Machinations of the Super-Moral

Urban Legend #1: The ACLU does not like Police.

False. 

"We'd like a police officer on every corner. Then we could close the prisons." [emphasis added]

Quoted, to the best of my recollection of a conversation roughly twenty years old, of an executive member of the ACLU in stating her organization's goals to me. I detected not a bit of irony nor disparagement of my concerns. Simply speaking, she was conveying a liberal stance she believed to her core was the right course for society. I have no doubt as to her sincerity. What I always doubted was that she could have ever thought badly of the people who had convinced her such a goal was good. She was, at the time, the mother of two. I got the impression she had not thought out the long term consequences well at all. Consequences for herself, or her children and the world they'd inherit.

What prompted the recollection of the ACLU's wish for omnipresent police -- and my recounting of it today -- was this story noted by Drudge: Drone may be coming to Miami-Dade

Howard Simon, the executive director of the ACLU of Florida approves of the drones but also advocates strict regulation of the drones. "Technology: there's no reason not to embrace technology if it makes the streets safer, if it helps the police. The concern is, though, that every new technology also has within it the capacity to threaten people's privacy," he said. [emphasis added]

The two sentences of Mr Simon's quote represents the goals and the consequences -- split into two separate thoughts. The details of how the second thought might substantiate, and used by whom, was what was ignored by old my friend. The ACLU is thoroughly Marxist in its origins, and you know the history of Marxism. Anyone who thinks that the last sentence was only rhetorical eyewash (and it is that too, on a simple level) needs to do more research on the organization.

I can explain why the ACLU stance is threatening. But I bet there are wise people in your local neighborhood who could help you explain it in local terms.

It involves the Left's love for power; its hiding behind liberal softheartedness. And it's dependent upon the liberal's beliefs (assertions!) that: man is basically good; that poverty, the result of unequal outcomes, is the sole cause of crime; and that social justice requires society to pay for those inequities. And this will be done by empowering those with a super-moral commitment. Hence the Left's love of modern liberalism. And, hence, the Statist's love for and protection of the Left. (Conservatives: convince a "liberal" of this, and you've birthed a new conservative.)

I wished to keep this introduction to the sort of thinking short. Please question me, rhetorically if necessary, so I will feel better that more people have come to understand the danger.

Rebrand the RINOs Contest Ends 31 Jan 2011

As you know, I've been pretty happy with what I consider the lead entry, SKUNCs, in my Fun Contest for Conservatives -- $100 Top Prize.

S K U N C

• S:     Statist, Subversive, Socialist
• K:    Knowingly, Kleptocrat
• U:    Undermining, usurping 
• NC:  Nation & Constitution, National Constitution, National Charters

The variety of underlying words that come to mind reveals the versatility of this acronym. After all, the most common concern amongst conservatives is that our theme of smaller government living within constitutional limits are constantly being betrayed by "RINOs." About the only drawback for me with SKUNC is that it fits sold-out villains in every sovereign Western style nation (pace Mark Steyn: English speaking in particular), not just those who are members of the Republican Party.

It would simply be sad should American conservatives fail to compose a new and more accurate, vitriolic and imagery-filled acronym for the craven, disloyal, self-serving, anti-American global elitists who were formerly and mistakenly called RINOs. Because of American predominance in attaining a world freer than at any time in Earth's history, this group contains an important subset of these globalist subversives. Should  the globalists prevail, this group's treachery to their fellow homosapiens is far greater than that of other men, and so they have earned something more rotten than has yet been submitted.

The SKUNC entry was provided by GuyS of Snugg Harbor. He has requested that the contest be kept open until the end January.

"Perhaps with the passage of time, a few more folks will be inclined to submit something, especially once the new congress goes into session prompting folks to find new creative names for their congress critters."

It's hard to disagree with Guy that the prospects are (sadly) too great that new labels for the suspect miscreants may occur to you.

So, if one of you should provide an entry that surpasses Guy's, you can thank him for advancing the finish line so that you might finish first.

Managers HATE Leaders, Pétains HATE Pattons

I don't even know many of the names involved in the story: Navy fires Capt. Owen Honors over raunchy videos Yeah, Obama is the Prez, but this could have happened under Bush too.

