Free kibbles

FREEDOM OF SPEECH:

Remember when universities pretended to be bastions of free speech? Not any more.

"The universities of Western Ontario and Toronto have signed a deal with Access Copyright that allows for surveillance of faculty correspondence, defines e-mailing hyperlinks as equivalent to photocopying a document, and imposes an annual $27.50 fee for every full-time equivalent student to pay for it all."

The copyright police state is on the march.

ECONOMY:

CBO report exposes the Obama economy. It's bad when the government admits real unemployment is 15 percent.

TAX AND SPEND:

It looks like Obama will need to raise the debt limit shortly before the November election. If this is accurate, and it might just be wishful thinking on the part of Republicans, Republicans might just get a little political benefit from giving Obama the power to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling after all, but I doubt it can offset the damage already done by losing the 2010 momentum. Besides, Republicans have done so poorly since taking the House, Obama may turn the tables on them on this issue too. If you remember, after Democrats trounced Republicans in 2006, they kept that momentum and trounced them again in 2008, except for Obama who barely won. The McConnell plan made it very unlikely Republicans will do the same in 2012. In the mean time, we all lose from increased spending and debt.

HEALTH CARE:

This article tells of a shortage of a cancer drug, but all it tells of the cause of the shortage is this:

"Four of those companies made a preservative-free version. So, when one of the biggest makers of the preservative-free methotrexate, Ben Venue Laboratories Inc., recently shut down its four factories in Bedford, Ohio, possibly for a year, due to serious quality problems, the on-again, off-again methotrexate shortage that began in late 2008 quickly turned into a crisis. That’s because the other companies cannot quickly pick up the slack."

I wonder why other companies can't quickly make up the slack. Could it be... government regulations? Note that the company that shut down production had serious quality problems. That happens when a company is protected from competition by government regulations.

Obama's birth control and morning after pill mandate is the tip of Obamacare's mandate iceberg.

GLOBAL WARMING AND ENERGY:

Speaking of socialism, according to Obama's Department of the Interior, only the Venezuelan government steals more money from domestic oil companies than the US government.

"Nearly 64 percent of the revenue from oil producers in the Gulf of Mexico is marked for either income or royalty tax, according to the study done by the Department of Interior."

Ouch.

WAR:

US violates Syrian airspace with drones in an act of war.

"The West has ruled out a Libya-style military intervention in Syria to stop 11 months of bloodshed. "

I wouldn't count on it. This is playing out exactly like Libya. First British and French agents spark protests. Then they arm protesters. Then send in special forces. Then they drone support. Soon they'll be calling on NATO ostensibly to stop the bloodshed they started but really to increase the bloodshed, topple Assad and install a fractured, radical Islamic government they expect to be able to control by playing the factions against each other. Turkey may be keeping NATO out of it. Let's hope NATO stays out of if. We don't need to create terrorists in Syria who want to kill Americans too.

POLITICS:

The recount of the Maine caucus votes done by the same establishment that corrupted the first count reportedly increased Mitt Romney's margin of victory, still not counting Washington County which Ron Paul won handily.

"It turns out Paul won many of the communities that hadn't previously been counted. Paul beat Romney 21 to 5 in Waterville, according to the new GOP data. Paul also beat Romney 72 to 59 in Waldo County.

But the vote tallies were revised enough in other towns to add to Romney's lead, according to the new data.

In Limington, Paul originally received 20 votes. But after the recount, Paul received zero votes.

In Portland, Paul originally beat Romney 106-91. But after the recount, Romney beat Paul 106-91.

In Bar Harbor, the GOP originally said 22 people voted. But after the recount, it said 27 voted and the five extra votes went to Romney.

In Trenton, the GOP originally said 15 people voted. But after the recount, it said 20 voted and all five extra votes went to Romney."

Pretty much just as predicted. It's laughable.

Does Republican establishment corruption in South Carolina hide in the safety of numbers?

"Upon reviewing the Greenville County Precinct election vote data from the 2012, a disturbing pattern arose: Ron Paul averaged 24% in precincts where less than 250 people voted; he averaged less than 12 percent in precincts with more than 800."

Could be. Or maybe Paul just did better in rural areas.

Adelson to dump another $10 million on Gingrich. Gingrich must have threatened to drop out without the money.

Free kibbles

PROPERTY RIGHTS:

All rights, property, civil, and economic, are derived from the most fundamental right of self-ownership. I feel stupid for never having clearly made this case in four years. I'm going to make it in the paper this weekend then publish it here.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH:

Corporate alliance uses government power to shut down two more file hosting sites. That reduces the ability of people to communicate with each other. Here's another example of how government works against the advance of civilization. The copyright cops are taking us back to the dark ages.

The elites have canceled Freedom Watch. Apparently they also suspended the Colbert Report. The government hates free speech. It always has. It always will. We are entering an unprecedented age of coerced censorship in the US. The internet as we know it will not survive. Let's hope smart people will establish a shadow internet before the government shuts down the original.

Another eastern European country rejects ACTA.

TAX AND SPEND:

Here's what Obama and his Republican partners have done to our debt:

"Spending has gone up from $2.98 trillion in 2008—the year before Obama came into office—to a proposed $3.80 trillion in 2013. That is a 28-percent increase in five years, which represents a compound annual growth rate of 5.0 percent. Because the economy has stagnated during this period, spending has increased as a share of GDP."

I thank both parties for stealing this money from us.

HEALTH CARE:

Why don't people live beyond 114?

Another reason for government's war on the internet: people are learning their doctors are full of crap. This puts the doctors in a bad situation. If patients refuse some treatment, and they get sicker, the doctor might get sued for malpractice. This is probably why doctors are firing patients. I bet homeschooling parents are the ones refusing vaccinations.

God help us resist drugs on a chip. I'm sure many people will say this is a wonderful thing because it will take away the responsibility of people to take drugs. Maybe we should take away people responsibility to think too. Oh wait. Government is already doing that, and its control of chipped drugs will pretty put an end to independent thinking.

Government could force every topic I bring up here under POLICE STATE. I try to organize them otherwise, and I believe raw milk stories belong under health care.

"The FDA won its two-year fight to shut down an Amish farmer who was selling fresh raw milk to eager consumers in the Washington, D.C., region after a judge this month banned Daniel Allgyer from selling his milk across state lines and he told his customers he would shut down his farm altogether."

