidate will be in the White House soon, I'm still voting my conscience. Seriously, "lesser of two evils" is not a choice.
So vote for a socialist candidate. If you're trying to get to New York from Philly, your best bet is to head north, not west.
Your libertarian comment is quite political in the truest sense, as it is the far right which has tried to paint itself as libertarian without actually being so, and the far left which has encouraged the misunderstanding to keep its own faithful. I fail to see how being anti-war, anti-empire, anti-drug war, pro-privacy, and pro-freedom are characteristics of the far right.
This last election I quit forever voting for the lesser evil. Your vote is wasted only if you vote for a candidate because the candidate can win, even if you don't really like him/her. While people may get some warm fuzzies by supporting a winner, it's sort of like picking the way you die: some ways are better than others but in the end, you're at the same spot.
Our problem is that two private organizations, the Democratic and Republican parties, have hijacked our government. They've created self-protecting rules for elections, as if the election system was made for them. And when it all comes down to the end, they aren't all that different except on the edges. Both want to spend us into oblivion. Both are warmongers (just google up some Clinton speeches from the time she helped Bush go to Iraq) or look at Obama's lack of progress on that front. Both are out to further their parties' interests with only a glance toward their constituents interests.
If people would quit drinking the "wasted vote" kool-aid, we'd have some hope. As it is, America is being destroyed by inches from the inside.
The problem is, any public health care system devised in the US is going to be one that benefits the insurance industry. The only way to cut costs is to CUT OUT the insurance industry from the process. I could be supportive of such a plan, but I have absolutely no expectation that will happen. Universal health care in the US will simply be forced subsidization of the insurance industry.
Governments have throughout history been a terrible danger to the people subjected to the governments. That is why a set British Colonists decided to rebel against their government and form the US some time ago. That is why they created a constitution designed to limit government power.
So yes, you conflating "paying attention" with violating privacy and violating constitutional principals to which our government is supposed to be subservient, is dangerous, self-destructive, and the height of unpatriotic behavior.
Well, not back in the 80s. 4wd was an option then, and you switched it on when necessary so that the gas guzzling effect of 4wd did not happen except when needed. I loved my switchable-4wd Wagon.
Terrorist FUD. Google up maps of oil, gasoline, and NG pipelines. Small bombs, big boom, no energy, no economy, no transportation, no food once the supermarkets run dry.
With Windmills, terrorism would be harder to perform and easier to fix. Either you have to attack thousands of windmills over hundreds of square miles, or the trunk lines transporting power. I suspect it is much easier to put out the fires associated with blowing up an electrical line than it is for pipelines, and much easier to lay cable than pipe. Plus, with electricity, the "pipe" fills immediately -- with liquids and gasses, even once repaired, flow is much slower. Oh, and undersea cables are much harder to get to than pipes running on or close to the surface of the ground, i.e., no fancy submersible required -- a 4wd Subaru Wagon would be about all you need to get bomb materials to pipelines. And some shovels perhaps.
Anyway, the last 8 years of terrorism talk seem to have you unduly paranoid. A terrorist could totally cripple the US right now by targeting pipelines.
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Concepts like probable cause, innocent until proven guilty, checks and balances on government power, government for the people and by the people, restriction on governmental power --- are best described as "quaint"?
I wish the people who want to destroy America would take up arms and revolt -- that's easy enough to put down. Insidiously destructive notions such as yours that fundamental rights for individuals and limits on government power are "quaint", ensures that American principles of government will die out. America may keep the name, but that's it.
The Obama administration is arguing that the Feds have sovereign immunity from any Federal Laws -- in other words, the Federal Government is not required to follow statutes or the constitution. We are apparently continuing fast down the Bush road to a completely independent, unaccountable, all-powerful presidency.
Very nice summary -- I too would like to see libertarians gain some traction in this world.
Like used CDs?
Personally, I've bought quite a lot of stuff of iTunes but I've been using Emusic recently. I pay something like $10/month for 40 songs. Sure, the names aren't as big, but when I look at the songs I've listened to the most number of times, there are a lot of bands from Emusic showing up there. There are a lot of small time or independent artists that are really good with the only real difference between them and those with world-wide name recognition being luck.
Of course, if the labels kill iTunes and people don't go back to buying their stuff, it's a killed-the-goose situation.
Why doesn't this get modded up when the partisan "it's the fault of the Democrats" or "it's the fault of the Republicans" goes to "+5 myopic"? I can say with 100% certainty that 99.999% of our political problems are due to the Republicans and/or Democrats. So why don't we jettison them all?
