““I believe in the United States of America as a Government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a Republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect Union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my Country to love it; to support its Constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its flag; and to defend it against all enemies.””

— The American's Creed as quoted in Embracing the American's Creed

❝❝Regarding the creed.

No.❞❞

— NeoWayland, comments on Is #AOC-ward (aka Ocasio-Cortez) a mere puppet for sinister people?

So here is this marvelous piece of 1917 poetry, and I said no. Why?

It's the difference between the Dream and the actuality.

One topic I've been debating recently is the emergency powers of the President. If you accept that the President has the power to declare emergencies, it's not exactly “of the people, by the people, for the people.” It's literally what one man said, not subject to debate or dissent. Theoretically it can be revised by Congress, but in practice it never is.

It doesn't stop there. Some agencies have power to regulate the people and the states. While sometimes these powers are subject to Congressional review, usually these regulations have the power of law without actually being law. What's worse is that the agencies often have administrative courts with different requirements. It's outside the normal court system and not subject to the rules of law. These regulations do not come from the "consent of the governed."

America has not been “a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States” since at least the Civil War. Everything from education to Prohibition to the EPA has been forced on the states, often in direct violation of the wishes of the citizens of the states. There's very little way to opt out.

America was never meant to be a “a perfect Union, one and inseparable;”. The phrase comes from the preamble of the U.S. Constitution, but somehow the creed left out one word that changes the meaning. We're not meant to have a perfect union, we're supposed to have a more perfect union. As in we haven't done it yet, it's a work in progress. We're still arguing over what that means and how we can do it.

And yes, that means that if people don't like it, they can leave it. Even whole states.

Those ideals of “freedom, equality, justice, and humanity” are mutually incompatible. Specifically, freedom and justice aren't about equality or humanity. For most of the 20th Century, the idea of equality was used to rein in exceptional and unusual people. They couldn't be allowed to challenge the status quo. I don't know what the ideals of humanity are, but I am pretty sure we don't agree.

Speaking of justice, there are unjust American laws. Mandatory minimum sentencing, civil forfeiture, eminent domain, vice laws, laws and regulations preventing the use of precious metals as legal tender, mandatory union dues, "free speech" zones, zoning laws, the list goes on and on.

Nobody, no person, no institution, and certainly no nation deserves love without reservation. If you do not question what your nation does, you have failed as a citizen. The Constitution is not perfect and certainly the law is not perfect. And lest we forget, this nation was founded on the biggest and most polite "screw you" in human history. You can't choose liberty unless you embrace the right to walk away.

That's it. That's why my response is a simple word.

No.

Tags: American's Creed ∙ United States ∙ of the people ∙ by the people ∙ for the people ∙ just powers ∙ consent of the governed ∙ freedom ∙ equality ∙ justice ∙ humanity ∙ Constitution ∙ Dream ∙ emergencies ∙ President ∙ Congress ∙ regulation ∙ more perfect union ∙ unjust

““I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground that 'all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people.' To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of Congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power not longer susceptible of any definition.””

— Thomas Jefferson

Tags: Thomas Jefferson ∙ states rights ∙ Constitution ∙ United States ∙ powers ∙ Congress

The Nature of Sex

““If this sounds like a massive overreach, consider the fact that the proposed Equality Act — with 201 co-sponsors in the last Congress — isn’t simply a ban on discriminating against trans people in employment, housing, and public accommodations (an idea with a lot of support in the American public). It includes and rests upon a critical redefinition of what is known as “sex.” We usually think of this as simply male or female, on biological grounds (as opposed to a more cultural notion of gender). But the Equality Act would define “sex” as including “gender identity,” and defines “gender identity” thus: “gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms, or characteristics, regardless of the individual’s designated sex at birth.”””
     — Andrew Sullivan

Tags: guest content ∙ clipping ∙ Andrew Sullivan ∙ transgender ∙ Congress ∙ discrimination ∙ sex ∙ gender identity

