Comments on Pro Libertate: Sheep-Shearing Season on the Revenue Ranch

"A federally funded ticketing blitz in the st...

2010-03-10T00:28:46.913-07:00

"A federally funded ticketing blitz in the state of Virginia landed a total of 6996 traffic tickets this weekend. The blitz, dubbed "Operation Air, Land and Speed" coincided with frantic efforts by state officials to close a$2.2 billion budget deficit. Supervisors ordered state troopers to saturate Interstates 81 and 95 to issue as many tickets as humanly possible over the space of two days."

http://thenewspaper.com/news/30/3073.asp

Liberanter, you reminded me of a scene in the movi...

2010-03-03T06:41:03.325-07:00

Liberanter, you reminded me of a scene in the movie "Minority Report" where one character, a founder of pre-crime stated, and I'm paraphrasing here, "when the chips are down all living things act the same... that being it's own survival". In that film we were witness to a mutated plant but in the here and now it's a mutated gun toting political body.

Wow. I'm pretty slow tonight. I just realized ...

2010-03-03T00:01:43.958-07:00

Wow. I'm pretty slow tonight. I just realized I fell for the trap.

Now everything I offer might be read as if it's coming from someone who is "on the clock" monitoring and posting on blogs, etc.

Liberranter: I can't agree that MOST of the ...

2010-03-02T23:55:06.040-07:00

Liberranter:

I can't agree that MOST of the agencies monitor web traffic. Granted that ANY of them performing such acts and are posting on blogs should be sufficient evidence to alarm a free man, but saying most of them are doing it is a stretch, IMHO.

WELL YA JUST GOTTA SAY ATTA BOY, RON PAUL ROCKS! ...

2010-03-02T21:56:13.979-07:00

WELL YA JUST GOTTA SAY ATTA BOY, RON PAUL ROCKS!

For Immediate Release
March 1, 2010

Congressman Paul Returns Over $100,000 to Treasury

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Ron Paul has continued to run his Congressional office in a frugal manner, and was able to return more than $100,000 from his allotted office budget to the Treasury this year, an increase over the $90,000 returned last year.

“Since my first year in Congress representing the 14th district I have managed my office in a frugal manner, instructing staff to provide the greatest possible service to the people of the 14th district at the least possible cost to taxpayers,” said Paul.

It seems to me that the vast majority of these pro...

2010-03-02T17:25:00.168-07:00

It seems to me that the vast majority of these pro-police, anti-human comments are actually posted by those wearing the government-issued costume themselves. How better to defend the indefensible than to pose as a member of the public?

Yes, exactly. Most local PDs, as well as state and federal "law enforcement" agencies, have active intelligence units that are dedicated to monitoring activist web sites and news organizations to gather information on dissident bloggers and to strategically insert disinformation/propaganda, the most common examples being pro-cop commentary. This is of course authorized, funded, and conducted under the rubric of "the War on [Drugs/Gangs/Terror/statist false flag-red herring du jour]." You can also bet that such activities, like those associated with revenue collection, enjoy a resource and budgetary priority much higher than that given to fighting actual violent crime against person and property.

It seems to me that the vast majority of these pro...

2010-03-02T08:35:37.992-07:00

Here in NH when an article is written about some i...

2010-03-01T20:24:54.301-07:00

Here in NH when an article is written about some incident involving the police abuse and coverup, I am struck by the ever larger number of negative comments toward the criminal syndicate in blue. Even two years ago the comments were overwhelmingly supportive. Now it seems that the larger percentage of comments are negative. People are slowly waking up to the fact the police are nothing but armed guards hired to protect only the interests of the State. They realize the whole "protect and serve" line is as mythical as the tooth fairy.

Bob, I live in Utah and whenever there is some so...

2010-03-01T17:19:24.318-07:00

Bob,

I live in Utah and whenever there is some sort of "officer-involved shooting" or some other type of "officer-involved" whatever, the number of comments on places like KSL.com that are overwhelmingly pro-police, no matter what the situation, is ridiculous - at least from my perspective.

