Ideas Roll West II

The Pussification Of America (oops I mean The United States)

It took shape in 1913 when representatives empowered the Federal Government to collect income taxes forever. New life was breathed into it in 1935 by the Social Security Act. Floods of tried ideas rolled in from the east and nurtured it from inception to autonomy. Today, like Frankenstein, American Socialism is bigger than the hand that feeds it. If not stopped or slowed to a trickle, we will soon be no better off than France. Just kidding but seriously ...I intend to link progressive ideas with heavy taxation and big government. This paper will also claim that a softening or pussying (if you will) of America is underway.
One by-product of ideas continually rolling west is the dilution of the bold and defiant spirit that once defined us. We still value individual rights and responsibilities but to a lesser degree. Today we accept Governments larger role in our lives. It may seem a trivial example but when I was a kid there were no seat belt or helmet laws. Such laws would have been laughable. Today, an apathetic populace accepts legislation that protects individuals from themselves. Americans now accept the premise that government knows what's best for them.
Adopting precedent, big or small, that allows government to assume paternal control is likely an unwise move. Paternalistic laws, though largely the products of good intentions, lead us down a narrowing path of government encroachment. Little by little the government will expand its capacity to parent the governed. It may start with a seat belt law here and a tobacco or junk food tax there. Soon there will be little discussion over whether the government has parental authority over us but rather to what extent. Line drawing along a slippery slope is troublesome and should be avoided whenever possible. Along a slippery slope, judges are likely to do more line drawing than working guys like you and me.
Many Scholars are skeptical of slippery slope arguments. They maintain that slippery slope is a scare tactic not rooted in fact but rather paranoid speculations by reactionaries like myself. They may be right in most cases but history provides examples supporing my claims.
Consider that before 1935 there were no federal drug laws. Today (in some states) Visine in your pocket may suffice for probable cause to search your house. Also, consider the following excerpt from Wikipedia regarding asset forfeiture legislation:

...In 1984, Congress catapulted asset forfeiture into the political landscape, with the passage of the Omnibus Crime Bill, which drastically changed the federal forfeiture laws. The bill vastly expanded the forfeiture laws applicable to drug offenses. It mimicked the Customs laws by making the process "in rem", which means against the property itself instead of against its owner. It used the "in rem" label as an exception to basic constitutional principles as it took away any semblence of due process for the hapless forfeiture victim.

www.answers.com/topic/asset-forfeiture



With little effort I was able to site two examples of slippery slope in action. Let's not even get started with the recent imminent domain phenomenon. Judges, like politicians, are predisposed side with the government. Think about whose buttering their muffin. In other words, who’s issuing their paychecks?


Well it's getting late and I got some chores to do…


Kitty cat photo: /www.toppetinfo.com

Bush and Mccain Are Totally Lame

The following was anonymously posted at craigslist:


Coming to a city near you soon!

As you all listen to the news about the student protests over illegal immigration there are some things that you should be aware of.

As most of you know my wife is in charge of the English-as-a-second-language (ESL) department at large southern California high school, which is designated a Title 1 school, meaning that its students average lower socio economic and income levels. Most of the schools you are hearing about--South Gate High, Bell Gardens, Huntington Park, etc.--where these students are protesting, are also Title 1 schools.

My wife tells me that 100% of the students in her school and other Title 1 schools are on the free breakfast, free lunch program. When I say free breakfast I'm not talking a glass of milk and roll...but a full breakfast and cereal bar with fruits and juices that would make a Marriott proud. The waste of this food is monumental, with trays and trays of it being dumped in the trash uneaten.

She estimates that About 75% or more have cell phones.

The school also provides day care centers for the unwed teenage pregnant girls so they can attend class without the inconvenience of having to arrange for babysitters.

She was ordered to spend $700,000 on her department or risk losing funding for the upcoming year even though there was little need for anything; her budget was already substantial. She ended up buying new computers for their computer learning center; half of which, one month later, have been carved with graffiti by the appreciative students who obviously feel humbled and grateful to have a free education in America.


Free medical, free education, free food, day care etc. etc. Is it any wonder they feel entitled to not only be in this country but to demand rights, and entitlements?


To my bleeding-heart liberal friends who want to point out how much these illegal immigrants contribute to our society because they LIKE their gardener and housekeeper and they like to pay less for tomatoes: spend some time in the real world of illegal immigration and see the TRUE costs. Higher insurance, Medical facilities closing, higher medical costs, more crime, lower standards of education in our schools, overcrowding, new diseases etc., etc., etc.. For me, I'll pay more for tomatoes.