So the government treated this Amish farmer like a terrorist, and we're all supposed to believe it protected us from him. What a crock. In fact, our government oppressed this American, and we're all poorer because of it. I don't know how to make this clear to people. I write essays with a strategy to provoke in hope I will penetrate people's barrier of bias.  I'm happy if I reach the minds of one or two people a week. But in the mean time, government is destroying businesses and families by the thousands. I can't keep up with its monstrous attacks. It's too big, too monstrous itself. All I can hope for is convince one person or save one person. If I succeed, I'm happy, and the people become stronger.

WAR ON DRUGS:

Centrally planned allocation of resources for drugs by the DEA fails like all central plans.

POLICE STATE:

Indian government requires cell phone companies to track all cell phone users in real time. If the US government did that, I stop carrying a cell phone regularly. This is another example of how government works against the advance of civilization.

It sounds like one US government agent shot two others.

WAR:

The geographic distribution of terrorists points to US government aggression as their motive.

POLITICS:

Voter outrage in Maine grows. The Republican establishment is damaging itself with the rampant fraud. The Texas Republican establishment is changing the rules to prevent Ron Paul from getting delegates. The Maine establishment caves, sort of. They claim they will recount all the caucus votes, but they same crooks who counted them the first time will be counting them the second too. The Paul campaign doesn't want a recount. Paul would probably be better off leaving this in controversy. That's probably why the establishment chose to recount.

I fear the conservative strategy of "anybody but Obama" is going to backfire with catastrophic consequences. If conservatives continue on that path and nominate another typical big-government Republican, that Republican will lose and the Republican party will cease to exist. It's hard to imagine that anybody could lose to the worst president in my lifetime, but that's exactly what conservatives are about to make happen. There are probably only half a dozen Americans who could lose to Obama in November. Government-lovers Romney, Santorum and Gingrich are at the top of that list. Conservatives sold their souls to the big-government devil generations ago, and for all their lip-service to the contrary, they refuse to take them back. And they're helping Obama and progressives destroy our country.

 In relation to what I posted above, Republicans can't defeat Obama if the economy seems to be recovering, and Ben Bernanke will cut his own mother's throat to make it appear it's recovering. Republicans have nothing to stand on. Obama has principles that his party has championed forever. He can express a positive agenda, no matter how much of a lie it is. His principles are the progressive income tax, health care is a right, government spending creates jobs, etc. The problem for Republicans is they support the same policies while pretending they have different principles. In fact, they can't point to any substantial difference between themselves and Democrats or Obama. They've supported the exact same principles and policies, with minor tweaks, forever. The Republicans have no principles. They have no principled basis for engaging people. And unless the economy enters a double-dip, the big-government Republican they nominate is likely to lose.

How should I explain the symbiotic relationship between conservative and progressives?
Suppose it's 1910. Americans suffer under very little government. Over the last couple of centuries, Americans working with the tiniest burden of government in the history of the world have created the most productive and moral country in the world. But that's all about to change. Republicans since the War of Northern Aggression have been pushing centrally planned, punitive taxes on the South. After a period of years of political struggle, progressives, starting with Teddy Roosevelt then Woodrow Wilson, dominated both parties.

Since then, there's been no difference of substance between the parties. Conservatives tepidly resisted the income and the Fed. A couple of years later, they supported both criminal institutions. This isn't surprising except to fools. From its inception, the conservative movement was designed to support the status quo. In other words, whatever outrage the progressives implemented, conservatives embraces as the status quo. So the claims that conservatives today resist the tyranny they helped create are laughable. Look at the history. Marxi's income tax, his central control of money, his central control of farms, his central control of schools, all originally resisted by conservatives have within a couple of years embraces by the champions of the status quo.

Often libertarians look to conservatives as allies based on their rhetoric. This is a farce. For a century at least, conservatives have been the allies of progressives, slavishly following behind by a year or two in their march towards totalitarianism while pretending they support they libertarian principles they betray year after year.

MEDIA:

Some people are surprised that Obama is intimately in control of Media Matters along with Soros. I'm not. I'm surprised that Republicans haven't tied him to domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, Reverend Wright, Saul Alinsky or all the other radical leftist organizations he's part of. This is like complaining that Castro liked cigars while ignoring he killed thousands of people. Get your priorities straight. Obama is a Marxist. His entire history tells us this. This is the front we need to attack him on. Who gives a crap about the window dressing? But of course, Republicans are Marxist too. That the dirty little secret we're not allowed to speak of.

MISC:

Years ago the government promised to restrict telemarketers. How's that working out for you? I bet you get several calls a day from anonymous numbers just like me. (I'm no the pretend no-call list just like you.) Rest assured the FCC is coming to your rescue. If you trust the FCC to stop that spam, please send me a nickel for every call you receive so I can use that money to point out how naive you were to trust the government.

In a capitalist society, miniaturization often means less cost to do more work. That in turns means more money for workers and more profit for capitalists. Everybody wins. Isn't that goal?

Free kibbles

EDUCATION:

I predicted not too long ago that government school tyrants would steal children's home-made lunches and force them to eat government approved junk instead. That's exactly what happened to a pre-schooler in North Carolina. This is about waging war on families. Children are being taught their parents don't care for them. Only the state can and does care for them.

HEALTH CARE:

Small, organic farmers, long individual targets of Monsanto, join forces and sue the government-backed giant.

WAR:

Detailed analysis of the number of foreign bases and troops managed by the US military.

FOREIGN POLICY:

The embattled Iranian government makes western government's look inept, no doubt winning over the hearts and minds of many Iranians. This aggression from western governments is making the Iranian government stronger.

POLITICS:

Republicans turning on Maine Republican establishment for trying to steal the caucuses for Mitt Romney. It looks like the Maine vote might be the most corrupt so far.

"Plus, in Portland, votes involving the second part of the caucus process, the choice of delegates to the state GOP convention, somehow got messed up. Officials have declared that vote void.
“Mistakes were made. Something tells me it’s going to take some time to sort this out,” wrote University of Maine political scientist Amy Fried on her Pollways blog."

Mistakes. The Republican party is imploding. If Republicans lose this election to the worst president of our lifetimes, it's hard to see how the party survives. Paul won't press for a recount because...

"the Paul campaign believes the Texas congressman will end up with a "strong majority" of Maine's 24 delegates when the dust settles over the caucus votes."

He wins anyway. Paul looks like a statesman while the Republican masses challenge their corrupt establishment.

MISC:

Throttling is an easily predictable consequence of so-called unlimited data plans. Bandwidth is a limited resource. If you don't charge for it, you get shortages. Economics isn't that hard to understand.

