Category Archives: Taxation

Update III: The State of the Tea Party Movement (Coulter Mistakes Movement's I.D.)

Ann Coulter, Liberty, Political Philosophy, Republicans, Rights, Taxation, The State

The state of the Tea Party Movement is great.

Despite what the lying left says, it’s mostly ordinary citizens acting spontaneously. The old hacks aren’t even invited or welcome to most events.

It’s not anti-Obama but anti-Big Government and that includes Bush and the Republican Congress when they had the majority. Naturally, as soon as they lost power, they fell in love with limited government again.

Alas, the Republican Party is a pathetic joke and the Tea Party Movement has become the real opposition party to the Democrats. Good.

Now, the blowing off steam phase is over and the movement must get serious fast or lose its momentum.

A movement needs a goal. Here’s a good one:

Restore the Republic.

By which I mean the pre-constitutional Republic. The American Revolution was not fought for the Constitution. The Constitution didn’t exist yet.

Nor will griping about the Constitution do. Face it. To the extent that the Constitution was designed to preserve the old Republic, and I have serious doubts about that, it failed. Constitutionalism failed. Parchment did not stop the steamroller of big government!

Why? That question has been answered by Learned Hand:

Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it; no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it.

A movement needs its own symbols and ours are there for the taking: The Betsy Ross flag is a no-brainer. And let’s use the old national anthem. My Country Tis of Thee. It speaks of liberty, not bombs bursting in air during a war whose meaning is still unclear. And let’s pledge allegiance to the principles of the American Revolution for Christ’s sake! (Peace is the common theme.)

Face it. The symbols of patriotism have been hijacked by evil men for evil purposes such as mass murder and massive bankster theft.

We will take patriotism back and make it true and good again.

Then, we need a plan. Why?

*Because most of us are naturally inclined to two activities that history shows are usually a waste of time: lobbying politicians and trying to elect new ones.

*Because no movement to shrink the federal government has succeeded since 1800-1804!

*Because many people are inclined to think we can reform our way out of this mess. In fact, reforming a rotten system merely extends its lifespan.

*Because the trajectory of America is downward fast and we have no time or margin of error for mistakes.

*Because if we do not give our people something constructive to do, right now, they will burn out and be gone.

At the April 18th WNY Tea Party, we will roll out a 12-point plan for direct citizen action that would make Gandhi smile. It’s a devastating one-two punch: education, then action! The plan fits on one side of one sheet of paper.

So, two things. If you are within driving distance of Buffalo and you miss this tea party, you will regret it when you see the video.

Two, if you are running a tea party on April 15th and wish to learn more about our plan, contact me.

Thanks and good luck at your event.

Jim Ostrowski
WNY Tea Party Program Committee
jameso@apollo3.com
Cell–(716) 435-8918

Update I (April 15): I’ll be interviewing our pal Jim for my WND column on Friday. Jim, a major tea-party organizer, continues the thread in “Pitfalls for the Tea Party Movement”:

“It’s time for a checklist of the pitfalls we need to avoid to be successful. These will roughly track the smears expected to be made against us.

*Do not be an appendage of the failed Republican Party or neoconservative movements.

*Be open to all American citizens who share our core philosophy.

*Have a positive agenda for real change.

*Be for something other than merely electing Republicans. The country is rightly sick of Republicans after the last eight years.

*Bring something to the table other than Constitutionalism. All that has happened happened in spite of the Constitution.

*Avoid conspiracy and arcane legal theories including Obama’s citizenship. Our opponents control the courts and will never accept your “common law” or “Patriot” legal theories. Never!

*If you support lower taxes, be prepared to specify the spending cuts required to pay for them. And never say you will cut “waste, fraud, and abuse” because then everyone will know you are full of crap. …”

Update II: Hero Joe Horn makes an appearance at the Alamo, from where Glenn Beck is broadcasting. Read about Horn in “JOE HORN: WANTED MAN…AND A HERO.” If only I were in Texas. People are flying the Gadsden Flag; there are signs that read, “Revolution Brewing,” and ALL express disgust with Republicans and Democrats alike.

