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Who is Harry Reid?

July 2, 2009

To be fair, I did not know the answer to a lot of these questions. By selectively editing the responses you could make supporters of any party or ideology look like idiots.

So, despite how dumb this video makes Obama supporters look, I have to say... well, I think the technique is clever but it could be used against just about anyone you chooose to dislike.

I have recently met, in my cab, college and university students who told me they were libertarians. Now libertarianism is something I *do* know a little bit about... I may not know who Harry Reid is, but I sure as hell know who Milton Friedman, Murray Rothbard, Frederic Bastiat, Von Mises, Hayek, Ayn Rand and many more were (dead white people) and I have to say some of these young "libertarians," were just as clueless as the people shown in the video. One of them told me, "I am a libertarian but I draw the line when it comes to government medicare." Hmmm... yeah, some "libertarian."

So I am going to show how dumb I am by trying to answer some of the questions right now without doing any research.

Nancy Pelosi is speaker of the house, I think.

I don't know who Harry Reid is.

Bill Ayers? I have no idea. I have heard the name and I suspect he is someone I would not like very much at all.

Who campaigned in 57 states? I think even I would have chuckled at that question. Hell, I don't know... it would have to be some joke candidate.

I did know who said his policies would bankrupt the coal industry. If pressed prior to knowing, I don't know who I would have guessed. A guy talking about his own policies this honestly? These kind of policies? Well, in a poll conducted by the other side similar to the one depicted here I would have answered, "I don't know, probably some whacked-out Green party candidate or PETA member or something. Maybe Janine Garofolo... but she wasn't a candidate. (thank goodness!)"

But I knew the answer to that one because I follow junkscience.com and I watched a few YouTube videos on the Cap and Trade scam.

I would have answered Obama as the wealth distributor. And I don't need to see that little, seemingly too short clip, to believe that this is exactly what Obama believes, or pretends to believe, in. Wealth "redistribution," is just so sexy and kewl.... like a Che Guevera T-shirt or poster, until they come for your wealth.... or what is left of it after the central banks have cleaned out what is left of your savings accounts.

On the other hand, to demonstrate that some of what I thought I knew, which apparently wasn't true, I thought that Sarah Palin *did* say she could see Russia from her house. I don't know why I believed that. Obviously I picked it up somewhere from the buzz in the media and on the web.

Democracy. The art of manipulating the mob. It's a job ain't it? A system without checks and balances where success is achieved by manipulating the pathetically ignorant, who have just as much right to vote as anyone else.

It's a market! (well sort of. But it's not a consumer market. It's politics driven.)

Tell me this isn't true... that an entire political PR industry depends upon this lofty process? Another purely political market siphoning dollars away from the production of that which the people really want and need into artificial markets created by the state.

Would H&R Block even exist in a free country? Think of all of the time, skill and resources that are poured into the cesspool of compliance with income tax laws. (Remember the "power saw," deduction? I always used to laugh at that one.)

It's interesting ain't it? How some of the things you think you know ain't true.

Oh, I knew about Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter only because of the Letterman stink.

The chick who admits she is "Not as informed as I thought I was," is a very cute and sweet young lady who, dare I say it, has less of a clue than I. She doesn't deserve what she has coming to her.

(If the embedded video doesn't play look for it here.)

Ok, after my rant I looked up Harry Reid on Google. Well, I watched the video on his website. I was not surprised. He is a politician who cares about... well in this case.. about diabetes. And getting covered by insurance.

Why would someone who cares about kids with diabetes be talking to Harry Reid? (A man who cares.)

Well, I am a pretty simple minded guy, as amply demonstrated above.... but correct me if I am wrong... Harry Reid is a politician.. and he can write a law which will force insurance companies to pay for diabetes treatment for these poor kids. Like the law in Kentucky(?) which forces insurance companies to include hair transplants in the policies they write.

What a nice man. He cares about these kids...

... not enough though, to chose a medical career specializing in diabetes treatment, over a career in politics which gives him a shot at forcing someone else pay the bill.

Definition of a liberal: A guy who would give a poor man the shirt off someone else's back. Well, at the beginning of this diatribe, I did not know who Harry Reid was. I think I have a pretty good idea now.

I don't know... perhaps I am old fashioned... but to be convinced of this man's touching concern for the plight of those afflicted, it would have been nice to see him pull out his checkbook.

Maybe they just forgot to include that part in the video. Yeah, right.

And finally. Bill Ayers, I did a little, poor man's research on you. Those of us who value liberty might be able to use a guy with some of your talents. Too bad you are on the left.

Freedom & The War to End all Wars.

Originally posted on June 26, 2009.
(Slightly edited.)

President Nixon declared war on cancer back in 1972.