I read lots of articles about primitive man developing trade and the state, but none of those articles references that chimps and bonobos are male philopatric, which means that females leave the group of their birth when they reach puberty and join other nearby groups. This keeps groups from becoming inbred and strengthens the genetic diversity of the species. This is common in social species. Wolves do the same with their offspring. So it's very likely that primitive humans clans also traded females so there was likely cooperative social interaction before our ancestors began making tools. It also seems likely that as humans advanced, trade would piggy-back on this instinct.

Here's an interesting reference to the earliest trade:

"Lippert, however, believes that the peaceful exchange of fire antedates this barter. Conceding that this custom is very ancient, he can nevertheless trace it only from rudiments of observances and of law; and since proof is no longer accessible, we shall not pursue the question further in this place."

Chimps and bonobos don't control fire, but they do exchange young females, so I bet our ancestors traded young women before they had tamed fire or anything else. The tradition of dowry might stem from this instinct. That might be the oldest form of human trade. The essay finally does address this point though not to the primitive level I'm talking about:

"On the other hand, the exchange of women is observed universally, and doubtless exerts an extraordinarily strong influence in the development of peaceable intercourse between neighboring tribes, and in the preparation for barter of merchandise. The story of the Sabine women, who threw themselves between their brothers and their husbands, as these were about to engage in battle, must have been an actuality in a thousand instances in the course of the development of the human race. All over the world, the marriage of near relatives is considered an outrage, as "incest," for reasons not within the scope of this book. This directs the sexual longing toward the women of neighboring tribes, and thus makes the loot of women a part of the primary intertribal relations; and in nearly all cases, unless strong feelings of race counteract it, the violent carrying off of women is gradually commuted to barter and purchase, the custom resulting from the relative undesirability of the women of one's own blood in comparison to the wives to be had from other tribes."

Once people became rational, I'm sure they rationalized why they would trade women, but this is more likely an instinct that came from our more primitive ancestors. Remember, people didn't know how babies were made until relatively recently in history. I'm sure chimpanzees and bonobos have no idea how babies are made, yet they instinctually send their young females to other communities.

Free kibbles

FREEDOM OF SPEECH:

UK police shut down music blog.

WAR ON DRUGS:

Retired cop tells the truth about why marijuana is illegal: corporate lobbyists.

POLICE STATE:

Because TSA agents are targeting pretty women, new legislation will create more TSA agents, these to listen to complaints.

POLITICS:

Vote counting shenanigans in Maine too.

Santorum residency and school tuition fraud. I haven't seen that in the news. Santorum also ran a charity mainly to pay off his political supporters.

"Before it folded in 2007, the foundation raised $2.58 million, with 39 percent of that donated directly to groups helping the needy. By industry standards, such philanthropic groups should be donating nearly twice that, from 75 to 85 percent of their funds.
“That’s exceptionally poor,” Ken Berger, president of Charity Navigator, a national organization that rates charitable groups, said of the group’s giving. “We would tell donors to run with fear from this organization.”"

Santorum's support will likely collapse when people learn about him.

Have you ever wondered at the scale of corruption in US elections?

"More than 24 million voter-registration records in the United States— about one in eight — are inaccurate, out-of-date or duplicates. Nearly 2.8 million people are registered in two or more states, and perhaps 1.8 million registered voters are dead. "

What else would you expect of a system run by the most corrupt people in the country for their benefit? But naturally, since government has failed so terribly, the solution is always more government.

""We have a ramshackle registration system in the U.S. It's a mess. It's expensive. There isn't central control over the process," said Lawrence Norden of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University."

Yeah. Central control is what we need.

Free kibbles

FREEDOM OF SPEECH:

Canada to pass new, oppressive internet surveillance law.

TAX AND SPEND:

Look back at 60 years of history, and any sane person will see that Republicans love government spending. They never cut it. They never want to cut it. For 60 years, they have an unbroken history of increasing government spending. So it's always funny to me to read an article about how they, reluctantly, increased government spending. Reluctantly my behind. And it always cracks me up how the left-wing accomplice press pretends Republicans really want to cut spending. In this case, it wasn't spending. It was extending the payroll tax cut. Republicans failed to cut spending in response. Just like they always refuse to cut spending. This is a dog-bites man non-story. If Republicans ever actually cut spending, wake me up. Until then I'm snoozing through this charade. Check out this double-speak from Boehner:

"House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and other Republican leaders said in a statement that Democrats weren't negotiating in good faith on budget reductions to pay for the continued tax holiday. As a result, they said, they would introduce a plan to extend the payroll-tax reduction for the remainder of the year without paying for it."

Democrats weren't negotiating in good faith therefore Republicans rewarded them by kissing their butts. You can't make this stuff up. How often do we have to see it before we accept that Republicans are partners in crime with Democrats? I don't get it. I know smart people who still think Republicans support smaller government despite 60 years of consistent policy to the contrary. That's like thinking Donald Trump supports honest, short haircuts. It's like thinking the Saudi government supports tolerance and peace. It's like thinking the Israelis support Palestinian freedom. It's like thinking up is down. These people aren't stupid, but when it comes to politics, they are.

REGULATION:

How convenient that God's agents of commerce in both the US and Europe have agreed, on the same day, to bless the union of Google and Motorola Mobility. And they say there's no such thing as coincidence. Or maybe they're right... Maybe we should all bow down to the divine authority and wisdom that joins the US government and the EU. God bless their unified violence.

EDUCATION:

Attending the school of choice means students commit fewer crimes as adults.

Walter Williams smacks down our bigoted government school system and its consequences.

"The fact that black parents, teachers, politicians and civil rights organizations tolerate and make excuses for the despicable and destructive behavior of so many young blacks is a gross betrayal of the memory, struggle, sacrifice, sweat and blood of our ancestors. The sorry and tragic state of black education is not going to be turned around until there's a change in what's acceptable and unacceptable behavior by young people. That change has to come from within the black community." 

OMG, any white person who said the same would be killed by government agents. It would be swept under the rug by the press. God bless Walter Williams for saying what needs to be said while enjoying relative impunity.

GLOBAL WARMING AND ENERGY:

Electric cars made in China cause more pollution than gasoline cars.

How solar activity effects ocean currents then ultimately atmospheric climate.

"Thus our long term climate  is all in the cycles of  sun lagged  about 9 [ 9-11]years later in its effect and  interacting with the oceans  which then in turn affect our atmosphere 9-11 year later."

So a colder climate is in the pipeline and will continue until the sun wakes up again.

