My Assembly member, Mary Hayashi,  is a convicted shoplifter.....oh great!!

I guess she was just trying getting back at those "1%", you know "evil businesses" like Nieman Marcus.

She's now back in Sacramento, continuing her political career.  I suppose she's now qualified to run for even higher office here in California.

http://www.examiner.com/news-headlines-in-san-jose/assemblywoman-mry-hayashi-sentenced-to-three-years-probation

This week in the Senate, Barbara Boxer voiced an outrageously stupid and arbitrary objection to the passage of a bill that will delay an EPA regulation on industrial boilers and allow construction of the propsed Keystone pipeline. 

Today I will be discussing Boxer's allegations and the ideological basis for the deadly and destructive green movement for which she stands.


Links and References

Death by CAFE Standards http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/04/death_by_cafe_standards.html

Barbara Boxer "poison pill"  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/14/payroll-tax-bill-riders-poison-pollution_n_1148044.html?ref=green

Obama regime bans OTC asthma inhalers http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-administration-ban-asthma-inhalers-over-environmental-concerns_594113.html

Eric Pianka says we're no better than bacteria http://forum.prisonplanet.com/index.php?topic=125997.0

Eric Pianka speech transcript http://www.cathyyoung.net/speech/Piankaspeech.htm

Job Creators Alliance
Home page http://jobcreatorsalliance.org/Default.aspx

Stossel blog http://jobcreatorsalliance.org/Blog/

Deroy Murdock on the Keystone pipeline http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=mpg&mpid=113&load=6442

Refuting Global Warming: 
A talk from Keith Lockitch and Willie Soon http://arc-tv.com/a-critique-of-climate-change-science-and-policy/

Dr. Richard Lindzen on "climate change" or lack thereof: http://arc-tv.com/power-hour-episode-5-climate-change-with-dr-richard-lindzen/

Return of the Primitive: The Anti-Industrial Revolution, by Ayn Rand, with intro and additional essays form Peter Schwartz: http://www.amazon.com/Return-Primitive-Anti-Industrial-Revolution/dp/0452011841/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324153944&sr=1-1

Obama gave a stunning speech this week, in which he revealed his deeply collectivist world view, his hatred for progress and technology and his deep resentment for wealth, success and individualism.
In today's podcast, I addressed the first few pages of this speech in this weeks episode of Defending Capitalism: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/defending_capitalism/2011/12/10/defending-capitalism

Links and References

Obama's speech (text): http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57338052/text-obama-address-on-the-economy-in-kansas/

Dr. Yaron Brook speaks about the financial crisis and its causes: http://arc-tv.com/the-financial-crisis-what-happened-and-why/

What does a "welfare queen" with 15 illegitimate children have in common with the continent of Europe?  Who is the biggest coward in the GOP this week?  Analysis and discussion of the answers to these questions can be found in this week's edition of Defending Capitalism: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/defending_capitalism/2011/12/03/defending-capitalism


Links and References

Angel Adams: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bavou_SEj1E&feature=share

Fed spends $600 billion bailing out European banks: http://www.zerohedge.com/article/exclusive-feds-600-billion-stealth-bailout-foreign-banks-continues-expense-domestic-economy-

Total Fed bailouts reach $7.7 trillion: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/28/9067808-fed-lent-banks-nearly-8-trillion-during-crisis-report-shows?chromedomain=openchannel

Liberal economist Paul Krugman complains of too little government spending in Europe: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/opinion/krugman-killing-the-euro.html?_r=1

19th Century philosopher Auguste Comte invents "altruism"; discussion of the relationship between altruism and the negation of individual rights: http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/altruismrandcomte.pdf

Groveling GOP coward Frank Luntz is terrified of OWS and the word "capitalism": http://www.scpr.org/blogs/economy/2011/12/02/3932/frank-luntz-first-rule-capitalism-you-do-not-talk-/

More on Luntz: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2011/12/02/luntz_capitulates_to_the_left_advises_that_capitalism_is_a_dirty_word

A new book by Peter Schweizer, which was featured in a recent segment of 60 Minutes has enraged the country: Throw Them All Out exposes the despicable behavior of the ruling class, in which politicians and corrupt quasi-political business enterprises wield the power of the state for their own short-term financial gain at the expense of driving the U.S. economy -- and, by extension, that of the entire globe -- to the brink of collapse, while growing the government of a once free nation to a near-dictatorial size.

