The Flag

Writes Fr. Seraphim Bell: "I enjoyed the note about the 'young heretics and flag religion.' When I was a senior in high school in 1969, about 4 or 5 of us decided that during the morning pledge, as a protest against the Viet Nam war, we would give the peace sign instead of placing our hands over our hearts. Our teacher was shocked by such a revolutionary display and sent us all to the principal's office. He didn't know what to do, so he sent us to the library and then at 3 pm, after spending the entire day reading in the library, he informed us that we had been suspended for that day and the next. Glad to see that there are still some students acting out a peaceful resistance to the State."

McCain Sinks As Catholics Bail

The WSJ thinks it's Hillary's problem -- wrong, as usual (Hat tip to Paul L.)

"In a recent survey of 19 states that have held a presidential primary this year, 63% of Catholics identified themselves as Democrats, compared with 37% for Republicans, a sharp increase from 2005 when 42% of Catholics identified themselves as Democrats. One of every four voters in the U.S. is Catholic."

That 70s Guy

Butler Schaffer asks a good question: "what about McCain's (and his supporters) continuing reference to his being held as a POW during the Vietnam War from 1967-1973?

There are other significant events from the 70s that fester just under the surface. For instance, being a prisoner of war is not a sin, but what about dumping your crippled wife when your military career is at a dead end, so you can hook up with a buxom billionairess who can give you a ticket to a hot-shot political career?

Ho-hum? Well, not to a lot of "family values" folks whom McCain disdains, but takes for granted because he promises them more Scalias.

Well, I'm not so sure. A Catholic writer sends me today the link to Catholics for Obama. Sure, they're lefties, but how many folks out there will exercise the Rockefeller Option (namely, reject Rocky because he dumped his first wife for Happy). Those lefties may have some right good company after a long hot summer of McCain's smirks.

Take my friend John, who writes me this morning:"But who in hell is gonna vote for John McCain? I’m a conservative Republican but I’m not going to hold my nose for the umpteenth time, see Dole, Ford, etc., and vote for the left wing Democrat McCain. With his track record, all we have from John McCain are promises to vote somewhere near the middle and a claim that he’s going to change his ways to garner votes."

His numbers are legion. McCain smirks at the Dems, but, as Howard Baker used to say, soon that door will be swinging the other way.

McCain and Time

John McCain is trying to put down the charge that he had said, at a 2000 Hollywood dinner party, that he had not voted for George W. Bush for president. A number of guests at this party have apparently stated that they heard McCain make this comment at the time. McCain's present response is that this took place eight years ago, and that it was time to put such matters aside. If the passage of eight years renders events irrelevant to the present, what about McCain's (and his supporters) continuing reference to his being held as a POW during the Vietnam War from 1967-1973?

From the Editor of 'Liberty'

Writes Professor Stephen Cox: "Thanks for publishing your beautiful tribute to 'Liberty.' It expertly answers the question of what we are and what we think we're doing here. I especially appreciate your emphasizing 'Liberty's' independence from propaganda, and the fact that our authors actually have style. The tradition of Rothbard, Paterson, Nock, and Garrett -- the tradition of stylistic individuality and intensity. But here I am, bragging about the journal I work for. The praise comes much more eloquently from you."

A Ron Paul-related event at Harvard

Next Wednesday (May 14, 6:00 p.m.) Ron Paul 2008 National Youth Coordinator Jeff Frazee will be speaking on a panel at Harvard's Institute of Politics (79 JFK St., Cambridge, Mass.). The topic is "Civic Engagement and the Youth Vote in '08," and the other panelists are all lefties: two from something called Act.Hope.Change and one from Nation. Since Ron Paul is the only Republican with a significant student and youth following, he's the only one represented. Supporters in the area, particularly students, should drop by and hear Jeff talk about how Ron Paul has done it and where the consistently antiwar, pro-market youth movement is going next. Details of the event are here.

