Bread VS Circus Alternate title of today's post: Lamest.Metaphor.Ever

We saw the movie "East/West" this weekend. I liked it; Bill found the French wife Marie to have been too much of an obnoxious risk-taker. As she reminded me of me, I found that somewhat alarming :)

At any rate, the pageantry of the Soviet Union during this period made me think of remarks from people about the USSR that, although things were pretty tight economically, there was a certain grandness to life under the Soviet Empire. And that made me think of the old idea of bread and circuses. I guess the USSR/US were 'mirror empires' during the (so-called) cold war, with the USSR more focused on circuses, and the US more focused on bread.

Like a giant game of rock-paper-scissors, bread (rock) naturally beats circuses (scissors). In this somewhat tortured metaphor, I guess freedom serves as paper, which is why government relies so heavily on trumped-up wars ('circuses') to cut through the paper of freedom.
  ¶ 1:26 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Nestboxes   ¶ 7:50 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Walking at Dix Hospital

We took the dogs to walk in the sun at the Dix Hospital fields. We haven't gotten out much in the cold weather, and Pete is really weak in the back end - which is why he has the strap on in his picture - we use it to help him stand when he needs some help. There was a guy flying RC aircraft, which was cool. Bill and Ed spent much of the time stationary in the middle of the field, as Ed decided he wasn't really into walking so much and flopped down in the middle for a good sunning. Kate was fairly subdued, for her, but she and Pete did noodle around the field with me, sniffing things. I'm the shadow in th epic of Pete, which is sort of bittersweet irony, as he has been my shadow for almost his entire life.  ¶ 7:38 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Dogs enjoying the bed(s) I've been meaning to write about the Colliething's cancer woes and our experience with the vaccine, but right now that seems to be stable (though there is a troubling lump we are hoping is just a swollen lymph node). His hips, though, are increasingly bothing him, and he can't get up stairs so well - including the steps to the bed. Neither can Ed, of course, but we just pick him up and put him on the bed, and that's not so feasible with Pete. So my friend Bev contributed a crib mattress for him, which is a big improvement form the 'pile of blankets' method we had been using.  ¶ 3:51 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

  Rothbard's history of the revolution in audio - free http://mises.org/media.aspx?action=category&ID=105

Only the Preface and the fist chapter of the first volume up so far,
but it's a start. I've been reading backwards, and am still in the
first part of Volume 4, so this will be nice - maybe my reading and
the audio will converge somewhere in Volume 3 :)

I love how Rothbard trashes George Washington.

  ¶ 3:24 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  State of the Union 2008 | Kubby for President Libertarian presidential candidate Steve Kubby delivers his 2008 State of the Union address three days ahead of President Bush's version. Video and full text.

read more | digg story  ¶ 9:56 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Lawson/WSPQ/Paul Stam Re: one of my possible opponents for CD4:

Lawson has a recent 'blog entry I find fascinating:

http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/01/15/what-is-a-true-republican/

I don't so much find it fascinating that he tries to distance himself from being called a Libertarian - after all, he's running for the Republican nomination in his race! as I do that Republican GA rep Paul Stam apparently uses the WSPQ to screen Republican candidates. Cool beans! The Advocates folks will be tickled by that, I'm sure. Perhaps they can convince Stam to tell them what score he considers 'best' for a hatchling Republican politician.

All-in-all, Lawson should be delighted that folks are taking notice of his efforts, and that he is opening a passionate and too-long-delayed discussion within the RP. He even complains that My comments to Martha Jenkins were out of frustration with her taking me to lunch and telling me not to run for Congress. Well, not to be rude BJ, but boo-hoo.I'd be thrilled if the folks asking me not to run took me out to lunch. And, yes, that is a hint for you, YouKnowWho.

  ¶ 4:48 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Please help the Khamalas Antony Khamala and his wife and child are facing some hard times ahead:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/durham/story/894245.html

Many Libertarians in the Triangle area (and beyond) know Anthony from
his political work with DemocracyNC, where we are sometimes on the
same side (ballot access, IRV) and often not (pretty much everything
else), but he was always unfailingly friendly and calm - even in the
midst of the most heated exchanges.

There is information in the N&O article about donation, but one of my
co-workers who is a neighbor sent this information:

"You may also make a financial contribution by sending a check made
payable to Lori Khamala and mailing it to Melinda Wiggins, 3675 Guess
Rd., Durham, NC 27705. Indicate in the memo if the contribution is for
Lori & Antony (to help with joint expenses such as bills, mortgage
payments, etc.) or for the baby fund."

Please help out however you can.

--
Susan Hogarth
http://www.colliething.com

  ¶ 2:11 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  My campaign's statement on immigration: Bring It On! Statement from the nearly-hatched campaign of Susan Hogarth for North Carolina Congressional District 4:

I am not the owner of any land bordering Mexico or Canada, nor any coastal land. It is for the rightful owners of those lands to decide if they want people coming through or over that land, not me.

