Greetings.
It's been a couple of weeks since my last post, but it's good to be back.
This week's post will be a short one, as I have come across a video that, in my estimation, is perhaps the most well-done and informative look at our current monetary policy, tax policy, and spending policy that I have ever encountered. Please give it a look and please feel free to share it with as many people as you can.
http://themindunleashed.org/2014/01/biggest-scam-history-mankind-debt-ceiling-truth.html
We are living in perilous times, despite what many well-meaning and glib people would have you believe. In a land that is supposedly "free," our government and those who profit most handsomely from it, have instituted for us a system of enslavement that we would do well to awaken to.
And I pray that we do.
Again, please watch the video and please disseminate as widely as you can.
Praesant Libero!
-Warren Brisbane
Friday, August 29, 2014
Friday, August 15, 2014
Ferguson, MO: Despair and Hope.
Greetings.
By now, it's almost old news, but the town of Ferguson, MO, this past week, was brought to within one errant bullet (or other hostile action) of being engulfed in a full-scale riot.
Here's what we know: Michael Brown, an 18-year old young man, was shot and killed by an officer of the Ferguson Police Department after he was suspected of robbing a convenience store. From there, things snowballed as outrage and peaceful protests materialized in some areas of town while non-peaceful looting and destruction of property took place elsewhere.
Police squads were soon called upon and then proceeded to repel the peaceful crowds with tear gas, rubber bullets, and other brutal tactics...all while being decked out in full military gear.
As of last night, it has been reported that Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, a Democrat, has appointed the Missouri Highway Patrol to oversee the peaceful protests even as law enforcement continues to prevent further destruction to private property in the area.
Now for some observations:
1) We will likely never know what really happened concerning Michael Brown and Officer Darren Wilson, who shot him. Speculation about a video, allegedly containing footage of Brown robbing a store, has been rampant, as have plenty of other rumors. The only facts about the initial incident that anyone can be sure of is that a young man is dead and a community has been outraged as a result.
2) The Ferguson police department and other departments called in to assist them in the immediate aftermath should be investigated; both for use of excessive force and for violating the First Amendment rights of the very citizens they have been sworn to protect. Clear video footage of police officers, decked out in full military gear and riding in what look like military assault vehicles on American streets, is in no short supply; nor is footage of these same police officers firing tear gas, rubber bullets, and using other brutal measures in seeking to repel the peaceful crowds of protestors. The citizens of Ferguson would thus do well to file a lawsuit against every department that participated in such actions and see to it that justice is done on their behalf.
3) At the same time, every thug that participated in looting, destruction of property, and any type of physical assault during the Brown aftermath should be arrested and prosecuted as well. There's plenty of blame to be shared here. Any undue violent action perpetrated by law enforcement is absolutely NOT a justification for private citizens to engage in the same behavior against their neighbors. Raising one's voice in peaceful protest and solidarity with a community is one thing; violating the property of a private property owner who is innocent of any wrongdoing is unacceptable, unlawful, and indecent. And it should be punished.
4) Governor Jay Nixon, Captain Ron Johnson, and the Missouri Highway Patrol deserve credit and praise for seeking to bring a peaceful end to the threat of destruction of their city. Governor Nixon, a Democrat, made the announcement last night that he would authorize the Highway Patrol to oversee security of the peaceful protests happening in and around Ferguson. In doing so, he essentially eliminated any further threat posed by an over-militarized police force and ensured that the State police, headed by Captain Johnson, who grew up in Ferguson, would ensure that their neighbors didn't hurt each other. THIS is how law enforcement should be done; locally and with an eye toward individual communities caring for and protecting one another as they exercise their civil rights. Kudos to Governor Nixon.
Oftentimes, it is truly amazing how one violation of life, liberty, or property leads to so many more on such a grander scale; when, all the while, common sense dictates the opposite. Thankfully, however, it appears at least for the moment that common sense and cooler heads have prevailed in Ferguson, MO. Hopefully, a return to normalcy will soon be on the horizon for the peaceful citizens of this small town.
For those of us who are serious about essential liberty, we must always be vigilant and ready to raise our voices in solidarity with those whose liberty is put in peril in any way, shape, or form.
Praesant Libero!
-Warren Brisbane
By now, it's almost old news, but the town of Ferguson, MO, this past week, was brought to within one errant bullet (or other hostile action) of being engulfed in a full-scale riot.
