AMERICANS WITHOUT LIBERTY

"Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of the government. The history of liberty is a history of resistance. The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it."

President Woodrow Wilson, 1912

Welcome to the Imperial States of America, where the people are servants of a limitless government. A government that has given itself, and it's agents, the authority to impose tyrannical controls on the public in the name of safety, fairness, and equality. This did not happen overnight. It has taken many years for the power hungry Elite to transform the nation.

Thought Control

The most important instrument in a tyrant's toolbox is thought control, this includes censorship of the news and information available to the public. Today we have Congress demanding social media sites impose controls and limits on the use of their products. With the reasoning that Russian agents managed to influence the 2016 US Presidential election through the use of "fake" news, Congressional representatives from both parties wanted to know how Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter planned to stop the spread of such fake news stories. The Congressional committee had "expert" witnesses testify how social media could be used as a tool to foment a revolution against the US government. The social media companies, under direct pressure from Congress, acted swiftly and capriciously blocking and banning several prominent individuals and organizations.

The first target of this social media censorship was Alex Jones and his site InfoWars. Alex Jones has been spreading his brand of conspiracy theories for about twenty years, first on the radio and later from his website. Many have accused him of racism, sensationalism, and fake news reporting. On the other hand, his website has millions of loyal subscribers that are convinced he's right. A discussion on the merits of his reporting and analysis is irrelevant. What is relevant is that he has the Right to express himself, to say what he believes is the truth. Nobody is qualified to determine if Alex Jones, or anyone else, is right or wrong. That determination is best left to consumers, who decide these things by spending their money.

 Education Becomes Indoctrination

When education becomes indoctrination, both the past and the future are lost. It's been said many times, American high schools and universities have failed in their primary mission to educate students. Instead of intellectually challenging courses that impart some form of knowledge, wisdom, or practical usefulness, students are attending classes filled with strange, politically motivated, or even false content.  Students are graduating from high priced universities and lack the basic skills needed to succeed in the workforce. School administrators, librarians, and other staff, have turned to banning books, banning the American flag, banning the wrong opinion, and have stopped teaching history or teach politicized versions of history. Of course, academicians have their favorite authors or subjects, for example almost all colleges teach Keynesian economics to the exclusion of all else; however, there needs to be some room for debate or at least an honest representation of alternative viewpoints. By limiting the exchange of ideas and teaching politically motivated doctrines, school are in effect brainwashing students. What will happen in the coming decades with our children being given a twisted understanding of the world and society? How will they be able to think for themselves, when they are constantly pressured to accept only certain ideas?

It is said that education starts at home, and if that is the case, a great many parents have failed to raise their children properly.  It is not enough that schools push certain ideas onto their students, now we have multiple generations of college students that have been raised in an environment of fear and apprehension. In a recently published work "The Coddling of the American Mind", authors Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt explore the recent phenomenon of "safe spaces" and other strange occurrences on college campuses across the nation. Many college students have been sheltered to such a degree they feel their safety is threatened if they are faced by an idea they do not agree with. How can such individuals engage in an any sort of legitimate academic debate, if they feel threatened by the opposing opinions of other students? What will happen when such individuals enter the workforce and must discuss difficult topics with customers or other stakeholders?  It seems Allan Bloom was correct when he published his famous work "The Closing of the American Mind" in 1987. The higher education system has failed our nation, and the students it was supposed to educate. 

 Hate Speech

 Perhaps this is in the nature of a rhetorical question, but there is a correct answer. What is Hate Speech? It can be just about anything, or anything the Left decides it is. The definition is completely subjective, and recognizing Hate Speech is dependent on the beholder. One person's truthful and honest answer is another person's Hate Speech. This is the essence of political correctness; the truth is no longer good enough, we must sugar coat everything in order to make it acceptable to everyone, except to those that are interested in hearing the actual truth. It has become a slogan, or a rallying cry, to many well intentioned people on the Left to stop the dissemination of Hate Speech. Whether such speech is on social media, or in a debate in a college campus, or if it is a statement issued by a public figure, anything and everything can be declared Hate Speech if it does not conform to those viewpoints favored by progressives and liberals. Admittedly, there are many cases in which boorish individuals will say something obnoxious, rude, racist, or stupid; however, even the most innocent or factual statement can be declared Hate Speech if it does not conform to the certain subjective parameters set forth by people with a progressive agenda. 

