Huckabee: Of Course He's a Fascist

The gang at Fox & Friends was happily engaged in their familiar morning routine when one of them made the mistake of asking Rep. Ron Paul about a campaign ad produced by a rival presidential aspirant, Mike Huckabee.

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Huckabee: If You Don’t Give, I’ll Tax it Out of You

For how long will the Huckabee illusion continue? Right off the top: I think Mike Huckabee would be an absolute disaster as a nominee…and as president in the highly unlikely event he were elected. There are a number of reasons, but I will cover only one here…and it's not his obnoxious Christianeering*, but it is closely linked. Truth is, Huckabee has a history, including in statements on his campaign website right now, that shows he's a reflexive tax-hiker at heart and doesn't seem to have met a tax increase he can't rationalize.

Most of you have probably read this 1998 article as it has been the Drudge headline most of the day today.

"I'm often asked why taxes are so high and government is so big. It's because the faith we have in local churches has become so small. If we'd been doing what we should have — giving a dime from every dollar to help the widows, the orphans and the poor — we now wouldn't be giving nearly 50 cents of every dollar to a government that's doing … what we should have been doing all along."

Talk about swapping the chicken and the egg here! Sorry to use cliches in consecutive sentences, but Huckster was barking up the wrong tree as well.

First, the relationship between government intrusion in the social sector and the rate of charitable giving is this: it is BECAUSE government usurped the traditional social service role that more people came to depend on the state, with a concomitant reduction in community-based solutions to social ills. When government recedes in these areas, when pockets are picked less, charity increases.

Contrary to the tired "Decade of Greed" meme, the Reagan tax cuts led to a doubling in charitable giving (Note: look at the raw numbershere, Philanthropy.com, a lefty-run outfit, attempts to minimize the impact of Reagan tax policy).

Second, he is scolding the WRONG bunch. I'm used to such accusations from Jim Wallis (the Bible-waving socialist who regularly accuses conservative Christians of acting "unbiblically" and of "betraying Jesus") and Tony Campolo ("you can be Christian and care about the poor"), but not from someone trying to appeal to people who actually take Scripture to be more than a tool to advance a socialist agenda.

The fact is conservative Christians DO care about the poor and they actually do something about it…like give to charity. Conservative people of faith give more of their own money and time to charity than any other group, including Christian Leftists. Arthur Brooks compiled the bullet-proof truth in his book "Who Really Cares."

Here's the point. Huckabee, in this statement and in others, sees the government as Big Savior who fills the "need" when the flock "falls short." His default isn't, "Hey maybe the fact that government stuck its nose in the peoples' business in the first place led to a fluctuation in wasteful, redundant and decidedly failed public programs and a reduction in community solutions." No, Huckabee blames the very people who have and still do give more to the community than anyone else for failing and for the "necessity" of Big Savior's cold, bureaucratic and expensive infiltration.

The reason that this 1998 article is relevant today is that in the decade since, Huckabee continued to skip out on mandatory Sowell 101 classes and instead polished his resume as a tax hound. His own "Truth Squad" answers to Club For Growth and CATO shine the light on his "taxes are frequently the answer" form of, er, leadership.

First, I have to point out, he refers to CFG as "Club for Greed" and “anti-tax radicals.” (Kind of like when he referred to border enforcement and employer sanctions supporters as bigots…pattern?) He is maddeningly insistent that the only way to “cover budget shortfalls” is to raise taxes, using the state balanced budget amendment as thin cover for this claim. Time and time again, it has been shown that REDUCING taxes increases prosperity, reduces the inclination to hide income and therefore contributes to increased receipts to the treasury. So his, “what else was I supposed to do” argument rings hollow and shallow. Not only is the use of the state’s balanced budget amendment a pretty cheap juke, his statement that “90% of the state's budget is spent on education, Medicare, prisons, and human services” sets off MAJOR alarm bells, as if there was no opportunity to cut wasteful spending in those areas or reform the “human services” (Code Word Alert: welfare) to bring the budget in line.

He ends up going Clinton Postal in his "clarifying questions" for CFG section. I'll sum it up: You hate kids, you hate sick and old people, you think bridges should fall, etc. if you question my record during a presidential campaign and if you answer any way other than the choices we’ve given you. Again, he implies here that the only way to fix a welfare-packed budget shortfall is to raise taxes, so whatever other explanation he has for other fiscal policies needs to be considered through that prism.

