Monday, October 23, 2006

A Point to Ponder

Attorney General Gonzales is quoted on the website of the Whitehouse, regarding the Military Commissions Act of 2006, as saying, "I want to make one thing clear: The Military Commissions Act does not apply to American citizens. The military commissions established under the Act may try only alien unlawful enemy combatants, and the new law does not restrict the rights of United States citizens to file writs of habeas corpus in federal court."

In 1978 the Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals proclaimed that they could "find no basis in constitutional history, judicial interpretation, political history, legal scholarship, or persuasive argument to conclude that...a right ['to trust the federal government and to rely on the integrity of its pronouncements'] exists under...any...provision of the Constitution". Mapco Inc. v. Carter, 573 F.2d 1268, 1278 (Temporary Emergency Ct. App.)

So in light of the ruling, quoted above, by the Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals (which has never been overturned by the US Supreme Court), why should I believe Mr. Gonzales' statement that I have not lost my right to Habeas Corpus in the federal courts?

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

The War in Iraq

Here is my prediction on the outcome of the war in Iraq.

The United States Government will spend itself further into debt in its efforts to stabilize Iraq.

In time, Congress and the American people will realize the futility of fighting this war and pull out.

Within five years or less after American troops leave, a dictator as bad or worse than Sadam Hussein will rise to power. US efforts will have been in vain.

The Totalitarian State is Here to Stay

Congratulations!

Yesterday in history, 17 October 2006, y'all lost your ancient right to habeas corpus. Your government can now detain you indefinitely, without cause or charge, and, as an extra bonus, your government can now torture you as a prisoner, legally.


You now live in certified totalitarian tyranny.

Don't be caught clapping too softly for Comrade Stalin.


For more information, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igycXBseoAg&eurl.

Saturday, October 07, 2006

The Ring of Power

I have been recently rereading Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. The following passage in Fellowship of the Ring got me thinking:


"We of Minas Tirith have been staunch through long years of trial. We do not desire the power of wizard-lords, only strength to defend ourselves, strength in a just cause. And behold! in our need chance brings to light the Ring of Power. It is a gift, I say; a gift to the foes of Mordor. It is mad not to use it, to use the power of the Enemy against him. The fearless, the ruthless, these alone will achieve victory. What could not a warrior do in this hour, a great leader? What could not Aragorn do? Or if he refuses, why not Boromir? The Ring would give me power of Command. How I would drive the hosts of Mordor, and all men would flock to my banner!"


Like Boromir's desire for the Ring of Power, Christians have desired positions of power and influence in our Federal government. This caused me to think, what if Christians suddenly found themselves in positions of power tomorrow? What mess would we then have on our hands?


Far too many Christians on the right have desired their own precious: the power of big government. They see the good that they could do with the power if they had it. I have no doubt that Christians could and would do a lot of good. Many bad bills would be vetoed and maybe even some good legislation passed.


But like the Ring of Power that did so much evil in Middle Earth and yet was so terribly difficult for Isildur and Frodo to destroy, the power of the Federal government that has done so much evil in our own country and the world would be very difficult to destroy. It would be so difficult because so much good could be done with that power.


The Federal government ought to be completely dissolved and all power returned to the States and to the People.


Congressman Ron Paul has recently said, "The notion that an all-powerful, centralized state should provide monolithic solutions to the ethical dilemmas of our times is not only misguided, but also contrary to our Constitution. Remember, federalism was established to allow decentralized, local decision-making by states. Today, however, we seek a federal solution for every perceived societal ill, ignoring constitutional limits on federal power. The result is a federal state that increasingly makes all-or-nothing decisions that alienate large segments of the population."

So far the record of Christians in power is not a good one.


Look at John Ashcroft. For four years he served as President Bush II's Attorney General. He had the authority and the power to greatly reign in the power and tyranny of the United States Department of Justice. Rather than honestly review every law and statute for their constitutionality, Ashcroft and his US Attorneys went on a fishing expedition. They have used their power to go on a search and destroy mission for every violation, real or imagined, of federal law that they could find.Furthermore under Ashcroft, The Patriot Act was hurriedly pushed through Congress in the name of fighting terrorism. This evil legislation has given even more power to the Federal government's jackbooted thugs in their war on the liberties of the American people.


