It Ain’t Paranoia If It’s True Bionic Mosquito February 1, 2014
Cass, Cass, Cass…why do you serve up such softballs? Paranoia 1. Psychiatry.a mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions and the projection of personal conflicts, which are ascribed to the supposed hostility of others, sometimes progressing to disturbances of consciousness and aggressive acts believed to be performed in self-defense or as a mission. 2. baseless or excessive suspicion of the motives of others. Cass Sunstein apparently believes that speaking truth to power and exposing the lies in government is paranoid behavior: In a recent essay in the New Republic, Princeton University historian Sean Wilentz contends that Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald and Julian Assange reflect a political impulse he calls “paranoid libertarianism.” Are there lies buried in the allegations of these gentlemen?If Snowden is lying, why is Obama pretending to act? These gentlemen have certainly been ridiculed by the mainstream and the politicians; however, I have not read a refutation of any meaningful portion of the government abuses as exposed. Wilentz claims that far from being “truth-telling comrades intent on protecting the state and the Constitution from authoritarian malefactors,” they “despise the modern liberal state, and they want to wound it.” Why not both truth-telling and a desire to wound the modern liberal state?If, in fact, the accusations are correct, isn’t a little reputational wounding in order?Should not such a state, and the actors behind it, be despised?
Sunstein moves beyond the three named “paranoids,” and to the larger group of libertarian paranoids.He identifies five characteristics of this breed: The first is a wildly exaggerated sense of risks — a belief that if government is engaging in certain action (such as surveillance or gun control), it will inevitably use its authority so as to jeopardize civil liberties and perhaps democracy itself. One need look no further than events in Boston after the marathon bombing.Civil liberties were more than jeopardized – they were ignored.Or what of reports that data from the massive NSA surveillance system is subtly handed over to prosecutors to be used in convicting defendants of non-nationalsecurity crimes? What of a Federal conviction rate well over 90%?For a government that fails at almost every endeavor, how is it possible that it is so successful at this one?What of the highest incarceration rate in the world? Higher than Russia, and six times higher than Canada?Are Americans just more criminal than residents in every other country? In practice, of course, the risk might be real. But paranoid libertarians are convinced of its reality whether or not they have good reason for their conviction. Wait a minute, Cass.If “of course, the risk might be real,” how do you point to paranoia in the minds of those who see the risk? The second characteristic is a presumption of bad faith on the part of government officials — a belief that their motivations must be distrusted. This one is a whopper.Let’s start with the non-libertarian critiques of just a few American military
actions: 1) Lerone Bennett, Jr. (a black American, to get a red herring out of the way) questions Abraham Lincoln. 2) America’s adventures in Cuba and the Philippines were started under false pretenses. 3) Pearl Harbor was a lie. 4) The need to drop atomic bombs to end the war was a lie. 5) The pretense to escalate in Vietnam was a lie. 6) Kuwait in 1990 was based on a lie. 7) Iraq in 2003 was based on a lie. What of the “narratives at variance with the facts” (to quote a wonderful line by Mr. Rozeff)?Just to name two: JFK and September 11. If their motives can be trusted, why do they need to lie their way to their objectives?Why have they developed systems so effective at spreading fairy tales? The third characteristic is a sense of past, present or future victimization. Paranoid libertarians tend to believe that as individuals or as members of specified groups, they are being targeted by the government… Specified groups have been targeted many times in the past.What of slaves at the founding?American Indians?Japanese Americans during World War II?Minorities through the drug war?Wealthy taxpayers? Are libertarians – critics of government power – wrong to feel some concern in this regard? The fourth characteristic is an indifference to trade-offs — a belief that liberty, as paranoid libertarians understand it, is the overriding if not the only value, and that it is unreasonable and weak to see relevant considerations on both sides. What is the “both sides” of this?is there some form of liberty on the more side of liberty?There can only be considerations to weaken liberty, if liberty is the standard. Sunstein uses such language to feign balance – there is a position in the middle that the so-called wise government leaders honestly seek to find.In any compromise between food and poison, and all that…. The fifth and final characteristic is passionate enthusiasm for slippery-slope arguments. The fear is that if government is allowed to take an apparently modest step today, it will take far less modest steps tomorrow, and on the next day, freedom itself will be in terrible trouble. Modest and apparently reasonable steps must be resisted as if they were the incarnation of tyranny itself. This is the entire history of the republic.The slope has been slippery ever since July 4, 1776. Try to identify significant incidents in the rollback of state power – absent at the conclusion of major wars, which as Robert Higgs documents results in rollbacks, but never to pre-war levels; a ratchet effect. I can think of a couple such events (the end of the first two banks of the United States come to mind).However, to describe these as anything other than pebbles on the double-black-diamond downhill slope representing the erosion of personal liberty in the United States would be an
exaggeration. Sunstein ends with his softer, gentler side: In some times and places, the threats are real, and paranoid libertarians turn out to be right. As Joseph Heller wrote in “Catch-22,” “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.” Societies can benefit a lot from paranoid libertarians. Even if their apocalyptic warnings are wildly overstated, they might draw attention to genuine risks, or at least improve public discussion. I’m not fooled. The mentions (and obligatory attacks) on libertarian thinking and Austrian economics is on the rise in recent days and months.The dialogue is slowly shifting from the false debate of democrat vs. republican or liberal vs. conservative to one of establishment vs. libertarian / Austrian.The establishment can no longer get away with merely citing Hayek.They have had to address Mises – even Rothbard can no longer be ignored. The recent shift can only be tied to the successes of Ron Paul – of course, built on a foundation of Mises, Rothbard and others.It is too bad, just as the dialogue is shifting our way, too many milquetoast libertarians desire to jump on the mainstream bandwagon. (HT EPJ)
