The Libertarian Popinjay

Building The Perfect Candidate

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Michelle Malkin has officially endorsed Rick Santorum for President. I, however, cannot. He's just too out there on the social conservative side for my taste. He also has some iffy stands economically as sadly all the candidates do except for Ron Paul. Then you have Ron Paul's foreign policy. Yeesh!

As Michelle points out:

I have no illusions about Rick Santorum. I wish he were as rock-solid on core economic issues as Ron Paul.

And I wish Ron Paul was not the far-out, Alex Jones-panderer on foreign policy, defense, and national security that he is.

If Ron Paul talked more like his son, Rand Paul, about the need for common-sense profiling of jihadists at our State Department consular offices overseas and if he talked more about the need for strengthened visa screening and airport security scrutiny of international flight manifests, I might have more than a kernel of confidence that he would take post-9/11 precautions to guard against jihadi threats and protect us from our enemies foreign and domestic. But he doesn’t, so I can’t support Ron Paul.

Agreed. Ron Paul makes my heart ache. If he just understood that Islamic jihadists are a threat he'd be my perfect candidate. And while I don't expect a perfect candidate, Paul's imperfections are too large to ignore. If he actually became president and stuck to his foreign policy positions, the Joint Chiefs might be forced to carry out a military coup. I'm not joking.

We've reached the point where we have to forget about perfection or the Republican version of a "Messiah" like the Dems have with Obama. Mitt or Newt will do in a pinch. Flip the Senate and then regroup. It's out best option right now. The time for crying about it is over.

Obama Shows Hurt Feelings To Jan Brewer

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:53:00 +0000

No doubt as more details come out they'll be plenty for both sides of the political spectrum to point fingers at, but think about this for a second. The President of the United States has his feelings hurt by something written in a book by one of the nation's governors and he brings it up during a meeting with said governor.

I can't find a link but I seem to recall early in George W. Bush's first term Jimmy Carter said some nasty things about him. When they next met, Carter sheepishly said he was sorry about that and Bush's reaction was akin to "Dude, don't worry about it."

Stark contrast.

UPDATE: Ace's take.

Economic Recession Is Over!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:01:00 +0000

Normally I don't like to soil my blog with images of Stalinists, but I'm making an exception today due to the great news. Did you hear? America is back. We're in great shape.

All this yakkity-yak about high unemployment and crushing debt, the housing market woes? Food stamps? Meh! President Obama and Senator Schumer have assured us that the state of the Union is strong. Hell, it's so good we don't even need a budget. In fact, maybe after 2012 we won't have to "pass" a budget through Congress ever again. You get me? Huh? You know what I'm talkin' 'bout. But rest assured, government loves you.

Seriously though, many will say that things actually are better and getting better. After all, unemployment is down to around 8.5%. That's progress right? Wrong. What Obama and Schumer are doing is creating a new normal. Thousands leave the employment market and so things look a little better. Gas may go down a few dozen cents and so things look a little better. Before you know it, as the economic conditions ebb and flow, you forget what things were like in 2006.

Barack Obama is not delusional, he knows exactly what he's doing, and when he retires either next year or in 2017, he'll raise his glass to the destruction and the fact that America has been taken down a notch. That's always been the goal. America, in his mind, is immoral and a mistake. It can't be destroyed but it can be weakened.

This is a big reason I'm not as animated as most folks about the choice between Romney and Gingrich. Either one would solve 50% of the problem we have now by simply taking the oath of office. The concerns people have with both candidates are nothing compared to the consequences of not having either man in office come 2013. Bain Capital; individual mandates; affairs...any other election year these issues would be huge or at least worth considering, but right now they mean nothing. Romney and Gingrich are both on the right side of the only issue that matters in this election: love of country.

Saul Alinsky Makes Appearance At White House

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:05:00 +0000

In the form of a question from Fox News reporter Ed Henry. Spokescreep Jay Carney was asked if there's a portrait of Alinsky hanging in the White House. Not surprisingly, he got a non-answer.