Young Heretics vs. the Flag Religion

The "Pledge of Allegiance" is an anti-secessionist oath of fealty to centralized government and its myths. Imposed on kids forced to attend government schools and other victims, it was written by an atheist Baptist minister and socialist after Lincoln's War. Ike added "under God" during the US Cold War against Russia, to keep the hierarchy of authority straight in everyone's mind:
1. God
2. Government
3. You
Now, three small-town eighth-graders have been suspended for refusing to stand for the daily federal oath. Future libertarians? (Thanks to Blake W. Imeson.)

Ron Paul Insurgents Disrupt the McCain Occupation

Writes the Boston Globe: "Senator John McCain is sailing toward his coronation as the Republican presidential nominee while the Democratic candidates battle fiercely. But Republicans also are engaged in some tough infighting that could disrupt the national convention and make it more difficult for him to unite the party in the fall.

"Across the country, at state and county GOP conventions, diehard supporters of maverick Ron Paul are staging uprisings in an effort to secure a role for Paul at the national convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul." Read the rest, and thanks to Paul Likoudis.

The Charles Goyette Show

Writes Andrew Borzone: "What a pleasure (and surprise) to hear you on the Charles Goyette show this morning in Phoenix! I swear, I get better financial discussion on his show than the local Financial News Network (KFNN) who is constantly selling crap than actually talking about finances/investment/econ. If there not selling mortgages or stock market BS, then they are interviewing a local ice cream store owner for his take on ice cream sales. Its a joke like the rest of the media. But Goyette, Lewrockwell.com, and other 'alternative' forms of media coverage really bring it home."

Pay No Attention to That Elitist Behind the Screen!

Hillary - a multimillionaire who craves nothing so much as the power to rule all of mankind - projects her own elitism onto Barack. She also trumpets her support from "hard-working Americans, white Americans" as an explanation for her allegedly strong voter base. Along these same lines, she and Bill have long posed as champions of blue-collar workers.

I can just imagine the following taking place at the Clinton home. There is a knock at the front door, and Bill answers it. He then turns to Hillary and says "Hill, there's a bunch of guys from the Machinists' Union here with some six-packs. They'd like us to go bowling with them tonight. I know we had tickets for the philharmonic tonight, but, hey, these are our union brothers. Whatta you say?"

"Oh, Bill," Hillary responds, "you know how elitist those concerts are, what with all the college-educated, pointed-headed types showing up. Let's go bowling with the guys!"

"I knew that's what you'd say," Bill answers. "You ride in the back of their green pick-up, and I'll ride in the red one. And, hey, let's chip in and buy a few bags of pork rinds!"

Re: McCain Wants To Run Against Ron Paul

If I may add, it would also be a contest between a disciple of the Prince of Peace and a devotee of Mars the god of war and between a biblical Christian and an imperial Christian.

Listen Live

i'll be be on the Charles Goyette show in Phoenix this morning, at 7:30am local time, and the Ron Smith show in Baltimore this afternoon, at 4:15pm local time.

McCain Wants To Run Against Ron Paul in November

When asked his preferred opponent, Obama or Clinton, McCain said Ron Paul. The war criminal meant it as a joke, but if only: a general election between a man of peace and a mass killer, between an Austrian economist and a fascist, between an honest money man and a Fed counterfeiter, between a good man and a bad one. (Thanks to Barbara Hoffman.)

Coming California Municipal Bankruptcies

Steven Greenhut has been writing for years about these public employee bonanzas in Southern California, but with the housing bust and other economic calamities on the the horizon, I suspect other cities are going to follow Vallejo. For many years, public employee unions have looted one city after another, and from what I can tell, the bills are going to come due. (The list of salaries is only the surface. The benefits and pensions are breathtaking and clearly are NOT sustainable in a rational economic world.)

Don't forget that many of these employees would be hard-pressed to find comparable work in the private sector. Moreover, they have come to see these high salaries as a right and entitlement, and would not make good employees in a situation where they really had to work.

So, I wish these people luck. Remember all of those city council meetings in which municipal employees dominated the proceedings and intimidated anyone who might speak out against this largess? These people are going to be headed for financial ruin, as they have now become accustomed to lifestyles of wealthy people. I suspect that many of them won't be wealthy for much longer.