In the 11/19 edition of Defending Capitalism, I discuss this outrage and analyze what lies at the root of the problem.  What principles serve as rationalization for the looting gluttony of what Mr. Schweizer describes as the political caste?  Could a law be passed to ensure more ethical behavior on the part of the powerful lawmakers, or is the problem more fundamental than that?  For answers, check out an archived recording of the discussion: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/defending_capitalism/2011/11/19/defending-capitalism


Links and References

60 Minutes segment: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57323527/congress-trading-stock-on-inside-information/

Throw Them All Out, by Peter Schweizer: http://www.amazon.com/Throw-Them-All-Peter-Schweizer/dp/0547573146/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321817521&sr=1-1

"Wall Street Under Siege," from the book Why Businessmen Need Philosophy: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Businessmen-Need-Philosophy-AtlasShrugged/dp/0451232690/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321817593&sr=1-1

You may recall that in May of 2010, a couple of high school students here in the bay area were sent home from school for wearing clothes that display the American flag on Cinco de Mayo.  Well, they went to court over it and the district judge recently ruled in favor of the school.  In my latest podcast, I discuss the latest outrage of public schools banning the American flag in the name of multiculturalism and getting away with it. Join me at 11:00 pacific for discussion of this issue, why such an outrage would never happen in a free society, and more.

Here is the link to the show page for today: http://tobtr.com/s/2434763

Daily Caller article: http://dailycaller.com/2011/11/11/federal-judge-school-can-censor-student-display-of-american-flag/

SF Chronicle Article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/11/BA2N1LU0HC.DTL

Atlas Shrugged: http://atlasshrugged.com/

PJTV video segment about Rabbi Nachum Schiffren's nightmare experience in an L.A. high school: http://www.pjtv.com/s/GU4DKMY

Essays: "Multicultural Nihilism" by Peter Schwartz and "The Age of Envy" by Ayn Rand, can be found in the book entitled The Return of the Primitive: The Anti-Industrial Revolution http://www.amazon.com/Return-Primitive-Anti-Industrial-Revolution/dp/0452011841

In an 1815 letter to Thomas Jefferson, John Adams wrote, "What do we mean by the Revolution? The war? That was no part of the revolution; it was only an effect and consequence of it. The revolution was in the minds of the people..."

The founding fathers were much more philosophic thinkers than most today -- certainly the shouting hoards of militant, irrational liberals who call themselves intellectuals -- and our founders understood the role of ideas as the essential driving factor that motivates the actions of men. 

From the enlightenment era's deep respect for reason and the individual that preceded the American Revolution, to the bizarre mystical altruist collectivism of Kant, Hegel and Marx that led to the totalitarian uprisings of the Nazis and the Communists, to the cognitive disintegration and nihilism of the filth-ridden haters of the New Left, no significant cultural movement or fundamental change has occurred without some ideological base -- nor has any existing society survived without it.

Right now our country is in a period of ideological upheaval, which lies at the chaotic root of the political upheaval we see in the out-of-control, power hungry Obama regime, the pathetically weak Republican opposition, the deep cultural divisions, and the beginnings of violent civil unrest in the "occupy" movement. 

While immediate political action is absolutely necessary, long term stability and a return to prosperity and freedom -- perhaps even exceeding that of the past -- are ultimately only possible with a widespread, consistent, rational defense of freedom and individual rights. 

For that, we need intellectual ammunition accompanied by the most widespread advocacy for good, rational ideas possible.  This is the purpose of my weekly Saturday morning podcast: to advocate for such ideas, to provide a forum for their discussion and dissemination among defenders of freedom, and to offer moral support for your continued resolve in our fight to save the country.