This arose from Newt Gingrich bringing up Saul Alinsky in a recent debate. This is good. The more Americans that hear the name "Saul Alinsky" and investigate who he is the better chance we have that the electorate will be at least somewhat informed come November.

This will get you started:

The MSM Hates You

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:29:00 +0000

Caught a little bit of Rush Limbaugh's opening monologue yesterday and it was epic. Rush talked about the opening of the South Carolina debate where John King asked Newt Gingrich about his ex-wife's recent claims that he wanted an open-marriage and other tawdry details. Here's the clip in case you haven't seen it:

Now this is where Rush is valuable because he sees beyond the obvious and gets to the heart of what's really going on. Every American who considers themselves a conservative, libertarian or even just a moderate Republican needs to hear this:

RUSH: The audience is eating it up! They're eating it up off the floor. They're sucking it up with straws! They love it! Now, let me tell you one thing here, folks: You cannot shame the mainstream media. If any of you are thinking that the media learned a lesson -- if any of you believe that the media finally had it handed to 'em, if you believe that the media had their eyes opened and they are fully awake now and they understand what they're dealing with -- forget it. John King is proud of what happened last night. John King is a hero in the Main Street media because he didn't back down, because he continued to illustrate how it is that the media does really control the agenda. That was a demonstration of the power they hold over every public figure's head, that they choose to hold like a guillotine.

John King... There may even be some jealousy and envy within the journalist ranks (well, not journalists; within the Democrat Party ranks) because John King is a guy that got in Newt's face, stared him down -- and the fact that Newt told him off? It's a badge of honor. If you are thinking that John King was embarrassed and ran away with his tail tucked between his legs and learned his lesson and it'll never happen again? Ah, ah, ah, ah. You cannot shame the mainstream media. They are proud of this. They delight in their power to destroy candidates that they don't like. They revel in the fact that they can keep so many conservatives from even thinking about getting into politics. A lot of the so-called journalists watching this probably were pumping their fists.

A lot of the journalists watching this were doing the Obama cheer: "Yes, we can! Yes, we can!" and do not doubt me. If you think King was embarrassed -- if you think he was suffering from an elevated heart rate during the middle of this, if you think he felt shamed, if you think, "Oh, my God, Newt's beating the crap out of him" -- you are dead wrong. He got exactly what he wanted out of this. Do NOT doubt me. At the end of the day the message to every conservative who hasn't run for office is: "You want a piece of this? You want some of this? You want Brian Ross hounding you and your ex-wife and then you want me asking you about it on national TV the next night? Come on in. We're ready." That's the message from John King and CNN last night, and do not doubt me on this.

That's exactly right. Rush is the father of the fight that Andrew Breitbart is fighting, that James O'Keefe is fighting, that NewsBusters is fighting and I (in a very small way) am fighting. The Fourth Estate is really a Fifth Column. This is never going to change unless politicians stop playing by the MSM's rules. It's time for a media revolution.

Free Speech WiFi

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:34:00 +0000

Fascinating stuff over at Volokh Conspiracy about a police investigation into the NAME of a personal WiFi network:

A bigot named their WiFi signal “F— All Jews and N—-” — and now cops are investigating.

The hateful signal I.D. popped up on the iPhone of a 28-year-old mom inside a Teaneck, N.J. recreation center, where her 3-year-old daughter was attending dance class....

The Teaneck Police Department Juvenile Bureau and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crime Unit are investigating it as a “possible bias crime,” Wilson said.

Eugene goes into the possibilities of this being punishable as either obscenity or so-called "fighting words." (Hint: it's not.) Ah, Cohen v. California...it's been a while.

Anywho, while I would have no interest in naming my WiFi at home something racist, this does make me realize that I'm missing a golden opportunity to spread some of my own propaganda and screw with my neighbors. So instead of the boring name I have for it now, I could call it "NOBAMA 2012" or "Meth Lab? What Meth Lab?"

It's the little things in life.

