Beyond The Broken Spectrum

After railing against the Patriot Act as a senator and campaigning against it while running for President, it seems that the president and most Democrats have had a change of heart. On a Saturday no less, when most underhanded deals seem to be made while hardly anyone is paying attention, he quietly signed a one year extension on the Patriot Act, as is without any sort of reform to the legislation to protect civil liberties.

After the Senate passed the extension Wednesday, the House voted 315 to 97 Thursday to extend the act. The Patriot Act extension wasn’t the main body of legislation though, rather it was an amendment that was added to a Medicare reform bill without any sort of debate or accountability, voted on by voice vote to approve the amendment so that no politician would have to have their name attached to such an outrageous amendment. The vote is known as Roll Call 67, “On Motion to Concur in Senate Amendments” for H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act.

After such a grotesque abuse of power, it is assumed that the media would be all over this. However, from taking a look around, most media outlets are either downplaying the extension, or not reporting on it at all. Even the left leaning news agencies are quiet on this one, after years of denouncing former president Bush for the act. The media has failed us, and surely not for the first or last time. They’re just another extension of the political machine that threatens our country. Be wary of what you hear, or don’t hear for this matter, in the mainstream media. They’re here to keep the status quo in power.

It seems the Democrats are no different from the Republicans when they come to power and are just as willing to continue the suppression of our civil liberties. It amazes me how such a man would gain the Nobel peace prize by escalating a war and supporting the encroachment of privacy at home. The Republicans are hypocrites as well, clearly going against their stance against Medicare extensions so that they can have their precious privacy infringing act renewed.

What really amazes me though is how people can continue to support such politicians, basically forgetting that the lesser of two evils is still pretty evil. Its time to break with tradition folks, as its obvious that’s only digging us deeper into the hole. Its time to try something different by giving those independent and third party candidates a chance to step up and lead. Otherwise this is all we’re going to get, more taxes, more war, and more economical problems.

So who in the House voted in favor to infringe on our rights; 162 Democrats and 153 Republicans, with 20 representatives not voting. Lets have a look: (more…)

By Kaj Grussner of Mises.org

Austrians have long called for a reform of the monetary system. The current, Fed-driven, fiat-money system is on the verge of collapse. But however bad the current system is, a new system won’t necessarily be better.

Many libertarians would favor a return to the gold standard, while others would be content with simply repealing legal-tender laws and allowing competition in currencies. However, even in a great collapse like the one looming now, these reforms may still seem too extreme to the general public. This is especially true if they have an alternative that seems reasonable and gives total control over the monetary system to the state. One such alternative is the 100-percent-reserve solution advocated by Stephen Zarlenga, director of the American Monetary Institute, and author of the book “The Lost Science of Money.” (more…)

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University reviewed the distribution of $157 billion in stimulus dollars based on publicly available reports and found that there was “no statistical correlation” between the amount of money a district got and its income or unemployment rate. Rather, the study found that Democratic congressional districts received 1.89 times more money than GOP districts.

The average award for Democratic districts was $439 million, while the average award for Republican ones was $232 million. On average, Democratic districts also got 152 awards, while Republican ones got 94.

Oddly, the Mercatus study found far more stimulus money went to higher-income areas than lower-income areas. “We found no correlation between economic indicators and stimulus funding. Preliminary results find no effect of unemployment, median income, or mean income on stimulus funds allocation,” the report said. Article at Fox News

TIME Magazine has named Ben Bernanke its person of the year.

In their article they herald him as some special hero that saved us from the brink of collapse. It always seems to be the same old song and dance, government entity creates a problem, government entity fixes the problem they created, and then expects us to cheer for them and call for more government since without them, we would have gone under. Never mind that it was because of them that we almost went under with their fast and loose money policies during the good times.

When it came time for the bubble to burst, it was too late to try and fix the problem, the only option was to weather it and keep the rates low and the money pumping. Remember, the federal reserve controls our money supply and interest rates, and provided these companies with the ability to create the bubbles that imploded on the average investor and employee. Without the fed and all of the government intrusion into the markets, this likely wouldn’t have happened, and if it had, it wouldn’t have been of the same magnitude. We suffer when the government becomes a player and not just a referee.

Sure, Bernanke did a decent job of helping to clean up the mess, but the fact remains that the federal reserve and government meddling caused the mess in the first place.

We need transparency and accountability with the central banking cartel that controls our money. The first and foremost important thing we can do to help ourselves is a complete audit of the federal reserve. Once this is done, we will have transparency and can move on to meaningful reform.

Another bill introduced by Representative Ron Paul of Texas, the Free Competition in Currency Act (HR 4248) is another major step in giving back control of the economy to the people.

It all boils down to whether we want to take care of ourselves or let the nanny state take control. I don’t know about you, but I want to take care of my own business.

The City Council voted Tuesday to legalize gay marriage, giving supporters a victory after a string of recent defeats elsewhere and sending the issue to Congress, which has final say over laws in the nation’s capital.