Some immigrants are hard-working people who desire to get ahead in life and be a credit to their newly-adopted land. Others are criminals. Most are just people trying to get by in life as they best can. I have no interest in stopping them from doing so, and considerable interest in allowing them to do so, since it is the effort and brains of folks just living their lives which fuels the economy and adds to everyone's comfort and prosperity.

Immigrant-bashing and fear-mongering has at been the response of politicians in all places and at all times where there has been great economic stress created by the actions of ... those same politicians! It is a grand game of blame-shifting and fear-selling. Well, I am not buying. I will not pre-judge an individual - or ask the government to do so - based on his land of origin.

I will resist efforts to link the question of immigration to the question of welfare or other government 'entitlements'.

Immigrants who are peaceful are welcome in my America.
  ¶ 1:53 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Allen Buckley for Senate Libertarian Allen Buckley is running for Senate in GA:

http://www.lp.org/candidates/article_120.shtml

He's running against Fair Tax proposer Saxby Chambliss:

http://www.saxby.org/

and wants to debate Chambliss on the Fair Tax:

http://www.ga.lp.org/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1198766398&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&

The LP's southeast region representative to the Libertarian National Committee, Bob Barr, has supported Chambliss for this election cycle through his leadership PAC with $3,000:

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.asp?strID=C00340190&Cycle=2008

Anyone else have a problem with that?


  ¶ 10:52 AM 2 Comments Links to this post

  Birthright citizenship Ron Paul is down on birthright citizenship - sort of:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul346.html

He's only down on it for people who's folks weren't born in the US.

No other wealthy, western nations grant automatic citizenship to those who simply happen to be born within their borders to non-citizens. These nations recognize that citizenship involves more than the physical location of one's birth; it also involves some measure of cultural connection and allegiance.

Well, hey, I'm totally lacking in 'allegiance' to the United States - though I guess I do have the whole 'cultural connection' thing, but then again I didn't when I was born, and so would any baby reared here. So why do I have to be a citizen if I want to keep living here?

I got to thinking this morning that it would be most awesome if we could really do away with birthright citizenship - that you had to choose to be a citizen. And, yes, I know Heinlein's 'done that' already, in fiction. It'd be cool to see someone offer legislation to that effect, though.

(ps: this note is neither anti-RP or pro-RP. Really. Just that thinking of RP's proposed legislation got me thinking)   ¶ 10:30 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Old pics From my trip to CA with my best friend over a decade ago.
  ¶ 5:07 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Idiots and Egomaniacs Classic Savage Chickens   ¶ 5:45 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  It's snowing in my hometown

No snow here in Raleigh (after the 4am flurries, which dissolved into
chilly rain after about 45 minutes), but there's a nice snowfall north
of Baltimore where my sister works.

I'm not sure if I'm feeling envious or lucky :)

  ¶ 2:41 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

  Today at work There's a guy tearing down a wall of my office.

Which, bizarrely enough, is not nearly as distracting as having
everyone stop by and exclaim "There's a guy tearing down a wall of
your office!"

Lunchtime!

  ¶ 12:04 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  LP Platform Survey: Spread the Restore04 word! The LP's Platform Committee wants your input. An email from platform
committee chair Alicia Mattson to the LP mailing list asks for input
in the form of a series of binary-answer questions. The survey form is
here:

http://www.lp.org/phpQ/fillsurvey.php?sid=20

I'd urge everyone to answer the questions and in the 'comments'
section on the next-to-last page, paste in the text of David Nolan's
Restore04 petition:

http://www.restore04.com/petition.htm

Here is the full text of the petition:

As a member of the Libertarian Party I hereby petition the 2008
Platform Committee to restore as much of the 2004 Platform as it can.

In making this request, I am not saying that every word in every
plank of the 2004 Platform was perfect and should be retained intact,
exactly as it was worded at the end of the 2004 Convention.

However, I am concerned that a small number of overzealous reformers,
voting at an unusually small national convention, was able to remove
the great majority of a document that evolved over three decades and
incorporated the thinking of thousands of dedicated Libertarians. The
2006 convention was less than half the size of the 2004 convention,
and was not representative of the party membership at large. The
irresponsible vote to destroy most of our platform was a great
disservice to our Party, and should be undone as much as possible.

For this reason I urge the members of the Platform Committee to vote
to revert to the 2004 Platform as the basis for any changes to be
submitted to the delegates in Denver. Some changes and additions are
no doubt necessary, but there simply will not be time to construct,
refine and adopt a comprehensive platform starting with the shriveled
2006 version.