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Newt?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:43:00 +0000

Well, the revelations on Newt Gingrich from his second ex-wife/first ex-mistress aren't exactly earth-shattering in my mind. It's always amusing to hear the complaints of Mistress #1 about Mistress #2 and so on. Bill Clinton has to be laughing himself silly right now.

I think most Republican voters were fairly familiar with Newt's marriages and the chicanery therein, but who knows, this might piss off a devout Christian or two. It's not a big deal to me as my first priority is that the new president removes the boot from our throats. ABO folks, AB-freakin'-O!

I guess at this point it wouldn't hurt to restate my prime directive for this election. Whoever gets the nomination is not going to be perfect. There were no great candidates this year with Rubio, Ryan, West and others sitting it out. (Perry was the closest we had to a Great Conservative Hope until we found out he was the second-coming of Jack Kemp, debate-wise.) Flipping the Senate has to be just as high a priority as flipping Obama. The new president will want to roll with the tide...so we (Tea Party, economic libertarians, strong defense-types) need to be the tide.

Until then, keep grabbing at those moonbeams.

SOPA/PIPA Makes For Strange Bedfellows

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:56:00 +0000

And that's a good thing.

Recent legislation in the forms of SOPA and PIPA have united the most unlikely of allies in the form of RedState, Wikipedia, Google, UbuWeb, Dana Loesch, and many others on the Left and the Right. PIPA co-sponsor Marco Rubio has heard the arguments and has decided to give the legislation a big rethink:

In recent weeks, we’ve heard from many Floridians about the anti-Internet piracy bills making their way through Congress. On the Senate side, I have been a co-sponsor of the PROTECT IP Act because I believe it’s important to protect American ingenuity, ideas and jobs from being stolen through Internet piracy, much of it occurring overseas through rogue websites in China. As a senator from Florida, a state with a large presence of artists, creators and businesses connected to the creation of intellectual property, I have a strong interest in stopping online piracy that costs Florida jobs.

However, we must do this while simultaneously promoting an open, dynamic Internet environment that is ripe for innovation and promotes new technologies.

Earlier this year, this bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously and without controversy. Since then, we've heard legitimate concerns about the impact the bill could have on access to the Internet and about a potentially unreasonable expansion of the federal government's power to impact the Internet. Congress should listen and avoid rushing through a bill that could have many unintended consequences.

Therefore, I have decided to withdraw my support for the Protect IP Act. Furthermore, I encourage Senator Reid to abandon his plan to rush the bill to the floor. Instead, we should take more time to address the concerns raised by all sides, and come up with new legislation that addresses Internet piracy while protecting free and open access to the Internet.

Ed Morrissey takes it home (emphasis mine):

No one disputes the need to protect and defend copyrights. Most of the websites participating in this protest have an interest in battling piracy. The need to protect copyrights, however, does not outweigh the need for checks on prosecutorial power and due process for the accused. Rubio has belatedly gotten it right — Reid needs to pull back PIPA, the House needs to scratch SOPA, and both need to start over again in those efforts.

Stopping foreign piracy is necessary, but if this isn't done exactly right, our government will run roughshod over "fair use" rights based on the latest political whims. (Can you say "Righthaven times-10?") We have to be vigilant in the defense of the free and open Internet. FCC Chairman Julius "Caesar" Genachowski has been attempting power grabs under the banner of "Net Neutrality" for the past three years. Give them an inch, they'll take a mile.

SOPA Dead For Now, Lessons Abound

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:19:00 +0000

I had a college professor once say, "Don't get mad, get better." This turn of phrase applies to more than meets the eye.

It's often been said by libertarians like myself that the only way to fight bad speech is with more speech. In other words, you don't try and stop people from speaking, you simply make a better argument rendering their bad speech impotent.

The same is true with technology. A bill in Congress getting a lot of ink is SOPA which stands for "Stop Online Piracy Act." As with most if not all Congressional bills, the name is as such that you couldn't possibly disagree with the wording. They should really just add "And Feed Starving Children" to the end of every bill thus rendering any vote against it a crime against humanity.

