Post #4086 M: Stossel on the Myths of Income Inequality; Chicago's Impound Racket

Quote of the Day

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
Napoleon Bonaparte  

Stossel on the Myths of Income Inequality

Chicago's Impound Racket

Ron Paul on a Reported Challenge to Venezuela's Maduro

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Michael Ramirez via Townhall

Musical Interlude: My Favorite Vocalists

Phil Collins (with Merilyn Martin), "Separate Lives". The first of 4 straight #1's.

Post #4085 M: Endless American Wars; Who Are the Racists?

Quote of the Day

I am in earnest; 
I will not equivocate; 
I will not excuse; 
I will not retreat a single inch; 
and I will be heard.
William Lloyd Garrison  

Endless Wars: The Military-Industrial Complex

Who Are the Racists?

Woods on Trump, Mueller, and Obstruction of Justice

I don't agree with the obstruction of justice discussion here; what Trump did in trying to quash the investigation was improper, self-serving, a violation of the rule of law. Now I'm not sure he could be convicted in the sense that his efforts to stop the investigation failed.

Choose Life

What a beautiful little sweetie!

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Steve Breen via Townhall

Musical Interlude: My Favorite Vocalists

Phil Collins, "Take Me Home"

Post 4084 Rant of the Day: No, I'm NOT a Neo-Confederate Sympathizer

I have been opposed to politically correct tyranny. This includes, but is not restricted to, attacks on sports team mascots, the names of buildings, schools, etc., after some deceased public figure (because of some past sin (including ownership of slaves), etc. We are all fallible human beings, and as a Catholic, I believe in personal redemption and attempt to avoid being judgmental of them personally.

To give recent examples, Jack Kennedy, a Catholic, was unfaithful to his wife during his political career. He faced anti-Catholic bigotry during the 1960 election. In hindsight, some of us reflected the irony of Jack Kennedy, a not-so-faithful Catholic, representing Catholicism in America. But to a very young Catholic boy, knowing historical anti-Catholicism in America, I was very proud to see a Catholic in the White House. To give another example, Jack's little brother Teddy Kennedy was involved in the Chappaquiddick scandal, where his personal behavior was at best questionable. Not to mention I was utterly disgusted when the Catholic Church annulled Ted's 20-year marriage to Joan, freeing him to remarry. But he went on to become the most articulate progressive senator, the so-called "liberal lion". Today I would be hard pressed to cite a single policy of his I agree with, but I do recall during the immigration reform of 2007, unlike Obama, Kennedy stood by concessions made to Republicans during floor votes.

I grew up in an integrated military where I went to school with and befriended blacks, Latinos, and Asian-Americans. I never understood how Christians, familiar with the Exodus in the Old Testament, could have tolerated the evil of slavery. I couldn't understand how the Founding Fathers, under the construct that all men are created equal, could make peace with the living contradiction of slavery, never mind own slaves on their own.

But I have tempered my judgment/criticism of others in the past based on my presentist bias, living in a different time with evolved culture. For example, John Locke, perhaps more than any single figure, heavily influenced the principles of our republic; and he had a somewhat nuanced view on contemporary slavery: "yet it is not wholly unjustifiable in Locke’s system; if a man aggresses against another, he loses all rights in the just war fought against his aggression, and thus may he be rightly enslaved. (Incidentally, Locke deemed the West Africans enslaved by the Royal Africa Company to have been taken prisoners in a just war against them, thus defending, if somewhat naively, colonial slavery)."

Farming did not require slavery. And there were costs of slavery, including the risk of escape. The Northern states had gradually abolished slavery; the US had abolished the importation of slaves by the early nineteenth century. The tide of history was rising against the slave trade. Britain had outlawed it earlier in the nineteenth century. Only a fraction of Southerners owned slaves, and the institution had a negative effect on wages. Free labor was migrating to the more prosperous, economically diversified South.

I have no doubt that plantation owners were politically well-connected in the South, and the South had felt marginalized and economically exploited by the North (notably Lincoln had been elected without a Southern electoral vote). I do not know when slavery would have died off, but this I'm fairly sure of: sharing a long border with a slave-free North not bound by a Fugitive Slave Law would have vastly increased the cost and risk of holding slaves.  (In fact, this scenario happened in the peaceful collapse of slavery in Brazil a generation later.) I suspect consumer demand for alternative suppliers of commodities like cotton would have also had an impact. It's difficult to prove, of course.

To me, the issue of secession is a natural consequence of voluntary association; if the people had the right to join; they also had the right to secede, for when did they ever lose the right of association? I really don't think others have the right to intervene depending on whether the stated rationale is morally acceptable to them. In essence, the nationalists considered the slave states enslaved to the Union. I'm sure the plantation owners wanted to protect the institution of slaves, but they were a minority. There were other grievances include economic protectionism of the industrialized North which not only cost Southerners in tariffs but made Southern exports a retaliatory target for trading nations.

