Category Archives: Europe

The International Criminal Court: Good For Thee, But Not For Me

Bush, Crime, Criminal Injustice, Europe, Federalism, Justice, Law, States' Rights

George W. Bush is likely nervous about traveling to Europe lest the International Criminal Court (ICC) put him in the dock to answer for Iraq and other war crimes.

In the spirit of American national sovereignty, Republicans have rejected ICC jurisdiction. As James Orr of the London Telegraph notes, Republicans do not believe the ICC should be supported by America.

Lo and behold, Mr. Romney promised, Monday, to “make sure that Ahmadinejad is indicted under the Genocide Convention. His words amount to genocide incitation. I would indict him for it.”

Is this some new neoconservative trope? And what of the wacky A-Jad’s right of free speech? I was under the impression that so-called conservatives were all for the right to offend, as they should.

Although Bush would likely reject the possibility of the ICC’s jurisdiction over himself, he did not hesitate to call on the World Court to subvert Texas justice.

“W,” who would wrestle a crocodile for a criminal alien, ordered Texas to halt the execution of murderer and rapist José Medellín. Texas said NO, and ended Medellin’s miserable life. (Celebrated in “José Medellín’s Dead; Cue The Mariachi Band.”)

Bush used the ICC to rationalize treason against Texans. Romney hasn’t gone that far. But he seems to be indicating that he’ll join forces with global government when it suits him.

The Ass With Ears And His Ali Baba Thieves

Barack Obama, Britain, Business, Europe, Healthcare, Socialism

“The Ass With Ears And His Ali Baba Thieves” is the current column, now on RT:

IdiotCare, aka ObamaCare, kicks in once a company is 50 people strong. In a word, as the business begins to grow. The costs imposed by the healthcare mandate compel small business to duck-and-dive so as to stay alive.

In a televised interview, Kari DePhillips, the co-owner of a small PR firm, explained how the health-care law would impact her fledgling enterprise, and what she was doing to stay in business. (Small business, incidentally, is already adept at negotiating the legislative impositions of affirmative-action laws.)

DePhillips, of The Content Factory, told Fox News’ Gerri Willis that she is “scrambling” to comply with the mandate, for she must provide employees with healthcare or face fines. For this plucky woman, the year 2012 will mark the first time the cost of healthcare per employee “broke the $10,000 mark”! “Multiply that by 50,” and this entrepreneur is in hock to the tune of $500,000.

Unless she curtails her ambitions, those are the additional costs America’s Ass With Ears (Barack Obama) will be imposing on Mrs. DePhillips.

Suitably, hiring “fewer people or hiring in a different capacity” were two of the options explored on The Willis Report. The first alludes to part-time, “1099 contractors.”

Moving to the state of New Hampshire, as part of the “Free State Project”— and in the faint hope that the Granite State will nullify the Affordable Care Act—is another option DePhillips intended to explore.

Unmentioned was the incorporation option. Create a new business, at considerable costs, each time your company reaches 49. As this is hardly a viable option, it is best just to stay small.

“I’m a 1099er,” confirms a British reader. “My customers all split their businesses up years ago to stay under 50. Might’ve been the Family Leave Act along with a bunch of other legislation lumped in with it.”

Britain has morphed into a nation of sheep and shopkeepers, whose vaulting ambitions were on display during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. I am referring to the song, dance and Hosannas the host country gave to its National Health Service, or NHS.

Like the Europeans and the English, Americans will have to learn not to shoot for the sky. …

Read the complete column, “The Ass With Ears And His Ali Baba Thieves”, on RT.

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IdiotCare’s Stunting Consequences

Barack Obama, Business, EU, Europe, Healthcare, Regulation

IdiotCare, aka ObamaCare, kicks in once a company is 50 people strong. In a word, once the business starts to grow. The costs imposed by this mandate compel the company to duck-and-dive in order to stay alive.

Kari DePhillips, co-owner of a small PR firm, explains how the health-care law would impact her small businesses, and what she is doing to stay in business. Incidentally, small businesses are already adept at handling similar situations, so as to avoid incurring the costs of affirmative-action laws.