Although I don’t much like the celebrity oriented focus of Glenn’s show today (and my Sean is a way superior guitarist than Nugent), there are, at least, no Party Republicans in sight. And that’s a good thing. I suspect that Hannity and O’Reilly will make up for this welcome omission by convening the usual suspects for their parties. You know: Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and Karl Rove. Glenn has enough of a feel for freedom to keep those sickening sorts away. A wise decision if to judge by this animated Texan crowd. G-d bless them.

Update III (April 16): In her latest column, Ann Coulter doesn’t think twice about claiming the tea-party movement as Republican. She’s usually cleverer about concealing the fact that she writes in support of the Stupid Party—always.
Incidentally, Coulter berates California as a laboratory for Democratic governance. I thought that state was governed by a Republican.

Update III: Survival On The Road To Serfdom

Barely A Blog, Business, Economy, Ilana Mercer, IlanaMercer.com, Intelligence, Israel, Socialism, Taxation, The State

At this time on our road to serfdom, reader Michel Cloutier requests a little less platonic theorizing. He writes:

I’d like to read discussions about what we can do on the individual, or maybe local, level to help weather the storm. And please, let’s stay off the usual ’stockpiling of ammo and canned food’ thread.

Well, I’m glad “stockpiling of ammo and canned food” is what Michel has come to expect from BAB contributors. That’s a good start. A Mormon worth his salt will second that.

Seriously, we’re all doing the best we can to try and protect what is becoming harder by the day to protect: our livelihoods and property. So I’m game. Let’s discuss this. (And consider helping your host defray the costs associated with providing what she hopes is a helpful; supportive, instructive; educational, and prescient forum, for like-minded freedom lovers–a community.)

Update I: I’d like to thank you all for your very generous support in these hard times. Centuries ago, artists—among other creative folks—relied on discerning patrons to keep their work alive. Nothing has changed.

Mainstream intelligentsia is dishing out dirt, as usual. It is not only festooned with arrogant liars, but, worse: intellectual sloths; idiots bereft of the slightest affinity for reality, much less the natural laws of justice. Our side can begin to gain a rightful market share in the miasma that is the market place of ideas. But we need to work overtime at supporting and disseminating the truth and dissociating from the dreck. Out of chaos, some new, not-necessarily bad order may just emerge.

I know I nag, but if you have not yet signed up for the Mercer weekly e-newsletter, you can do so HERE.

Back to Surviving On The Road To Serfdom: I personally have quite a bit of faith in Peter Schiff, an investment adviser who follows the Austrian school of economics. What you have to understand is that, while Austrians are the only analysts to have both predicted and explained the meltdown, they cannot provide a timeline. For example, before house prices began to fall, my husband wanted to know when they would plummet. All could say was that prices would go down, although I could not say when, given that the crooks who’ve usurped the power of the purse would keep trying to re-inflate the bubble and keep prices high.

If you can, plan on surviving for two years without employment.

Update II (March 30): We spoke of understanding how easy Federal-Reserve credit leads to violent cycles of malinvestiment. Or as the inimical Peter Schiff puts it “The Government Liquored Them Up”:

Update II (March 31): TO SUM, here are some of your and my thoughts. (This is not investment advice; I do not, and am not qualified to dispense it):

• Gold

• Frugality

• Debt free

• Savings

• Refinancing mortgage at lower interest rates now on offer to those with good credit.

• Self-defense: if you dislike fire arms, consider an alarm system. It’s a deterrent. Mr. Van Wijk’s comment about not relying on The Powers is demonstrated daily. Residents of an old-age home in North Carolina are slaughtered by a gunman. The cop who did his professional duty and barged in, instead of waiting for backup, is hailed a hero. Yes, the default position is not to defend the folks. Also, remember that you don’t have the right de jure to self-defense in most states; if you defend yourself in your home you’re the one needing to justify your actions.

• Self-employment: our heroic South African readers have shown the way on this front. Also: chaos often leads to a reordering and to new opportunities. For example: my column is drawing more people now than during the halcyon years of free credit.

• Emergency supplies

• Tax revolt; I especially would like to see the property tax shakedown exposed in an organized, methodical way, resulting in repeal, preferably— but if not, a reduction of such taxes commensurate with the steep drop in the value of property. Property prices are going down; property taxes up.