Another major libertarian point is the non-aggression principle. The South in seceding did so peacefully. Let's be clear: the North, not the South, inherited a full military; it outnumbered the South and had a diversified economy, including an industrial base for warmaking. It would have been suicidal for the newly formed Confederacy of 7 slave states (not including 8  other slave states). The US had refused to abandon its military presence in Charleston after South Carolina's secession, ultimately resulting in the battle for Ft. Sumter, surrendered without loss of life on either side. Lincoln used this pretext to raise 75,000 troops to recapture its Charleston positions and to forcefully restore the renegade states to the Union, and half of the remaining slave states jointed the Confederacy. If you look at any Civil War battle map, the vast majority of battles took place in the South. Little wonder why Southerners often refer to it as the War of Northern Aggression.

Now how could a libertarian "side" with the South? Well, let's not pretend that the war was over slavery. Make no mistake: I don't regret the fact that slavery was abolished; but if you look at Lincoln's inaugural address, he explicitly put slavery on the table to lure the Southern states back. The Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to the 4 slave states still in the Union; it was more of a tactic to divide and conquer the South. To be sure, Lincoln did use the slavery question in diplomacy, in trying to stave off  international recognition of the Confederacy, say with Britain which had ended slavery years earlier.

Similarly, charges of "treason" or "rebellion" presume a nationalist perspective; it's like saying a battered woman who leaves her marriage is the aggressor. The Southern states didn't try to take over the US government, even though some major battles took place and won mere miles from DC.

I had been raised and educated with the conventional pro-Union perspective. When my Dad was stationed in South Carolina (when I was  in the sixth and seventh grades), we made a trip down to visit Ft. Sumter. But what appalled me was the loss of over 600K lives, and I've found Tom DiLorenzo's books on Lincoln compelling.

I tweeted out over the weekend that the secession of Southern states and their senators basically paved the way for the North to ban slavery and repeal the Fugitive Slave Law, something which I'm personally convinced would have collapsed slavery in the South.

Revisiting this issue was the consequences of Biden opening salvo at Trump, given the latter's ambiguous response to the Charlottesville tragedy. The Unite the Right rally was aimed at a politically correct reaction to Southern figure statues, including of Robert E. Lee. I have a nuanced view of the man and don't personally care about statues.  I don't really care that much over statues; in fact, during the 2 years I pursued my math MA at the University of Texas, I never once saw the Confederate statue on campus, recently relocated to another facility.

The issue I have is with progressives trying to censor our past, including Robert E. Lee under today.s standards. I think the horrors of the Civil War serve as a reminder to Americans of the costs of war, including internal ones. I disagree with censorship, period. Whether neo-Nazis or Confederates exploited the kerfuffle aimed at Southerners with a certain regional pride is a peripheral issue; I would rather not be associated with them in any cause.

So some pro-Union Civil War troll initially seemed to appreciate my tweet (like and retweet), but then went on to personally attack me as knowing little about the subject and went on to discuss or cite Southern pro-slavery atrocities (in other states and territories), etc. Well, I agree I am not a Civil War historian, and the ongoing nineteenth century squabbles over slavery in new territories/states as the South was intent on not being marginalized in a balance of power are somewhat nauseating to review.

But what I know is no other country fought a civil war or sacrificed a generation to get rid of the evil of slavery. That is Lincoln's legacy. Even proto-libertarian, abolitionist Lysander Spooner opposed the Civil War. I thought the right leadership would have done better.

Post #4083 M: Ron Paul on Paradoxical Economic Statistics; the Slow Road to CBD Legalization; Right to Try

Quote of the Day

Nothing lowers the level of conversation more 
than raising the voice.
Stanley Horowitz  

Ron Paul on Paradoxical Economic Statistics

The Slow Road to CBD Legalization

Right to Try

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of the original artist via FB

Musical Interlude: My Favorite Vocalists

Phil Collins, "Don't Lose My Number". His fifth straight Top 10 hit.

Post #4082 M: A Former Starbucks CEO Runs for POTUS; NYC Subways

Quote of the Day

You can bear your own faults,
 and why not a fault in your wife?
Benjamin Franklin  

Close Encounters of the Third Party

The Corrupt Story of the NYC Subway

Charity vs. Social Welfare

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of AF Branco via Townhall

Musical Interlude: My Favorite Vocalists

Phil Collins, "One More Night". His second straight #1.

Post #4081 Social Media Edition

The main reason behind this post is a Facebook thread I had responded to on an Assange thread on Cato Institute.  I used to be far more active on Facebook; as I suspect my posts from a couple of years back will show. To some extent I've filtered out certain provocative libertarian and conservative groups, and in part the vast majority of posts hitting my feed are more like preaching to the choir.

Probably the ones I do comment on are the mainstream libertarian portals for Cato Institute and Reason. And it often involves nitpicking with a post. For instance, I got annoyed at a Reason piece because the author, although generally supportive of Assange, paid lip service to Swedish "rape" charges. These charges involved women who had consensual sex with Assange; I think there was a concern about his use of (defective) condoms.

