The Kleptocrats Support The Local Police

Isn't it great? They've finally come around to supporting the police just like us! Ummm, not exactly...

Well folks, there's a difference between supporting your local police and being the sheep in a police state. You can guess where Harry Reid comes down, can't you?:

Senate Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid is quietly trying to nationalize rules governing every police, fire and first responder union in the nation. Through the benignly named Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (H.R.413) Reid wants all first responders represented by collective bargaining rules emanating from Washington D.C. Naturally he thinks that it is necessary as a matter of national security.

Reid is pushing this monstrosity as a major sop to his union supporters who will greatly benefit from nationalized rules for police and fire unions. This plan would replace with federal rules all state laws on collective bargaining between state and local governments and their first responder unions and would greatly empower unions to dictate pay scales and benefits on a national level.

Imagine the loss of control that local governments will face when first responder unions no longer have to deal with local rules and laws but can force a federal one-size-fits-all style rule on all local governments. Local governments will no longer be able to determine pay scales and benefits and will lose control of their own ability to budget. Reid’s plan will also completely remove the ability of voters to have any say in local matters as a top down control from Washington will rule the day where it concerns local police, fire and other first responders.

Also remember, if a local government wants to fire a policeman or fireman they now have to deal with local laws and home-based unions. If H.R.413 passes no local government will be able to fire a cop or fireman without appealing to the federal government, a source far, far removed from the local area and a source completely unfamiliar with the needs and interests of that local area.

And where freedom dies, you can predict what happens to your hard-earned dollars now can't you?

In truth this law will wildly inflate the costs of our police and fire protection to state and local governments. With a nationalized set of rules the high costs of large governments will be visited on the smallest, first responders will no longer be under any local control at all, union bosses will gain outsized powers to control local government budgets and costs will soar as a result. And who can’t imagine this is the first step on the road to a national fire department, a national police force or other such bloated country-wide force controlled by politicians in Washington D.C. And imagine the soaring costs of court cases as these union disputes become federal cases in every instance.

H.R.413 also outrageously violates the most basic tenet of American politics: local control. This is the worst example of statism, one that must be defeated.

To which your JournOlist-informed fellow "citizens" say "Baaaaaa, fleece me".

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CapNTax: Australia, The Servile State

A CapNTax preview from Australia where there are stirrings of consciousness:

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A Debt We'll Never Repay

I haven't been paying enough attention to Klavan. Silly me.

And one of the commenters at Moonbattery has this little gem that will make you spit up your beverage:

Yeah, but unlike Resident Obama, Jesus Christ still loves those that persecute disagree with Him.

Other differences:

Jesus: walks on water
Obama: walks on the beach

Jesus: fed 5,000 people with three loaves and two fishes
Obama: taxed 5,000,000 (more or less) citizens and gave the $ to three friends and two corrupt organizations

Jesus: Son of God
Obama: S.O.B.

Jesus: born in a manger, in what is present-day Jerusalem
Obama: born in...?

Jesus: died for your sins
Obama: makes everyone else pay for his own sins

Jesus: rose from the dead after three days
Obama: buried America in three years or less

Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.

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The Coincidence O The Corrupt Communist Chicago Cabal

Just watch them both.

Note how at the 3:30 mark of the second clip Glenn brings out that people who have immigrated here from totalitarian societies keep pointing out to him something along the lines that this is all available to us and we refuse to see it while they had to read between the lines to decipher the totalitarian hellholes in which they were trapped.

EPIC. FAIL. AMERICA.

Huxley has your number.

And O Duce will soon be the Big Brother you have always loved.

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Yes Massa

So here's "Representative" Massa of New York explaining during a brainstorming session on how the nutroots can astroturf his town meetings (that he's actually not holding) that it doesn't matter what his constituents want, he's going to vote for single payer.

As QandO comments:

Folks it doesn’t get any clearer than that. Mr. Massa isn’t there to “represent” anyone. He’s made it clear that his agenda and his party’s agenda take precedence over anything his constituency wants.

Kind of puts George Washington's warnings about the evils of political party (and foreign influence!) from his farewell address in a whole new light, doesn't it?

Speaking of astroturf, check out what went down at Obama's "town hall" in Montana as reported by a Tea Party sympathizer:

So we had Montana folks from ALL OVER the state with their homemade signs and their DOGS with homemade signs. We had cowboys, nurses, doctors you name it. There was even a guy from Texas who had been driving through. He found out about the occasion, went to the store, made a sign, and came to protest.

If you are wondering about the press…..Well, all of the major networks were over by that remote hangar I mentioned. They were conveniently parked on the other side of the buildings FAR away. None of these crowds were even visible to them. I have my doubts that they knew anything about the crowds.

We did have some local news media around us from this state and Idaho. Speaking of the local media…they were invited. However, all questions were to be turned into the White House in advance of the event. Wouldn’t want anyone to have to think off the top of their head.

