The Adventures of Citizen X

Fred Childress, Libertarian Hero and Friend

2010-07-26T15:18:00Z

This past weekend, the liberty movement lost a great warrior and many of us lost a dear friend. Fred Childress was killed in a motorcycle accident in Montana. The loss is especially acute for me because I thought of Fred as a kindred spirit.

I met Fred at a Ron Paul rally in Nashville in 2007. Before meeting Fred, I thought that I was the only libertarian in east Tennessee. Fred and I hit it off like long lost friends, and I will never forget leaving Nashville feeling utterly elated. Not only had I witnessed the excitement and enthusiasm of two thousand like-minded people, I had met one extraordinary individual who felt like family. Whenever I was with Fred, not matter where we were, I always felt like I was at home.

Fred held strong convictions and opinions, and never wavered from his beliefs. However, Fred always treated those who disagreed with him with respect and dignity, always with a smile on his face. Fred was a true libertarian evangelist who was more interested in communication and persuasion than he was in winning an argument. And Fred was smart enough that he would have won the argument if he had so chosen. Despite the strong emotions that political discourse can often cause, Fred never held a grudge against anyone, even those with whom he vehemently disagreed. The same was true on the other side--whether you like Fred's politics or not, you liked Fred.

After the conclusion of Dr. Paul's campaign, Fred formed the Tennessee Liberty Alliance to continue the momentum the campaign had generated. Thanks to the TLA, I have had the pleasure of working with a tremendous group of people who are passionate about human liberty. Thank you, Fred.

A motorcycle enthusiast, a couple of months ago Fred decided to take a cross-country trip to try to clear his mind from some personal challenges he was facing. So Fred headed west across the Mojave desert to California, worked his way up the coast to Oregon to attend the 2010 BMW Motorcycle Owners Rally, and then headed back to Tennessee through Big Sky country. The last time we talked, he was visiting friends in Malibu and was thankful that his ride across the desert had been relatively easy.

Fred died doing something he loved. For that, I am happy. But Fred was gone before his time and before we were ready for him to go. Because of that, I am deeply saddened.

Fred, my brother, you will be missed.

The Tax Mahal

2010-06-11T01:25:00Z

At a time when the private economy continues to contract, the IRS is renovating its regional headquarters in Andover, Massachusetts. The building will include a reflecting pool, an art gallery, indoor gardens, a 7,000-square-foot cafeteria and an amphitheater. Sounds like a great place to fleece Americans, er, I mean work.

The Tax Mahal: A Shrine to Corporate Socialism by William Norman Grigg

Janet Napolitano: Privacy Fears Should Not Hamper Airport Security

2010-06-02T05:20:00Z

"If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom. "--Dwight Eisenhower

The head of the Department of Homeland Security would do well to take Ike's advice. ...

Economic Collapse Explained

2010-05-31T21:38:00Z

...

Another Government Watch List

2010-05-26T03:37:00Z

Airline passengers who get frustrated and kick a wall, throw a suitcase or make a pithy comment to a screener could find themselves in a little-known Homeland Security database. The Transportation Security Administration says it is keeping records of people who make its screeners feel threatened as part of an effort to prevent workplace violence.

Make sure to read the comment section. It seems that the majority of folks who deal with the TSA are tired of the "security guard mentality." To be fair, many of the TSA agents I deal with are professional and polite. Unfortunately, power and authority tend to attract bullies.

It is ironic that, according to the USA Today article, 'attacks and threats against screeners are "rare" and the database has records from about 240 incidents. Most are screeners in conflict with other screeners.'

Hyperinflation Guaranteed

2010-05-25T04:25:00Z

Yes this is it! We have crossed the Rubicon and events in the world economy are now likely to unfold in a totally uncontrollable fashion. Clueless governments still don’t understand that it is their ruinous actions that have created a credit infested and bankrupt world. ...

If You're Reading This, You're Probably Mentally Ill

2010-05-22T01:02:00Z

In the Soviet Union, political dissidents were often diagnosed with mental illness and shuffled off to the sanatorium. Disturbingly, the editors of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the psychiatrist's bible, may include "oppositional defiant disorder" in their newest edition. Oppositional defiant disorder is characterized by "negativistic, defiant, disobedient and hostile behavior toward authority figures." Uh-oh!!

Read the article.

