Tag: Your Government Doesn’t Love You

American Politics is Nothing More Than Disagreeing With the Other Party

People often ask me why I don’t participate in politics even in a very limited level. Even when I point out that I don’t believe any meaningful chance can come from politics they always claim that it doesn’t take much time to at least try. But American politics have devolved to the point where the only ideology that exists is one of “I’m for whatever they’re against.” Nowhere is this more evident that the supposed threat of a nuclear Iran.

Israel’s prime minster was invited by Republicans to give a speech in front of Congress without seeking approval from the president. The only apparent reason the Republicans invited him was because the president didn’t. Benjamin Netanyahu gave a fear filled speech as part of his reelection campaign and it created the desired effect of getting Americans to talk about a nuclear Iran again. Obama has been in talks with Iran for a while now so the Republican Party, which claims it also wants to stop a nuclear Iran, is obviously glad to see progress being made, right? Wrong. The Republican Party just sent a letter to Iran basically threatening the country if the American presidency switches over to their party:

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) – Republican senators warned Iran on Monday that any nuclear deal made with U.S. President Barack Obama could last only as long as he remains in office, in an unusual intervention into U.S. foreign policy-making.

The letter, signed by 47 U.S. senators, says Congress plays a role in ratifying international agreements and points out that Obama will leave office in January 2017, while many in Congress will remain in Washington long after that.

“We will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei,” the letter read.

“The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of an agreement at any time,” it read.

Herein lies the problem. Obama has been heading discussions with Iran. His status as a Democrat means that anything he does is automatically opposed by the Republicans (and vice versa). So they’re knee-jerk reaction to Obama’s discussions is to make vague threats at Iran instead of involving themselves in the process.

This is the biggest problem in American politics today. In this case Obama and the Republican Party want the same thing, an Iran without nuclear weapons. Considering this you would think the two parties would publicly work together even if they were stabbing each other in the back behind the scenes. But even the illusion of civility and logic is gone. The only thing that matters is being against anything the other party does. Watching American politics is like watching two religious zealous trying to prove who is more zealous than the other while also insinuating their opponent is Satan and can therefore only express ideas that are evil.

The American empire was an interesting experiment in genocidal “liberty” but it’s over now. Any fantasies of logic, decency, and good governance is entirely dead. All that remains are a bunch of pathetic politicians trying to steal whatever they can before the empire burns to the ground entirely.

It’s Because He’s in the Big Club

David Petraeus received a slap on the wrist because he leaked classified documents to his mistress. His punishment has raised a very important question:

Surely a person’s punishment for leaking classified material should not be greater when they act for selfless reasons (however misguided) rather than personal gain. So, why do Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden get the book thrown at them and General David Petraeus is let off with a fine and a promise not to do it again?

That is a very good question and I know the answer. The reason Petraeus received a slap on the wrist whlie Manning is rotting in a cage and Snowden is in exile is because those two aren’t in the big club.

Petraeus was a high ranking member within the state and with rank comes privileges. Meanwhile Manning and Snowden were both low ranking grunts. Another difference is that Petraeus caused little damage to the state. His leaks were far more controlled and didn’t give the state as many black eyes. Manning’s leaks gave the state one hell of a black eye by exposing actual war crimes it had committed. Snowden leaked a lot of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) dirty little secrets that it relied on to spy on people and allowed the people it was spying on (you and I) to adopt better tools to help protect against it.

In this world whether you’re punished severely or not often depends on where you rank. Remember the state has a monopoly on “justice” and tends to treat its own far better than it treats us lowly proles.

Starving the Beast

There’s a lot of hoopla about large companies storing their cash outside of the United States. According to Bloomberg New a handful of large technology companies currently have $2.1 trillion sitting in offshore banks:

Eight of the biggest U.S. technology companies added a combined $69 billion to their stockpiled offshore profits over the past year, even as some corporations in other industries felt pressure to bring cash back home.

Microsoft Corp., Apple Inc., Google Inc. and five other tech firms now account for more than a fifth of the $2.10 trillion in profits that U.S. companies are holding overseas, according to a Bloomberg News review of the securities filings of 304 corporations. The total amount held outside the U.S. by the companies was up 8 percent from the previous year, though 58 companies reported smaller stockpiles.

Ironically it’s the progressives that are making the biggest stink about this. They are bitching that the tech companies are being irresponsible by not bringing the money back into the country where it can be taxed. I say this is ironic because progressives like to claim they oppose war, militarized police, and violations of human rights. All of those things are made possible because of tax dollars.

By keeping that money outside of the United States these tech companies are preventing the state from extract tax revenue. That means it has fewer resources to build bombs; outfit local police departments with armored personnel carriers and cell phone interceptors; and hire more law enforcers to harass minorities, the homeless, and other people powerless to defend themselves.

