Freedom of Speech Hypocrites

I have been channel surfing through political talk radio shows, lately, and I am not surprised by the reaction that Colin Kaepernick (49ers quarterback) is receiving for his refusal to stand for the National Anthem.

All the nationalists and authoritarians are viciously attacking his character, and attempting to shame him on a national stage, in an effort to get him to change his behavior—and hopefully create a hostile environment, so that no one else gets the crazy idea of following in his footsteps. Any other time, we’d be hearing these same guys talk about all the freedom we supposedly enjoy, and “American exceptionalism.”

The nationalists have even tried to turn this incident into an issue of Kaepernick somehow disrespecting the military, because supposedly so many “people fought and died” for his freedom, and he is just defecating all over them!

First of all, why do we sing the National Anthem, and have a military procession—complete with jets flying overhead—at a football game, in the first place? I’ll enlighten you: It’s to keep you all waving your flags, and get you teary-eyed when you think of your great country—even as it is going into the tank, and your freedoms are being trampled, more and more, each day. That’s why.

Hitler would be proud, I’m sure.

But I digress.

I have heard some people say, “People fought and died for your freedom! You’d better be glad you live in a place where you can say that!”

What they are really saying is, “You piece of garbage! You are challenging my belief system, and I would prefer to live in my little box, unchallenged, where I feel that everything I believe is right and good. You can have your freedom of speech—as long as you say things that I agree with. If I could shut you up, right now, I would! You’d better be glad you live in this country, where most people tolerate such things; otherwise, I would physically assault you—and I still might, if I think I can get away with it!”

This type of behavior begs the question: If people fought and died for freedom of speech—and you revere them so much for doing so—why are you trying so hard to stop people from exercising that freedom? You must not revere them as much as you say you do, because you obviously don’t want people to use what those dead folks supposedly fought for.

I’ve got news for you: The Flag of the United States is basically a corporate logo of the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT (intentional caps, for all of you in the know), in the same way that the “swoosh” logo represents Nike, or the “golden arches” represents McDonald’s. People get so wrapped up in that flag, but they don’t understand its true meaning.

Contrary to what you’ve been indoctrinated to believe, the US Flag does NOT represent the people of the United States. I know you’ve all been made to feel like it does, but it does not. It represents the warring, lying, stealing, murdering, enslaving US Government.

Getting you to pledge your allegiance, when you are too young to even understand what you are doing, for example, is how nationalism indoctrination is done—and it is absolutely necessary for keeping the State in control of everything. If you lose faith, it’s over—so the Powers That Be won’t have any of that. That is why nationalism is taught, as early as kindergarten.

Government constantly lies to us; literally beats us down with their officers and agents; attempts to disarm us; takes nearly half of everything we earn each year (taxes, fees, fines, permits, licenses, etc.); keeps us in a constant state of “war”; pushes us into dividing ourselves and fighting against each other; regulates our businesses to the point where they flee the country—and take all their jobs with them; monitors everything we do and say; destroys entire industries (coal and lead, for example)—and the jobs that go along with them—with the stroke of a pen; is the single biggest reason for the increase in our healthcare costs—and I could go on and on.

Do you really expect me to pledge my allegiance to that, or stand and wave the logo that represents it, and get all mushy inside? Don’t be ridiculous!

I love the location of my birth, and most other people here, but I despise governments—all of them.

It has been said that the only speech that needs protecting is unpopular speech. Now, I’m not crazy about the wording of that statement, but I get what the person was trying to say.

If Kaepernick wants to exercise his freedom of speech, and speak out against what he feels is injustice, I support him. If not standing for the National Anthem is what he feels is necessary to get his message across, I won’t try to stand in his way—and neither should you, if you believe in real freedom.

Maybe, one day, your words may not be so popular, and you might need a little “protecting,” too.

 

 

 

Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved.

State of the Union 2016

in my opinion, Donald Trump is a Fascist. Ted Cruz wants a theocracy, and to basically renew the Crusades. Marco Rubio is the face of the Establishment. Hillary Clinton is an elitist Limousine Liberal. Bernie Sanders is an absolute idiot Communist, who knows jack squat about economics.

Congratulations, USA. This is what all of your cowardice, coveting, entitlement mentality, dumbing down and social engineering has gotten you.

