You are right to be concerned, particularly since the line from representative government to Big Brother keeps getting closer and thinner all the time. The need to use technology to assist national security is paramount, however.
The real concern is “who watches the watchers.”
That is the job of our Representatives and Senators. I would offer that when you have no fear of your Speech being used against you, even if it’s monitored for security reasons, you are OK.
However, if your Speech becomes circumspect, your communications, particularly regarding political opinion and expression, become guarded solely because of the fear that government will use your Speech against you in some way, then real or not, that fear needs mitigation through constant independent overview on behalf of the Citizenry.
That affirmation includes a process of “auditing” actions taken by government regarding any individual as a result of monitored Speech, and the reporting thereon to the public.
My own fear is that by the time we discover that the government has acted against those who oppose it, it will be too late.
To paraphrase, “If the government can knock on your neighbor’s door in the middle of the night, how long until you hear a knock?”
The current controls on communications monitoring seem to be within the needs of security, SO LONG AS THE REPORTING AND MONITORING ARE CAREFULLY MONITORED THEMSELVES AND INDEPENDENTLY REPORTED.
It might also help to remember that in regards to all these things, that the Founders intended the Second Amendment regarding the ownership of guns to provide for self-defense. So long as every American has a rifle and guns, it is unlikely that any government would attempt a “hard coup” to install any other dictatorship.
There are other ways to oppress Americans, some of which we are experiencing with our current government.
It’s simple really. The lifeblood of a consumer-based economy is commerce; buying and selling by business and consumers. The fuel that drives this process is income. Taxes subtract from the income stream-the fuel needed to support the economy and prosperity-and reduce people’s and business’s ability to succeed. If you want to help the greatest amount of people, reduce taxes.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Free Speech, Government Monitoring, Oppression by Taxation
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Free Speech. Phoenix Suns ("los Suns"), Oil Spill, Euro Bailouts
Home » Opinions » Free Speech. Phoenix Suns (”los Suns”), Oil Spill, Euro Bailouts
Free Speech. Phoenix Suns (”los Suns”), Oil Spill, Euro Bailouts
Published by Barry Dennis on May 18, 2010 in Opinions
Tags: Arizona immigration, Bailouts, BP Transocean, constitution, energy, Financial Bailouts, free speech, Halliburton, illegal immigration, Obama, Oil spillArticle Tools
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News Muse Views of recent items. Where are the opinions of the people who matter; those who pay.
I was asked to Comment on the Phoenix Sun’s players putting Los Suns emblems on their uniforms to protest Arizona’s Illegal Immigration Law. Here is my response.
I consider this as Protest Speech and as such an individual right, and a responsibility. That means to me that as a Citizen you exercise that right individually, outside of the audience that a corporate sponsorship provides. To me, using the visibility of a sports team is an unfair promotion of a perspective that takes advantage of the system, and certainly is not the majority view of the fans, and perhaps not the league owner’s either.
However, that individual’s right, as an individual, to call a Press Conference, make a poster and stand outside on the street, try to get personal interviews(but not wearing a Sun’s uniform for any of these “speeches”) is perfectly OK.
Speech is an INDIVIDUAL RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY. Any attempt to take advantage of stardom or notoriety is wrong. That the media collude in this is just another example of misunderstood reading of the Constitution. By giving more weight of publicity to this type of speech merely because of the fame of the person offering it, while not providing “balance” in the valuation of the importance, or lack thereof, in the content, media does a disservice to the Citizenry in general.
The Founders intended that individuals and groups have the personal right and responsibility to exercise free speech; in writing, in person, by post and otherwise. Nowhere does the Constitution provide for Corporate Free Speech that I can see. And, a corporation is an artificial “construct” of law, not even mentioned in the Constitution or Bill of Rights as a Citizen in relation to speech rights.
The Supremes were wrong in this regard.
My view is that the Phoenix Suns players are wrong as well, and so is the team and the league for letting them. Again, with the strongest possible emphasis, Free Speech is an Individual Right and Responsibility. The Suns can and should speak individually, as Citizens; it is their right and responsibility. The second they put on a uniform to do so makes it wrong and unfair.
