It Doesn't Always Have to be Big!

Sometimes lovers of freedom and liberty get caught up in our own ideas and forget the reason we love what we love. That being our own ability to think, say, do, act, etc... in any manner that we want to so long as we do not violate of infringe on the rights of others in our actions. A lot of times we look so much at the big picture we think we have to act in large world changing ways, when nothing could be further from the truth. Little bits here and there will eventually have the same (and almost always a more lasting) effect.

For example, the Commonwealth of Kentucky in its legislative brilliance has voted to raise alcohol and cigarette tax considerably. The legislature's and governor's reasoning "It will generate much needed revenue." When asked what is going to happen when, instead of generating revenue it causes people to cut back on, or give up smoking/drinking? Their answer, "It will allow us to stop spending so much on health care." However they neglect to point out that they way government does its bookkeeping these two things are not necessarily related to each other.

Okay, enough about some silly legislature, on to my point. I gave up smoking two years ago, so that was just that much more of my money the state is not going to get. My small protest now will be to learn the skill of home brewing. After I get my brewing kit set up and going, I will no longer be paying alcohol taxes, I will no longer purchase alcohol in the Commonwealth.

This may not make much of a difference with one person in the long run, but that is sort of the point of this post. Pass it along, think about ways you can "legally" subvert the system, start conversations with your friends about ways you can stop supplying government with your hard earned money, start taking responsibility for yourself and all of your actions.

Worse Than the REAL ID?

"Privacy advocates are issuing warnings about a new radio chip plan that ultimately could provide electronic identification for every adult in the U.S. and allow agents to compile attendance lists at anti-government rallies simply by walking through the assembly..."So if EDLs are the new direction for secure licenses in all states, it just reinforces what many have been telling me that DHS wants to expand this program and turn it into a wireless national ID with a different name," he said. "We'll wake up one day and without a vote in Congress DHS will just pass a rule and say something like 'starting next month you will need an EDL to fly on a plane, or to buy a gun, or whatever." [link]

I just love waking up everyday and hearing the new idea to start restricting my freedom's and liberty's. Don't you? This is a scary, scary idea. These types of "innocuous" ideas are more frightening than outright bans on freedoms. For one if you package something right you can get a lot of people to agree with you on whatever it is. Liberty and freedom are rarely lost in one fell swoop, but in small bits and pieces over time where only a few people notice.

More "Free" Government Money

"A revised bailout of American International Group may be just another "band-aid" solution, but more than five months after it was first rescued by the government the option of letting the insurer fail would still be considered too big a shock to already fragile global markets.
AIG's board on Sunday approved a broad revision of the U.S. government's $150 billion (105.6 billion pound) rescue. It was the third time the government has reached out to the struggling insurer and the latest rescue is expected to put greater funds at AIG's disposal to keep it afloat..." [link]

What is actually being done and said in this "crisis" situation is equivalent to continue giving someone with a gambling addiction more money in hopes that they will eventually hit it big enough that their gambling problem vanishes. Sounds absolutely ludicrous doesn't it, but that is exactly what is being done.

I realize that there is a problem, but it is constantly being made worse by doom and gloom naysayers (Obama being at the top of this list). However if left to its own the market will stabilize. Their will be businesses that fail, but the business environment is like a forest, just because the ancient oak falls does not mean the rest of the forest is destroyed, but what will happen is the ancient oak will fertilize new trees and plants when it decomposes. In other words businesses that fail will open the door for new ones, that have better management strategies to step up.

Quote for the Day

"The right of self-defense is the first law of nature: in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest limits possible. Wherever … the right of people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction." -- George Tucker, American Revolutionary War veteran