Cato Institute irritates me by every 6 weeks or so by retreading a piece critical of libertarians who, like contemporary Lysander Spooner (a prototype libertarian), have rejected the legitimacy of Lincoln's unprovoked invasion, because we believe the union was based on voluntary association and in the non-aggression principle. This is hardly supportive of the Confederacy; let's point out only a minority of Southerners owned slaves, and a Northern neighbor not recognizing slavery would have greatly increased the costs/risks of holding slaves. Free labor had to compete against slave labor, and slaveholders would face increased difficulty in finding buyers for their products. The momentum against slavery was already in place; it was a matter of when, not whether slavery would end in the South. The problem with Lincoln's war against secession? It cost us over 600K lives, the sacrifice of a generation.

I have responded to other Cato Institute threads, notably its pro-immigration ones, which seem to attract restrictionists like honey to bees. In this case, non-libertarians hostile to Wikileaks pounced on the Cato sympathetic thread on Assange.

Some context here:

• there is no new evidence on Manning's leak to Wikileaks since the Obama Administration, but the Trump Administration is primarily focused on it
• the Obama Administration rejected prosecuting Assange because it constituted a material threat to freedom of the press, that it could not selectively  prosecute the publication of secret material 
• there is no evidence that Assange helped Manning crack passwords; all of the material Manning distributed was available through his own granted account
• The pro-government commentators here assume that Assange had access to and/or was involved in hacking into government systems. As I stress in response, the government doesn't even claim Assange did so. It merely points out the damage that could result from a successful cracking. If the government had evidence of hacking, why aren't they charging him with it, vs. warning of what could happen if the system was hacked?
• There is some suggestion that Manning got access to password hashes. For non-technical users, hashes are computed values based on algorithms and/or salt values. Submitted passwords are computed and matched against stored password hashes. One would need a password cracking program and likely some period of time to generate a password resulting in an observed hash. It may be Manning sent Assange a list of hash values, but there is no evidence that I am aware that Assange provided any cracking assistance or even had access to hacking programs. In fact, the government is trying to accuse Assange of encouraging Manning to turn over more information, and the best they can come up with is some cryptic phrase like, "Curious eyes never have regrets." Given the way Assange seems to avoid directly encouraging Manning (e.g., "Go for it!"), trying to portray him as a hacking collaborator seems disingenuous. 

For a good salient discussion, including the government's attempt to deny Assange's bona fides as a journalist,  see here. 

Facebook

[OP] Um no. He obtained that information illegally, via hacking the hash of passwords. Information system that belongs to the Pentagon--the SIPRNet. Cato, you're smart but don't fool yourself about this one. Assange was not acting in the capacity of a journalist and no ethical journalist would willing work with someone in the military and actively ask him to help hack the network. Please do not overlook that rather obvious detail. He belongs in a stockade, key thrown away. And please, do not come after me about he did not hack. Why do you think Manning went to prison for? Assange ask him, and told Manning that he would help with, the hacking. This is not the first time you've run this post. Every journalist who has thought about illegally obtaining data from our government or military ought to pay attention. No ethical journalist need worry.

Ronald A Guillemette No, the OP is wrong on the facts. People like Snowden and Manning already had access to the material Wikileaks and other publishers got access to. The OP did not notice that the actual US count accuses Assange not an actual hack but what COULD have happened if he did hack.(Count 10). From my read of the context, Manning, who had already delivered most if not all of his material to Wikileaks, said, "Look, there's other stuff, but I lack the passwords." Not enough context given, but maybe Manning had gotten access of password hashes of target administrative account passwords.

Technically it is possible but time-consuming and difficult to crack a complex password given context (algorithm, salt) and enough time, i.e., generate a password that will result in the observed hash. Moreover, in practice complex passwords are regularly rotated.

I don't think Manning would have had access to cracking algorithms. Maybe he attempted to send Assange password hashes. But I didn't hear of any evidence that Assange responded to Manning's query for assistance; I don't even know if Wikileaks has cracking capabilities.

But responding to other OP nonsense, Assange had no access to the SIPR. The issue is actually GOVERNMENT SECURITY FAILURE. Manning and Snowden had access to information without need to know. They couldn't have touched a sensitive server without government enabling access.
Not to mention anyone knows, as the author here points out, the classification system cannot be used to hide evidence of wrongdoing.

The OP's whole opinion is based on wrong assumptions and is materially incompetent.

OP responds indignantly that she IS familiar with classification processes, doesn't really address my points, just says something to the effect she disagrees with my response.

(I'm assuming I'm Robert) I'm very familiar with classification over multiple government gigs over the past 15 years. I recently took a derivative classification retraining, where the abuse of classification to mask government wrongdoing was specifically addressed. You are deliberately misleading other people on the subject.

Second, you have clearly not addressed the salient point. Have you read the government charges? I have (available via Vox and other sites). Count 10 is directly relevant. It simply points out the risks IF Assange had cracked passwords. Not that he did.