We need to wake up. The guest worker program will be a disaster because we won't have the guts to enforce it. Does anyone in their right mind really think they will leave and return voluntarily?

What's The Deal With Iran?

Dan:

"Every time I read something about the Iran/uranium enrichment/UN Security Council/sanctions situation, Iran seems defiant and is basically giving the finger to EU, US, UN Security Council, and the Nuclear watchdogs. Shit, we've got enough problems with Iraq. Our military is already spread thin. What would we do if Iran, Russia, and China stood up against the US and Europe? World War Three. Damn. That's scary."

Poffrono:

"It is a scary situation. The crisis brewing with Iran is is heading toward a hardcore confrontation. Those sun of a bitchen Iranian tyrants are determined to cause us harm. It is doubtful however, that the Russians and the Chinese would risk engaging the U.S. and E.U. militarily. Although the Russians and the Chinese have economic ties with Iran, we are still their best customer. The Russians, though much different from us aren't criminally insane like the Islamic Fascists who rule Iran. We must continue to pander to Russia and China but only for a time.
They may protest hardily, they may posture militarily but in the end they will back down. The Russians and the Chinese know that military intervention would be suicide. We are still protected by the concept of mutual assured destruction (MAD) when dealing with the Russians and even the Chinese.
The (MAD) law does not apply to martyrs for allah. They are on an unequal moral footing - less is expected of them morally and that's what makes Islamic fascists dangerous. Everyone must understand why it is so imperative that evil Iranian leadership do not acquire nuclear weaponry.
Let's not fail to act while the consequences are endurable. If Iran continues its present course a nuclear crisis or hostage situation is imminent. These guys are bastards and they get extra points for killing people.
It is likely unwise to fret unnecessarily with the prospect of war with a non nuclear Iran. Like Saddam’s Republican Guard (who were puffed up by the pussies to the left), Iranian militarily resistance would be crushed in a matter of days. I remember much talk a few years ago of fears that it would take many months to topple Saddam. The same will hold true in the unfortunate event that war with Iran ensues. Also let us not forget that Israel is the major power of the gulf region. Israel stands undefeated against the Islamic fascists in two wars. Israel will kick fanny again - It's only a matter of time."

Trading News Update: Gold Corp Shares Sold.

Whew! That was a long ride. It's been over a year since I bought 100 shares of Gold Corp at $12.41. Friday I finally sold stock for $37.90! Good thing I sold it when I did, actually I should have sold on Wednesday. The stock had soared to over $40.00 before beginning its correction.



http://www.google.com/finance?q=GG

Still, $37.90 wasn't bad considering GG closed today under $34.00. I continue holding 23 shares of GG in my retirement account. I will recommend GG if you're long. I sold it because I needed to free up some cash to buy another cheep stock.
This Morning I did a little day trade that proved to under perform. I purchased 166 shares of Orion Resources (NTO). Like Gold Corp, NTO is mining for gold, but in Argentina and Cuba. I figured that since these are countries I do not like, investment in them would be a wise choice. Truth of the matter I sold too soon. I got in at $5.12 and skipped out at $5.35. The stock closed at $5.27. My guess is I should have hung in there. I expect it will climb in coming days. Although the trade did not meet my greatest expectations, I did manage to add $26.00 to the coffers. Actual gain was $46.00 but I had to pay $20.00 in commission. Not bad considering they procured the shares at significantly less than the limit I placed. Well it's past my bedtime. The market opens at 7 am Arizona time and I want to see how my next purchase goes. I placed an order for ACLS solely because it has taken an unnecessary beating lately. Considering the sudden and marked downturn of the market in general, I anticipate ACLS to recover near it's 52 week high. THis will likely be a long position. I'll give it a week and We'll see what happens :)

New report suggests Iraq war saving lives.

May 13th 12:34pm Tempe:
Poffrono said Saturday that the net result of US intervention in Iraq is in Bush's favor:

“…Estimates vary but it’s fair to say that during Saddam Hussein’s reign (24 years) he was responsible for at least 500,000 deaths. Study results reported a conservative estimate of 57 people killed every day Saddam was in power”, He continued, “ in this study we entered a median estimate of 40,000 Iraqi civilians killed by US military intervention. The campaign has drawn on now for 1,000 days. Study results average about 40 people US intervention kills daily. The report concludes that US intervention saves 17 people every day or 17,000 people to date.”