Headlines that don't merit their own entry

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Federal judge in Texas rules Affordable Health Care Act unconstitutional

VA Whistleblower Visited By FBI, Sent To Psych Ward, Set To Be Terminated From Job

FBI misses deadline to provide docs to Judiciary Committee probing whistleblower raid

Bare-Breasted 'Mariannes' Face Off With French Police; Tear Gas, Pepper Spray Used On Protesting Yellow Vests

Moscow To Set Up Military Base In Caribbean

The Green New Deal: eco pastiche

Personal Bank Accounts in Venezuela Frozen to “Fight Terrorism”

Every Bubble Is In Search Of A Pin

Will Half Of All Colleges Really Close In The Next Decade?

Mueller Destroyed Messages From Peter Strzok's iPhone; OIG Recovers 19,000 New "FBI Lovebird" Texts

Venezuela Joins the Social Credit Club

Million Plus NJ Gun Owners Defy State Law, Refuse to Turn Over Banned Gun Mags

New Jersey Magazine Capacity Restriction: Now What?

New Bill Prohibiting 3D Printed Firearms Introduced to Congress

One Year Ago Today, the FCC Killed the Internet

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Headlines that don't merit their own entry

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It's going to be tight.

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The Gods Do Not Vote, So Why Are You Asking Them?

Tags: election ∙ Florida ∙ Congress ∙ Arizona ∙ Republican ∙ AZ Prop 126 ∙ Martha McSally ∙ Kyrsten Sinema ∙ Doug Ducey

““More DOJ norms being eroded. Trump-a SUBJECT of the investigation-wants access to material related to the inquiry. His Congressional supporters want evidence connected to an ongoing investigation. Time for DOJ/FBI to simply say no-protect the institutions and time tested norms."””
     — Eric Holder tweet reported at Holder urges DOJ/FBI to unconstitutionally defy President: 'Protect the institutions'

Federal agencies and Federal agents serve at the pleasure of the President and Congress. That is directly from the Constitution. No institution may trump the Constitution. Democrats wouldn't stand for it if it were happening to a Democrat president or a Democrat Congress. There's more than a little hypocrisy here.

Tags: Eric Holder ∙ FedGovs ∙ institutions ∙ President ∙ Congress ∙ Democrats

❝❝I just want to point out that American "defense" policy involves military action against nations when Congress hasn't declared war.

---

Even Trump complained when Obama launched military actions without Congressional approval.

You tell me. Should we change the Constitution so the President can attack any other nation on his authority alone? Or should we insist Congress does it's job?

Is this about America, right or wrong?

Or is it about liberty?

---

How about multiple missile attacks?

---

And is it right to launch missiles into other nations? You've said that eight months is sufficient. Is four months? Is four weeks? Is four days?

---

Is it right for other nations to launch missiles into our country?

After all, we have a proven record of meddling in the governments of other nations.

---

So you are saying that the U.S. has the unique power to fire missiles into other countries.

So much for freedom.

---

Obviously there is.

And it's even covered by that top ten list of yours.

---

At the very least, I think using a missile against innocents qualifies as murder.rob

---

Too late.

I do have a solution for the opium fields. But it doesn't involve armies. It would be a lot more effective though.

---

---

Oh?

There are an awful lot of people who got shot at who would disagree with you.

ETA: Not to mention all those overseas military bases.

---

You're arguing over definitions and a matter of degree.

---

Might doesn't make right. I've told you that before.

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do something. Or that you are justified in doing it.

---

Justified?

And if we're wrong, does that make us weak? Or just a bully that no one wants to face?

---

There is a century old story that I tell sometimes. Back during the Russian revolution, President Wilson sent American troops to intervene. The "mission" was murky at best, which led to failed promises and out-and-out lies. Wilson did this without Congressional authorization, we weren't at war with Russia.

Fast forward a couple of decades. Some of the Soviet General Staff had faced American soldiers in the trenches. They knew exactly what American words were worth.