Furthermore, I urge the Platform Committee and the delegates to the
2008 Convention to base their platform recommendations and votes on
the enduring principles of our Party, as stated in the Statement of
Principles and affirmed in the statement we each signed upon joining
this Party, renouncing the initiation of force.

At this crucial time in history, where our lives and liberties are
threatened by both of the old-line parties, it is imperative that the
Libertarian Party offer a clear, uncompromising alternative to the
politics of statism. Our message must be what it has always been: a
clear statement of support for the principles of self-ownership and
self-determination. Tepid calls for "less" of various statist
incursions on our lives and property should be left to the Republicans
and Democrats. When Ron Paul, seeking the nomination of the Republican
Party, is calling for the elimination of the Federal Reserve system
and repeal of the Federal personal income tax, can we do any less?

If the Platform Committee ignores its responsibilities and presents a
report to the convention that does not substantially reverse the
damage done in 2006, I will support a move on the convention floor to
reject that report and revert to the 2004 Platform as the starting
point for the 2008 Platform.

  ¶ 7:26 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Better news on the LP release front After my previous harsh (though absolutely deserved) criticism of the LP's recent press releases, I'm relieved to see a much more positive one:

http://www.lp.org/media/article_556.shtml

Of course, I do have a nitpick (otherwise I wouldn't be me). What's 'so-called' about the recent surge in interest for libertarianism?

Recent surges in Libertarian Party membership and the success of Ron Paul's campaign indicate a rise of libertarian philosophy among American voters. The Libertarian Party expects this so-called "libertarian rising" to translate into higher vote totals, which will elect more candidates and determine the outcome of more races across the nation.

"So-called" is a term that, besides being too informal for this sort of release, is generally used to indicate skepticism. Well, we can't have everything.

Now if we can just get a US Out of Afghanistan or a Libertarians Welcome Immigrants! statement/release, we'd be heading in the best direction possible. Dare I hope?
  ¶ 6:32 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  New LP press release: Fear-mongering - oh, the irony! Re: the latest LP press release - available here:

http://www.lp.org/media/article_555.shtml

I think the LP really needs to concentrate on spreading the positive word about the LP and the LP's candidates, not on ankle-biting or heel-snapping at various members of other political parties who are engaging in their own primaries. Yes, the Republican race is full of bozos. So is the Democratic primary. We know that. If we're going to start running an ad-critiquing service, we should just give up the political party facade and call ourselves the Libertarian Institute. What next – will the LP will critique the fear-mongering anti-immigration ad of another Republican candidate? Somehow I think that is not likely to happen.

I'd like to see the LP stop acting like the dissident wing of the Republican Party and instead focus on powerful positive messages of our own. This release says … well, I guess I was going to say it said nothing positive about the Libertarian Party, but on a second read – it says nothing about the LP at all.

Really! Observe these lines from the release and tell me you don't see the irony:

"It's morally repugnant," says Libertarian Party National Media Coordinator Andrew Davis, "That's all there is to it. Scare tactics are what Americans are trying to leave behind with the Bush administration—not continue for another four years."

"... This should be a good indication of the society we'll live in should Giuliani be elected as President. It will be a society where war is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength."

What exactly is that second paragraph if not 'scare tactics'? If you find it 'morally repugnant', don't engage in it - though I really don't think it rises to anything more than simple political hackery, and that 'morally repugnant' should be a term reserved for actual policy proposals - like restricting the free and peaceful movement of people across borders or saying that bombing a city is an option that should be 'on the table'.

And, of course, the LP evidences its impeccably poor sense of timing. Attacking Giuliani is rather pointless right now, it seems.

Mostly, I just want to see the national staff talking about the Libertarian Party and its messages. A release - or, better, a statement from the Chair - describing the LP's positive message of peace and freedom would be miles above an attack that can only be described as irrelevantly hypocritical. We missed a golden opportunity to call for an end to interventionism and empire on the heels of Bhutto's death. This frustrating lack of leadership regarding staying on message and focused on libertarianism rather than pretending to be Republican Lite or Republican Classic is one reason I am running for a seat on the LNC.
  ¶ 1:08 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  For the Children I ordered Girl Scout Cookies.

Thin Mints, those coconutty-caramelly-things, and something lemony (for Bill).

Can't say I don't care about The Children!!

  ¶ 10:20 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Daniel Imperato is NOT my friend This just popped up in my inbox:

from Facebook
to Susan Hogarth
date Jan 7, 2008 3:57 PM
subject Daniel Imperato added you as a friend on Facebook...
mailed-by facebookmail.com

Daniel added you as a friend on Facebook.  We need you to confirm that you are, in fact, friends with Daniel.

Turning this whackjob (and I do not often use that term; I have a wide latitude when it comes to whack-ness) down on FB is not enough. I feel the need to publicly declare my non-friendship with the man I lovingly(!) call 'The Imp'.