Nation Of Immigrants? (part 2)

After the turn of the 20th century America needed more immigrants to settle the lands of the fruited plain. Immigrant labor built the infrastructure that later empowered the U.S. to liberate and rebuild Europe twice; (circa 1918) and again (circa 1945).
Historically, new immigrants be they Irish, German or Italian, had a difficult time gaining acceptance by the locals. They did demonstrate however, the desire to assimilate into the emerging culture. They shared attributes of their various cultures with the locals, who in turn shared knowledge from the collective culture of the prior assimilates. Many cultures did clash here. Eventually though, an alloy (if you will) resulted from the melding of so many cultures together - hence the super-culture theory.
The super-culture's pervasiveness knew no boundaries. Over the span of many decades its influence grew so far that it eventualy began defeating itself. People worldwide so readily accepted the universal values of liberty, consent of the governed and so on, that the idea of an American cultural identity became a myth. Our cultural identity is ill perceived simply because human beings naturally adopt it. The super-culture, resulting from a great myriad of cultures, could be destroyed by a massive and sudden influx of one powerful and ethnocentric culture from the south. A huge and unregulated infusion of Mexican nationals is likely to throw everything out of balance and F us all up hardcore.

Today's immigrants face different challenges than the ones that built this country. Today's legitimate immigrants must compete with a well calculated, illegal and overwhelming invasion of foreign nationals. Soon there may be talk of a moratorium on immigration (from the south) altogether.

Who Is Poffrono?

Poffrono is a self proclaimed Patriot and Pragmatic Libertarian. His views, though likely appearing controversial to most respectable people, are well grounded in a philosophical foundation of liberty and the American Way. Poffrono tests his views against the Rule-Utilitarian ethic and the Respect for Persons moral code. A pragmatist, in principle, poffrono is eager to appreciate and on rare occasions adopt contrary views. Poffrono has recently changed his views on capitol punishment for example.

You might ask why I insist on referring to myself in the third person?
...Because Poffrono is my evil Blogger alter ego. My real name is Bubba Higgs.

An investment strategy that just might work.

Invest in the inevitable trends you do not like! The fact that you do not like it and you are powerless over it, suggests that the trend will continue. For example, you may have noticed that world instability has risen markedly in recent years. Tension in the middle east continues to build no matter what we try. Bill Clinton even poured his heart and soul (and possibly other parts of his anatomy) into the matter and yet evil instability continues to mount.
How can you invest in and profit from world instability? Simple! BUY GOLD.
Historical market data is so clear on the subject that it's practically a law of economics. Last year I decided to bet against myself and George Bush by investing in world instability. I invested in gold indirectly by buying shares in a gold mining company that's hording gold. The result is a return that is already huge and growing still. As oil prices rise gold tends to follow suit. Consequently gold is as good as gold right now.
Another example of an inevitable trend that you do not like is catching on here in Arizona. Photo radar cameras are popping up all across the desert floor.

Math is my worst subject but I can add:
Photo radar incroaches on your liberty just a tad, it's a quick fix for local governments hard up for cash and it gives polliticians a photo opp. Add it up and you've got an inevitable trend. So I command you for your own benefit - find out who manufactures those cameras and post it on here so I can buy it.
Well it's 9:07 time to sign off for now.

Got weed?

Visit http://www.drugsense.org for more info.

Nation Of Immigrants?

This country was built by immigrants but that was a long time ago.
In the early days immigrants assimilated into the fledgling culture out of necessity. People who came here prior to the 20th century faced months of treachery at sea. They must have been the most daring and optimistic people of their time. The early immigrants had to leave everything behind knowing they may never return. Not so with today’s immigrants.
Before the 20th century, the new world immigrants sought did not boast of better schools. There were no food stamps; no access to free medical care. Back then, America was not strong. Before and during the war of 1812 America was under constant threat of attack. It wasn't until after the Spanish-American war (1898) that the U.S. introduced herself as a world power. After the turn of the century America needed more immigrants to settle the lands of the fruited plain. Immigrant labor built the infrastructure that later empowered the U.S. to liberate and rebuild Europe twice; (circa 1918) and again (circa 1945).
Historically, new immigrants be they Irish, German or Italian, had a difficult time gaining acceptance by the locals. They did demonstrate however, the desire to assimilate into the emerging culture. They shared attributes of their various cultures with the locals, who in turn shared knowledge from the collective culture of the prior assimilates. Many cultures did clash here. Eventually though, an alloy (if you will) resulted from the melding of so many cultures together - hence the super-culture theory.
Over the span of many decades the super-culture's pervasiveness knew no boundaries. Eventually, its influence grew so far and wide that it began defeating itself. People worldwide so readily accepted the universal values of liberty, consent of the governed and the like, that the idea of an American cultural identity became a myth. Our cultural identity is ill perceived simply because human beings naturally adopt it The super-culture, resulting from a great myriad of cultures, could be destroyed by a massive and sudden influx of one powerful and ethnocentric culture from the south. A massive and unregulated infusion of Mexican nationals is likely to through everything out of balance and F up the super-culture.