Last summer, the police in Hurricane, Utah tazed Brian Cardall, who was having a "episode" as a result of suffering from bi-polar disorder. Mr. Cardall had apparently removed his clothes and was naked, or nearly naked in the middle of the road. In response to this, and in order to save Mr. Cardall from himself, the police tazed him and Mr. Cardall died.

I was disheartened, although not shocked, to see the number of replies posted to the KSL website that came off as suggesting that somehow Mr. Cardall had it coming to him, deserved it, or that that action was take to save his life (the ultimate irony).

I can't speak for the rest of the country, but I would imagine that the situation here in Utah will only get worse, until more individuals decide that it is the police who are the ultimate crime syndicate within their communities.

What continues to disturb me most about stories li...

2010-03-01T13:49:26.320-07:00

What continues to disturb me most about stories like the one you cited where the cops dress up like bums in order to carry out a "sting" on seatbelt violators is the fact that everytime I go to the page the story orignated from there is a faithful pack of morons who actually defend these sort of actions constantly calling it "for your own good".

This was the same with the story I believe you cited a little while back where the man was beaten by police while his son was in critical condition after an accident because he failed to comply and back away from his potentially dying son. Sure enough there was a slew of authoritarian empty heads defending the actions of the police in the comment section.

This is typical and it is this that continues to dishearten me and leaves me without much hope for a large scal rejection of statism. There are too many morons who think these things really are for the greater good and that you ALWAYS listen to the man in the government issued costume.

Yep just woke up this morning and read , on the fr...

2010-02-28T17:49:41.516-07:00

Yep just woke up this morning and read , on the front page of the Union Leader, that the highest wages paid to NH govt employees goes to ....... drum roll please.... two State Troopers in charge of protecting the governor. In fact they make more than the governor himself. Also buried in the article was the fact that 40 of NH's finest make over $100,000 p/year.
Public servants - my arse- more like public parasites.

Think about this the next time you get pulled over...

2010-02-28T14:23:26.048-07:00

Think about this the next time you get pulled over by some a hole for not wearing your seat belt or for speeding. While this "public servant" who is being paid to "protect and serve" you is writing you a ticket someone is being robbed, raped or burglarized, but they don't seem to give a damn.
Public safety has become a joke.
All the cops are nowadays is a bunch of overpaid meter maids. They just go around and write reports of crimes like someone got burglarized or killed here. They don't prevent anything from happening. People have to defend themselves because the police sure won't.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100224/ap_on_re_us/us...

2010-02-27T20:29:43.505-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100224/ap_on_re_us/us_dog_licenses

LOS ANGELES – Cash-strapped Los Angeles is going to the dogs — literally.

The City Council voted Tuesday to have two departments share information in order to track down people who haven't licensed their pets.

Council President Eric Garcetti estimates two-thirds of the city's dogs are unlicensed. Licenses cost $15 for a sterilized dog and $100 for an unaltered pet.

Getting all dogs licensed would mean at least an additional $3.6 million in fees to the city.

The Department of Animal Services has eight full-time people whose job is to find and license dogs. The Department of Water and Power keeps a meter-reader database of homes with dogs. The council ordered the departments to coordinate to find the pooches.

I really like your presentations - both on radio a...

2010-02-26T20:30:28.044-07:00

I really like your presentations - both on radio and the blog here - now even more so than in the past because I think the formerly vague "line in the sand" you drew (in my mind anyway) about your stalwart convictions is becoming much clearer now ;).

Short and to the point: Dependency at all levels is KILLING (has likely already KILLED) any viable return to a semblance of true freedom in Ami-land.

The states, locales, and the people themselves will never unshackle the reins while local governments, state governments and >50% of individuals are filling their faces at the central government trough.

And, of course, this dependency disease has been the primary fuel enabling the united State to coalesce so rapidly.

Related:
Virginia law officers protest proposed budget cuts
Disabled protest state’s proposed cuts in home care
University Students in Nevada Plan Walkout to Protest Budget Cuts

Sigh...I could dig up a TON more of this mindless dependency that plagues (by choice) folk at all levels.

