No Secrets

Proposition

A democracy should have no secrets from the people

absolutely no secrets

from the people

from its own people

the people are the government
and no information should be kept from them
no matter what

When You Are Right You Don't Need Authority

And how many were killed by the coalition attackers.?

"We don't know. Hopefully none were killed."

So there were no men in those tanks you bombed?

"We have no evidence."

Hypothetically speaking.
If someone threatened to kill my family would it be OK for me to go and seek them
out and kill them first?

"Of course not! That would make you a murderer!"

What is your evidence that you prevented a slaughter?

"We have plenty of evidence. Threats and previous history of killing. And a lot more."

So if anyone makes a threat they are guilty and deserve to be stopped using lethal force if needed?

"No, not anyone. This was a special situation."

How do you know that in the long run more lives have been saved by taking these actions than lives will be lost because of these actions?

"We just know!"

A Teachable Moment

I heard some good news. I hope it is true.
NATO forces in Libya are going to stop taking sides. They will stop attacking and destroying ground forces (of the government) and stick to just a no-fly zone mission.

That is an improvement.

This conflict should be resolved peaceably. We should stop killing. We should be a force for order, not for disorder.
If people are patient and reasonable they can resolve their issues. There is no need for violence and force in this world. That tradition is ready to die.
The armies are unwilling to let go, but they will let go.
We will have a world at peace.

And the teachable moment here is that our government can learn to follow procedure more faithfully. It is not productive to be a loose cannon. Our leaders at the highest level can be restrained and careful and not call for violence. They can stop promoting disorder and really work for understanding and peace.
You can never bring peace with threats.

NO MORE THREATS

Peace comes when you see the truth.
We are all one.
We are all the same.
Each of us is doing the best they can according to their own lights.
Just sit down and talk and understanding and reconciliation will follow.

Unlimited Powers

Has the government of the USA become a government of unlimited powers?

Recent events may cause that to be a legitimate question to ask.

Once again we are involved in acts of war at the sole discretion of the executive.
The constitution would seem to forbid this. But that restriction has been ignored for many decades.

Bombing the territory of another nation is war, regardless of the nominal justification. It is something which once required consent. But that restriction on the power of government was let go long ago.

Another recent example of unlimited power is the new requirement for all to purchase health insurance. This is obviously something new. It is not comparable to the obligation to carry motor vehicle liability insurance.

Is there any way to roll back the power grabs?
I hope so. I hope that the people will reassert the right to be left alone.

Liberty is meaningless if the power of government is unlimited.
Freedom is just a false and hollow sentiment if the power of government is unlimited.
Justice is a victim of tyrants if the power of government is unlimited.

Government is instituted to protect us from from the rapacious. But when government becomes rapacious, who protects us from that government?

Buttered Barfly

Sometimes a phrase is somewhat original.

Like, "BUTTERED BARFLY"

And lots of words in the ear
Coming out of nowhere

And when I find a new phrase I can shout out

"I OWN IT."

but I know that is silly
because I don't really own anything.

Always

We always get what we need
We always get what is best for us
We always get what we deserve

PERFECT WORLD

I will not forget to remember

Thankful People Are Objecting to WAR

Even though the press has done its best to brainwash us into wanting to kill Ghadafi, I am happy that voices of dissent are coming forward. Ron Paul and many others in congress are upset that they were not consulted before we went to war!
And it is going to war.
Have you seen pictures of the damage we did?
What was humane about that?

And if we take to the streets to protest
What will our government do to us?

Talk
We need to Talk
We need to deliberate
We should never kill.

It is bad karma
It comes back against us
It is the wrong path to go down
Negotiate, compromise, talk, reason together
BE PATIENT

STOP KILLING PEOPLE

They Go To A Better World

There is a better world waiting for us.
The infinite good is already here, waiting to receive us.

Boundless faith

limitless hope

infinite endurance

All in the name of love

Is Our Attack On Libya Lawful?

Call me ignorant.
It looks like our president has the authority to attack other countries any time he feels like it.
How is that?
Is this situation an emergency of some kind?

Does the president merely have to declare an emergency?
We are participating in acts of WAR against another country.
Our population has been "educated" by "powers" to believe that this is just and needed
and is the right thing to do.
But where is the debate?
Where are the voices of dissent?

The time is coming when the truth will come out
As much as our government hates the truth.
Look how they torture the wikileaks "traitor"

Maybe the public will wake up this time and assert the idea that we should just
STOP KILLING
STOP FIGHTING

peace begins in each human heart

Day Of Shame

Today coalition forces (UK France USA) attacked Tripoli.
How many were killed on the ground?