The following responses are to other commentators.

 "Corporate" propaganda? Don't you mean "Statist"?

Another (this may be what the OP defensively responded to above):

No, you are not hearing what the commentator is saying. Revelations of government crimes, like the military in Iraq killing unarmed journalists and civilians are NOT violations of classification, because the classification cannot be used to mask crimes. Anyone with classified credentials knows this

Another who echoes the OP:

OP is WRONG on the facts. Bozo, if you look at count 10, the US is accusing, without proof, that Assange tried to help Manning hack into administrative accounts, not that he did. First, Manning already had access to material by virtue of his account privileges, and he had already delivered that material. Manning said he had potential access to ADDITIONAL material, but he didn't have passwords to access it. The US does not charge Assange with providing passwords to Manning (a reading comprehension issue for OP), only he could have. I haven't seen any evidence that Assange had password cracking resources or even requested password hashes (it's non-trivial to generate a password that resolve to a given hash value). If the US had such evidence, it's not charging him with it.

In fact, the US is even having trouble trying to show Assange was trying to encourage additional material acquisition, simply saying something like "curious eyes have no regrets".

Moreover, Assange did not have access to the SIPR.

Unfortunately, Cato Institute does not screen for incompetence 

Another:

Dude, you're kidding, right? Hacking? What hacking? Manning used his own privileged account to access material. Assange had no access to the SIPR. The only thing I've seen is that Manning said he could get more material but he didn't have account passwords. He probably didn't have cracking tools on the SIPR. Maybe he could see password hashes (e.g., /etc/shadow). I don't see any evidence that Assange solicited password hashes. Really, try reading background before writing an opinion.

To a commentator who also objects to the OP:

You are partially correct. Most, if not all, material delivered to Wikileaks was using their (i.e., Manning) account privileges. What the OP is discussing, out of context, is that Manning communicated to Assange, "Look, there's other material I have access to if I knew the passwords." I'm not sure how the government tracked this--so not really hearsay. I don't know if Manning sent (unsolicited) password hashes, say from /etc/shadow. Apparently the government is accusing Assange of trying to encourage Manning by saying something cryptic like "Curious eyes have no regrets."
There's little doubt the government is going after Assange for unvetted access to classified material. Ax I've mentioned, some of the material Manning delivered was evidence of government wrongdoing, and using classification to mask wrongdoing is an abuse of the process.

In an unrelated comment with no reaction:

The author here gives undue deference to Swedish "rape" accusations. Let's point out that the two women in question VOLUNTARILY consented to sex with Assange. The women seemed to be worried that the sex could have been unprotected (defective condom or no condom), and one of the women demanded that Assange have himself tested for STDs.

Now one might think Assange might have saved himself some grief by getting tested, but I have not heard that the women in question developed an STD from relations with Assange. (At least that's my take from reading a few articles on the kerfuffle.)

In rereading related articles, both women wanted Assange to have himself tested. Apparently he finally agreed to go to a clinic, but it was reportedly closed.

Twitter

In an astonishing act of religious illiteracy, the Gray Lady initially reported that the Body of Christ that was saved during the Notre Dame fire was a statue of Jesus. As an 8-year-old, I knew "Corpus Christi" signified the Real Presence in the Eucharisthttps://t.co/XTdSwtB0a0

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 21, 2019

Catholics believe that at the consecration, hosts and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, not mere relics or statues. So the first thing any priest is going to do during a church tragedy like a fire is to save the Real Presence stored in a tabernacle. NYT incompetence.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 21, 2019

God loves ALL His children. Those who murder in His Name will be rebuked. Religious liberty is a natural right. May those who have died see His Face and feel His Love; may God's Grace shine upon those who grieve. "Sri Lanka"

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 21, 2019

The Politics of Envy is morally corrupt. France, which once was a voice for economic liberty (Bastiat and others), has suffered under the growth-stifling tax/regulatory burden of the government and the European Union. We are not talking about donations displacing tax revenues.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 21, 2019

A pernicious judicial invention called qualified immunity basically exempts government employees from liability for criminal violations. A state social worker had a 4-year-old strip-searched (without warrant or the girl's consent) over a few bruises. https://t.co/gNLdrrLdz1

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 21, 2019

You're just upset because Clinton experienced unintended consequences of storing classified information on a home server, against government policy and without government security protection. Trump wasn't responsible for Clinton's bad judgment.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 21, 2019

The Dem partisans are trying in vain to keep the Russian collusion bullshit going. I see no evidence of a pro-Russian tilt in Trumpian policy, e.g., Trump and Putin disagree on MidEast policy; there are economic sanctions on Russia. The GOP for decades has opposed Russia Giuliani

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 21, 2019

The basic idea is that by including a traditional citizenship question in the census, unauthorized residents, wary about identification to INS, may not file forms. This means immigrant populations will be underestimated in federal funding & realignment of Congressional districts. https://t.co/Kd4mOBtcFN

