From the Monty Pelerin website: http://www.economicnoise.com/
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
The Lord Acton vision of the corruption as a function of power has been demonstrated by our very own government. The Rule of Law and Constitutional constraints no longer matter, it seems. Rule by tyranny is so much easier and has displaced the constraints that enabled America to become great and successful.
Examples of the abuse of power now abound. Recent treatment of the ratings agencies is but one example. The ratings agencies dared tell the truth about the US government’s financial condition. They did so by lowering their ratings on US government securities. That is the business they are in and that is what they are supposed to do when conditions warrant.
Government’s reaction is a blatant example of how far we have moved toward totalitarianism. Eagan-Jones was forbidden from rating government bonds for two years. I don’t understood that decision, but I am neither Leviathan or a ratings agency. Can’t anyone rate a bond so long as it is not used to provide investment advice? Am I allowed to say that government bonds are crap? Can Eagan-Jones do so, so long as they don’t rate them?
All Egan-Jones did was adjust the rating of government debt so that it conformed with the change in financial conditions of the government. Or, to put it simply, all they did was their job and tell the truth. For that they are being punished. How dare they expose the fact that the Man Behind The Curtain is a fraud!
Now S&P is under attack for the same reasons. Peter Schiff describes this assault (my emboldening):
With the announcement this week of its massive $5 billion lawsuit against ratings agency Standard & Poor’s, the Federal Government took a bold step to squelch any remaining independence of thought or action in the financial services industry.
Given the circumstances and timing of the suit, can there be any doubt that S&P is paying the price for the August 2011 removal of its AAA rating on U.S. Treasury debt? In retaliation for the unpardonable sin of questioning the U.S. Treasury’s credit worthiness, theObama Administration is sending a loud and clear message to Wall Street: Mess with the bull and get the horns.
Shockingly, the blatant selectivity of the prosecution, however, has failed to ignite a backlash. But as the move violates both the spirit of the Constitution and the letter of the law in so many ways, I can’t help but look at it as a sea change in the nature of our governance. Call it Lincoln with a heavy dose of Putin.
The clear message is that exposing the fraud that is our government will unleash the powers of the State against you. The Wizard of Oz financial status of this country must not be revealed. To do so is to risk the retaliation of a malevolent State.
No individual or company is big enough to survive a government persecution. Should the State want to destroy them, regardless of innocence or guilt, they can. That is the state that our country has reached.
“You better keep quiet or we are coming for you” is the clear threat being communicated. Along with it is the implied threat that “once you are on our radar, we make the choice as to whether to destroy you or not for speaking out, even if it is the truth.” No one can survive a government persecution.
This abhorrent behavior by the State is no different than putting guns to people’s heads. If we don’t reverse this path, that will come soon enough.
Thinker says:
Just to add an exclamation point: Veterans Receive Letters from the VA Prohibiting Ownership or Purchase of Firearms
They’re now trying to keep people who might uphold the Oath from being able to do it. And they know how the military feel about liberty and rights.
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22nd February 2013 at 10:22 am
Steve Hogan says:
You don’t have to be a genius to understand that the government’s lawsuit against S&P is punishment for the 2011 downgrade. Otherwise Moodys and Fitch would have been included. This is yet another example of the lawless Obama administration lashing out at anyone willing to expose Uncle Sam’s woeful financial state.
On the other hand, do we really need a ratings agency to tell us the government is bankrupt? Come on, folks. Isn’t it painfully obvious by now?
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22nd February 2013 at 10:26 am
BUCKHED says:
Sorry Jim but I say FUCK the rating folks…are they telling the truth about the Gooberments financial status…Yep but they FUCKED a lot of people by rating SHIT triple A.
Karma is a BITCH and I hope many of the BITCHES at Standard and Poor’s get it good and hard !
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22nd February 2013 at 10:27 am
JIMSKI says:
I saw the veterans story and perhaps a bit of a reality check would be in order. The function of that letter is to prohibit a veteran who has been diagnosed medically and then judged through the military JAG court to be a danger to self and others. Only then would that letter be sent.
Do you really want someone having flashbacks of the sandbox to be allowed a weapon? Use a little common sense here folks.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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22nd February 2013 at 10:59 am
JIMSKI says:
How about dis shit Admin?
http://herald-zeitung.com/news/article_a0083aaa-7b81-11e2-901d-0019bb2963f4.html
Scooter store raided for forging rx, kickbacks to docs, and other fraud.
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22nd February 2013 at 11:08 am
Thinker says:
Get that, Jimski, but I also know we’re at a point where the government could easily declare a vet “mentally unstable” because he/she no longer supports the government. Esp. if that diagnosis comes from said government. Where does the line get drawn?