Regardless, the SOPA bill is, surprise surprise, not what it's cracked up to be. It's intent (they say) is to have Google and other online search sites stop linking to file-sharing sites and require ISPs to block these sites. Obviously this is something that Hollywood and the music industry are pushing, but opponents say this goes against what has been a free and open Internet and requires too much policing by the ISPs and search engines. There's also the fact that if given this power it's just a gateway to more power for the government.

One of Steve Jobs' first inventions was a device that would trick phone lines into giving you free long distance. What happened after that? The phone companies developed new technology to work around such devices. In other words, they didn't get mad, they got better. (Well, they did get mad actually, but they also got better and the delicate dance between hacking and innovation continues.)

The same can be said here. Instead of trying to stifle the free flow of the Internet, the movie and music companies need to find ways to make the current technological situation work for them. An example of this was recently showcased by, of all people, comedian Louis C.K.:

Days after comedian Louis C.K. launched his content and distribution experiment, the results are in, and it appears that he may have inadvertently kicked off a new era of celebrity-controlled Internet content.

On Dec. 10, C.K. offered his one-hour "Live at the Beacon Theater" show for streaming or download for $5, free of any digital rights management (DRM). The move received a lot of attention via traditional and social media, but the main question on every one's mind was: How will a show delivered directly from a niche comedian do when offered without the marketing muscle and distribution controls of a major company like HBO or Comedy Central?

According to data posted on C.K.'s Web site, the experiment pulled in a $200,000 profit.

This is the future. While the big entertainment companies are certainly within their rights to try and stop piracy of their intellectual property, running to the government isn't the solution. If you make your product inexpensive and easily accessible then online pirates will be banished to Davy Jones' Locker.

Rasmussen: Bain Bombs

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:43:00 +0000

As you may have read on my Twitter feed, I did an unscientific poll of a handful of Republicans this past Friday night over pints of ale. The consensus was that the Bain attacks on Romney, if anything, make them like Romney more than they did before which was not much.

Now for something more scientific via Rasmussen:

Voters are closely divided over whether Mitt Romney’s business career is a plus or a minus, but most Republicans see it as a plus. Additionally, a plurality of all voters think he would do a better job than President Obama dealing with the economy.

As Saturday’s critical South Carolina Primary approaches, it appears the criticism of Romney by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Governor Rick Perry, in particular, is not resonating with Republican voters nationally. Fifty-five percent (55%) of those voters believe Romney’s record in business is primarily a reason to vote for him versus only 20% who see it as a reason to vote against him.

This presents an interesting problem for Obama as I'm sure he was prepared to pick up the vulture capitalist ball and run with it. Of course, this poll could explain why the President has begun paying lip-service to the idea of merging government departments and cutting government jobs.

And I say "lip-service" because:

Obama’s proposal to merge and reorganize government departments has come under fire from some members of Congress and business groups because it aims initially to cut only 1,000 to 2,000 from the 2.1 million federal workforce, and because these job cuts would be achieved mainly through attrition.

At this point, Romney might be well served to trumpet his Bain days. Damn the ~~torpedoes~~ consultants, full speed ahead!

Cowards And Phonies

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:26:00 +0000

Barry Rubin has an excellent column today on death of political discourse. Read the whole thing but here's the heart of the text:

We are facing something truly remarkable. A system in which those on one side — and obviously this applies to far more than just the Israel issue — can simply wave aside any logical argument and ignore any evidence. All that’s needed is a category of denunciation: racism, hate speech, Islamophobia, etc., along with other catchwords like “fair share,” “one percent,” “global warming deniers,” and down the list.

Where did this come from? How was this remarkable weapon developed? One can mention the Frankfurt School or Saul Alinsky but clearly we are dealing with one of the most amazing and effective inventions in the modern history of political debate and struggle. It is the magic wand that turns terrorists into victims and victims into terrorists.

And sadly, it's a tactic that even the GOP has embraced.

Pop Culture "Ran Into A Door"

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:29:00 +0000

I love the website Big Hollywood, but sometimes reading it makes me weep for all of mankind. No, that's hacky. It's more like it makes me want to smack mankind around while shouting "you made me do this!"