Mayor Adrian Fenty has promised to sign the bill, which passed 11-2, and gay couples could begin marrying as early as March if Congress allows it to become law. Democratic congressional leaders have suggested they are reluctant to get involved, though gay marriage opponents say they will try to get it overturned either in Congress or at the polls.

Federal lawmakers declined to weigh in the last time they had a chance, after the council voted in May to recognize gay marriages performed elsewhere. Congress let that bill become law without taking any action, avoiding what could have amounted to a referendum on gay marriage.

Read the article at Yahoo!

Democrats note that they’ve cracked down on pork-barrel politics seen in Republican times, and sponsors say the projects are important to economic recovery – but critics aren’t impressed.

Article at L.A. Times

Statement of Congressman Ron Paul
United States House of Representatives

Statement Introducing the Free Competition in Currency Act

December 9, 2009

Madame Speaker, I rise to introduce the Free Competition in Currency Act of 2009 (HR 4248). Currency, or money, is what allows civilization to flourish. In the absence of money, barter is the name of the game; if the farmer needs shoes, he must trade his eggs and milk to the cobbler and hope that the cobbler needs eggs and milk. Money makes the transaction process far easier. Rather than having to search for someone with reciprocal wants, the farmer can exchange his milk and eggs for an agreed-upon medium of exchange with which he can then purchase shoes.

This medium of exchange should satisfy certain properties: it should be durable, that is to say, it does not wear out easily; it should be portable, that is, easily carried; it should be divisible into units usable for every-day transactions; it should be recognizable and uniform, so that one unit of money has the same properties as every other unit; it should be scarce, in the economic sense, so that the extant supply does not satisfy the wants of everyone demanding it; it should be stable, so that the value of its purchasing power does not fluctuate wildly; and it should be reproducible, so that enough units of money can be created to satisfy the needs of exchange.

Over millennia of human history, gold and silver have been the two metals that have most often satisfied these conditions, survived the market process, and gained the trust of billions of people. Gold and silver are difficult to counterfeit, a property which ensures they will always be accepted in commerce. It is precisely for this reason that gold and silver are anathema to governments. A supply of gold and silver that is limited in supply by nature cannot be inflated, and thus serves as a check on the growth of government. Without the ability to inflate the currency, governments find themselves constrained in their actions, unable to carry on wars of aggression or to appease their overtaxed citizens with bread and circuses.

At this country’s founding, there was no government controlled national currency. While the Constitution established the Congressional power of minting coins, it was not until 1792 that the US Mint was formally established. In the meantime, Americans made do with foreign silver and gold coins. Even after the Mint’s operations got underway, foreign coins continued to circulate within the United States, and did so for several decades.

On the desk in my office I have a sign that says: “Don’t steal – the government hates competition.” Indeed, any power a government arrogates to itself, it is loathe to give back to the people. Just as we have gone from a constitutionally-instituted national defense consisting of a limited army and navy bolstered by militias and letters of marque and reprisal, we have moved from a system of competing currencies to a government-instituted banking cartel that monopolizes the issuance of currency. In order to reintroduce a system of competing currencies, there are three steps that must be taken to produce a legal climate favorable to competition. (more…)

The U.S. Senate today passed historic legislation to end the decade-long ban on implementing a medical marijuana law in Washington, D.C. This marks the first time in history Congress has changed a marijuana law for the better. Only Obama’s signature is needed for the change to become law. MPP

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) upped the rhetorical ante this morning by comparing opponents of health care reform to conservatives who tried to block emancipation and equal rights — prompting the Republican national chairman to question his sanity.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate, Reid blasted GOP leaders who have urged Democrats opt for a slower, incremental approach to reform instead of the mega-bill the majority hopes to push through the Senate by Christmas

Reid started by mimicking Republicans whom he claims have said: “‘Slow down, stop everything, let’s start over.”

“You think you’ve heard these same excuses before? You’re right,” he continued. “In this country…there were those who dug in their heels and said, ‘Slow down, it’s too early. Let’s wait. Things aren’t bad enough’ ” – about slavery.

When women wanted to vote, he went on, opponents said, ” ‘Slow down, there will be a better day to do that — the day isn’t quite right.’ ”

He finished with: “When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone, regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats that we hear today.”

Story at Politico

I guess I’m a racist and sexist if I don’t support the Democrat clusterfuck of a health care bill. I hope this man loses in 2010. Its not looking so good for him right now.

Over a dozen U.S. Senators, led by Virginia Democrat Jim Webb, are seeking to establish a blue-ribbon commission to review America’s criminal justice policies — and the criminalization of nonviolent drug possession in particular.

Senate Bill 714, The National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009, seeks to initiate a comprehensive re-evaluation of America’s drug and prison policies.

Writing in Parade Magazine on March 29, Sen. Webb explained why this review is necessary:

“America’s criminal justice system has deteriorated to the point that it is a national disgrace. … The United States has by far the world’s highest incarceration rate. With 5% of the world’s population, our country now houses nearly 25% of the world’s reported prisoners.