He also declared a War on Drugs in 1969. Forty years later, the war on drugs has proven itself a huge job creation success. Imagine how many people would be sad to see it end… from the drug lords in Mexico and elsewhere, to all the high school dropouts who would rather sell crack than work at McDonald's, to all the people working for the DEA, to many of the stars in the TV show, "COPS."

Oh, and I almost forgot, what would happen to the local economies where American prisons are located if the drug war ever ended? Well, they would have to be closed, like unnecessary military bases. Local economies would face collapse. Their political representatives would work very hard to prevent it.

According to the popular way of thinking, an end to the drug war would be as big a disaster as the bankruptcy of GM. It would require a bailout. (new advertising campaign… "Say YES to drugs!") Along with the car Czar's "Cash for Clunkers," would be the drug Czar's "Cash for Dope," incentive.

As if it could get any worse. Well, what if the war on poverty, declared by President Johnson 45 years ago, ever faced the disaster of succeeding?

How many social workers would find themselves flipping hamburgers or driving cabs? (it would, of course, depend on whether they actually had any real skills.)

Don't lose hope in the power of government to create extra work for people (A.K.A.—"jobs.") Depending upon how you chose to interpret this article.

No matter how much better it gets, it always seems to get worse.

And of course, it has to get worse, otherwise politicians and anti-poverty activists might actually have to find real jobs.

I remember after 911 how I laughed when I heard Bush announce another government sponsored war, the "War on Terror." It wasn't a "Hey that's funny," type of laugh, it was more like a "here we go again," type of laugh. Another war with no exit strategy. Another job for the government to pretend it is doing. Another problem requiring massive hiring. Another "too big to fail," boondoggle. (Editor's note: 11 years later, we got COVID-19—another never-ending problem for politicians to pretend to solve.)

I think I heard recently that Obama has declared an end to the war on terrorism. I think that makes a lot of sense. But coming from him? Man, that just doesn't make any sense. How could he possibly be considering letting a good crisis go to waste?

Wait, oh, I almost forgot about climate change. Now, this is one hell of a good crisis for just about anyone who derives an income from government activity. You can invest in companies that supply the titanium components of windmills and get rich in no time.

Try to find out where Al Gore is putting his money. Copy him. You will profit nicely.

And perhaps sell short on new coal-fired power plants. (This is me pretending I actually understand some of this stock market stuff. Actually, don't bother, the smart guys have probably already done all the short selling. On the other hand, perhaps the coal companies, having an incentive to pay close attention, have already figured out a way to profit from the coming rape of the middle class.)

Infrastructure spending?

Invest in cement production.

So anyway… where was I? I know when I started writing this rant I had some kind of a theme or an idea…. but, shucks, there is no beer left. How can I go on now?

It's times like this I really wish there were an official war on alcoholism… maybe I could dial 911 and tell them to get a taxi to deliver another six-pack… to "save the jobs," of government funded addiction workers.

Oh, I remember. It was the statement of a new law. Uncle Block's Law of Political Inevitability. If the government declares war on something, bet that whatever that something is, it will never end.

To prove my point, let me ask, how likely is it that the climate change bill will actually prevent the earth's climate from changing?

Neil Oliver – ‘...they want us to do what?!?

The $10US I donated to GiveSendGo for the Trucker Convoy was frozen, and a refund was never issued.

The City of Hamilton is STILL requiring vaccine verification as a condition of employment, even though the vaccine does not prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Neil Oliver mentions the scapegoating of witches, with no subsequent apology.

During the Black Death (1347-1350) thousands of Jews were massacred for vaccine denialism, or something like that. Some accounts say people also killed thousands of cats, which would have had the opposite of the intended effect, just like lockdowns, social distancing (See here,) and mass vaccination in the middle of a pandemic did.

I chose not to get vaccinated. Thankfully, my decision did no serious damage to my relationships with family and friends, though there were a few tense debates. On the other hand, I have heard many tales of the damage this issue inflicted on other families. What a pathetic spectacle.

---

On the lighter side, here is a recent conversation I had with a telemarketer.

Isn't government wonderful? (II)

June 25, 2009

After I posted the following comment on my facebook:

mmmmm.... tons of garbage building up and a pesticide ban to boot. Isn't government wonderful?

I got this response from one of my Facebook friends:

"good thing the toilets still work...garbage strikes are great...forces people to deal with their own smelly inconvenient personal waste.

but of course in the big city it ends up every where...but it still is a good reflection to people who perhaps should take their waste into a form of accountability."

To which I replied,

"I was just told that private enterpreneurs are visiting restaurants and offering to remove garbage for them. $10 a bag.

It's amazing how fast the free market snaps into action when the ugly face of government unmasks.