I am personally ashamed of our government.
Why must we kill?

Hillary Must Go?

Is it time to replace Hillary?
Why is she going around the world
Promoting
CIVIL DISORDER?

What are the foundation principles of our foreign policy?

Is is just
Whatever I feel like?
Or whatever we think is good for us?

Or what?

Down with dictators!
Up with mob rule!!

SIMPLIFY

I don't want anything

I don't expect anything


I accept
EVERYTHING

School Bullying Bad- International Bullying Good

I'm always looking for irony.
I don't really know how to define it.
But I know it when I see it.

America is the bully nation.
We bully other countries a lot.
That is what we like to do
And we feel justified

But just like the schoolyard bully
We are sure we are right
We feel no remorse

Send in the drones to kill and
If a few children die
We can live with that
Because our motives are so noble

So now Michelle and Barack are out in front
In the new war against bullies at school
Meanwhile
We are killing people around the world

In my personal experience
The bullies I have met
Have been the local police
"SERVING AND PROTECTING"
and threatening and beating and shooting,
how soon we forget
the abuse of power in our own communities
perpetrated by our own authorities

Jingoism 2011

The hawks are coming out advocating more military adventurism around the world.
Obama is not aggressive enough, they say.

"SEND IN THE MARINES!"
"KICK SOME ASS!"

All this in the name of the god of "national security"

How has this been working for us? Just makes people hate us. Makes them want to get revenge against us. Perpetuates a cycle of violence.

"Jingoism" is using threats and force against other nations. Presumably the motives are pure, having something to do with "national interests."

Our troops around the world are actually a source of disorder. They stir up trouble.
They accidentally kill people.
If your family were accidentally killed by an American soldier, how would you feel about America? Might you not feel hatred and a desire for revenge?

Now is the time for us to learn to live in peace with our neighbors.
Now is the time to learn to tolerate the mores of other nations.
Now is the time to be patient.
Now is the time to talk peace and live peace.
It is not the time to shake our fist, to issue threats and ultimatums, to incite violence, to encourage revolution.
It is in our best interest to be patient and let history unfold organically without trying to force it.

No struggle

America Steps In It!

Things are not looking good today.
Now we are afraid of an uprising in Saudi Arabia.

Libya is dragging on. Oil prices and gasoline prices are getting very high.

Our government has been encouraging these uprisings!
Look at the violence and death and chaos and pain.

And our government has been encouraging it!

How unwise.

Never encourage chaos. It can catch you up and slam you down.

We should encourage patience.
We should encourage discussion.
Talking
Talk it over
Don't take it to the streets.

Demographics and Disorder

One of my favorite statistics regarding nations is the percentage of population under the age of 15.

There is a strong correlation between this number and the state of order or disorder in a country.

Here is a short list of troubled nations with its percentage of population under 15 years of age

Afghanistan 44.6%
Pakistan 36.3%

Iraq 39.2%
Sudan 41.1%

Iran 22.3%
Ivory Coast 40.4%

Egypt 31.8%
Libya 33.2%

Somalia 44.7%
Tunisia 23.2%

Yemen 46.2%

Iran and Tunisia stand out as having relatively low numbers for this indicator.

Here is a short list of more stable nations with their percentages of people under 15 years of age.

Sweden 16%
UK 16.%

Netherlands 17.6%
New Zealand 20.9%

Austria 14.8%
Germany 13.8%

Canada 16.3%

New Zealand stands out for being over 20%.

The best help for the troubled nations would be to help them get their birth rates down. Family planning and women's rights would top my list of how to give real help to these nations.

The Oil Monkey

Let's get the oil monkey off our backs.
How much trouble has oil caused in the last 100 years?

Let's be done with that kind of trouble.

Here is the simple way out.

A hefty tax on oil, all oil, from all sources. A federal tax.

Here's how to implement the tax.

Every 3 months the tax on a barrel of oil increases by 50 cents.
That's 2 dollars a year
In a decade that's 20 dollars
In three decades that would be 60 dollars

This would work. The economy would be able to adjust. Tax revenues would be higher so the money would stay here in America. Alternative energy would be more and more appealing. Imports would go down. Our dependence on Middle East oil would end.

That monkey would be off our back.

United States Remains Neutral

Continuing a long history of neutrality the U.S. declared that it has no monopoly on wisdom and cannot tell other nations how to run their affairs.

In a prepared statement the Secretary of State said, "We cannot really understand the issues and problems of other nations. They have histories that go back thousands of years. Humility requires that we simply wish the best for all parties and hope that they can resolve their disputes with a minimum of bloodshed and damage to property."

"Our taking sides would not be to anyone's benefit."