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22nd February 2013 at 11:09 am
flash says:
Leviathan will shut you up, my pretties…
…via the land of Obamney…
IL SB1614 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly
Illinois Senate Bill 1614
Summary
Creates the Internet Posting Removal Act. Provides that a web site administrator shall, upon request, remove any posted comments posted by an anonymous poster unless the anonymous poster agrees to attach his or her name to the post and confirms that his or her IP address, legal name, and home address are accurate. Effective 90 days after becoming law.
Title
INTERNET POSTING REMOVAL ACT
Sponsors
Sen Ira I. Silverstein
History
Date Chamber Action
2013-02-13 Senate Referred to Assignments
2013-02-13 Senate First Reading
2013-02-13 Senate Filed with Secretary by Sen. Ira I. Silverstein
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22nd February 2013 at 11:16 am
flash says:
From the Can’t Even Protect Their Own Freedom files…
http://global.christianpost.com/news/veterans-could-be-banned-from-owning-firearms-says-va-letter-90566/
Veterans Could Be Banned From Owning Firearms, Says VA Letter
By Myles Collier , Christian Post Contributor
February 22, 2013|10:03 am
A copy of a letter sent from the Department of Veteran Affairs to a veteran was recently published and is raising concerns. It stated that U.S. veterans should not be allowed to own any type of firearm should they have trouble facilitating their VA benefits.
The letter, sent by the Department of Veteran Affairs and published at redflagnews.com, indicated that veterans, men and women who shed blood to protect the U.S., could be banned from owning or in any way possessing a firearm should government officials deem that action appropriate.
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22nd February 2013 at 11:19 am
JIMSKI says:
OMFG will you people stop. Will you actually do a little research before spouting off that ” some government agency is going to deny a veteran his rights”
The letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs is sent after the military JAG court agree on the mental compitency of the Veteran. It is not generated automatically, it is not generated when a Vet claims PTSD, it is not even sent after a vet is arrested for DUI or drug arrest.
It is sent after a medical hearing and then a court hearing. A military court.
If a veteran is found to be unable to function due to injury or disease associated with military service then that person in some ways rejoins the military. If they need to rely on the Army to take care of them then the rights of that person are subject to military court over sight. If they are having mental troubles to the extent that they need a hospital stay due to a sudden crisis even this does not trigger the JAG review.
Folks we have enough really bad shit to worry about. This is not one of them.
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22nd February 2013 at 11:39 am
Stucky says:
“Do you really want someone having flashbacks of the sandbox to be allowed a weapon?” –JIMSKI
Yes. And I want him (her) to be my best friend, as well.
Jimski, you seem to be placing a lot of trust in the Department of Veterans Affairs. You need to visit a VA hospital. Get back to me afterwards.
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22nd February 2013 at 2:06 pm
flash says:
JIMSKI ,if the state determines you’re unstable, then by Obamney you’re unstable..
…next time remove foot before shooting off mouth.
redflagnews.com/…/disarming-americas-heros-veterans-receiving-off…
Written By Constitutional Attorney Michael Connelly, J.D.
How would you feel if you received a letter from the U.S. Government informing you that because of a physical or mental condition that the government says you have it is proposing to rule that you are incompetent to handle your own financial affairs? Suppose that letter also stated that the government is going to appoint a stranger to handle your affairs for you at your expense? That would certainly be scary enough but it gets worse.
What if that letter also stated: “A determination of incompetency will prohibit you from purchasing, possessing, receiving, or transporting a firearm or ammunition. If you knowingly violate any of these prohibitions, you may be fined, imprisoned, or both pursuant to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, Pub.L.No. 103-159, as implemented at 18, United States Code 924(a)(2).”?
That makes is sound like something right from a documentary on a tyrannical dictatorship somewhere in the world. Yet, as I write this I have a copy of such a letter right in front of me. It is being sent by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of America’s heroes. In my capacity as Executive Director of the United States Justice Foundation (USJF) I have been contacted by some of these veterans and the stories I am getting are appalling.
The letter provides no specifics on the reasons for the proposed finding of incompetency; just that is based on a determination by someone in the VA. In every state in the United States no one can be declared incompetent to administer their own affairs without due process of law and that usually requires a judicial hearing with evidence being offered to prove to a judge that the person is indeed incompetent. This is a requirement of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that states that no person shall “… be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law…”.
Obviously, the Department of Veterans Affairs can’t be bothered by such impediments as the Constitution, particularly since they are clearly pushing to fulfill one of Obama’s main goals, the disarming of the American people. Janet Napolitano has already warned law enforcement that some of the most dangerous among us are America’s heroes, our veterans, and now according to this letter from the VA they can be prohibited from buying or even possessing a firearm because of a physical or mental disability.
Think about it, the men and women who have laid their lives on the line to defend us and our Constitution are now having their own Constitutional rights denied. There are no clear criteria for the VA to declare a veteran incompetent. It can be the loss of a limb in combat, a head injury, a diagnosis of PTSD, or even a soldier just telling someone at the VA that he or she is depressed over the loss of a buddy in combat. In none of these situations has the person been found to be a danger to themselves or others. If that was the case than all of the Americans who have suffered from PTSD following the loss of a loved one or from being in a car accident would also have to be disqualified from owning firearms. It would also mean that everyone who has ever been depressed for any reason should be disarmed. In fact, many of the veterans being deprived of their rights have no idea why it is happening.
