The Constitutional Militant

Well, as promised I am opining with respect to the so called “bailout” that we have witnessed this week. Recent reports indicated that 85% of those who contacted their Congresspersons and Senators were against this welfare handout, yet our elected leaders voted for the measure anyway. Doesn’t that make you proud to be an American? You will not find a finer example of how well our system works than this particular issue. The “will of the people” (i.e. the consent of the governed) is ignored. Our rulers act with impunity.

The current financial “crisis” that we are witnessing is not a new phenomenon. At the core, it is the logical and natural result of business practices predicated on the concept by amortizing debt, while booking revenue as “profit” as a result of normal business operations and acquisitions. This model rewards those who go deeper into debt, while punishing those who do not. Debt does not equate to “assets” no matter what the media and our government claims. As a result, we have a “debt-based consumer” economy instead of an economy based on sound business practices.

Think about this for a second. How many times have you heard our elected officials or the media state that your home is the “biggest investment” you’ll ever make? Well boys and girls, your home is not an investment. It is a liability. If it were an investment, it would be a piss-poor one which represented a substantial loss. Paying three times the value for an “asset” is not a sound investment.

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I must admit that since before Hurricane Ike, I had not watched corporate media for awhile. My reasoning was that they (corporate media) are not reliable and as a matter of routine they engage in propaganda and attempt to sway public opinion to fit their agenda. Likewise, I view silence on governmental malfeasance to be equally repugnant.

I suppose one can argue that silence is not collusion by consent. However, as witnessed in Texas, when the media fails to report on the government blatantly violating the election code, one can only be left with the impression that corporate media is engaging in purposefully misleading….no, let’s just call it lying, to the citizens of our state, and of our nation.

I wish to focus on two issues this week. The first issue is that of the State of Texas’ refusal to uphold the rule of law with respect to the election code. Secondly, I would like to discuss the nonsense we are witnessing with respect to ‘the bailout’ being rammed down our throat by the ruling elite. It has taken me awhile, considering recent events, to wrap my mind around these topics and today I intend to make my position very clear and very succinct. I will have to write on “the bailout” tomorrow as I lack the time to complete the article prior to performing my parental duties for the evening. Hopefully I will not bore you with the election code in the meantime.

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Main Entry: can•ni•bal•ism
Pronunciation: \'ka-ne-be,-li-zem\
Function: noun
Date: 1796
1 : the usually ritualistic eating of human flesh by a human being
2 : the eating of the flesh of an animal by another animal of the same kind
3 : an act of cannibalizing something

As a politically natured person, I watch the actions of not only my own party, but that of our tax subsidized big government adversaries. While I disagree with both of their jingoistic sound-bite sloganeering for the consumption of the masses, I respect their ability to inspire, solidify and expand their bases none the less.

This week and next we will be treated to infomercials on behalf of the two tax subsidized party candidates. I wait anxiously to see the total cost to the taxpayers for these infomercials. In 2004 the cost was in the neighborhood of $80 million for those in power to provide mass media consumption to the voting electorate.

The common theme that you will see in these productions is the quest, and often many requests, for unity and solidarity to "defeat" the evil candidate on the other side of the aisle. Their operatives and activists pick themselves up and prepare to work and volunteer for a candidate they did not support in the primary, all for their collective goal of defeating their opponent in the other party. While these "bodies" have not been deliberative for decades, they are the pinnacle and culmination of all the efforts of the party faithful who have labored to get out their message. I can only respect their dedication and ability to unify behind their "cause" though I disagree with their agenda.

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I am often confronted by political detractors stating that my ideas of the Constitution are “quaint” and “outdated.” Indeed, I hold the ideals of the founders of our nation in high esteem. They were not perfect men by any stretch of the imagination, nor the Constitution a perfect document. However, both accomplished something never before realized in history. A nation was born where the framework established that government obeyed the laws of the people, and the people were the sovereigns of a nation.

These very detractors are often those who promote a concept where the rule of law applies only to those outside their immediate peer group. Regardless of political positions, be they leaning right, left or somewhere outside of the “mainstream,” they promote the concept that government may employ whatever measures necessary to advance their agenda regardless of the ramifications to those who are not in agreement with their goals.

Previously, I discussed what the positions of our founders were with respect to “authority” provided to the federal government under the Constitution. The premise that no authority exists outside of those codified under Article I, Section 8 can be clearly proven by a simple glance at not only the IX’th and X’th amendments, but the Federalist / Anti-Federalist papers and the individual writings of Madison, Jefferson et al. Why then do proponents of authoritarianism and statism constantly denigrate these positions and promote resistance to lawful authority?

