text:
The ORIGINAL gathering place for a merry band of Three Percenters. (As denounced by Bill Clinton on CNN!)
Friday, November 30, 2012
Another collectivist call for arrest of "insurrectionists" and "traitors."
In this case, Randy Dye. Way to go, Randy.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 5:18 PM 4 comments:
Huh. You don't see that every day.
'Bow and arrow-type' attack leaves 3 dead in Casper, Wyo., including 2 on college campus, officials say. No doubt it was an "assault bow" and will be included in Diane Feinstein's next gun ban.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 5:13 PM 6 comments:
Kurt Hofmann: Writer sees nothing but race in post-election gun buying spree.
"Or is it just a bunch of knee-jerk reactionaries who believe the black liberal president is coming for their guns and they are preparing to defend themselves, by force if necessary, against some fantasy assault on their Second Amendment rights."
I've said it before and I'll repeat: these collectivist pukes are more race-obsessed than the Nazi Gauleiter of 1930's Lower Swabia. I've run into more than a few black folks in gun shops and one gun show since the election and they are there to BUY. These are not gang bangers, but middle class folks. Do you think they are motivated by the color of Obama's skin?
Posted by Dutchman6 at 3:44 PM 3 comments:
More defeatist assholery -- ostensibly from a "libertarian."
"Here's How it Will be Done…" (Firearms confiscation, that is.)
Why don't these defeatist pukes spend their time trying to figure out how to disobey, confound and resist their would-be oppressors instead of pushing the whole Borg "resistance is futile" meme?
Better yet, why not surrender their arms and ammunition to folks who WILL resist while they -- and we -- still have the time?
Posted by Dutchman6 at 3:22 PM 9 comments:
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Latest on the Government Monopoly of Force advocates of CSGV.
Prime example of a government monopoly of violence.
From Kurt Hofmann: Believe 2nd Amendment is last bastion against tyranny? CSGV wants you dead.
David Codrea comments:
What a surprise--they brook no dissent. Yeah, I'll be surrendering my guns to these hive insects real quick.I actually look at Ladd & Josh as our men in the gun ban camp, and would like to see more "gun control" supporters contribute to, that is, squander their money on CSGV -- they're such obvious barking loons and so utterly inept at making anything but childish noise, they act as a drain on limited resources that might otherwise be applied against us by a more competent threat.
David also observes They're Making a List and Checking it Twice.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 5:50 PM 3 comments:
Latest on the Sucker State from Kurt Hofmann: Massive new gun ban for Illinois could be voted on as early as today
Quinn's modifications were to completely gut the bill, and turn it into one of the most draconian bans of "assault weapons," "high-capacity magazines," .50 BMG caliber firearms and cartridges and "assault weapon attachments" ever seen. Banned items owned before the effective date would be subject to confiscation if the owner could not prove his/her pre-ban purchase of them, and even with such proof, would now be registered with the state.
Well, they didn't call it "The Sucker State" for nothing.
David Codrea: 'Long overdue' Whistleblower Protection Act signed into law
One hopes this new law has that effect. Perhaps cynicism from observing the way this administration routinely holds itself above existing laws, and the way much of the "watchdog media" routinely provided nothing but cover for it, has left this correspondent with an unrealistically jaded expectation that new ones will be similarly circumvented.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 5:29 PM No comments:
Dave Workman: Author Korwin disavows e-mail scare under his byline
I too received many copies of this email and recognized it as warmed-over stuff from 2009. We will know what the form of the gun grabbers' proposals are when they file the bills in January. Until then, keep your powder dry.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 5:25 PM No comments:
Lyndon Johnson's Folly. A statistic I left out of my post on "The utter, complete and abject failure of the citizen disarmament lobby."
Congress adopted most of our recommendations. But this bill--as big as this bill is--still falls short, because we just could not get the Congress to carry out the requests we made of them. I asked for the national registration of all guns and the licensing of those who carry those guns. For the fact of life is that there are over 160 million guns in this country -- more firearms than families. If guns are to be kept out of the hands of the criminal, out of the hands of the insane, and out of the hands of the irresponsible, then we just must have licensing. If the criminal with a gun is to be tracked down quickly, then we must have registration in this country. -- Lyndon Johnson, remarks on the signing of the GCA 1968, 22 October 1968.
"I signed the Gun Control Act of 1968 so why aren't you peasants paying any attention to it?"
In my Sunday post "Give me that old time (gun control) religion," I highlighted this statement from the latest Congressional Research Service report on gun control legislation:
"Per capita, the civilian gun stock has roughly doubled since 1968, from one gun per every two persons to one gun per person."
The CRS report also stated:
"By . . . 2009, the estimated total number of firearms available to civilians in the United States had increased to approximately 310 million."
The official U.S. Census Bureau announced that the "2010 Census showed the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2010, was 308,745,538," so actually the number was slightly more than one firearm per person in 2009. What I neglected to give you, my readers, was the number of Americans in 1968 so that you would have a baseline to appreciate how firearms ownership has grown since the modern push for citizen disarmament began 45 years ago.
Well, here it is. In 1970, two years later, the Nineteenth United States Census determined the resident population of the United States to be 203,392,031. Thus, if we accept that the number of firearms at the time was one per every two persons that gives us something in the neighborhood of 101,000,000 in 1968.
So, by the CRS report's count, the frantic efforts of the gun banners have not only doubled the number of weapons per person, but they have more than tripled the aggregate number of firearms in the country.
The statement of Lyndon Johnson quoted above puts the number at 160 million, but this was provided him by the gun control lobby and although one guess may be as good as another (we will never know how many firearms were brought back from America's foreign wars in barracks bags and footlockers), it was criticized at the time as an overstatement. Even if we accept it as fact, that suspect statistic still reflects a doubling of the aggregate number of firearms in the country.
Personally, I think Johnson's number was inflated. Even so, give me some more of that old time gun control religion.
It's good enough for me.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 5:14 PM 5 comments:
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
How many gun-control angels can dance on the head of a citizen disarmament pin? Helping gun banners make their argument more comprehensive.
Nursery Rhyme of ScholasticismWilliam of Occam, oh where have you been?"I've been out dancing on the head of a pin."What do you conclude, now your task is complete?"It's fine for the angels, but hard on the feet."—Sara Kreindler
Now we have Nick Leghorn buying into the off-into-the-weeds "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin" argument about cosmetic features in a new AWB. All this does is help gun banners make their argument more comprehensive, as in, "Well, if the cosmetics don't matter, then let's ban the entire class of weapon."
As Herschel Smith points out, "it is unwise to argue that the stipulations of the assault weapons ban are merely cosmetic or incidental."
Gun control at its root has always been about gun control. Feinstein is a statist, and her laws and regulations will always and forever increase the power of the state. Feinstein sees through McArdle's argument on cosmetics, which is why her proposed ban includes semi-automatic weapons. There isn't anything cosmetic about the aims of the gun control advocates.Arguing that their bans don't adequately distinguish between weapons leads them to refine their ban. Arguing that there is equivalent lethality between weapons denies aspects of utility and design, and only causes them to ban weapons that have specific utility for home and self defense. And arguing that their regulations were ineffective only embarrasses them to pass even more onerous ones.The correct way to argue against Feinstein's proposed assault weapons ban is to argue that there is no constitutional basis for such a ban, and any new assault weapons ban would be at least as immoral and obscene as the last one was.
Exactly, Plus you can add the argument that another infringement will cause disobedience, armed resistance and civil war. That enough?
Posted by Dutchman6 at 6:25 AM 8 comments:
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The Wrong Way To Argue About Assault Weapons
Gun control at its root has always been about gun control. Feinstein is a statist, and her laws and regulations will always and forever increase the power of the state. Feinstein sees through McArdle's argument on cosmetics, which is why her proposed ban includes semi-automatic weapons. There isn't anything cosmetic about the aims of the gun control advocates.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 7:14 AM 7 comments:
Praxis: Widener's has M-16 magazine bandoleers for $8.00 each.
Back in October 2009, I found a number of these handy boogers in bulk at Knob Creek for $4.00 each. At the Indy 1500 show in January 2010 they were $10.00. Now a reader sends along this sale item at Widener's and the price is $8.00 per, which is not bad these days.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 4:52 AM No comments:
David Codrea: DOJ weakest link in cartel gun smuggling wiretap leak
A federal prosecutor's husband who was indicted in September for leaking wiretap information to a suspect in an ATF gun smuggling investigation in New Mexico "was a longtime friend of one of the key players in the ring," ABQ Journal reported yesterday.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 4:31 AM No comments:
So totally screwed. Why $16 Trillion Only Hints at the True U.S. Debt
The actual liabilities of the federal government—including Social Security, Medicare, and federal employees' future retirement benefits—already exceed $86.8 trillion, or 550% of GDP. For the year ending Dec. 31, 2011, the annual accrued expense of Medicare and Social Security was $7 trillion. Nothing like that figure is used in calculating the deficit. In reality, the reported budget deficit is less than one-fifth of the more accurate figure.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 4:26 AM 5 comments:
Monday, November 26, 2012
Busy, busy NICS. Americans defy gun control by voting with their wallets.
Call volume shuts down FBI's firearm background checks, stops Maine sales on Black Friday.
ALSO: Gun sales soar again after presidential election.
The reader who forwarded these links comments: "Idiot liberal fascist progressives comments are something to behold at McClatchy!"
Posted by Dutchman6 at 1:54 PM 6 comments:
NYT: Election Spurred a Move to Codify U.S. Drone Policy
"The matter may have lost some urgency after Nov. 6. But with more than 300 drone strikes and some 2,500 people killed by the Central Intelligence Agency and the military since Mr. Obama first took office, the administration is still pushing to make the rules formal and resolve internal uncertainty and disagreement about exactly when lethal action is justified."