Anyway, some fun headlines:

1) Actor Beau Bridges speaks out for stricter gun control laws. What a novel idea! Has anyone else thought of this? I mean, the genius of it. Think of what crime would be like if we had only thought of this 50 years ago after the Kennedy assassinations. Whaaaat? You mean we already have enacted countless gun control laws? Criminals are still getting weapons while law-abiding citizens have to wait 3 to 10 days to get their guns? What the hell happened?

2) Lady Gaga toasts Tebow on Twitter. Just how big is Tim Tebow right now? He's so big that Lady Gaga, the queen of corporate-generated pop culture feels the need to step into his spotlight. Kind of the Twitter equivalent of Ariana Huffington knocking over Schwarzenegger's mic stands. John Lennon said the Beatles were bigger than Jesus and he may have been right at the time. Tebow could make a similar claim but he isn't that type of guy.

3) Report: Beyonce, Jay-Z Baby Security Prevents Man From Seeing Newborns in Hospital. Not much to say here really. The rich and powerful get what they want and the rest of us can suck it. Of course, the Hollywood elites will always speak out against corporate greed and for the little guy, as long as they don't have to consort with the little guy or think about the fact that some big smelly truck driver who voted for Bush twice is a vital part of making sure their foie gras is on their dinner table. I have a fantasy where I get to sit in a fancy restaurant with someone like Barbra Streisand and tell her all about the unclean steps that lead to her meal and how "going green" will make it that much harder for her duck a l'orange to keep that level of succulence. What else do we have if not dreams?

4) Snoop Dogg busted for marijuana possession. Also from the news desk, Tim Tebow loves Jesus.

5) Paging Steve Guttenberg: 'Police Academy' reboot in the works. I repeat: "You made me do this!"

America Down The Rabbit Hole

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:48:00 +0000

Via PJ Media:

The Umbrella Man Divides The Kennedy Cult

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:15:00 +0000

I love watching radical leftists fight among themselves. There are few things more satisfying, more chicken-soupy for my naturalist soul than seeing flames shoot out the windows of the compound where JFK conspiracy theorists, race hustlers, blame America-firsters and the rest of the radical chic share lodging and worship at the alter of Oswald was a pasty, the CIA started the crack epidemic, and Dick Cheney is a space lizard.

Recently, documentary filmmaker Errol Morris made a short film for the New York Times on the fabled "Umbrella Man" who can be seen in the Zapruder Film and other photographs of the JFK assassination. On a clear, sunny day in Dallas, this man was standing on the sidewalk with an open umbrella above his head. He was standing directly to the right of JFK when the shots rang out. That's just too good even for an "Oswald acted alone" guy like me. Can't make this stuff up!The video is not embeddable but can be seen here. (Go ahead, I'll wait. It's only 6 minutes.)

Errol Morris who is a gifted filmmaker is also very, very liberal. He's made films for MoveOn.org and other Democrat Party causes. However, in this short film the message, though somewhat subtle, is that while the Umbrella Man aspect of the assassination is certainly juicy, it's more than likely much ado about nothing. Well, that's not sitting too well with his roommates at the compound. Shock and outrage is being unloaded on Morris and the Times here.

I find this stuff fascinating. Specifically the belief of many on the Left that their perfect world, their utopia if you will, would be with us right now if JFK had not been assassinated. Thus the "right-wingers" who also know this to be true had JFK killed to stop utopia and create a corporate totalitarian society, or something. The JFK assassination was a turning point in the political discourse of the United States and it's a bit surprising that almost 50 years after the event it's still a key litmus test with the radical left. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

This Is The World We Live In Now

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:33:00 +0000

Former NFL quarterback and CBS NFL analyst Boomer Esiason made an observation about New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez (via ProFootballTalk, emphasis mine):

“If you watched Mark Sanchez the last month of the season, he was like a chihuahua standing on Madison Avenue and 36th Street entering the Midtown Tunnel, eyes bigger than you-know-what, and just so shaky,” Esiason said.