So it's not JUST Leviathan or a Leviathanette's own parasites that want their fat slice of the host, regardless of the health of the host, but MANY ordinary, individual commoners want their fat cut of the expropriated stash as well.

The big picture of all this gives a clear indication of exactly how way too many folk out there think of true genuine freedom. Not a blessed thing.

Lastly, I always look forward to your radio show every evening now and catch your blog posts periodically since I long tired of arguing self-evident (!) reality to hard-heads. As for me, I just find it too difficult to endlessly belabor points to self-made fools gladly. Sorry.

OTOH, you're a quality message-conveyor, a hammer with the exposure that hopefully will have some forceful impact (no pun intended, really) and pound some reality nails into the vast horde of hard heads out here. Mind you, I'm not optimistic, but even the remotest hope is better than no hope.

I think the country is forlorn culturally, economically, and socially, but there's always a possibility that individuals can be salvaged, especially when humbled.

Here is another video for you that sums up everyth...

2010-02-26T13:50:15.028-07:00

Here is another video for you that sums up everything very nicely:

http://eclipptv.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=7086

"law and order" That statement makes me...

2010-02-26T08:28:24.885-07:00

"law and order" That statement makes me want to cringe when it burbles from the lips of statists. (not the commentators here). It reminds me of how the older Russians longed for the days of Stalin because he kept things in "order". Yeah, right... bodies stacked like cord wood are in order, too.

I only wish the police & justice system vigila...

2010-02-26T05:38:27.387-07:00

I only wish the police & justice system vigilantly cracked down on violent criminals. Unfortunately, those criminals are not normally cash cows. The militaristic War on Some Drugs and now the aforementioned War on Tax resistors are the new cash cows. These are supported by both the Progressives and modern "law and order" Conservatives.

Cop tased after alleged DUI, falling asleep in his...

2010-02-26T02:00:22.123-07:00

Cop tased after alleged DUI, falling asleep in his car http://www.azfamily.com/news/Cop-tased-by-other-officers-after-alleged-DUI-falling-asleep-in-middle-of-street-85418207.html

Just as I finished reading this article, someone s...

2010-02-26T00:16:48.197-07:00

Just as I finished reading this article, someone sent me a link to a YouTube video which, by pure coincidence, sums things up perfectly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j19ieROiTus

My urgent and sincere apologies to Daniel Hewitt. ...

2010-02-25T19:34:26.386-07:00

My urgent and sincere apologies to Daniel Hewitt. I was distracted while moderating comments to this blog and mistakenly deleted the following very germane and generous contribution:

Great article Mr. Grigg.

Short time reader (found you through the Christian Libertarian blogs), first time commenter, and I've even started podcasting your radio show.

I thought I'd share this gem, from Mish's blog. What union bosses think

Quoted from the article:
"I'm not running a popularity contest here," [Albany Police Officers Union President Chris] Mesley said. "If I'm the bad guy to the average citizen...and their taxes have go up to cover my raise, I'm very sorry about that, but I have to look out for myself and my membership."

A very funny article however a very sobering endin...

2010-02-25T19:02:09.312-07:00

A very funny article however a very sobering ending.
It was interesting because I recently was privy to a discussion with a recently retired game warden about the fact that a samll twon was about to disband their police dept ( it consisted of one part time officer and he was the chief) At any rate the goal was to utilize the State Police to replace this officer during events held within the town. This ex game warden made a salient point. He stated that never having a police presence in the town was not an option - due to the lack of political will on the part of the townsfolk. However, he emphasized that the State Police would charge the town an arm and a leg for overtime and they would be brutal when it came to even minor traffic violations. Absolutely no breaks - he emphasized. As someone who believes a police presence should be almost non existent in our society - I had to concede given the current political climate and general malaise on the part of the Sheeple - this retired LEO had a point.

One of the reasons why the police pursue traffic w...

2010-02-25T18:13:52.906-07:00

One of the reasons why the police pursue traffic warrants is that liberal judges, black and self-hating white politicians, and "civil rights" laws make it impossible for the police to effectively crack down on violent criminals. Thus, they rely on traffic stops to get criminals off the streets.