Free kibbles

ECONOMY:

The Economic Freedom of the World 2010 Annual Report from the Frazier Institute ranks the US as sixth behind Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland, and Chile. I'm surprised we're not lower, but it's an abomination we're not number one.

REGULATION:

The US government has leveled trade sanctions on several foreign governments, but then it turns around and grants waivers for politically connected corporations to do business with those countries. Government is a scam.

"At the behest of a host of companies — from Kraft Food and Pepsi to some of the nation’s largest banks — a little-known office of the Treasury Department has made nearly 10,000 exceptions to American sanctions rules, approving deals involving countries that have been cast into economic purgatory, beyond the reach of American business.

Most of the licenses were approved under a decade-old law exempting agricultural and medical humanitarian aid from sanctions. But the law, pushed by the farm lobby and other industry groups, was written so broadly that allowable humanitarian aid has included cigarettes, Wrigley gum, Louisiana hot sauce, weight-loss remedies, body-building supplements and sports rehabilitation equipment sold to the institute that trains Iran’s Olympic athletes."

It's good to be a crony of the king.

Any bets on how long before government regulates, bans or seizes these gold vending machines?

EDUCATION:

Government school bans candy canes because they might be sharpened and used as weapons.

GLOBAL WARMING AND ENERGY:

Government admits polar bears are not endangered. Environmentalists have a melt-down.

Obama reminds he doesn't need Congress to damage our country, he has his EPA limit greenhouse gas emissions at power plants and refineries in order to make our energy more expensive, harming the poor most of all.

POLICE STATE:

Federal marshals and sheriff's deputies seize a pilot's firearm and CCW permit because he posted videos showing how ineffective TSA security is. It's all for show. Another illusion created by government to lure people into a false sense of security and to oppress them in the process.

I've often pointed out that when Americans mistakenly think they're free and they act on that mistaken perception, groups of armed thugs attack them, wrestle them to the ground, slap them in irons and drag them off to tiny cages. Here's an example of a woman who thought she was free to refuse molestation at the ands of TSA agents.

"Hirschkind agreed to the pat down, but on one condition.

"I told them, 'No, I'm not going to have my breasts felt,' and she said, 'Yes, you are,'" said Hirschkind.

When Hirschkind refused, she says that "the police actually pushed me to the floor, (and) handcuffed me.  I was crying by then.  They drug me 25 yards across the floor in front of the whole security.""

I'm sick of hearing people talk about how much they love freedom while they empower criminals like these TSA agents and their police accomplices.

"The TSA says less than three percent of travelers get a pat-down."

As if that makes it OK. And it's not a pat-down. It's an invasive search.

Potential jurors revolt and refuse to convict defendant for marijuana possession. This would have been awesome to see. Notice how the judge instinctively and blatantly sided with the prosecution and tried to find enough jurors who would convict, guaranteeing a conviction.

Economic freedom leads to lower murder rates. This should surprise no one.

Another viewpoint on the charges against Assange his actions sound more serious.

"In these documents, one of the women alleges that Assange behaved threateningly with her and held her down to prevent her from reaching for a condom. He did end up wearing one, but she thinks he ripped it and deliberately ejaculated inside her. He also later rubbed up against her with his pants off, she says, against her will. The other alleged victim claims that she struggled with Assange over the condom all night, had consensual sex with him when he finally put it on, and then woke up later in the night to find Assange having sex with her, without her consent and without a condom."

Yet the fact remains both women parted with him amicably according to witnesses, and the original prosecutor dropped the charges before an activist lawyer with political connections got them reinstated.

"In my personal and professional experience with rape, these kinds of allegations are both credible and common."

In my experience women frequently exaggerate and lie in rape allegations. Half of all rape allegations are fake. And the first woman Assange was with had written a post on her blog on how women can use the justice system to get revenge on men who scorn them.