The Killer Religion of McCain

No wonder McCain is the neocons' choice for total war. Another of his minister-pals wants the US government to commit genocide against Muslims, or, rather, to pick up the pace.

re: Only the Beginning

Writes Kitty Carr: "I loaded that database [of government workers in bankrupt Vallejo, CA, making more than $100K), and the number is actually 292, not 242. The highest salary is $435,638 (Police Department token woman) and the lowest is $100,499 (Community Development Department, which is not to be confused with the Development Services Department.) Of the 292 on the list, there are 148 members in the Police Department and 100 members in the Fire Department.

"Thirty-one government 'workers' make over $200,000, including nine in the Police Department and 30 in the Fire Department.

"According to 2003 Census data, the population of Vallejo is 119,708. The per capita income for 1999 was $20,415, but I think it is now somewhere between 54,000 and 61,000."

UPDATE from Steven St. Jean: "The 'police department token woman' mentioned by Kitty Carr was one Joann West, a spokeswoman who took a retirement payout of over $435,000 last year. Realizing it was in 'public relations' trouble for such malfeasance, the city spent yet more tax money to hire a propaganda expert. Who did they hire? You guessed it:

"'On Monday, Vallejo hired West, a former spokeswoman for the city's Police Department, to guide the city through the intense public scrutiny that's sure to come in the next few months.

“'West was the highest-paid Vallejo employee last year, taking a $435,638 payout when she retired from the Police Department.'"

Newly Published Photos of Hiroshima

"The Robert L. Capp collection at the Hoover Institution Archives contains ten never-before-published photographs illustrating the immediate aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing. These photographs, taken by an unknown Japanese photographer, were found in 1945 among rolls of undeveloped film in a cave outside Hiroshima by U.S. serviceman Robert L. Capp, who was attached to the occupation forces. Unlike most photos of the Hiroshima bombing, these dramatically convey the human as well as material destruction unleashed by the atomic bomb."

See the photos.

Freedom Tour '08

Marc Scibilia and Israel Anderson are coordinating Freedom Tour '08, which aims to hit 28 cities in five weeks starting next month. Music, speakers, etc., tied up in a Ron Paul/freedom package.

The Ron Paul-Barack Obama Link

They've both had books at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. notes the Boston Globe. In fact, when it comes to the warfare-welfare state, Ron's book is about the audacity of nope.

Ron Paul in DC, By Invitation Only

Chris, that event was by invitation only. I think even in D.C. people would want to see him.

Ron Paul In DC

Inside the beltway, only a "small group" of conservatives meets with Dr. Paul, unlike the rest of the country, where thousands want to see him at every stop.

He discusses plans for a July 12 rally in Washington, convention activities, and the long haul. Also a good link to a John Stossell interview with Dr. Paul.

Backwards Illegal Immigration Policy

Arresting illegals trying to leave the United States. That makes sense. Thanks to Manuel Lora for the link.

A Christian View of Armed Warfare

I am pleased to announce that I have just reprinted as a hardbound photocopy as part of my Classic Reprints series, with the permission of the author, the 1969 book that has been out of print for many years, A Christian View of Armed Warfare.

The author is William Paul (no relation to Ron), a retired minister. This 116-page book is a Bible-based, exhaustive study of Christian participation in war. It contains two parts: “New Testament Teaching on Christians Participating in War” and “Common Objections to Christians Not Participating in War.” The author’s purpose is “to present plain teaching from the New Testament concerning a Christian’s relationship to carnal warfare.” This nice anti-war book also includes a Scripture index. See my Classic Reprints page for more information.

Only the Beginning

The government of Vallejo, California, files for bankruptcy, thanks to diminished returns from its tax-thefts to pay its tax-eating police, fire, and other unions. (Via Drudge.)

UPDATE from Tim Wangelin: a list of the 242 public servants publicly serving the tax-payer of Vallejo by making $100,000 or more a year.

