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Our mission is to promote and defend the great American principles of individual liberty, constitutional government, sound money, free markets, and a noninterventionist foreign policy, by means of educational and political activity.
Latest News
By Matt Holdridge
Judge Napolitano weighs in on the controversial Arizona immigration law. Judge Susan Bolton recently blocked Arizona from enforcing the new policy.
The Arizona legislature deemed the law, "critical to address serious criminal, environmental and economic problems Arizona has been suffering as a consequence of illegal immigration and the lack of effective enforcement by the federal government."
What are your thoughts on Judge Napolitano's verdict?
By Tim Shoemaker
There are some ideas whose time never should come... this is certainly one of those. On Thursday, Newt Gingrich suggested America should attack the rest of Bush's "Axis of Evil"...
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich twice called on the United States to attack North Korea and Iran Thursday because the United States has only attacked "one out of three" of so-called "Axis of Evil" members by invading Iraq. He also claimed that Muslims are trying to install Sharia law on America and said that the "War on Terror" should have been a war on "radical Islamists" instead.
Speaking at an American Enterprise Institute event, Gingrich compared not following through on President George W. Bush's "Axis of Evil" agenda with not fully engaging the Axis power in World War II.
"Regime Change" was one of the worst (and most dangerous) policy decisions the neoconservatives ever put forth during the Bush administration. The concept was to quickly move from one country to the next, first Iraq, then Iran, and eventually North Korea. After the US toppled Saddam's regime and Bush declared "mission accomplished", it seemed only logical the Pentagon had set their sights on the Iranian regime next. Perhaps it was an act of providence the US military became bogged down fighting a prolonged insurgency in Iraq that thwarted any potential plans for going after the next target.
Newt Gingrich and furthermore neoconservative chickenhawks in general deserve to be ostracized from the Republican party. Like a gangrenous limb, they must be cut off, never to return to power. These people are not conservative, nor do they stand for truly limited government (which you cannot possibly hope to attain with an interventionist foreign policy). President Bush and the neoconservatives almost destroyed the right completely with eight years of their failed policies. A resurgence of these views should be shunned by anyone who is a friend of small government, personal freedom, and a truly strong national DEFENSE.
By Gary Howard
Daily Newsline
Friday, July 30, 2010
Day's Theme: Learn Chinese, this boat is sinking
First thing: "I thought I told ya'...we won't stop"
Calls to renounce are silly.
Headline: CHINA BECOMES SECOND BIGGEST WORLD ECONOMY
China has overtaken Japan to become the world's second-largest economy, the fruit of three decades of rapid growth that has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Depending on how fast its exchange rate rises, China is on course to overtake the United States and vault into the No.1 spot sometime around 2025, according to projections by the World Bank, Goldman Sachs and others. (CNBC)
My take: Gotta get that Rosetta Stone for Chinese.
Told you that China was making a come up: From Tiananmen Square to Possible Buffett Successor
We are all screwed (I thought the motto was "Don't be evil"?):
The investment arms of the CIA and Google are both backing a company that monitors the web in real time - and says it uses that information to predict the future.
The company is called Recorded Future, and it scours tens of thousands of websites, blogs and Twitter accounts to find the relationships between people, organizations, actions and incidents - both present and still-to-come. In a white paper, the company says its temporal analytics engine "goes beyond search" by "looking at the 'invisible links' between documents that talk about the same, or related, entities and events."
An ongoing meme, proved faux again and again. (pot calling kettle)
Headlines: Recession deeper than gov't previously thought
The recession was deeper than the government previously thought. The Commerce Department, in revisions issued Friday, estimates the economy shrank 2.6 percent last year -- the steepest drop since 1946. That's worse than the 2.4 percent decline originally estimated. The economy's plunge underscores why the unemployment rate surged to 10.1 percent in October, a 26-year high. (AP)
My take: We already, even if the government didn't.
Headline: July is deadliest month of Afghan war for US
Three U.S. troops died in blasts in Afghanistan, bringing the death toll for July to at least 63 and surpassing the previous month's record as the deadliest for American forces in the nearly 9-year-old war. (AP)
Headine: Health Bill's New Tax Rules Under Fire
Democrats may water down or repeal new tax-reporting rules that are supposed to raise $16 billion for health-care legislation, facing a chorus of criticism about the rules. (Wall Street Journal)
I thought he had better things to do.
Last thing: [2nd]Best job on the planet (1st?)
By Tim Shoemaker
As the conflict in Afghanistan continues to drag on, it seems each month is deadlier than the last for the armed forces. The AP reports three soldiers died in blasts in Afghanistan bringing the total for the month to 63 US troops, surpassing last months high of 60. Last month had also been the deadliest for international forces with 104 deaths. How many more must die to save face in Afghanistan?
By SteveBierfeldt
Campaign for Liberty knows how important it is to listen to and respond to the ideas of our grassroots activists throughout the country. As Campaign for Liberty has grown, we have received a number of inquiries and suggestions about new projects and programs that you, our dedicated supporters would like to see.
Within the next few months, Campaign for Liberty would like to launch a number of new programs, the first being a brand new quarterly print newsletter. This newsletter will be filled with updated information, helpful activism tips, in depth interviews, profiles in courage, and much more. A private message from Campaign for Liberty Chairman Ron Paul is featured in each issue. Our newsletter is printed in full color and is delivered right to your home. Impress your liberty loving friends by knowing the, "Who, what and where," before anyone else.