Here's what we know: Michael Brown, an 18-year old young man, was shot and killed by an officer of the Ferguson Police Department after he was suspected of robbing a convenience store. From there, things snowballed as outrage and peaceful protests materialized in some areas of town while non-peaceful looting and destruction of property took place elsewhere.
Police squads were soon called upon and then proceeded to repel the peaceful crowds with tear gas, rubber bullets, and other brutal tactics...all while being decked out in full military gear.
As of last night, it has been reported that Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, a Democrat, has appointed the Missouri Highway Patrol to oversee the peaceful protests even as law enforcement continues to prevent further destruction to private property in the area.
Now for some observations:
1) We will likely never know what really happened concerning Michael Brown and Officer Darren Wilson, who shot him. Speculation about a video, allegedly containing footage of Brown robbing a store, has been rampant, as have plenty of other rumors. The only facts about the initial incident that anyone can be sure of is that a young man is dead and a community has been outraged as a result.
2) The Ferguson police department and other departments called in to assist them in the immediate aftermath should be investigated; both for use of excessive force and for violating the First Amendment rights of the very citizens they have been sworn to protect. Clear video footage of police officers, decked out in full military gear and riding in what look like military assault vehicles on American streets, is in no short supply; nor is footage of these same police officers firing tear gas, rubber bullets, and using other brutal measures in seeking to repel the peaceful crowds of protestors. The citizens of Ferguson would thus do well to file a lawsuit against every department that participated in such actions and see to it that justice is done on their behalf.
3) At the same time, every thug that participated in looting, destruction of property, and any type of physical assault during the Brown aftermath should be arrested and prosecuted as well. There's plenty of blame to be shared here. Any undue violent action perpetrated by law enforcement is absolutely NOT a justification for private citizens to engage in the same behavior against their neighbors. Raising one's voice in peaceful protest and solidarity with a community is one thing; violating the property of a private property owner who is innocent of any wrongdoing is unacceptable, unlawful, and indecent. And it should be punished.
4) Governor Jay Nixon, Captain Ron Johnson, and the Missouri Highway Patrol deserve credit and praise for seeking to bring a peaceful end to the threat of destruction of their city. Governor Nixon, a Democrat, made the announcement last night that he would authorize the Highway Patrol to oversee security of the peaceful protests happening in and around Ferguson. In doing so, he essentially eliminated any further threat posed by an over-militarized police force and ensured that the State police, headed by Captain Johnson, who grew up in Ferguson, would ensure that their neighbors didn't hurt each other. THIS is how law enforcement should be done; locally and with an eye toward individual communities caring for and protecting one another as they exercise their civil rights. Kudos to Governor Nixon.
Oftentimes, it is truly amazing how one violation of life, liberty, or property leads to so many more on such a grander scale; when, all the while, common sense dictates the opposite. Thankfully, however, it appears at least for the moment that common sense and cooler heads have prevailed in Ferguson, MO. Hopefully, a return to normalcy will soon be on the horizon for the peaceful citizens of this small town.
For those of us who are serious about essential liberty, we must always be vigilant and ready to raise our voices in solidarity with those whose liberty is put in peril in any way, shape, or form.
Praesant Libero!
-Warren Brisbane
Friday, August 8, 2014
The Federal Government, Clean Water Act Authority, Property Rights, and You.
Greetings, Patriots.
As Americans (at least those of us who are paying attention) are fixated on 24-hour news coverage about the deteriorating situations in Iraq and Gaza, I believe that we cannot allow ourselves to be distracted from what's happening back here at home. This is especially true as it pertains to a development that has surfaced recently concerning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), cattle ranchers and other land stewards throughout the nation, and the very resources that these ranchers and landowners depend upon to sustain their operations and provide for themselves and their families.
I'm talking about water and, legislation-wise, I'm talking about the Clean Water Act. This piece of legislation has, for decades, given authority to the federal governemnt (particularly the EPA) to enforce rules and regulations governing the many water sources on U.S. soil. Since it was originally passed in 1972, like many pieces of legislation, it has been abused and utilized as a means to trample the very private property rights that have served as the cornerstone of this nation's greatness for so long.