In the event the P.C. police had an issue with Esiason’s reference to a breed of dog that bears a Mexican name, given that Sanchez is Mexican-American, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com has cleared things up by contacting Esiason for a clarification.

Seriously.

“I chose a small dog that always looks shaken and has big eyes, and doesn’t like big things — a chihuahua,” Esiason said. “It’s a skittish dog and he’s been a skittish player.”

This stupid country.

Let's Fact It, Mitt Romney Is Doing Everything Right

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:05:00 +0000

Well it's 2012, and there's going to be some changes around here. That is, changes until I get bored with them. We're just now entering an election year yet after 2011 I feel like we just had one. (My head is killing me right now, and I didn't even drink on NYE...must be politics to blame.) So to start off this year with a bang I make the bold pronouncement that Mitt Romney is doing everything right.

The Right Blogosphere, of which I consider myself a part, has unfortunately fallen into the trap of believing that they hold the conventional wisdom. I've read countless examples of people saying "Mitt Romney is never going to beat Obama with this kind of campaign." "He's not a true conservative, he's another Bob Dole." Yeah, maybe. But this ain't 1996 and Bill Clinton was no Barack Obama.

What got me on this tangent was an article this morning from the Daily Caller:

DES MOINES, Iowa — Mitt Romney is running for president as a Republican, but his recent media strategy includes granting exclusive interviews to news outlets that cater to a liberal audience.

Romney last week granted one-on-one interviews in Iowa to both MSNBC and the Huffington Post, among the best-known sources of news for liberals in the country. In recent weeks, he also gave interviews to The Washington Post, The New York Times and Politico.

It’s a peculiar strategy for someone who has had trouble convincing conservatives throughout this race he’s one of them.

No, not really. Romney has been running a national campaign since January 20th, 2009 and he hasn't wavered from that. He's stood by his past liberal stances often performing ideological gymnastics that even an East German judge would rate a 10. Through it all, he's still on top of the polls. Conservatives have waited for a great white (or black) hope to arrive, but alas you know the story: Perry couldn't debate; Cain doesn't know foreign policy from a meat-lover's special; Newt is, well, Newt; and so on. Romney bet that he could survive once the inevitable Donner Party amongst the conservatives had paid the check, and so far so good for Mitt.

Historians says that the ancestors of Zogby, Gallup and Rasmussen went among the Colonists in the mid 1770s and asked them where they stood on the War of Independence. One-third were fer it, one-third were agin it and the final one-third said "what are you selling again?"

The more things change, the more they stay the same. (There's the first cliche of the year. Huzzah!)

This degree of thirds, as it were, is still with us today. Us folk on the right that blog about politics, follow it on Twitter and consume every bit of information we can make up probably one-third of the one-third that's currently in favor of the "War of Independence from Obama." Others in our group are following politics, but also football, Boardwalk Empire, and the kids' soccer games. They're not ready for the Full Monty and they won't be until about August. By then, acceptance speeches will have been finely crafted. Romney knows this. He also knows that the top candidate in the race this year has the initials ABO, and among this candidate's supporters are more than a few independents and liberals (i.e. Hillary hanger-ons) who would be rather content to have a moderate Republican in the White House on a temporary basis. (Don't be surprised of Andrew Cuomo pulls the Romney lever in November).

Look, if Rick Perry is still in the race when they get to Nevada, he's got my vote, but I'm realistic. Rick Santorum will make some noise in Iowa and have his moment in the sun, then the MSM will begin to hammer him for his radical abortion views and less than stellar resume. They'll go to New Hampshire, Romney will win, then on to South Carolina where we usually get the full story. Nicky Haley may just have given away the ending with her endorsement of Mitt, but if it's not enough, the conservative that wins that primary will be the one to make it interesting until Super Tuesday when it'll be over and more than likely Mitt Romney will be the nominee with a super-conservative running-mate waiting in the wings.