Dr. Thomas Szasz with a different take on psychiatry.

The Terrorist Expatriation Act

2010-05-17T15:50:00Z

Government programs always expand and often end up being used in ways that those who initially support them find surprising and even dangerous. For example, in the 1970s Congress passed the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act to combat organized crime. Today, RICO is almost never used against the mafia, but it is used against individuals, businesses, and even churches and political protest groups.

Here is another example. The Patriot Act was passed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to give the federal government more tools to fight terrorism. In 2004, the "sneak and peek" provisions of the Patriot Act were used by the FBI to gather evidence against a cock fighting ring in east Tennessee. I highly doubt that the proceeds from cock fighting were being used to fund international terrorism, but the FBI still used powers it had been granted to fight terrorism against ordinary criminal activity.

Now, Senators Lieberman and Brown (the Great Neo-con Hope) have introduced legislation to strip terrorism suspects of their American citizenship. Notice that we are not talking about folks convicted of a crime, but simply accused of a crime. This turns Anglo-American jurisprudence on its head, assuming that the accused is guilty before he is given a trial. Persons stripped of their citizenship could be declared "unlawful enemy combatants" (meaning that the protections of the Bill of Rights and Constitution no longer apply to them), shipped to a military installation like Guantanamo Bay (or held in one of the CIA's black prisons ) where they could be held indefinitely without charges or counsel, and then subject to military tribunals where the standard of proof is much lower than the criminal court system.

But stuff like this would only apply to folks with dark complexions and funny names, right? Yes, initially. But as the examples above show, the government would eventually find a way to apply this tyranny to everyone.

Many of the folks in the Tea Party movement pride themselves on being tough on terror and on its face may be inclined to support this proposal. Bad move. Lieberman and Brown's proposal is christened the Terrorist Expatriation Act. The acronym is TEA Act. Ironic, ain't it?

Obama Proposes Delaying Trials for Terror Suspects

2010-05-16T11:58:00Z

Any of us can be accused of anything at any time. Critics often maintain that the Bill of Rights grants too many rights to criminals. This statement is wrong on two counts. First, the Bill of Rights does not grant any rights--it protects the individual's natural rights. Second, only one amendment, the Eighth Amendment which prohibits cruel, unusual, or excessive punishments, deals with convicted criminals. The rest of the Bill of Rights protects alleged criminals, in other words, us.

Unfortunately, in the name of fighting terrorism, the Obama administration is following the precedent set by the Bush administration, and undermining these very important safeguards of our liberty.

Meltup

2010-05-15T22:33:00Z

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Big Brother in the Financial Reform Bill

2010-05-14T01:37:00Z

There is more than meets the eye in the Senate's banking reform bill that Chris Dodd is championing. As usual, in the name of protecting you, the federal government is expanding its power over you.

"Big Brother wants to watch you more closely. Especially how you spend your money..."

Those TSA Porno Scanners

2010-05-07T22:16:00Z

I've written before about the drive to place intrusive body scanners in American airports (see here and here ). Now it turns out that the body scanners are a little too revealing even for TSA agents. ...

Immigration and ID Cards

2010-05-06T21:58:00Z

I couldn't have said it better myself. From DownsizeDC:

Quotes of the Day:

"Do to others as you would have them do to you."-- Jesus of Nazareth, Luke 6:31 (NIV)

"Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others." -- William Allen White

(One more from me. X) "He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." -- Thomas Paine

----

Once upon a time, in a country known as the land of the free and the home of the brave, these words were rarely heard:

"May I see your papers please?"

But, increasingly, the free and the brave became dependent and cowardly. They begged to wear chains.

Many fought the trend, but even they were undone,because some in their ranks harbored fears greater than their love of freedom.

Remember where you heard this . . .

If American freedom dies, the widespread desire to control immigration will have been a major factor.

And remember where you heard this . . .

If the fight to defeat the creation of a national ID card FAILS, it will be because of the widespread desire to control immigration. Let us not forget, we have drawn the line on Real ID. Five years have gone by, and we've stalled implementation. But now, other Real ID Jr. proposals are building a head of steam.

So remember where you heard this . . .

Americans will have to carry internal passports,and show them to State officials constantly, and have every aspect of their lives controlled by far off know-it-alls in the federal bureaucracy. Your federal overlords will gain increased control over . ..