Posted by Dutchman6 at 6:29 AM 2 comments:
Harry Reid Triumphant.
GOP warns of shutdown over filibuster. Right. They don't have the collective spine to sustain it. McConnell will cave at the first negative New York Times editorial.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 6:27 AM 4 comments:
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Just got back from my first gunshow viewed from wheelchair level.
My recovery from the strokes has been good, but while I can walk further and better than at anytime since the strokes, I don't have a whole lot of stamina and begin to go wobbly on my pins after a while. So, with the help of a friend, I did it in a wheelchair.
The show was, for me, a complete disappointment. Matt had sent some money so I could find him some items, but they were not to be found. For myself, I was simply looking for some cheap empty ChiCom/Soviet style wooden crates to nest two M19A1 cans per in (like the one below) to finish out a previous reloading job.
In the past, I've found them readily for a couple of bucks each. Nobody had any they wanted to part with. In the process of asking around I did find a fellow who simply gave one of this type below, but although I appreciated it and will find a use for the box, the entire experience wasn't worth the $8.00 admission.
We went early this Sunday morning, and the aisles were filling up as we left, but the prices on military-pattern semi-autos were ridiculous although there seemed to be ample stocks.
Also, trying to view anything from wheelchair level was both frustrating and dangerous, with the situational awareness of others being the main concern. Hopefully, by the next show I'll be done with wheelchairs.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 1:25 PM 10 comments:
"Give me that old time (gun control) religion." The utter, complete and abject failure of the citizen disarmament lobby.
We will mark the forty-fifth year of the Gun Control Act of 1968 next year. Since then we have had forced upon us various other unconstitutional restrictions -- Brady, the "Assault Weapons Ban," Lautenberg, etc. -- each giving more power to (and encouraging more misadventures from) the agency created to enforce those laws -- the ATF. But what has been the practical effect of these restrictions, apart from the lives ruined and people killed in their name?
A relevant snippet from Congressional Research Service report RL32842, "Gun Control Legislation" by William J. Krouse, Specialist in Domestic Security and Crime Policy, 14 dated November 2012 (Link here):
How Many Guns Are in the United States?The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) reported in a national survey that in 1994, 44 million people, approximately 35% of households, owned 192 million firearms, 65 million of which were handguns. Seventy-four percent of those individuals were reported to own more than one firearm. According to the ATF, by the end of 1996 approximately 242 million firearms were available for sale to or were possessed by civilians in the United States. That total includes roughly 72 million handguns (mostly pistols, revolvers, and derringers), 76 million rifles, and 64 million shotguns. By 2000, the number of firearms had increased to approximately 259 million: 92 million handguns, 92 million rifles, and 75 million shotguns. By 2007, the number of firearms had increased to approximately 294 million: 106 million handguns, 105 million rifles, and 83 million shotguns.In the past, most guns available for sale were produced domestically. In recent years, 1 million to 2 million handguns were manufactured each year, along with 1 million to 1.5 million rifles and fewer than 1 million shotguns. From 2001 through 2007, however, handgun imports nearly doubled, from 711,000 to nearly 1.4 million. By 2009, nearly 2.2 million handguns were imported into the United States. From 2001 through 2007, rifle imports increased from 228,000 to 632,000, and shotgun imports increased from 428,000 to 726,000. By 2009, rifle imports had increased to 864,000, but shotguns had decreased 559,000. By the same year, 2009, the estimated total number of firearms available to civilians in the United States had increased to approximately 310 million: 114 million handguns, 110 million rifles, and 86 million shotguns. Per capita, the civilian gun stock has roughly doubled since 1968, from one gun per every two persons to one gun per person.(Emphasis supplied, MBV)Retail prices of guns vary widely, from $75 or less for inexpensive, low-caliber handguns to more than $1,500 for higher-end, standard-production rifles and shotguns. Data are not available on the number of "assault weapons" in private possession or available for sale, but one study estimated that 1.5 million assault weapons were privately owned in 1994. (Krouse, Pages 8 & 9.)
"Per capita, the civilian gun stock has roughly doubled since 1968, from one gun per every two persons to one gun per person."
Not only has the aggregate number of firearms increased but the number of firearms PER PERSON HAS DOUBLED! Well, all I can say is "Give me some more of that old time (gun control) religion."
Now, with Obama's re-election, we are in the middle of another buying frenzy. But do these citizen disarmament freaks learn? Why no. They are busy proposing another more onerous AWB and other restrictions, and if they can't get these through the Congress, it is believed that ATF rule making can accomplish the same results extra-legally.
In military affairs, quantity has a quality all its own.
This quote has been variously attributed to Clausewitz, Lenin and Stalin. Wherever it came from, it is certainly true. Applied to our present situation, it means that after forty-five years of modern American gun restriction efforts the citizen disarmament advocates have managed not only to fail at their primary purpose but THEY HAVE CREATED A STRATEGIC MILITARY FACT that no predatory government can afford to ignore.
Way to go, you collectivist mokes! Keep it up and you'll find out what we've been buying all those firearms for.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 8:04 AM 7 comments:
Saturday, November 24, 2012
FG's Quickie Orlando Gunshow Review - Nov. 24, 2012
From reader FG:
I just returned from the Orlando gunshow. It was an interesting morning.The doors were scheduled to open at 9am, but they actually started letting people inside of the building at 8:50am. At opening, the crowds were light and I walked right in. There were about 5 people ahead of me in line. As is legal in the state of Florida, people were selling privately owned, un-papered weapons both outside of the main entrance, and in the fairground parking lot.The show admission price has increased yet AGAIN, and they're now charging nine dollars. Orlando is now the second highest priced show in the state of FL, with Miami holding the lead at 10 dollars.http://www.floridagunshows.com/events.aspxThe Florida Highway patrol was zip-tie locking the actions of all public weapons entering the show. (This is normal for the Orlando show.)The BATF "we're here to help you" table with two friendly agents is once again back at the Orlando show with plenty of free advice, and heaping stacks of you-paid-for-it-so-take-one, handbills and brochures.The show is held on the fairgrounds proper and they're using two buildings. The main entrance building is the smaller of the two, and the bulk of the firearm vendors seem to be located in the larger, second building.I did a quick walk through to get a feel for prices. As might be expected, prices in general tended to be up. Some shockingly so. The stark reality of another 4 more years of "Barry and company" seems to have settled in both for the vendors, and an anxious gun-buying public.Some quick (new guns) show prices:Colt Patrolman AR-15 Carbine - 1350Glock pistols (prices were all over the map) 515 - 670Kimber Custom 1911, .45acp, stainless - 850Mossberg 12 gauge pump shotgun, pistol grip - 289DSA FAL, in standard length - 1200New - S&W alloy .38 special snub-nose revolver - 375Century AK -670Kel Tec PF-9, 9mm pistol - 289Generic AR-15 carbines (many new local vendors) 650 and upAR-15 pistol (very nice, local FL gunsmith / vendor) 699Colt / Umarex 1911 style .22 pistol - 499Used / surplus gunsSKS - 495 (!!!!)M-1 Garand - 1200 (!!!!!)Bulgarian AK -600Nice Imbel FAL with upgraded wood furniture - 120012 gauge single shot shotguns - 100S&W Model 22 revolver, NRA excellent, .45 acp - 575Used (generic MFG) AR-15 - 650There was plenty of ammo, I only glanced to two prices:.45 acp, JHP, 50 rounds, GA production - 29.38 special - JHP combat, 50 rounds, GA production - 23Misc gear:Ammo cans, G.I .50 cal size - 10-12 dollars (like new)AR-15, 30 round C mags with window- 15 dollars eachAK steel (commie MFG) 30 round mags - 24 dollarsRiser, 1/2 inch, PRC scope PIC mount - 15 dollarsAR-15 handle mount scope PIC rail, PRC MFG - 15 dollarsIn less than an hour, the crowds had gotten so thick in the second building that movement was getting difficult, and it was virtually impossible to get close enough to the vendor's tables to view their wares. I'd had enough.I had to swivel my head with a double take as I left the building. The entrance line was so long that it had doubled back in on itself to fit in the fair courtyard.My very rough guess would place that line at 400 people... or more.Let the buying (and selling) begin.The Orlando gunshow is being held Nov 24-25th at the Orlando state fairgrounds located on 4603 W Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32808.Hours for Sat. are 9 - 5, for Sunday, 10 - 5My advice? Go EARLY.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 7:37 PM 4 comments:
Another Absolved day.
Have been away from the home computer most of all day.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 7:30 PM No comments:
Friday, November 23, 2012
Absolved Day.
More later tomorrow.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 2:09 PM No comments:
Thursday, November 22, 2012
People frightened of tasty animals. Only in a gelded socialist state of Massholes.
Complaints About Turkey Attacks On The Rise In Brookline.
Here in Alabama, the good old boy would be sayin' as he picked up the carcass -- with his shotgun still smokin' -- "And I want ta THANK YOU, you stupid bird."
Posted by Dutchman6 at 3:20 AM 15 comments:
George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1789
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor - and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be - That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks -for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nationfor the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late warfor the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyedfor the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately institutedfor the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions -to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctuallyto render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyedto protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord -To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and usand generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 3:10 AM 2 comments:
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Praxis: Another Surplus Source Recommended. Great price on Woodland Army Sleep Systems.
Just received this via e-mail:
http://www.armygear.net/ag/store/index.html I've used him, as have my friends. Good, clean, GI gear... fairly priced. His price on the 4 piece GI sleep system is a deal. (The shipped sleeping bags appeared brand new.)
Posted by Dutchman6 at 3:31 AM 5 comments:
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Ron Paul: 'Secession is a deeply American principle'
True. But if you think it can happen without violence you mistake the bloody nature of the collectivist butchers we face. Besides, when it starts it will be war to the knife and knife to the hilt. Have no illusions about that either.