I wish I had the time and was delusional enough to think that anyone has actually read to to this point…but neither is the case, so I'll wrap it up. Bottom line for Huckabee is that he can find a million good reasons to raise taxes, he blames the people least responsible for the "necessity" of government intrusion (the very same people he's playing Jedi Mind Trick on), he'll name-call whenever someone has a different opinion and, dad-gummit, he's doing it all as the [one and only] "Christian Leader" in the race. See, his policies regarding taxes and "helping" the poor are the proper Christian policies and if you are not feeling sufficiently tithey he'll make sure he gets it through the tax man. Render unto Caesar what is God's…that's how it goes right?

*I don't doubt Huckabee's sincerity as a believer and obviously his "vote for me because I'm a Christian" strategy is working pretty well right now (at the same time feeding the myth that Evangelicals are dolts who will simply follow a co-religionist if he can deliver a revival-tent stemwinder…he can). However, unlike faith-centered candidates like Reagan and Bush 43, it seems to be all he's got and he'll go to that one well until he's sucking magma from the ground below it.

PS — his support for the Fair Tax is pretty meaningless in that he KNOWS it doesn't have a chance. Cynical yes, but I have a feeling his support for the Fair Tax is a smoke-screen to obscure his lack of a realistic tax refrom plan. We've seen what Gov. Huck will do when there is a "budget shortfall." It's spelled T-A-X and he continues to toot that trumpet. So how can we trust him to act differently as president?

Original post by Glib Fortuna, 12/10/2007

http://stoptheaclu.com/archives/2007/12/10/huckabee-if-you-dont-give-ill-tax-it-out-of-you/

Bombed If You Do, Bombed If You Don't

It is unthinkable that despite lack of any evidence of a threat, some are still charging headstrong into yet another war in the Middle East when what we ought to be doing is coming home from Iraq, coming home from Korea, coming home from Germany and defending our own soil. We do not need to be interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and waging war when honest trade, friendship, and diplomacy are the true paths to peace and prosperity.

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Imperialism Isn't Fun When The Enemy Can Shoot Back

“We do not want the Filipinos. We want the Philippines. The islands are very rich, but unfortunately they are infested with Filipinos. There are many millions, there and, it is to be feared their extinction will be slow."

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Please Ignore Ron Paul.

An Open letter to ‘Old Media’ to please continue to ignore Republican Candidate Ron Paul.

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Barry Goldwater Predicts Ron Paul

"The turn will come when we entrust the conduct of our affairs to the men who understand that their first duty as public officials is to divest themselves of the power that they have been given. It will come when Americans, in hundreds of communities throughout the nation, decide to put the man in office who is pledged to enforce the Constitution."

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An Open Letter to Orthodox Christians, on Behalf of Ron Paul

I have never contributed to a presidential campaign before. I have never put a political bumper sticker on my car before. And I have never written a letter like this before. I have done all three because for the first time in my life I truly believe that there is a chance to return this nation to the rule of law under the Constitution.

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Monopoly "Money" vs the Liberty Dollar - Will Grigg

Critics of the Liberty Dollar sometimes describe it as the equivalent of Monopoly money, because it's not backed by the "full faith and credit" of the Regime. The inescapable truth is that the dollar is an instrument of force and fraud, and the Feds claim a monopoly on the same, it is the federal "dollar" that is best described as monopoly "money."

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Ron Paul Wins Nationwide Zogby Blind Poll

A new nationwide Zogby telephone poll reveals that a sizeable majority of Americans are looking to vote for a candidate who protects liberty, wants to shrink government and immediately withdraw troops from Iraq - all traits common to Texas Congressman Ron Paul.

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A Non-Voter’s Thoughts on Ron Paul

The truth is, I never was a "principled" non-voter. I’ve always said – jokingly of course – that if a candidate came along who promised to drastically reduce the scope of government, and I trusted them to do so, and that person actually had a shot at winning, I would have to consider voting for that person. Not surprisingly, I have never been faced with this particular dilemma. I suspect that I am not alone among lifetime non-voters who have never really had to examine their stance. As long as there is clearly no point in voting, we are never really forced to dig deeply into the reasons why we don’t vote. And, certainly in my lifetime, there has never been any point in voting in a presidential election. Until now.

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What's So "Sinister" About "Liberty, Prosperity, and Peace"? Will Grigg

Write this down in ink: Ron Paul, who harbors no detectable rancor toward anyone of woman born and goes to exceptional lengths to treat everyone with respect, will be smeared as a “hater.” This is chiefly because of the genuine hatred – born out of fear – he inspires in many who have made their peace with the Power Elite.

