I Pledge NOTHING!

This is the stupidest crap I’ve seen in a long time. Let me say this clearly.

WE ELECT PEOPLE TO PUBLIC POSITIONS TO REPRESENT, PROTECT, AND TO ULTIMATELY SERVE US. ONCE YOU REVERSE THAT ROLL, YOU NOW HAVE A DICTATORSHIP OR SOMETHING EQUALLY AS DISGUSTING.

I pledge NOTHING to any public servant and I hope you too realize that you do not serve them, they serve YOU.

Ron Paul words on HR1207

Here is the speech given on the House floor by Congressman Ron Paul when he was introducting HR1207.

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HON. RON PAUL
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2009

* Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Federal Reserve Transparency Act. Throughout its nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve has presided over the near-complete destruction of the United States dollar. Since 1913 the dollar has lost over 95% of its purchasing power, aided and abetted by the Federal Reserve’s loose monetary policy. How long will we as a Congress stand idly by while hard-working Americans see their savings eaten away by inflation? Only big-spending politicians and politically favored bankers benefit from inflation.

* Serious discussion of proposals to oversee the Federal Reserve is long overdue. I have been a longtime proponent of more effective oversight and auditing of the Fed, but I was far from the first Congressman to advocate these types of proposals. Esteemed former members of the Banking Committee such as Chairmen Wright Patman and Henry B. Gonzales were outspoken critics of the Fed and its lack of transparency.

* Since its inception, the Federal Reserve has always operated in the shadows, without sufficient scrutiny or oversight of its operations. While the conventional excuse is that this is intended to reduce the Fed’s susceptibility to political pressures, the reality is that the Fed acts as a foil for the government. Whenever you question the Fed about the strength of the dollar, they will refer you to the Treasury, and vice versa. The Federal Reserve has, on the one hand, many of the privileges of government agencies, while retaining benefits of private organizations, such as being insulated from Freedom of Information Act requests.

* The Federal Reserve can enter into agreements with foreign central banks and foreign governments, and the GAO is prohibited from auditing or even seeing these agreements. Why should a government-established agency, whose police force has federal law enforcement powers, and whose notes have legal tender status in this country, be allowed to enter into agreements with foreign powers and foreign banking institutions with no oversight? Particularly when hundreds of billions of dollars of currency swaps have been announced and implemented, the Fed’s negotiations with the European Central Bank, the Bank of International Settlements, and other institutions should face increased scrutiny, most especially because of their significant effect on foreign policy. If the State Department were able to do this, it would be characterized as a rogue agency and brought to heel, and if a private individual did this he might face prosecution under the Logan Act, yet the Fed avoids both fates.

* More importantly, the Fed’s funding facilities and its agreements with the Treasury should be reviewed. The Treasury’s supplementary financing accounts that fund Fed facilities allow the Treasury to funnel money to Wall Street without GAO or Congressional oversight. Additional funding facilities, such as the Primary Dealer Credit Facility and the Term Securities Lending Facility, allow the Fed to keep financial asset prices artificially inflated and subsidize poorly performing financial firms.

The Federal Reserve Transparency Act would eliminate restrictions on GAO audits of the Federal Reserve and open Fed operations to enhanced scrutiny. We hear officials constantly lauding the benefits of transparency and especially bemoaning the opacity of the Fed, its monetary policy, and its funding facilities. By opening all Fed operations to a GAO audit and calling for such an audit to be completed by the end of 2010, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act would achieve much-needed transparency of the Federal Reserve. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Enemy List – I’m On it, Are You?

In the name of making a utopia, The Left has decided to squash opposition. How are they going to do that? Well, silence all opposing speech by labeling it rightwing extremism. Of course, how silly of me. Of course we would all get along if we just all towed-line and never agreed.

Sounds kind of like some of the dictatorships of past? You don’t like what we say or do? Well, then we are just going to shoot you in the head of do some sort of medical experiment on you or work you until you die. That way, with you removed, we can all can live happily. Psht…

Well, here is the pudding. Eat it up.  The DHS has made a draft of a document to fight this “rightwing extremist” conversation and organization. Some piece of the document below.

Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.

I am anti-government (or at least, uber-small government), so I suspect that I would be grouped into this definition. I also believe in the power of the States too, so I also meet that requirement too. And of course I am pro-life, so that is three strikes against me. I am also a member of 9-12 Project and Campaign for Liberty, both of which are primarily small-government groups. I also am a supporter of Ron Paul, one of the few politicians that is not afraid of talking about reducing the size of government. And worse yet, I am a member of Lost Horizons, the group that believes in only paying taxes as the Constitution dictates! It looks like there is no denying that I am a rightwing extremist here!