You have allowed Masters to rise up and control every aspect of your life–and then you turn around and shout “freedom!” and “USA! USA!” while those same Masters laugh at you–all the way to the bank. You can’t possibly think that all of the deficits, wars, taxing and regulating all of our industry to a point where the employers flee, and forcibly doing ‘this’ and ‘that’ to one another would ever lead to peace and prosperity.

And if you are looking for someone to blame, you only need look in the mirror.

You starve, and barely scrape by, while your government sends billions of dollars that were forcibly taken from you, in the form of taxes, to other countries–to bribe them, to go along with US-favored politics.

You now live in a society where your every purchase, email, phone call and text message is monitored by government. Even your laptop cameras and microphones can be turned on, remotely, by government, without your knowledge or consent, because you might be a terrorist–and “terrorism” is the favored excuse for government to use for all manner of power-grabs, these days.

Over half of police resources are used to kidnap and cage people who have done nothing more than smoke a leaf that government said was forbidden.

Government even tells you what types of light bulbs you will be allowed to use–and you still think you’re free?

The FDA has approved every single prescription drug that has maimed, killed or otherwise harmed someone, yet you see “These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA…” disclaimers on health supplement bottles. They have pushed the toxic stuff through, but can’t be bothered with vitamins and herbal remedies?

When cops break the law, or kill someone, they get put on paid leave–which is nothing more than paid vacation, if we’re being honest. If you break the law, it’s a completely different outcome.

Government has taken self-defense out of our hands, and has even devised a [trial lawyer] system where businesses and citizens are afraid to defend themselves, because the criminal might sue–and win!

If you are an average citizen, nearly half of your income is forcibly taken from you, each year, in the form of taxes, fees, fines, permits and licenses. Half!

You are conditioned to believe–through TV shows, movies, video games, talk radio, news broadcasts, etc.–that without government force the world would plunge into chaos and destruction, yet you peacefully self-govern, every day.

After all that they have done to you, you still want to tell me that we need this system? If so, realize that it’s your conditioning talking, not your rational mind.

School was the first step in your conditioning process; your parents handed you over to strangers, when you were very young and impressionable, and those strangers conditioned you to believe that strangers can wield authority over you–and punish you when you disobey. Basically, your were handed over into slavery.

If the word, “freedom,” truly means anything to you, you must help to abolish the system that has allowed these would-be rulers to destroy everything good that we’ve ever known.

Most of you are angry–if the current presidential “election” climate is any indication. The only problem is that you think that you can actually change the overall scope of power by voting. Sorry, but history shows that you cannot.

The “elections” are rigged; the Powers That Be would never let something like a popular vote take away their power and money. You even see the rules-breaking and maneuvering at the Primary level, so stop putting your faith in a ballot box!

We have to begin exercising mutual respect, self-defense, community involvement and emergency preparedness. We also have to rally around each other, so that the government goons understand that if they mess with one of us, they mess with all of us! That’s the only way we can turn things around.

Stay away from the polls, and learn more about Voluntaryism(.com).

The only way we are going to truly become a civilized society is when we learn to live and let live, and stop trespassing against one another.

“Government” is the most destructive, warring, murderous, stealing, lying, corrupt organization on the planet. It has to end. Now!

3 Very Needed Changes in the Political System

1.  End anonymous voting, for every office, NOW!

With all of the election fraud, rigged elections and vote tampering that has been reported over the years–especially now, with electronic voting machines–the next logical step would be to remove all anonymity from the electoral process, and make each vote traceable, public and verifiable.

I can hear certain people screaming, already: “But I don’t want people to know who I voted for!”

The problem with that is this: We already know exactly who you are going to vote for, blabbermouth, because you talk about it with all your friends, you have the bumper stickers on your car, you write letters to the editor, and you call to rant and rave on the local talk radio shows. We already know how you vote, so stop whining.

With removing anonymity from the voting process, each person would be able to verify their votes and put an end to vote tampering. Plus, if you’re going to “vote” to (illegitimately) empower someone to rule over everyone, shouldn’t you at least have the balls to put it out there in public?

2.  Put politicians on a similar wage scale as restaurant wait staff.

There are laws on the books that say restaurants don’t have to pay above a $2.13/hour wage, if tips make up the slack toward the minimum wage per hour (the reason why you are constantly guilt-tripped into tipping, even when you don’t feel someone deserved it).