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Christians should support Constitutional government

by Pastor Chuck Baldwin - Daniel Webster is regarded as perhaps America's most notable jurist. Webster said, "Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster, and what has happened once in 6000 years may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world."

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The Dividing Line: HR 3835, The "American Freedom Agenda Act" - Will Grigg

It really is this simple: Members of Congress either support the Constitution -- including all of that troublesome stuff dealing with checks and balances and non-negotiable guarantees of individual rights -- or they support some form of executive dictatorship. Ron Paul introduced H.R. 3835, the "American Freedom Agenda Act of 2007". Let's find out who supports which form of governance....

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Briefly Considered: A Prediction Partially Fulfilled - Will Grigg

(T)he grim, unyielding reality is that Ron Paul -- a man who is Christian to his chromosomes, and loves freedom with every molecule of his being -- is disqualified in the eyes of Jones and his ilk for theological reasons: The God Ron Paul serves is Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace and Sovereign Lord of all creation, not the supposedly almighty State.

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Briefly Considered: A Prediction Partially Fulfilled - Will Grigg

(T)he grim, unyielding reality is that Ron Paul -- a man who is Christian to his chromosomes, and loves freedom with every molecule of his being -- is disqualified in the eyes of Jones and his ilk for theological reasons: The God Ron Paul serves is Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace and Sovereign Lord of all creation, not the supposedly almighty State.

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Misunderestimating Ron Paul's Support

Rick Fisk on what the neocons and the media are about to learn.

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Bush Seals His Betrayal of the Religious Right

You don’t have to be pro-life to marvel at the breadth and depth of the betrayal that Bush has delivered to his base on the "religious right." Even from a distance, it is as revolting as it is revealing. The palpable cynicism and contempt of Bush now brilliantly shines through, while the neocons chortle all the way to the arms bazaar.

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"These Are MY Sons!"

Excellent piece by Will Grigg about the classic film 'Shenandoah' and against state slavery.

FTA: "I would kill any member of any armed gang who would violate the sanctity of my home for the purpose of abducting one of our children. It doesn't matter what exalted title he would possess, or what tricked-out gang colors that gang-banger would wear. That principle, as John Locke would say, applies equally to both private sector gangs and those who operate under the supposed authority of the state.

It's quite simple: If you threaten my kids, I'll hurt you. If you try to kidnap them from me, I'll kill you. Capice?"

Read the full article HERE

The Ron Paul epiphany

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

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Ron Paul people give what money can't buy...

Ron Paul supporters are spontaneously coming up with stuff like this constantly! Great video!

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Anti-Americans Are Everywhere

State Senator Robert Clegg calls Ron Paul "anti-American" for opposing the foreign policy of a small group of people in Washington. (The rest of America doesn't count -- the 35 people who make the policy are America, so no questioning them.) Here are what some Republicans were saying about U.S. military operations in Bosnia in 1995. I'm inclined to think they escaped Mr. Clegg's censure.

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Ron Paul Is in a Class By Himself

"After watching last night's GOP debate, I realized that the two major parties really are Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Each candidate in one party has a doppelganger in the other, with one notable exception." Guess who?

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Best interview ABOUT Dr. Paul, ever!

Yesterday Scott Horton interviewed Lew Rockwell for Antiwar Radio about Ron Paul. (29 minutes). Worth every second! Inspiring!

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That Ron Paul Bash

"Of course, we know Dr. Paul believes. We know he will live it. And we know he cannot be bought, swayed or moved from his, and our, goal - restoring the Constitution, the republic and our liberties. God speed, Dr. Paul."

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America's Pastors: Preachers of Truth or Promoters of Tyranny?

A startling television news report from Shreveport, Louisiana has revealed a sinister plot hatched deep inside the diabolical brain cells of the Bush administration to use America s pulpits as promoters of tyranny. That is a strong statement, I know. But it is true.

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Ten Reasons Why Ron Paul Can’t Win

10. Ron Paul is too popular among people who know where he stands.9. He’s got too much money, and nowhere to spend it.8. Ron Paul is cheating by harnessing the fervor of an army of volunteers,7. Ron Paul tells the truth.6. He’s for lower spending AND lower taxes.5. Ron Paul is a man of principle.4. Ron Paul has peaked.

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What do Ron Paul's numbers mean?