And after WWII, that shaped the Cold War.

All because an American President took it on himself to intervene in a revolution without Congressional authority.

---

Don't get mad at me. It's right there in the Constitution. And if Congress hasn't declared war, then why are American troops fighting?

Considering who has been President, do you really want no checks and balances when it comes to war?

---

So why do we have troops fighting when war has not been declared?

---

Politicos have sacrificed the nation's honor and the lives of American troops for what?

Why do we have troops fighting when war has not been declared?❞❞

Tags: picture ∙ American ∙ defense ∙ military ∙ Donald Trump ∙ Barack Obama ∙ Constitution ∙ presidential power ∙ Congress ∙ missiles ∙ Robert Taft

❝❝One flawed legacy of Keynesian economics is that government can control individual action by government. Taxes and budgeting are not the same thing and shouldn't be treated as such. Taxes on the revenue side of the ledger are calculated in terms of their cost (expense side of the ledger) to government. This is probably the most fucked up part of modern government accounting. It's not about how much money government has, it's about how much money government takes from people. Money is power and choice, the more government takes the less people have. Government can't create value, it can only divert it.

There hasn't been a real government budget in years. What there has been is a series of continuing resolutions, essentially a short term agreement to spend at least the same amount as before unless specifically changed by Congress. There hasn't been a balanced budget in even longer. There's no cost to Congresscritters for not passing a balanced budget. If it were up to me, I'd say that Congress and it's staff only gets paid in years that a budget is passed and the budget is balanced. In years that the budget isn’t balanced, a Congresscritter should pay it’s salary to the government with interest.

In the case of the tax cut, the original CBO scoring said that the cost to government would not be offset by the revenue it generated. The new CBO report says that the cost to government was offset. Since people like having more money, Trump's popularity went up. People don’t care about the deficit. People do care about money in their pocket.

I’m not “you guys.” I’m not cheering for massive deficits (which happen with Democrat presidents too). I specifically said that he gave the economy a (mythical) boot into growth and that the tax cuts have paid for themselves and boosted his popularity. This is not the action of a drooling idiot. It’s not smart enough and it’s only short term, but it makes Trump look good and gives people more power today.

What I am doing is pointing out that Trump plays the populist better than any recent president, possibly any President since Jackson. The reason he can do this is because government has become more and more oppressive, no matter what party is “in control.”❞❞

Tags: Donald Trump ∙ Keynesian ∙ economics ∙ Congress ∙ budget ∙ taxes ∙ cost to government ∙ money in pocket ∙ revenue ∙ expense ∙ government accounting ∙ value ∙ continuing resolution ∙ balanced budget ∙ Congresscritter ∙ CBO ∙ popularity ∙ deficit ∙ economy ∙ populist ∙ Andrew Jackson ∙ oppresive

❝❝Okay, let's talk about the ACA, a law so "good" that nobody was allowed to read it before Congress passed it. A law so well written that it had to be illegally modified by executive order again and again just to work. A law that was supposed to pay for itself, but was so dependent on government subsidies that states had to withdraw just so their citizens could have health insurance. A law deliberately designed to reduce the number of health insurance companies and choices available to consumers. That last bit and raising prices is the only thing that the ACA has accomplished.

The only reason government is involved in healthcare to begin with is because government enforced salary caps and companies had to offer something more to recruit and keep employees. Every part of healthcare that government has been involved with, costs have outpaced inflation, availability never meets demand, and innovation has been stifled.

If this is Obama's legacy, it has resulted in less medical care at a higher price and almost impossible to use. But it looks good.❞❞

Tags: Obamacare ∙ ACA ∙ Congress ∙ executive order ∙ states ∙ health insurance ∙ heathcare ∙ inflation ∙ Barack Obama ∙ legacy ∙ subsidies ∙ looks good

Headlines that don't merit their own entry

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❝❝I never expected Trump to do anything except disrupt.