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Someone posted it on youtube.
I need a haircut.

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I was recently asked to introduce Mr. William Rodriguez at the University of Houston. Mr. Rodriguez was the last survivor of the WTC to be rescued. He was a custodian in the south tower for 20 years. His story should cast doubt on the current accepted theory of events. However, as with many situations today in America, many ridicule him because he continues to demand answers. Whatever position you may take on an issue, it is always wise to keep an open mind. The following is my introduction speech.

It is good to be back at the University of Houston.
It is a place where I wiled away hours of my misspent youth in the QUEST for knowledge, both academic and otherwise.

I am honored to be here this evening.
It is not often that one has the opportunity to meet, much less introduce a TRUE American hero.

America today has little resemblance with the nation of my youth.
Liberty has been forsaken in the name of security.
We were once the home of the brave.
Today, we are fed a daily dose of fear by the corporate main stream media.

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A few days ago, I was asked about my position on a city ordinance that required home and business owners to repair city infrastructure abutting their property. I must admit that I was totally unaware of the ordinance. Upon reading the ordinance, I felt astonished that the city would act with such hostility towards the members of my community. One of my colleagues recommended that I attend a special meeting regarding this ordinance. Upon my discovery of the flagrant property rights violations contained within the measure, I could not refuse.

I have taken the liberty, as a matter of portraying simple fact, to post the ordinance on this site. I believe all that visit this site are more than capable of reading and comprehending the "language" contained in the ordinance. I have warned many, that with politicians you must watch what they do and ignore what they say. In this context, our city representatives have failed in their obligation to respect the rights and property of the citizens and attempted to transfer liability away from the city.

Furthermore, I would like to remind all persons that this is not a matter of preventing blight, abandonment or neglected properties. The issue at hand is who is responsible to repair or maintain city (public) owned property. What follows is the statement I read to the assembly.

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I was going to comment on the recent fiasco in Boston regarding the Police vs. LiteBrite advertising, however I found something more interesting. Recently, a poster at digg.com posed the following:

I often hear a libertarian ’s opinion on something and end up agreeing. However, I’m still clueless about a lot of libertarian positions, so I’ve posted 13 questions in the first comment. I’m posting this on Digg because it seems a lot of members lean libertarian. The link just takes you to Wikipedia. Thanks for helping me understand.

Then, the poster posed the following questions. I have provided my responses. Mind you, I do not claim to speak for all / any libertarians other than myself. I do, however, believe that my responses are reasonable. Please take the time to comment.

Here are my 13 questions about libertarian philosophy. I know that not all libertarians will agree on every issue, and that some questions might even divide libertarians. Also, I know some might seem pointed or hypothetical, but I’m looking for genuine responses. When replying, it could help to indicate whether or not you consider yourself a libertarian as well. Thanks for helping me understand.

1. Should the federal government protect the environment? Should there be national parks or endangered species laws?

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As a small business owner, I frequently receive solicitations from various groups. This particular solicitation, I felt deserved to be exposed for the edification of the public. The Republican Party is solely responsible for the sad state of my industry due to their support for increased regulations and their favoring large corporations over the small business owners. Portions of this conversation were actually recoded as I was awaiting a call from the appeals judge. I have changed the name of the caller to protect her identity. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed reciting it over the phone.

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I wanted to pen my thoughts on my recent experience with the Smither Campaign. I was reluctant to do so at any point until this time as I still am suffering from burnout. With the debate raging as to whether the LP can be successful at running candidate, I have decided once more to enter the fray and voice my opinion. I hope this will lead to a more educated discussion with regard to success versus failure in future endeavors.

I find it troubling that one of the founders of the party, Mr. Nolan, felt obliged to denigrate those in the party who work towards making the LP a relevant faction of the American Body Politic. I dislike the notion of being at odds with one of the founders of the political party which I belong, yet felt compelled to refute the position which he is promoting. We all know that there are elements within the libertarian movement who would relegate activities based solely upon spreading philosophy. Likewise, another faction would have us work solely on electoral success. I contend that it will take both in order to gain any success whatsoever.

What I find very puzzling about Mr. Nolan’s position is his apparent contradiction. Mr. Nolan proposed at the Ohio Libertarian Convention in June 2006 that the mission statement should read as such:

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