In the latest chapter of this particular sad saga, the EPA and ACOE are now seeking to expand the definition of "Waters of the United States." Specifically, the new rules being proposed by federal regulators would, with a few EXTREMELY VAGUE exceptions, require cattle ranchers and landowners to get permission from federal authorities before they could utilize any sources of water on or around their land. Essentially, these new regulations would confiscate authority directly from the hands of property owners and locally-elected and appointed regulators and put it in the hands of federal bureaucrats with no direct connection to the communities which this new regulation directly affects.
A couple of things. First, regulations like these stand to severely hurt the agricultural industry across the country. Farmers and cattle ranchers depend on natural resources in order to preserve their livelihoods and this usually depends on them getting the right resources (i.e. - water) to the right places at the right time. Burdensome regulations will only serve to disrupt that schedule and jeopardize the health of farms and ranches across America.
Secondly (and more importantly), as I've already alluded to, at most this should be a local and state issue...and not a federal one In other words, states and local government, elected by the people, should have jurisdiction over their locally owned and operated natural resources. There is absolutely NOTHING in the United States Constitution that gives a federal entity authortiy to take for itself the kind of power now vested in EPA and ACOE. There is absolutely NOTHING that gives the federal government permission to hold hostage the very essence of the well-being of thousands of people in the name of some vague environmental agenda that will only hurt the environment and the people living in it. As Americans, we should be outraged and we should be moved to action.
And here's how to do it. The link below will take you to a web page with instructions on how to leave a comment with the EPA and ACOE. Make your voice heard and do not let them get away with implementing this despicable rule without hearing from you first.
http://cqrcengage.com/beefusa/app/write-a-letter?0&engagementId=47396
Additionally, however, there are other ways to protest; one of which is to unite and join together to legally challenge this rule. If you are a landowner and are upset about this, then I urge you to find people of like mind and of similar livelihood who can come alongside you to help bring about an end to this tyrannical measure. Remember: strength in numbers.
Finally, you can practice civil disobedience. How specifically? I cannot say. I am neither a landowner nor a cattle rancher and, in all honesty, this does not directly affect me. I am passionate about it because I am passionate about private property rights and don't want my own rights to be threatened at some point some day. I also believe very strongly that the most potent weapon that each and every human being on this earth possesses is the one between their ears. My strong recommendation, then, is that you THINK about creative ways to get around this burdensome regulation and that you go as far as your conscience and circumstances will allow in protesting it via civil disobedience. Get creative and live free!
In closing, I should probably reiterate that, even as we are calling attention to the federal government's abysmal actions in this instance, we should not neglect to ignore what's happening overseas. Gaza, Iraq, ISIS...all of it is important. All I will say here, for purposes of brevity, is that we should pray and hope that none of these disintegrating situations taking place will eventually lead to a mobilization of America's fighting men and women. We simply cannot afford it, in blood or treasure, and it is not our place to intervene in the first place. Our country is still reeling from over a decade of perpetual warfare to the point of possibly destroying itself as we know it. Thus, we must remain vigilant and loud if we are to prevent further sacrifice of our own national life blood.
Until next week.
Praesant Libero!
-Warren Brisbane
As Americans (at least those of us who are paying attention) are fixated on 24-hour news coverage about the deteriorating situations in Iraq and Gaza, I believe that we cannot allow ourselves to be distracted from what's happening back here at home. This is especially true as it pertains to a development that has surfaced recently concerning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), cattle ranchers and other land stewards throughout the nation, and the very resources that these ranchers and landowners depend upon to sustain their operations and provide for themselves and their families.
I'm talking about water and, legislation-wise, I'm talking about the Clean Water Act. This piece of legislation has, for decades, given authority to the federal governemnt (particularly the EPA) to enforce rules and regulations governing the many water sources on U.S. soil. Since it was originally passed in 1972, like many pieces of legislation, it has been abused and utilized as a means to trample the very private property rights that have served as the cornerstone of this nation's greatness for so long.
In the latest chapter of this particular sad saga, the EPA and ACOE are now seeking to expand the definition of "Waters of the United States." Specifically, the new rules being proposed by federal regulators would, with a few EXTREMELY VAGUE exceptions, require cattle ranchers and landowners to get permission from federal authorities before they could utilize any sources of water on or around their land. Essentially, these new regulations would confiscate authority directly from the hands of property owners and locally-elected and appointed regulators and put it in the hands of federal bureaucrats with no direct connection to the communities which this new regulation directly affects.