* Where, how, and even if you can earn a living
* Whether or not you can board a train, or enter a federal building
* Whether or not you can cash a check, or buy guns or alcohol
* What kind of health care you receive
* How long you'll stand in line at the DMV, and whether you can have a license
* Whether or not you can be stopped on our streets, and even detained,for failure to display your card
* And many other aspects of your life

This total control will be made possible by a national identification system that was put in place in order to control immigration. But it will really control YOU!

In this way, immigration control and registration is just like gun control and registration -- it most deeply affects law-abiding citizens.

Remember where you heard this . . .

The immigration debate is NOT about what Mexicans will be allowed to do, IT'S about what YOU will be allowed to do. It's about YOUR freedom . . .

* First the politicians wanted to curtail your freedom to protect you from terrorists
* Now they want to curtail your freedom to protect you from Mexicans

Remember where you heard this . . .

The immigration debate is a scam. It's fear-mongering, foisted by busy-bodies of all varieties. The result will be Bigger Government in Washington, DC. It will control YOU. And now,it's up to YOU to decide . . .

Are you afraid of terrorists and Mexicans?...or whatever hobgoblin the Big Government Fearmongers will conjure next?

Will you be free and brave, or dependent and cowardly? Will you trade YOUR FREEDOM for a false promise of protection?

This is how we see the issue. And if you end up in chains, remember who warned you. We did.

Meanwhile, for the brave who want to remain free,let the spirit of resistance continue . . .

Please send a letter to Congress opposing all national identification schemes,including the new attempt by Senators Schumer and Graham, to MAKE ALL OF US CARRY Social Security cards with biometric identifiers.

In addition to this campaign's hardwired letter to Congress, which reads as follows -- "Please don't try to fix the REAL ID Act. Please, just repeal it." -- we suggest you add the following in your personal comments . . .

"Please oppose any legislation that contains any support for any kind of national identification system. I specifically oppose plans for a Social Security card containing biometric identifiers. I do not want ANY national identification scheme, and I reject your claim that I need such a system in order to be protected from terrorists and Mexican immigrants. I am not afraid! And I want you to stop being afraid on my behalf."

You can send your letter to Congress here: https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/30

Our thanks go to those who prefer bravery and freedom.

Jim Babka & Perry Willis
President &Vice President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

Costly New IRS Mandate Slipped into Health Care Bill

2010-04-30T00:42:00Z

From Cato@Liberty:

Most people know about the individual mandate in the new health care bill, but the bill contained another mandate that could be far more costly.

A few wording changes to the tax code’s section 6041 regarding 1099 reporting were slipped into the 2000-page health legislation. The changes will force millions of businesses to issue hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, of additional IRS Form 1099s every year. It appears to be a costly, anti-business nightmare.

<Read Full Article> ...

Update 2 on Precious Metals Manipulation

2010-04-11T14:29:00Z

Here is the other side of the story concerning precious metals market manipulation. Jeff Christian explains to Jim Puplava (whom I highly respect) how the derivatives market in precious metals works. It is the second interview on this mp3. According to Christian, he was misquoted when folks said that he stated that there were 100 ounces of paper gold for every 1 ounce of physical gold. Christian says he was referring to the volume of gold derivatives traded versus the yearly volume of gold production, meaning that gold is traded more like a financial instrument than a commodity.

http://www.netcastdaily.com/broadcast/fsn2010-0410-1.mp3

Go, Mitt, Go

2010-04-11T12:47:00Z

As if we need any more evidence of the fact that politicians are only interested in power, and not principle, I give you Mitt Romney. Romney appears to be the early front runner among Republican presidential candidates. Funny, weren't Republicans all up in arms about ObamaCare? Obama is taking over the economy!! People shouldn't be forced to buy health insurance!! Health care decisions should be between the doctor and patient!! Oh, yeah, wait a second...Romney introduced many of these same measures in his version of socialized medicine, RomneyCare, while he was governor of Massachusetts.

Massachusetts's socialized system has proved a debacle, but Romney claims that's because he isn't running it. What about personal choice? What about economic reality? Naw, it is simply a partisan issue just like everything else. He who is in power makes the rules. Principles be damned.

Unless the GOP embraces the Ron Paulians, it risks irrelevance. Of course, the GOP actually promoting small government would be a disaster for the Democrats. Americans would then once again that realize that they are making a choice not between the Left Wing of the Big Government Party and the Right Wing of the Big Government Party, but between central control and individual liberty.

