I have friends who are against war and psychiatric abuses and other evil things enabled by governments. I have had discussions wherein I am told that we pay taxes because we agree to pay taxes. There is often more truth to that than the speaker is aware of. I found this out when I asked if they agreed to finance wars and such with their "contributions". They all said they didn't.

I have also seen great anti war demonstrations where placards proclaim "Not in my name" as if this is somehow an important negative for the state.

I posit that we pay taxes because the alternative of being threatened with violence and going to jail is less preferable than paying up. I'm sure the victims of war and psychiatric abuse understand this.

So please let's get on with it.

Yes I'm still alive. Been very busy with other sites but this post just had to be made. So imagine the following picture by an East Grinstead photographer as a poster all over the UK. Would it find broad agreement?

I've been a supporter of Ron Paul for years and have watched and supported his rise in influence over the last three years with optimism. Early this year he introduced a bill called HR1207 to have Congress audit the Federal Reserve Bank. This might not seem like a big deal but it is. The fed is the most secretive quasi government organisation in the US. Far more so than the CIA, FBI and any other "security" service. That fact alone is enough to make one suspicious if one ever gets to wondering about it.

So the news I'm on about here is that there was a Congressional hearing a few days ago regarding this bill. Click on that link to read a first hand report that greatly expands on why this is great news.

This is a talk on a subject seldom addressed but obviously crucial. It is about personal character. Don't let that put you off. It is not a sermon. Or to put that another way, if sermons were more like this there wouldn't be a decline in church membership.

Liberty and Character from FEE on Vimeo.

Unfortunately it isn't embodied nor embraced by the current Conservative Party. Here is a short speech by Sean Gabb of the Libertarian Alliance. Sean is a prolific writer on what is wrong with the UK and he writes well. You will find some of his writings on the linked website.

This is a very interesting talk on the current state of affairs in the world, how we got here, and what we can do aout it.  For those educated in anti capitalism and how the state saved us from the robber barons and sweat shops of the industrial revolution this is a different view. For those who saw the first world war as having positive outcomes this will be a shocker. For those who think democracy is the height of civilisation this is a chicken bone in the throat. In fact for socialists of all kinds and positions on the left/right spectrum this is a real spinner. Enjoy.

Here is a very impressive interview between Lew Rockwell and Naomi Wolf. It is just under 59 minutes long. Play it now or download and listen to it on your iPod or in the car. The interview goes back and forth and sometimes you aren't sure who is interviewing who but it is fascinating to listen to someone who through honest research came to see the world as a little bit different from what she had formerly seen it as. This is quite similar to my own journey and maybe to some of you to.

I've posted before about how sane I think Lew Rockwell is. But in this instance I'm not so sure he is right. He quotes a speech made by George Bush in which Bush actually states a lot of truth about free markets and free enterprise. Lew sees this as a sign that the Republicans are getting back on track. I have a nasty suspicion about it.

Consider; Bush is the most widely detested US president that I can think of worldwide. He has trashed civil liberties and spat on the Constitution. He has brought about war where war was not only unnecessary but where it looks like his friends made great profits from it. He has done all these things and more by telling the most outrageous lies. He is considered a liar and now he speaks truth. I think this is  damaging to truth. A liar is someone not to be trusted. For a liar to speak truth invalidates that truth in the eyes of those who might otherwise consider it. I don't think what I say here is widely unknown. I think it likely that those who pull George's strings know it too and want free markets and less government invalidated as good ideas. And the best way to do that is to have Honest George make a speech in praise of freedom.

I can start embedding lots of things you might not find easily elsewhere. Here is a terrific talk by the ever engaging G. Edward Griffin who gives a very easy to understand statement of what is going on in the world, why it is going on and, most importantly, what can be done about it.  

What follows is a press release from the Libertarian Alliance. I am wholly in agreement with it.   David Davis MP: Libertarian Alliance Gives "Unconditional Support"The Libertarian Alliance, the radical free market and civil libertiespolicy institute, today gives its unconditional support to David Davis,The Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party, who has resigned to fight aby-election on the issue of the 42-day detention law. Though much moreradical than he is on issues of civil...

Read More "Mr Davis does a decent thing"

About a year ago Ron Paul agreed to stand as a candidate for the Republican nomination for president of the USA. He was reluctant to stand as he doubted there would be wide support for the idea of restoring America as the "land of the free and the home of the brave". But he was persuaded to stand. In the last year many diverse and loose groupings of people from all walks of life and all across the political spectrum and, indeed, all across the world have come together in support of...