Ashcroft did at least two things wrong. First, John Ashcroft often used the courts to his political advantage to advance the power of the federal government. Second, there is no right for Federal judges to hear questions regarding abortion (and a host of other issues). Ashcroft tacitly agreed with the enemies of liberty and life that the courts did have jurisdiction in areas like abortion. He did so by not standing up to the Federal Courts and prosecuting judges that usurped their constitutional powers.


I think a Christian in the position of Attorney General could have done much to advance the cause of liberty. A Christian could have done an honest review of the laws and statutes and refused to enforce unconstitutional laws. And a Christian would be well within his rights and duties to do so. "An unconstitutional act is not a law; it confers no rights; it imposes no duties; it affords no protection; it creates no office; it is, in legal contemplation, as inoperative as though it had never been passed." Norton v. Shelby County, 118 U.S. 425, 442 (1886).


I am all for Christian involvement in politics. But the power to do good can often be used for destructive purposes later. The power of the Federal government, like the Ring of Power, is a power that nobody can wield rightly. This leads me to conclude that if Christians were to obtain power tomorrow, they would be twice the sons of hell that the pagans (who currently run the political system) are today.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Dictatorship Is Here

"BURIED IN THE complex Senate compromise on detainee treatment is a real shocker, reaching far beyond the legal struggles about foreign terrorist suspects in the Guantanamo Bay fortress. The compromise legislation, which is racing toward the White House, authorizes the president to seize American citizens as enemy combatants, even if they have never left the United States. And once thrown into military prison, they cannot expect a trial by their peers or any other of the normal protections of the Bill of Rights," write Bruce Ackerman. BRUCE ACKERMAN is a professor of law and political science at Yale and author of "Before the Next Attack: Preserving Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism." Published September 28, 2006 at the Los
Angeles Times website
.

Monday, October 02, 2006

America: Freedom to Fascism

I highly recommend the movie America: Freedom to Fascism. You may find more information at the following website: America: Freedom to Fascism

Apparently, there is no law that requires an individual to file an income tax return. Unfortunately most people don't know this and the IRS makes sure that you won't know this.

Aaron Russo exposes the lies, fraud, and deceit of the IRS and the US government. There are some funny episodes as Aaron Russo tries to track down answers to his very simple questions.

An Excellent Observation

"The fiscal conservatives are enraged at six years of the President’s financial recklessness. The nationalists are incensed, betrayed by the President’s lack of concern over border security. The Religious Right has begun to wonder what Jesus would do, and find that His righteous anger is directed not at Muslims or terrorists, but at a faithless flock that built idols of war and created their own Caesar." -Karen Kwiatkowski, Ph.D. For the full article go to: Cutouts
and Paper Tigers, and What To Do With Them

Sunday, October 01, 2006

On Secession

It is high time that serious thought and action be given to secession.

Americans no longer share common values, goals, and religious faith. It does not make sense to stay together as a nation.

This division has become quite apparent with the division of the country into blue and red states. Both divisions really don't like each other.

So I propose that the national government be dissolved and the states allowed to reclaim their sovereignty.

On Liberty

Americans for the most part LOVE the current system. So long as they have access to easy credit, keep the credit card payments up to date, abort their children, keep the bribes (taxes) to the US Treasury paid up, keep fuel in their fancy cars, and stay off the radar screen of the US Attorney's Office, absolutely NOTHING is going to change.

And why should there be any change? Our social engineering program "works" because it is tied to the free market and gives the illusion of prosperity.

Change won't happen until the whole house of cards comes crashing down. So I say let it come crashing down.

I don't want to save or reform the current system. It needs to be trashed thoroughly.

The final nail in the coffin of the US Constitution was hammered in with the defeat of the South in 1865. I don't think that the American people could live under such a system of freedom as the US Constitution affords them. It requires too much responsibility and character to maintain those freedoms.

Rebellion to Law

There is a fundamental rebellion to law in our culture. The old republic fell apart in 1865 because of rebellion to law. A new nation was founded on the ash heap of that war, but it was founded on rebellion to law and today we are seeing the whole culture being pulled apart by rebelling to law yet again.