"(A)s I've said before, the MSM should base their degree of coverage on objective, scientific factors such as contributions, crowds and straw polls."

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Ron Paul : When in the course of human events...

The videos just keep getting better.....

The Decline & Fall of the Southern Baptists

The events of September 11, 2001, apparently "changed everything." Yet, after the fiasco that is the war in Iraq has been scrupulously exposed many times over, no change in opinion has been forthcoming from the SBC. Instead, the man most responsible for the war is welcomed with applause and ovation.

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Having Fun Doing Good

"The sense of urgency on the part of Paul’s supporters comes not just from his message, and not just from his honesty and integrity – qualities even his opponents usually concede. It comes from a sense that this may be our last chance. After Ron Paul there is only a line of hacks as far as the eye can see. We may never see his like again, and we may never have such an opportunity again.We have a man who tells the truth, who – gasp – answers the questions posed to him. We have someone who doesn’t feed us the same old lies about war and empire. And we have someone who cannot be bought, period. Some candidates promise us all kinds of goodies, paid for by looting our neighbor – or by looting us, in the form of inflation. Ron Paul makes no such promises. He promises only peace and freedom, the radical yet common-sense message that neither party can get right."

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From Grassroots Great Things Grow

A look at one example of the power of grassroots organizing in the 2008 presidential election.

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Running on Angry

The Surprising Popularity of Republican Ron Paul

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Day Zero a feature film

The U.S. military draft is back. You have thirty days to report. What would you do?

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We’re All Neocons Now... Except Ron Paul, thankfully

Max (Stomping on a Human Face, Forever) Boot avers that all the candidates that matter, both Demolican & Republicrat, are in essential agreement with Emperor Bush on interventionism. They're all warmongers now, save for the good Doctor...

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2008: Hillary Clinton vs. Ron Paul?

The strongest Democrat is Hillary Clinton, arguably the biggest insider to run for office in years. And the candidate with the most vibrant netroots backing is a Republican, Ron Paul. What if? Scroll down to cast your vote!

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Congressman Ron Paul's Secret Revealed

The secret behind Ron Paul's enthusiastic supporters -- his principles and his personal integrity.

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Ron Paul - Fusion Candidate

John Derbyshire is wrong to resist the Ron Paul Temptation. Embrace it. Embrace it: conservatives, libertarians, pro-lifers…Right-minded Americans, all.

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Ron Paul vs the Empire

When evaluating Ron Paul's chances, it’s important to accept one fact about contemporary America: This is not a democracy, and certainly not a constitutional republic. America is actually a carefully concealed oligarchy. A few thousand people, mostly in government, finance, and the military-industrial complex, run this country for their own purposes....

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Ron Paul in San Antonio!

This is one loud crowd. They don't like George Snuffleupagus very much either!

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Once upon a time, I believed...

The Iraq war ‘shatters the illusions’ of a Neocon. Having seen that light, perhaps he would like to investigate the stance of Dr. Ron Paul!

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Dr. Ron Paul's Statement of Faith

"I have never been one who is comfortable talking about my faith in the political arena. In fact, the pandering that typically occurs in the election season I find to be distasteful. But for those who have asked, I freely confess that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior, and that I seek His guidance in all that I do."

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How The News Works by Tom Tomorrow (PIC)

IRAN IS SCARIEST MENACE IN HISTORY OF SCARY MENACES!!!!

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A Soldier Reflects

"I served my tour in Iraq after it was clear the WMD would never be found and stood by my helicopter and saluted with tears in my eyes as the body bags containing the remains of my fellow GI's (some weighing less than 30 pounds) were loaded."

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Ron Paul Changes Minds

"There were tough questions from the host and also from the audience, but not a single groan at the answers. Now we see why Ron Paul will succeed. He is, and his 'message' is, extraordinarily persuasive."

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Rudy’s New Foreign Policy Posse

Norman Podhoretz advocates "simplistic military solutions to solve what are complex and multifaceted international problems." Should fit right in!

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Soldiers Share the Devastating Tales of War

"I have PTSD. I know when I got it -- the night I killed an 8-year-old girl. Her family was trying to cross a checkpoint. We'd just shot three guys who'd tried to run a checkpoint. And during that mess, they were just trying to get through to get away from it all. And we ended up shooting all them, too. It was a family of six. The only one that survived was a 13-month-old and her mother. And the worst part about it all was that where I shot my bullets, when I went to see what I'd shot at, there was an 8-year-old girl there. I tried my best to bring her back to life, but there was no use. But that's what triggered my depression."