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 21, 2019

George Will's column on Ross points out precedence for the Census citizenship question and the Census is better served by providing additional relevant information. The Trump Administration sees this as a win-win policy: identify aliens and/or de-fund immigrant communities.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 21, 2019

For someone who publicly cited Romney's cruel "self-deportation" policy on aliens for his 2012 loss, Trump seems to be adopting it in practice, including the threat to dump aliens in sanctuary cities with limited job prospects and high costs of living.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 21, 2019

Cato Institute points out under the immigration restriction Trump regime, support for more open immigration has increased by nearly 50% while support for immigration restriction has dropped by 20%. Heck of a job, Trumpie! https://t.co/9weVj961gr

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 21, 2019

Giuliani was basically right: there is no crime in getting opposition research, domestic or foreign-based. The real issue is any offer of a quid pro quo. It may be that Russia was simply exploiting the factionalism of US politics; if so, it brilliantly succeeded.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 22, 2019

Now there are 2 POTUS candidates from Taxachusetts. And I'm sure Cuomo and de Blasio from NY must be weighing their options. And of course the non-GOP elephant in the room is Biden, who should be announcing any day now. "Seth Moulton"

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 22, 2019

The Ukraine has just elected a comedian for President. I wonder if Jerry Seinfeld would consider running for POTUS. I could go for a POTUS who ran on a campaign about nothing, like his signature series. Activist Presidents are ALWAYS wrong.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 22, 2019

Huckabee is still on his Mitt Romney rant, trying to make the case that Romney kissed Trump's ring in 2012 for his money and support, while blasting him publicly in 2016 and recently. But Huckabee is wrong; Romney is responding to Trump's differing style, actions and politics.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 22, 2019

Take, for instance, Trump's impulsive recognition of Jerusalem and Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights. Romney is a very detail-oriented manager and would carefully consider the pros and cons. Trump is more a GW (The Decider) Bush cowboy "do it alone" on steroids.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 22, 2019

I don't think I've been able to sit through even one of his toxic shows on the Trump Propaganda Network, aka FNC. He, the son of an immigrant to GB, is obsessed with immigration restrictions, a right-wing economic illiterate. "Steve Hilton"

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 22, 2019

Cain was unqualified to serve on the Fed. Trump confuses out-of-box thinking with out-of-his-mind. Might I suggest Ron Paul or a number of brilliant Austrian School economists? #HermanCain

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 22, 2019

Progressive economic illiterates like you ignore the fact that the unfettered marketplace of 329M consumers is vastly superior to some goddamn Statist elitists in fulfilling wants and needs. There is NOT ONE THING IMPROVED by Statist taxes and revenues. You impoverish people.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 22, 2019

Thank God the Senate Majority Leader is prepared to kill all the Dem fascist economically illiterate schemes to subvert our standard of living. But it's not enough to kill new bad ideas; we need to kill the social welfare state and entitlements. "Grim Reaper"

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 22, 2019

Wow, the Lockhart article is wrong on so many levels. He still is in a state of denial over the Russian collusion rubbish and he's ludicrously dismissive of Clinton's crimes in office. He is right about one thing:Trump, a former Democrat, is destroying the GOP #ImpeachDonaldTrump

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 22, 2019

I pointed out a long time ago Trump is an incompetent debater and thinker, his thoughts barely go beyond maximum length of a tweet or slogan. Trump is a plutocrat who manipulates his minions. I left the GOP over his protectionism and xenophobia. #ImpeachDonaldTrump

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 22, 2019

Yeah, having the highly global business tax rate really "helped" the cause for job-producing investment. Your economically illiterate bullshit doesn't solve the Ponzi scheme for entitlements. We also inherited a $22T debt your goddamn overspending has us pay interest: $000's B.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 22, 2019

Kamala Harris joins Cherokee Lizzie in the dingbat section of the huge 2020 Democratic POTUS field in arguing for the impeachment of Trump. I loathe Trump's lack of professionalism, his constant attempts to manipulate the Russian conspiracy investigation, but it was completed.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

Trump badly miscalculated by trying to bully Sessions and Comey into closing down the frivolous Russian conspiracy investigation. It had the appearance and smell of Nixon Watergate redux. Whereas he used it to bolster his fanatic supporters. it deeply hurt him with independents.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

If the partisan Dems think that the country will rally impeachment over Trump's futile attempts to quash an investigation into frivolous Russian conspiracy charges, the fact is the collusion allegations were a giant nothingburger. You'll never get Senate conviction over nonsense.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

The Dems are completely blowing the 2020 election. Make no mistake: the reason there are 17 candidates and climbing is a perceived vulnerable Trump. But a Trump in the mid-40's job approval range at this stage of the campaign will be tougher than expected. & a divided Dem base?