UPDATE from Robert Mayer: "Vallejo, California's motto of 'City of Opportunity' couldn't be more appropriate...if you're government bureaucrat, that is. Using the handy online search tool you linked to, I was shocked to discover that this city of a mere 125,000 employs 77 people in the fire department who make over $150K per year! Is this the most fire-prone city on the planet or what?"

Banning it doesn't make it disappear

Time after time the state has tried to destroy a market, and every time the public is shocked that the ban did not "work". Sometimes there is a very noble reason for a ban, such as saving an amazing creature such as the elephant.

There is less ivory consumed in the US since the ivory ban was enacted, but that may be due to increased awareness, not the ban itself. I wonder if efforts to further educate, or to self-promote as selling "elephant-friendly ivory", would be higher without the ban...

New Casualties Predicted in Global Warming

The most recent alarm bells ringing about Global Warming Climate Change may have Entomophobes keeping the lights on longer, taking the long way home, and turning down the thermostats this summer.

I didn't like it when I thought the cute, fuzzy penguins would die, but the mosquitoes are going, too?! How do I speed this process up?

Ron Paul #1 on NYT Bestseller List

Ron's The Revolution: A Manifesto will be #1 on the May 18th New York Times bestseller list, to the cheers of every good libertarian and conservative, and to the snarls of every bad guy. How sweet it is.

Funny Left-Wing Review of The Revolution

An intelligent leftist would have kind words for Ron Paul's book, if only because the man is honest and says sensible and courageous things.

Well, the review I'm linking to is written by a leftist, all right, but....

(Thanks to Jeff Tucker at the Mises blog.)

The American Way...

... of doing evil that good may come.

Here are recently released photos of the obliteration of Hiroshima.

An American Professor in Japan

Writes Mark Sunwall: "I enjoyed your blog message 'Overheard in Tokyo'...and agree that yes, the Alamo approach to American history doesn't always go down well with people who have been nuked, as well it shouldn't. One of my small missions in life is to redress this imbalance to my Japanese students. For example, this morning I introduced the philosophy of American science fiction writer Philip K. Dick to my college juniors and transfer students. His themes:
1) False Realities
2) Human vs. Machine
3) Entropy
4) The Nature of God
5) Social Control
Now do we got culture or what? Well no, I haven't succeeded in setting up an active Mises Circle in Kobe yet, but I'll be damned if my students come out of their talks with me thinking that all Americans are gung ho warmongers on the pattern of 'killer Cain'!"

People Losing Confidence in Fed?

Lew: I don't understand how people could be losing confidence in the fed: isn't it filled with confidence men?

The Desperate Federal Reserve

The following headline puts The Onion to shame: "U.S. Fed Now Accepts Credit Card Debt as Collateral"

The Fed is now expanding that list of asset-backed securities to include collateralized car loans, credit card receivables, and student loans. It's doing so because the lack of demand for bonds backed by those assets has had a real political impact in an election year. Students can't get loans for American universities because investors won't buy bonds issued by the banks who made the loans to the students. No funding, no college.

Now the Fed (and the feds) are looking to guarantee a college education to all by absorbing more debt.

What will they think of next?

Revolution March, July 12

Coming to D.C. for the big event July 12? Have a look here.

Americans Losing Confidence in the Fed

About time, given that the central bank is the engine of inflation, business cycles, war finance, and redistribution to the rich and infamous. (Thanks to Jay Henderson.)

The Thug John Bolton

He is "testing the waters" for neocon murder of Persians. (Thanks to Heidi Wyss)

Ron Paul on FOX

The Scoop on the Passing of an Entrepreneur

Let's have a 31-cone salute to a great entrepreneur, Irvine Robbins, founder of Baskin-Robbins, who passed away at age 90--having eaten "three or four scoops a day."

A Million Votes for Liberty

Ron Paul has a million votes.

The Art of the Hoax

In recent years, I've noticed more and more of sites like medical adoptions.com or the now defunct coincidencedesign.com.

They are in essence the intellectual heirs of Swift's A Modest Proposal and many of them are just as impressive. They employ the same tactics and produce the same results. Some people see right through the hoaxes immediately, but many are outraged and quite credulous. In the end, the fact that people are willing to believe, even momentarily, that the proposal in question is being seriously put forward, is an excellent commentary on humanity's opinion of itself.

