On selling indulgences...

Just a quick, nonsensical post. Something serious later, perhaps.

So, according to their earthly prophet, Al Gore, we're supposed to by buying indulgences from the Church of Global Warming. Oops, I meant carbon offsets, not indulgences. Anyway, I have to wonder, how many offsets do the US and Coalition militaries get for taking down the guy who set so many oil fields ablaze back in the 90s?

Seems to me it ought to be a lot. Remember that the next time you hear some soft headed nitwit nattering about how military jets and other vehicles emit such irresponsible levels of carbon.

Or, you know, you could just smack them upside the head with whatever heavy, blunt object is conveniently to hand. I'm happy either way.

I was wrong.

Today has not been a fun writing day. Not by any stretch of my, admittedly, very elastic imagination.

Ugh. Seriously? What the heck is wrong with people? This country seems like it is one poorly timed negligent discharge away from a domestic insurgency at best, and a damn, bloody civil war at worst! Every where and with everyone I discuss politics I hear bit champing rhetoric, incessantly asking if it is 'time yet.' People are freaking eager to see the ball go up and see the streets awash in blood?

Are freaking kidding me? Are you all out of your freaking minds?! Am I the only one who has thought this through? The situation does not mesh with the much toted, "We have the guns and they're a bunch of cowards so we'll win," meme.

It's as if everyone expects it's going to be themselves and their fellow patriotic, red blooded gun owners facing off against a few Feds and whatever cops side against them. What a joke! Nothing resembling a civil war is ever that simple. You think the military will side with us freedom minded folk or simply sit it out? Hah! Maybe some, maybe at first. But have you forgotten the witch's brew that makes up the gun owning populace? How long do you suppose the military will sit it out or side with us, when the Aryan nation is using the chance to gun down Jews in the streets? Yeah, I imagine any of us who saw them doing so would shoot the damn Nazis ourselves, but by then it'd be too little too late.

Hell, once the ball goes up, every whack job we'd distance ourselves from normally is going to be declaring themselves our fellow soldiers of freedom. Right before they blow up a federal building. Or a school. Or a VA hospital. How long do you think before large parts of the military decides to Hell with that whole mess? Leave that aside for a moment, if our enemies are half as tyrannical, base, and venal as our more eager elements believe they are, what is to stop them from using agents provocateurs to elicit the same response?

I'm not saying we should just roll over for the accruing violations of our freedoms, but violence is the last resort. If it ever is allowed to come to that, it will be long, it will be brutal, our friends and family will be the collateral damage, and our own military will be pitted against both ourselves and itself, crippling out nation no matter the outcome.

If you are actually wanting the ball to go up, growing impatient for the day the brownshirts come for you, or look at the reset button with anything other than absolute gut-wrenching terror, then you are an IDIOT and a liability to the cause of freedom.

EDIT to add: That was a bit more confrontational than perhaps it should have been. Sorry about that, today was nerve wracking and emotionally draining. Add the near run thing we had in Michigan recently and I was near convinced someone would kick off the shooting before week's end.

I understand people's rejection of the Clarie Wolf idea (if you don't get it, don't worry, you're not the target audience). If it is too late to work within the system, then it is NOT too early to start shooting, but in this country there's no such thing as a time too late to work within the system, but still too early to start shooting.

Coming up...

Ruminations on the OODA loop in politics. To wit, things like this. Yeah, tomorrow, will be a fun writing day.

In the mean time, watch this:


I know nothing about this guy, so I won't unequivocally endorse him, but he is RIGHT on in what he says there.

The shape of things to come

The other shoe that is:

Remember when Obama said he wanted a “national security force?”

Well, isn't that ducky? Admittedly, it's actually an amendment to an existing law, The Public Health Service Act, all it does is eliminate the maximum authorized manning level. Yeah, it gets rid of the limits placed on it. Previously the limit was 2,800, not exactly an overwhelming threat. Now, however? Who knows.

Then we have this little tidbit. The Empire Strikes Back

We wrote here about the consequences of Obamacare that are beginning to be felt, even before its provisions are implemented: Caterpillar said Obamacare will cost it an additional $100 million in the first year; Medtronic warned that the new tax on its products "could force it to lay off a thousand workers;" Verizon told its employees that it "will likely have to cut healthcare benefits to offset the new costs;" and AT&T announced that it will record a $1 billion non-cash expense in the first quarter and "will be evaluating prospective changes to the active and retiree health care benefits offered by the company."

Read the whole thing. The level of sheer arrogance in the imperious demands is just staggering. As if a private entity having the effrontery to react to economic realities is cause for Royal Attention.

So, do you think Obamacare is good or not?

So, our elected legislators of both houses voted to foist the healthcare bill on an unwilling public, promising that it was for our own good. That being the case, what with it being all great and wonderful and chock full of Hopenchange...how come they don't want to get any of it on them? Seems a little odd that.

Also, why exempt Tricare, with zero votes against? I'm certain someone could make a case that since Tricare is the health care of military members, veterans, and their families, they've already paid for their government health care. A sentiment I agree with, but likely not one the Dems do. They're the same assholes who recently proposed letting the private insurance of veterans pay for the VA medical visits, you know to deal with injuries received while still on active duty. Remember that? It was touted as a way to cut expenses, kinda funny with same people now wanting to insure everyone, or else.

So why would these people exempt Tricare from their sweeping power grab?

I can't say for sure, to be honest. It certainly doesn't seem they give a rat's ass about public opinion, what with pretty much every member of the public telling them not to pass Obamacare. I doubt anyone would believe they did it because they actually care about the military, I certainly don't. So why?

Well, who is exempted? Well, they are, apparently, their staff is, and the military. Pay close attention folks, see how long it takes before other exemptions, or superior/free plans, are extended to other government employees. Specifically, those best used as instruments of control, the IRS, FBI, ATF, and even the EPA.

If left unchecked, we could see the emergence of two distinct classes. Those who must pay for state rationed care, and those who are treated for free at exclusive facilities.

Do I think it will happen? No, not really, but I expect them to try. It's less a plausible threat and more a weather vane to their intentions and long term goals. Pay attention folks, it's about to get all 1984.

They're for damned sure doing their part

Discovered via BlackFive:

A father's promise, a son's sacrifice for his country

Only click on that if you don't mind a good cry.

We must always strive to be worthy of such men, even if we never can be.

The healthcare bill and Tricare

I'll be writing a bit more on this tomorrow. If you see this before then, take a read and spend a little time thinking about it.