Obama Says James Clapper ‘Should Have Been More Careful’ In How He Lied To Congress Mike Masnick techdirt.com February 1, 2014
Many of us are still quite disappointed that James Clapper has kept his job as Director of National Intelligence after flat out lying to Congress over whether or not the NSA spied on Americans. There have been increasing calls from within Congress to have Clapper investigated and possibly prosecuted
for the felony of lying to Congress, but there appears to be no movement there at all. Not only does the Obama administration seem to want to protect one of their own, but it’s also made it clear that something like that would make it look like Ed Snowden “won” and they can’t allow that sort of thing. CNN’s Jake Tapper finally got President Obama to “address” the issue in an interview, and the best that Obama could muster was that Clapper “should have been more careful” in how he lied to Congress: “I think that Jim Clapper himself would acknowledge, and has acknowledged, that he should have been more careful about how he responded,” Obama told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “His concern was that he had a classified program that he couldn’t talk about and he was in an open hearing in which he was asked, he was prompted to disclose a program, and so he felt that he was caught between a rock and a hard place.” I’m wondering if anyone else charged with a felony for lying to Congress will now be able to use that excuse: yes, yes, they should have been more careful in how they lied to Congress. As for the “rock and a hard place” claim, that’s also simply untrue. Clapper knew full well the question was coming and also knew full well that he could easily respond by saying a variety of things, such as “I can only fully answer that question in a closed hearing.” Clapper knows he can do this because he’s done it many times before. In fact, he did it just this week when asked another question by Senator Wyden about the NSA’s activities. He specifically said that he was uncomfortable discussing such details in an open hearing but would be happy to discuss them during a closed session. And, in fact, Clapper had done similar things in previous sessions, as is clear from the correspondences between him and Wyden that pre-dated the hearing where he lied. For example, take a look at a letter Clapper sent in 2011 to Senator Ron Wyden, in which he states: “the questions you pose on geolocational information are difficult to answer in an unclassified letter.” He was able to do that in 2011 and no parade of horribles followed. It did not reveal any “sources and methods” of classified intelligence. He easily could have done the same thing in 2013 when asked. There was no rock. There was no hard place. Clapper didn’t need to “be more careful.” He lied. Which is a felony. And the President is excusing it because he doesn’t want Snowden to “win.”
Skousen: Why North Korea Is The Trigger Infowars.com February 1, 2014 Joel Skousen breaks down why Iran is being allowed to continue on its nuclear quest. Why North Korea is being allowed to maintain its present totalitarian regime and what will happen when all of these triggers start to be activated. Skousen predicts an all out thermal nuclear war and the human remnant which will rebuild thereafter. He even discusses Safer Places from his book. Another great interview with Joel Skousen. Skousen: Why North Korea is The Trigger VIDEO BELOW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPmg8EdUuw0
NFL Zombies On The Loose! Infowars.com February 1, 2014
In an extraordinary display of stupidity, NFL fans show just how decadent and foolish they really are. Infowars reporter Jakari Jackson asks a list of meaningless questions about the NFL and the Super Bowl with almost complete accuracy from the fans answers. Jakari then asks important and pertinent questions focusing on the Bill of Rights and The US Constitution and receive nothing more than hesitant mumbles and blank stares proving just how absent-minded and dangerous these people really are. NFL Zombies on The Loose! VIDEO BELOW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sIBDPohV4c Super Bowl Sees Police State Flex its Muscle VIDEO BELOW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nagHm5bbpmE Winner Of Super Bowl 48 Announced! VIDEO BELOW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzL0hDTcMsQ
Attack Chopper Joins Snipers & Checkpoints At Super Bowl Kurt Nimmo Infowars.com February 1, 2014 Pentagon budget cuts will not stop PR opportunity
The Super Bowl will provide a venue to acclimate the American people to the presence of the military. The Defense Department said on Friday it will play a major role – with air defense, ground troops, a flyover and other contributions – at the high profile event. Despite a flight restriction zone imposed over New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, F-16 fighters will patrol the skies. National Guardsmen will attend the event for security and “community relations.” There will be a 32-member armed forces chorus that will contribute to the national anthem. Black Hawk attack helicopters and Chinook transports from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) will do a flyover. It was requested by the NFL, Col. Steve Warren told Politico. The flyover will cost around $100,000. There was no estimate provided on how much it will cost taxpayers for the remainder of the Pentagon’s public relations stunt. “This is the type of audience we want to connect with,” Col. Warren explained. In addition to in-your-face military displays, football fans will be subjected to unprecedented security at the event: 700 troopers, 3,000 security guards, and state, local, county and federal “assets,” according to Fox News. The Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the TSA and other federal agencies will be involved, which is to say the American people will be obliged to pay millions for over-the-top security while the Seahawks and the Broncos throw around a pigskin ball. As usual, there is no specific terror threat. “Of particular concern to us is what was going on overseas in Volgograd in regard to the Sochi Olympics. As you know both of those bombings were targeting mass transit,” said Col. Rick Fuentes, head of the New Jersey State Police. Superbowl, Army Helicopters flyover Fort Lee, NJ & GWB VIDEO BELOW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTd9lrA2ulA
INFOWARS.COM BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR ON FOR YOUR MIND