The Ron Paul Scenario

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that Ron Paul is elected President of the United States–even though we know that voting machines have been shown to be rigged with predetermined outcomes. What then?

I’ve heard some people say that Ron Paul will end all the “bad stuff,” if elected. I’ve heard that he will use Executive Orders to end the Federal Reserve, Department of Education and other “unconstitutional”  agencies and programs (doesn’t go far enough, but would be a good first step). From listening to some of the chatter, some folks are making Ron Paul out to be some kind of Messiah.

Unfortunately, it is not true and those things will never happen.

First of all, Ron Paul doesn’t believe that Executive Orders are Constitutional, so he would never use them. If he did, he would be helping to legitimize the process and open himself up to criticism from his detractors and those who do want to use them (“If you don’t believe they’re Constitutional, why are you issuing them?”), so don’t hold your breath waiting for Ron Paul to use dictatorial “stroke of the pen, law of the land” stuff anytime soon.

Second, even if Ron Paul was elected, he would be overriden by the Legislature at every turn, in the same way that Mark Sanford (former Governor of SC) had around 98% of his vetoes overriden with every new budget. Also, nearly every time Sanford wanted to push through a new idea, eliminate wasteful spending, cut taxes, consolidate agencies or eliminate redundant offices, the State Legislature pounded him from every angle, used the progressive (WIS-TV, The State Newspaper, PBS/ETV, Free Times, etc.) local media to make him look like an idiot for even asking for those things, and then boldly refused to give him what he was asking for–and it was done by both Democrats AND Republicans.

The only reason I could see for The Powers That Be to give–yes, give–Ron Paul the Presidency would be for accomplishing something like eliminating the Electoral College–something the progressives have wanted to do, for decades.

If Paul wins the “Presidential Preference” vote (public vote), the Electors are not bound to cast their votes for the popular choice (the candidate for which the public cast the most votes). If the Electors choose to cast their electoral votes to elect a different candidate, the country will come close to another civil war, with riots in the streets. The cries for eliminating the Electoral College will be heard far and wide, and the People will probably be duped into going along with it–including an increase in police power and presence to control any “civil unrest.” (Not that there should be elections for Masters, in the first place, but you get what I’m saying.)

The end result would be that the Statists have more police power and control, and the Socialist Republic of California has control of every new presidential election.

Remember: No matter who is elected, the State always wins.

In over 200 years of voting, we have only gotten higher (and more) taxes, more regulations, more currency manipulation and wealth destruction, more war, more surveillance (monitoring emails and phone calls, street cameras, tracking our cell phones, etc.), and so much more. Minor “victories,” once in awhile, keep the clueless Sheeple thinking that voting can make a difference, but history shows otherwise, so STOP VOTING! Stop legitimizing the rigged game of politics and keeping it alive! Separate yourself from it, and get “off the grid,” as much as possible.

Personally, I would actually like to see Ron Paul win, for one main reason: When his supporters watch as he is rendered completely ineffective, they will come to realize that voting accomplishes nothing but giving the People more of what they were getting, before. Even Ron Paul, himself, stated that he could “only be so independent.” At that point it will hopefully be easier for supporters of Voluntaryism (http://voluntaryist.com/fundamentals/introduction.html) to share the message of peace, cooperation and real freedom.

So…yay! Ron Paul 2012! Woo-hoo!

Amazon Deal Might Be On Again In South Carolina

Now that the Amazon deal is apparently back on the bargaining table in South Carolina, the anti-Amazon “Main Street” group (rumored to be Wal-Mart backed) is back to running their commercials, stating Amazon would destroy “375,000 main street jobs”–and I have a BIG problem with that.

First of all, according to 2009 City Data figures there were 129,333 people in Columbia, so someone please tell me how Amazon building a new distribution center–not retail store–in the Midlands would “destroy” a number of jobs equal to nearly THREE TIMES THE POPULATION OF THE CAPITAL CITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, and tack on another 12% in unemployment, statewide!

All that because of a distribution center? Absolutely preposterous!

This is evil, outlandish, anti-competition fear-mongering at its worst, folks. If Amazon was going to destroy “Main Street,” it would have done it a long time ago, because Amazon’s retail presence is ONLINE, not on the street corner–and has been for years.

And why should businesses down on “Main Street” be protected from competition, in the first place–and let’s be honest: That’s exactly what this is. Horse-and-buggy makers didn’t like automobile competition, back in the early days of cars, either, but progress is a wonderful thing!

But I digress.

Even if Amazon did construct a new distribution center, nothing would change; people are ordering from Amazon, right now–in South Carolina, too (*GASP!*)–and a new warehouse isn’t going to change a thing.

Amazon’s opponents say it’s “unfair” to let Amazon off the hook for collecting sales taxes on purchases made from people in South Carolina, while stores on the streets have to do so at the point of sale. Again, what is it that these people aren’t grasping about a DISTRIBUTION CENTER? It’s not a retail store! There are no–and will be no–Amazon point of sale purchases on the streets, in South Carolina.

Sometimes, it’s very easy to see why South Carolina consistently ranks near the bottom in educational achievement, because our government “leaders” are apparently dumb as rocks, too.

Amazon Decides To Leave SC Rather Than Give In To Government Mafia

Amazon has decided that, rather than give in to South Carolina government mafia tax thugs, it will halt building plans and move its proposed distribution facility out of South Carolina. After the 71-47 House vote against the company, Amazon halted building contracts and pulled job postings. The reported 1250+ jobs, plus a reported additional 1000+ jobs from an engineering firm and other support companies, and over $100 million in investments will be going to a more business-friendly state.

Here’s a list of the Representatives who stood against Amazon:

Agnew, Paul L.
Alexander, Terry
Allen, Karl B.
Anderson, Carl L.
Anthony, Michael A.
Barfield, Liston D.
Bedingfield, Eric M.
Bikas, Eric J.
Bowen, Don C.
Bowers, William K.
Brown, Robert L.
Chumley, William M.
Clemmons, Alan D.
Corbin, Thomas D.
Crawford, Kristopher R.
Crosby, William E.
Delleney, F. Gregory, Jr.
Dillard, Chandra E.
Edge, Tracy R.
Erickson, Shannon S.
Funderburk, Laurie Slade
Gilliard, Wendell G.
Govan, Jerry N., Jr.
Hamilton, Daniel P.
Hardwick, Nelson L.
Hearn, George M.
Henderson, Phyllis
Hiott, David R.
Hixon, William M.
Horne, Jenny Anderson
Hosey, Lonnie
Howard, Leon
Jefferson, Joseph H.
Johnson, Kevin L.
King, John Richard C.
Limehouse, Harry B., III
Long, Deborah A.
Lowe, Phillip D.
Lucas, James H.
McCoy, Peter M., Jr.
McEachern, Joseph A.
Moss, Dennis C.
Munnerlyn, Elizabeth R.
Murphy, Christopher J.
Nanney, Wendy K.
Neal, James M.
Norman, Ralph W.
Owens, Phillip D.
Parker, Steve A.
Parks, J. Anne
Pinson, Lewis E.
Pitts, Michael A.
Pope, Thomas E.
Ryan, Kevin R.
Sandifer, William E., III
Simrill, J. Gary
Smith, G. Murrell, Jr.
Smith, Garry R.
Smith, J. Roland
Taylor, Bill
Thayer, Anne J.
Tribble, David, Jr.
Vick, Ted M.
Viers, Thad T.
Weeks, J. David
Whipper, J. Seth
White, W. Brian
Whitmire, William R.
Williams, Robert Q.
Willis, Mark N.
Young, Thomas R., Jr.

It has been reported that Governor Nikki Haley also opposed the Amazon deal, and that Wal-Mart organized a coalition to oppose the deal, as well.

Personally, I want to see each of these dirty, rotten, scumbag politicians stand face-to-face with the people who applied for those jobs and have the balls to tell them exactly what happened: “Amazon didn’t want to help fatten the State’s coffers, so we ran off all those jobs for which you applied. Yes, we realize these are very tough economic times, but the State getting money is more important than you being able to work and feed your families. Deal with it.”

These evil, crooked people should be tarred, feathered and run out of town–at the very least!

This is just another example of how government destroys prosperity and employment opportunities.

Government Gambling Hypocrisy

One thing that really chaps my hide is hypocrisy–especially when government officials are involved.

For instance, I caught part of a recent TV news broadcast that showed where arrests were made over “illegal” video poker machines, in the Columbia, SC area. I fail to see how video games can be involved in crime, but maybe I’m just stupid and need the we-know-how-to-run-your-life-better-than-you-do folks in the SC State Legislature to enlighten me.

When the battle lines were first drawn, opponents of video poker said such things as, “Video poker takes food out of kids mouths, because some people have gambling problems and dump most of their money into these games.” Because of these (unsubstantiated) claims, SC lawmakers outlawed video poker, several years ago. They said, “Gambling is wrong!”

But almost immediately, SC Government unveiled a plan to run a statewide lottery. They named it the “South Carolina Education Lottery,” and vowed to send tons of money raised through ticket sales to the state’s education system, so that most people who don’t really care for gambling would support it–or, at least, turn a blind eye and let it pass. “It’s for the children!” (wink, wink).

What’s the difference between buying lottery tickets and playing video poker? At least with the video game, if you’re good you can play for quite a while on just a few dollars–and, back in the good ol’ days, many people regularly won payouts, until those were made illegal, too.

With lottery tickets, you can blow your whole paycheck, in 5 easy minutes, at a convenience store checkout counter–and then take your chances with odds that show you’re many times more likely to be struck by lightning than win the lottery jackpot. Heck, the computer will even generate numbers for you, so you don’t even have to think!

Government views its statewide, State-run gambling system to be a wonderful thing, but they will restrict charity raffles and send armed officers to bust into the homes of peaceful, little old ladies playing a friendly, private game of poker with a few friends around the kitchen table–again, because “gambling is wrong!” (Yes, busting in on ‘grandma’ actually happened.)

South Carolina legislators and liberal media constantly, and unjustly, also targeted “payday lenders,” because they said people can get caught up in a “cycle of debt.” Personally, I hardly see a $45 charge for a very short-term $300 loan being cause to destroy an entire industry–and the jobs that went with it–especially when the State runs the largest gambling operation, and the banks that the State Government often partners with make millions of dollars in interest and fees. But what do I know, right?

The kicker: While government says “gambling is wrong,” the government-run South Carolina Education Lottery runs commercials advertising a gambling hotline–that’s right, a GAMBLING HOTLINE–for anyone who needs help with a gambling problem.

Am I missing something, here?

Apparently, if something is “wrong” it suddenly becomes perfectly acceptable if government can control it (regulate) and make money from it (taxes, tickets sales, etc.).

Hypocrisy, plain and simple.

What a Wonderful Life

I’ve had a few things on my mind, lately, so I’m going to use this as an opportunity to get some of them off my chest.

1.  First and foremost, I want to punch all the people who said that Windows 7 was their idea. If they had anything to do with another buggy software product from MicroSoft, they deserve a good smacking.

2.  Most modern-day so-called “rock” music only seems to rock me to sleep. I guess that’s what they mean by “rock,” these days.

3.  Companies that say you can get a new laptop computer for only “$29.99 per week for 12 months” are rip-off artists.  You can currently get a brand new laptop at major office supply stores for only $299.99, so why in the world would you pay $1559.48 for one? Don’t fall for this crap!

4.  Same goes for “free credit report” services. If you have to buy a product or service before you can get a report, it isn’t free. If you want a truly free credit report, you can get one every year by writing to the credit bureaus and simply requesting one.

5.  I’m really getting tired of seeing Safe Auto car insurance commercials that use the threat of police officers locking you up, or taking your car away, in an effort to sell their insurance. Personally, I wouldn’t use them if they were the last insurance company on the planet, because of it. Friends do not let friends buy Safe Auto insurance!

6.  If you’re going to hold up traffic, it’s probably a good idea to drive something other than a company vehicle. There are some companies I will not do business with, because their drivers have a regular habit of doing stupid crap on the highway–and because they were stupid enough to let me know where they work, I’m going to do my best to give their competitors my money.

7.  Speaking of bad driving, please stop holding up traffic so someone can make a turn across multiple lanes! So many accidents are caused by someone holding up traffic to make a gap for another car to cross through, while a car in the adjacent lane doesn’t see what’s going on and…BAM! Traffic collision. Don’t do it! Let them think you’re a prick, if they must. At least you’re safer. Get the driver of the other car to realize he needs to go to the nearest intersection and turn. Don’t take a risk of causing an accident, just because someone doesn’t feel like driving a few extra yards to a traffic light.

8.  Reading “a shine that lasts for weeks” on tire shine products really irritates me, because I know that the shine may “last for weeks” only if you don’t actually drive the vehicle. If you must actually drive it, the shine typically lasts for 3 to 5 days.

9.  Ever notice how the burger or sandwich you get at the fast food joint never looks like the product they display in those (false advertising) commercials? Getting a compressed, dried-out, lukewarm sandwich that looks to be about half the size of what I saw in the commercial is not cool, at all.

Okay, I think that’s enough venting for now. I’m sure I’ll have more to add, soon, because it seems the world is full of people who don’t get it or don’t care–or both.

Stay tuned…

Government is like a Casino

In a casino, the odds are stacked against gamblers; the House is going to come out on top, at the end of the day, overall. There are some winners, here and there, but there are many more losers so the casino makes the most money.

Informants are hired to look and act like regular gamblers, in an effort to keep tabs on the regular folks who are gambling. If someone regularly beats the House, and amasses a considerable amount of wealth, the casino is alerted and the goon squad is dispatched to find out why–and possibly (forcibly) eject the person from the premises. Their business model is based on the idea that the House is the only one that should be making any serious money.

It’s the same with government and politics. With electronic voting machines, scare tactics, back-pocket media and an ignorant Electorate the odds are stacked against The People.

Any time a “third” option or activist group mounts a serious challenge to the Establishment Parties (RepubliCrats), the attack-dog media outlets go to work to discredit the candidate and cast doubt in the minds of voters: “It’s a wasted vote,” “People who associate with that group must be hate-filled or racist,” or “If you don’t vote for our candidate the [other "major" Party candidate] will win!” It’s all about dividing, conquering and advancing agendas through compromise and fear–and making sure no alternative can gain any type of ground to upset the balance.

And don’t get me started on the widespread ballot access laws, reporting mandates, contribution caps, etc. that seriously hinder any “third party” upstarts, but don’t really do much to hinder the “major” Parties who are already large and powerful. To me, it’s akin to the lopsided tax on the Southern states that led to the Civil War.

Infiltrating one of the other Parties– to try and win an election, based solely on the fact that some (idiots) blindly push an “R” or “D” button at the polls, without even knowing who the candidates are–will get you nowhere, either, because those Parties carefully vet their members and candidates. If you don’t play along with the Good Ol’ Boy game, you will never even make it through the nomination process. (Ron Paul is a good example of how these groups will cannibalize their own, if their agendas are threatened.)

By now, you’ve probably heard reports and seen evidence of vote tampering on electronic voting machines–everything from vote totals being switched, artificially casting votes for one candidate based upon the votes received by the opposition, etc. There is even video footage of a chimp hacking one of the machines. To put it all in perspective, Russian dictator Josef Stalin once said, “It’s not the people who vote that count. It’s the people who count the votes.”

With all of those things stacked against you–those who want real change and real freedom–why do you continue to try and work within the system to try and change it?

I guess it’s like playing the lottery, even though a player is more likely to be struck by lightning–twice–than win the jackpot.

And the local government council meetings, where “public input” is permitted–but usually at no more than 2 or 3 minutes per person–are just dog and pony shows, too. Listening to the citizens is just a formality to most of these people, and necessary to keep you thinking that you actually have a voice in government proceedings, so you don’t rebel.

I’ve seen too many meetings where citizens packed the house, and overwhelmingly disapproved of a certain measure that was up for a vote, only to watch their local officials completely ignore the voices of the People and approve it, anyway. It was almost comical to watch these officials pay little attention to what the People had to say, knowing how they were going to vote before the first person even stepped up to the mic.

Threats to vote them out don’t work, because they know that most people don’t even know what’s going on with their government and will vote to re-elect them–and if that fails, there’s always those wonderful, programmable, electronic voting machines…

Stop putting your faith and energy into a system that is rigged to keep outsiders from succeeding. Don’t be fooled by the illusion.

It’s time to remove all compliance and support for this corrupt, freedom-destroying Establishment. Doing so is the only way we’re ever going to get things moving back in the right direction.

That’s some real “hope and change.”

(Related article: http://anarchistpov.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/reality-check/ )

Glenn Beck on Ron Bloom

Glenn Beck keeps harping on Ron Bloom, Obama’s Manufacturing Czar, who said that the free market system is nonsense and who agreed with Mao that political power comes from the barrel of a gun. I hate to say it, but the guy is right. His perspective is probably much different than mine, concerning the reasons why he feels it’s nonsense and what he would do to change it, but he’s right.

Socialists/Communists constantly try to get (ignorant) people to believe that what we currently have in the US is a free market or Capitalist system (See Michael Moore’s new movie for proof), but it’s not true. What we have is a socialist government (the majority of the federal budget is for social programs) and Corporatism–and Corporatism is very different from Capitalism.

Government destroyed the free market with such things as the Constitution’s Interstate Commerce Clause, business licensing, permits, fines, feees, regulations, ordinances, Affirmative Action, taxation/duties, sales restrictions, product bans, etc. There hasn’t been a “free market” in the US, for a very long time.

As for political power coming from the barrel of a gun, how else is political power (law and dictatorial Executive Orders) enFORCEd? Are fancy titles, like “Senator” or “Congressman” enough? How about their wealth? Good looks? No! The power of government is backed by guns and the people who wield them!

Do I support such power and enFORCEment? Absolutely not, but the fact remains that political power (government) is always backed by firepower.

Does that make you feel uneasy? Do something to change it!

Internet Speedway Warning

I have been hearing a lot of radio commercials for Internet Speedway, and their “free” CD that will cost you nearly $10 to have shipped to your address, so I decided to do some background checking on the company.

The following alert was posted to the “Consumer Alerts for March 2009″ section of the Better Business Bureau’s Eastern NC site:

“The Internet Speedway offers a business opportunity via television commercials.  They promote selling products on the Internet.  Products include health and beauty items, ladies and men’s apparel, jewelry, designer sunglasses, cookware, customer luggage equipment and sports apparel.  One consumer paid the initial $9.95 fee for the software and was then charged additional “hidden fees.”  Other complainants have alleged unauthorized withdrawals up to $347.75.  Over 340 complaints have been filed against this Arizona business, and they have the BBB’s lowest rating.”

I have also seen numerous posts on work-at-home forum pages telling others to avoid this business, calling it a “scam,” so I thought I’d share this information with all of you.

In tough economic times, it can be tempting to try something like Internet Speedway to make some extra money, but with “over 340 complaints” and “the BBB’s lowest rating,” I think I’ll stay far away from this one.

Free Credit Report Scams

I’m REALLY getting tired of seeing the “free” credit report commercials on TV, because they can end up being anything but “free,” if you aren’t careful.

Most people don’t realize it, but you can get truly FREE copies of your credit reports just for asking for them, each year. You don’t need to sign up and pay for any service, in order to get them.

From the FTC:

Q: How do I order my free report?

A: The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report.

To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. The form can be printed from ftc.gov/credit. Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

You may order your reports from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies at the same time, or you can order your report from each of the companies one at a time. The law allows you to order one free copy of your report from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months.

A Warning About “Imposter” Websites

Only one website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law — annualcreditreport.com. Other websites that claim to offer “free credit reports,” “free credit scores,” or “free credit monitoring” are not part of the legally mandated free annual credit report program. In some cases, the “free” product comes with strings attached. For example, some sites sign you up for a supposedly “free” service that converts to one you have to pay for after a trial period. If you don’t cancel during the trial period, you may be unwittingly agreeing to let the company start charging fees to your credit card.

Some “imposter” sites use terms like “free report” in their names; others have URLs that purposely misspell annualcreditreport.com in the hope that you will mistype the name of the official site. Some of these “imposter” sites direct you to other sites that try to sell you something or collect your personal information.

Annualcreditreport.com and the nationwide consumer reporting companies will not send you an email asking for your personal information. If you get an email, see a pop-up ad, or get a phone call from someone claiming to be from annualcreditreport.com or any of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies, do not reply or click on any link in the message. It’s probably a scam.

Q: What information do I need to provide to get my free report?

A: You need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. If you have moved in the last two years, you may have to provide your previous address. To maintain the security of your file, each nationwide consumer reporting company may ask you for some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. Each company may ask you for different information because the information each has in your file may come from different sources.