A couple of things. First, regulations like these stand to severely hurt the agricultural industry across the country. Farmers and cattle ranchers depend on natural resources in order to preserve their livelihoods and this usually depends on them getting the right resources (i.e. - water) to the right places at the right time. Burdensome regulations will only serve to disrupt that schedule and jeopardize the health of farms and ranches across America.
Secondly (and more importantly), as I've already alluded to, at most this should be a local and state issue...and not a federal one In other words, states and local government, elected by the people, should have jurisdiction over their locally owned and operated natural resources. There is absolutely NOTHING in the United States Constitution that gives a federal entity authortiy to take for itself the kind of power now vested in EPA and ACOE. There is absolutely NOTHING that gives the federal government permission to hold hostage the very essence of the well-being of thousands of people in the name of some vague environmental agenda that will only hurt the environment and the people living in it. As Americans, we should be outraged and we should be moved to action.
And here's how to do it. The link below will take you to a web page with instructions on how to leave a comment with the EPA and ACOE. Make your voice heard and do not let them get away with implementing this despicable rule without hearing from you first.
http://cqrcengage.com/beefusa/app/write-a-letter?0&engagementId=47396
Additionally, however, there are other ways to protest; one of which is to unite and join together to legally challenge this rule. If you are a landowner and are upset about this, then I urge you to find people of like mind and of similar livelihood who can come alongside you to help bring about an end to this tyrannical measure. Remember: strength in numbers.
Finally, you can practice civil disobedience. How specifically? I cannot say. I am neither a landowner nor a cattle rancher and, in all honesty, this does not directly affect me. I am passionate about it because I am passionate about private property rights and don't want my own rights to be threatened at some point some day. I also believe very strongly that the most potent weapon that each and every human being on this earth possesses is the one between their ears. My strong recommendation, then, is that you THINK about creative ways to get around this burdensome regulation and that you go as far as your conscience and circumstances will allow in protesting it via civil disobedience. Get creative and live free!
In closing, I should probably reiterate that, even as we are calling attention to the federal government's abysmal actions in this instance, we should not neglect to ignore what's happening overseas. Gaza, Iraq, ISIS...all of it is important. All I will say here, for purposes of brevity, is that we should pray and hope that none of these disintegrating situations taking place will eventually lead to a mobilization of America's fighting men and women. We simply cannot afford it, in blood or treasure, and it is not our place to intervene in the first place. Our country is still reeling from over a decade of perpetual warfare to the point of possibly destroying itself as we know it. Thus, we must remain vigilant and loud if we are to prevent further sacrifice of our own national life blood.
Until next week.
Praesant Libero!
-Warren Brisbane
Friday, August 1, 2014
Government "care"
Greetings, Patriots.
My regards for not posting last week. Times have been busy.
I want to start off this week's post with a recollection from my young adult years. Just over a decade ago, I had the opportunity to travel and live abroad. Specifically, I lived in an eastern European, post-Soviet bloc country that was still very much in the throes of its transition from an oppressive communist system of government to a more western, "capitalist" (if it could be called that) system.
To say that being overseas was an "eye-opener" for me, especially as a young person in my early twenties, would be an understatement. There were many aspects of the culture in which I now found myself that I found quite shocking, even as I observed the growing number of similarities that it bore to the American culture from which I had just traveled.
In particular, I will never forget visiting a popular place that was close to the town square and seeing just how filthy, decayed, and decrepit that a certain part of it had become. And I remember thinking how incomprehensible it was that anyone could allow their property to become that unkempt and sullied and downright painful to look upon. As I aired my observations out loud (which I'm known to do regularly), I was then told WHY the town center had become so unclean.
It's well known to many people that during the Soviet era, government controlled most everything; the economy, property, much of human behavior, et cetera. As a result of this, government also found itself largely responsible for the CARE of everything as well. As most liberty-loving people are aware, this is often a recipe for disaster since government is usually good at only one thing; namely, punishing violators of individual liberty and property rights. Be that as it may, however, many people during the Soviet era looked to their central planner overlords as "groundskeepers" in addition to their plethora of additional roles.
When the Soviet Union came crashing down in 1989, however, much of the government went belly-up and, with it, many of the services that it had once provided...to include property upkeep. Hence, the graffiti and other forms of blight that I witnessed shortly after my arrival.