I only know that the safety of the sailors on the USS Enterprise are the last thing the navy brass and the Joint Chiefs care about. The removal of Captain Honors, on the eve of ship deployment, for a morale boosting video "described as lewd and disturbing" -- disclosure of which had been public for months while the ship was being prepared -- smells like orders originating from SKUNCs. Undermining the morale of our country and our fighting men seems to be all that Washington DC is capable of in this generation of brass. They even had to have a spokesmouth deliver the bad news in the press. 

"He who is without sin" -- was it he who cast the first stone?  Not likely from what I've heard; but I did not check it out because it is believable as it matches the over-the-top holier-than-thou type.  The organization that allegedly was most "alarmed" by the video was an interest group that was in the forefront in having DADT ended. 

So, fresh from that victory, and full of themselves, they went after a bawdy video? What do you wanna bet that the leadership of that organization has appeared in the most in-your-face parades in public in NYC or San Franfreako? And even if he didn't, it is virtually unprecedented that he ever uttered a harsh word about his side's deliberately and fully public bawdy displays.

But then, I'd expect such hypocrisy from a Leftist organ like that. But not from the brass of our armed forces. From them I expect leadership that isn't cavalier about its enlisted men. America does not deserve rank managers seeking their next star. Whatever good they may have done in service for this county is now dead and of no consequence to,  lessen the evil of  the damage they're doing today. For these former heroes I am saddened; for the current wankers I have this wish: 

Your hypocrisy should turn rancid, turn inward, and choke you into a drool. Then you can drop dead in front of the whole world as a lesson, Those who follow, at least for a generation, would then know to avoid your slimy path.

Absent such divine intervention, should anything bad happen to the crew of the Enterprise in its new deployment, you and the Commander in Chief deserve a firing squad.

Atlas Shrugged Weapon Now Reality?

Falling birds likely died from massive trauma

I invoked the speculation of my title only because it's one that Minitrue the Agency of Lies has not yet tried to hype since this story broke.

In the CNN video at the link, the wiseacres there figured it was sly to mock all those who legitimately do not trust the government by posting one after another crackpot comment and video.

Bottom line: the Agency of Lies will be attempting, over and over again, to condition* us away from criticizing the agents in government. There are people in government who are disloyal to the American republic, and their comrades in the Agency of Lies are paid to divert criticism against them -- usually by personal attacks leveled against the critics. Fallacies in play: "ad hominem," "guilt by association," and "change the subject."

For those who don't know or are in need of recollection: in the title of this post I'm referring to the sonic weapon of Atlas Shrugged that the govt moochers had commandeered. Then they put its control in the hands of a dolt who refused to listen to warnings from the scientist who had invented it.

As I recall, the dolt inadvertently, and in a moment of pique, wiped out all life in a number of states.

So it is only natural for one to wonder what bird-brain caused the current mass animal deaths.

I'm pretty sure some apparatchik will scan the blog headlines, and not read the underlying message here, and then go on and use this headline as another example of extreme lunacy in response to the dead bird story.

****Update 4 Jan 2011****

Two things on Glenn Beck demonstrate how he is one step behind me.

• Ca. 5 minutes into the 2nd hour: "Not going to wait for a leader. I will lead." (For a couple of months now I've had tagged onto all my streams "We Recognize and Encourage the Leader in You.")
• Ca. 18 minutes into the 3rd hour of broadcast: "Maybe it was a sonic weapon" that killed the birds.

This reiterates something I've said since I first heard Rush. "He doesn't say something on air until something like it has been heard amongst conservatives in the general public. Rush, in filling the void created by the censors in establishment media, made a mint."

-----
*Conditioned

SKUNC Leading Entry in the Rebrand the RINOs Contest

It looks like most entrants seem to agree that SKUNC will be the winner.

It meets the criteria specified in the contest.
There have been no new entries for several days. 

About the only drawback I see is that SKUNC fits globalist villains in every sovereign nation, not just those who are members of the Republican Party.

Let's review.