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100,000 Trees need to be planted to offset effects of Live Earth

THIS IS NOT A SPOOF! Live Earth will produce about 74,500 tons of the gas. "We would have to plant 100,000 trees to offset the effect of Live Earth," he said, speaking by telephone. But, he added, "if you can reach 2 billion people and raise awareness, that's pretty fantastic." The tree-hugging goofballs need to get busy!

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Party Hacks, Propagandists and Apologists

"It is obvious that the historian must not be biased by any prejudices and party tenets. Those writers who consider historical events as an arsenal of weapons for the conduct of their party feuds are not historians but propagandists and apologists. They are not eager to acquire knowledge but to justify the program of their parties . . . . They usurp the name of history for their writings as a blind in order to deceive the incredulous."

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DEFENSE AND OTHER LIES by Joe Sobran

"The most unequal fight of all is the fight to the death between the abortionist and his tiny quarry. The abortionist usually wins. But it isn't polite to say he kills anyone, or anything, no matter how it looks; he terminates a pregnancy, or gives a woman reproductive freedom, or choice, or a certain procedure, or whatever. It's regarded as especially poor taste to show pictures of the result, which might give the impression that "baby-killing" is an accurate term for it."

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Neoconservative radicalism has reshaped our political spectrum

"The central tenets of the right wing (neoconservative) movement in this country -- which has seized and now defines the term "conservative" -- are easy to see. They're right there in plain sight -- they want to expand government power in pursuit of mindless, bloodthirsty warmongering and empire-building abroad, and the accompanying liberty-infringement at home."

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Dick 'Big Brother' Cheney

had_enough,
originally uploaded by rab_fw.

Had about enough of Big Brother? My take on a scene from the film '1984' featuring John Hurt, Richard Burton and.....%#*^!.. Dick Cheney?

Identifying With the State

"Our politico-centric pain and suffering has been brought about by our having allowed external forces to move in and occupy the vacuum we created at the center of our being. The only way out of our dilemma involves a retracing of the route that brought us to where we are."

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Conservatives Must Oppose Militarism and War

"(T)he military cannot rightfully be considered a proper tool for forging a world where liberty and democracy may flourish. Such notions are hideously liberal, for they are based on the most dangerous of utopian delusions: that men can be made at gunpoint to change; that nations can be built as easily as destroyed; that societies are artificial rather than organic and can be made to order. These ideas have none of the realism that distinguishes conservatism from dreamy liberal mush."

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Ron Paul: Lone Star

"(W)e have one man who... fights for the Republic, not the Empire."

Read the article here

Goodbye and Good Luck, by Charley Reese

"The American people have been conned into accepting the idea of an empire, when there is no need for one.... The imperialists have created the illusion that we are in control of the world and if we weren't, everything would fall apart."



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The Martyr of Mosul, Pat Buchanan

"For the martyrdom of Christianity in its birth cradle, blame must fall heavily upon the men who conceived this misbegotten war."



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Phantom Politics, Dr. Clyde Wilson

"Many Americans are dumb enough to believe that they are “defending their country” by attacking a foreign people that have done them no harm and pose them no threat. Defending one’s country has been turned into a phantom unanchored in reality."



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Have We Forgotten 2003 Already?

"Clearly, language threatening to wipe a nation or a group of people off the map is to be condemned by all civilized people. And I do condemn any such language. But why does threatening Iran with a pre-emptive nuclear strike, as many here have done, not also deserve the same kind of condemnation? Does anyone believe that dropping nuclear weapons on Iran will not wipe a people off the map? When it is said that nothing, including a nuclear strike, is off the table on Iran, are those who say it not also threatening genocide? And we wonder why the rest of the world accuses us of behaving hypocritically, of telling the rest of the world “do as we say, not as we do.”"



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We Are All Potentially Enemy Combatants

"In a world where the president has the power to label anyone, whether a citizen or permanent resident, an enemy combatant and detain that person indefinitely without trial, no liberty exists and everyone is potentially an “enemy combatant.”"



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Wanted: A New Conservatism

In recent weeks Will has all but endorsed Rudy Giuliani (whom else?) for president and ridiculed Ron Paul, who takes the U.S. Constitution seriously, as an anachronism. I imagine he slapped his flippers together in glee when Giuliani attacked Paul for saying the obvious, that the 9/11 attacks were motivated by American foreign policy, rather than by virginal American innocence. Paul might have been speaking for Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton, men to whom Giuliani would have little to say, unless he could say it with his middle finger.