Read More "For what it's worth"

Have you been wondering what happened to Nick Hogan? This story gives a good account of his treatment. I agree with Pete Robinson's view. I must also admit to being wrong about how it would go. Looking back it is easy to see how I made such a mistake. I didn't take into account my personal lack of experience as a freedom fighter nor the great deal of experience of imposing their will of the state and it's machinery. If they had gone to court within a week or two of my previous post it might have been a different story. But the council was in no hurry right then. I/We missed what seems an obvious tactic to me now; we should have campaigned with many other pubs to get the landlords to do the same. If we could have raised some kind of war chest we might have made a dent. But then again maybe not.

But through watching the Ron Paul campaign, and getting involved in it to the degree that I can living in England, I hope I'm learning a few things. One is that to gain real active support you have to have a cause that has much wider support than fighting the tobacco control fascists.

America has a different history and different traditions but much of the dumbing down of their people has also been happening here too. Yet still the Ron Paul Revolution is a happening thing there. I believe the same could happen here. I'd love to have some comments on this idea.

There is what I think is a really good project that I want to support going on right now to get a 4 page newspaper featuring nothing but RP on to hundreds of thousands of doorsteps on or before Super Tuesday. As this is not a part of the official campaign it is something that we as Brits can contribute to. Here is some info http://www.theamericanideal.net/11thHourCampaign.html

I have emailed...... and just this moment got a reply that appears below....

Let's support this.

Bernie

-------- Original Message --------

Bernie,

Your email warmed my heart and gave me chills. It gives me
such courage to know the world is watching us as we work to
elect Ron Paul as President of the United States.

Please do tell all your people about this project. We desperately
need funds to make this happen. And yes you are right, you can
give funds to support this cause, as we are not officially part of
the campaign.

Our site will be up and running in the next few hours. But if you
want to give now, please send a PayPal donation to: crystal dot broyles at gmail dot com

Thanks so much!!

Make it a Patriotic day,
Crystal
www.RonPaulNewspaper.com
www.Myspace.com/crystalbroyles

The Chinese big chief has promised a "smoke free olympics". The event starts in a few months. With the eyes of the WHO and ASH types on one side and various human rights groups also watching them this is a story to watch.

Wow I had a great time meeting about 30 other Ron Paul supporters yesterday. We talked a lot and waved banners. Took lots of pictures and made a video for YouTube. I'll post about the video when I have the details. Here is a link to some of the pictures.

It is really worthwhile to meet up with like minded folk.

The internet has some fascinating aspects. We live in the country that has the most surveilance cameras in the world. America is way behind on this but they do have the "Patriot" Act and other similar measures indicating they would like to catch up. What has this to do with the internet? Well surveilance can go both ways. Check out Mitt Romney dealing with a reporter who asked an interesting question....

Kind of like "We're not dating, we just kiss a little."

The First American Revolution was a wonderful thing. The odds against it were high but nowhere near as high as the odds against the Second one.   9 times out of 10 when I mention Ron Paul to someone who knows who he is the immediate response I get is "It's a shame he'll never make it". It is a kind of automatic response like "Fine. How are you?". I've even said it myself. It is another "everyone knows" but like so many things that "everyone knows"...

Read More "I Believe"

If you can make it this Saturday afternoon I'd love to meet you.

Details here.

Here is a link that will take you to the Ron Paul Toolbar page. You can download the toolbar and use it in IE or Firefox. With every search you make a contribution is made to further the work of Ron Paul activists. Best of all it costs you nothing. Please download and use on all your machines.

There is a permanent link to the toolbar on the right of this post at the top of the blogroll.

So what is the understatement? Well on the left of the toolbar is the statement "Hope for America". I don't live in America and am not an American. To my mind a Ron Paul presidency is possibly the greatest hope for the entire world right now.

There have been many news items in the last couple of months I could have blogged about. Just one of them would be how the UK news media presented the news of the latest EU treaty, the one that puts most of the EU constitution into law, without mentioning a single piece of what the new treaty represented. Instead they told us that Gordon Brown was going to sign the treaty several hours later than the other heads of state!

But I'm more interested in what is being done to further the cause of true freedom in the world. Many of us feel helpless and even apathetic when we look at what is happening. So I think this and this are more worthy items.

Having just read this I thought it should be seen by as many people as possible even those who don't live in the US and couldn't vote there. I firmly believe this guy's success is the best hope for the world.

Several centuries ago kings ruled by "divine right". They were said to be appointed by god and the churches of the day backed up the kings in return for special privileges such as being the only religion permitted in the realm. So even in those days "divine right" was not enough by itself to keep the populace in line. Kings needed propaganda to maintain their hold. Today we have governments that do not pretend to have a "divine right" to rule. They pretend to gain...

