Remember online privacy and freedom of speech? Good. Just as long as you don’t talk about it you’ll be fine.

Ars Technica article explaining what congress is attempting to do RIGHT NOW!

Please read the article! as you remember why America was once a great place to live.

It’s been 10 years since the passing of the U.S.A.P.A.T.R.I.O.T.* Act. The most poignant features being the indefinite detention of immigrants, law enforcement searches without probable cause or warrants, and finally unwarranted search of telephone, internet, and financial records. Between that and being X-rayed and patted down every time I get on an airplane I know my safety and security are unparalleled as long as I don’t ask any questions.

As they say, “Freedom isn’t Free”. In 1998, the United States’ intelligence annual budget was $26.7 billion. But now it costs taxpayers over $80 billion which is a little more than double Google’s annual budget. And since you know what Google knows about you and it only has half the resources of the intelligence agencies…

Interesting concept. I think it is worth a shot.

When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators.
- P.J. O’Rourke, American Author.

(Source: imgfave)

Sept 14, 1966 minimum wage was raised to $1.40 an hour. It is currently $7.25 which is a 517% increase. How does that measure up? I thought you’d never ask…

in 1966 a stamp was a nickel, now it is 44 cents; an increase of 880% (but the USPS is broke)

in 1966 gas was 32 cents a gallon, now it is $3.54; an increase of 1106% (mostly due to tax increases)

in 1966 an average house cost $23,300, now it is $174,000; an increase of 746%

but if you were renting in 1966 it was about $118, now it would be $755; an increase of 640%

September the 6th, 1861. A summary of the war between the states in the 19th Century…

The strong arm of the Government is here to protect its friends and punish its enemies. Whenever it is manifest that you are able to defend yourselves and maintain the authority of the Government and protest the rights of loyal citizens, I shall withdraw the forces under my command.
- General Ulysses S. Grant (upon his occupation of Paducah, Kentucky)

More eloquently,

The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
- President Ronald Reagan

8/30/2011 - AP (Associated Press) headlines: At the Federal arcade, FEMA is out of tokens :(. Next they’ll tell us they’ve found bear droppings in the woods.

Sooo…. Ron Paul was right?

August 29, 1786 I’ll mention what our dusty American History books probably devote a poorly written paragraph to: Daniel Shays’ Rebellion. Where men who fought in the Revolution were discharged without pay, left to tend their own wounds, and othewise forgotten. Yet they still had bills to pay and crops to plant. And the people who did not fight but owned private and public land demanded payments even in gold and silver which was scarce. So, by rights, they confiscated land, belongings, and homes. All which led many former soldiers turned workmen to ‘rebel’. Quoth one of the rebels:

I have been greatly abused, have been obliged to do more than my part in the war, been loaded with class rates, town rates, province rates, Continental rates and all rates…been pulled and hauled by sheriffs, constables and collectors, and had my cattle sold for less than they were worth…The great men are going to get all we have and I think it is time for us to rise and put a stop to it, and have no more courts, nor sheriffs, nor collectors nor lawyers.

Shortly after this unfortunate sequence of months, learned men such as Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and many others met in Philadelphia for a convention that would birth the Constitution. Which is simply another dusty document that America seems to care very little about anymore. I’m not trying to quote the motto of today’s Tea Party-ists and Libertarians word-for-word. But if I am, I’m not sorry.