(U//LES) Rightwing extremists are harnessing this historical election as a recruitment tool. Many rightwing extremists are antagonistic toward the new presidential administration and its perceived stance on a range of issues, including immigration and citizenship, the expansion of social programs to minorities, and restrictions on firearms ownership and use. Rightwing extremists are increasingly galvanized by these concerns and leverage them as drivers for recruitment. From the 2008 election timeframe to the present, rightwing extremists have capitalized on related racial and political prejudices in expanded propaganda campaigns, thereby reaching out to a wider audience of potential sympathizers.

I am against the President and his stance on immigration and I believe that every American has the ability to make life work. It is a disgrace to give people handouts due to a “group” that they belong to – to me it is akin to saying “we don’t believe you can make it because you are XYZ, so here is some $$$.” I also believe strongly in the 2nd Amendment. It was the first time in the history of the world that a government guaranteed the right for its citizens to bear arms. Why did the Founding Fathers do this – so we would be guaranteed the right to defend our lives, liberties, and freedoms should someone try to come take them. Again, I squarely meet this definition of what a rightwing extremist is.

(U) Exploiting Economic Downturn

(U//FOUO) Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures. Anti-Semitic extremists attribute these losses to a deliberate conspiracy conducted by a cabal of Jewish “financial elites.” These “accusatory” tactics are employed to draw new recruits into rightwing extremist groups and further radicalize those already subscribing to extremist beliefs. DHS/I&A assesses this trend is likely to accelerate if the economy is perceived to worsen.

I’ve never said that anything about Jewish Elites, but I do think that the only people in the world that can say “I am in deep debt, but let’s spend more money to get us out of debt (read: bailouts)” are the Elites. But regardless of whether or not they are true Elites, they still spend money like it isn’t theirs. Wait… it isn’t theirs. Again, I probably fall into this category as well.

(U) Disgruntled Military Veterans

(U//FOUO) DHS/I&A assesses that rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat. These skills and knowledge have the potential to boost the capabilities of extremists—including lone wolves or small terrorist cells—to carry out violence. The willingness of a small percentage of military personnel to join extremist groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled, disillusioned, or suffering from the psychological effects of war is being replicated today.

If a Veteran comes home and joins up, it is because they were disgruntled before they left. Just because you exit the military doesn’t mean that you are instantly pissed off. However, I know that some of us that were in the military (myself included) have been discharged and now look back and feel that they were not doing exactly what they were thought they were doing – defending this country and her Constitution.

(NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;

I find it interesting that the makers of this oath said, “foreign and domestic.” Logically, one would think that invaders would be charging you on the battlefield – not be behind you giving orders. But someone out there had the insight that a destroyer of the Constitution may very well be domestic… and I think that is by far the greatest fear of mine that we are destroying the Constitution from within.

(Thanks to Michelle Malkin for the link to the document and the excerpts found here)

HR1388 Senate Vote: Mandatory slavery pushes on

HR1388 – the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act or the GIVE Act – still is pushing on.

More goodness in this bill…

SEC. 125. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS. (link)
(a) Prohibited Activities- A participant in an approved national service position under this subtitle may not engage in the following activities;
(1) Attempting to influcence legislation
(2) Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes.
(3) Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing
(4) Impairing existing contracts or services or collective bargaining agreements.
(5) Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office
(6) Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials.
(7) Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization.
(8) Providing a direct benefit to –
(A) a business organized for profit;
(B) a labor organization;
(C) a partisan political organization;
(D) a nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 except that nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent participants from engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; and
(E) an organization engaged in the religious activities described in paragraph (7) unless Corporation assistance is not used to support those religious activities.
(9) Conducting a voter registration drive or using Corporation funds to conduct a voter registration drive.
(10) Such other activities as the Corporation may prohibit.

Does everyone see this crap? I mean, really. So if you get swept under this umbrella and get tossed in the Corps or “volunteer group” or whatever, you no longer have the right to