Read More "The source of government oppression"

Not long ago I posted about Nick Hogan. He is still making news and is still speaking a great deal of sense. This man is capable of getting the law scrapped. One man? Well he can only do it with a lot of support but he can do it.

Consider;

He is breaking the law on a daily basis I believe. He is still allowing smoking in two pubs that he owns in Bolton.

He is getting publicity because of this.

He is getting support from those against the ban, both smokers and non smokers.

He can't be allowed to continue to openly flout the law.

If he gets to court a big part of his defense will be to expose the bullshit science and other government claims that supposedly justify the law.

So the Bolton Council will not want him to get a court case.

Isn't this exsquisite?

Like savoring a really fine Cuban. I am watching this with great amusement.

Nick is insisting that he wants his day in court. I support him utterly.

On that day we must get hundreds, if not, thousands of people to the court. Everyone, smoker or not, who gives a damn about the freedom to decide what you can do with your own property should be there.

We will be Hogan's Heroes just as he is ours.

Looking at the ideas in the comments of the last post and in other forums I get the impression we'd like to make a big impact. I would also prefer the big effect, especially if it could be achieved with minimal effort. And indeed it can. Apparently. Well maybe not zero effort, and maybe there is a lot of planning involved, but it is possible to create quite big effects without lots of money or the media on your side. We have stickers and posters and t-shirts on this site and several others....

Read More "Next"

I know that most who are reading this blog are angry. I also know that given a way to fight back many of us would dive in with enthusiasm. I know that many of us have been looking around for campaigns or movements of one kind or another that we can get involved with. Some of us have even found things that we are now contributing to.

But I have also seen lots of apathy and I know you have too. Lots of people are thinking there is no point in fighting back as the cards are all stacked against us and we can't make a difference.

One source of hope is the fact there are so many of us who are outraged and looking for something to do about it. Even if many are despondent it is actually good news that MANY are despondent. We are not alone. There are thousands, nay millions, who are also outraged. That means there is potential. But if we all go off half cocked with half baked ideas we'll be less than wholly satisfied with the results.

So lets discuss whatever ideas we have as to what can be done. Do we need violent revolution? Is non-violent civil disobedience the way to go? What can be done through the legal system? How do we get our message out to people when the MSM (mainstream media) is more or less completely locked in to the status quo? What is our message anyway? Should we fight on the basis of exposing the junk science or on the basis of property rights? Should I say what I really think of Simon Clark over at FOREST? Do we need to organise ourselves? How? Should I add to this site ways and means for us to do just that? What do you think?

it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it"

I think we are at that time.

What are we doing on July 4th?

Joe Jackson is, as usual, on excellent form.

freedom2choose are taking on the government in the courts regarding the smoking ban. I think they have the right idea in challenging it on the basis of the ban being a violation of property rights. Unfortunately the law their legal people are using is the Human Rights Act of 1998. This states; "Every natural or legal person is entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of his possessions. No one shall be deprived of his possessions except in the public interest and subject to the conditions provided...

Read More "Property Rights Please"

Go here then spread the word.

Nick Hogan, landlord of The Swan in Churchgate (Bolton), has the audacity to claim that only he has the right to dictate what the smoking policy should be on his premises. And on July 1st he is putting his neck on the line to defend that right.

"If people don't like my smoking policy then they have the chance to go somewhere else. This is our act of defiance.

"I have respect for the law, but I have no respect for an unfair law. I don't want to break the law, but I feel I've been pushed into it.

"At the end of the day it's my pub, not the Government's.

"Cigarettes are a legal product. If the council wants to ban smoking in its buildings or it is banned in the hospital, then that's fine because they are publicly-owned buildings, but my pub is not."

Finally a man who understands the issues.

Simon Clark, director of FOREST said in a speech last night, "We have lost the battle but we haven't lost the war. The smoking ban is out of all proportion to the risk from second-hand smoke. We urge the government to amend the legislation to allow designated smoking rooms in some pubs and allow private clubs to devise a policy on smoking in accordance with their member's wishes. "Britain is developing into a nanny state. When you leave school you are considered to be an adult. You...

Read More "FOREST Friend or Foe?"

There is a lot of understandable anger amongst smokers, owners of pubs and many other kinds of premises, and others who are not in the least connected with smoking or the hospitality industry over the coming ban on smoking in "public" places due to start on July 1st. Some very few have made it into the news; David Hockney, Joe Jackson, Bill Wyman, Anthony Worrall-Thompson and a few others. I support their anger but not all their arguments. They claim to be losing something they never...

Read More "Losing the plot, never mind the war"