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Foreign Policy Socialists of the GOP

As Ron Paul says the Republican party truly has lost it’s way… So called conservatives tend to agree that socialism doesn’t work, though the mainstream GOP has been turning more socialist everyday and this is especially true with regard to foreign policy. Let’s look at the basis for the anti-socialism argument as a starting point...



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Lying Us Into War, Again

"Sen. Joe Lieberman, who seems to be one of those who loves war as long as he doesn't have to fight it, really believes that we can attack Iran without Iranian retaliation, then he's naive. If he knows better, he's a liar, and to lie the American people into a second war before the other lied-into war in Iraq is even over is despicable. He should be shunned by all decent people."



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We Have Always Been At War With Eastasia...

Fred Kaplan, writing in Slate, opines:“It’s time to start thinking cold-bloodedly about what we might yet eke out of Iraq. An intriguing possibility is on display in Anbar province, where U.S. troops have formed an alliance with Sunni insurgents for the common purpose of killing al-Qaida jihadists.“These insurgents were killing American soldiers just a few months ago. They may resume doing so, once this operation is complete. Such is the nature of coalition warfare, especially when our original coalition partners have largely pulled out of the war.”I’ve been saving this link for the proper occasion, and it looks like I’ve found it. Yes, we have always been at war with Eastasia. Isn’t that right, comrade?



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Will YOUR candidate sign this pledge?

It will be interesting to see which Presidential candidates will sign the Freedom Pledge produced by The American Freedom Agenda. All that it would require would be a willingness to uphold the oath they will take once elected to uphold and defend the Constitution.

The stalwart conservatives behind this project are Bruce Fein, Bob Barr, Richard Viguerie, and David Keene.

One Presidential candidate has already signed this document. Dr. Ron Paul. I wonder who else will state unequivocally that the oath they take means something to them? Who else will bind him or her self with the strong cords of the Constitution? We'll see.

Here's the pledge:

Freedom Pledge

I, (candidate), hereby pledge that if elected President of the United States I will undertake the following to restore the Constitution’s checks and balances, to honor fundamental protections against injustice, and to eschew usurpations of legislative or judicial power.These are keystones of national security and individual freedom:


1. No Military Commissions Except on the Battlefield. I will not employ military commissions to prosecute offenses against the laws of war except in places where active hostilities are ongoing and a battlefield tribunal is necessary to obtain fresh testimony and to prevent local anarchy or chaos.

2. No Evidence Extracted by Torture or Coercion. I will not permit the use of evidence obtained by torture or coercion to be admissible in a military commission or other tribunal.

3. No Detaining Citizens as Unlawful Enemy Combatants. I will not detain any American citizen as an unlawful enemy combatant. Citizens accused of terrorism-linked crimes will be prosecuted in federal civilian courts.

4. Restoring Habeas Corpus for Suspected Alien Enemy Combatants. I will detain non-citizens as enemy combatants only if they have actively participated in actual hostilities against the United States. I will urge Congress to amend the Military Commissions Act of 2006 to permit any individual detained under the custody or control of the United States government to file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in federal courts.

5. Prohibiting Warrantless Spying by the National Security Agency in Violation of Law. I will prohibit the National Security Agency from gathering foreign intelligence except in conformity with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, and end the NSA’s domestic surveillance program that targets American citizens on American soil for warrantless electronic surveillance.

6. Renouncing Presidential Signing Statements. I will not issue presidential signing statements declaring the intent to disregard provisions of a bill that I have signed into law because I believe they are unconstitutional. Instead, I will veto any bill that I believe contains an unconstitutional provision and ask Congress to delete it and re-pass the legislation.

7. Ending Secret Government by Invoking State Secrets Privilege. I will not invoke the state secrets privilege to deny remedies to individuals victimized by constitutional violations perpetrated by government officials or agents. I will not assert executive privilege to deny Congress information relevant to oversight or legislation unless supreme state secrets are involved. In that case, I will submit the privilege claim to a legislative-executive committee for definitive resolution.

8. Stopping Extraordinary Renditions. I will order the cessation of extraordinary renditions except where the purpose of the capture and transportation of the suspected criminal is for prosecution according to internationally accepted standards of fairness and due process.

9. Stopping Threats to Prosecuting Journalists under the Espionage Act. I will urge Congress to amend the Espionage Act to create a journalistic exception for reporting on matters relating to the national defense. As a matter of prosecutorial discretion, until such an amendment is enacted I will not prosecute journalists for alleged Espionage Act violations except for the intentional disclosure of information that threatens immediate physical harm to American troops or citizens at home or abroad.

10. Ending the Listing of Individuals or Organizations as Terrorists Based on Secret Evidence. I will not list individuals or organizations as foreign terrorists or foreign terrorist organizations for purposes of United States or international law based on secret evidence.


I will issue a public report annually elaborating on how the actions enumerated in paragraphs 1-10 have strengthened the ability of the United States to defeat international terrorism, secure fundamental freedoms, and preserve the nation’s democratic dispensation.



___________________________

(Candidate)


Date: ______________________

The Interventionist-Internationalist Complex

CFR members who are running for President (or considering doing so):Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Jim Gilmore, Newt Gingrich, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson. Guess who's missing from this list?



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Post–Constitutional America

(T)he time is ripe for a constitutional counterrevolution. Discontent with the ruling system... is deep and widespread among several classes of people: Christians, conservatives, gun owners, taxpayers, and simple believers in honest government all have their reasons. The rulers lack legitimacy and don’t believe in their own power strongly enough to defend it.The beauty of it is that the people don’t have to invent a new system of government in order to get rid of this one. They only have to restore the one described in the Constitution — the system our government already professes to be upholding. Taken seriously, the Constitution would pose a serious threat to our form of government.



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American Idols

"A tolerant fellow Christian just told me he thinks atheists are entitled to their opinions. I told him I think they're entitled to my opinions; I've heard enough of theirs! Don't even get me started on the subject of that fool Darwin. The world would be a lot better off if he'd taken up astrology, like Attila the Hun."



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Smug Neocon Kristol Disses Bush Big Time

"For President Bush, loyalty is apparently a one-way street; decency is something he’s for as long as he doesn’t have to take any risks in its behalf; and courage – well, that’s nowhere to be seen. Many of us used to respect President Bush. Can one respect him still?” Take that, Dubya!



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The Real Reason for Bush’s Invasion of Iraq Is a National Security Secret

"What is moral degeneracy if it is not using nuclear weapons to murder masses of innocent civilians and spread deadly radioactivity over vast areas merely in order to force a country to do as we order? If this isn’t barbarism, what is barbarism?"



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Why the Tax Protestors' Movement Cannot Succeed

"Much tax protester time is spent praying to the Constitution. Big problem. Constitutions don't limit government power because the government has claimed the exclusive right to say what they mean." More important, the public no longer believes in or understands the values that gave rise to the Constitution..."



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Whither the Remnant? by Butler Shaffer

You do not know and will never know who the Remnant are, or where they are, or how many of them there are, or what they are doing or will do. Two things you know, and no more: first, that they exist; second, that they will find you.~ Albert Jay Nock



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If You Think Bush Is Evil Now, Wait Until He Nukes Iran

(T)he Democrats have decided that it is easier to be complicit in war crimes than to represent the wishes of the electorate and hold a rogue president accountable. If Cheney again prevails, America will supplant the Third Reich as the most reviled country in recorded history.



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Ron Paul vs. The Christian Right

Why would the leadership of the Christian Right reject someone who was pro-religion, pro-life, pro-family values, pro-religious liberty, pro-Constitution, and a veteran, who not only was opposed to same-sex marriage, unrestricted immigration, gun control, and the United Nations, but never, in all his years in Congress, voted to raise taxes, took a government-paid junket, or voted for a congressional pay raise?Why?I believe this is due to three things: ignorance, stupidity, and statolatry.



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Big Brother looks familiar....

 

Big Brother, Winston & O'Brien

My son, the libertarian.....

Patrick is 19. Here's what he had to say on his MySpace blog recently. (The numbers indicate YouTube subscriptions per candidate at the time):

Ron Paul ...12,001 -- Wants to restore Bill of Rights and Constitution!
Obama...5,768 -- Did cocaine with Rick James (its In Obama's book)!
Clinton...3,212 -- Talking head for Socialist Elites and Israel. Supports carbon tax!
Romney.2,014 -- Mormon, believes he will be a God one day with many spirit wives!
Giuliani..1,389 -- From crime family, Married his cousin, Divorced 3 times!
McCain..1,259 -- Supports expensive, endless war against a poorly defined enemy "Terrorism"!