Personally, I feel that employees and employers should be able to work out the terms of their employment contract, voluntarily, but since politicians created this standard, I want politicians to be hit even harder–and lead by example. With that in mind, I propose we end a politician’s pay if he/she receives more than his/her office’s salary level from money made in the private sector.

In other words, if the Speaker of the House makes more than the office’s $223,500/year salary from business done in the private sector, he/she does not get a government paycheck. Period. No pension payments (if “retired”), or any other benefits, either.

You want to cut costs in government? That’s the first place I would start.

3.  Require ALL current politicians to be enrolled in Obamacare, and have to deal with the same level of coverage and headaches that everyone else will have to endure. Maybe that will get the nightmare legislation repealed.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg, but a good place to start, until we can eventually abolish ALL of it.

Hobby Lobby and Birth Control

Hobby Lobby is currently engaged in a battle with the Obama Administration over its refusal to provide contraceptives and abortion services to employees, in violation of the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare).

Hobby Lobby says providing birth control goes against their religious views, while MSNBC–along with Huffington Post, Vox Media and Senator Barbara Boxer (D)–portrays it as an “attack on women” and gays.

The MSNBC socialists say that Hobby Lobby is attempting to “claim religious freedom,” and if this is allowed then civilization as we know it will collapse and the sky will fall.

First of all, no one is being denied birth control; anyone can walk into their local clinic and get an abortion, or condoms, or purchase condoms at any pharmacy. Those things are available, any time. The issue, here, is freedom of choice–for Hobby Lobby, that is.

MSNBC says people have a “right” to birth control. They can have a “right,” all they want, but they don’t have a “right” to force someone else to provide it for them.

In the supposed “Land of the Free,” Hobby Lobby should be able to choose what’s best for them, their company and their beliefs. No one should force them to pay for things with which they disagree. Thomas Jefferson called that “tyranny,” and I firmly agree.

Hobby Lobby isn’t attacking women; they are simply acting according to their religious beliefs, which should be respected. If people don’t like the company’s position, they can refuse to work there and find another job, or refuse to shop there and do business with them. Now that is real freedom of choice, for everyone involved.

Pro-abortion folks often say, “my body, my choice.” Maybe Hobby Lobby should start saying, “my company, my choice.” What’s good for one is good for the other.

This isn’t about birth control, gays, women or anything else; this is about freedom of choice.

Facebook’s CIA Connection

A disturbing behind-the-scenes look at Facebook’s policies and origin.

Racism: Divisive Nonsense

The Trayvon Martin case has turned into an excuse for more racial division, on both ‘sides.’

For the last two days, ESPN has been repeatedly broadcasting a story about Eagles football player, Riley Cooper, over some remarks that were supposedly very racist in nature. (I haven’t bothered to research it, because, frankly, I just don’t care about this crap anymore.)

That’s right; I couldn’t care less, anymore.

We can’t get upset about the NSA spying on everything we do; militarizing police, along with increased police checkpoints and home invasions; government takeover of healthcare (just as Hitler once did, and then rationed); high unemployment; gas prices; gold market manipulations; currency devaluation; killing innocents with drone strikes in foreign lands, etc. No, we have to start a civil war over derogatory comments that deal with the amount of pigment in someone’s skin.

And it seems that the same evil things (murder, rape, robbery, etc.) can occur, and the same names can be used in certain places and in certain social circles without any problems, but as soon as someone with a different type of skin pigment uses the same word, or does the same atrocious act, then people want to get upset.

When someone says that blacks are ‘this,’ or whites are ‘that,’ they are basically saying, “People who have a [choose dark or light] type of skin pigment are [insert favorite racist stereotype, here]”–and that’s about as ridiculous as it gets.

It isn’t skin tone that makes people who they are; it’s what is in their hearts that counts. And I’ve seen undesirable behaviors on display in every race, so no race can claim any kind of superiority over another.

Another thing that bothers me about racial division is censorship: As soon as someone makes a “racially-insensitive” remark, the news media jump on it and plaster it on every screen, in every newspaper and constantly repeat the story, over and over again, in an attempt to get you to “watch what you say!”

Sorry, but I don’t support that “political correctness” garbage; I think people should be free and open to say whatever they feel–no matter how idiotic or atrocious we may view it to be.

And I don’t care if people want to throw a racial slur at me; it’s just words! Sure, it can be irritating or hurtful, but as soon as you show it, they know they got to you. If you brush it off and ignore them, they soon learn that the tactic is ineffective and stop using it.