• S: Statist, Subversive, Socialist
• K: Knowingly, Kleptocrat
• U: Undermining, unprincipled, ugly, usurper, (updated from Joan of Argghh! comments)
• NC: Nation & Constitution, National Constitution, National Charters

I've already used SKUNCs in the international form of Statists Knowingly Undermining National Charters* a few times. It felt good to have a single label that represented the concept even if it is not recognized in any households yet. But that's just me. Our side needs something better to describe the villains who promise us conservatism, but give us the finger once they get in power.

Extended family member #1 suggested SKURGE where URG is "Underminer in Republican Guise" and hasn't come up with what E represents other than the final e in guise. But this still has the problem associated with RINO in the first place -- it retains the word Republican.

I plan on keeping the contest open for a couple of more weeks. So spread the word some more. I'm surprised liberal trolls haven't come by and stuck their noses into this.

*UPDATE
The definition that I finally adopted was the one highlighted in yellow above.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Happy New Year!

The SKUNC in Florida

I do not know yet if GuyS's SKUNC will be the winner of my rebrand the RINOs contest. But I found a story tonight that ran my blood cold -- fitting choice of words that.


In "No refusal" DUI checkpoints could be coming to Tampa, we read:

Florida is among several states now holding what are called "no refusal" checkpoints.

It means if you refuse a breath test during a traffic stop, a judge is on site, and issues a warrant that allows police to perform a mandatory blood test. [no appeal, emphasis added]

It's already being done in several counties, and now Unfried is working to bring it to the Tampa Bay area.

[snip]

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has recently said he wants to see more states hold similar programs.

The RINO SKUNC (in this instance, Statist Knowingly Undermining the Nation's Constitution) Governor Charlie Crist is not acting like a constitutional republican should to insist that his state not run roughshod over individuals' rights. "Compelling state interests" is a crock.

Goodbye 5th Amendment Rights to not testify against oneself.
You could be perfectly sober, and still you are forced to undergo a bloody bodily assault? WTF?

What do have to say for yourself, Mr. American?

**Update**

Now here is one American answer. From Mark Alger commenting:

They stop me, they’d damned well better have probable cause, or I’ll sue ‘em out of existence. I’ll make a quixotic life’s quest to bring the entire polity down around their ears.
Problem with these damned overreaches is that nobody’s willing to go to the mat with the bastards.

Emphasis added.

Condescension from Both the Left and the Statists

Before I get started, because so few people yet understand why I make a distinction between the Left and the Statists, let me repeat it.


The Left are openly anti-conservative, but the Statists (sometimes called corporate Statists) are quite often found hiding out on the Right. The Left is honest to the extent that they are clear about their intentions. It is the Statists who are untrustworthy. They are craven cowards and, as such, hold back so they are not attacked easily. They are probably the source of the brains for the "poster-boys of self-esteem" but otherwise brainless Left. In my opinion, the Left could make no headway without the rarely admitted but undeniable interference running by the Statists of the GOP.

Try to keep that in mind as you offer your replacement for RINOs in my cash contest.


The opening lines of Fox News Makes You Stupid?, by Brent Bozell of the Media Research Institute reads

There is nothing the left believes in more robotically than the stupidity of conservatives. Otherwise, they would not be conservatives. When liberals get routed in an election, they do not question themselves. The first -- and for most, only -- verdict is that the American people were disastrously flooded by a tsunami of stupidity and misinformation.

The first thing that came to my mind is "Hell, that's the same condescending attitude I see in the Progressive subversive Republicans whenever they lose to more conservative members of their own party, or to independent conservatives of the TEA Party (e.g., Lisa Murkowski in AK or Mike Castle in DE).

Bottom line: It does conservatives no good to pay heed to and allow RINOs non-conservative republicans to become chairmen of Congressional committees. Beyond the extent that they give the GOP the majority in any federal or state legislative body, they are of no use to those of us who wish to see America protected from destabilizing interests at home or from abroad.

Hence, it is not in the interests of conservatives to simply run all non-conservatives out of town right away. But it should be in our demands that they don't carry much more weight than most conservatives and libertarians who work hard to help them defeat their more openly liberal Democratic opponents. (Scott Brown for instance.)

Fun Contest for Conservatives -- $100 Top Prize

***Update: Now $125 thanks to Joan of Argghh!

I've been complaining for some time now that the label Republican In Name Only, and its acronym, RINO, are ineffectual to say the least.

