Talking about their revolution

Our homegrown crackpot radio hosts are a greater danger than foreign terrorists. I mean, what could possibly go wrong with this asinine plan?

Libertarian activist and radio host Adam Kokesh is hoping to get 1,000 people to march on Washington on July 4 — armed with loaded rifles. The plan, launched with a Facebook group today, is to gather on the Virginia side of the Potomac, where gun laws are lax, and then march across the bridge with loaded rifles slung over their shoulders into the District, where openly carrying weapons is generally prohibited.

“This will be a non-violent event,” the Facebook group warns, “unless the government chooses to make it violent.” Already, over 200 people have said they’ll attend the march.

...This is an act of civil disobedience, not a permitted event. We will march with rifles loaded; slung across our backs to put the government on notice that we will not be intimidated; cower in submission to tyranny.

And by tyranny one assumes they mean being forced to pay taxes that fund programs they don't approve of because they don't need them. Otherwise it appears they remain free to act like asshats in public.

I was watching TV, the RNC

I watched the roll call. I'd forgotten how much it reminds me of the parade of states at the Miss America pagent, only with less attractive people. Ron Paul got almost 200 votes, including the entire state of Iowa, but no respect from the convention. His votes weren't called out from the podium. Even CSPAN only listed him as "other" though he got all but about three or four of the "other" votes.

The new RNC rule I mentioned in my update, passed on a voice vote, but everyone I've seen says the nays were louder than the yeas.

Mr. Boehner ignored them, pressing ahead by saying the rules would be adopted “without objection,” even as the crowd continued to roar its disapproval. Mr. Boehner announced that the rules were approved and quickly moved on to the adoption of the party’s platform.

As I said on the twitter, if I was a Ron Paul supporter I would walk of that convention and join Gary Johnson's team.

I lost my internet connection for the best part of the roll call, when Minnesota announced their votes. They had some choice words for the floor:

"Minnesota, where we are very proud of our state Republican Party, which runs a fair convention with integrity," the state delegate said at the RNC on Tuesday night as she announced their count. "We cast 33 votes for Ron Paul, one vote for Sen. Rick Santorum and six votes for Gov. Romney."

The other thing that struck me was how forced the "enthusiam" was in the room. A lot of the older ladies looked rather genuinely thrilled, but most of the good ole boys had that look on their face that said, "Let's get this over with so I can get to the bar dammit." Not feeling any real energy on that floor.

[Dave Weigel photo: "Convention aide tells Ron Paul delegate to put away his sign."]

[More posts daily at the Detroit News.]

Conservative Utopia

You often see people suggest social cons, glibertarians and other "small government" preachers should move to Somalia. But there is another option that's even better.

[Found on twitter]

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CATO revolts

I love this. The CATO regulars thwart the Koch's takeover attempt with a brilliant sally.

This afternoon, as the Koch PR arm was blasting out a memo about the War for Cato, the libertarian think tank's board was meeting to talk about membership. Before today, the sixteen-member board had seven members affiliated in some way with the Kochs. That put them very close to majority control. Today, the board's majority agreed to simply expand to 20 members, invoking a bylaw that allows that many people to serve if it's so desired. They added four people -- William A. Dunn, John C. Malone, Lewis E. Randall, and Donald G. Smith -- who are more supportive of the non-Koch faction. "We now have a 13-7 majority," said Ed Crane, Cato's president since 1977. "It was a contentious meeting." When was the last time the board had 20 members? "I don't think we ever have."

I suspect the billionaire brothers aren't used to being challenged. Willing to bet those Koch boys are really pissed off and plotting their revenge. Pretty sure they're going to lose. Looks like their adversaries may not be as rich, but they're much smarter.

More posts daily at the Detroit News.]

Elective Dictatorship or Leadership?

By Capt. Fogg

Ron Paul, I like you - I really do. I like it when you denounce our military adventurism and imperial urges. I share your distaste for prosecuting harmless, consensual acts and I don't think either of us like having a government dictate morality according to some chosen religious standards.