Ron Paul has completely ambushed the media and the American public. I first heard of Ron Paul about 4 years ago and he instantly became one of my heroes after I heard a speech he gave on the floor of congress. This was right around the time when I became interested in politics and was becoming fed up with the two parties controlling our lives and the world. I decided I was a libertarian.

About a year ago, my dad came to me announcing to me that Ron Paul was planning on running for president and that he was going to support him as much as he could through bumper stickers and internet blogs. All I could think at the time was "Good luck, Ron Paul's chances are thinner than a strand of hair." So I didn't take it seriously.

Over the past month or so though, things have changed. This old hero of mine from four years ago that no one knew about, that no one cared about, whose ideas were so challenging, is now gaining so much popularity and support in just a matter of 2 weeks, both Republicans and Democrats are fleeing to this Moses-type character because they know he's our only hope for freedom by leading us out of slavery.

I watch these videos on youtube of GOP debates where Ron Paul is ripping it up, fundraising speeches, etc. The response to his ideas (which have been my ideas for the past 4 years) is overwhelming. He's taking everyone by surprise and everyone in the media is talking about him. I seriously have been on the verge of tears to see him giving America some hope to free us from this enslaved corporate-statism that is our bloated, out-of-control government.

You can even go to the videos of the democratic debates and all the coments talk about Ron Paul. His support and following is extraordinary to me, I have never seen this happen to an unknown politician with radical ideas. Yet even with all his support, the corporate-owned government media is trying so hard to hold him back, but Paul continues to prevail and continues to challenge peoples ideas. The extraordinary part is that his ideas are ACTUALLY getting across to people.

4 years ago I argued with so many republicans about the war in Iraq and all the republicans just gave me endless #### about their threat to us. I told them that the war is not just, I told them Iraq has nothing to do with 9/11, I told them 9/11 was the result of bad foreign policy of interventionalism. I told them that no matter what Bush says, things in Iraq will only get worse, and the war will never end or succeed. They thought I was wrong and blindly supported Bush thinking he would prevail. These things never prevail... Over time though, Bush's ratings began to go down, he began losing support as the war continued to rage on with no hope in sight. There's still none... even after 4 years of arguing with republicans.

And now with an election drawing near... a voice comes out of the shadows of the libertarian ideology and is reaching to people as an alternative... and people are actually listening... My shock is that REPUBLICANS... the people I so loathed and hated... are coming to their senses after witnessing Bush's failures. Republican's are showing signs of moving in a new direction AWAY from neo-conservativism and towards constitutional liberty... towards real freedom... real genuine honest to God sacred freedom that we've been missing out on. The freedom I've been wanting for four years and beyond.

There's hope... I know there is. I'm not losing faith in the world and its people...

Under Ron Paul's Presidency, we would have:

-An end to the war in Iraq, our troops from bases all over the world home and safe. No more bloodshed. No more war.
-An end to tyrannical bureacracy: the IRS, the Federal Reserve, the CIA, the FBI, the DEA, virtually all of the Departments.
-A prevention of the REAL ID act, and other Big Brother scams.
-An end to the income tax.
-Social and personal liberty and freedom.
-An end to expensive, dangerous and pointless pursuits such as the War on Drugs
-An end to corporate subsidies and corporate/state sponsorships (corporatism)
-FREE SPEECH!
-A return to the Constitution.

Patrick's blog

My guess is, not a big seller....

 

If this is the only bumper sticker you have to sell you'll not last long in the business!

Tolkien v. Power

The Lord of the Rings is the epic journey to destroy the One Ring, which symbolizes power. More precisely, the book aligns itself against power--not "economic power" or "social power," but specifically political power. This is also the central theme of the classical liberal political tradition.



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Dying for Nothing

So, if you don't want to say the kids are dying for nothing, you can say they are dying for Halliburton, for ExxonMobil, for the president's ego, for a ########## theory of a bunch of academics, for Israel, for money or for oil. What you cannot truthfully say is that they are dying for freedom.



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Republican Authoritarianism

Prof. Harvey Mansfield of Harvard, no less, reveals his desire for a king. Thanks for sharing Professor, but I prefer the 'rule of law' and perhaps a Ron Paul presidency to your dictator idea.



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Ron Paul and the Founders versus Our Interventionist Elite

America’s bipartisan governing elite never expected their common interventionist foreign policy to be damned by a man who has long worked among that august group. But Paul proved himself not only a political maverick, but one of the few elected federal officials who still prizes - indeed, treasures his status as an American citizen.



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