• Educate others about liberty: ilanamercer.com is a great resource to turn people onto freedom. I’m doing the work; all you need to do is spread it.

• Keep fit; it helps with stress.

On a personal note: when we first arrived on this continent, and especially when we migrated from Canada to the US, we were convinced we were vastly poorer than the locals. We lived so much more modestly. In Canada, we were able to afford an apartment only. We clipped coupons and ate out for the first time two years after arriving in our new home. Until 2007, we had never owned a new car.

Things improved in the US. We purchased a home.

I had read a Fraser Institute paper that said immigrants took ten years to catch up to the locals. I put down our modest circumstances to that fact: we were still playing “catch up.” Now I know that this research, at least in our case, was bogus. The locals were living in Hog Central. We had practiced the frugality my in-laws (depression babies) had taught my husband.

Cars were bought cash (and hence; second hand, or used). The locals’ penchant for entering exorbitant leasing arrangements was a mystery to us. The credit card was treated as nothing more than a convenience, to be paid off in full every month (interest is horrendous if this is not done).

We’ve discovered that the locals are not that much wealthier, but, rather, more wasteful and credit happy.

Updated: Missouri Police State: Beware Of People Like … Me

Constitution, Federalism, Founding Fathers, Individual Rights, libertarianism, Liberty, Natural Law, Political Correctness, Propaganda, Republicans, Ron Paul, Taxation, Terrorism, The State

The following is an excerpt from my new WND.com column, “Missouri Police State: Beware Of People Like … Me”:

“A secret Missouri State police report, entitled ‘The Modern Militia Movement,’ and dated February 20, 2009, is warning about subversives like … me. Apparently, this scribe has all the attributes of a militia member, and then some.

One of the incriminating telltale signs the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) is on the look out for are Ron Paul stickers.

I have one on my car. It reads: ‘Don’t blame me, I supported Ron Paul.’

The MIAC has cultivated an ensnaring network of snitches and spies, ‘consisting of local, state and federal agencies, as well as the public sector and private entities.’ Its malign manifesto alerts to other ‘paraphernalia’ associated with the patriot movement: Flags.

Guilty again. …

Dare to inveigh against the malignant and metastasizing Federal Frankenstein, or about states’ and individual rights, and, you’re militia material.

Again; that’s my motto, week-in and week-out on WND.com. If the Constitution and the natural law mean anything at all, then, almost everything the Federal government busies itself with is either unconstitutional, immoral, violative, or all three. I say that a lot. And I leave a pixelated trail behind. …”

Read the complete column, “Missouri Police State: Beware Of People Like … Me,” now on WND.com

Update (March 27): Thanks, Judge Robert. That’s what I needed to hear; that I’ll have a (pro bono) defense. (Grin) One problem: You are probably also on the Missouri Police State’s Most Wanted list.

Unrelated: IlanaMercer.com’s front-page feed is down. Our trusted website developer is working on the problem.

Guess Who’s Pooh-Poohing Tea Parties & Touting The Political Process?

Elections 2008, libertarianism, Liberty, Media, Politics, Taxation, The State

Mr. Neal Boortz is a big fan of the political process, which is why serious libertarians consider him a serious statist par excellence.

Boortz admonished irate Americans to:

“Use your tea bags to make tea and do something meaningful. Go around your workplace or neighborhood and register voters who actually produce and contribute to our society. Trust me, there are enough people out there registering the parasites, find the producers who don’t vote – convince them that their vote is needed and would count – and sign them up. Then take a copy of their voter registration, put it with the other copies you’ve already collected, and send them to your congressman.”

The palsied haters of the liberal press are not covering the Tea Party movement. When they do, it is with the toffee-nosed contempt they reserved for Sarah Palin, the Moose hunting mama.

Newsweek’s latest cover, “The Thinking Man’s Guide To Populist Outrage,” could just as well have read “Those hick rubes are at it again.”

I’ve protested the diffuse, directionless nature of the rage animating the masses. The eruption of civil society, however, is a good thing; far better than registering people to partake in a rigged charade. (Presumably, Boortz wants society’s producers to vote for a Republican.) But, right now, with the exception of a few pockets, the populist uprising is a bit of a headless chicken.

In any event, like the liberals, Boortz seems to need to show that he’s wiser than the yokels.