My topmost reason is that a dichotomy exists in the word republican. Conservatives think of republicans as representing the people who elected them, with an eye fixed on protecting and preserving the American constitution with its limits on government and its recognition of personal rights. Progressives think of republicans as elitist and doing what they think is right no matter what the common folk think, and "The Constitution is only a piece of paper."

When conservatives see the "Progressive" subversive wing dominating the party and the decisions it makes, they get really rankled. But simply using the term RINO and intending that to be taken as disparaging by the arrogant politicians does not get the job done. The elitist either laughs at the ill-conceived acronym or looks down at the one who hurls RINO and sniffs "that's the kind of know-nothing who needs me to make the decisions." The elitist may be slightly annoyed by our intentions, but is neither insulted nor embarrassed.

So here's the contest. Come up with a variety of suggestions for an acronym to replace RINO. Here's some guidelines.

• The letters it stands for should be easily understood. It might include words like republican, or subversive, or corrupt, or elite, or evil, or globalist. I don't really know what combination will work, that's why I decided to fund a contest.
• It should be an easy word to repeat. 
• It should be fun to repeat. FOOLs or DOPEs would be great if it could be tied to our subversives.
• It should be a word that people will not feel embarrassed using. CRAPO (Corrupt Republican Aiding the Puppet Obama) for instance seems to me not ready for prime time. 
• It should be a word that penetrates the hide of an arrogant SOB.
• It should be timeless. When Obama is out of Office, a word like CRAPO will lose any punch it might have had (if it ever did.)
• It may or may not have a good image associated with it. RINOs has rhinos. ASPs (All Sell-out Politicians) has serpents.
• Enter as often as the muse inspires you, but do not spam.
• Most of all, have fun inventing this new acronym. If you win, that's a bonus. 
• Post all suggestions in the comments. Email me only if your comment does not appear. It may have gone to moderation or spam. Blogger has done both without my knowledge.

I'll decide which new acronym gets $100 from me.

My decision is final.

Currently in the lead is SKUNCs.

Statists Knowingly Undermining National Charters

It has great imagery, is clean both up-front and underlying, and also picks on how all contemporary subversives appear to be globalists. 

Bonus: no pol likes being known as a skunk even if they secretly don't mind at all.

Contest ended January 31, 2011.
And the Winner is "SKUNC".

PF is grateful to blog owners who have endorsed this campaign.

• Crusader Rabbit
• Primordial Slack
• Neanderpundit 
• Frothing Mouse
• Snugg Harbor 
• Free Republic

START Treaty -- Subversive Republicans

Progressive Subversive Republican members of the Senate who voted in favor of the START treaty during the lame duck session of the 111th Congress.

Subversive Republican	State
Lisa Murkowski	Alaska
Johnny Isakson	Georgia
Richard Lugar	Indiana
Olympia Snowe	Maine
Susan Collins	Maine
Scott Brown	Massachusetts
Thad Cochran	Mississippi
Mike Johanns	Nebraska
Judd Gregg	New Hampshire
George Voinovich	Ohio
Lamar Alexander	Tennessee
Bob Corker	Tennessee
Robert Bennett	Utah

In this instance, RINO subversive Republicans John McCain (AZ) and Lindsey Graham (SC) were not needed to pass this sell-out of America's dearly obtained ABM security.They're sure to turn up again for other sell-out duties.

"This Is Right Up Your Alley" -- Misanthropes

The quote in the title above was the message I received this morning via an email "Death Panels Back On." Included in the email was a link to Glenn Beck. However I'd already seen it mentioned at Drudge and JWF (who linked to the NYSlimes) yesterday. I guess I'm glad someone who didn't want to believe me before is beginning to notice; but is he too few, and are we too late?
 
The "death panels" resurfaced when it was revealed that the Czars of the Obama administration (Zeke Emmanuel no doubt) are going to push ahead with "end of life counseling." That push (as has been happening with quite a number of public policy decisions in the 21st Century, most brazenly under Obama) -- is to spite public disapproval of them.

What do you want from me?