Every company should strive to keep as much money as it can outside of the United States. Only by depriving the state of resources can we force it to either collapse or cancel rights violating programs that it can no longer afford to fund. I would even go so far as to say this practice furthers agorist goals even if it isn’t necessarily anti-state in its entirety (since other states are usually collecting some kind of tax revenue).

Instead of condemning these companies for keeping their cash overseas we should be cheering them on. We’re not going to vote our way out of this imperialistic police state but we may be able to force our oppressors’ hand into pulling back many of its more egregious practices.

My Nomination for the New Face of the $20 Bill

Since 1928 Andrew Jackson’s face has adorned the $20 bill. A group of individuals believes it’s time for a change up and they want to see a woman’s face replace Jackson’s. I’m all for this. There’s a good reason people were lining up to kill Jackson and those reasons really should have disqualified him from appearing on our money. But the people behind this movement, sadly, have created a list of approved women. Approved lists don’t sit well with me but of the women listed I would say Harriet Tubman deserves the honor. She holds a special place in my heart for breaking the law by helping runaway slaves get to the safety of the North.

With that said, I’d like to present another nomination: Anne Bonny. The reason I want to nominate her is because she embodies the American dream. Like so many her family fled their home country of Ireland in the hopes of finding a better life in the new world. She suffered setbacks before her father made it big but was then later disowned by him. Not one to let the dream of success fall to the wayside she and her husband pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and set course for Nassau. For those of you familiar with Nassau during the 1700s it had another name: the Pirates Republic. Anne made a life for herself by joining the elite ranks of pirates. In so doing she declared herself outside the rule of the state and took up a far more honorable source of work than any politician.

For far too long our money has immortalized despots and tyrants. I think it’s we adorn our money with more respectable faces.

Today’s Browser Vulnerability is Brought to You By the State and the Letters F, R, E, A, and K

People often mock libertarians by claiming they blame everything on the state. But the recently revealed Factoring Attack on RSA-EXPORT Keys (FREAK) that leaves Android and Apple users vulnerable was actually the fault of the state. How so? Because of its futile attempts in the 1990s to control the export of strong encryption technology:

The weak 512-bit keys are a vestige of the 1990s, when the Clinton administration required weak keys to be used in any software or hardware that was exported out of the US. To satisfy the requirement, many manufacturers designed products that offered commercial-grade keys when used in the US and export-grade keys when used elsewhere. Many engineers abandoned the regimen once the export restrictions were dropped, but somehow the ciphers have managed to live on a select but significant number of end-user devices and servers. A list of vulnerable websites is here. Matthew Green, an encryption expert at Johns Hopkins University, told Ars the vulnerable devices included virtually all Android devices, as well as iPhones and Macs.

This is yet another example of how state regulations make us all vulnerable. In the state’s lust to control everything it often puts regulations in place that prevent its subject from utilizing the best available defensive technologies. From restrictions on encryption technology to body armor the state’s vested interest in spying on your and killing you far outweighs whatever concerns it may have about your safety.

We’re in the midst of a second crypto war but the state isn’t using its failed regulatory red tape this time. Instead it is trying to convince companies to implement back doors, actively exploiting encryption technology without disclosing the vulnerabilities to developers, and surveilling whatever data connections it can get its taps into. Even though the strategy has change the end goal remains the same; leave the people vulnerable to malicious actors so the state can ensure its capability to spy on us and kill us remain intact.

Gabrielle Giffords Just Forfeit the Right to Arguing in Favor of Gun Control

For some time now Gabrielle Giffords has been one of the more vocal advocates of gun control. While I don’t agree with her opinion I do feel she has a justifiable reason to hold it since she was shot in the head during a failed assassination attempt. At least I felt that she had a justifiable reason until today. The Navy just launched a new warship named the USS Gabrielle Giffords:

A Navy warship named for the former Arizona congresswoman hit the water for the first time Thursday, Giffords announced on Twitter.

The U.S.S. Gabrielle Giffords entered the river outside Austal Shipbuilding in Mobile, Ala., as workers placed finishing touches before its August launch, a picture showed.

This ship has a pretty decent array of weaponry including a 57mm cannon and four .50 caliber guns. Obviously, as a woman who takes a stern stance against violence, Giffords is outraged by the fact that her name is attached to a war machine, right? It doesn’t appear so:

I guess guns are bad unless they can take out a sizable chunk of real estate with a single shell. Hypocrisy like this really annoys me. As somebody who was the victim of a politically motivated attack I would think Giffords would take a stand against the primary use of naval warships, politically motivated attacks. If I were in her position, heck even without being in her position, I would be offended to have a warship named after me.

Scott Walker, Internet Tough Guy

Continuing on the theme of Republicans and stupidity we have a perfect example from presidential hopeful, Scott Walker. Walker seems to be loved by Republicans everywhere, which is how you know he’s a terrible human being. But he’s not just terrible, he’s tough:

Similarly, Walker believes his stance against unions in Wisconsin would be a signal of toughness to Islamic jihadists and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

I’m sure both the Islamic State and Putin are quaking in their boots at the prospect of the United States being run by a man who can sign some legislation. After all, taking on peaceful protesters is the same thing as taking on a violent aggressor!