LATER: Glenn Reynolds chimes in "A solution to secession fever -- federalism." He's right, the secession petition business is silly. He's wrong assuming that either federalism or secession will be permitted by the collectivist enemies of the Constitution without a bloody civil war. He, too, mistakes their true character.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 8:45 AM 8 comments:
David Codrea: NRA director-supported politician wins gun control award
Norquist's endorsement of Dold in spite of his known anti-gun views while wearing his Americans for Tax Reform hat shows how NRA directors promoting competing advocacy positions can choose one at the expense of another.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 8:31 AM 1 comment:
Monday, November 19, 2012
Praxis: Some pretty good deals here.
A reader brings to my attention Main Gun Military Surplus. They also have a store front at 1661 Doug Barnard Parkway in Augusta GA and do gun shows in GA & SC. Store hours are 9:30 - 6:30, Tuesday thru Saturday. Their phone during business hours is 706-772-5150.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 12:47 PM 2 comments:
David Codrea: Government report anticipates calls for gun control in Congress
The shootings in an Aurora, Colo., theater and the Sikh temple in Milwaukee, Wis., make it "likely that there will be calls in the 112th Congress to reconsider a 1994 ban on semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices," a November 14, 2012 Congressional Research Service report on "Gun Control Legislation" obtained this morning by Gun Rights Examiner reveals.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 9:26 AM 9 comments:
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Oops. FBI marksmanship ain't what it used to be. Thank the Lord.
Shots fired during FBI warrant search in District Heights.
"I'm shouting 'Nobody is armed, nobody has a gun!' and then all of a sudden I heard 'She's got a gun!' and they just opened fire," he says.Hughley says he looked up and saw his daughter standing outside her bedroom in the hallway. Then he heard gunfire."I've got eight holes in my wall. One bullet went past my head, almost hit me, ricocheted off my brick wall and some of the shrap metal hit my little daughter in the back of her neck, all for nothing." says Hughley.Myasia was treated at a local hospital for a flesh wound and released. The Hughley's say none of them were armed an in fact, none of them own guns. They were never told why their home was raided.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 12:15 PM 11 comments:
Kurt Hofmann: Gun-hater calls for forcible disarmament based on ideology
Collectivists deny access to weapons based on ideology so they can kill innocents without fear or restraint.
"I submit that there has been no real solution to this issue as we do not deny access to guns based on ideology."
As I am busy with Absolved, I'm not going to take the time to deal with this twit right now.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 11:50 AM 6 comments:
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Chuck Woolery on "Assault Weapons"
Posted by Dutchman6 at 10:16 PM 2 comments:
Praxis: Paper-thin super material stops flying bullets
So, it merely puts a greater premium on accuracy, terminal ballistics and head shots on predatory goblins. There is no individual panacea for .30-06 AP yet.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 10:14 PM 7 comments:
David Codrea: Secession furor could pose unintended consequences for gun owners
David has an excellent point.
Among the enumerated disqualifying triggers in U.S. Code rendering one a prohibited person, forbidden by federal law to own a gun, is someone "who, having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced his citizenship.""I don't want my name on any lists" is a familiar, albeit ironic and lame excuse some gun owners give for not engaging in activism, as if Americans in general and gun owners in particular are not already on more lists than they could imagine. In this case, the slackers may have a point, depending on how a particular document is worded, and noting who maintains the "We the People" petition site.UPDATE: Some are calling my attention to the formal citizenship renunciation protocol for the United States. This column was intended to show the absurdity of prohibitions on supposedly unalienable rights for non-violent actions, and also to illustrate an apparent paradox as it relates to freedom of political expression. The bottom line is, if anyone actually tries secession, they'd better be able to back it up, or having U.S. Code pulled on them will be the least of their worries.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 9:52 PM 11 comments:
David Codrea: Wounded Warrior Project reverses position, 'welcomes' Gun Talk 'opportunity'
Ooops. Attempting to unscrew the pooch, quickly.
"We welcome the opportunity to have a warrior on Mr. Gresham's show to discuss how hunting or events of the like have supported their recovery," Hay affirmed, reversing the position articulated by the group's public relations director. "We responded too quickly to his request and should have delved a bit deeper."
Posted by Dutchman6 at 9:49 PM No comments:
Back from the hospital.
That went much better than anyone expected. Stent's out, had some more scans afterward to try to locate that pesky pinhole leak in the esophagus, but at least the bloody stent is out (apparently shifted around and caused me much pain when swallowing). Anyway, after the happy juice/gas wore off, I collapsed on the couch at home for a long nap so I'll be working on Absolved this evening for a while. Thanks for all the prayers. -- Mike III
Posted by Dutchman6 at 9:39 PM 5 comments:
Off to the hospital.
Keep me in your prayers.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 7:02 AM 10 comments:
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
David Codrea: Wounded Warrior Project faces fallout after snubbing 'Gun Talk'
In a development that shocked veteran talk show host Tom Gresham of the nationally-syndicated Gun Talk Radio program, the Wounded Warrior Project "declined an interview request on Gun Talk Radio because it's a firearms-related show," the program reported yesterday on its Facebook page.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 9:56 PM 3 comments:
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
David Codrea: Homeland Security Inspector General's report on Fast and Furious still unfiled (and a personal appeal from me).
An important article.
Guys, this is important not just for the article but for this addendum:
If you're a regular Gun Rights Examiner reader and believe it provides news and perspectives you won't find in the mainstream media, please subscribe to this column and help spread the word by sharing links, promoting it on social media like Facebook (David Codrea) and Twitter (@dcodrea), and telling your like-minded friends about it. And for more commentary, be sure to visit "The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance."
The only money David makes on his writing is from hits on his Examiner column. He refuses to accept donations, so don't try to send him any. To send out his links seems a simple thing, but he is not getting enough hits to support his work and could be forced to quit giving his time away and actually go back to the private sector. This would be a huge loss to the gun rights community. Please go to David's Examiner site regularly and share his links. Otherwise, we're going to lose him.
Kurt Hofmann: Anti-gun immigrant chides Americans for 'literal following of the Constitution'
On Monday, Sanghoee published yet another plea for forcible citizen disarmament: "Restoring Sanity: A Desperate Need for Ammunition Control." The column itself holds few surprises for those familiar with the zealotry with which he pursues his anti-gun jihad. What is worth looking at is a comment he left, responding to a reader's comment: "People need to get off their literal following of the constitution [sic] for every single thing."
Why doesn't he have the strength of his convictions and just go back to India and face the next Mumbai with the rest of the disarmed sheep?
Posted by Dutchman6 at 5:27 PM 6 comments:
Monday, November 12, 2012
A quote from H.L Mencken, truer today than when he wrote it.
* Liberty and democracy are eternal enemies, and every one knows it who has ever given any sober reflection to the matter. A democratic state may profess to venerate the name, and even pass laws making it officially sacred, but it simply cannot tolerate the thing. In order to keep any coherence in the governmental process, to prevent the wildest anarchy in thought and act, the government must put limits upon the free play of opinion. In part, it can reach that end by mere propaganda, by the bald force of its authority — that is, by making certain doctrines officially infamous. But in part it must resort to force, i.e., to law. One of the main purposes of laws in a democratic society is to put burdens upon intelligence and reduce it to impotence. Ostensibly, their aim is to penalize anti-social acts; actually their aim is to penalize heretical opinions. At least ninety-five Americans out of every 100 believe that this process is honest and even laudable; it is practically impossible to convince them that there is anything evil in it. In other words, they cannot grasp the concept of liberty. Always they condition it with the doctrine that the state, i.e., the majority, has a sort of right of eminent domain in acts, and even in ideas — that it is perfectly free, whenever it is so disposed, to forbid a man to say what he honestly believes. Whenever his notions show signs of becoming "dangerous," ie, of being heard and attended to, it exercises that prerogative. And the overwhelming majority of citizens believe in supporting it in the outrage. Including especially the Liberals, who pretend — and often quite honestly believe — that they are hot for liberty. They never really are. Deep down in their hearts they know, as good democrats, that liberty would be fatal to democracy — that a government based upon shifting and irrational opinion must keep it within bounds or run a constant risk of disaster. They themselves, as a practical matter, advocate only certain narrow kinds of liberty — liberty, that is, for the persons they happen to favor. The rights of other persons do not seem to interest them. If a law were passed tomorrow taking away the property of a large group of presumably well-to-do persons — say, bondholders of the railroads — without compensation and without even colorable reason, they would not oppose it; they would be in favor of it. The liberty to have and hold property is not one they recognize. They believe only in the liberty to envy, hate and loot the man who has it.
-- "Liberty and Democracy" in the Baltimore Evening Sun (13 April 1925), also in A Second Mencken Chrestomathy : New Selections from the Writings of America's Legendary Editor, Critic, and Wit (1994) edited by Terry Teachout, p. 35
Posted by Dutchman6 at 9:37 PM 11 comments:
Absolved Day.
Sorry, maybe more later. I have to go back to the hospital on Thursday to get my stent removed from my esophagus (and another try at plugging my hole in it). Trying to get as much done before then.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 12:59 PM 2 comments:
Sunday, November 11, 2012
David Codrea: Speculation on Holder replacement puts Deval Patrick on short list
Obama, of course, knows all this. It's why names like these would be foremost in his considerations and reflects that new-found "flexibility" he perceives is his as the restrictions that have always been his goal emerge from "under the radar." He's counting on a supportive media and an establishment Republican leadership that time and again through the years has equated appeasement with pragmatism. He's counting on an attorney general that will help him push whatever he wants through the courts and he's counting on Supreme Court replacements that will let him get away with it.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 9:26 PM 5 comments:
Praxis: If any of you newbies on a budget don't have a 12 Gauge . . .