Your uncle Pascal has been warning you of misanthropes seeping into the medical establishment after having seeped into most other institutions. And, in my opinion, the worst of these misanthropes infest the allegedly opposition party: the Republicans. You know them by now? They are the subversives you still, mistakenly and ineffectually, call RINOs.

Here's what I'll do for you.

In the absence of a general strike by all Americans to protest the theft of democratic republicanism by elitist republicanism, I will pray it is not too late.

Addendum to "Minitrue Crowing"

Added this to Minitrue Crowing Like the Puppet-in-Chief.

Obama and the Minitrue Agency of Lies* dolts are crowing of their deeds achieved to spite YOUR wishes as expressed this last November.

The RINOs cowardly brains of the Progressives subversives endangered national security in a lame duck session. 

The lame ducks were forewarned (in September) against giving into their bitterness and going along with such treachery here.

*Editor's note: In later years Pascal began using Agency of Lies because he saw that we were not an Orwellian world quite yet, and felt it best that he speak the truth while he still could.

Minitrue Crowing Like the Puppet-in-Chief

A troll berated me on Wednesday for characterizing Mr. Obama's lame-duck victory speech as "crowing."

It's my guess the jackass is ignorant of George Orwell's Animal Farm, because I could have used other less flattering barnyard noises -- such as squealing like a pig -- to describe the utterances of his dear Puppet.

But apparently, Obama was simply demonstrating to the voices of the Minitrue how he wanted them to perform.

What follows is a video collage of the command performances by the overpaid droids of the Minitrue Agency of Lies*, with them CROWING about the lame duck as was demonstrated by their fearless Kenyan Red.

Ooops. That's close, but no cigar.

Well keep that image in mind at all the important junctures in the following collage.
[This video may not appear in some streams. Please click through to the blog entry to see it.]


Obama and the Minitrue Agency of Lies* dolts are crowing of their deeds achieved to spite YOUR wishes as expressed this last November. The RINOs cowardly brains of the Progressives subversives endangered national security in a lame duck session. The lame ducks were forewarned against giving into their bitterness and going along with such treachery here.

*Editor's note: In later years Pascal began using Agency of Lies because he saw that we were not an Orwellian world quite yet, and felt it best that he speak the truth while he still could. He also used the acronym SKUNCs instead of RINOs for much the same reason.

Statist Tools: Suppression of Critics

In the news yesterday, thanks to Breitbart, was a story of an airline pilot whistle-blower.

The Transportation "Security" Administration (TSA) went after him with the sort of heavy-handedness we associate with banana republics in their early stages. I think it is clear that such top-down efforts to stifle whistle-blowing is another assault on America and for what it stands to the common man. Whatever happened to the Left-backed whistle-blower PROTECTION law, hmmm? Is that a non-starter when the Left is in power? Will the sun rise in the East tomorrow morning?

What's more to come? Watch this video report, and you tell me if you can guess the answer. I don't think it is an admission of ineptitude, and promise to reform, and a thank you to the pilot.

[This is a video that does not appear in some streams. Go to the blog entry to see it.]



It was once typically American for local sheriffs to ask "who the hell are you" of heavy-handed Feds.
Sadly, today, it is more typical that local entities seem to fall into line and add on more unpleasantness, gratis, to subjects of Fed displeasure.

Statist Tools: Inconsistencies [Updated]

First published 10:00AM Oct 27, 2010

Collected Evidence of Inconsistencies

This item has been added to Statist Tools: Inconsistencies.

Today's episode came to my attention at Kevin Baker's The Smallest Minority.

Kevin calls it Quote of the Day - Cognitive Dissonance Edition.

Go read it. 

What follows is my expansion, not as quick to the point, but with a bit more exploration of the point.

One of the basic premises of contemporary liberalism is that humans are basically good.
This is the source of their never-ending compassion for criminals, whom they claim are victims of society's ills -- namely the unequal distribution of wealth. In other words: "poverty causes crime." (This is where the libs and the Left got mixed together. Libs will deny it, but the Left exploits envy in order to write laws that seek "social justice," which, as I've shown elsewhere, is a mockery of true justice.)

This "poverty causes crime" balderdash has been extensively disproved time and again. Did Bernie Madoff commit his crimes because he was impoverished, or because he didn't mind impoverishing his victims? Hmmmm?

