Goodbye, Aaron.

Aaron Russo, a tireless warrior in the battle for freedom and liberty has died. Many of us knew Mr. Russo through his works and his activism. I was never privileged to have met him in person and I am sorry that I didn't. While I didn't agree with some of his views, I certainly agreed with his overall premise. Government is too big, too corrupt and commanding and we are paying the price for that in our liberty.

In a movement that has all too few people who garner national and international attention for the cause, Aaron stood out as few others do. Speaking with great passion and insight to the cause of liberty he stood as a figure of strength, even as his body was ravaged by illness. Mr. Russo has left us, but his legacy remains in his works, such as From Freedom To Fascism and Mad As Hell.

We'll miss you, Aaron and we are lessened by your loss.

Other sites mentioning Mr. Russo's passing.
Homeland Stupidity
Bill St. Claire

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Aaron Russo, Libertarian, Liberty

They Steal Babies, Don't They?

As if placing people under constant surveillance via CCTV wasn't enough of an outrage we have this latest story out of England. It seems that the British have taken to stealing babies from their parents before they're even born, so they can place them in state sponsored foster care and then have them adopted by others, (a common practice it seems) . And, to make matters even more interesting they're targeting people who haven't even done anything.

She recorded a social worker telling her and her husband Martin, 41, that even though there was "no immediate risk to your child from yourselves", the council would seek a court order to place the child in foster care.

Mother and baby would be allowed "two or three days" in hospital together, but should not leave the premises until social workers came to remove the infant. In a desperate attempt to keep their baby, the couple have published the recorded conversation on the internet.

The bureaucrats in their social services admit there is nothing wrong and yet, they still wish to steal this couples child from them. The bureaucrats,tho aren't overly concerned with their own outrageous behaviour. Nope. They are much more concerned with the fact that Mrs. Brookes secretly tapes their conversation and posted it on YouTube.

What can you expect, tho? This is what happens when you allow yourselves to be disarmed and are subjects and not free men. This is what happens when bureaucracies are allowed to do as they wish without fear of dire consequences and retribution. Some reading this will salve their consciouses with the oft repeated mantra that it won't or cannot happen here, but fail to realise that we are only one step away from just this sort of event at any given moment. Social workers in American often seize children for all the wrong reasons and have done so for decades.

The British are now reaping the fruits of their decades long labour. They have built up and allowed the current system to become their master and now it even endangers their unborn children, turning them into a commodity to be taken from the breeding stock and placed with "suitable" families. The petty bureaucrats are even paid bonuses for meeting certain quotas of adoptions.

I, for one have no hope that the people of Britain will do the necessary and right thing. They, like their American cousins are enamoured of the state and will allow it to continue its cancerous growth. Even if it costs them their children. What a sad and frightening state of affairs. A state of affairs which will likely come to our shores all too soon. Hopefully the minions of the state will be met with the appropriate response when that time comes.

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Great Britain, Forced Adoptions, Politics, Libertarian

Buy American

I know, it's used as a trite nationalistic phrase 999 times out of 1000, but it looks like it may be your best bet if you'd like to avoid contaminated, and possibly even poisonous food and goods. Not only is the government unable (or more likely incapable) of inspecting shipments, they are a major consumer of them in their prisons and jails. The fish you eat in your home or when you go out may well be contaminated with drugs, chemicals or even heavy metals. The same goes for shrimp, a majority of which are now farm raised Chinese imports in this country. Even vitamins and herbal supplements are at risk of contamination from Chinese products and components.

Many state governments are taking the initiative and imposing import bans on their own, after testing fish and finding unacceptable levels of contamination. While it may seem to be a case of protectionism, I can't say I find fault with states who take the decision to do the job that the inept federal government either cannot or will not do.

As a recent story shows us, China isn't exactly a nation overly concerned with environmental cleanliness and wholesomeness of their food exports. The bad part is that we may not even know what foods we buy contain Chinese produce, either in whole or in part, (as we found in the last year when pets started dying from a Chinese food component).

While the American food supply may have the occasional case of contamination from E. Coli, Listeria or even botulism, we do have a much better record and industry standards than the Chinese do. Our food industry moves as fast as they can to remove tainted products (yes, they don't want to be sued into oblivion or fined out of business).

Those who produce our foods are held to higher standards by associations, industry and themselves. Yes, our farmers may be overly subsidised, but they are still proud of what they produce. Our catfish industry is among the worlds most sustainable and healthiest and, overall our seafood is better and safer than that of any other country.

If we really wish to avoid a health crisis, brought on by tainted and unwholesome imported foods, then we are going to have to embrace a bit of nationalism. We're going to have to avoid Chinese food imports like the plague, especially where our children are concerned. Don't be afraid to ask where food, and its components come from, at restaurants and in stores. Read labels before you buy. Do your research on the web if you don't know where a food comes from or it is not listed and, when in doubt....do not buy.

As with any matter of self defence, you are your first line of defence. Eat safe.

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China, Food Safety

Coming Soon To A Bus Stop Near You

From the people who brought you pat downs and feel ups at the airport comes a new travesty. The TSA has decided that bus stops in the Mid-West and across the nation should be graced with their groping and rights violating presence. Indianapolis looks like a good place to start, too.

(Indianapolis) -- Transportation Security Agents are stepping-up their visibility in Indianapolis. They have begun security screening for bus riders. TSA officers were stationed at the IndyGo bus stop at Capitol and Market Thursday morning checking passengers as they boarded the buses. Officials say the added security was not a reaction to any threats. The airport-style security checks actually started Wednesday at Ohio and Meridian. It appears no one was denied access to the buses although several knives were found discarded at the bus stop.

The sad thing is that altogether too many people submitted to this and some even went so far as to throw away pocket knives before they were searched. I cannot help but wonder what the TSA reaction would have been had I been a passenger on that bus and they'd found my trusty .45 ACP strapped on? What kind of alarm bells would have been set off for someone like me who was exercising their lawful right to carry a concealed weapon?

Thank goodness I'm never going to find out. I drive my own vehicle wherever I wish and do not contribute to the mass transit delusion. I can only imagine that these checkpoints will spread over time and everyone will become complacent about the ever encroaching security state being foisted upon us by governmental entities such as TSA and Homeland Security. CCTV cameras on every corner and random ID checkpoints will become the norm and very few voices will be raised against it. The police state is growing and the people behind this know that if they can get Americans in the heartland to go along with it, then it will be a done deal.

Given the number of issues currently besetting the people in Indiana, (like out of control property taxes, new taxes, rampant crime, etc) it is no wonder that the TSA chose now to start their little program. Like most governmental cancers we can expect to see this one spread.

So, get ready folks. Here it comes and very, very few will raise a stink about. Certainly not Republicans or Democrats, this is their idea of a wet dream. Perhaps the Indiana Libertarians will speak out, if anyone cares to listen. My guess is that this will grow into a full fledged, permanent event that will spread throughout the state. Checkpoints will likely be next, and considering that Indiana just did away with seat belt checkpoints the cops are champing at the bit for something new to do. This seems tailor made for people who like to stop other people going about their business. I am reminded more and more of my years in South Africa during the Apartheid era. I never thought I'd see the day come when I could make that sad comparison while living in the States.

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TSA, Police State, Indianapolis, Libertarian, Homeland Stupidity