The main criticism of Romney is actually the reason I'm not worried about him as President. He's a political opportunists, so if the conservatives want to win some political battles, give the opportunists plenty of opportunities. In other words, if the GOP can take the Senate and set the agenda, Romney will follow. I really think the Tea Party needs to concentrate more this year on sending Jim DeMint reinforcements so that no matter who has the White House, we still have an army.

Ten more months of this crap.

Remembering Václav Havel

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:09:00 +0000

It's not often words like "playwright" and "anti-communist" are applicable to one individual, but alas there was only one Václav Havel.

Smart readers of this blog know his general bio and his role in bringing about the fall of the Iron Curtain along with giants like Reagan, Walesa and Thatcher. He "fought the good fight," as they say, for years in his native Czechoslovakia when many of his contemporaries (not wrongly) fled to the West. I was a teenager when the Communist apparatchik fell in that country and not surprisingly it was the first time I had heard of Havel. As someone of Czech heritage (Bohemia to be precise), I became enthralled with his life as a dissident and his eventual rise to the Presidency of Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic.

Men more learned than I can give him a better sendoff. ("Absurdistan." Love it!)

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:24:00 +0000

More Awesomeness From Daniel Hannan

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:56:00 +0000

Let's forge some documents that say he was born in the United States and have him run for President:

Doubt If Doubt Itself Be Doubting

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:30:00 +0000

As the name of this blog not so subtly implies, I'm a libertarian. Note however that I just wrote that in the lower-case. The Libertarian Party has been a joke, like most third parties, for a number of years. The problem hasn't been on the fiscal side, but more north, south, east and west of the border, i.e. foreign policy. The Libertarian Party view of foreign policy/military matters is a well-dressed, well-read, think-tanky version of Ramsey Clark's Cavalcade of Petulant Proles (or CCCP for short). America should stay out of everyone's business no matter how much it may affect our business. Hell, we probably brought it on ourselves, but if it really does become a big problem, the best thing to do is to further turn inward: no military bases, no opinions, no outreach, nothing. That's the Libertarian way.

For me, libertarianism has always meant rugged individualism and voluntary communal action. In other words, you do your own thing but when problems arise, you do what you think is best along with your like-minded peers in accordance with a few basic principles. What happens in Europe, the Middle East, Australia, et al does affect me and affect my country.

But you've no doubt heard all those arguments and I abhor regurgitation. What's on my mind is the recent statement by Rick Perry that our Congress should be part-time and we'd be better off if it were as such. Gut reaction is great idea, but again, that's the gut not the brain. Of course, the President has no recourse to do this due to that whole separation of powers thing, but libertarian that I am, I agree with Mark Levin's statement that every day that the Congress meets we lose a little bit of our liberty.

The gang at AEI say the Congress meets too little:

“The big problem is that members of Congress aren’t spending enough time in Washington. And this current House has the smallest number of days in session in modern memory, and they’ve pretty much pushed a lot of urgent matters, including many of these budgetary matters, off the table.”

Um...so if Congress had more days in session they'd deal with more pressing matters and not those that line their pockets and appease their base? Maybe I'm just a pessimist but I'm gonna have to call bullshit on that one. The Congress goes to the highest bidder. You have your principled men like Senator Jim DeMint, but for the most part, Harry Reid is the die-cast of the members of this legislative body. Power is paramount.

A part of me says let's do it, let's limit the legislative branch and "get things done." Another part of me says democracy is hard and sometimes self-defeating, but it's the best we've got and let the chips fall where they may.

Some will take my intellectual quandary and say, "see, you're no libertarian" but I think it makes my position stronger still. Libertarianism can't be real if it becomes intransigent dogma like that of Lew Rockwell and Ron Paul. Philosopher David Hume (who basically proved all philosophy is crap, but that's another blog post for another time) said "A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence," while Lord Byron said "There is something pagan in me that I cannot shake off. In short, I deny nothing, but doubt everything." I fancy myself a mix of these two statements. Perhaps I should be known as the Nihilist Popinjay.

Or not. Whatever.