Anyway, the quote of the day makes quick work of liberal inconsistency.  If they really believed that "humans are basically good" then why not trust them with firearms? Well, they do if the guns are wielded by any old person who has been recruited into the police force or other "properly recognized" security detail. (For instance, the private bodyguards of the liberal elites). All of a sudden liberals are okay with authority? Armed authority?

This is despite the bloody history of the 20th Century. That was where Leftist governments murdered roughly 200 million of their own unarmed subjects. It is no odd consistency that an armed citizenry is a guarantor that governments remain relatively good (i.e., non-murderous).

Hence this particular inconsistency is a Statist tool par excellence.

Clapper of The Dilbert Principle Presidency

This is Day 38 since I recognized that Barack Hussein Obama was the Dilbert Principle President.

Think of a pretty bell.
Then think of a pretty bell that few people know is cracked.
Then think of someone yanking the clapper on that bell.

Imagine the dull thud.

Then imagine the pained expressions of those who had expected something resonant.

I suggest that this captures the essence of how the world has reacted to how much Director of National Intelligence (irony) James Clapper was uninformed.



Stunned Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper.

I'm torn. I'm not sure if I feel more sorry for our country or for this poor man.

Why the GOP Kept the Lame Duck Alive

In only a few days, the RINOs globalist members of the GOP have signed off on DADT, and the New False Start treaty, and the 911 Responders' victimoguery. This despite the groundswell of votes from conservatives and independents in the November elections that doesn't like this sort of behavior in Washington.

The Statist wing of the GOP continues to prove that my analysis is correct: The GOP Progressives Traitors are the covert brains behind the Statist advances that are overtly demanded by the Left.

The Left-wing radicals who continue to be known as "Progressives" remains in control of the Democratic Party.

• Most all that they say and do to support their agenda is brainless. 
• It should be easy to counter them. 
• Yet they continue to roll out legislation that the Puppet in Chief will sign. 
• The Left openly seeks middle class elimination (the keystone of Marxism) in every form from good economics to life affirming social norms to strong national defense.

Sneering in the face of the voters, these Leftwing nutsoids advance their policies DESPITE the fact that the political momentum favors the Right. How?

Let's first assume that the GOP spoke the truth when its members said "we got the message" after the election. Then they would not be afraid of either Obama or the Minitrue. They'd be seeking to prove to the voters that they REALLY got it this time. They'd fiercely fight in this lame duck session. If a few RINOs closet Dem GOP went along with the Dems to pass DADT, START, and whatever, that would be at the cost of the Left. All bad that accrues from that would become Leftwing politically stinking albatrosses. And then come the new year, with the larger GOP numbers in both houses of Congress, much of this lame duck Leftwing crap would either die or truly be watered down.

But now, let's go with what I've been saying. With the GOP Progressives Oppressives acting as the brains behind all the Left wing demands, they really need to let the Left get most of what it wants NOW. They'd use the Left demands to seek accommodation with the Left's demands. For example, I heard one GOP Senator say they worked to dicker down the cost of the 911 First Responders bill down from $6Billion to $4Billion. I guess he thinks we should be grateful that the Left didn't get the whole hog. Damn bastard has no desire to sound principled. "It's too damn hard."  With all the press against it (Google 911 responders bill republican and see it really wasn't easy), it is hard. BUT THAT'S WHAT AMERICA WANTS. Damn you.

So, the we hear from the GOP the orderly cave-in.  We hear them saying BS "it went along with these lame duck demands because "otherwise the Dems would peal off one or two Republican votes and pass" whatever bill Americans hate "with all of the high costs."

Damn you Senator. Didn't you ever hear Reagan say "make my day!" Americans hate this sort of compromise. Unneeded compromise on the day after victory. Senator: You suck.

• You keep acting like you didn't like DADT -- but you really like destroying the best of American Institutions.
• You keep acting like you favor America's safety -- but you sign away our rights under a treaty that becomes legally binding on us NOT TO DEPLOY MISSILE DEFENSE.
• You keep claiming to know what are the limits in the Constitution -- but you sign off on extraordinary expenditiures while claiming your actions are good because you saved us a pittance from what the Dems would pass by themselves alone.