Prediction of $5 gas this year. If that happens, Obama is toast.

"“So while we may be producing a bit more oil in this country, and while demand is down a bit, on a global basis I’m afraid we face a continuing onslaught of prices creeping ever higher,” he said. “I hope I’m wrong on this. I'd love to be wrong on this.”"

With the Chinese economy in turmoil, he may be wrong. It could go the other way.

FOREIGN POLICY:

Israeli government accuses Iranian government and Hezbollah of attacks.

"The attacks Monday appeared to have been carried out with sticky bombs attached to cars by magnets. Similar weapons were used against Iran's nuclear scientists, feeding suspicions that the new bombings were a retaliation crafted to mirror those attacks."

Or maybe Mossad did all the attacks.

 POLITICS:

Does anybody believe that it will take weeks for the government to get toxicology reports on Whitney Houston? This is baloney. The government is purposely holding up those reports to benefit our rulers. By the way, when did Whitney Houston become such a huge star deserving Jesus Christ-like worship for dying? Whitney Houston was a tremendous talent. I can't think of a more talented singer in my generation. But Whitney Houston hasn't been a star for 20 years. Our rulers are ghoulishly using her death as a media spectacle to advance their own interests.

I loved the book The Reagan Revolution. Reagan's rhetoric promoted libertarian ideals better than any person I know of. His libertarian rhetoric won him the White House. But Reagan wasn't a libertarian. His record tells us he was a big-government conservative. But there was a bunch of truth in The Reagan Revolution. While it tried to present that revolution as libertarian versus establishment, what it really was was a revolution of the western statists versus the eastern statists. Nothing of substance changed. Government grew. Freedom shrank. The same as ever. But of  course the incumbents changed the law so no outsider, not matter how statist like Reagan, could ever win.

Ron Paul on the Trotsky-ite roots of the neocons.

MISC:

Black boxer calls racism on hype over asian NBA guard. What a crock. Look at the guy's resume. Now he's outscoring Kobe Bryant. It would be a fabulous story for any individual. If Mayweather is saying that only an asian could pull this off, I call bull on that too.

""Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise," Mayweather wrote on his Twitter account on Monday afternoon. "

This is easily, demonstrably false. Nobody was leading the Knicks to victories. No unknown is leading his team to victories while its two best players are injured. Mayweather's comments are bull. I think Lin is being overhyped, but it has nothing to do with his race. It has to do with his location. The NBA works double-time to promote the Knicks. It considers Madison Square Garden as the NBA Mecca even though the Knicks have never been much a franchise. The NBA doesn't care if Lin is asian, black, or mermaid. All they care about is the story, and it's a great story. But Carmelo will ruin it by hogging the ball and playing static, one on one basketball.

Free kibbles

TAX AND SPEND:

Yesterday there was an article claiming Obama would promote lowering corporate tax rates, but his budget includes new corporate taxes. Man, this article is bad. It says Obama will cut spending by $1.5 trillion. That's baloney. The budget is $4 trillion. That's increased spending, not a spending cut.

What terrifyingly accurate headline:

"Greek lawmakers pass austerity bill as Athens burns"

This is what government produces.

WAR:

Pictures of Iraq before and after the war.

POLITICS:

Republican establishment in Maine postpones caucus to keep Ron Paul from winning.

"“In Washington County – where Ron Paul was incredibly strong – the caucus was delayed until next week just so the votes wouldn’t be reported by the national media today.
“Of course, their excuse for the delay was ‘snow.’
“That’s right.  A prediction of 3-4 inches – that turned into nothing more than a dusting - was enough for a local GOP official to postpone the caucuses just so the results wouldn’t be reported tonight.
“This is MAINE we’re talking about. The GIRL SCOUTS had an event today in Washington County that wasn’t cancelled!
“And just the votes of Washington County would have been enough to put us over the top.
“This is an outrage. But our campaign is in this race to win, and will stay in it to the very end."

The establishment has no morals. More establishment shenanigans in the Maine caucus.

Free kibbles

FREEDOM OF RELIGION:

The Catholic Bishops oppose Obama's compromise on birth control and the morning after pill insurance, but on stupid grounds. It's like they don't realize Obama's compromise changes nothing. He's still ordering people around at the point of a gun. The price for the mandate will be rolled into the price paid by the Catholic institutions. Obama's supposed compromise is an illusion, but the Catholic Bishops are buying into the illusion instead of resisting this tyrannical decree on principle. The Catholic Church should oppose this and all regulations on the grounds they are acts of aggression. Threats of violence backed by violence.

THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS:

Armed citizens in Detroit are defending themselves and killing crooks because the government can't protect them. The difference between is the people in Detroit are no longer fooled by government's false sense of security.

TAX AND SPEND:

Obama to propose lowering the corporate tax rate. I find that hard to believe. That would be good for business, and Obama doesn't want to help business. It also would hurt him with his base. On the other hand, it would help him with swing voters. If he does this, it means he thinks corporations and swing voters are more important to his re-election than his base.

FEDERAL RESERVE:

The bankster empire hates banking privacy in Switzerland.

"The U.S. Justice Department called Switzerland's largest private bank a fugitive from justice on Friday after it didn't send any representatives to a court hearing in New York, where it has been charged with conspired with American clients to hide $1.2 billion from the Internal Revenue Service."

This is what the US government gets for trying to steal the money of Americans overseas. I hope the Swiss continue to resist. They weakened their laws somewhat, and some banks have caved.

"Wegelin & Co. is accused of helping at least 100 U.S. clients conceal huge sums of money from the IRS in overseas accounts. Federal prosecutors said the bank recruited American customers who were concerned about possible prosecution for tax violations at home, including some that had already pulled money out of other Swiss banks because of growing pressure from U.S. law enforcement. Three of the bank's client advisers were indicted in January. The bank was added as a defendant in the case on Feb. 2"

I hope they strengthen the banking privacy laws and banks stop caving.

"U.S. officials, however, have yet to find a way to move the case forward. The three Wegelin advisers charged in the case, Michael Berlinka, Urs Frei and Roger Keller, have not been arrested and the Justice Department has decided that any attempt to extradite them from Switzerland is unlikely to succeed."

Good for the Swiss government. I have a solution. Put an end to the IRS stealing money.