My own Facebook account was recently suspended, after I responded to a friend's post with a comical meme. My comment was declared to be Hate Speech by the Facebook department of totalitarian censorship. With no opportunity to respond, appeal, or argue my case, I have been declared a publisher of Hate Speech. I do not have the money nor the inclination to hire an attorney and fight this out in a court, but if I did I would win my case. It is very easy to declare something is Hate Speech, but it is much more difficult to actually prove it. 

There is at least on ray of sunshine that has not been blocked by this dark cloud of politically correct Hate Speech hysteria, the Supreme Court has always declared the US Constitution protects the public from any Government limitation of Free Speech. The politicians may work through third parties, such as the aforementioned banning of Alex Jones by Facebook and other social media sites, but the Government is still prohibited from directly limiting Free Expression. The Court has unanimously declared Hate Speech is protected speech. The Justices in their wisdom realize that once started on this dark path of prohibiting speech because it may cause someone to feel uncomfortable, there will be no limit to such prohibitions. Perhaps it would be of great benefit to our society if the US Constitution and the concept of individual liberty were to once again become required reading in our high schools and colleges.

The Loss of Liberty, one step at a time 

Government sanctioned Thought Control, Education that has become Indoctrination, and the new trend of declaring everything to be Hate Speech, are all forces that are eating away at the Freedom that Americans have taken for granted. The Founding Fathers of this nation, in their great wisdom, understood that without individual liberty a republic will quickly give way to kings, tyrants, and other forms of authoritarian governments that will put their own good before the good of the people. The people of the United States have enjoyed a degree of liberty and freedom that is unique to our nation, we must not allow misguided people and ideas to erode those freedoms in the cause of some imagined egalitarian future. 

HUMOR IS NO LONGER PERMITTED ON FACEBOOK

The twisted progressive tyrants at Facebook have exceeded their previous narrow-minded record, by blocking me for SEVEN days. This may not seem like a big deal, others have been blocked for longer or even banned.  However, in my case the suspension has come for a trivial piece of humor.


Apparently, the numbskull progressives at Facebook simply do not comprehend the idea of humor and sarcasm. I am no longer certain what to post or how to comment, in order to avoid the nitwits running Facebook. This is not funny nor is it a trivial matter. This is a clear indication that our society and education system are breeding a generation of brainless fools that will seek to censor and eliminate any thought or idea which they do not understand.

At this point I will cease using any memes on Facebook. My account is important to me for several reasons, and I do not wish to lose access to all the contacts I have made on social media.

JOHN BOLTON = A WARMONGERING MANIAC IN THE WHITE HOUSE

John Robert Bolton, born November 20, 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland. Attended Yale, graduated with a JD in 1974. Joined the National Guard in 1970, as a means of avoiding the draft for a war he believed to be already lost. Served a total of six years between the National Guard and Army Reserve. Worked in a variety of positions throughout Washington DC, in the private sector for a short time, but was involved with political positions for the majority of his early career. He joined all the insider clubs: the Council on Foreign Relations, the Federalist Society, the Project for a New American Century, the National Policy Forum, and several other think tanks. He held several positions during the George W. Bush administration, the most prestigious of which was as Ambassador to the United Nations. It was John Bolton that drew up the plans for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In 2018, Donald Trump selected John Bolton to be his National Security Adviser.  Basically, the man is a perfect example of the ultimate DC insider.

This man would probably not have gained much notoriety if conditions were different, there are many people in DC with backgrounds very similar to his own. However, there is one aspect to his career that has made him famous(perhaps infamous is the better term), his belief in a forceful or even military response to almost every problem in the world. He constantly advocates for the US to enter into armed conflicts with differing nations. From the Middle East, to Asia, to Russia, and even to South and Central America, no nation is safe from his conflict-centered vituperation.  Any act, policy, statement, or attitude by a foreign nation that is cause for offense in DC, is enough to earn the wrath of warmonger Bolton. The offending nation will be painted with a giant bullseye for his carefully crafted diatribes.

However, he has not gone unnoticed to the folks in the media that pay close attention to DC chatter. People from both sides of the political divide have denounced John Bolton. Websites from the most liberal to the most conservative have featured articles attacking his constant calls for expanded wars. It should be noted that this is not a new occurrence, the media was denouncing his ideas when he was still employed by the George W. Bush administration. His reputation for careless and  bloodthirsty rhetoric should have served as a warning to the Trump White House, before they brought him in as National Security Advisor.