This week, my discussion was focused on discussion of the theory and justification for individual rights.  You can listen to an archived recording by clicking on this link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/defending_capitalism/2011/11/05/defending-capitalism


In the show I mentioned a series of references for further reading on the Objectivist theory of rights.  Here are some of those references, in no particular order:

Moral Rights and Political Freedom -- Tara Smith

The Capitalist Manifesto -- Andrew Bernstien

Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal -- Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand's Theory of Rights: the Moral Foundation for a Free Society -- Craig Biddle (http://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues/2011-fall/ayn-rand-theory-rights.asp)

Atlas Shrugged -- Ayn Rand

Objectivism: the Philosophy of Ayn Rand -- Leonard Peikoff

The Virtue of Selfishness -- Ayn Rand

We the Living -- Ayn Rand

Thanks to everyone who participated in the show today!  I've entered into the enormous and tremendously important topic of individual rights, which will be the primary topic of discussion in my show for the next couple episodes (or perhaps more).  Here is a link to the archived episode: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dbsloan/2011/10/29/defending-capitalism

Be sure to tune in next week for part 2 of my discussion of this fascinating, life-or-death issue: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dbsloan

As promised, here are the links from today's show:

BBC article about the debate over the legality of the Declaration: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15345511

Objective Standard article about Ayn Rand's theory of rights.  This week, I read an excerpt that describes a particularly egregious violation of someone's rights.  Next week and/or the week after, I'll do more discussion of the theories of rights discussed herein.  http://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues/2011-fall/ayn-rand-theory-rights.asp

CNBC interview with Rick Perry about his tax plan http://www.cnbc.com/id/45030263/Rick_Perry_I_Don_t_Care_If_Tax_Plan_Helps_the_Rich

Politico polemic against income inequality http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66717_Page3.html

Former USSR citizen confronts OWS protesters http://www.breitbart.tv/former-soviet-citizen-confronts-socialists-at-occupy-wall-street/

Moral Rights and Political Freedom, by Professor Tara Smith http://www.amazon.com/Rights-Political-Freedom-Studies-Philosophy/dp/0847680274

Student loan "Forgiveness" http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2011/10/24/can_the_youth_vote_be_bought_for_a_trillion_dollars_99323.html

Time to Kill the Robin Hood Myth http://www.forbes.com/sites/objectivist/2011/05/06/its-time-to-kill-the-robin-hood-myth/

This week, not one but two Democrats of national note have issued not-so-veiled calls for advancing the United States of America toward dictatorship by imposing further limitations on the already significantly diminished means by which American citizens can attempt to hold our government accountable. A massive, unaccountable administrative state, a judicial branch that is to an extent driven more by anti-American ideology than objective interpretation of the Constitution, and a White House desperate to limit the political speech of its opponents, are just some of the things that currently limit the ability of an individual who lacks the support of a powerful gang (a.k.a. pressure group), to wield any influence at all over a government with rapidly expanding power to dispose of his or her life in any manner it pleases.

But this is not enough, according to North Carolina governor Beverly Perdue [1],[3] and former White House budget director Peter Orzag [2].

Yesterday, Governor Perdue appeared before a Cary, N.C. rotary club and said the following:

You have to have more ability from Congress, I think, to work together and to get over the partisan bickering and focus on fixing things. I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that.

What does she mean by "partisan bickering"? The political parties are supposed to represent distinct visions of the role of government in our lives and the kind of society America should be. Almost without exception, the Republican side of this equation falls far short of acting on its purported ideal of limiting government and protecting individual rights against the unmitigated blitzkrieg of statist assaults form the left. But to the extent that the Congressional Republicans do stand their ground, there is "partisan bickering" in Washington. There is not nearly enough of such bickering.

But any resistance to the advances of statism is too much for Perdue, and she sees that the next election cycle will bring in reinforcements to fight on the side of freedom, which is what she wants to prevent. Note that Perdue recognizes and is fully aware of the fact that elections are the means by which we, the citizens hold our representatives accountable, and that what might otherwise be done to us by those representatives is something for which we would be inclined not to thank them, but to "hold it against them". Thus, despite the pretense of wanting to save the economy -- as though a negative connection had been established between economic recovery and government accountability -- this contemptible woman reveals that what she actually wants is to empower the government further to act with impunity against our will and to the detriment of our freedom and well being.

Freedom is a necessary condition for human survival. What, then, is the objective of someone who wishes to destroy freedom? Draw your own conclusions.