We don't need government employees!"

$10 a bag? Now that's what I would call accountability, regardless of where they choose to dump it. Yep, pretty good incentive to embrace the three "R's" without resorting to phony politically correct "GreenRighteousNess," - no laws, fines or mandates required. Priceless.

(Actually, prices.... prices.... )

I would love it if the strike went on forever!

The Emperor has NO CLOTHES!

Feeling Guilty

June 18, 2009

Yep, your dear old Uncle Block has experienced a slice of life behind bars. It happened a long time ago. And I was innocent. I was framed by a dishonest cop in the town of Taber, Alberta back in 1978. I managed to wriggle out of the worst of it with high-priced legal help from the firm of Harradance and Moore.

The cop walked away Scott free. It still burns me to this day to think that that criminal, who gave me a good choking in the process, was not subject to any measure of justice for what he did.

Anyway, just so you know… I have been in a jail cell and I never want to go back.

The problem these days, I find, is that, without really doing anything much different from what I have been doing since I was a teenager, I am becoming more of a lawbreaker every day.

Just kidding. I would never break the law. I have a profound reverence for the law. I mean, it's a great tool for use by lobbyists and special interest groups who want to get stuff without necessarily paying for it. And think of all the new government jobs, at union wages, that will be created as a result of all the upcoming green legislation. Law is becoming increasingly lucrative for some people.

So I try to live my life as a law-abiding citizen every day. But it ain't easy, folks. No sireee!

Sometimes I like to sit back and daydream about what I would do if I finally cracked up totally… (Extreme Libertariosis - a psychotic reaction to increased regulation of every day life by the government.)

In my daydream, I would walk into a government building with a cigarette dangling from my mouth. (A lit cigarette.) And some officer comes up to me and gives me a fine for smoking in a public place. And I laugh in his face because I am a recipient of ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program,) after Libertariosis has been judged, by the proper [government appointed] authorities, a serious debilitating illness.

So, even if they do manage to squeeze the fine out of me, I derive satisfaction from the fact that I didn't actually have to earn the money.

Yep, what a day for a daydream.

But I haven't cracked up yet… well, at least I have been able to hide the fact, to some degree, by not smoking in government buildings or bars.

I had a lady in my cab recently. We talked about the fact that smoking in cabs was now illegal in the Province of Ontario. We had a chuckle over that. I won't say whether either of us was smoking. As she got out of the cab, she winked at me and said, "I might stoop, but I won't bend over."

And that got me thinking of just how often it is, these days, I find myself stooping..... checking the rear and side view mirrors before I light one up… and the one I am lighting up came from a pack without a tax stamp on it…. And all the time, I am sitting in a "No Stopping Zone," because the local taxi regulatory authority has not the faintest clue of what it is doing. (Too many cabs, not nearly enough business to support them, hence, desperate cabbies populating "No Stopping," zones.

And then I get this ex-con in my cab, a real scary dude with all the tattoos and scars. And he tells me he wants a "flat rate," to such and such a destination. I decide, in the interest of my own safety, to accept the flat rate offer rather than argue with this person, but in so doing, I end up breaking the law yet again! It is illegal in the City of Hamilton to drive a passenger without the meter running. If I get caught, I am subject to a fine.

And the next fare is a couple of rowdy drunk guys who brag to me that they are "ironworkers." Now these guys don't even know exactly where it is they want to go, and their hearing ain't so good neether… because when they ask me if it's ok for them to smoke in my cab I tell them, "No," not because I respect the "law," that mandates I act as an unpaid smoke cop, but because I don't want these drunks dropping their ashes all over my cab or burning the seats.

But they light up anyway. (I enjoy the aroma of the *deadly* second hand smoke.) But I am still annoyed. Not by the fact that these two drunks have ignored my request… but by the fact that unless I now escalate the situation, I am breaking the law by allowing these guys to smoke. I could be fined. If I press the matter further, as Dalton McGuilty and his government have now mandated, I run the risk of having parts of my taxi vandalized, or possibly even a physical assault… all in the name of, "protecting people from certain dangers."

I have to say this. McGuilty, you and your cronies are ignorant, arrogant assholes.

And then it comes to one of those rare days when the weather is real bad…. And cabs are actually busy… and a woman with five young kids, shivering in the rain, tries to flag me down…

Do I ignore her? Or do I pull over and pick her and her kids up? Well, firstly, I have to consider the law… I am only allowed to take four passengers (car seats? Booster seats? Do I have to extinguish my smoke?) …. And being the law-abiding citizen I am, I decide to leave her and her kids in the wind and rain.

Thank you, government, for making simple decisions so complicated.