And so our GOP brainiacs are happy to let their President Puppet crow over "his" success as  "the comeback kid" (in a non-denial denial). In keeping with the teachings of the Sophists, it's far better to let the fools bask in the limelight. When you've gotten what you wanted in the face of widespread public disapproval, it is far wiser to let others claim the credit.

Statist Tools: Snares and Intimidation #2

Early in December, I ended part 1 with this about the injustice dealt to gun-owner Brian Aitken by the state of New Jersey:

Hey you liberals: I think that your beliefs that judges always act mercifully are in need of serious review.

I personally think that this judge has displayed a lower sense of mercy than that of a common criminal. The common criminal doesn't pretend that he's punishing you for the sake of respect for the law.

I surely hope New Jersey allows its chief executive to commute sentences, and that Governor Christie overrides this injustice very soon.

Well yesterday, that happened. (h/t Ace) That's great news. Way to go Governor Christie!

Sadly, intimidation for owning guns continues. But, perhaps in response to prayers, one individual will not have to suffer any more on the Statist altar.

His prosecution was persecution.
His persecution served the purpose of intimidating YOU.

Whatever happens in future to Governor Christie, good or bad, learn from his example today. Become the sort of leader he is today.

***Update***
Hold on. There's a good caveat regarding Christie. It comes to mind when considering the question proffered by Allahpundit at the hotair link.

"Exit question: Why commute his sentence instead of pardoning him outright?" 

Yeah, the man remains a felon under the conviction, and the conviction was used by his ex-wife to deny Brian parental custody of his son. His son was the reason he moved back to New Jersey in the first place so that he became ensnared in this nightmare.

See? Those in power continue intimidating us. They simply cannot help themselves. 

Come. Let us help them reform.

***Update 2***
The answer to the question in update #1 is: By only commuting the sentence and not pardoning the conviction, governor Christie left Mr. Aitken and supporters standing to overturn, through the appeal process, the conviction  and the practice of legal persecution that led to that conviction.

If Mr. Aitken and defense team do fight further for his rights -- and our rights by extension -- then the commute rather than the pardon is indeed an effort to "Let us help them reform." That would be an excellent course of action, and I support the thinking.

Now pray for the follow through and for success.

Something Other Than RINO

Republican In Name Only. RINOs. Sounds like rhinos. But it does not carry any stigma for those whom we call RINO. There is good reason for this.

America is ostensibly a constitutional republic. There are other forms of republic, of which America was never intended to be, but into which it has always been in danger of transitioning. The most favorable sounding is a Platonic republic. It is, in short, a republic ruled by the best and brightest of its citizens -- the true elite. There are downsides to such a government, because of arrogance that too often overcomes the best of intentions of people who think highly of themselves and are being flattered about their status regularly.

But what if we have people who think of themselves as elites primarily because they associate with other members who also think of themselves as elites? A mutual admiration society at the highest levels of power. They would lack most of the true accomplishments that an elite force might have, but have all of its arrogance. It's bad enough to have American school children who score near the bottom of the world's students in math and science, while scoring the highest in self esteem. It's much worse to have politicians sitting at the top of the most powerful nation on earth who have the highest self-esteem and are dolts.

Well, I maintain we'd have some Republican representatives who think exactly that they are Plato's dream come to fruition, but are, in reality, some of the most deluded souls in all of America. They bridle at having their self-assessed good intentions limited by a piece of paper known as the constitution. Yeah, they took an oath to protect and defend that constitution, but oaths are for subjects, not rulers. Everybody knows that.

Anyway -- isn't it that sort of person at the highest levels of the GOP who we conservatives consistently call RINOs? We are hoping to be derisive and inflict at least a bit of pain so that they might notice. Here's a news flash: It. Doesn't. Work.

Get this straight. We conservatives think of the Republican Party as the party of limited government. Ronald Reagan even said that. And we're pretty sure that's a major plank in the party's platform, but we could be behind the times.

The reality is -- and it should be as plain as day after 30 years or so of using the term RINO -- that when we call Progressive Statist Republicans RINOs, they think we're simply too dumb to understand. In their own minds they are elitist Republicans, and they have their friends who agree that they are the elite.