Just received this email notification from a long-time reader:
Walmart has posted their Black Friday sale and they included this Savage 12-Gauge at only 169 dollars. Not all stores will carry this. (I checked.)I expect a back-order sellout.
And yes, I know it's made in the PRC, but then so is my daughter's pre-ban Kalashnikov and my other daughter's SKS. The Zombies won't care where it came from.
Here's a review from American Rifleman.
A shotgun that can do it all at a price that nearly everyone can afford, the Stevens 320 pump-action was designed for versatility and affordability. Available in two base models and eight total configurations, the 320 platform has variants that can fill all traditional shotgun roles, from tactical to hunting. Imported by Savage Arms from China, the Stevens' design is inspired by the Winchester 1300, ensuring simple, reliable functionality. Priced below the $300 mark, the new offering should appeal to armed citizens and sportsmen alike.The 320 line is comprised of Security and Field models. All the shotguns in the line are 12-gauge pump-actions with 3-inch chambers and side ejection, differing only in barrel length, stock design and sight configuration. The Security line variations have an 18 1/2-inch barrel and can be equipped with a pistol grip stock. Stevens 320s with the pistol grip are available with ghost-ring sights, bead sights or bead sights with a top rail and heat shield. Security models without the pistol grip feature either ghost-ring, bead or rifle-style sights. Field models use a 28-inch barrel with a ventilated rib and front bead sight. The final version is a Field/Security combo that comes with interchangeable 18 1/2- and 28-inch barrels, both with bead sights, and a standard stock. For our evaluation we tested the Stevens 320 Field model.Upon initial inspection it is clear that the Stevens 320 was designed for utility; no frills here. The steel barrel and receiver are finished in matte black, and the polymer stock and fore-end are also black. The lines, as stated before, are nearly identical to the Winchester 1300 pump-action, in fact the most obvious design difference is that instead of checkering the grip, the 320 has straight-line grooves molded into the stock for purchase. The brass bead sight was easy to see when looking down the ventilated rib, and the shotgun pointed well and naturally. At the shoulder, this is not the lightest gun, but at 7 pounds, 11 ounces, it is not the heaviest, either. The overall length is just less than 49 inches, and the length of pull was 13 3/4 inches—certainly within the average range, but there is no means for adjustment. The semi-pistol grip stock is of standard specifications with a 1 3/4-inch drop at comb, and a 2 1/2-inch drop at heel. The hard rubber recoil pad, while serviceable, does not encourage long days spent breaking clays.We found the Stevens 320 to have a surprisingly smooth action and tight lockup, achieved by a four-lug rotary bolt engaging the barrel extension. The pump-action is aided by the dual-bar slide arm assembly. The trigger assembly features an external safety button at the trigger guard's front and a slide lock release button just to the rear and on the left side. The trigger is not adjustable and required a firm 6-pound, 11-ounce pull. The 3-inch chamber will accept either 2 3/4 or 3 inch 12-gauge shells, and the magazine will hold up to four shells, though a plug is provided in order to limit capacity to two. Disassembly is uncomplicated: Unscrew the magazine cap, allowing the barrel to slide forward and off the slide arm; tap out the single trigger guard pin—located just above the trigger—in order to remove the trigger assembly; and remove the slide arm and bolt assembly.For evaluation we used Federal Ammunition's 12-gauge, 2 3/4, 1-ounce Game-Shok with No. 6 shot. Over an RCBS AmmoMaster chronograph at 5 feet, the load yielded an average velocity of 1,312 fps with a standard deviation of 19. For patterning, 10 shots were fired at a target 40 yards distant. The shotgun proved quite capable, averaging a 71 percent hit-ratio within a 30-inch circle and 48 percent in the smaller 21-inch inner ring.Technical evaluation complete, we tested the Stevens against some hand-thrown clay targets and a veritable hodgepodge of 2 3/4-inch, 12-gauge ammunition. Confirming our initial impressions, the 320 swung well and pointed true. It was not picky regarding ammunition, and we experienced no failures to fire in any part of the testing. A few birds were lost, however, due to improper feed or failure to eject. In these cases, the spent hull either was not ejected or, after being ejected the next round did not fully chamber. A little investigation revealed a solution that would remedy those and similar problems encountered with many economy priced pump-actions—elbow grease. This is not a shotgun to be handled lightly, in fact, within the limits of safety; the harder the better. A firm and energetic motion is required to reliably cycle the action and avoid the frustration that comes from watching bright orange saucers land, unbroken, in the field.There should be no doubt that the Stevens 320 pump-action shotgun is purpose-built and priced to sell. With configurations intended for security and sport, shooters of all kinds will find a place in their safes for this gun. But don't expect it to stay there long, as a shotgun as rugged as this will be on the frontlines, doing the dirty work where you wouldn't think of using a prettier gun.
Importer: Stevens, Savage; (413) 568-7001; www.savagearms.comAction Type: pump-action shotgunGauge: 12, 3"Trigger: single-action; 6-lb. 11-oz. pullBarrel: 28"; interchangeable choke tubes (modified included)Sights: ventilated rib with brass front beadStock: Polymer; length of pull: 13¾"; drop at comb: 1¾"; drop at heel: 2½"Magazine: four-round capacity, includes magazine plugOverall Length: 48¾"Weight: 7 lbs., 11 ozs.Accessories: owner's manualSuggested Retail Price: $235 to $260 (depending on configuration)
Posted by Dutchman6 at 6:14 PM 10 comments:
Blaming the messenger while the neo-Nazi and Klan leadership chortles.
White Aryan Resistance leader Dennis Mahon.
Brent J. Budowsky takes Matt Drudge to task, "Dear Matt Drudge: Stop the race stories."
Budowsky is a former Democrat congressional hack/staffer and political opinion writer and blogger for publications including The Hill, the LA Progressive, and The Huffington Post. He writes Drudge:
Am I suggesting you are giving aid and comfort to those who are racist, or those who play the politics of race for partisan gain? Absolutely. You bet. A visit to the Drudge Report at any given time in recent months bears witness to story after story, time and time again, day after day, week after week, month after month, of a laundry list of stories with racial innuendo and suggestion and implication that I would like to believe are below the standards you would set for yourself and your profession.
I guess he's talking about stories like this and especially similar stories that make up Colin Flaherty's book "White Girl Bleed a Lot": The return of racial violence and how the media ignore it.
Presumably Budowsky finds books describing the unapologetic anti-white racist behavior of the Holder "Justice" Department such as Injustice: Exposing the Racial Agenda of the Obama Justice Department by J. Christian Adams objectionable too.
Now, place that into the context of the Democrat triumphalism about how "angry white men" are now going to be permanently disenfranchised by the new coalition of blacks and Latinos -- that 2012 was their last chance to use politics to impose their "racial patriarchy" on all those "people of color" and the LGTB folks.
If the statistics show that there is one heckuva lot more racially motivated attacks by blacks on whites (and they do), and that local, state and federal authorities are reluctant to bring those attackers to justice because it is not politically correct (see current Flaherty WND link above) AND that people like Budowsky are trying to get others to shut up about it -- essentially, to cover it all up -- then you've got a perfect petri dish for ethnic cleansing in this country. Did you think there was some sort of house rule against it? Why it is already happening in Los Angeles, with Latino gangs murdering blacks and driving them out of neighborhoods.
Back in the 90s, I was talking on the telephone to White Aryan Resistance leader Dennis Mahon, who was trying to convince me how easy it would be to start a race war in this country, "We'll just go into white working class neighborhoods in blackface and do drive-bys, then we'll clean it off and go into black neighborhoods and do the same thing." Mahon, who sits today in a federal prison, was convinced his plan would work. I didn't think so back then. Now, after 20 more years of PC and anti-white racism, especially after 4 years of the Holder regime, I think his plan just might work.
My sources say that the folks who are most tickled pink about the re-election of Obama are not Democrats but the intellectual leadership of the neo-Nazi and Klan organizations. They believe that four more years of Obama should give them the right conditions to enact ethnic cleansing.
If there is a confluence of a rising tide of racial violence from blacks and Latinos against white folks, and a deliberate refusal of the "legal authorities" to deal with it combined with a very real sense of complete political disenfranchisement, then some white folks -- prodded by the Klan and neo-Nazis -- may decide to settle the next election by driving out that part of the electorate beforehand. It has happened before in this country.
(See, among others, Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War or Buried in the Bitter Waters: The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America by Elliot Jaspin.)
My own history of fighting against the Klan and neo-Nazis as part of the Constitutional militia movement is a matter of record. (See also To Shake Their Guns in the Tyrant's Face: Libertarian Political Violence and the Origins of the Militia Movement by Professor Robert H. Churchill.)
But the titanic forces that the racists of all colors want to unleash and that politically-correct Democrat party hacks like Budowsky want to cover up despite the plain reality that everyone understands will sweep all the best intentions away as everyone begins to believe that people of a different color who are trying to kill them must themselves be killed in "preemptive self-defense."
And, somewhere, Dennis Mahon will be laughing.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 5:23 AM 14 comments:
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Allen West Seeks Recount Amid Growing Vote Count Scandal
On election night incumbent Republican Allen West had maintained a district-wide lead of nearly 2000 votes until St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections Gertrude Walker inexplicably "recounted" thousands of early ballots, resulting in 4,400 vote shift to the challenger. Observers on the scene say the process is biased and the election results are fatally compromised. Mr. West is asking a court to impound the ballots and order a recount.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 4:25 PM 4 comments:
Friday, November 9, 2012
David Codrea: Stolen gun report a sign of things to come from Obama's second term
A report released yesterday by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in Washington claims "About 1.4 million firearms were stolen during household burglaries and other property crimes over the six-year period from 2005 through 2010.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 3:24 PM 9 comments:
Easier to quit over a failure to keep your dick in your pants than it is to admit criminal complicity in the Benghazi affair.