At the end of the trip, the lady gives me a tip. I forget to write it down, and now I am guilty of another crime, because my master claims to have the right to know about every penny that is put into my hand.

Frederic Douglas said, "I stole this head, these limbs, this body from my master and ran off with them."

So I guess I am a thief too.

And then, finally, when the shift is over… well, I don't want to tell you about the evil, politically incorrect thoughts that occupy my mind…. Nor about certain other furtive illegal acts…

So, when they finally come to break down my door… I wonder will I get any time off for the hours I spent obeying the law? (while sleeping.)

Feeling Good?

June 5, 2009

But I ain't feeling good. My sense is that our liberty is being taken away from us at an accelerating rate (along with anything we have tried to build or save.)

So why does it even occur to me that I should be feeling good at all? Well, I have been a libertarian since I was twenty years old. And up until, oh, say, about five years ago, I was dogged by the prevailing ignorance of what libertarianism stands for.

This has definitely changed of late.

Other than my friends, or rather, those who had remained so despite my persistent badgering about the malignancy of the state, about 98% of the people I knew, or met, would respond in identical fashion whenever the conversation resulted in me declaring that I was a "Libertarian."

"Libber what?" was the standard refrain.

Well, more people are at least pretending to know what libertarianism means these days, so I guess I should feel good about that. What I feel bad about is that we are still so overwhelmingly outnumbered. Hostility toward liberty still prevails.

I was having a conversation this evening with a cab driver friend of mine which turned rather acrimonious. He accused me of being too pessimistic or lacking in sense of humour or some such thing to which I replied, more or less, "Man, if you aren't pessimistic right now you must be drunk, sleeping or dead."

Now this guy told me he shared my disgust with government, however, based on other statements I have heard him make from time to time, I didn't really believe him. So the debate devolved to a point where each of us challenged the other to provide an example of a politician who didn't absolutely reek of moral hypocrisy.

I told him that, in my opinion all politicians are moral degenerates. He strenuously disagreed. It was like a game of chess at this point. He had opened himself up for me to move in for the kill. I challenged him to name one elected politician who, in his opinion, actually cared about people. And I even betted him that once he told me why he thought so, I would be able to succinctly describe why his nominee was nothing but a fraud.

He did not disappoint me.

His example of a "good politician," was Daniel Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Now, I don't read newspapers, so I am pretty much ill-informed about stuff. And Daniel Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, is someone I have never heard of.

I was not interested so much in what Daniel Williams actually stands for as to how my friend would explain, in his own words, why he thought Daniel Williams was somehow different from other politicians.

Well, as I interpret his response, it went something like this:

Some women experienced injustice in their dealings with the Newfoundland socialist medicare program and decided to sue the government. They apparently had some difficulty in launching their suit, so Daniel Williams came to the rescue.

Again, I was not so much interested in the minute details of Daniel William's alleged political heroism as I was in my friend's interpretation of said heroism.

I think I may have responded to his example in an impolite manner. I think I laughed out loud. My response, (from a failing memory,) was something like ha ha ha, the best you can come up with is a guy who is willing to blow taxpayer money, (money someone else earned,) because he cares so much about these old ladies? Excuse me if such deep sentiment does not emotionally touch me. (It doesn't.)

And again, the conversation devolved even further into accusations about whether I cared about the victims of Katrina etc.

And hence lies the key to my enduring pessimism.

Too many people are willing to surrender too much power to the political classes. The idea that government, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, can somehow solve problems at the point of their most basic tool, the gun or any of its progeny, is manifestly ridiculous. The gun can only procure, via threat of its employment, that which has *already* been created via freedom! (at the same time that their power and scope expands along with the proliferation of problems to the extent that they even have to manufacture problems, like man made CO2 generation,)

Let me try to put this another way. Evil businessmen in a free country see a problem, like homelessness, or hunger, or lack of mobility, or a perceived need to address the human condition of body odour or providing mindless entertainment to a population no longer encumbered by the need to work from dawn to dusk for the mere basics of survival. What do these evil profit motivated people do?

Well, to address homelessness, they build housing. To address hunger, they produce food. To address the human yearning for mobility, they produce cars. And so on.

Real Problems. Real solutions.

Clearly they have an incentive to keep on doing what they do. A free people will always be willing to exchange whatever they have worked to produce for that which the businessmen have worked to produce.

Now when we get to politicians... I have one simple question.... what if there were no problems? Where would *their* market be? How would they eek out a profit in a problem free world?

Timothy Leary made a statement years ago which I really liked. "The function of government should be to put itself out of business." Does anyone alive today seriously believe that government would want to follow this advice?

Well, yes. Libertarians think so. But we're outnumbered.

So instead we can look for the production of ever more "problems," for our governments to solve.

Talk about a recession proof business!