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February 4, 2009

Strands of Freedom

PRINCIPLES OF A FREE SOCIETY: I thought it about time to touch on some of the most important principles that America was built on.

Limited Government
The rightful functions of government are to guarantee individual liberty, private property, internal order, the provision of national defense, and the administration of justice. When the state exceeds this proper role, it accumulates power and becomes a threat to personal liberty.

Individual Liberty
Individuals posses rights to life, liberty, property, and freedom from the restriction of arbitrary force. They exercise these rights through the use of their natural free will.

The Rule of Law
Laws, not men, rule a free society. The constitution of the United States, with its division of powers, is the best arrangement yet devised for empowering government while preventing the concentration of power.

Personal Responsibility
Personal responsibility is central to the idea of a free society and to the concept of self-government. Because each individual is morally responsible for his acts, citizens in a free society have an obligation to educate themselves to further the common good through the political process; this is the proper and necessary function of self-government.

Free-Market Economy
Allocating resources by the free play of supply and demand is the single economic system compatible with the requirements of a free society, and also the most productive and efficient supplier of human needs.

Moral Norms
The values, customs, conventions, and norms of the Judeo-Christian tradition inform and guide a free society. Without such ordinances, society induces its deay by embracing a relativism that rejects an objective moral order.


CAP & TRADE: A review on a dangerous piece of legislation that may get passed in 2009.

America's Climate Security Act of 2007 (S. 2191), sponsored by Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and John Warner (R-VA), is the latest and fastest-moving "cap and trade" bill introduced in Congress this year. Recently, it made it out of committee hearings and on to the senate floor where it has a very good possibility of passing in the next two or three weeks. Debate starts next week. While scanning the blogs and listening to the media it seems the one thing no one discusses is the merits to a 'cap and trade' bill. Whether or not you believe in global warming-the more important issue is our economy. No-one wants our economy to enter an economic ice age and collapse before our world overheats, yet this is exactly what our congress is trying to do.

What on earth is Cap and Trade?
Cap and Trade is effectively a system that puts a maximum 'cap' on the whole industry for emissions and then allows companies to bid up for their share of the pie and then 'trade' away their permits to others less fortunate.

Here's what I do not understand: Our nation is in an energy debacle. Brazil is energy independent. France runs 70% on nuclear power. China is expected to double their oil demand in 10 years! What are we doing? Are we drilling offshore? Drilling in a small refuge in Alaska? Passing legislation to provide incentives for oil companies to build a refinery--which they haven't done in 30 years? Legislation to provide incentive for natural gas, Cellulosic Ethonal, solar energy, wind energy, etc.?

no.

What are we doing? We are interviewing oil executives and asking them about why the costs of oil is so high (Check this exchange out with Maxine Walters). We are passing legislation for a gas tax holiday and now are providing limits on our energy companies ability to produce pollution.

Here lies the problem. Our nation relies on 60%+ on petroleum and coal to fuel our industry. Guess who produces 60%+ of our pollution? You guessed it, our major energy producers. Coincidence? I don't think so. Carbon dioxide is the unavoidable byproduct of fossil fuel combustion, which currently provides 85 percent of America's energy. What our congress is currently trying to do with this liebrman-warner bill is to restrict our main energy companies for producing--by making them pay a huge tax via permit on their pollution--all the while providing no-NO INCENTIVES-for our nation to become energy independent.

For an in depth analysis of this legislation see this website.

CAP & TRADE Continued:
For those who do not get the IBD, Investors Business Daily, I read an article about the new Warner-Lieberman (WL) cap and trade plan that explained in rational terms why on earth this bill will have a devastating effect on the United States. This IBD article was commenting on a recent editorial criticism by the Washington Journal.

Here is a section that put this WL plan into perspective.
"The Journal argues that cap and trade policies would impose the most extensive government reorganization of the American economy since the 1930's including a huge tax increase, higher prices across the board and significant losses to economic growth in the decades ahead.
But why do we need a planned economy for energy or anything else? Why not a fully deregulated free market for energy where prices allocate production and consumption?

And why not allow the current $130 a barrel oil price to open the door to a full portfolio of energy resources, including offshore drilling. Alaska, nuclear power, oil shale, conversion of coal and natural gas to liquid fuel, and the development of so called alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and various cellulosic investments?

A true free-market approach wouldn't pick winners and loosers with heavy subsidies or penalties."


Coal fired power plants provide 50% of our electricity. Do you realize what this bill is presenting us with? Economic suicide in the name of green peace. Can you imagine what would happen should we loose 50% of our supply of electricity? It's back to Jimmy Carter's days and turning down the heat and putting a sweater on. Forget about solving the problems, forget about solutions. Our congress has lost it. Here we sit on the Saudi Arabia of Coal with 27% of the world's coal reserves right here in our land--enough to power our country for 60 years. And our congress is trying to pass legislation to limit---LIMIT--our energy supply?!

I guess this is what America is all about. It's like what Barack Obama said so thoughtfully recently,

"We are the greatest nation on planet earth. And we are tired of the status quo, we need change."

Coal Cap Plan is like the Saudis Capping Wells.

For more information read the following article.


POLITICAL SPECTRUM:
Here's a test for you. Rate yourself on your political preferences.
1. Strongly Agree. 2. Agree 3. Don't Know. 4. Disagree. 5. Strongly Disagree.

1. Partial birth abortion should remain illegal.

2. Private Organizations should be free to set and maintain their own leadership and membership standards without involvement by the government.

3. The courts should not restrict the expression of religious faith.

4. The courts should interpret the Constitution strictly, with careful respect for individuals' rights and freedoms.

5. Public school students' freedom of speech should not be restricted when that speech is "prayer" or a public expression of their religious views.

6. Individuals should not receive special rights and privileges under the law on account of their sexual behavior.

The more points you have, the more like Ted Kennedy you become.

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