David Petraeus resigns as CIA director. I haven't had much for him since he sold his soul to Obama.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 3:02 PM 9 comments:
Pat Buchanan asks, Is the GOP Headed for the Boneyard?
Where GOP politicians are grown.
I hope so. But shouldn't it read "boneless yard"? They don't have a spine among them.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 7:03 AM 4 comments:
David Codrea: Feinstein rumored to be pushing semi-auto ban if Obama reelected
I love it. This ought to ensure massive resistance.
David reports Feinstein plans on:
- - No pistol grip allowed- - No HC Mags- - No grandfathering- - No sale permissible if in possession
Go for it, collectivist bitch.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 6:36 AM 20 comments:
David Codrea: Obama victory diminishes chances to determine whole Fast and Furious truth
Well, we bought two years delay with it, anyway. I hope y'all used it wisely.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 6:27 AM 2 comments:
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Oh my aching ass.
Having blocked voter ID laws and successfully covered up the Fast and Furious scandal, Holder mulls whether to continue second term in Obama administration.
But don't celebrate yet, because another F&F co-conspirator is slated for the post: Napolitano floated for attorney general.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 3:33 PM 8 comments:
Another Absolved day.
Sorry. May have some posts later tonight.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 3:28 PM No comments:
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
From John Richardson: It Begins.
It looks like the Obama Administration with their new found "mandate" isn't going to wait until the second term actually begins to start work on more gun control.
U.N. delegates and gun control activists have complained that negotiations collapsed in July largely because Obama feared attacks from Republican rival Mitt Romney if his administration was seen as supporting the pact, a charge the United States denies.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 7:06 PM 12 comments:
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
One thing should be clear to everybody, if it wasn't before.
If you are a Christian, an observant Jew, a "conservative," a libertarian, a firearm owner, a veteran, a businessman -- you are all now officially a despised -- if not yet hunted -- minority in your own country. The lawbreakers, Eric Holder, Janet Napolitano, et. al., now define what is "legal" and can no longer be restrained by politics. (What are all you Prags going to do with your great Heller "victory" when Obama has two or three more Supremes?)
More tomorrow. But for now, stock up on ammunition. You're likely going to need it to defend your lives and liberty and it will only get more expensive from here on.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 11:27 PM 32 comments:
At least later on you can say you tried everything else before you were forced to shoot people in righteous self-defense of life and liberty. Vote.
LATER: George Soros' Media Mercenaries react: On Election Day, Past Fox Guest Mike Vanderboegh Predicts Anti-Government Violence
Posted by Dutchman6 at 7:33 AM 24 comments:
David Codrea: Gun ban group goes nuclear in latest hysterical attack on rights advocate
Horwitz then reveals the real purpose of his feint on Kurt was to use it as a beachhead to launch an assault on Mike Vanderboegh, another proponent of the right of the people to resist murderous tyranny, and one who differs significantly from his CSGV detractors in that he's cautioned his readers many times that there must be "No Fort Sumters," meaning the initiation of force must come from the side who would use it to strip Americans of their liberty, and importantly, "No Oklahoma Cities," meaning that the type of mass murder CSGV glosses over when their friends bring up nuking the heartland is incompatible with moral defensive actions against aggressors.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 1:41 AM 7 comments:
Monday, November 5, 2012
General Sebastian Snowflake, commander of the on-line Prag Army, is "perfectly fine with CSGV criticizing the 'III percent' philosophy of Mike Vanderboegh."
General Sebastian Snowflake, commander of the on-line Prag Army, posing at Valley Forge.
Sebastian plays kiss-kiss with the government-monopoly-of-violence advocates at CSGV. "Take Julia! Take Julia!"
Just got this link with the header "sNOballs just threw you under the bus in front of the leftists. Maybe they'll like him now."
"CSGV has been attempting for quite some time to silence and intimidate Second Amendment bloggers, especially those who use pen names, by finding out and publishing their real names online. You will note that most of those bloggers are defending the notion of free speech and expression; the right to tell people to read a book (published by our government no less) and to speak out for what they believe, even if what they believe are not popular ideas.I would be perfectly fine with CSGV criticizing the "III percent" philosophy of Mike Vanderboegh. I have done so myself on several occasions. What we're not OK is trying to cajole the FBI and publisher to silence unpopular viewpoints. As we defend the Second Amendment, we also defend the First, and the way to deal with unpopular or even dangerous speech is biting criticism. But CSGV ran out of that a long time ago, and has since been erecting straw men and tearing them down, and building up this boogie man that they claim are Second Amendment bloggers."
Posted by Dutchman6 at 8:48 PM 6 comments:
An Unrepentant Kurt Hofmann: CSGV equates knowledge with 'insurrection,' wants it suppressed
In fact, when National Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea asked CSGV on Twitter to cite a quote from the article in question that would provide some evidence of their charges, they (hilariously) declined: "We're not pointing to a specific quote. We're referring to his blog as a whole." In other words, "Take our word for it about what he meant, despite the fact that he never said it."
Posted by Dutchman6 at 5:41 PM 5 comments:
CAUTION: David Codrea's email infected with virus.
Do not open any attachments until he gets things straightened out.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 5:30 PM 2 comments:
John Richardson reacts to Comrade Horwitz, "totalitarian thug."
Horwitz' idea of the First Amendment.
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution And CSGV.
There are times that I think that Josh Horwitz of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (sic) gets his ideas from outerspace and there are times I think he channels his inner Maoist student revolutionary. Today it appears he is looking to Chairman Mao and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution for his inspiration.The stated goal of the Cultural Revolution was to enforce orthodoxy and to wipe out those who deviated from it. In China's case, it meant Communist orthodoxy. One of the hallmarks of the Cultural Revolution was the public denunciation of those who may have deviated from this orthodoxy. So it is with Josh Horwitz who would have made a good Red Guard. . .The real target of Horwitz is not Kurt and not the other gun bloggers. It is Mike Vanderboegh. Horwitz devoted as much time attacking Mike and his online novel Absolved as he did the rest of us. That Horwitz feels so threatened by a middle-aged man who is in tremendously poor health is telling.After reading the post and the comments, it is obvious to me that they hate the First Amendment as much as they do the Second Amendment. To be more precise, Josh Horwitz and his erstwhile Red Guard believe in freedom of speech for themselves but not for those who deviate from their notion of orthodoxy. Those of us who deviate must be silenced, denounced, and made to confess our sins. . .Josh Horwitz is just as much a totalitarian thug as the rest of his minions at CSGV. No amount of education at "the better schools" will ever change that.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 5:29 PM 1 comment:
Another whole alternate universe heard from. Lying sack of excrement and government monopoly of force advocate Josh Horwitz conflates "The Window War" with my novel.
Josh Horwitz's Perfect World: A Government Monopoly of Violence.
On Eve of Election, Pro-Gunners Suggest Building IEDs for War With U.S. Government
I'll have more on this later.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 7:24 AM 10 comments:
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Night in the medieval city. In New York's Public Housing, Fear Creeps In With the Dark. Defending yourself from looters with boa constrictors?
Police cars have been patrolling the housing projects but officers have not been getting out of their cars, one of his friends said. "They are as scared as us," he said.
And here's another one from Queens:
Queens residents arm themselves in the post-storm blackout from looters.Keone Singlehurst, 42, who lives in a bungalow on Beach 87th Street in the Rockaways, says he wouldn't hesitate to use a bow on a looter.When night falls in the Rockaways, the hoods come out.Ever since Sandy strafed the Queens peninsula and tore up the boardwalk, it's become an often lawless place where cops are even scarcer than electrical power and food. Locals say they are arming themselves with guns, baseball bats, booby traps — even a bow and arrow — to defend against looters.Thugs have been masquerading as Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) workers, knocking on doors in the dead of night. But locals say the real workers have been nowhere in sight, causing at least one elected official — who fears a descent into anarchy if help doesn't arrive soon — to call for the city to investigate the utility.Further exacerbating desperate conditions, it could take at least a month to repair the the bridge that connects the Rockaways to the city subway system, officials said."We booby-trapped our door and keep a baseball bat beside our bed," said Danielle Harris, 34, rummaging through donated supplies as children rode scooters along half-block chunk of the boardwalk that had marooned into the middle of Beach 91st St."We heard gunshots for three nights in a row," said Harris, who believed they came from the nearby housing projects.Carly Ruggieri, 27, who lives in water-damaged house on the block, said she barricades her door with a bed frame. "There have been people in power department uniforms knocking on doors and asking if they're okay, but at midnight."And another local surfer said he has knives, a machete and a bow and arrow on the ready. Gunshots and slow-rolling cars have become a common fixture of the night since Hurricane Sandy."I would take a looter with a boa.* If I felt threatened I would definitely use it," said Keone Singlehurst, 42. "Its like the Wild West. A borderline lawless situation."City Councilman James Sanders (D-Far Rockaway) said he fears the situation will devolve into anarchy."We have an explosive mix here," said Sanders. "People will take matters into their own hands."Walter Meyer, 37, lives in Park Slope but often surfs in the Rockaways. He said it's not the place it was before the storm."After sunset everyone locks their doors," said Meyer, as he loaded up a solar panel from a factory in the Brooklyn Navy Yard to bring to local residents. "They're trying to find whatever weapons they can find. Some people are even using bows and arrows."
* MBV Note: I rather suspect he said "bow" and this idiot "journalist" with a non-existent editor wrote "boa."
Posted by Dutchman6 at 4:45 PM 15 comments:
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Bill Maher Solicits Race War. Warns Romney Supporters: 'Black People Know Who You Are and They Will Come After You'.