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

I'm not going to give the Dems a platform to run against Trump. I do think that the Dems need a paradigm shift with fresh ideas, e.g.,
-- a streamlined Defense footprint overseas
-- ending the War on Drugs
-- Congress taking back its power from POTUS
-- unilateral free trade

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

I am well-aware that the Trump Administration has anti-immigrant policies, and unauthorized residents are wary of possible disclosure to INS, etc. I am aware of the impact of undercounts on federal disbursements at state/local level. But the question is legitimate. #2020Census

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

Hogan and Weld are infinitely preferable over Donald Trump in 2020. "Larry Hogan"

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

Elizabeth Warren's "free college"/loan forgiveness, funded by a wealth tax:
- is morally hazardous
- is a de facto subsidy to the higher education industrial complex
- is based on an unconstitutional direct tax
- threatens the independence of the higher education system.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

The Warren attempt to buy the votes of college students, dropouts, and recent graduates is corrupt and contemptible. I supported myself through 4 degrees by working part-time and winning competitive scholarships and a fellowship, with a modest (private college) loan (<$2K).

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

Kamala Harris is promising that she'll issue an executive order imposing a gun registration mandate on gun sales unless Congress passes the same within 100 days. This is basically unconstitutional on its face, an expansion of the imperial presidency.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

Washington GOP state senator Maureen Walsh stepped into it not so much on policy as on rhetoric, suggesting that nursing mandates (e.g., rest breaks) were unnecessary, that nurses probably play cards a lot while at work. pic.twitter.com/KUWcAt1jRs

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

State Sen. Walsh (R-WA) managed to piss off my (conservative) little sister and two nieces who are RNs (take my word for it, they work hard for the money, honey). Walsh wanted to exempt rural facilities from mandates but then in a Lochner twist, wanted to cap nurse shifts @ 8 hrs

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

This is Soft Rock America. This goes out to state senator Maureen Walsh (R-WA), who suggests that nurses probably spend a lot of time on the clock playing cards. Not my RN little sister and 2 nieces. https://t.co/y8v8ktwrLs

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

The fact is that Russians didn't cast a vote in the 2016 election; also, Big Tech was behind the Clinton candidacy, and Clinton vastly outspent Trump and any grossly exaggerated Russian impact on Facebook. "Jared Kushner"

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

It's fairly clear that Trump wanted Justice Department subordinates to quash the campaign investigation, a blatant conflict of interest, improper and unethical. But it was clear that Mueller had bipartisan support. Mueller investigation was completed. #RepublicansForImpeachment

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

It's fairly clear that Trump wanted Justice Department subordinates to quash the campaign investigation, a blatant conflict of interest, improper and unethical. But it was clear that Mueller had bipartisan support. Mueller investigation was completed. #RepublicansForImpeachment

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 23, 2019

economically illiterate Democrats #My3WordProblem

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

2020 Trump Democrat #My3WordProblem

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

Trump works harder on his tweets than for the American people. "Jack Dorsey"

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

Stuart Varney reminds us the Trump Propaganda Network extends beyond FNC. He appeared on the Trump Morning Show, aka Fox & Friends, to attribute current stock market highs to Trump's "pro-growth" agenda. Granted, the leftist Dems, including the POTUS field, are infinitely worse.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

I expect that Trump policies can explain very little (from a statistical perspective) of the recent highs. In part, this is because business tax policy change is a short-term bump, and stocks are priced on ongoing growth prospects. Historically low Fed easy monetary policy!

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

So the Fed tipped their hands that their gradual rate increases and unwinding of their asset sales have been temporarily put on pause for 2019; this is particularly bullish for financial assets, including stocks. True, Trump has a voice in nominations to the Fed, but indirect.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

Trump deserves credit for at least slowing the rate of regulatory growth (which correlates to business costs). Certainly less economic uncertainty from government policy is good for business. Repealing Obama regulations helps, but we still have a $2T regulatory burden on business

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

True regulatory reform depends on Congressional action, and Trump didn't lead on this when he had control in the House. Now the pro-regulatory Dems hold the House, and there are enough Senate Dems to block regulatory reform.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

Without a doubt, Trump's decisions have been largely NEGATIVE for stocks. His protectionist & immigration policies reduce resource availability, increase costs for consumer products & services. Note that Dems are worse, given Labor's opposition to immigration & trade mandates..

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

Trump has also failed to control government costs/spending, including the biggest cost driver, entitlements. He needs to radically downsize/decentralize/privatize non-essential government services, our international footprint.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

We have the opportunity costs of corrupt, inefficient, ineffective, bloated government expenses, which are siphoned from the more productive economy. Government competes for resources, which exacerbates private sector costs.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

The Democrats are TALKING comprehensive immigration reform, but I suspect they are not ready to abandon the drivers for unauthorized entries, including broken foreign worker programs and archaic, restrictive quotas, the dysfunctional War on Drugs, etc. https://t.co/iA5DFvSGsI

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

Trump must be mentally retarded. He says he'll challenge any Dem attempt to impeach him on the basis he's done nothing wrong. Seriously, Dude? Can you say losing in SCOTUS 9-0? CONGRESS decides what's an impeachable offense. Now a GOP Senate is unlikely to convict.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