… Drug offenders, most of them passive users or minor dealers, are swamping our prisons. … Justice statistics also show that 47.5% of all the drug arrests in our country in 2007 were for marijuana offenses. Additionally, nearly 60% of the people in state prisons serving time for a drug offense had no history of violence or of any significant selling activity. … African-Americans — who make up about 12% of the total U.S. population population — accounted for 37% of those arrested on drug charges, 59% of those convicted, and 74% of all drug offenders sentenced to prison.

… It is incumbent on our national leadership to find a way to fix our prison system. I believe that American ingenuity can discover better ways to deal with the problems of drugs and nonviolent criminal behavior while still minimizing violent crime and large-scale gang activity. And we all deserve to live in a country made better by such changes.”

Senator Webb’s analysis is accurate and his intentions are courageous.  It’s been many years since a federally appointed commission has taken an objective look at American criminal justice policies, and it’s been nearly 40 years since federal lawmakers have undertaken a critical examination of U.S. marijuana policy — a topic that will likely be included in Sen. Webb’s review.

As introduced, Senate Bill 714 will establish a `National Criminal Justice Commission’ to “undertake a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system; make findings related to current Federal and State criminal justice policies and practices; and make reform recommendations for the President, Congress, and State governments to improve public safety, cost-effectiveness, overall prison administration, and fairness in the implementation of the Nation’s criminal justice system.”

Specifically, the Commission will examine “current drug policy and its impact on incarceration, crime and violence, sentencing, and reentry programs, [including] an analysis of the general availability of drugs in our society, the impact and effectiveness of current policies on reducing that availability and on the incidence of crime, and in the case of criminal offenders, the availability of drug treatment programs before, during, and after incarceration.”

The proposal has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. A hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009.

Please take time today to urge your senators to support Senate Bill 714. If your senators sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, then it is especially important that he or she hears from you.  For your convenience, a prewritten letter will be e-mailed to your member of Congress when you enter your contact information below.

After you have written your senators, please take a moment to write or call Sen. Webb and thank him for raising this important issue.  You may contact him here.

Thank you for assisting NORML’s federal law reform efforts.

John Quincy Adams once said that the United States does not go “abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.” We all know that ceased to be true a long time ago. Over the last hundred years or so America has identified (created) a number of monsters and in most instances has been unsuccessful in destroying them (the communist threats in Korea, Vietnam, Central America, and the Soviet Union (which destroyed itself economically), and the terrorist threats of Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda, etc.).

Our global search for monsters has resulted in a national debt which has increased from about $3 billion in 1914 to more than $12 trillion today. Our War on Monsters has cost the lives of more than 600,000 American military personnel since World War I. The world has also paid untold amounts of treasure and innocent lives in America’s offensive assault on the monsters.

Article at Campaign for Liberty

An opponent of same-sex marriage, Rhode Island Governor Carcieri has vetoed bill that would have added “domestic partners” to the list of people authorized by law to make funeral arrangements for each other.

In his veto message, Republican Carcieri said: “This bill represents a disturbing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion of the principles surrounding traditional marriage, which is not the preferred way to approach this issue.

“If the General Assembly believes it would like to address the issue of domestic partnerships, it should place the issue on the ballot and let the people of the state of Rhode Island decide.”

The bill, also sponsored by state Sen. Rhoda Perry and state Rep. David Segal, would add “domestic partners” to the list, in current law, of people who can legally make arrangements for a deceased person’s funeral, cremation or burial to include domestic partners if the deceased person left no pre-arranged funeral contract.

Story at The Providence Journal

According to Jesse Jackson, you can’t be a black man if you don’t support the health care bill.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Wednesday night criticized Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) for voting against the Democrats’ signature healthcare bill.

“We even have blacks voting against the healthcare bill from Alabama,” Jackson said at a reception Wednesday night. “You can’t vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man.”

Story at The Hill

Here’s another article of interest which is about Jesse Jackson’s affair. Apparently its fine for him to lecture everyone about their morality, even though he can’t keep his own house in order.

Jesse Jackson is a racist and makes his living off of racism. The man ought to be tarred and feathered, but the next best thing we can do is expose this man for the fraud he is.

In an unprecedented defeat for the Federal Reserve, an amendment to audit the multi-trillion dollar institution was approved by the House Finance Committee with an overwhelming and bipartisan 43-26 vote on Thursday afternoon despite harried last-minute lobbying from top Fed officials and the surprise opposition of Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who had previously been a supporter.

The measure, cosponsored by Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), authorizes the Government Accountability Office to conduct a wide-ranging audit of the Fed’s opaque deals with foreign central banks and major U.S. financial institutions. The Fed has never had a real audit in its history and little is known of what it does with the trillions of dollars at its disposal. Huffington Post

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has finally unveiled his massive 2,074-page health care bill.  The Congressional Budget Office reports that the insurance-expansion provisions would cost the feds $848 billion over 10 years.  To raise those funds, the bill would tax wages, medical devices, prescription drugs, sick people, health insurance premiums (twice), HSAs, FSAs, HRAs, and — why not? — cosmetic surgery.  The remainder would supposedly come from $491 billion of Medicare cuts, even though Medicare’s chief actuary says such cuts are “unrealistic” and “doubtful.”  But don’t worry.  Somehow, this thing’s gonna reduce the deficit. CATO