Today's immigrants face different challenges than the ones that built this country. Today's immigrants must compete with a well calculated illegal and overwhelming invasion of foreign nationals.
Today an estimated 11 million immigrants are here illegally. The vast majority of them (estimated 90% optimistic) are good people who contribute to the economy and send an estimated 26 billion dollars a year back home.
That leaves roughly 1.1 million people who are up to no good. a sovereign nation reserves the right to know what immigrants' intentions are. We need to know that they love America. We need to be assured that they can support themselves and their families without public funds. And Yes - Of course they will need to learn English. Likewise, people living in areas with large Spanish speaking communities would do well to learn Spanish. Mi gustaria aprendar hablo Espanol mejor. necesita una professora y practica y mas practica!

Mass immigration without mass assimilation is a recipe for disaster. A true immigrant (one who chooses to become an American) should want to adopt the language and customs of their new home. If even solely for their own benefit. After all it is all about them and what they need right?
>The Star Spangled Banner was written by a witness to a battle during the war of 1812. The song depicts the patriots' valiant struggle against the super tyrants of their age. The Spanish version of the song does not even try to capture the sentiment that inspired our anthem. The Spanish version of the Star Spangled Banner exhibits a different sentimentality altogether; one of entitlement and race baiting - it was a disgrace. A translation with more patriotism and less cynicism would not draw as much consternation from people who love this country.

The American Foreign Legion

Lately we’ve been told that hatred for America is at an all time high. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of courageous individuals clamor to reach our soil every year. How can such a disparity be reconciled? If there exists a means of using this magnet of hope to our advantage, why not? Does not the fact that multitudes of people risk their lives to join us lend us some moral capital?
In this war on terror we need more patriots on the ground! The Bush Administration is adamant with their assurances and reassurances yet our troops keep getting killed! The increasing casualties are due in part to lack of support personnel.
Maybe now's the time to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants and foreign persons who volunteer for service in a new paramilitary force.

Our war on terror carries precedence over any other war within which we are now engaged. Even so, our Government is entangled in several wars simultaneously. The drug war for example, has consumed 17 trillion dollars and produced nothing of substance (no pun intended). Considering our present crisis, why not also allow those on the fringes of society (including those serving prison time) to volunteer for a noble cause, allow them to serve their country and repay their debt with courage and valor? Consider the hundreds of thousands of people serving time for crimes that did not result from a complaint filed by a victim. Consider those, who did not cause or intend to cause great harm on another, who may possess a longing desire to become a better person and/or mitigate the damage that their criminal conduct has caused. Pardons could be earmed by non violent offenders who volunteer for a term of service ranging from two to six years.
The American Foreign Legion could become a well trained, fully equipped paramilitary organization. They could provide enhanced security and support to fledgling Iraqi police precincts. They could be the eyes and ears needed to thwart future terrorist ambushes.
Including prisoners and parolees and people seeking adventure or respect or redemption in the American Foreign Legion can also have a rehabilitative effect on the volunteers.
Naturally such a unit would be tightly regulated and highly disciplined. The Foreign Legion would be regarded as non- military personnel, though their leadership would consist of distinguished military officers. Also, the compensation for the Foreign Legion would be less that that afforded regular enlisted military volunteers. Foreign Legionnaires will be motivated primarily by their hope for either forgiveness or acceptance. Foreigners who volunteer will prove that they are deserving of citizenship. Likewise, citizens who find themselves marginalized due to negligence or even criminal conduct (not resulting in the great harm of another) will volunteer for an opportunity to become de-marginalized.