FOREIGN POLICY:

Iranian government to announce advances in its nuclear program. The Iranian people are going to be proud to hear this. It's going to make them support their government more. Western government aggression is driving the Iranian people into the hands of their government, making the Iranian government stronger and making it more likely to develop a nuclear weapon to defend itself from that aggression. Governments that don't face threats don't develop nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are the ultimate deterrent, so countries that don't need a deterrent don't develop them. If western governments stopped threatening the Iranian government, it would not need a nuclear deterrent. Iranian government shuts down internet. There are still protesters in Iran. Too bad our government has weakened them so badly with sanctions, otherwise they might have the power to overthrow the government.

Protests spread to Lebanon. Egyptians protest army rule. New uprising in Lybia. US led western government aggression is setting the entire Muslim world on fire. This is why so many libertarians fear this is WWIII.

Does anybody want bet which government enabled or carried out the assassination of this Syrian General?

Saudi Arabia threatens death sentence for reporter because he tweeted,

"I have loved things about you and I have hated things about you and there is a lot I don't understand about you I will not pray for you."

Coming soon to the US.

POLITICS:

I don't think there's anyway the people would allow Jeb Bush to become the Republican nomime in a brokered convention. Besides which, it would be outrageously stupid because Obama has been running against George Bush for five years, and it would play right into that strategy.

Republican establishment tool says that Romney narrowly defeated Ron Paul in Maine. Maybe he's right. Maybe he's lying through his teeth like so many other establishment mouthpieces in this primary. Apparently the establishment canceled caucuses in which Paul was expected to win.

"In particular, a senior Paul aide had suggested that the Romney campaign was involved in the cancellation of a caucus where Paul’s campaign had expected to do well. “It’s not completely insidious, but they knew we were going to swamp it up there,” said Paul campaign chairman Jesse Benton.
The state GOP said that the caucus was cancelled due to inclement weather."

Nice of the establishment to manipulate the caucuses to favor Romney. The pervasive corruption on the US election system is on gross display. The Paul campaign has a different point of view. Here's a quote from Paul's campaign manager:

"Tonight you saw dueling examples of how much the establishment is scared of Ron Paul and his message of liberty.

Ron Paul will win the most delegates out of Maine tonight.  

In fact, he will probably even win the “beauty contest” Straw Poll the media has already called for Mitt Romney – even before all the votes have been tallied.

“HOW CAN THAT BE?” you might be asking yourself.

Simple.  The national political establishment and their pals in the national media will do ANYTHING to silence our message of liberty."

I hope he's right. Because the establishment candidates typically win primary after primary, this corruption has never been exposed. It's only since Ron Paul became a contender that this corruption has come to light. If for no other reason, Paul's candidacy has been a success.

Remember how the head Republican in Iowa had to resign in disgrace after the corrupt vote count in the primary? He's being replaced by a Ron Paul supporter.

MEDIA:

British government arrests Murdoch reporters and government bureaucrats for phone hacking. The government hates competition.

Low power invention for desalinating sea water.

MISC:

I'm so sad to hear Whitney Houston has died. She is so beautiful and so talented. I'm broken hearted that she died. Please, I hope this report is a fake. I can't name a person with a better voice than her in my lifetime.

Free kibbles

FREEDOM OF SPEECH:

It seems the only adults in the room are Germany and the former Soviet satellites which have refused to sign ACTA. These people remember the Soviet Union, and they treasure freedom. They don't take it for granted, and they aren't too ignorant to realize when they've lost it.

FREEDOM OF RELIGION:

Pharaoh Obama bows to pressure from Catholics and changes birth control and morning after pill policy, sort of. Now instead of making religious institutions pay for it, he's making their insurance companies pay for it. He's still ordering people around. He's just ordering around people he thinks won't cost him the election. What's illegitimate here is his ordering people around, not who he does it to. Of course health insurance companies will just pass the cost on to their customers, so nothing changes anyway.

ECONOMY:

Even government institutions like Harvard and the ECB are producing studies that show that government hinders economic growth. The truth will win out.

TAX AND SPEND:

Greeks riot in response to more government budget cuts. So do Italians. Coming soon to the US.

Obama's budget misses deficit reduction targets just like every other federal budget does. This isn't news. The amazing thing is people actually believe these lying plans to cut the budget when they're proposed.

Calling it crony socialism and a bailout, David Stockman agrees that Obama's mortgage fraud settlement is another big hand-out to banks.

IRS agent busted for filing $8 in fraudulent returns.

REGULATION:

Jury sided with the big internet companies and overturned early patent on interactivity on the web. I doubt this was done on the merits of the patent, but because this patent was so old, it illustrates the awesome destructive power of patents. Imagine that patent had been enforced from the beginning. The internet as we know it wouldn't have existed for another 20 years until that patent had expired. There is a case where we can see the tremendous benefits for humanity and civilization that occurred because the patent wasn't enforced.

How regulations kill small businesses by design.

"Ms. Pries said it took two years to open the restaurant, due largely to the city’s morass of permits, procedures and approvals required to start a small business. While waiting for permission to operate, she still had to pay rent and other costs, going deeper into debt each passing month without knowing for sure if she would ever be allowed to open.

“It’s just a huge risk,” she said, noting that the financing came from family and friends, not a bank. “At several points you wonder if you should just walk away and take the loss.”"

Thanks, government.

More regulations for farmers.

FEDERAL RESERVE:

Depreciating the euro will hurt production in the eurozone, not help it.

GLOBAL WARMING AND ENERGY:

First governments stole taxpayer money and gave it to people to build wind farms. Now the government is stealing money and paying wind farm owners to shut down. Only government.

EPA regulations driving up energy costs.

WAR:

Can the reports of violence in Syria be believed? Syria has a criminal government based on theft and violence like every other country. Of course the reported violence could be real. Then again, it could all be a lie. Either way, the US government has no business spilling blood or treasure in this civil war.

Regime change in the middle east has by the US government has created chaos that is much more deadly and destructive than the governments toppled.

Democrat and media hypocrisy on Guantanamo.

Fear of a false flag operation to start a war with Iran.Those who want war with Iran have failed to make a case why this is in the US interest because it isn't.

Every action taken by government is driven by politics because politicians, like every other human being, are driven to act to advance their own interest. That includes rescues by the Navy SEALs.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION:

Does the US government spend more resources harassing the movement of Americans or patrolling our borders?

POLITICS:

Expectations are so high for Paul in Maine that it will be a disappointment if he doesn't win. Winning would be huge for him because it would show people he can win, and he's working to win. That could completely change the dynamic in the race. It could change how people look at him. It could make many more people aware of him, his principles and his policies. We can expect more vote counting shenanigans from the Republican establishment, that's for sure.