"If you're thinking about voting for Mitt Romney, I would like to make this one plea: black people know who you are and they will come after you"
Notice he's not offering his narrow white ass as a target of opportunity.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 9:14 PM 15 comments:
B'klyn bat man: Run, looters!
Reporter once again advertises firearm ignorance.
Jacinto Gonzalez stands guard against looters in Coney Island.
Hardened New Yorkers are ready to battle lowlife criminals to protect their homes and stores in storm-ravaged areas plagued by looting and break-ins.In Coney Island, several residents were loading up their guns, sharpening their machetes and brandishing other deadly weapons.Jacinto Gonzalez, 42, picked up a baseball bat and stood guard outside his two-story rowhouse on West 27th Street near Neptune Avenue with his family.Another Coney Island resident, Roberto Aviles, brandishing a rusty 3-foot machete and warning he has a gun, who has lived in Coney Island since 1995 with his wife, says he's ready to take on phony burglars posing as Con Ed workers."I'm prepared inside here," the 76-year-old Aviles said, showing off his rusted, three-foot machete and warning he had a gun.Chris Lane, a 50-year-old resident of the Coney Island Houses, put together a small arsenal with his double pump action gun.
A "double pump action gun"?
Posted by Dutchman6 at 9:09 PM 12 comments:
Bugger the bastards. I hope all the New Yaarkers who are freezing their asses off this weekend take it out on IBEW. "Ala. utility, Fla. crewman blame electricians' union for interfering with Hurricane Sandy relief."
Nice. The audio played on the Hannity show on Friday was from a strike in 2011. This happened this past week.
Decatur Utilities in Decatur, Ala. told Huntsville's WAFF-TV Thursday evening that its crews were denied the opportunity to work in Seaside Heights, N.J. because they're not affiliated with a union. Some of those workers, the company said, headed home. Others remained at a staging area in Roanoke, Va.And on Friday the company doubled down, with general manager Ray Hardin telling Fox Business Network's Stuart Varney that "we were presented with documents from IBEW that required our folks to affiliate with the union. And [that's] something that we could not agree to. And it was our understanding, and still is, that that was a requirement of working in that area."A Central Florida utility lineman who insisted on remaining anonymous told TheDC in a phone interview Friday that his 12-person crew waited "all day yesterday" for their bosses to sort through the IBEW's demands."It was like, 'What's the hold up?' he said. "It turns out there was a 300-page contract that the union controlling LIPA [the Long Island Power Authority] wanted everybody to sign first. We don't have time for that. We've got guys ready to go."
Posted by Dutchman6 at 9:00 PM 2 comments:
Kurt Hofmann: "Coalition to Stop Gun Violence lowers bar on what constitutes 'liberty.'" Also, I'm jealous. I am now merely a "pathetic traitor."
Worse than that, check out this from CSGV. The government monopoly of violence advocates now consider Kurt more of a threat than me. I'm jealous. I am now merely a "pathetic traitor."
That's okay. Wait'll they get a load of the new Absolved.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 8:47 PM 5 comments:
Another Absolved Day.
Sorry. As long as I'm on a roll I can't stop.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 8:37 PM 5 comments:
Friday, November 2, 2012
Sorry, folks, but today was an Absolved day.
Do better tomorrow.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 9:51 PM 7 comments:
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Removing the moral disincentive for American genocide.
Obama's inauguration reverend: All whites are going to hell.
All white people are going to hell, longtime African-American civil rights advocate Rev. Joseph Lowery told an audience at a get-out-the-vote event held Oct. 27 in Georgia.Lowery, who gave the benediction at the January 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama, told the audience of up to 300 African-Americans "that when he was a young militant, he used to say all white folks were going to hell. Then he mellowed and just said most of them were. Now, he said, he is back to where he was," according to an Oct. 31 report in the Monroe County Reporter newspaper."I don't know what kind of a n—– wouldn't vote with a black man running," Lowery also told the audience in the St. James Baptist Church in Forsyth, Ga., according to the Reporter.
This is an interesting position for a so-called Christian minister to take, but it even has another more startling feature -- It removes the moral disincentive for American genocide against black folks. I mean, if we're all going to hell anyway and there is no saving grace of Jesus Christ available to white folks (a position I of course reject, but Lowery seemingly does not), then all black folks can be killed without Divine punishment, right? Is this really what Lowery has in mind?
Posted by Dutchman6 at 8:59 AM 13 comments:
David Codrea: Texas church bludgeoning shows no place is safe from violence
A pastor of a North Texas church has been beaten to death by an assailant using an electric guitar, The Dallas Morning News reported yesterday. Rev. Danny Kirk of the Greater Sweethome Missionary Baptist Church in Forest Hill was killed and a church custodian suffered a broken jaw after their attacker rammed his car into the building, jumped out and went after them. It took the arrival of police to stop the attack, but by then, the damage to the victims had been done.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 8:49 AM No comments:
Kurt Hofmann: 'The guys with the guns make the rules'; anti-gun groups know it, prefer it
And it's all an act. Every one of these anti-gun groups supports the power of government to enforce its will on the people through force of arms. CSGV is quite explicit about it, with constant demands for a "government monopoly on force." And CSGV, the distaste for "gun violence" implied by the group's name notwithstanding, is not the least bit shy about wanting the government to use that force.
Posted by Dutchman6 at 8:35 AM No comments:
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|Detective Mark McPherson (Andrews) assigned to the murder investigation of the late Laura Hunt (Tierney) finds himself falling in love with her painted portrait and discovering some surprising facts. Superb collaboration by excellent cast and fine director. Superior suspense yarn, enhanced by a love story. Based on the novel by Vera Caspary. Rouben Mamoulian was the original director, then Preminger finished the film.
|Directed by:
|Otto Preminger
|Otto Preminger
|Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Lane Chandler, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson, Grant Mitchell, Dorothy Adams, Ron Dunn, Clyde Fillmore, James Flavin


text: Hi! This is Laurie from RecipeTips.com. Today I am going to show you an easy way to keep your foods chilled for a buffet or picnic. Decide what kind of container you want to serve your food item in and then just simply place and icepack in the bottom of it or you can use a Ziploc bag full of ice cubes or you can also fill a Ziploc full of water and freeze it overnight so it is a solid piece of ice. Then just take a tea towel and lay it in the bottom of over the icepack; then just place your food item on top of the icepack and it will keep it chilled while serving. If you would rather not have it in a container and want to serve it right on the table, just take your ice bag, cover it with a tea towel, and your food can sit directly on top on the buffet table. For more great food serving tips, visit RecipeTips.com.


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An essay, Silence is a Woman, by my friend Wambui Mwangi posted on "The New Inquiry" reports that, "On April 1, 2013, a woman passenger got off a matatu at the bus stop in Nyeri, a town in central Kenya, and was assaulted by men variously described as 'a group,' 'a crowd,' 'a mob,' or simply as 'matatu touts.' The media report was that the woman was attacked and raped because the men judged her "indecently dressed." The 'matatu touts' tore off her outer clothes, ripped apart her underwear and forcefully inserted sticks, mud, dirt and their fingers into her genitals. They taunted her that they were helping her achieve her goal, as the way she was dressed showed that she had wanted to show off her body."
Silence… Silence… Silence… Deep sigh!
Reading and digesting Silence is a Woman overwhelmed me with feelings and emotions that ranged from anger to despondency. This essay is potent with several important themes but for the purpose of this writing, I will focus on the theme of violence against women perhaps inspired by misogyny along with its rather prominent yet subtle screaming offshoot, silence. Mwangi's essay faithfully delivers a poignant cry that serves as a timely awakening and incantation of the spirit of what I consider the emancipatory phenomenon, VOICE.
According to Wikipedia, the Encyclopedia of Feminist Theories (1st ed.) defines misogyny as "the hatred or dislike of women or girls" and asserts that "misogyny can be manifested in numerous ways, including sexual discrimination, denigration of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification of women." Wikipedia also outlines that "the phrase 'violence against women' is a technical term used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women. Similar to a hate crime, this type of violence targets a specific group with the victim's gender as a primary motive. In her chapter "Women's Reproductive and Sexual Rights" in the book Gender Violence and Women's Human Rights in Africa, Nahid Toubia defines violence as "… an amorphous entity-not only as acts of aggression, but as a failure to recognize the existence of fundamental human rights-which can manifest itself in any number of ways; I am talking about the need to locate violent acts within the much larger context of rights violation. Defining violence in this way allows us to address the record of violence against women as one not composed of a series of instances of abuse, however various and related these maybe, but as one located in a broad social and political context in which not only men but women-and society as a whole-act to perpetuate systems which result in various forms of abuse".
Mwangi's essay feels extremely relevant in the wake of the horrors girls and women continue to experience as confirmed by reports in Kenyan mainstream and social media discussing a rise in violence against women in Kenya. The Kenya Forum on April 11th 2013 reported, "Gender violence, particular gender-based violence against women, is on the rise in Kenya, according to the annual report released by Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC) last week… Sexual abuse the GVRC report says is the most commonly reported form of abuse suffered by victims. Between 2011 and 2012, of all the cases reported 2,532 were sexual and 422 physical violence, and of these 90 per cent of all reported cases of gender violence are reported by women and girls, 10 per cent by men or boys. "Women and girls bore the greatest burden of pain and suffering," said Grace Wangechi, GVRC Executive Director, regarding the report's findings."
Mwangi concurs, "As Keguro Macharia observes, violence against women in Kenya is so entrenched as to be unsurprising, un-extraordinary, banal." For instance, the escalating Dandora gang rapes have now been seemingly enculturated and fully endowed with the ever-important cultural symbol of language as reflected in the term they are known by: "kuchotwa." "Kuchotwa" is a Swahili term derived from the verb "chota" meaning "fetch" (like fetching water). So "kuchotwa" is essentially in direct translation "to be fetched." "Chota" or "fetch" is a verb that, I think, connotes acquiring something, perhaps inert or passive in nature that one (the fetcher) might be entitled to, unless of course, "fetched" by force and at one's discretion and therefore, without the permission of the owner of the target being "fetched."