Personally, I would much rather someone come right out and say exactly what’s on his mind and in his heart, because it’s a more honest reflection of who he really is–and it gives me the opportunity to better weed out the ‘bad apples’ and avoid those people.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be shaking hands, hanging out, or doing business with people who secretly hold venom within. I would never want to censor their speech, but I certainly don’t have to be around them.

Government loves to distract the nation from the truly serious issues (and it’s failures) with issues of racism and tales of the “unfair.” Stop buying into it, and keep the spotlight on issues that should be uniting us, instead of dividing us!

Racism. So, what?

When it comes to privacy, ignorance can be destructive

Let’s start off with tablet computers. Do you realize the terms to which you are agreeing, when you download an app to your phone or computing device? Have you even stopped to look?

Apps that you download require you to give them permission to access areas of your device, such as your address book or activity logs. Some apps, like those from Amazon and eBay, also require that you give them permission to access your camera and video functions.

Why does a shopping app need access to your camera and the ability to record videos? Think about it.

Other apps even go so far as to require permission to contact people in your address book, without notifying you. So, it isn’t enough that the app might send you unwanted spam or advertisements; you’ve also opened your friends up to the annoyance, as well. (Thanks, buddy!)

In addition to apps, “smart” phones and tablets–and, now, Windows 8–employ “location services.”

Location services can help you find a gas station or restaurant in your vicinity, or even help you navigate through an unfamiliar part of town–but that same GPS technology is allowing certain companies to keep a running record of everywhere you have been. They can also compare logs of other users, to see who interacted with you at those same locations, to determine who your friends and colleagues are, as well.

By scanning your location history, companies can determine that you prefer Hardee’s burgers and shopping at Macy’s department stores–or that you stop by the adult video store or strip club on your way home from work on Friday nights.

Put all the data together that can be collected from these apps and devices, and you can build a nice profile of anyone, anywhere.

It should also be noted that savvy divorce lawyers are getting phone location records to use against people in court, and the US Government has one up on the former Nazi Germany: They no longer need to ask to see “your papers, please.” Now, all they have to do is look at your location logs and social network posts to see where you’ve been, where you’re going and with whom you’re going.

Speaking of social networks, let’s talk about Facebook.

If you haven’t seen the video, below, I HIGHLY recommend that you watch it:

You may never look at Facebook the same way, again.

Next, let’s talk about monitored alarm systems and home/car controllers.

First of all, NOTHING on the Internet is secure. NOTHING. There is no such thing as 100% secure, so never let anyone tell you otherwise.

With that in mind, think about the monitored cameras you put in your homes, as part of an alarm system–cameras which are often supplied for free, by the monitoring company, to sweeten the deal.

What you may not realize is that you have basically put a camera in your house that can be watched by someone else, maybe an alarm company tech guy or a hacker.

In addition, since government has requested millions of phone location records as part of its homeland security nonsense, it is not unreasonable to think that government has also gotten court orders to monitor security cameras.

In a related story, users of Microsoft’s Kinetic camera attachment for the XBox 360 give Microsoft permission to monitor the camera (read the terms of use that you must agree to, before you install it), so you’ve basically setup a webcam for Microsoft to watch you, if they desire.

Same goes for vehicle services, such as OnStar, Blue Link, Safety Connect, etc. You basically have a GPS locator on your car and a microphone transmitter/receiver in your car. I think you know where I’m going with this, by now.

Lastly, being able to turn your car or house lights on, with your “smart” phone, is pretty convenient and cool, right?

Again, think about it; anything you can do over the Internet can be done by someone else with skills–or self-proclaimed “authority” (cops, government).

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!

Open Letter to Government

To Whom It May Concern:

We constantly hear you say words words like “freedom” and “liberty,” yet your actions show that you have no respect for, or belief in, such things.

You have a group of people that call themselves the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Supposedly, they are working to keep us safe from contaminated foods and fake medicines, but the FDA kills people through such activities as delaying the approval of new drugs, by ten years on average.

How many people have died waiting for your FDA group to allow them to try to save themselves with new treatments? Shouldn’t it be up to the dying person to weigh the risks involved with a treatment that might save his/her life? Seems to me that your lengthy approval process is defeating its stated purpose–or maybe population reduction is your purpose.