Boortz is exactly right about Santorum. He's a big government conservative. He's hostile to libertarians. If he wins the nomination, the Republicans will lose.

I understand why people are upset that Adelson basically bought Newt Gingrich for $10 million, but I don't understand why people are against free speech in politics. Anybody should be able to obtain they forum they can and say whatever they want about candidates, issues, policies, principles, character, politics, etc. In fact, I think this freedom is what torpedoed Gingrich.

MISC:

Simple analysis shows how in any give market, two buyers and two sellers determine the bound of the market price. It also explains the significance of the market price in driving future production.

Free kibbles

SOCIALISM:

New rule from Obama's NLRB will make it easier to form unions and therefore more companies will go bankrupt more jobs will go overseas and our economy will suffer more. While this might lead to more unions in the short term, it will wipe them out even faster in the long run. When a company dies, so does the union.

ECONOMY:

Following the trend of the skyscraper index, the world's tallest building, opened in Dubai two years ago, is now a distressed property.

TAX AND SPEND:

More Americans than ever are dependent on government much as in Europe.

When Japan lowers its corporate income tax rate in the next couple of weeks, the US will impose the highest corporate income tax in the western world. And Americans wonder why jobs are moving overseas.

HEALTH CARE:

While watching a silly SyFy flick tonight, my girlfriend claimed that the Department of Agriculture didn't have armed agents. So I just sent her this story about the armed raid on an Amish farmer over raw milk. She edits all my articles. I tell her about the daily outrages I read about. How could she not know? But she is slowly grasping the situation.

GLOBAL WARMING AND ENERGY:

This article on green jobs in California illustrates the economic ignorance typical of our time.

"The green economy that California officials hoped would add jobs during the depths of the recent recession actually lost positions instead, according to a new report.
And yet, California clean-tech companies still fared better than the state's economy as a whole in 2009, the year covered by the report."

Of course it fared better than the economy as a whole. That's because it's subsidized. In other words, the government is killing productive jobs in the economy in order to create these unproductive green jobs. This article focuses on the seen, but it actually hints at the unseen even though the author fails to grasp it.

POLICE STATE:

There's only one reason companies would have accepted this $25 billion mortgage fraud settlement: they would have had to pay more in the justice system. It's also a drop in the bucket compared to how money the received in taxpayer funded bailouts. This is justice denied for the victims and a big kiss to the corporate frauds all managed in such a way to buy votes for Obama.

WAR:

Thanks to US and western sanctions, the Iranian people are forced to barter for food. Our government is forcing people in Iran to starve to death. Will somebody tell me how starving the Iranian people helps us? All it does is strengthen the people's support for their government and their hatred of us. Americans will pay for this for decades to come.

The Onion exposes the Iran charade:

"Amidst mounting geopolitical tensions, Iranian officials said Wednesday they were increasingly concerned about the United States of America's uranium-enrichment program, fearing the Western nation may soon be capable of producing its 8,500th nuclear weapon."

Can you smell the hypocrisy?

The toppling of Syrian Assad by western governments is likely to produce another rabidly anti-American, Wahhabi theocracy. Just what we need.

POLITICS:

Remember in 2010 when conservatives were much more excited about the election than liberals? Remember when the tea party flexed its muscles and handed Republicans 60 seats or so in the House? Then remember when the House Republicans stabbed voters in the back by not only raising the debt ceiling but giving the president the power to raise it on his how authority unless Congress managed a two-thirds vote to overcome him? This Senate majority leader's Mitch McConnell's plan. He was a called a genius for it. Alls spending bills must originate in the House, and Republicans have continued spending like Democrats despite the will of the people. Then there's the terrible Republican presidential field. As a result, liberals are more excited about the 2012 election than conservatives. Some genius.

Gingrich's second flash in the pan fades and is replaced by Santorum's. He should fade quickly leaving only Romney and Ron Paul as serious contenders.

The Russian government is just like the US government.

"Quoting The Guardian: 'A pro-Kremlin group runs a network of internet trolls, seeks to buy flattering coverage of Vladimir Putin and hatches plans to discredit opposition activists and media, according to private emails allegedly hacked by a group calling itself the Russian arm of Anonymous.' While a similar program has operated in China for a long time, and some commentators have suggested that a similar program exists in Russia, this is the first confirmation."

Anybody who thinks the US government doesn't do this is naive. I bet every government does it.

According to the Paul campaign, election results have little relationship with delegates assigned. Here are some examples.

"In one precinct in Larimer County, the straw poll vote was 23 for Santorum, 13 for Paul, 5 for Romney, 2 for Gingrich.  There were 13 delegate slots, and Ron Paul got ALL 13.
In a precinct in Delta County the vote was 22 for Santorum, 12 for Romney, 8 for Paul, 7 for Gingrich. There were 5 delegate slots, and ALL 5 went to Ron Paul.
In a Pueblo County precinct, the vote was 16 for Santorum, 11 for Romney, 3 for Gingrich and 2 for Paul. There were 2 delegate slots filled, and both were filled by Ron Paul supporters."

It takes time, effort and energy to be a delegate, and Paul supporters have the enthusiasm to get assigned. But there has to be some binding restrictions on these delegates or else the voters are going to be pissed. Or maybe this is exposing that our election system is even more grossly corrupt than I was aware of. Maybe the popular elections are a complete sham. For years the establishment has used this system against the interests of the people, and now it appears Paul is using it to advance those interests.

Great Ron Paul ad exposes Romney's liberal record.

Free kibbles

FREEDOM OF SPEECH:

With SOPA and PIPA still fresh in people's minds, Harry Reid is pushing a new internet regulation bill, this time under the guise of cyber-security. Our Congress-crooks will not stop until they control the internet. What ever happened to focusing on creating jobs?

List of normal internet behavior now considered to be suspicious by the FBI.

More statists want government to quash conspiracy theories on the internet.

Theory that our rulers are promoting Facebook because they feel they can control it and therefore control the information Facebook's users see. It also gives the CIA access to all the data on Facebook all the time.

"Why do we believe that Facebook is a kind of false flag? The biggest tip-off in our view is Facebook's astonishing popularity. It's simply another social networking site but it's one that's attracted nearly a billion users. Is it really so much better than other such facilities?
No ... the barriers-to-entry seem fairly modest to us. What probably differentiates Facebook from other such facilities is not its technology or brilliance but its backers.
When a company gets this big this fast it seems to us that there are always the powers-that-be lurking close by. In this case, Zuckerberg seems to us to have the requisite pedigree for someone that would be subject to elite cultivation."