While writing this article, I wasn't sure whether there is such a term as "fetcher" but to my surprise urbandictionary.com defines "fetcher" as "a generally despicable person," "a person who receives a lucky break/opportunity that you were hoping for" or "another word to use as an insult…" and "related words: Loser, Idiot, Poopface…" This interpretation of the term "fetcher" is not my intended use of the term. I struggled with making the decision whether to include this definition of the term "fetcher" in this article but eventually, I reconciled that it is important that I explicitly disclose my intended use of this term.
On the other hand, oxforddictionaries.com classifies "fetcher" as a "derivative" "noun" of the verb "fetch" which is defined (with object) as "go for and then bring back (someone or something) for someone." It further defines "fetch" as "achieve (a particular price) when sold" and provides an example "the land could fetch over a million pounds." The absurdity herein, if only going by the semantics of the lexicon is that this term "kuchotwa" is not being used to refer to a thing – an IT. It is being used to describe an action of unleashing violence upon persons, human beings – teenage girls in Dandora in the outskirts of Nairobi. A term that harbors the unbearable weight of an arbor that continues to indignantly, often silently belabor the hearts, minds and souls of many within the circles of the female half of humanity with limited but critical support from some of our counterparts within the male half of humanity.
While I am aware that using the term "kuchotwa" to mean "gang rape" in Dandora was perhaps coined outside the realm of consideration for its English translation and interpretation, I find the term rather interestingly situated in this discourse. Taking the term "fetch" or "kuchotwa" in its literal sense, I cannot escape the inclination to think and feel that whether stated in English or Swahili it infers that the target to be "fetched" is an object and therefore reveals an objectification of girls and women to paint a visible trait of a society that squarely rots in misogyny. The idea that one human being could find it appropriate to "fetch" another human being at his discretion and without regard for or permission of and from the "fetched" is in my mildest observation, abhorrent.
Now, to think that we are actually talking about human beings – a boy or man abducting, stripping and or raping a girl or woman, totally disregarding her choice, voice and consent is abominable but shockingly frequent in Kenya. Abducting, stripping and raping girls and women for one's instant sexual consumption and gratification or to justify and satisfy some twisted and misguided self-righteous morality is not only abysmal but deeply violating to the victims by every measure of our humanity.
The Kenya Forum reports, "Culture has been cited as the leading cause of violence against women. Some men it seems still subscribe to outdated traditions e.g. that battering a woman is seen as a way of discipline and is acceptable. Financial insecurity has also been said to be a factor. The role of a man has been established as that of a leader and a provider and in some cases where a man fails to establish his authority in these areas, he ends up resorting to physical abuse. Alcohol and drugs have also led many men, unfortunately, into violence against women."
To be continued in Part II of this article.
Read other posts by Kerubo Abuya
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Monday within the Octave of Easter
O God, who give constant increase to your Church by new offspring, grant that your servants may hold fast in their lives to the Sacrament they have received in faith. Through our Lord.
* * * * * *
|Icon of St. Mark the Evangelist (Emmanuel Tzanes, c. 1657)
O God, who raised up Saint Mark, your Evangelist, and endowed him with the grace to preach the Gospel, grant, we pray, that we may also profit from his teaching as to follow faithfully in the footsteps of Christ. Who lives and reigns with you.
The Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist is not observed this year as it falls in Easter Week, each day of which is a solemn celebration of the Risen Lord.
However, it was on his feast day in 1995 that I was ordained a bishop in Toronto's St. Michael's Cathedral by Archbishop (later Cardinal) Aloysius Ambrozic, the co-consecrators being the late Bishop Thomas Fulton (who had ordained me a deacon and a priest in December 1971 and June 1972) and Bishop Attila Mikloshazy, S.J., who had been my professor of liturgy and theology at Regis College. Long-time friend, Archbishop James Martin Hayes of Halifax gave the homily on that joyous occasion.
So I thank the Lord for these happy, fulfilling and challenging sixteen years in episcopal service. the last four here in Ottawa.
However, this is also the year of another personal anniversary, that of Fifty Years in consecrated life. My confreres, Brother Gerald Horan and Fathers R. Frank Obrigewitsch, Joseph G. Schner and I entered the Society of Jesus at Ignatius College in Guelph, ON in 1961.
|Mass of Thanksgiving in St. David's Church, Maple
On April 13, several hundred family, friends and benefactors of the English-speaking Jesuit Province came together in the Toronto area to attend the Jesuit Provincial's Dinner (a fund-raising event in support of the young men in formation and the seniors in the Province Infirmary, who include quite recently Bishop Mikloshazy).
While all the jubilarians are in mind (we have men celebrating 50, 60, 70, 75 and 80 years in the order, as well as 25, 50 and 60 years in the Priesthood), the emphasis falls on the Golden Jubilarians. Here are some photos taken on the occasion (thanks to Marc de Assis, S.J.):
|Left to right: niece Patricia Lawson, brother Vince, sisters-in-law Barbara and Renee
|with nephews Tim Prendergast and Mark Bayfield
|the family table...
|grace before the meal...
|with friends Vicki, Leanne, Fr. Tom (back) and Ann (seated)...
The recurrence of anniversaries remind us of our gratitude owed, in my case I am truly thankful to God and Our Lord Jesus Christ, to my family and to so many who have been involved in my priestly formation and whom it has been my pleassure to meet in the various place where my ministry has taken me (principally in Guelph, New York, Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Regina, Rome, Jerusalem, Ottawa).
The words of St. Paul express the prayer I treasure--"I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now" (Philippians 1.3-5)--as do the words of the psalmist, which find an echo in my heart this day and this year:
What shall I return to the Lord
for all his bounty to me?
I will lift up the chalice of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
(Psalm 116.12-14)


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Mark Zuckerberg has outlined a series of measures that should help prevent fake news from being shared on Facebook.
The planned controls, which were announced in a late night Facebook post, follow accusations that a flood of fake news stories influenced the U.S. presidential election.
"The bottom line is: we take misinformation seriously," wrote Zuckerberg. "We take this responsibility seriously. We've made significant progress, but there is more work to be done."
The CEO said that Facebook is working to develop stronger fake news detection, a warning system, easier reporting and technical ways to classify misinformation. Facebook has also been in contact with fact checking organizations.
For Zuckerberg, it's a sharp reversal in tone from comments made in the immediate aftermath of the election.
"I think the idea that fake news on Facebook — of which it's a small amount of content — influenced the election in any way is a pretty crazy idea," he said last week.
Related: Facebook is well aware that it can influence elections
Zuckerberg has come under pressure to do more to fight the fake news scourge. Some former employees said the CEO's public comments even contradicts Facebook's pitch to advertisers.
The site's core business is built on the premise that advertisers can use Facebook's targeting tools to show the right users the right message at the right time leading to the right outcome. If it works for advertisers, shouldn't it also work for political campaigns?
Zuckerberg's latest post makes clear that Facebook does not want to play the role of an editor.
"The problems here are complex, both technically and philosophically," he said. "We do not want to be arbiters of truth ourselves, but instead rely on our community and trusted third parties."
Related: Did the internet elect the president?
Zuckerberg did not say how quickly the measures would be in place. But they should make it much easier for users to flag misleading content — similar to the way cyberbullying can be reported with a single click on some social media.
The social media giant is also working to undermine the business model used by fake news publishers.
Facebook said earlier this week that it would not place ads from fake news publishers on third party apps or websites, because the content falls under the broader category of "illegal, misleading or deceptive" content. Google has taken similar steps.
"Some of these ideas will work well, and some will not," Zuckerberg admitted. "We understand how important the issue is for our community and we are committed to getting this right."
— Seth Fiegerman contributed reporting.
CNNMoney (London) First published November 19, 2016: 5:01 AM ET


text:
Learning Python for Sage
Hi, I'm no expert in Python or Sage, but I want to learn Python specifically to help with Sage. I bought a book on Python programming and I'm trying out some of the stuff in Sage. But, some of it doesn't seem to work. So, I'm wondering... is this because Sage doesn't use Python 3 yet, or are there just some things with Python that don't work in Sage? If it's the second one, how can I know what's going to work and what's not? For example, in the book I have it says I should be able to do:
print("stuff stuff", end = " ")
print("stuff stuff")
and the effect is that instead of ending the print statement with "\n", it ends with a space so the second print statement prints on the same line. But, doing this in Sage 4.7 results in a syntax error, and it appears to not like the =.


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With the Iraq war fading into memory even as the country still simmers, the U.S. peace movement faces the need to reframe its message.
We have spent the last 10 years resisting the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – tragedies that have not only devastated those two countries and taken tens of thousands of lives, but have left thousands of returning veterans with lifelong disabilities and taken a huge toll on our national economy.
We've exposed nuclear weapons' threat to human survival, organized against sanctions and war on Iran and the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and built alliances with labor and community groups to cut the military budget.
We've opposed lawless torture and drone killings, cyber-warfare attacks, and the U.S. "pivot," which seeks to encircle China with military bases.
These campaigns are important, but they primarily arouse internationals, longtime activists, and leftists, not the indignation of millions. To get out of the echo chamber, we need to present a vision of a democratic foreign and security policy that would tie our many campaigns together into a coherent whole, from the local to the global.
Such a platform would provide hope to the many who sense that something is wrong with corporate capitalism, with U.S. foreign policy, and with the military-industrial complex. It would set the basis for a principled alliance between the peace movement and the labor, immigrant rights, women's, economic, social, and racial justice movements that are its natural allies.