I might also note that the school administrator who used a girl’s sports team in a public school to make a personal political statement about Arizona’s Immigration Law was equally wrong and took advantage of her position to offer “speech’ in a way that should not be allowed.
Confusing speech rights with the advantage offered by fame and under the “color of authority” that an umbrella of corporate, governmental or institutional sponsorship may confer is just un-American…and un-Constitutional.
Image via Wikipedia
On the Oil spill and BP and the other players.
Boycotting BP; other punishments
There appears to be more than enough blame to go around.
From the MMS government agency, to the combination of factors, aka “perfect storm,” when things seemingly inconsequential in and of themselves cascade into a against-all-odds result.
While I absolutely believe that those responsible, even peripherally, should pay for direct and related costs, and damages if determined, as was the case with the Exxon Valdez in Alaska.
But boycotting? Not for me.
More stringent enforcement of regulations, perhaps loss of drilling rights for a period of time if such penalties were to be instituted, and other remedies to encourage more attention and “fail-safe” planning, to be sure.
But, the safety record of these companies in the Gulf seems pretty good, accidents do happen , no matter the planning.
We just need to be sure that proper safeguards are taken. We actually need more drilling, not less, for oil and gas.
We just need to provide the proper positive, and negative, incentives to be as careful and prudent as possible.On the Euro bailout and U.S. participation:Euro bail out proposalsThey have to help them out, and the U.S. is too. They only see the immediate consequences of cascading failure among the Euro countries. As for me, I would like an alternative that makes the marketplace the boss, and if some banks fail, that’s when the government nationalizes them, protects the depositors, wipes out the ownership of the errant managers and decision makes, and …wait for it…here it comes…after nationalization and new management, spins off the shares to the public, each and every citizen, who can them assist in raising capital. It’s interesting that is almost precisely how Japan handled Japan Postal, which handles almost all the savings accounts in the country, and is contemplating privatizing the postal service. Good for them. Euro countries and the U.S. should consider doing the same. Real free-markets work better when the Citizens are the primary investors.Read More:
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
RNC Infighting Not Helpful
I think a closer look at the upheaval(too strong?) disagreements within the RNC might be based on traditionalists vs. more moderate and centrist thinking. The Republicans, with the help of the Tea Party, have an opportunity to take control of both the House and Senate, but they can blow the whole opportunity by struggling
for control of the RNC, which is what I perceive is going on. I met and interviewed Steele in Maryland a few times, and I found him forthright, affable, and smart.
Steele, on the other hand, can't be changeable; he must enunciate clearly the principles and policies that are the backbone of Republicans-and Tea-Partiers (no diminution of gravitas intended).
Oh, and one more thing; stop being the spokesman for 'No" and be the proponent of "Yes"-free market solutions for our social problems; business-modeled health care, zero emission pollution and waste baselines for industrial and power production, with carbon taxes on CO2 and pollution emissions, creating revenues for tax credits for remission/cleaning/and new zero-emission production.
A user-fee-based tax system since we are a consumption-based economy. (Were it not for the huge deficits and government over-spending we could have a National Sales Tax of 13-14% -or less if we get spending under control-and eliminate the income tax).
Free-market solutions transparency for banks and financial institutions through increased reporting, higher levels of equity capital, limits on leveraging assets and adherence to "prudent man"-type investing policies; spinoff or sale of government "assets" not needed for Constitutional purposes, and more in that vein.
The reason for picking Steele in the first place was the need for a "new face" of Republicanism; that hasn't changed.
Was Steele a Politically Correct choice? You betcha!
Was he a good choice? Same answer.
Republicans sometimes manage to direct their armaments in the wrong direction and shoot themselves in the foot, or the ass; the first being an accident, the latter on purpose.
Being positive with Solutions will only gain the support of the majority; the marketplace will convince the Electorate of the rightness of offering free-market solutions which are properly constructed and presented.