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I'd like to thank everyone for the conversation about ObamaCare. Unlike the preceding example of the vacuous nature of mainstream political debate, great points were brought up and discussed. While I may disagree with some of the commenters, my position is based on the principles involved, not on the fact that it is a Democrat program. I couldn't really care less whose program it is. Likewise, I doubt that those who disagree with me would suddenly change their minds if it were a Republican program. It's not about personality; it's about principle.

Update on Precious Metals Manipulation

2010-04-06T02:01:00Z

This is a huge story and the media is silent.

...

A Question Answered

2010-04-04T01:54:00Z

I often wonder if the folks in Congress are just corrupt, well-meaning but misguided, part of a conspiracy to subjugate humanity, or simply blooming idiots.

I finally have my answer.

They're Not Death Panels, They're Advisory Panels

2010-04-02T00:46:00Z

As I explained in this blog entry, we live in a world of scarce resources, and, despite beliefs to the contrary, the government does not have the magical ability to change that fact. One of the most important questions of political economics is: what is the best method for creating the most wealth for the most people with those resources. Is it central planning? Or the free market? Of course, I would argue that it is the free market. History has also proven this to be the case. While central planning has never fulfilled its promises of a utopian land of plenty, societies which have a free market (or, more correctly, a freer market) have produced higher standards of living.

Despite his Keynesian pedigree, Paul Krugman understands the basic concept of scarcity. Listen carefully as he explains how "advisory panels" will save money. Now, to be fair, he was led into this question, but he still recognizes that certain procedures will not be available to everybody. The most disturbing part is that it will be a government bureaucrat who makes that decision. Of course, the argument is that it is currently insurance companies who often make that decision, and while this is true, as this article explains, "the solutionlies not in socialized healthcare schemes that promisesomethingimpossible, but rather in freeing the market inhealthcare, as hasbeen advocated by Dr. Ron Paul. Only this solution wouldspur entryinto the healthcare industries, increase the supply ofdoctors,and consequently reduce prices and increase theavailability ofthese goods and services for everyone."

The problem is that many folks believe the impossible dream of socialism. Despite the promise of "universal" health care, health care is going to be rationed--especially when the system is increasingly stressed as more and more folks perceive health care as a free good--and call them what you will--death panels or advisory panels--government bureaucrats will be deciding who lives and who dies. And sadly, as the free market is crowded out, quality health care is going to be delivered to fewer and fewer people.

Precious Metals Market Manipulation

2010-03-31T21:29:00Z

Fiat currencies are dying. In attempts to keep them on life support, governments, central banks, and their minions in the financial system, are pulling out all the stops so that folks don't rush to the alternatives--gold and silver, which have been money for 5,000 years.

Here are some great interviews explaining what is and has been happening in the precious metals markets.

Andrew Maguire & Adrian Douglas: Discuss What Could Be the Largest Fraud in History -Andrew is an independent metals trader turned whistleblower at the center of a storm for exposing what could be the largest fraud in history involving countries, banks and government leaders. Adrian Douglas Board of Director from GATA, the man who Andrew reached out to joins in this interview where they discuss a fraud so extraordinary and so unimaginable that it is the kind of thing that only happens in holly wood thrillers. They also discuss the CFTC sponsored meeting on metals which was an unmitigated disaster because it additionally exposed the fraud on a grander scale.

In this interview with GATA we continue the saga after just having interviewed Andrew Maguire, the whistleblower out of London. This gives a short and long-term view down the rabbit hole through the eyes of 3 of the GATA board members. GATA was so heavily involved not only in breaking the news at the CFTC meeting about the the metals manipulation but also at the same time quite possibly uncovering the largest fraud in history. The Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee was organized in January 1999 to advocate and undertake litigation against illegal collusion to control the price and supply of gold and related financial securities. The committee arose from essays by Bill Murphy, a financial commentator, and by Chris Powell, a newspaper editor in Connecticut, published at Murphy's Internet site, lemetropolecafe.com. In this GATA Roundtable we will have Bill Murphy, Chris Powell and Adrian Douglas.

Interestingly, the day after his CFTC testimony, Maguire and his family were injured in a hit-and-run accident in London.

Thanks to Kevin.