In short, the peace movement needs to make it clear not only what we are against, but what we are for.
A Hegemonic Foreign Policy in a Unipolar World
The organizing principle of U.S. foreign policy since the end of the Cold War has been to ensure that every nation in the world stays within a security structure managed and controlled by Washington. Nations, regardless of their ideological orientation, that refuse to follow U.S. wishes find themselves demonized and pressured to conform, while nations whose states are not centralized enough to control their territory are called "failed states" and are subjected to often counterproductive "nation building."
In colloquial terms, Washington seeks to act as the world's policeman. Defenders of U.S. hegemony often darkly warn of the disorder that might result if the United States did not shoulder this difficult task. They offer the 9/11 attacks as the ultimate darkness to spring from an unpoliced world, limiting the national security debate between Democrats and Republicans to what MIT scholar Barry Posen calls "the modalities of hegemony."
But when it comes to any meaningful discussion of whether the United States has any business running the rest of the world, the silence is deafening. Congress and the mainstream media almost never discuss why the United States should maintain a global force structure, why it needs to station an estimated 1,000 bases in over 100 countries, why it requires exorbitantly expensive weapons systems, or why it has a "vital interest" in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, or in the region surrounding China. These questions are never asked because of the ruling elite's consensus on the need for hegemony.
It is true that most Americans still fear terrorism and, more generally. foreign threats to their security. Opinion makers have cultivated these fears in every possible way since 9/11, with terrorism replacing Communism as a bogey-man justifying the policy of hegemony, or what Stephen Walt calls "deep engagement."
Yet polls also consistently show that majorities of Americans support cutting the military budget instead of Social Security, Medicare, or other essential programs. That tells us that while people think the military might keep them safe, they are absolutely sure that Social Security does.
In other words, support for the hegemonic foreign policy is soft. But to crack the hegemonic consensus, the peace movement must offer an alternative to hegemony that offers real security to the American people — a new democratic foreign policy that does a better job than hegemony of providing human security.
Hegemony and Empire
Hegemony is not just a transitory policy of U.S. elites trying to secure the homeland in the most effective way possible. On the contrary, the United States' hegemonic foreign policy is tied to its leadership of the global economic system that has been in place since at least 1945.
With the world as a single market, capitalist firms can reap profits from worldwide production. They can produce wherever the cost of production is least, paying workers in underdeveloped countries a pittance. They can build global production and distribution chains, integrating capitalist firms in various countries into a single network. They can sell their products to a market of at least 3 billion people throughout the world with disposable income, creating world-wide monopoly corporations of unprecedented scale. Monopoly, not the so-called "free market," is the most advantageous arrangement for capital, because it allows for relatively stable, profitable production untroubled by competitors.
U.S. hegemonic military power has provided the framework for that single market. As globalization enthusiast Tom Friedman explained in 1999, "[S]ustainable globalization still requires a stable, geopolitical power structure, which simply cannot be maintained without the active involvement of the United States. …The hidden hand of the market will never work without a hidden fist — McDonald's cannot flourish without McDonnell Douglas, the builder of the F-15."
"Empire" is really a better name than "hegemony" for the current international system, because global U.S. control is not a political choice that can be changed by new domestic political alignments, but rather a system with deep economic roots that transcends partisan control of Washington. Indeed, elite interest in a U.S. "empire" goes back long before the postwar period, back to the 1890s and to the framers of the Constitution.
Yet the 2008 economic crash was an unmistakable reminder that worldwide monopoly production is no longer stable. Rivalry between banks and hedge funds over investment in the most profitable companies destabilized the financial system, as one bubble after another burst. In the coming years, as Chinese economic growth and south-south economic ties begin to overtake U.S. leadership, the role of U.S. military might will also come into question internationally as an increasing number of countries and movements seek to arrange matters differently.
The crash also raised questions in the minds of millions about the ability of the world capitalist economic system to deliver jobs, life, and prosperity to them. People are scrutinizing the desirability of capitalism and globalization as never before. Among the more than 99 percent of Americans who don't own global companies, the question is there, waiting to be asked, of whether U.S. foreign policy actually serves their interests. The time is therefore ripe for the peace movement to offer a new foreign policy which serves the interests of the domestic and global 99 percent better than the hegemonic order.
Five proposals for a new foreign policy
Peace Action's Kevin Martin has called for the peace movement to propose "a new vision for our country's role in the world—to create a new foreign policy for the 99 percent." Such a foreign policy, he says, should be based on the "widely shared ideals of democracy, justice, human rights, international cooperation, and sustainability."
I think Martin is absolutely right — but we still need to explain what that policy would be and how it would work, applying it to each region of the world and each type of international problem. We also have to identify the interests that would favor and those that would oppose the new policy. As such, Martin has pointed towards the policy that we need, but has not articulated it in detail.
So what would a foreign policy for the 99 percent actually look like?
The Coalition for a Strong United Nations, a Boston-based grassroots group, issued a "Peace Platform" in 2003 which, although a decade old, is consistent with Martin's ideas. "[T]he world is no longer a collection of sovereign nations, but a single homeland, and each member of the human family is a citizen of that homeland," it proclaimed. "No nation's people can be secure when so many people around the world are denied a decent standard of living or deprived of basic rights. No peace can be achieved unless the society of nations begins to function more as a real community, with each nation abiding by a commonly accepted code of international law."
The CSUN platform offers specific proposals in the areas of human rights, development, the environment, security, governance, education, and health. In the security arena it calls for the United States to "commit to a phased disarmament program," "renounce universal military intervention," "stop funding other nations' military arsenals," "strengthen the authority and resources of the UN," "abide by the decisions of the World Court," "support the development and training of a Non-Violent Peace Force," and "create a Department of Peace."
CSUN's proposal outlines a better foreign and security policy, but it doesn't explain how to implement it, or identify whose interests would be helped and hurt. Without an answer to that question, it is likely to remain on the shelf as an idealistic exercise.
At a Korean solidarity conference in November 2012, Joseph Gerson presented "common security" as a framework that, while not an ultimate foundation for human security, could meaningfully relieve international tensions. Common security, an idea first promulgated by the late Swedish prime minister Olaf Palme, "recognizes that nations as well as individuals respond to fear, that when one side augments its military arsenal and actions to respond to perceived threats from the other, that this will be seen as a threat by the other side, resulting in the enemy augmenting its arsenal and actions in a defensive but frightening response. This leads to a mutually reinforcing and spiraling arms race, not unlike what we now have in Asia and the Pacific." A response based on common security, said Gerson, would involve "hard-headed negotiations in which each side names its fears and arrives at diplomatic solutions which address the anxieties of all involved. … Common security is inconsistent with the pursuit of empire, which ultimately can be overcome only by people's will and as a result of contradictions including, in the case of the United States' misplaced priorities, imperial over-reach."
Given its emphasis on established diplomatic and security structures, common security is a more modest and less idealistic proposal compared to the Martin and CSUN visions. But can a common security paradigm guide the U.S. peace movement in helping the United States move away from hegemony to a democratic foreign policy? Tyler Cullis of the Boston University Antiwar Coalition took such an approach recently when he addressed the Iran sanctions issue at a January debate, outlining a negotiating platform for the United States that addresses real fears on both sides and proposes constructive steps. Yet it remains unclear if "common security" can move from preventing catastrophic wars to serve as an intermediary step away from empire that movements for greater justice and peace can build upon.
Speaking from a "realist" rather than a "peacemaking" perspective, Barry Posen made his own proposals for a change in foreign policy in a January 2013 article in Foreign Affairs. After a decade of war, he now says that hegemony is too expensive for the United States to sustain and that it "makes enemies almost as fast as it slays them." Posen therefore proposes to end hegemony and adopt in its place a "strategy of restraint," which means "removing large numbers of U.S. troops from forward bases" and "transforming the military into a smaller force that goes to war only when it truly must."
Posen makes clear that the military budget cuts consistent with a "strategy of restraint" should release more funds to "preserve the country's prosperity and security over the long run." These goals fit with much of President Obama's early second-term rhetoric, though Obama has not at all embraced the strategy changes Posen calls for. And importantly, they draw a link from conflict resolution abroad to "nation-building at home."
Posen does not address the globalized commerce that has required the global security regime. He assumes that there is really no U.S. interest that requires the degree of "activism" that it has displayed in the past 20 years, nor does he propose any increase in international cooperation that might provide for stability in the absence of hegemonic power. His proposal therefore does not qualify as a new democratic foreign policy, but rather as a less imperial, less hegemonic policy, which if realized could create space for democratic interests to assert themselves in the future.
In a similar vein, Stephen Kinzer recently outlined a "Wacko Birds" manifesto for U.S. foreign policy, taking the name from an epithet hurled by the militarist John McCain. Like Posen, Kinzer emphasizes that the United States has overreached, but calls only for a more moderate pursuit of "U.S. vital interests." Kinzer does not consider the possibility that the true interests of most Americans lie in cooperation with people in other countries rather than in solidarity with U.S. corporations.
Towards a Democratic and Peaceful Foreign Policy
Thus the problem remains ripe for more solutions. The peace movement needs a comprehensive, positive framework to present, one which is compelling enough to be taken up and implemented by a progressive majority consisting of an alliance of social movements. I thank the authors I have mentioned for their thought provoking contributions. Yet while each of the proposals examined has positive aspects, none seems to be adequate by itself to point the way forward. We have more work to do!
As Martin writes, "It's about the entrenched power of the U.S. war machine, and about how we the peoples of this country and around the world can work together to create more peaceful, just, and sustainable policies. We can do it; in fact we have no choice but to do it."
So, let us work to create those policies so that our movements can advocate for a positive vision of security and cooperation.


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