It's Tea Party Day!

Well, I must admit, I'm not the most regular of bloggers. Darn that job and family responsibility...

So it's Tea Party Day here in the Austin-area, and I've taken hard-earned time off to be there. Like A1, yeah, it's that important. Pictures of the event will be posted, so stay tuned.

In the mean time, to whet your appetite, our lovely Big Government public servants have declared political war on conservatives everywhere, declaring us "right wing extremists" and "terrorists" for entertaining "anti-government" sympathies, or "rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority". Link is here (WARNING: Link is directly to the report, in PDF format). This is typical tin-hat dictator stuff. Every totalitarian regime of the 20th Century used the organs of government to silence its political opponents. It's just amazing to see this come to America, and it seems very convenient that this would be released the day before the Movement to Retake America begin...

Long break is over...

Well, after weathering household sickness and the Nativity season, I'm back. Yeah.

I found this over at New Republic:

“Liberalism wagers that a state... can be strong but constrained – strong because constrained... Rights to education and other requirements for human development and security aim to advance equal opportunity and personal dignity and to promote a creative and productive society. To guarantee those rights, liberals have supported a wider social and economic role for the state, counterbalanced by more robust guarantees of civil liberties and a wider social system of checks and balances anchored in an independent press and pluralistic society” – The New Republic

Absurd, isn't it? Despite being completely unfounded in any of the traditions that founded this country, it's full of logical holes. Let's tear it apart.

1. A state cannot be both strong and constrained. A strong entity seeks to break free of or subvert its constraints, by definition. Otherwise, it is not strong. History shows a strong state will exert its strength and trample on the rights of its subjects, on a continuum from simple self-preservation to the consolidation of maximum power and control in the hands of a few, with the rest being functional chattels of the state

2. If a man is truly free, his personal development and security (physical, social, economic) is his responsibility alone to secure, and is limited only his own innate ability and desire. To suggest that the state has a role in providing for an INDIVIDUAL’S development and security is to admit that a man is NOT free. For men to be free, government must be limited to the protection of the lives and property of the people and enforcement of contacts freely entered into between people.

3. Government cannot counterbalance itself, and strong government inevitably tramples on civil liberties. A “social” system of check and balances, as opposed to the constitutionally defined system, is inherently flawed. Society is fickle and prone to sway by demagogues, and a “pluralistic” society can be set against itself by fear-mongers and people who would exert control over others for personal gain. The press is only as independent as the political attitudes and opinions of its members, and indeed each member’s concept of the role of journalism in society. Should a majority of journalists become aligned with a particular political philosophy, or be of the opinion that it is the journalist’s duty to press for change rather then report events, the press ceases to become independent.

As always, comments are welcome.

The Day After...

Like all conservatives, I am greatly disappointed by the results of the 2008 elections. A socialist who admits he believes the Constitution is flawed was elected, and the American Left has solidified its position in the House and the Senate. I had my pity party last night.

There are some bright spots though. The Left did not get its coveted filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. A good bit of the chaff hanging onto the Republican Party was finally winnowed.

What we have now is chance to get out the message of conservatism, free of the baggage of RINOs and so-called "moderate Republicans". The GOP must return to its roots: small, non-intrusive government, markets free from the heavy hand of social engineering, and a respect for life. Education is our focus now. To that end, I will do my part, presenting the Essentials of American Liberty in an understandable way.

Obama to Bankrupt the Coal Industry

But I thought he wanted to help the working class...

How low can it go?

That's Gov. Bill Richardson, Mew Mexico. I hate it when I'm right.

Preach it, brother!

This is simply brilliant.

Obama and FUD tactics

Over at RedState, another "former Hillary campaign staffer" has outed the Obama campaign and its use of FUD tactics. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, FUD stands for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt, most famously used by Microsoft against the Open Source community. While I cannot verify its veracity, it dovetails with the post over at HillBuzz, and is consistent with Obama's campaign tactics in Illinois. Why is this important? Obama knows he's behind in several key states, and thus is sowing discord and uncertainty among Republicans to prevent them from voting.