"So who are these lowly conservatives to say that we are republicans in name only? It is to laugh. They have no sense of history, or of Plato, or of our importance in the great vision of Plato. Let's just ignore the ignorant fools."

What I am asking in this post is for conservatives to put on their thinking caps. Come up with a new nickname or acronym that will be derogatory, nasty, and insulting enough to penetrate these self-assessed elites thick skulls.

We live in an age where the corrupt and powerful are shameless. Still, if scorn is heaped high enough, it reveals their thinking that the rest of us are stupid. No despots can withstand such exposure for long. Help penetrate the pomposity of Statist Republicans and maybe save this great nation.

Dilemma? No Choice

From Drudge: OBAMA FALLS TO 40% APPROVE IN FOXNEWS POLL...

So you believe that Obama has a dilemma. Does he serve his ideology or seek to regain lost love? The wishful narrative goes like this:  "The media played up love for Obama so he could get elected. He misses it. Obama wants to be loved, so he'll come around."

Your uncle Pascal warns you to look to history, particularly the history of despots and their wise men. More on that to follow.

First, let us look at two incidents reported widely this past week. Both involve what could be seen as the result of unthinking apparatchiks. One was connected to a big entity, the other to a small one. Both bore the signs of heavy-handed stupidity. Yet in both instances, the "stupidity" also carried a warning to regulated institutions and decent individuals, indeed to all on-lookers of what transpired.

1. Feds force bank to pull 'Merry Christmas' buttons... As I reported yesterday, the Fed backed off, but the bank and other institutions know, there is yet another shoe to drop. The initial action, as always, carries with it intimidation. In this instance, it was against  Christianity and those displaying its symbols. That intimidation remains in place.
2. Good Samaritans Fined for Helping to Save Deer in Distress. (with a h/t goes to JWF). Could our masters be looking to chill heroes? That's like asking will the sun rise in the East tomorrow? The cowardly scum at the top HATE heroes -- hence no good deed goes unpunished. Heroism, like martyrdom, is tied to old biblical values. Martinets must do their duty. In this instance: 
   1. the men were well above the age range for the law allegedly broken, 
   2. the ticket wasn't even properly filled out, so they could be let off on a technicality. 
   3. but the men, if they want to fight city hall, will have to take more time out of their schedule to in order to fight back. 
   4. Hence, the ticket will cause the next good Samaritans to engage in double-think "oh, what's the use, I no longer live in a world where I'm rewarded for heroism."

What's the common thread in these two stories? The people involved did not ask for permission from above to act before they did. So they must be punished one way or the other or else the masters will risk having other subjects acting without first obtaining permission.  

Individual initiative must not stand.

Where those at the top appear to be faltering, in a normal world they would seek a remedy. But what if the seeming faltering is their goal? Well, then, there must be penalties for noticing the faltering. For then you are in the world where the emperor has no clothes and he knows it. In such a world, nearly everything that is true, especially as arises from individual initiative, must be suppressed, in order to ward against some damn fools blurting out the obvious and making governing that much more difficult. (What do you think this is, America or something?)

How do I know this? Because when the despot is forced to choose between being loved and being feared, and he is unwavering on what he wishes, don't you know which choice he will make?

So here's your insight to courtly thinking courtesy of your uncle Pascal.

From The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli (translation Stephen J. Milner)

This gives rise to an argument: whether it is better to be loved than feared, or the opposite. The answer is that one would like to be both, but since it is difficult to combine the two it is much safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to make way. For generally speaking, one can say the following about men: they are ungrateful, inconsistent, feigners and dissimulators, avoiders of danger, eager for gain, and whilst it profits them they are all yours. They will offer you their blood, their property, their life and their offspring when your need for them is remote. But when your needs are pressing, they turn away. The prince who depends entirely on their words perishes when he finds he has not taken any other precautions. This is because friendships purchased with money and not by greatness and nobility of spirit are paid for, but not collected, and when you need them they cannot be used. Men are less worried about harming somebody who makes himself loved than someone who makes himself feared, for love is held by a chain of obligation which, since men are bad, is broken at every opportunity for personal gain. Fear, on the other hand, is maintained by a dread of punishment which will never desert you.