Voting D or R is like voting for death by guillotine with one of two options: belly down or belly up.
While I have no delusions that a third party candidate will be in the White House soon, I'm still voting my conscience. Seriously, "lesser of two evils" is not a choice.
Didn't those who voted for him expect he would try to clean up the mess rather than pile more crap on top?
Demoplican is easier to say. At least for me.
So vote for a socialist candidate. If you're trying to get to New York from Philly, your best bet is to head north, not west.
Your libertarian comment is quite political in the truest sense, as it is the far right which has tried to paint itself as libertarian without actually being so, and the far left which has encouraged the misunderstanding to keep its own faithful. I fail to see how being anti-war, anti-empire, anti-drug war, pro-privacy, and pro-freedom are characteristics of the far right.
This last election I quit forever voting for the lesser evil. Your vote is wasted only if you vote for a candidate because the candidate can win, even if you don't really like him/her. While people may get some warm fuzzies by supporting a winner, it's sort of like picking the way you die: some ways are better than others but in the end, you're at the same spot.
Our problem is that two private organizations, the Democratic and Republican parties, have hijacked our government. They've created self-protecting rules for elections, as if the election system was made for them. And when it all comes down to the end, they aren't all that different except on the edges. Both want to spend us into oblivion. Both are warmongers (just google up some Clinton speeches from the time she helped Bush go to Iraq) or look at Obama's lack of progress on that front. Both are out to further their parties' interests with only a glance toward their constituents interests.
If people would quit drinking the "wasted vote" kool-aid, we'd have some hope. As it is, America is being destroyed by inches from the inside.
Also, it would make sense to not do your own in home hosting.
I'm already starting to forget what life in America is supposed to be like. Please help me by indicating which of the following is appropriate:
A) Arrest the publisher, take all his property, and dump the body in the ocean.
or
B) File a libel suit and if it is determined that libel exists, receive compensation for damages.
I don't think this blogger is angled at all -- in fact, it seems most likely it is the cops who are crooked.
When I was a kid, an undiagnosed strep throat turned into scarlet fever. I could hardly stand, eat, or drink for nearly a week. It was really brutal.
The problem is, any public health care system devised in the US is going to be one that benefits the insurance industry. The only way to cut costs is to CUT OUT the insurance industry from the process. I could be supportive of such a plan, but I have absolutely no expectation that will happen. Universal health care in the US will simply be forced subsidization of the insurance industry.
Paying attention != spying
Governments have throughout history been a terrible danger to the people subjected to the governments. That is why a set British Colonists decided to rebel against their government and form the US some time ago. That is why they created a constitution designed to limit government power.
So yes, you conflating "paying attention" with violating privacy and violating constitutional principals to which our government is supposed to be subservient, is dangerous, self-destructive, and the height of unpatriotic behavior.
It seems to me, presuming the government has a good reason for anything it does is the conclusion to which we should avoid jumping.
The second paragraph is one reason why your feelings stated in the first paragraph are harmful to you and everyone else.
Privacy is its own reason.
me.
Well, not back in the 80s. 4wd was an option then, and you switched it on when necessary so that the gas guzzling effect of 4wd did not happen except when needed. I loved my switchable-4wd Wagon.
Terrorist FUD. Google up maps of oil, gasoline, and NG pipelines. Small bombs, big boom, no energy, no economy, no transportation, no food once the supermarkets run dry.
With Windmills, terrorism would be harder to perform and easier to fix. Either you have to attack thousands of windmills over hundreds of square miles, or the trunk lines transporting power. I suspect it is much easier to put out the fires associated with blowing up an electrical line than it is for pipelines, and much easier to lay cable than pipe. Plus, with electricity, the "pipe" fills immediately -- with liquids and gasses, even once repaired, flow is much slower. Oh, and undersea cables are much harder to get to than pipes running on or close to the surface of the ground, i.e., no fancy submersible required -- a 4wd Subaru Wagon would be about all you need to get bomb materials to pipelines. And some shovels perhaps.
Anyway, the last 8 years of terrorism talk seem to have you unduly paranoid. A terrorist could totally cripple the US right now by targeting pipelines.
No kidding. Let's get Ron Moore to pilot it and himself into the sun.
My first computer had 16kb, which is 1/64th mb.
Mine was born on Nov. 6, 1989. Despite your pronouncement, it ain't dead yet.
Stop conflating republican with libertarian.