So, I repeat for all the world (or at least the three peeps who read my blog) to hear:

Daniel Imperato is NOT my friend.
  ¶ 4:08 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

  Bob Barr's Republican PAC Bob Barr runs a Republican PAC. There is NO WAY he should be on the LNC, and it will be a serious embarrassment - one that I hope the LNC will rethink immediately - if they insist on having him as the *keynote speaker* at the LP convention in Denver (as is the current plan).

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/fec/?commid=C00340190

BOB BARR LEADERSHIP FUND, THE
Committee Details:
Interest Group Category:
Type:  Qualified Non-Party
Designation:  Unauthorized
Party Designation:  REP
Connected Organization:  NONE

BOB BARR LEADERSHIP FUND, THE
Candidate Contributions: 2007-2008 Campaign Cycle
Total 2007-2008 campaign contributions:  $19000
Sort by:     Total     |     Name     |     State     |     Party
Candidate Total
Sessions, Jeff (R-AL) $1000
Kingston, Jack (R-GA) $1000
Shays, Christopher (R-CT) $1000
Rehberg, Dennis (R-MT) $1000
Craig, Larry (R-ID) $1000
Graham, Lindsey (R-SC) $1000
Flake, Jeff (R-AZ) $1000
Pryce, Deborah (R-OH) $1000
Coleman, Norm (R-MN) $1000
Hensarling, Jeb (R-TX) $1000
Smith, Gordon (R-OR) $1000
Hayes, Robin (R-NC) $1000
Chambliss, Saxby (R-GA) $2000
Hagel, Chuck (R-NE) $2000
Sununu, John (R-NH) $3000

And, for apologists who think Barr made those contributions BEFORE he joined the LNC, look at some specifics for dates:

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.asp?strID=C00340190&Cycle=2008

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expend.asp?strID=C00340190&Cycle=2008

Note especially:
"Broun for Congress, Athens, GA   $2,500   9/25/2007   IN KIND: DIRECT MAIL POSTAGE"

Bob Barr is contributing a direct mailing for at least one Republican candidate for congress. And he (Barr) is ON THE LNC. Anyone else see a problem with that?

Some funny(!) ones:

Citizens for Arlen Specter, Philadelphia, PA   $1,000   8/31/2007

Oooh, look! An actual Libertarian!:

Friends of Arin Sime, Crozet, VA   $500   9/11/2007   CONTRIBUTION

I wonder if his Republican contributors know about that one?

Amusing: look at the bracketing of his local/state LP contributions:

Larry Craig for Senate, Boise, ID   $1,000   5/8/2007    
Libertarian Party of Alabama, Birmingham, AL $500 6/22/2007 CONTRIBUTION
Libertarian Party of California, Panorama City, CA $500 7/30/2007 CONTRIBUTION
Libertarian Party of Florida, Fort Myers, FL $500 6/22/2007 CONTRIBUTION
Libertarian Party of Georgia, Atlanta, GA $1,000 2/6/2007 CONTRIBUTION
Libertarian Party of Georgia, Atlanta, GA $1,000 5/29/2007 CONTRIBUTION
Libertarian Party of Georgia, Atlanta, GA $400 5/8/2007 CONTRIBUTION
Libertarian Party of Mississippi, Jackson, MS $500 6/22/2007 CONTRIBUTION
Libertarian Party of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC $500 6/22/2007 CONTRIBUTION
Libertarian Party of South Carolina, Columbia, SC $500 6/22/2007 CONTRIBUTION
Libertarian Party of Tennessee, Kingsport, TN $500 6/22/2007 CONTRIBUTION
Lindsey Graham for Senate, Columbia, SC $1,000 6/22/2007

Oh, and by the way - thanks for the $500 to NC, Mr. Barr. Too bad you gave EVEN MORE to Republican congressional candidates here in NC, such as the odious Mr. Hayes:

Robin Hayes for Congress, Concord, NC   $1,000   5/8/2007

And, again, sincere thanks for the contribs to the national LP:

The Libertarian National Committee, Washington, DC   $2,000   8/31/2007   CONTRIBUTION
The Libertarian National Committee, Washington, DC $1,000 6/22/2007 CONTRIBUTION
The Libertarian National Committee, Washington, DC $500 9/7/2007 CONTRIBUTION

I have a big problem with this whole picture. Is there anyone who does NOT have a problem with an LNC member running a Republican PAC, and being invited to give the convention's keynote address?

Barr should be asked to leave the LNC, and should most -definitely- not be asked to give the keynote address at our national convention. it's quite clear to me form these numbers that his heart is still with supporting the Republican Party and its candidates - and let's be crystal clear here, we're not talking about some case of a libertarian running within a major party as a tactical strategy - we're talking about committed members of the Republican establishment.   ¶ 6:51 PM 2 Comments Links to this post