The answer seems to be it is simply because they are veterans. At the USJF we intend to find the truth by filing a Freedom of Information Act request to the Department of Veterans Affairs to force them to disclose the criteria they are using to place veterans on the background check list that keeps them from exercising their Second Amendment rights. Then we will take whatever legal steps are necessary to protect our American warriors.
The reality is that Obama will not get all of the gun control measures he wants through Congress, and they wouldn’t be enough for him anyway. He wants a totally disarmed America so there will be no resistance to his plans to rob us of our nation. That means we have to ask who will be next. If you are receiving a Social Security check will you get one of these letters? Will the government declare that you are incompetent because of your age and therefore banned from firearm ownership. It certainly fits in with the philosophy and plans of the Obama administration. It is also certain that our military veterans don’t deserve this and neither do any other Americans.
– Michael Connelly, J.D.
Executive Director, United States Justice Foundation
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22nd February 2013 at 2:11 pm
JIMSKI says:
Ill get back to you right now. Without going into to much detail
1. Most here know my brother went overseas 2 times. 2nd time he came back hurt
2. My wife is a lawyer.
Do the math on why I might know a bit about this topic.
How about you cut and paste that flash in the pan
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22nd February 2013 at 2:29 pm
IndenturedServant says:
I’m totally with Jimski on this one.
Crap like this is why I’m so fucking burnt out on this! Do we really need to continually dig for more evidence of dishonesty, corruption, and criminal behavior in DC and Wall St.? How much is enough? Will we reach a point where we have enough? If we do finally get enough then what?
At some point, preferably before the extremists and the govt decide to go in with all guns blazing, the rest of us are going to have to get involved to fix this fucking mess. The politicians, who just happen to be lawyers for some odd reason, and the Wall St. criminals keep fucking us more every day and the rest of us just sit around and read about it and get outraged. Lather. Rinse. Fucking Repeat!
I’m not an educated man but I know these fuckers are never going to act in our best interests. Under the guise of our safety and the war on terrorism, they are preparing to seize control of this country and our only option is to beat them to the punch. In my experience the regulars here are of above average intelligence so we ought to be able to come up with a few workable ideas and run through them like a think tank or debate team. Cut the bullshit and come up with realistic, actionable ways to intelligently regain ownership of our country. Keep in my that you cannot experience the joy of ownership without involvement.
I have a few ideas I’ll write a post about that will either get me laughed off the site or get all of us thinking about ways to peacefully repel the coming tyranny. I fear that if we devolve into violent anarchy, we will lose this country forever and along with it, our very lives. We can’t let that happen.
I_S
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22nd February 2013 at 4:11 pm
Stucky says:
The VA in 3D: Hospital Horror (Part 1)
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/09/05/hospital-horror-the-va-in-3d-part-one/
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22nd February 2013 at 4:36 pm
Stucky says:
I_S
Post those ideas!!! No one will laugh you off. You are a respected Big Dog. Looking forward to your aticle, a lot.
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22nd February 2013 at 4:38 pm
flash says:
JIMSKI -2. My wife is a lawyer.
How about you cut and paste that flash in the pan
wooo hooo..I’m impressed…. a dime a thousand is about what lawyers are worth nowadays..
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22nd February 2013 at 5:23 pm
flash says:
JIMSKI -2. My wife is a lawyer.
How about you cut and paste that flash in the pan
wooo hooo..I’m impressed…. a dime a thousand is about what lawyers are worth nowadays.
BTW…is the state in closed session going to be allowed to rule on the competency of every mouth breather just because their receiving entitlement check?
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22nd February 2013 at 5:26 pm
flash says:
http://lewrockwell.com/orig14/max-t1.1.1.html
Why You Should Not Go to Law School
by Tucker Max
Huffington Post
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22nd February 2013 at 5:29 pm
WPES says:
A bit of a tangent here, but not much.
I see on Cnet the story of Carmen Ortiz whining she did her job — and a minority of statists who just know Aaron Swartz was guilty of heinous crimes. They don’t seem to know Swartz was the individual who got the ball rolling to hammer that fucking SOPA effort — and other activist work that made him an ‘enemy of the state’. I doubt telling fools helps, but wot the hell.
Knowing the depravity and corruption of government, how anyone could assume a fair and impartial assessment of any veteran would occur escapes me. YMMV.
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22nd February 2013 at 10:28 pm
WPES says:
IS
Only one small step for a man, but I have already arranged a venue for when the FBI takedown notice appears here. Still a little work to do and I will say no more here.
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22nd February 2013 at 10:39 pm