I've never understood the draw of Facebook, so this make a tremendous amount of sense to me. It also explains why Murdoch bought Myspace, though he couldn't capitalize on it. He didn't have the CIA and the defense department smoothing things out for him.

"What's even less debatable than the evident hype surrounding Zuckerberg and Facebook is the reality of the facility's initial funding. There is almost no doubt – so far as we can tell, anyway – that the initial funding Facebook received was in part organized by US Intel."

Well that pretty much settles it.

"One is struck by the paucity involved in the actual business model. Facebook's content is furnished by its users – and user information is then resold to advertisers.
The model is simplicity itself and involves little creative content. This is probably one reason why Facebook is constantly getting into trouble over its privacy policy. The company really has nothing to offer but user-driven data.
The more of it that the company can extract, the more valuable the company becomes. It is perhaps, therefore, the first company in history where the business model is based almost entirely on spying.
Google does much the same thing, but at least Google provides a search algorithm. Facebook's business posture is almost irredeemably hostile to its users. It's a strategy based on a kind of deception."

That's perfect for the CIA.

FREEDOM OF RELIGION:

Pat Buchanan advises Catholic bishops to threaten Obama with sermons denouncing him in retaliation for Obama's new birth control, including the morning after pill, directive. But churches aren't supposed to be political. He's advocating civil disobedience.

How the bishops are wrong and how they helped create this problem.

"Let me be clear: the bishops are absolutely on-target when they insist that the new regulations are both constitutionally dubious and morally atrocious, and that because these executive rules are unjust laws (an oxymoron if there ever was one) civil disobedience is the only legitimately Christian response to them.
But where they fail most miserably is in realizing why these regulations are wrong. To this writer’s knowledge, not a single bishop has spoken out against the inherent immorality of the federal government forcing any employer to provide any particular benefit to prospective employees. Furthermore, in seeking exemptions solely for religious institutions the Church is neglecting to defend the conscience rights of for-profit employers whose Christian or other moral convictions would otherwise preclude them from complying with these regulations with a clean conscience."

This reminds me of the saying about the Nazis: first they came for the Jews, and I didn't stand up to them... All regulations are a threats of violence backed by violence and are therefore immoral and illegitimate, not just this regulation.

RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS:

Map shows many locations where gun owners thwarted crimes.

ECONOMY:

Exposing government's fraudulent employment numbers.

Twenty signs that Europe is in a full blown depression, and it's getting worse.

The Chinese are buying record amounts of gold. That's why the Chinese government is shutting down gold exchanges.

TAX AND SPEND:

State governments are competing by lowering and abolishing income taxes. Federalism works. That's why the feds work so hard to kill it.

Is anybody surprised Congress-crooks use earmarks to fund projects near their property to increase its value? If you are, you don't understand the nature of government.

"A U.S. senator from Alabama directed more than $100 million in federal earmarks to renovate downtown Tuscaloosa near his own commercial office building. A congressman from Georgia secured $6.3 million in taxpayer funds to replenish the beach about 900 feet from his island vacation cottage. A representative from Michigan earmarked $486,000 to add a bike lane to a bridge within walking distance of her home."

Every individual in the world works to advance their personal interests, therefore government exists to enrich our rulers at our expense.

One way super rich people avoid taxes is by borrowing against their assets instead of selling them so they don't have to pay capital gains. That works as long as they have the income to pay back the loans.

REGULATION:

Interesting patent claim regarding invention of interactivity on the internet.

FEDERAL RESERVE:

Bernanke says the 8.3 percent unemployment rate understates the weakness in the labor market. For once, he got one right.

Americans are increasing their savings, but inflation is eating them up.

"While getting into debt may be easier, the yield on savings accounts (~1%) is less than the stated rate of inflation (~3%), and far less than the real rate of inflation (7-10% says ShadowStats.com) when employing 1980 and 1990 methods to determine the cost of goods and services. "

Ouch.

EDUCATION:

Government school flier promotes communism over capitalism.

The global warming fraud is infecting government schools and producing floods of urine.

"Students at a high school in Boca Raton, Florida, must step over rivers of urine and endure the stench of rancid waste after a plan to bring 'green' waterless urinals into bathrooms backfired."

Only government. Notice this article is in the British press, not the US.

Video of ignorant American students.

HEALTH CARE:

Democrats in danger of losing their seats no claim they regret supporting Obamacare. They'd sell their own mother to cannibals if they thought it would keep them in power.

Walmart's new healthy food label supports the bad government food pyramid.

GLOBAL WARMING AND ENERGY:

An electric car maker that received half a billion from Obama is laying off workers. Government is a human caused disaster.

Democrats realizing fighting bills on environmental grounds is a losing strategy, so they're trying to kill development with a US only policy.

"But first, Democrats are offering message amendments requiring oil pumped through the pipeline to stay in the U.S. and steel and other materials to be U.S.-based as well.

The strategy — an extension of a "Make It In America" agenda long championed by Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and the Obama administration — allows Democrats to try to blame Republicans for sending jobs overseas on bills Democrats would oppose otherwise on environmental and other grounds."

The self-serving evil of politicians knows no bounds.

Prominent German scientist who formerly supports the global warming fraud finally experienced the fraud and comments, "I feel duped." Glad you figured it out.

The government is making your car rat you out.

POLICE STATE:

Another TSA agent caught stealing.

The metastasizing police state.

"The "family friendly" NFL ordered all 32 of its clubs last fall to grope every customer entering a stadium, whatever his age, regardless of her condition."

It'll keep getting worse until fans stop attending.

The CDC is preparing to start snatching children from parents. I guess they don't think state governments do that often enough.

WAR:

Forty-five US military bases surrounding Iran.

Pat Buchanan talks sense on Iran. He also explains why Ron Paul is winning the debate on closing our foreign bases and bringing US troops home.