And now for Mr. Orzag, who wrote the following:

In an 1814 letter to John Taylor, John Adams wrote that “there never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” That may read today like an overstatement, but it is certainly true that our democracy finds itself facing a deep challenge: During my recent stint in the Obama administration as director of the Office of Management and Budget, it was clear to me that the country’s political polarization was growing worse—harming Washington’s ability to do the basic, necessary work of governing. [...]

So what to do? To solve the serious problems facing our country, we need to minimize the harm from legislative inertia by relying more on automatic policies and depoliticized commissions for certain policy decisions. In other words, radical as it sounds, we need to counter the gridlock of our political institutions by making them a bit less democratic.

Note that Orzag begins by employing a straw man in order to obtain sympathy for his position: he refers to the United States -- which is supposed to be a constitutionally limited representative republic -- as a democracy.  Then he quotes John Adams, who correctly observed that “there never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”  True democracy, i.e. unlimited rule of the majority over the minority, is a form of tyranny.  There can be no such things as sovereign individual rights when the majority has an unqualified ability to impose its will on the minority -- millions of tyrants are no better than one.  But it is toward democracy that we have moved precisely because of the policies of leftists like Orzag, who reject proper constitutional limits on the power of government in order to empower the welfare state.  The entrenched system of pressure group warfare that has resulted from such policies comprises an accelerating assault on our individual liberties, and many Americans recognize and reject this very phenomenon, which they are correct to do.  It is, however, a product not of freedom but of statism.  But what is Orzag's solution?  To blame the results of statism on freedom, then demand more statism.

Note the term, "political polarization", which is very similar in meaning to Governor Perdue's "partisan bickering".  Politics is the application of the principles of ethics to the organization of society. "Political polarization" indicates a significant disagreement among different segments of the population, over what basic ethical principles should determine the course of the United States of America and, by extension, western civilization, since the latter could not survive without the former. It is, to say the least, a tremendously important issue.  Orzag is using an equivocation here: he implicitly conjures up the loathesome phenomenon of pressure group warfare by referring to America as a democracy, then jumps from this unprincipled grappling of rival mobs to wield power over one another, to a principled dispute between advocates of freedom and of statism over the proper role of government in our lives, as though both were aspects of the same issue.  He seems to hope that his readers will equate the two phenomena and dismiss them both in favor of a "benevolent" dictatorship that isn't so messy.

Mr. Orzag's proposed solution to the "problem" -- that many of us are voicing extreme concern for the future of our country and the threat that a continued decline into tyranny would pose to our future, to everything and everyone we value; that we are rebelling against that decline and resisting further power grabs -- is to rely more on "automatic policies and depoliticized commissions for certain policy solutions... to counter the gridlock of our political institutions by making them a bit less democratic."   What Orzag proposes is, essentially, to shut us up and render our objections irrelevant by transferring power away from elected officials, who have some vestige of accountability to the individuals whose lives are impacted by their decisions, to a unilateral, unchecked administrative state. In other words, he proposes to end our "bickering" over the future course of our nation, by collapsing it into dictatorship.

Do not despair.  Hysterical, power-lusting freaks such as Perdue and Orzag are barring their teeth because they are cornered.  There are fewer rationalizations to hide behind, because we are onto them.  They feel threatened by the upcoming elections because they know that their side is on track to lose big, and perhaps permanently.  Our job is to take advantage of the opportunity to see these monstrous creatures for what they are, to identify them, expose them, call them out and show everyone why it is a moral imperative to reject them; and then propose better, more rational ideas to take their place.  If we do it, we will win.


links:
[1] http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/146041/is-gov-beverly-perdue-right-about-suspending-congressional-elections/

[2] http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/magazine/94940/peter-orszag-democracy?page=0,0&passthru=MGU3YjMxNDdlN2UyMjM2MTNhZGZjNDE2MjE2NjE2Nj

[3] http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/perdue_suggests_suspending_congressional_elections_for_two_years_was_she_serious

This article from Pajamas Media is so great!  Be sure to give it a look...

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-five-biggest-sacrifices-obama-wants-us-to-make-right-away/?singlepage=true

Thanks again, Amy!