The fact is, Trump abused his authority by trying to squash the Russian collusion investigation, a clear conflict of interest. He constantly attacked Sessions for recusing himself, there's hearsay he ordered his subordinates to fire Mueller. All of this is very Nixonian.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

Now clearly Pelosi remembers that the GOP paid a price in impeaching Clinton, and blowback could cost Dems the House next year; she knows there's zero chance of a Senate conviction. If anything, the impeachment nonsense could help reelect Trump.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

Okay, does the Trump Propaganda Network (aka FNC) screen their personnel for IQ? Some blonde seriously asked how Trump could possibly be guilty of obstruction of justice when he was cleared of collusion? Because Trump attempted to use his position to end an investigation.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

Nixon himself wasn't involved in the Watergate break-in, but he intervened in the aftermath. Trump similarly had a self-serving interest in the investigation. Trump lacks the integrity of Sessions, who properly recused himself; Trump, in fact, attacked Sessions for recusing.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

Navy officer
programmer/analyst
college professor
database administrator
consultant
"5 Jobs"

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 24, 2019

AOC's argument against competitive health care for veterans is as childish as the public education monopolists who oppose education choice for taxpayer parents. The correct policy solution is to privatize ALL government healthcare.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

Trump's statement claiming he "fixed" government healthcare for veterans is ludicrous, self-serving hype. No, Big Government right-wing healthcare is no more effective than left-wing healthcare. But at least Trump offers an alternative to the government healthcare monopoly.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

Trump claims to have the "most transparent" government, the "best" economy, etc., in American history. Does the Snake Oil Salesman-in-Chief think any intelligent person buys into his bullshit hype? There are used car salesmen more credible than Trump.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

Watching Biden fend off the leftist Dem field reminds me of how McCain, with an 83% ACU rating, had to fend off right-wingers in 2008. It should be interesting how Biden tries to appease the activist leftists.

His key argument is he would easily defeat Trump.

"Creepy Joe"

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

It's notable how hypocritical Trumpkins are in disparaging Biden.

I mean, the SOB in the White House cheated on his supermodel wife with a porn actress he paid hush money to.. IMO it doesn't get creepier than that.

"Creepy Joe"

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

Expect Biden to stress he's more electable than any of the 17 leftist morons competing against him. He's got 8 years of photos with Obama, and expect him to stress a 3-decade voting record against the GOP.

"Creepy Joe"

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

Some disingenuous lawyer claims, on the Trump Propaganda Network (FNC), that Trump, by virtue of being POTUS, has broad discretion to do things like shut down investigations he disagrees with. WRONG! Anything of a self-serving nature is a violation of the rule of law

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

Let's be clear: just because Mueller did not find evidence of collusion of the Trump campaign colluding with the Russians, that's an artifact of the limits of his investigation. Recall that Mueller, for instance, never interviewed Trump. The Russians may have evidence.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

I don't believe Trump had any involvement with the Russians, but I seriously don't rule out members of his campaign did things without his knowledge and consent. This guy's own lawyer did illegal things. If other people did bad things, he has no right to interfere.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

These Trumpkin idiots don't realize how absurd their claims sound. Nixon was going to clobber McGovern in the 1972; he had nothing to gain from a third-rate burglary at the Watergate. Imagine him saying, "I know I didn't do anything wrong, so I'm going to exercise my discretion."

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

How about "Daffy Donny"?

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

How about "Daffy Donny"?

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

"Say it ain't so, Joe". Sigh. If only he were Shoeless. Biden

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 25, 2019

Hell, no! This is morally corrupt nonsense. This is unfair to those of us who paid off our college debts by working and paying off whatever loans we accrued. It's unfunded, morally hazardous and transfers risk to taxpayers, a de facto subsidy to colleges and universities.,

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 26, 2019

Define "many". Like dozens vs. thousands of counter-protesters? Most of the protesters were not alt-right or neo-Nazis. A number of Southern conservatives, not racist, oppose political correctness.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 26, 2019

Are you mentally retarded? Lee fought the unprovoked invasion of his beloved home state.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 26, 2019

Trump keeps banging his head into the wall. When I think of Presidents who deftly handled tragedies, I think of Reagan after the shuttle explosion and George Bush after 9/11. Not Trump's ambiguous response to Charlottesville, including the murder of a counter-protester.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 26, 2019

Trump keeps banging his head into the wall. When I think of Presidents who deftly handled tragedies, I think of Reagan after the shuttle explosion and George Bush after 9/11. Not Trump's ambiguous response to Charlottesville, including the murder of a counter-protester.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 26, 2019

Joe Biden claimed during a recent interview that the thing he's proudest of as part of the Obama Administration is that there wasn't a single scandal. He was right: there were many: Fast and Furious, GAO, IRS, Emailgate, Veterans Hospitals, etc. https://t.co/ntrybBswda