Mood Music Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:37:00 +0000

It's a rainy day in the desert town of Las Vegas. Time for some mood music.

Film Student Doing God's Work

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:34:00 +0000

The popular answer to the worst film ever made is Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space, and it is indeed worthy of that title. But within this dumpster fire of a film one can still glean some knowledge of the art of filmmaking.

Undoubtedly, the worst film ever made is Manos: The Hands of Fate. A film made on a bet in El Paso, Texas, it was rescued from oblivion by the gang at MST3K and has developed a cult following ever since. Now, a Florida State film student, Ben Solovey, is trying to do what needs to be done: a full restoration of the film.

"There's a certain nostalgia factor to it," Solovey says. "If you've ever picked up a video camera and tried to make something, you recognize Manos: The Hands of Fate."

The filmmaking mistakes in Manos are legion. Moths flock toward the camera's lights during night scenes, slates creep into the edge of frames, and actors look gape-jawed for direction when they're not busy forgetting botched dialogue. It's a movie to be appreciated for its sheer general disregard for anything that constitutes filmdom. You've heard of a movie that seems made for its own sake — if there's such a thing as a movie made against its own sake, this is it. For filmmakers, Solovey suggests that Manos is a chance to remember their early passions by seeing someone relive all their own dumb blunders. And isn't that, more than anything else, the definition of a guilty pleasure?

History's greatest mistakes must not be forgotten, they must be enjoyed for their lack of splendor, lack of intelligence, lack of any and all benefit to society. We must never forget the lowest points of mankind and Manos is truly anti-Art. Kudos to Solovey for making sure history never forgets.

For some more background on Manos, here's a short film on YouTube called Hotel Torgo. Enjoy! (but probably not, though)

The Obama Coincidences

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:54:00 +0000

There's been a lot of debate over President Obama's feelings about the job he holds. Some theorize he really doesn't like being president while others think he's having the time of his life. I tend to lean toward the latter as it appears the head of the executive branch is taking every opportunity he can to have a good laugh in private.

There have been a number of odd little occurrences. Giving Britain back a bust of Churchill; bowing to the Saudi King; sending Netanyahu and the Dali Lama out the back way; giving Queen Elizabeth II an iPod full of his speeches and audio books; and I'm sure a few other events I'm forgetting.

Now just the other day the president decides, hey, let's celebrate Hanukkah early and instead of lighting one candle a day per tradition, let's just light them all now and then party down!

I'm not saying Obama doesn't like the Jews, but I'm not not saying it either.

But the pièce de résistance is something caught by The Blaze and brought to my attention by Twitter buddy @Robert23Hersey. Obama gave a rather anti-capitalist speech this past week in a city called Osawatomie, Kansas. Ever heard of it? I hadn't, and it's rare that the president makes a speech in a city I haven't heard of. It can happen. You research demographics and maybe say this would be a good place to get some exposure leading up to 2012. Who knows, maybe.

But the name Osawatomie does indeed ring the bells of some more literate in the history of the Weather Underground:

That's right ladies and germs, "Osawatomie" was the name of the Weather Underground's publication.

Folks, we're a long way past laughing these things off as coincidences. Obama is have a laugh, and he's laughing at us.

Postmodernism Explained

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:19:00 +0000

The great Smitty over at the Other McCain is doing a series on postmodernism after reading the fabulous book "Explaining Postmodernism" by Stephen R.C. Hicks. The study of postmodernism has been a hobby of mine ever since I started blogging. Glad to see Smitty dive into the pool as well.

I've always put it like this: postmodernism is the mother of prevention. Anytime you hear someone say right and wrong are just words or you can't pass judgments because everyone has their own "truth," that's postmodernism.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg, Smitty has all the detes (with a tiny bit of input from yours truly).

I'm Still Alive

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Rose) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:18:00 +0000

Yes, I know, I haven't been blogging with much regularity. My apologies. Been working on my fiction writing of late and some other intellectual pursuits. I'll try and get back in the swing of things soon.

In the meantime, here's some Moondog: