Freedom Of Speech At Risk

It's one thing for a government to allow private individuals or organizations (who claim to be offended) to silence their opponents with assistance from government agencies (like Canada's Human Rights Commission).

When the government itself uses authoritarian powers to silence political opponents (or anyone else who expresses an opinion not sanctioned by the government), it's a different matter altogether. When a member of the British Parliament can be arrested for pointing out wrongdoing by the ruling party and have his home and office ransacked by police, then you know that freedom of speech is dead.

I'm sure that the MP will eventually be given back his computer and personal papers and issued an apology. "And by the way, we found some personal correspondence and pictures on your computer that you probably don't want your wife to find out about. So, apology accepted, no lawsuit? Good man. Very understanding of you."

It is also apparently illegal in Britain to refer to the Church of Scientology as a "cult." Likewise, in many European countries, it is illegal to publicly deny the Holocaust.

It makes you wonder how Europeans (and even Canadians) can have the gall to criticize the U.S. for our supposed human rights violations (confining unrepentant, dedicated murderers at Guantanamo, for example). Who would like to take responsibility for them? Perhaps we could find good homes for them in, say, San Francisco or Paris.

Speaking of our foreign critics, a quick look at the laughable makeup of the United Nations Human Rights Council is proof enough that the U.S. is far ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to valuing human rights.

People should feel free to say anything they wish, no matter how stupid it might be. That's the easiest way for the rest of us to determine just how stupid they are - and we really need to know.

Thank goodness our freedoms are safe. [/sarcasm]

Joe the Plumber wasn't arrested for disagreeing with Obama's idea of wealth redistribution, but he was "investigated" by several Ohio state agencies looking for something in their official records that might be used as leverage against him by certain liberal interests.

Intimidation by officials who abuse their positions of trust can silence opposing views just as well as laws restricting free speech.

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedoms of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." -- James Madison

I'd feel better if those state officials were fired and charged with official misconduct, but it looks like a mild slap on the wrist is worst punishment any of them will receive. Stalin would be proud of them.

Education Reform ..... Too Late?

Barack Obama thinks our education system needs improving. I can't help but agree with him.

If he's smart, though, he'll wait until his second term to start working on it.

WTF, over?

I'm beginning to think (actually, I'm convinced) that Henry Paulson, Secretary of the Treasury, got his economic training from the underpants gnomes.

Phase One: Collect $700+ billion

Phase Two: ?

Phase Three: Profit (save the economy)

Now, instead of buying up "toxic" assets (bad mortgage loans), he wants to buy into banks.

AND, he stipulates that no questions be asked!!!

I don't doubt that Henry is a good man who wants to do what is best for the country, but, I can't help but think that maybe he isn't as competent as he thinks we think he is. Also, I think it would be appropriate that he and all the other "smart" guys who allowed this crisis to evolve in the first place, to be fired and replaced with a new set of incompetents. I know, you can't fire members of congress (Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, etc.).

Though Paulson is no doubt smarter than I am, I still think that my plan would do more good (and less harm) than anything he's come up with so far.

As far as the economy is concerned, I'd rather the government forget about bailouts and let the chips fall where they may.

I hate to sound cruel, but I'm a pretty cold-hearted bastard (or so I'm told), and I don't think bad lending and bad borrowing should be rewarded, especially when the rest of us have sacrificed in order to meet our own fiscal responsibilities.

Financial Meltdown

No matter what the Treasury Department does with the $700 billion that Congress has given them to save our economy, it will not be a fair disbursement of our money. Only the banks that got us into this mess in the first place will benefit directly.

I have a better idea. Use the $700 billion to pay off as many existing mortgages for primary residences as possible. That would reward those people who have managed their finances responsibly and also provide liquidity (cash) for the banks and mortgage companies. If your mortgage payoff is less than $100,000, you would stand a good chance of being one of the lucky ones who suddenly own their homes free and clear. Your mortgage lender would have money to lend to other home buyers and be able to stay in business.

You would also be in a better position financially to spend more money (responsibly, of course) to stimulate the economy. At the very least, you would not risk being added to that large group of irresponsible home buyers who wind up in foreclosure.

"But that's not fair. I don't have a home mortgage." Okay, is it more fair for the government to just give the money to the banks? At least with my plan, the banks would benefit only indirectly while a large number of (mostly deserving) taxpayers would benefit directly.

Low income homeowners (with typically lower mortgage balances) would probably benefit more than high income homeowners.

The chances that my plan would even be considered..........ZERO.

Sarah Palin SNL Skit

YouTube postings are being removed as fast as they go up. NBC wants to maintain control of their "intellectual" property, so they've made it available on their website.

Here it is in case you've been having trouble finding it.

Neil Young

As long as I've got music on my mind, here's one I really like for more than a few reasons.

Dschinghis Khan

I knew a little girl who thought they were pretty cool. Of course, it was 1979 and she was only 5 years old........ but she could really dance to the music.

She might have liked Rammstein, too, even though that group seems to have some issues with Amerika.

It's 3am, Hillary, And Guess What?

Your phone didn't ring.

Supporters of Hillary Clinton (not to mention Hillary, herself) must be fuming. Many seemed to think she might have been Obama's choice for his vice presidential running mate, but now we all know that it's a Barack-O'Biden ticket.

It seems (to me, at least) that picking 3am as the time to make his VP choice known to the world was an obvious slap at Hillary.

I predict shenanigans at the Democratic Convention next week as Hillary and Bill get revenge for this insult.