(1) Attempting to influcence legislation – No more writing your Representative… because that is influcencing legislation.
(2) Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes – Can’t sign any petitions. Can’t join any sort of rally or anything! In general, you cannot show any sort of grievance you have with the government because you can’t write them (above) and you can’t do anything with your signature or your body.
(3) Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing – So does this mean that you can’t cross the pickett line to go to work? Or does this mean that if the union comes to your work, you have to join it. Because if you don’t join it, then you are against them.
(4) Impairing existing contracts or services or collective bargaining agreements – Not even sure what this means exactly. It sounds like if any contract is given out then you can never challenge it in any form.
(5) Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office – So… you can’t volunteer in any campaign. No VOLUNTARY work for a candidate that you believe in. Hell, are they going to nail your ass for having a sticker on your car?
(6) Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials – Again, you can vote, and that’s it. I bet you could even get in trouble for encouraging your friends to vote for a candidate.
(7) Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization – So you can’t be any sort of religious leader? Or you can’t ask a group of people to say the Pledge of Allegiance? Can’t work for any sort of volunteer place where they help less fortunate by handing out goods but happen to start their work by a prayer?
(8) Providing a direct benefit to — (A) a business organized for profit; (B) a labor organization; (C) a partisan political organization; (D) a nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 except that nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent participants from engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; and (E) an organization engaged in the religious activities described in paragraph (7) unless Corporation assistance is not used to support those religious activities. – What? So you can voluntarily donate money or something to non-profit groups? Is that what this is saying? This crap is getting weirder and weirder…
(9) Conducting a voter registration drive or using Corporation funds to conduct a voter registration drive - Does this include ACORN?  And can I no longer go our and canvas my neighbors to try to get them to vote or what?
(10) Such other activities as the Corporation may prohibit - Like WHAT? Whatever such action that whoever doesn’t like me or my positions or my beliefs deems to be… whatever, I can be deemed to be in violation of the law?!

Am I the only one out there that realizes that this is horrible stuff? In general, this piece seems to be made so that a very wide array of people fall under this mandatory slavery plan… for various reasons, and then when you are in, you can’t be political anymore. You can just vote, and that’s it. Just listen to the mainstream media and their spin and rhetoric and vote for whoever they like best.

Can someone please remove the [R] from Senator Olympia Snowe’s name? I’m getting really tired of her caucusing with the Democrats on everything.

I could be totally wrong about this section applying to individuals, and if so, please let me know.

No Transparency

I hope you all are getting tired of this absolute horse crap. They are not only going to give tax dollars away, but they are going to give it away and not tell us who they are going to give money to or how much.

This is a perfect place in my opinion to stab the big snake in the eye. Obama talked a decent amount about having a transparent government. Then, not even a few months into his presidency he is (a) signing bills that were written overnight (b) signing bills that are filled with pork (c) signing bills that he doesn’t read (d) signing bills that the Americans don’t have a chance to read and lastly (e) having government take whatever they want to give to whoever they want… and nobdy can know about it. Horse shit.

Even (here) on 5 March 2009 Obama sends out a Memo to all departments stating:

Government should be transparent.  Transparency promotes accountability and provides information for citizens about what their Government is doing.  Information maintained by the Federal Government is a national asset. My Administration will take appropriate action, consistent with law and policy, to disclose information rapidly in forms that the public can readily find and use. Executive departments and agencies should harness new technologies to put information about their operations and decisions online and readily available to the public. Executive departments and agencies should also solicit public feedback to identify information of greatest use to the public.

“My Administration will take appropriate action, consistent with law and policy, to disclose information rapidly in forms that the public can readily find and use.” How is not even letting our Representatives see where this money is going supposed to be transparent?

I remember back with Halliburton, people were all pissed off because they thought that special contracts were being given out to Bush&Co people. True or not, at least we knew how much was being given and to whom! Here, we are just giving money away to… who knows!

This is ridiculous and I want to puke. I hope you all write your Representative to support H.R.1207 (which would make the Federal Reserve accountable/audited).

Only Ron Paul

As I am looking around the internet to find where I can buy silver and/or gold I find this little nugget of joy. Of course, it is over a year old, but even these people who KNOW money know that Ron Paul is the only one that understands what is wrong with America’s money. I thought it was a superb example of why Ron Paul would have been the best candidate for this past election, especially with all of the economic problems.

People, it is far past time to call for the end of the Federal Reserve.

Original here.

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Bill Haynes
December 13, 2007
The country – nay the world – is mired in the subprime toxic waste meltdown, with lenders writing off billions of dollars in losses. So serious is the problem that the Fed has begun lowering interest rates to ward off recession and President Bush has attempted intervention in private contracts to freeze interest rates for some home mortgage borrowers.

Few remember that it was the Fed’s intervention that caused the subprime problem in the first place. Under Alan Greenspan’s tutelage, interest rates were driven to the decades’ low rates that ushered in the housing boom that is now the housing bust.

Luckily, we have one presidential candidate who grasps the causes of the problem: Ron Paul, the Republican congressman from Texas. If any of the other candidates understood the subprime problem, perhaps we would have a chance seeing the problem resolved properly. (Properly? The borrowers and the lenders should suffer the losses, not the taxpayers.) Ron Paul’s February 15, 2006 Statement before the House of Representatives exhibits his understanding of money.

I am scared…

I think my friend said it best…

“WE THE PEOPLE now own asston of homes, an insurance company and about 1 trillion in in unsecured debt.”

Yessssssssssssss!

In other news… 50% of those surveyed say they would rather watch football with Obama than McCain (his 47%)! Awesome! (link) No… really, what the hell is wrong with people? We are more worried about who is going to watch football with us over our country’s ailments? No wonder Obama is leading – issues don’t mean s***!

Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

I found this article and man-o-man is it a gem! I am going to repost here in-whole just in case something happens to the original found here. Below is the article in it’s entirety.
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I Had Enough?

Am I the only guy in this country who’s fed up with what’s happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We’ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we’ve got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can’t even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, “Stay the course.”

Stay the course? You’ve got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I’ll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!

You might think I’m getting senile, that I’ve gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don’t need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we’re fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That’s not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I’ve had enough. How about you?

Who The Republicans Support – Blacks

Many a people say that Republicans are just rich white boys that support other rich white boys, of course, at the expense of the blacks (and other minorities). However, how many people know the real Republican and black relationship? My guess is… hardly none.

Below is an article at JWR by Larry Elder that sets the record straight. (Original here)

Happy Easter, or not

So, today is once of the most celebrated Christian holidays – the day where Jesus died and rose from the dead. As a Christian, I’ve always been pretty detached from the holiday. Many fellow believers may even say that I am a hypocrite for not celebrating. So, there you have it, I don’t celebrate Easter – at least not outside of hanging out with family and/friends. No, no going to church for me… no massive prayers… no weeping at a cross I have in my front lawn.

Large in part, I agree with atheists. Easter, as well as my other Christian holidays (read, Christmas) are pagan holidays, redux, clothed in Christian garb. In today’s world, it is more of a holiday that allows Target, Walmart, and all the other stores out there just sell more merchandise. (Oh, and to get the chickens to lay more eggs – damn us and our infinite animal cruelty!!!). No, Easter is not really a Christian holiday… it is just another day for celebration. To me, if you really are a Christian, you shouldn’t have a separate and special day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. After all, the resurrection is pivotal in our religion and should be constantly remembered.

Furthermore, I don’t agree with this influx of Christian evangelical missioning around Easter. So let me say this bluntly – how many people have you known to become a Christian (or even go to your church) after reading one of your pamphlets (or tracts)? If you know of one, I’d be highly surprised. I know of none. I know of many who think it is a joke, and I think it is too. All your little fliers are is a way to kill more trees. (Damn us and our infinite disregard and love for mother nature!). But maybe I am wrong and those are just sent out to get more people (who are already Christians) come to your church and celebrate. In that case, if that is your goal, then party on.

I also understand that Christians aggravate atheists. Christian holidays infuriate them. Hell, they piss me off, and I am the one that should be there celebrating! However, I cannot, for the life of me, understand why atheists put themselves in a different and separate category of righteousness when they do things like this. Now, I am totally for people knowing what they believe in. In other words, I am against complete blind faith. But to go to the church and bomb their pamphlet box and doors with your atheist tracts? Come on!

While the author says it was just “for fun” and that it was “just a joke” it doesn’t matter what she thinks she is doing, it matters what she is doing. From what I understand is that atheists hate that Christians (or all religions) are intolerant. They don’t want your religion in their face. Which I agree – everyone should have their own beliefs and doesn’t need religion shoved down their throat (another reason I don’t want politicians to even mention their beliefs or guiding light or religious affiliation). So why is it OK for an atheist to go and attempt to shove their religion (or lack of religion) down someone else’s throat? But as can be seen in the comments of the listed blog, many atheists agree and bravo her efforts. As you can see by Eric, “at some point anon, you decide to fight fire with fire.” Wait, so it is OK to go do the same thing that you are vehemently against – cramming religion (or lack of religion) down someone else’s throat? And then we later have Gratis saying, “That’s just too flippin’ funny to me. I am now imagining little gray haired ladies hyperventilating and running back to the prayer room to ask for guidance! You’ve got bigger stones than me, that’s for sure.” So now it is cool AND funny to cause grief of old ladies? And then Erik that thinks that “stealing baby Jesus’ from manger scenes and leave DVDs there” would be a “hoot.” Please. Now we are advocating theft in the name of “truth”? Sounds just like Christians going around crusading, in the name of truth. Or Muslims bombing people, for truth.

So atheists… what do you really want? Do you want everyone to be left alone – alone to believe how they wish? Tolerance on everyone’s part. Nobody pushes their religion down anyones throat and everyone comes to their own conclusion on their own. Or do you side with Dawkins in that you think that religion produces nothing good and should be banished? We all need to be atheists because religion corrupts science and holds the human race back. If it is the latter, I am scared of the world that you want. If it is the former, then please, quit using the same tactics that you despise from your Christian neighbors.

In any case, that is my thoughts on the matter. I hope everyone was able to have a nice Easter, whether you went and wept at church or you just hung out with friends and ate a filet mignon.