Pardon, but you're making the same mistake they did. You think that if the right person was in charge, everything would be okay.

Government is not your friend.

---

We will have a government regardless - until we replace it. The replacement may or may not work as well, it may or may not get better, but the ability to replace is inherent in the promise of America.

We've not had a "better" government in decades. Good government is not measured by how much government controls, but by how much it doesn't. It's no accident that America's greatest advances come from places that government doesn't regulate.

Sometimes (and more times than we'd like to admit), the best way to fix something is to replace it. Sometimes the only way to replace something is to destroy it. It works that way with food, clothing, houses. It works that way with cars, companies, and marriages. And yes, sometimes it works that way with government.

---

There is some opinion that NASA exists to keep other (and particularly American private interests) out of space. There a fair-to-middling novel Kings of the High Frontier, that explores that. I'm rereading it right now.

We understood the principles behind the internet years before. AT&T had adopted some of them years before to keep long-distance phone calls from being interrupted. Even after the internet became public, the real driver for bandwidth and video compression was porn. Netflix owes it's existence to horny men looking for naked pictures.

Building roads has always been easy. Maintaining roads is the hard part. There government has failed so much that "infrastructure" is a code word for raising taxes.

My faith is in the free market, not consumer capitalism.

Trump is changing things (and disrupting things), but he's only a small part of what is happening.

---

First of all, they were poor before Trump was even a candidate. And they weren't helped by Obama's war on the coal industry. If you read the article, state and local authorities had a hand in there too.

I haven't looked at this in depth, but I know there wasn't much of an economic base to begin with. Despite what is claimed, that's not something that any government can create. At a minimum, it requires good ideas and private investment.

Oh, and the jobs vanishing overseas? That's something the Democrats and Republicans share the blame for.

---

Like Venezuela?

I could give you pages of proof, but long story short, central control distorts the economy. The more pressure focused in one area, the bigger the disruption. On a small enough scale, you may escape second and third order functions. But if you are using a healthy economy to support massive intervention, you are pretty much guaranteeing those second and third order disruptions.

Think of it like tapping a water main without turning down the pressure. It will give way, it will require replacement, and while it is being fixed most of the system will have to be shut down. The only question is when.

---

I'm not a conservative.

I picked Venezuela because in just a few short years socialism destroyed a robust, expanding, petroleum based economy.

Your other examples aren't exactly socialist either. They are more progressive than the US, but they have not nationalized their means of production. Unlike say, Venezuela.

---

Have you taken a closer look at the Obama Administration? Cronyism, emotional appeal, basically everything that Trump does except it was (mostly) within the system.

Government is not your friend.

---

I repeat, have you taken a look at the Obama administration? A good, long, hard, unbiased look? Have you seen how many of his contributors benefited?

Nor is the Obama administration alone.

This is what annoys me. You're all set to blame Trump and the GOP for crimes against humanity all while excusing the crimes and excesses of the Democrats. And you are still calling for more government control.

Now if you really want, we can match abuse of power against abuse of power. I can tell you horror stories about Congresscritters and technocrats. I can show how almost everything you've been told about economics is designed to confuse you and keep you quiet. I can prove that almost everything government tells you is a lie just to convince you that government is necessary and that one flavor of politics is better than the other.

---

How about I tell you truths instead?

Government is not your friend.

Politics is about control, not truth, not compassion, not liberty, and not funding.

There's no Man on a White Horse riding to the rescue. You shouldn't trust anyone who looks like that because they are cosplaying.

The Republicans and the Democrats are about equally as guilty for the mess we're in. Each will blame the other, then you for not caring enough. Each will want more money and more power.

There's no objective difference between the party on the right and the party on the left. The only difference is who gets screwed now and who gets screwed tomorrow.

Blame Trump. Blame Obama. Blame Smith. It doesn't matter because government is the problem.

Government is not your friend.

