No Checks & Balances
March 31, 2010 at 3:35 am | Posted in Podcast | Leave a commentTags: dan severson, judge, judicial, minnesota, reform
Activists in Minnesota claim the state’s three branches of government are controlled by a tyrannical judiciary. We consider the evidence and discuss a solution authored by State Representative Dan Severson, who joins us for the entire hour.
Activists in Minnesota claim the state’s three branches of government are controlled by a tyrannical judiciary. We consider the evidence and discuss a solution authored by State Representative Dan Severson, who joins us for the entire hour.
The Trouble With Polling
March 30, 2010 at 8:12 am | Posted in Political | Leave a commentTags: polling, polls
by Walter Scott Hudson
As testament to my masochism, I subscribe to surveys from various organizations. The follow questions were included among a recent Zogby survey, and exemplify the trouble with polling.
Aside from not being allowed to fly, a person placed on the federal no-fly list by the federal government, would also be prohibited from purchasing a firearm should new legislation now in Congress be approved. Do you agree or disagree that there should be an appeal process for those whose names are put on the no-fly list?
- Strongly agree
- Somewhat agree
- Somewhat disagree
- Strongly disagree
- Not sure
Implicit in any answer to this question is approval of both the no-fly list and the process for placing a person on it. Certainly, I agree there should be an appeal process for those whose names are placed on the list. However, there also ought to be some due process which places people on the list in the first place. As evidenced by the next question, the current process is both opaque and arbitrary.
Could Bringing Politicians Home Increase Accountability?
March 29, 2010 at 6:48 am | Posted in Political | Leave a commentTags: accountability, decentralization, e-congress, health care, national security, tarp
by Walter Scott Hudson, contributed to the New Patriot Journal
Days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the New America Foundation presented a plan to Congress to relocate its members to their home districts and conduct business via teleconference. The impetus for the plan at that time was national security. To this day, there remains speculation regarding the intended target of United Airlines Flight 93. Had it crashed into Capitol Hill, the legislative branch may have been critically affected. Decentralizing Congress, it was argued, would ensure the continuity of government against a localized attack.
Obviously, the plan went no where. Congress continues to conduct business in a localized setting. However, the concept is now being revisited by a group of activists led by Michael Norbury of bringhomethepoliticans.com. While national security remains a selling point, the primary objective has shifted to accountability. “The goal is to setup an ‘e-Congress, which [would] relocate US representatives to their local districts, US senators to their state capitols, and state representatives and senators to their city halls and court houses, to securely telecommute for no less than 75% of their terms,” Norbury detailed in a radio interview with Fightin Words. “A good way to describe this is sort of a permanent ‘August recess,’ where instead of going home for a week or two, they’ll be going to [the capitol] every once in a while throughout the year.”
Continue Reading Could Bringing Politicians Home Increase Accountability?…
The Politics of Force: Violence & Government
March 23, 2010 at 6:46 am | Posted in Podcast | 2 CommentsTags: American Revolution, barrack obama, civic action, health care reform, jim clyburn, nancy pelosi, violence
No matter how animated political and social commentators get, they typically offer the claim they are “non-violent,” and stress to their audiences the importance of peaceful civic action. Terrorism is generally defined to be the use of violence to affect political change, and clearly carries a negative connotation. The underlying message of these trends would seem to be, “Violence is not a valid tool for affecting political or social change.” However, this flies in the face of both a plain view of history (American Revolution, anyone?) and our contemporary reality. Government may be described in one word as “force.” Government is an agent of violence. Government is there to coerce behavior under penalty of fine, imprisonment, great bodily harm, or death. That is all it can do, its sole capacity. That we condone the existence of government suggests we do, in fact, condone the use of violence to affect both political and social change. So, the question becomes, not whether it is okay to be violent, but when. In Fightin Words return to BlogTalkRadio, we shall address this intriguing introspective question in relation to the First American Revolution, and its modern statist counterpart, the Progessive movement.
Also, reaction to the passage of Obamacare.
Eleventh Hour Protesters Accused of Racism, Homophobia
March 21, 2010 at 6:21 am | Posted in Political | 2 CommentsTags: health care, health care reform, reform, tea party
by Walter Scott Hudson
This morning’s Washington Post contains a report summarizing the last minute political wrangling surrounding tonight’s vote on President Obama’s government takeover of healthcare. Protesters gathered in Washington, hoping against hope to have their voice heard by those servants elected to the Hill, were characterized thus:
Throughout the day, thousands of angry protesters milled outside the Capitol; some hurled insults at black and gay lawmakers and shouted at Democrats to “kill the bill!” Meanwhile, Obama made a final pitch for reform, exhorting wavering lawmakers to rise to the aid of millions of uninsured Americans by taking “the single most important step that we have taken on health care since Medicare” was created in 1965.
…
The Republican message was being received loud and clear outside the Capitol, where angry protesters gathered and waved placards that said “Defeat Obamacare” and “Born in the USA not the USSR.” Republicans were treated as heroes as they walked through the crowds, who patted them on the back and thanked them for their opposition. Democrats were greeted with jeers.
Continue Reading Eleventh Hour Protesters Accused of Racism, Homophobia…
Democrat State Chair Alienates Grassroots Activists
March 18, 2010 at 6:25 am | Posted in Political | 1 CommentTags: brian melendez, democrat, democratic framer labor, dfl, gop, minnesota public radio, republican, tea party
by Walter Scott Hudson
In a recent Minnesota Public Radio article profiling the Minnesota Tea Party Patriots, Democratic-Farmer-Labor party chief Brian Melendez is quoted disparaging those grassroots activists who seek to uphold the Constitution.
The tea party tends to identify themselves with the movement that some have called ’10th-ers,’ people who support the 10th Amendment as a vehicle for obstructing programs sponsored by the federal government, like health care reform.
This term “10th-ers,” which Melendez attempts to distance himself from with an artful use of the anonymous “some,” is a blatant effort to rhetorically group advocates of state’s rights with so-called “Birthers,” who insist on questioning the national origin of President Obama, or “Truthers,” who question the events of September 11, 2001. Apparently, Melendez would have us believe the 10th Amendement is a conspiracy theory.
Continue Reading Democrat State Chair Alienates Grassroots Activists…
Farewell US Web Talk Radio
March 18, 2010 at 1:21 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentFightin Words has learned that broadcast partner US Web Talk Radio has decided to terminate operations. This development occurred without prior notice. We were honored to be part of the US Web Talk Radio lineup, and wish success upon our fellow travelers.
The podcast will continue to be available via Podomatic, and posted on our podcast page. We are exploring other options for formatting and distributing the program. We appreciate everyone who has made Fightin Words a part of their commentary diet, and look forward to celebrating our one-year anniversary concurrent with the Tax Day Tea Parties next month.
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