It was very obvious that it was meant to be totally controlled by the White House. Everything was orchestrated down to the last detail to make it appear that Montana is just crazy for Obama and government healthcare. Even those people that talked about their insurance woes, the White House called our local HRDC (Human Resource and Development Committee) and asked for names. Then the White House asked those folks to come. Smoke and mirrors…EVERYTHING was staged!!!!!!!!!!!

I am very dismayed about what I learned about our current White House. The amount of control and manipulation was unbelievable. I felt I was not living in the United States of America, more like the USSR!! I was physically nauseous. Joe and I have been around when Presidents or Heads of State visit. It has NEVER been like this. I am truly very frightened for our country. America needs your prayers and your voices. If you care about our country please get involved. Know the issues. And let Congress hear your voices again and again!! If they are willing to put forth so much effort to BULLY a small town one can only imagine what is going on in Washington DC. Scary!!”

Imagine my surprise.

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The Executive Office Hasn't Called Them Yet And Made Threats To Them

Welcome to Fascism. And I do mean with a capital "F":

Powerline has a "Banana Republic" update:

I drew the same analogy to organized crime loan sharking in my "banana republic" post. Sadly, I'm afraid it is apposite. Once again, the Obama administration has steered us into uncharted waters: we have no experience with this lack of respect for the rule of law.

By the way: does anyone doubt that Barack Obama can mobilize, as he threatened, the "full force of the White House press corps" against any political opponent? No doubt there would be an honorable exception or two, but the threat is obviously credible.

UPDATE: The Obama administration denies making the threats alleged by Lauria. The denial, however, is merely a bald assertion. Lauria is the head of the bankruptcy group at White & Case, and a Democrat who contributed $10,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2008. In that sense, you could say that he helped to bring about the corrupt regime that is now bullying his clients. But his credibility vastly exceeds that of an administration spokesman who, having no knowledge of the facts, is sent out to issue a blanket denial.

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Freedom Has Failed? Really?

Before I drift off the quotes track:

"One of the methods used by statists to destroy capitalism consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls are necessary." —Ayn Rand, 1975

These words were written more than 30 years ago, but they apply exactly to today’s financial crisis. Today’s problems are the result of a government-controlled financial and housing system that rewarded irrational behavior and punished responsible behavior. Yet they are being blamed on “the free market”—with more controls offered as the solution.

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QOTD: "Practical Politics"

If you didn't take the time to watch "Cry Freedom" then at least you don't want to miss this Mencken quote from one of the featured signs:

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins." -- H.L. Mencken

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Cyber-Security - In The White House?!

As an Information Security Professional, this article has me very deeply concerned. As a citizen, this bill has me outraged:

April 2, eWEEK – (National) Bill would grant President unprecedented cyber-security powers. The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 introduced in the Senate would allow the President to shut down private Internet networks. The legislation also calls for the government to have the authority to demand security data from private networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access. The headlines were all about creating a national cyber-security czar reporting directly to the President, but the Cybersecurity Act of 2009 introduced April 1 in the U.S. Senate would also give the President unprecedented authority over private-sector Internet services, applications, and software. According to the bill’s language, the President would have broad authority to designate various private networks as a “critical infrastructure system or network” and, with no other review, “may declare a cyber-security emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from” the designated the private-sector system or network. The 51-page bill does not define what private sector networks would be considered critical to the nation’s security, but the Center for Democracy and Technology says it could include communications networks in addition to the more traditional security concerns over the financial and transportation networks and the electrical grid. The bill would also impose mandates for designated private networks and systems, including standardized security software, testing, licensing, and certification of cyber-security professionals.

Source: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Bill-Grants-President-Unprecedented-Cyber-Security-Powers-504520/

First of all folks, and in case you don’t understand the gravity of this: This bill takes cyber security out of the hands of the trained and experienced information security professionals who know how to effectively manage cyber-security issues and threats (US-CERT and Department of Homeland Security) and puts these responsibilities directly into the office of a man who can’t speak lucidly without a teleprompter. Albeit that a staff would be performing these duties, how can we expect any intelligent final decisions to be made by this President regarding cyber-security issues? It seems to me that this is just more micromanagement by the anointed one. If he doesn’t like what kind of cars your company sells, he fires your CEO. Similarly, if he doesn’t like which type of anti-virus software your ISP uses, he shuts down your Internet access?

And the statement that “The legislation also calls for the government to have the authority to demand security data from private networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access.” should be a definite sign that privacy concerns about invasions without due process are in danger of being completely ignored.

The statement that “…the President would have broad authority to designate various private networks as a “critical infrastructure system or network” and, with no other review, “may declare a cyber-security emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from” the designated the private-sector system or network.” means to me that any ISPs that have a number of customers whom this president deems a threat (i.e. those who speak out against him), can have their services shut down until they block those customers. Big Brother is indeed upon us.

The White House is taking over the Census.

The White House is taking over the duties of corporate CEOs.

The White House is taking over cyber-security.

Isn’t anyone else seeing the danger in all of this, or is it just me? Relax, Mr. Orwell – you were only 25 years off, but your predictions are coming to pass.

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