In addition to attempts to control, water-down and/or ban dietary supplements altogether (herbal treatments, vitamins, etc.), I see state and federal officials raiding storehouses of natural (non-genetically modified, no pesticides) foods and raw milk. In one instance, alone, 50,000 pounds of unprocessed cheese was ordered destroyed—and for what purpose? I dare say the people seem much healthier than the rest of the Fast Food Nation, so why bother them? To me, it seems more about food control than protection and health.

And how many starving, homeless, malnourished people could 50,000 pounds of cheese fed? Again, your purpose is in question.

If you don’t have the freedom to decide what you will put into your own body, you have no freedom at all–and, obviously, someone else thinks they own you.

The Federal Reserve is a non-governmental corporation that magically creates fiat “money” out of thin air and then loans that created “money” to the US Government. Government then taxes the People to pay the interest on that funny “money.” It’s a brilliant plan for separating the unenlightened masses from their wealth–and it’s absolutely criminal for you to allow it to continue.

Cut all ties to the Federal Reserve. Now.

Instead of listening to what We The People have to say, and meeting our demands, you have spent billions on monitoring our Internet connections; reading what we post on social networking sites; checking what we buy in stores (through loyalty cards and credit/debit card purchases); listening in on our phone calls; tracking us through our cell phones (E911); trying to change (instead of listening to) our opinions, by planting psy-ops operatives in major media outlets; ignoring our letters and phone calls; militarizing the police against us; trying to stop us from peacefully assembling (and attacking us when we do); herding us into out-of-sight “free speech zones”; molesting us at airports in the name of some measure of safety that you cannot truly provide; arresting us for growing our own food; destroying our wealth and employment opportunities through currency manipulation and interference in the marketplace; secretly experimenting on us with drugs, radiation and biological agents; watching us with camera-equipped drone aircraft, and cameras on street corners and in neighborhoods; dumbing us down through the use of regimented education techniques and social promotion; forcing children to submit to having potentially deadly/crippling substances injected into their bodies; genetically-modifying our food, in order to find a way–among other things–to “vaccinate” us through it; instituting plans for civilian internment, and posting ads online for “Internment Specialists”; stopping us on the street to make sure we’ve paid money to the government for certain permissions (free people don’t need permission), and to see if you can extract even more wealth from us once you have us stopped…and that doesn’t even scratch the surface.

You claim that the aforementioned activities are being done in the name of fighting terrorism, but the only real terrorists I’ve ever come into actual contact with are government officials–you folks with nice offices and fancy titles, who get paid for controlling and forcibly extracting wealth from everyone else. If we refuse to comply with your orders, rules, mandates, whims and decrees, we are assaulted, kidnapped and caged. You ridicule us, insult us, steal from us and control us, but when we show our displeasure you arrest us for insulting you. That doesn’t sound like freedom, respect, or being a “public servant,” to me. Animal Farm much?

If you’re supposedly fighting terrorists because they hate our so-called “free” way of life, you can stop fighting and spending our wealth; the terrorists won that battle, a long time ago. If you really think we’re going to believe your nonsense about them bombing us because of our way of life, you’re out of your mind. We’re not as stupid as you seem to think we are–and I’m not convinced that these “terrorists” you speak of (and always at the most opportune times, for government) even exist, in the first place.

The World Trade Center buildings were destroyed on September 11, 2001. Whether or not you had a hand in it, or allowed it to happen, you used it to immediately push through the freedom-crushing PATRIOT Act and institute a Police State and surveillance society, through implementation of the Department of Homeland Security.

The world has seen a “Fatherland” and a “Motherland,” and now we have a “Homeland”–complete with parallels to Nazi Germany. How fitting.

Your  real enemy seems to be The People of the US. A government that has a higher prison population than that of all other countries, combined, cannot claim to be a friend of freedom–or its People.

Government has far outlived any initially-perceived benefit to society (not that there ever was one). It is time to abolish institutionalized slavery–government–and begin to work together for a more prosperous and peaceful coexistence. If humans cannot be trusted with governing themselves, surely they cannot be trusted with governing others–and let’s not forget that you are human, too.

In the famous words of Neo (The Matrix), “I know you’re out there. I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid; you’re afraid of us. You’re afraid of change. I don’t know the future. I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin. I’m going to hang up this phone, and then I’m going to show these people what you don’t want them to see; I’m going to show them a world…without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries, a world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you.”

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.