By Tim Shoemaker
Whether you love it, or hate it, Facebook has changed the way people interact, stay in touch with old friends, network, etc... Last week, the company announced they have surpassed 500 million users and Congress has set their cross-hairs on the organization after several highly publicized privacy policy changes.
Company executives testified in two separate congressional hearings this week, answering lawmakers' questions about online privacy and the risks posed to consumers who share personal details online.
Both the House and Senate are considering legislation that would place sweeping new rules around how Internet companies are allowed to collect, share and store sensitive information for advertising purposes. Bret Taylor, Facebook's chief technology officer, warned senators Tuesday that imposing vague technological regulations would stifle online innovation.
In April, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) led a group of senators in demanding that the company implement easier-to-use privacy controls. Schumer also sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission calling for regulators to come up with clear rules for Facebook and other social networks.
Congress is once again wading into something they do not understand and do not belong engaging in. People join Facebook voluntarily and put whatever information they choose on their profile. As far as I know, noone has been forced to join Facebook against their will (maybe in extreme cases their friends peer-pressured them into it).
While I would certainly agree with Sen. Schumer the privacy controls on Facebook should be simpler, this is an issue that should be dealt with between the users and the company, not a third party regulator creating arbitrary guidelines.
By Gary Howard
Daily Newsline
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Day's Theme: The more things change; you get more of the same.
First thing: Not much to celebrate, there's still a drug war.
And a war on freedom: Headline: FBI access to data may expand
The Obama administration is seeking to make it easier for the FBI to compel companies to turn over records of an individual's Internet activity without a court order if agents deem the information relevant to a terrorism or intelligence investigation. (WashPost)
My take: What change? Stand up for the little guy - then go beg "fat cats" for cash...No change here.
More 'JournoList' - more awful 'revelations' about so-called mainstream media.
Most ridiculous quote:
"My point was that fascists had the wherewithal to be truly popular - they offered (racially vetted) people material benefits, that was one of the things Germans and italians liked about them. I don't see american reactionaries making the same offer. that is (one reason) why I don't see them as today's equivalent to the Nazis and Italian fascists. Who were, I guess i need to say this, incomparably evil." [emphasis added for obvious reasons] (Good grief!)
Oh my, spoke too soon again:
"I'd also say that the fascist and National Socialist right had an intellectual heft that the contemporary American right lacks. I'd much rather read Heidegger, Junger, Schmitt, Wyndham Lewis, Ezra Pound etc. than Limbaugh, Coulter, Beck, Mark Steyn, etc."
These folks have serious issues.
Headline: Job Subsidies Also Provide Help to Private Sector
States are putting hundreds of thousands of people directly into jobs through programs reminiscent of the more ambitious work projects of the Great Depression.
But the new efforts have a twist: While the wages are being paid by the government, most of the participants are working for private companies. (NY Times)
My take: If it's paid for by government, it's just a welfare program not a job.
More of the same corruption: OMB nominee got $900,000 after Citigroup bailout
Headline: Court ruling unlikely to change politics of immigration (FYI: Partisan article)
A federal judge's rejection of the most controversial elements of Arizona's immigration law is unlikely to change the entrenched immigration politics in Washington, where not a single Republican senator supports the overhaul that many experts say is needed to fix what President Obama calls a "fundamentally broken" system. (LA Times)
My take: All sides love to keep a 'political football' in play. (No change)
Last thing: Admit it, you thought this already: One In Five Californians Say They Need Mental Health Care (Score!)
By Tim Shoemaker
"The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act...enacts the toughest Wall Street reforms since the Great Depression...establishing unprecedented levels of oversight, transparency and accountability in the financial system." -- Rep. James Clyburn (SC)
On the heals of President Obama signing the Dodd/Frank Wall Street Reform Bill, Tuesday the SEC cited a provision of the new law that exempts them from disclosing information to the public.
Under a little-noticed provision of the recently passed financial-reform legislation, the Securities and Exchange Commission no longer has to comply with virtually all requests for information releases from the public, including those filed under the Freedom of Information Act.
The law, signed last week by President Obama, exempts the SEC from disclosing records or information derived from "surveillance, risk assessments, or other regulatory and oversight activities." Given that the SEC is a regulatory body, the provision covers almost every action by the agency, lawyers say. Congress and federal agencies can request information, but the public cannot.
That argument comes despite the President saying that one of the cornerstones of the sweeping new legislation was more transparent financial markets. Indeed, in touting the new law, Obama specifically said it would "increase transparency in financial dealings."
The article goes on to argue the SEC is using the provision to cover up their own failures.
The SEC cited the new law Tuesday in a FOIA action brought by FOX Business Network. Steven Mintz, founding partner of law firm Mintz & Gold LLC in New York, lamented what he described as "the backroom deal that was cut between Congress and the SEC to keep the SEC's failures secret. The only losers here are the American public."
FOX Business Network sued the SEC in March 2009 over its failure to produce documents related to its failed investigations into alleged investment frauds being perpetrated by Madoff and R. Allen Stanford. Following the Madoff and Stanford arrests it, was revealed that the SEC conducted investigations into both men prior to their arrests but failed to uncover their alleged frauds.
FOX Business made its initial request to the SEC in February 2009 seeking any information related to the agency's response to complaints, tips and inquiries or any potential violations of the securities law or wrongdoing by Stanford.
Fox Business has announced they will challenge the SEC's interpretation of the new law in court.
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