"So what?" you might ask. What does this story have to do with anything? In truth, there are perhaps several lessons that we can draw from this short illustration. However, for purposes of this blog, probably the chief lesson for us here is that government, despite its best intentions, often does its constituents the greatest disservices when attempting to conduct the most noble services that are outside of its most fundamental role. In this case, government did its people a disservice by taking on the responsibility of civic upkeep, thus disincentivizing private citizens and enterprises to take on that role themselves...which likely would have resulted in a better job of keeping the grounds clean and healthy-looking. Instead, government control and care led to poorer quality.
The list of examples goes on, too. When we entrust our health care (Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare), our retirement (Social Security), our environmental well-being (EPA), our housing market (Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac), and other aspects of our existence to a centrally planned bureaucracy, two things happen: 1) We lose liberty, and 2) We are less motivated to care for and steward those life aspects ourselves thanks to government's empty promises to care for and steward them for us.
Government's legitimate function is two-fold: 1) Protecting life, liberty, and private property rights; and 2) enforcing contracts between private parties. When it goes beyond that two-fold function, as we have allowed it to here in America, it becomes an enemy of the people, rather than an ally.
Our only option at that point, as free people, is to disobey the unjust laws that are hostile to the cause of liberty. Because, too often, as John Adams once stated: "Liberty, once lost, is lost forever."
Let us fight then, whether by repealing unjust laws or by disobeying them, to preserve the cause of liberty and live free. The fabric of our great nation depends on it.
Praesant Libero!
-Warren Brisbane
My regards for not posting last week. Times have been busy.
I want to start off this week's post with a recollection from my young adult years. Just over a decade ago, I had the opportunity to travel and live abroad. Specifically, I lived in an eastern European, post-Soviet bloc country that was still very much in the throes of its transition from an oppressive communist system of government to a more western, "capitalist" (if it could be called that) system.
To say that being overseas was an "eye-opener" for me, especially as a young person in my early twenties, would be an understatement. There were many aspects of the culture in which I now found myself that I found quite shocking, even as I observed the growing number of similarities that it bore to the American culture from which I had just traveled.
In particular, I will never forget visiting a popular place that was close to the town square and seeing just how filthy, decayed, and decrepit that a certain part of it had become. And I remember thinking how incomprehensible it was that anyone could allow their property to become that unkempt and sullied and downright painful to look upon. As I aired my observations out loud (which I'm known to do regularly), I was then told WHY the town center had become so unclean.
It's well known to many people that during the Soviet era, government controlled most everything; the economy, property, much of human behavior, et cetera. As a result of this, government also found itself largely responsible for the CARE of everything as well. As most liberty-loving people are aware, this is often a recipe for disaster since government is usually good at only one thing; namely, punishing violators of individual liberty and property rights. Be that as it may, however, many people during the Soviet era looked to their central planner overlords as "groundskeepers" in addition to their plethora of additional roles.
When the Soviet Union came crashing down in 1989, however, much of the government went belly-up and, with it, many of the services that it had once provided...to include property upkeep. Hence, the graffiti and other forms of blight that I witnessed shortly after my arrival.
"So what?" you might ask. What does this story have to do with anything? In truth, there are perhaps several lessons that we can draw from this short illustration. However, for purposes of this blog, probably the chief lesson for us here is that government, despite its best intentions, often does its constituents the greatest disservices when attempting to conduct the most noble services that are outside of its most fundamental role. In this case, government did its people a disservice by taking on the responsibility of civic upkeep, thus disincentivizing private citizens and enterprises to take on that role themselves...which likely would have resulted in a better job of keeping the grounds clean and healthy-looking. Instead, government control and care led to poorer quality.
The list of examples goes on, too. When we entrust our health care (Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare), our retirement (Social Security), our environmental well-being (EPA), our housing market (Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac), and other aspects of our existence to a centrally planned bureaucracy, two things happen: 1) We lose liberty, and 2) We are less motivated to care for and steward those life aspects ourselves thanks to government's empty promises to care for and steward them for us.
Government's legitimate function is two-fold: 1) Protecting life, liberty, and private property rights; and 2) enforcing contracts between private parties. When it goes beyond that two-fold function, as we have allowed it to here in America, it becomes an enemy of the people, rather than an ally.
Our only option at that point, as free people, is to disobey the unjust laws that are hostile to the cause of liberty. Because, too often, as John Adams once stated: "Liberty, once lost, is lost forever."
Let us fight then, whether by repealing unjust laws or by disobeying them, to preserve the cause of liberty and live free. The fabric of our great nation depends on it.
Praesant Libero!
-Warren Brisbane
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