As National Security Advisor he has certainly made his presence felt, getting into a shouting match with White House Chief of Staff  John Kelly. John Kelly, a retired US Marine Corps General, reportedly had a strong objection to Bolton's insistence on a heavy- handed military response to issues on the US-Mexican border. Going back to his days in the George W. administration, Bolton threatened the family of a Brazilian diplomat in 2002. The Brazilian diplomat Jose Bustani, was serving as the director general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. His efforts to peacefully convince Iraq and Libya to allow chemical weapons inspectors into their respective nations did not please warmonger Bolton. Bolton's first response to anything is open warfare, all other strategies or policies have no value in his twisted mind.

Why is this man allowed to run freely in our nation's capital? His insane drive for constant warfare borders on the psychotic. Perhaps the nation would be better served if he was transferred directly from the White House to the nearest mental institution.

THE KAVANAUGH CONFIRMATION HEARING: A SAD DAY FOR OUR NATION

 

 

 

As I feared, this process has turned into "she said, he said", her word against his. Regardless of whom you believe or which side you support, this confirmation process has become a debacle and has made our nation's government into a mockery of what it should be.

 

 

Sexual assault is a crime and must not be tolerated. If Dr. Ford was truly assaulted, she has my deepest and utmost sympathy. On the other hand, this is something that occurred long ago, no physical evidence remains of this purported assault. Judge Kavanaugh's guilt or innocence can NOT be established; the confirmation process can only act to ruin his reputation and harm his family. The United States is a nation of laws, if someone is accused of violating the law there is a legitimate legal system that can be used to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused. This situation can never be tried in a criminal court, the court would quickly dismiss this case for a lack of evidence.

 

 

Have we reached the point in our society that someone can make an unsubstantiated claim against another person, and completely ruin that person? This is terrifying new day in our nation's history. The Senators that have permitted this insanity should be quickly voted out of office, and replaced with people of greater foresight and less political ambition. 

 

 https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/28/politics/kavanaugh-blasey-ford-hearing/index.html

IS THIS THE RIGHT THING TO DO?

95 year old Jakiw Palij being taken by stretcher

 Is this the right thing to do?

I feel compelled to ask the most basic of questions after reading this story on CNN. The accused is Jakiw Palij, born in Ukraine 1923 in an area that is now part of Poland, a 95 year old man who is suspected of being a Nazi collaborator or prison guard. Nobody is absolutely certain what his role was during the Second World War. He apparently lied to US immigration officers when he arrived in the US during the 1950's. In 2001 he admitted he had worked in a German labor camp, but he claimed that he and other young men were coerced into working for the Germans.

Obviously the US immigration authorities did not believe his claims of innocence,  and thus deported him.They loaded him into a stretcher and sent him to Germany. If he was indeed a merciless Nazi camp guard that killed thousands of people, all well and good. But the records are few and poor, these events happened a long time ago and there are no witnesses. In the camp in which he is accused of having served, the records were never kept or were destroyed, and the prisoners were all killed. There are no eye witnesses. What evidence is being used against this man? Is the evidence factual, or is it based on assumptions, rumors, or innuendo? Lastly, and most importantly, what possible outcome can be derived from deporting and prosecuting a 95 year old man?

The Holocaust was a terrible part of human history, millions of people were systematically wiped out. Evidence taken at the various concentration camps can freeze the heart: photographs of starved people and thousands of bodies stacked in piles. The American soldiers that initially entered those camps became sick at the sight of the atrocities, and these were battle hardened men that has seen some of the fiercest fighting of WWII. Even the crusty General George S. Patton was left in a state of shock at the sight of what was discovered. 

German civilians being forced to tour a liberated concentration camp viewing stacks of dead bodies

Malnourished concentration camp survivors

There can be no doubt that those responsible should face the most severe of penalties. On the other hand, there is limited evidence against Jakiw Palij. He may also have been a victim of the ruthless Nazi war machine, his service may have been coerced. Any trial against him could take years, years he does not have.  Putting him in a prison cell at his age is simply ludicrous.  He is 95 years old, he could die at any moment. We may never learn the truth.

 What is the point of deporting him and attempting to prosecute someone at death's door? I'm not sure we are doing the right thing in this case.