A quick summary of the Afghan war:

"Every sort of modern weapon save nuclear devices was used against the Afghan resistance: carpet bombing, laser-guided bombs, fuel-air explosives, cluster munitions dispending blizzards of steel shards, mines, helicopter gunships, tanks and giant armored trucks, swarms of drones, satellites, aircraft that disable roadside bombs. Deadly AC-130 gunships bristling with guns and 20mm cannon. Death squads attacking at night to kill Taliban sympathizers. Heavy artillery and rocket batteries.
Tethered blimps laden with sensors that looked like the gigantic killer robots from H.G. Well’s "War of the Worlds." In fact, the Afghan War has been a one-sided conflict between a backwards people living in the 12^th century and the high-tech military might of 21^st century America.
Soon after 9/11, I wrote in a US newspaper article that US intervention in Afghanistan would be a disaster for all concerned. I’d been with Pashtun mujahidin, fighting first against the Soviets, then with Taliban battling the Afghan Communists. These Pashtun mountain warriors were the bravest men I had seen in covering 14 wars. They enjoyed war, even reveled in it. There was no way western forces were going to defeat them.
All the western claims about fighting "terrorism" or abused women in hijabs could not fully conceal that Afghanistan was also a war being waged for strategic geography, minerals, pipeline routes, and the desire to bar China from the region."

Let's hope it really ends soon.

POLITICS:

Santorum wins in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri. Voter turnout was down in all three states.

Scientists discover that people behave well in social groups without any rules. They spontaneously organize for the benefit off all.

"The participants organise themselves as a social group with good intents. Almost all the actions are positive."

Government creates conflict, chaos, crime and enemies. It institutionalizes theft and violence. It enriches the rich and powerful at the expense of everybody else. Free people engage in peaceful interactions that create order and benefit everybody.

MEDIA:

Examples of how the media criticized George Bush for his 5.6 percent unemployment rate compared to how they praise Obama for his 8.3 percent rate.

It is interesting that nobody in the mainstream media is talking about how pretty much every Republican primary has suffered voter fraud.

MISC:

Claim that Russians have drilled into Lake Vostok in Antarctica. That would contaminate it. Why would they do that?

"The scientists rebuffed claims that their drilling could have contaminated the lake, a body of water which has been in isolation for 20 million years.
The Russian researchers have insisted the bore would only slightly touch the lake's surface and that a surge in pressure will send the water rushing up the shaft where it will freeze, immediately sealing out the toxic chemicals."

That doesn't sound very promising.

Free kibbles

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

There are now 30 some bills in the Capitol for controlling the internet. The empire will not allow uncontrolled access to information.

ECONOMY:

Obama spokesman says people dropping out of the economy is good economic news.

TAX AND SPEND:

Congress passed a new tax on mortgages to pay for the payroll tax cut. The tax cut will go away. The new tax will not.

REGULATION:

If you have big windows or an outside cat, the feds think you are in violation of the migratory bird regulations.

Patents are always about killing competition. Patent owners only settle for licensing when they fear they can't kill it.

GLOBAL WARMING AND ENERGY:

Obama's EPA writes new CAFE rules much more expensive than his original CAFE rules.

Gas versus water.

POLICE STATE:

Prosecutors reject rape charges against son of police chief. This may or may not serve justice, but don't think for a second that if a woman charges with rape, no matter how much the evidence contradicts her, prosecutors will do the same for you. Regular guys get prosecuted regardless of how obvious it is they are innocent, and they generally get convicted no matter how obvious it is they are innocent.

It's a sad commentary on the American people that they no longer care to listen to police radio. I know most people think I'm a fool for even bringing this up, but when the government hides its actions from the people, they people won't care until their door is kicked in a government agent kills their dog and sticks a gun in the faces of them and their children. I would rather see a voice recognition system that listened to police radio and warned people when the government was going to attack them. Too bad Microsoft patented and killed that technology. But those patents are expiring about now.

WAR:

A war by war history of how the US government has staged events and drawn other nations into war.

US drone attack kills eight in attack on family home in Afghanistan. That probably motivated 100 more Muslims to come to America and kill Americans. Or maybe not. Maybe Our government's aggression has already motivated every Muslim to come here and kill us.

FOREIGN POLICY:

US and NATO aggression against Qaddafi has led the disappearance of thousands of shoulder-fired missiles. You can be sure those missiles will kill Americans. As always, US government aggression has endangered Americans and will result in American deaths. With a government like ours, who needs enemies?

POLITICS:

Remember all those people who supposedly voted for Romney because he was the most electable? A new poll shows Obama over 50 percent against Romney. Romney is the least electable Republican because his record the record of a Democrat.

Reuters poll show Ron Paul closing in fast on Romney who now leads 29 to 21 percent. Wow. This makes all the shenanigans with the vote counts primary after primary seem way more significant.

Obama fails to submit budget on time again in another example of the lawlessness of the Obama administration.

Where would the Obamas and Romneys of the world be without the support of useful idiots?

MEDIA:

Isn't past time that Sean Hannity and Rudy Giuliani stormed the beaches of Iran, leading a volunteer army they paid for themselves? Apparently not. They want other Americans to pay to send yet more Americans to their deaths in Iran.

LOCAL:

The government is setting up a straw-man to distract us from how many people it kills on its socialized roads every year. This is so incredibly blatant. This comparison makes no sense except as a distraction. It's like comparing apples to modern art. Why not compare car accidents to hair cuts. I think people get way more hair cuts than die on government roads too.

MISC:

Everybody and their brother is telling Colts owner Jim Irsay what to do. The vast majority believe he's already decided to draft Stanford QB Andew Luck #1. Some think he'll jettison Peyton Manning. Some think he'll keep both. I might as well weigh in. What nobody is saying is that either way, he would be a fool, and I doubt he became an NFL owner by being a fool. (Then again, Daniel Snyder is unmistakably a football fool.) Let's look at it from an engineers point of view. A football team has 11 moving parts in a unit. Eleven on offense, defense and special teams. What we learned this season - which I have said was true for a decade - is all of those moving pieces suck except Peyton Manning. The Colts minus Peyton Manning are not a couple of players away from being great. They're a 2-14 team. They are a dozen or more players away from being great. Andrew Luck is supposedly worth a dozen draft picks. If Jim Irsay wants to win, there's only one intelligent decision he can make: trade down. Trade down and keep trading. Irsay can draft a nearly a dozen players in the first three rounds if he trades down and keeps trading down. It doesn't get any better than that. No one player is worth that. Trade down. With that much talent, he would win a Super Bowl with me playing quarterback. But most likely, he'll have Peyton Manning and all that talent. I will be stunned if the Colts draft Andrew Luck instead of trading down because I don't believe Jim Irsay is that stupid. Peyton Manning wants to remain a Colt. Colt fans want him to remain a Colt. That gives Irsay leverage. Irsay should renegotiate a lower contract with Manning, sign him for five more years or so at a lower cap hit, and he should sign a dozen new players who will kick ass in the NFL. If Irsay takes this route, they would win three or four more Super Bowls together. My money is on Irsay to trade down.