In Swift's case, he was showing how dehumanizing was the alleged humanism of the supposedly enlightened ruling classes of his day who offered what were seemingly humane solutions to society's ills. Yet, upon further inspection, such ideas were actually patronizing and monstrous policy positions that were ghoulishly hateful of the people they claimed to protect.

A site like medical adoptions does pretty much the same thing, showing enlightened (usually white) adults caring for (usually brown) children in a cute and charming way, but the children are really commodities that exist to supply spare organs for the adopting parent. There's a certain banality-of-evil factor at work here, and is somewhat reminiscent of the the image of a doctor at an insane asylum who assures you he is looking out for your best interests right before lobotomizing you.

‘On the ground’

A marvelous observation from the prominent Macintosh developer Brent Simmons:

"I was on the ground in Indianapolis..."

I love it when TV People — newscasters, analysts, politicians — say they were "on the ground" somewhere.

It's a good and welcome reminder that they normally live in the clouds, in heaven, up with the angels. Not on the ground with us, where things are mysterious and messy.

Gosh they’re lucky. Good and lucky.

Ron Paul: Power to the Jury!

See the other three parts of this fascinating show here.

Newspaper Deathwatch

As a wise pundit recently pointed out somewhere - it's not that so many people keep voluntarily cancelling their subscriptions. It's just that paid subscriptions expire when the readers do. Newspapers are now a commodity for old people, and the clock is ticking for newspapers and their readers.

Here is how the major newspapers have fared with paid subscriptions over the last year:

-- The New York Times lost more than 150,000 copies on Sunday. Circulation on that day fell a whopping 9.2% to 1,476,400. The paper's daily circulation declined 3.8% to 1,077,256.

-- At The Washington Post, daily circulation decreased 3.5% to 673,180 and Sunday dropped 4.3% to 890,163.

-- Meanwhile, daily circulation at The Wall Street Journal grew a fraction of a percent, up 0.3% to 2,069,463 copies. At USA Today, circulation inched up 0.27%* to 2,284,219.

-- The New York Post lost over 3% daily and more than 8% on Sunday.

-- Daily circulation at The Orange County Register plunged 11.9% to 250,724 and Sunday fell 5.3% to 311,982.

-- In Los Angeles, the Times lost more than 40,000 daily copies. Daily circulation there was down 5.1% to 773,884. Sunday declined 6.0% to 1,101,981.

Also Top 25 Sunday Newspapers here - all in decline.

Sabrin to McCain: Shut Up About The War Already

New Jersey Senate candidate Murray Sabrin (who's running for the Republican nomination with Ron Paul's endorsement) takes on John McCain. Video here; text here (scroll down).

Overheard in Tokyo

Writes an American in Japan: “I've been an ex pat for 16 years, so it's rare for me to hear native English being spoken by real people anymore. Sometimes I watch Hollywood movies or US television, but those don't count, since people in movies and television (including TV news) are not real.

“One day at a coffee shop in Tokyo, a conversation in English cut through the background of Japanese. A young American man was giving an older Japanese man an English lesson a few tables away from me. I tuned back out, but embarrassingly eavesdropped again when I heard the older man ask about America. He said that he knew little about American history and culture and asked the young man if he could teach him a little about them. The young man perked right up, saying that he fancied himself to be a history buff. He became very animated and started writing dates on a paper, then began his outline on American history, adding dates to his list as he worked his way from 1776 to the present.

Ninja Reflex: Is Sensei a Paulian?

Writes a friend: "In Ninja Reflex, a game about learning to think and move faster, many of Sensei's lessons are apt for the Paulian Revolution:

"'The Way of the true Warrior is not in destruction, but in preserving peace.'

"'Tomorrow's battle is won during today's practice!'

"'He who lives with virtue may be compared to the North Star, which keeps its place while all other stars turn towards it.'"

Hillary Copies Ron Paul

At least that is the claim of the semi-socialist UK Independent.