I couldn't agree more that we need to keep the governmental nose out of our personal choices that don't infringe on other people's rights. I think we have an inherent right to be left alone too, but when you assert that that same government can force a woman to continue a pregnancy I find it inconsistent. When you proclaim that President Obama is overstepping his presidential powers by taking action to end a dangerous drug shortage, I'm confused. I'm disappointed. Market forces alone aren't going to induce drug companies to make unprofitable products that some people need to stay alive and if they eventually do, it won't be soon enough for someone's mother or sister or child. There are times when the the noli me tangere market approach does not serve the public interest and times when human life is more important than the sanctity of inflexible doctrine.

Yes, I agree that our government was designed to move slowly, for inaction to be the default action as you said yesterday. I even agree that there is an invisible hand in the market, but I cannot understand how you can ignore the sometimes dire consequences of such slow moving or inert systems in a world that moves at a rate inconceivable in 1789.

Sure, eventually drug shortages will tend to rectify because of market forces. 'Tend to' and 'eventually' are expensive words however and the price is often paid in death and suffering. A car tends to steer itself in a straight line, but you know, sometimes someone has to grab the wheel if staying alive is a consideration.

I have to ask you how much needless death and suffering are you willing to force us all to endure to gild the vision of a withered and minimal state where things move only by themselves and the making of money is the only test of righteousness?

Dictatorship? Seriously? Isn't that a bit like calling the guy who pulls your kid out of a well a kidnapper because he didn't apply to Congress in advance through proper channels?

I believe in Democracy as much as you do and perhaps more. I mistrust radical change and I lean toward Libertarianism in many things, but unlike you, I do not belief in faith over fact. If there is a plague, if a dam breaks -- if that asteroid that passed close to us this morning had landed in Texas, I want someone to grab the steering wheel without having his hands tied by doctrines soaked in the tea of Utopian visions.

I have to ask "why now?" Were you as firm in protest of our previous president's extra-legal activities? The signing statements, the treaty breaking, the torture, the illegal search and seizure and surveillance? The wars that have killed hundreds of thousands, destroyed millions of lives and wasted trillions of dollars? Of course you didn't approve and neither did I, but there is a difference between an asteroid and a sand grain. Are we really confusing necessary course corrections with wanton disrespect for law, due process and freedom?

Why now? Or are you just jumping on the Obama Bashing Band Wagon because you're more of a loyal Republican and less interested in doing what needs to be done before too many people die than you'd like to admit?

Libertarian Utopia

For the love of the Goddess I so wish this would really happen:

Pay Pal founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel has given $1.25 million to an initiative to create floating libertarian countries in international waters, according to a profile of the billionaire in Details magazine.

Thiel has been a big backer of the Seasteading Institute, which seeks to build sovereign nations on oil rig-like platforms to occupy waters beyond the reach of law-of-the-sea treaties. The idea is for these countries to start from scratch--free from the laws, regulations, and moral codes of any existing place. Details says the experiment would be "a kind of floating petri dish for implementing policies that libertarians, stymied by indifference at the voting booths, have been unable to advance: no welfare, looser building codes, no minimum wage, and few restrictions on weapons."

Assume the money is for R & D, since I'm pretty sure $1.25 million wouldn't buy a bathroom in Rush Limbaugh's house, much less build a whole island. But wouldn't it be great to see what grows in that "petri dish?" I've been thinking for years these guys should set up their own country and try to live by their lofty principles.

Radley Balko, live tonight at ATOP

Art Of The Possible is hosting my long time fav, Radley Balko in a live chat tonight.

Radley Balko, Senior Editor of Reason, will appear here, on AoTP’s front page, on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 7. p.m. [EDT] We will have a post describing his superlative work in exposing drug “war” outrages and his other accomplishments shortly prior thereto on Wednesday, and Radley will take real-time questions in the comments to that post. Again, this WILL NOT take place in the chatroom!

I'm glad it's not in the chatroom. I'm not so good at using that format. Much easier to for me to chat in comments. It should be a great conversation. Hope to see you there.


[More posts daily at The Newshoggers and The Detroit News.]