DePhillips, of The Content Factory, told Fox’s Gerri Willis that she is “scrambling” to comply with the mandate, for she must provide employees with healthcare or face fines.

The additional costs the Ass With Ears will be imposing on Mrs. DePhillips: The year 2012, for this business woman, will mark the first time the cost of healthcare per employee “broke the 10,000 mark”! “Multiply that by 50,” and this entrepreneur is in hock to the tune of $500,000.

Hiring “fewer people or hiring in a different capacity (part-time, “1099 contractors”) are two solutions mentioned on The Willis Report.

Moving to the state of New Hampshire, as part of the “Free State Project,” is another option this enterprising young woman intends to exercise in the future.

Both women failed to mention to the incorporation option. Create a new business (at a certain cost) each time your company reaches 49, hardly a viable option. It’s probably least risky to stay small.

Like the Europeans, don’t shoot for the sky.

In 2006 I visited The Netherlands, one of the more free-market countries on the Continent. Shops did not open, on Monday, until 11:00 am so as to conserve the labor force. Expensive merchandize was kept under lock-and-key; customers treated like potential thieves. The supermarkets—a small, expensive selection of merchandize—made a visit to Costco as invigorating as smelling salts following a fainting spell.

Wait until our businesses look like Europe’s: small, meager, expensive. Then, Americans will blame business and look to Obama for yet more regulation.

CNN Harpies and Their Big Daddy O

Barack Obama, Elections, Europe, John McCain, Journalism, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, Media, Propaganda, Pseudo-history

“CNN Harpies and Their Big Daddy O”: That’s my latest weekly column, now on RT. Here is an excerpt:

“This must be a slow news week; we’re discussing CNN and its plummeting Nielsen ratings.

In a calculated attempt ‘to capture [its] lost glory,’ Rush Limbaugh has anticipated that the Cable News Network would ‘move further to the left.’

Question: How will we tell that CNN has made that move?

The Obama Heads at CNN are true believers. Although not as shrill as the MSNBC desperados, CNN’s John King, Jessica Yellin, Dona Lemon, Anderson Cooper, Soledad O’Brien, Piers Morgan—all are shifting into campaign mode, as the November election nears.

Especially intense are the pitches coming from likes of O’Brien (she is the Agony Aunt of the ‘Black In America,’ ‘Latino In the Same Place,’ and plain ‘Boring in America’ propaganda series), Yellin (a yelling for her man), Gloria Borges, Suzanne Malveaux, and other women.

It’s impossible to miss the sexual overtones. A gleaming flash of dentition, a glowing complexion: when the women folk report on Big Daddy O, their fondness is on display, for all CNN’s 291,000 national viewers to see.

O’Brien, by the way, was filmed fist-bumping Roland Martin, another race-issues agitator at CNN. In the CNN hood, a fist bump is the way you congratulate a comrade on a job well done for Obama.

Under the O’Brien belt is another big production, ‘Boiling Point: Inside the Tea Party.’ In this amateurish effort, a poorly written script and a scary sound track were deployed to convey a never-subliminal message: When it comes to the tea party, CNN’s dwindling viewers should run for their lives.

However, the rajah of right-wing radio gives CNN too little credit. The planners at CNN are craftier than Rush thinks.

What do I mean?

The GOP message is not worth much. But for what it’s worth, the political nerve center at CNN is working to shape that message. It does so by presenting to the public Republican commentators who are left-liberals in all but name.

CNN is cleverly crafting the meta-message. …”

READ the complete column. “CNN Harpies and Their Big Daddy O” is now on RT.

If you’d like to feature this column, WND’s longest-standing, exclusive libertarian column, in or on your publication (paper or pixels), contact ilana@ilanamercer.com.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION, AND DO BATTLE FOR LIBERTY:

• At the WND and RT Comments Sections.

• By clicking to “Like,” “Tweet” and “Share” “Return To Reason” on WND, and the “Paleolibertarian Column” on RT.