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

Of 535 Congressmen and Senators, only 3 are worthy of your vote: Massie, Amash, and Rand Paul. pic.twitter.com/y1qV2VwR0m

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

I'm a member of the Pro-Life Libertarians group on Facebook. Some leftist Dem posted the comment below on the group page. Libertarians are not "far right"; we oppose Statism (from the left or the right). I don't know any libertarian who is pro-Trump or pro-Putin. pic.twitter.com/mlI4zlZj0z

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

This demonization of profit by AOC and her leftist colleagues is absurd. Suppose a widget costs $25 and Walmart sells it for $29. The same widget probably costs the government twice that. Even if it subsidizes the cost, the taxpayer is worse off. Private profit is negligible.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

Trump is targeting prescription prices in his fusion populist perspective. But his taking credit for "falling" drug prices is a variation of the same-old, same-old budget scam where politicians claim to cut spending, when they just cut a planned increase. https://t.co/sjuiCNtGES

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

What you won't hear from leftists on prescription drugs are market-based reforms like:
- unilateral drug approval recognition
- transparency of drug pricing
- competitive bidding for government purchasing
- privatization or streamlined drug approval processes
- vesting consumers

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

Sometimes historically illiterate progressives will say something foolish, like in the aftermath of the Charlottesville tragedy, the core issue over the protests had to do with a statue of Robert E. Lee. One troll argued that Lee fought for the cause of slavery; this is rubbish.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

Sometimes historically illiterate progressives will say something foolish, like in the aftermath of the Charlottesville tragedy, the core issue over the protests had to do with a statue of Robert E. Lee. One troll argued that Lee fought for the cause of slavery; this is rubbish.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

I personally loathe several prior Presidents, like Wilson, FDR, LBJ, Carter, Clinton and Obama. I oppose any public tribute to them. That being said, I don't intend to oppose the right of their minions to express their opinions. Tolerance is a 2-way street.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

Let's point out that when the Southern states seceded, this actually paved the way for the North, no longer with obstructionists in their way, to outlaw slavery, repeal the Fugitive Slave Law. And Lincoln was prepared to put slavery on the table to lure the Southern states back.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

Question: if Amazon can provide same-day no-charge Prime delivery, can they compete with $25 overnight delivery from the USPS? https://t.co/czPoEuj6BD

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

I'm sure that the South had its issues. But what's relevant is what Lincoln said during his inaugural address: he was willing to let the South keep the institution of slavery, including an explicit guarantee in the Constitution. But he would not abide losing his tariff revenue.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

I'm sure that the South had its issues. But what's relevant is what Lincoln said during his inaugural address: he was willing to let the South keep the institution of slavery, including an explicit guarantee in the Constitution. But he would not abide losing his tariff revenue.

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

I am not a Trump supporter. But the insanity of Trump Derangement Syndrome "progressives" trying to blame Trump for what some madman did in attacking Jews is unacceptable. This monster acted on his own and is fully responsible for his own hateful actions. #synagogueshooting

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

I am not a Trump supporter. But the insanity of Trump Derangement Syndrome "progressives" trying to blame Trump for what some madman did in attacking Jews is unacceptable. This monster acted on his own and is fully responsible for his own hateful actions. #synagogueshooting

— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) April 27, 2019

Post #4080 M: Dubious Statistics of Income Inequality; Ron Paul on Hillary's War

Quote of the Day

Rely on the ordinary virtues that intelligent, balanced human beings have relied on for centuries: 

• common sense, 
• thrift, 
• realistic expectations, 
• patience,
•  and perseverance.

John C. Bogle 

Dubious Statistics of Income Inequality

Ron Paul on Trump and Hillary's War

Tom Woods Busting Government Myths on Banking

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Michael Ramirex via Townhall

Musical Interlude: My Favorite Vocalists

Phil Collins, "Sussudio". #1.

Post #4079 M: FreedomToons on Affirmative Action; Ron Paul on the Iran Deal Aftermath; Tom Woods on Government Scams

Quote of the Day

The world is moving so fast these days 
that the man who says it can't be done 
is generally interrupted by someone doing it.
Harry Emerson Fosdick  

Ron Paul on Pompeo, Bolton, and Iran

Tom Woods on Government Scams

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Musical Interlude: My Favorite Vocalists

Genesis (featuring Phil Collins), "No Reply At All". This is the last Genesis single I'll cover, I'll resume Phil Collins as solo act.

Post #4078 M: Busting Sex Myths; Ron Paul On Why Government Spending is Theft

Quote of the Day

The beauty of the soul shines out 
when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, 
not because he does not feel them, 
but because he is a man of high and heroic temper.
Aristotle  

DEAD WRONG: Men Always Have Sex on Their Minds

Ron Paul On Why Government Spending is Theft

Democrats' Greatest Gaffes

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Steve Kelley via Townhall

Musical Interlude: My Favorite Vocalists

Genesis (featuring Phil Collins), "Jesus He Knows Me"