---

Obama didn't reduce the debt. He reduced the deficit. That means the government didn't overspend as much as it had in previous years. Oh, and by the way, they printed more currency to "cover" some of the difference which raised the inflation rate and the interest on the national debt.

Trump didn't nuke North Korea. He responded to provocation, as Presidents at least as far back as Kennedy have done. And by the way, the Norks are willing to negotiate now.

I don't remember seeing anything about Trump going after gay marriage.

Before you defend the ACA, take a look at the costs of healthcare starting when Medicare became law. It's no accident that the costs have exceeded inflation every year since. Thanks to the ACA, dozens of states are scrambling to try to cover healthcare costs. Some are opting out of the program. Legally they aren't supposed to, but there is no way they can cover costs.

I'm not familiar with Golden Valley.

Only Congress can decriminalize marijuana. Since they are exploiting an opioid crisis created by government action, I don't expect them to act soon. Basically when Obama's DoJ stopped enforcing marijuana law, they were breaking the law.

The cities and counties who have the strictest gun laws are the same cities and counties who have the highest rate of gun crimes. Pay specific attention to Chicago and Baltimore. Most of those areas have had Democrat administrations for decades.

"Vote Democrat." Why? So we can fall off the left side instead of the right side?

Government should be smaller than absolutely necessary.

---

You mean the multinational corporations who pay both sides but mainly the left ones to pass laws and regulations that benefit them and shut out competition?

You mean the alt-right is a bigger threat than unaccountable race hustlers and movements like BLM who focus on events that fit the narrative and exclude things like "black" on "black" crime in the major cites?

You mean like the attacks on Christianity that happen just because someone professes their faith?

And let's not forget all those people who are only too willing to tell "white" people what they can and cannot say, what they can and cannot think, what they can and cannot do, because of "white privilege."

Government is playing all sides (not both sides, all sides) against each other, and the politicos just keep getting taxes and more power.

Like I told you before, if you want to keep the people you distrust from having power over you backed by government force, the only sure way is to drastically reduce government power. That way you can't mess with them and they can't mess with you.

---

But it is possible.

Thomas Paine wrote in Common Sense: “Society is produced by our wants and, government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices.”

Milton Friedman wrote: “Government has three primary functions. It should provide for military defense of the nation. It should enforce contracts between individuals. It should protect citizens from crimes against themselves or their property. When government-- in pursuit of good intentions tries to rearrange the economy, legislate morality, or help special interests, the cost come in inefficiency, lack of motivation, and loss of freedom. Government should be a referee, not an active player.”

James Madison said: "There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."

People are perfectly capable of making their own decisions. Those choices won’t always be ones you agree with. Sometimes those choices will be bad ones with terrible consequences. Still, freedom is based on choice. Without choice, there is no freedom. Without freedom, we aren’t human.

You are perfectly capable of making your own decisions. That is your right, that is what makes you human, and f*ck all to anyone who tells you different.

KYFHO now and forever. The only protection you should get is the certainty that NO ONE ELSE can use government to control you.

But, if you expect that right for yourself, you’d better damn well defend if for others. Even if you don’t like them. Even if you don’t trust them. Especially if you don’t trust them. Otherwise you will lose your choice.

Otherwise you will lose your freedom.

It’s simple. If you want to live free, you can’t meddle in other’s lives.

The second you start meddling is the second you sacrifice your own rights.

“The greater good” is just as big a tyranny as “for you own good.”