Walker is just like all of those Internet tough guys. He talks a big game but if you ever encounter him in real life I’d shit his pants before he’s go through with all of this threats against you and your mother.

There’s More Than One Reason They Call It the Stupid Party

People, usually those who lean more towards the right side of the American political spectrum, like to say that the Democratic Party is the stupid party and the Republican Party is the stupid party. Well there is more than one reason they call it the stupid party. Not only is it politically incompetent but it has a lot of members who are scientifically ignorant. Take Vito Barbieri for instance:

During a debate over an anti-abortion bill, a Republican lawmaker in Idaho asked Monday whether women can just swallow a tiny camera in order to conduct a gynecological exam remotely with a doctor.

Can a woman swallow a camera to conduct a gynecological exam? Really? That was a question he asked in an actual debate? Holy fuck. That’s anatomy 101. High school students learn about this shit. How did this man live long enough to be a politician without understanding the very simple fact that the uterus isn’t part of the digestive system?

Republicans often complain that they’re treated unfairly but when you have so many members that are so stupid you can’t avoid being made fun off.

Eddie Ray Routh is Sentenced to Life in Prison

Eddie Ray Routh, the man who murdered Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield, was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison:

The case went to the jury on Tuesday after a prosecutor said in his closing arguments that Routh, 27, acted coldly and deliberately in a deadly ambush of the pair at a Texas gun range in February 2013.

Only two and a half hours later, Routh was back in the courtroom, standing motionless as district judge Jason Cashon informed him that after their deliberations – including eating dinner and picking a foreperson – the jury of 10 women and two men had unanimously found him guilty of capital murder for killing the subject of the blockbuster film American Sniper and his friend on a rural shooting range a little over two years ago.

I can’t help by think that this case may have gone differently if one of the victims hadn’t been elevated to near godhood by a successful book and movie. Let’s review the events that lead up to the murder. Kyle and Littlefield took Routh to the shooting range supposedly to help him with his post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to the linked story Kyle referred to Routh as being “straight-up nuts”. So Kyle and Littlefield gave a weapon to a man they knew suffered from mental disorder in an environment that has enough elements to simulate a battlefield that it could trigger somebody suffering from combat-related PTSD. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say they hold some responsibility for what happened to them.

This is an especially important thing to note as the gun rights community begins to bang on the mental health drum. It’s probably not a wise idea to hand a person you know to have a mental illness that could result in violent behavior a weapon. If you are going to do so then you probably should watch that person like a hawk at all times.

I honestly believe giving this man life in prison is overboard. My opinion may differ if he wasn’t put into the environment by individuals who knew he suffered from a mental illness that could result in violent behavior. But he was put into that environment and the people who put him there knew he suffered from PTSD.

But I don’t think any of this mattered the second Kyle was elevated to the status of hero and received his own day of recognition in the very state that the trail was taking place in.

The United States is, Like, Totally Not a Police State

I’m constantly reminded by self-proclaimed patriots that the United States is the freest goddamn country on Earth. While they admit things have gone downhill since Ronald Reagan blessed this fine country with more freedom than 1776, they point out that we don’t have thuggish police killing people at random or secret facilities where citizens are held without charge or access to a lawyer. In other words they are totally divorced from reality (which should have been obvious when they started claiming Reagan was some kind of paragon of freedom). Police officers killing people at random is nothing new in this country but now we know that one department does run an actual black site:

The Chicago police department operates an off-the-books interrogation compound, rendering Americans unable to be found by family or attorneys while locked inside what lawyers say is the domestic equivalent of a CIA black site.

The facility, a nondescript warehouse on Chicago’s west side known as Homan Square, has long been the scene of secretive work by special police units. Interviews with local attorneys and one protester who spent the better part of a day shackled in Homan Square describe operations that deny access to basic constitutional rights.

This wonderful black site allows the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to keep detainees off of the books, beat detainees, and deny detainees their privilege to legal council. It also provides the CPD a place to cut off people from their friends and family members.

The article is lengthy and contains numerous accounts of abuse and even one death. But the more worrisome thing about this story is that if the CPD have one of these black sites you can be assured other domestic police departments are operating similar black sites.

Living in “a nation of law” is supposed to provide comfort to us. Unfortunately the laws on the books grant law enforcers a great deal of leeway in how they act and the system is designed to shield law enforcement officers form liability when they perform misdeeds. When the laws of a nation are stacked against the people the phrase “a nation of laws” is entirely meaningless. And since statism grants a monopoly on creating laws to a handful of individuals you can ensure that anywhere a state exists the legal system will be stacked against the people.