You only think it’s fantasy because that is what you’ve been taught by those benefitting from the current power structure.❞❞

Tags: Donald Trump ∙ disrupt ∙ government is not your friend ∙ NASA ∙ space flight ∙ internet ∙ AT&T ∙ Venezuela ∙ socialism ∙ Obama Administration ∙ abuse of power ∙ national debt ∙ North Korea ∙ Obamacare ∙ Congress ∙ marijuana ∙ opoid crisis ∙ DoJ ∙ gun control ∙ network ∙ infrastructure reforms ∙ Netflix ∙ pornography ∙ Barack Obama ∙ coal power

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Headlines that don't merit their own entry

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❝❝You can't trust what the politicos and historians tell you. They each have their separate agendas. They need you to believe the Great Man on a White Horse myth. If ever there was a time when the ordinary person made a profound, undeniable, and fundamental change in society, it was in the 20^th Century civil rights movement. It didn't happen in the Capital building. It happened when a woman refused to give up her seat on a bus. It happened when a group of well dressed and well disciplined men faced down a mob and armed police officers. It took place at the Lincoln Memorial in front of a huge crowd. It happened when one man stood in front of a police squad and said "No." Congress and the Federal government had nothing to do with these acts. These actions and thousands more along with the faith of all those people, that's what changed the world.❞❞
     — NeoWayland

Tags: maxims ∙ civil rights ∙ Great Man on a White Horse myth ∙ ordinary people ∙ change ∙ society ∙ Capital building ∙ Lincoln Memorial ∙ man ∙ woman ∙ Congress ∙ Federal government

❝❝I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on the internet. As nearly as I can tell from a fast scan, Federal case law says that states are responsible for setting voter qualifications within certain limits. Apparently you can't restrict someone from voting for something like not paying poll taxes, or by requiring them to pass a literacy test.

I'm pretty sure it can't be done by a city, but it looks like it may be possible for a state to create voters.

Gods, that's a huge loophole. It may well be legal to be a voter without being a citizen.

---

There's a small problem. I've looked over the Constitution, paying special attention to the 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendment.

It looks to me that Congress (and therefore the Federal government) has no power to deny people the power to vote, citizen or not. Congress only has limited powers to prevent the States from denying people the vote.

Which means that most Federal election law is illegal. And the loophole remains. If a state permits non-citizens to vote even it's a Federal election, there's nothing the Congress or the Federal government can do.❞❞

Tags: voter ∙ citizen ∙ FedGovs ∙ states ∙ Congress ∙ Constitution ∙ Federal election law ∙ election

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Headlines that don't merit their own entry

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Headlines that don't merit their own entry

Tags: sexual harassment ∙ Congress ∙ oversight ∙ intel community ∙ class action lawsuit ∙ Border Patrol ∙ charter school ∙ Supreme Court ∙ public sector unions

❝❝Cutting taxes only makes the problem worse unless they cut spending.

Personally I don't think Congress should get paid unless they bring spending in under income. I'm also in favor of liens against their homes and seizing their bank accounts.❞❞
     — NeoWayland

Tags: taxes ∙ spending cuts ∙ Congress ∙ liens ∙ seizing

Headlines that don't merit their own entry

Tags: Obama administration ∙ Rand Paul ∙ special counsel ∙ Trump campaign ∙ Uranium One ∙ FBI ∙ corporate debt ∙ corporate accountability ∙ tax reform ∙ George Orwell ∙ stock market ∙ HHS ∙ higher education ∙ Bob Corker ∙ mainstream media ∙ rumors ∙ lies ∙ innuendo ∙ fake news ∙ California ∙ high cost ∙ Russia ∙ Congress ∙ Hezbollah ∙ Christopher Steele ∙ Donald Trump

This is a page from the original version of Pagan Vigil. There are some formatting differences. Originally published at www.paganvigil.com/C127135145/E20100905130903

Stop me if you've heard this one about the IRS Andover facility

Congresscritters pressure the IRS to waste your money to keep tax parasites employed. I know that is harsh but that is exactly what is happening.

TJICistan linked to this Lew Rockwell article. Usually I don't link to Lew Rockwell articles. When I read them, I take them with a grain of salt. And this particular piece has a definite anti-government bias ("tax subsidized chair-moisteners").

However, here are the facts.

The Andover IRS facility was slated to be closed, under pressure from the New England Congresscritters, that is no longer true.

The renovation of the Andover facility focuses on frills.

Representative Tsongas did suggest that the 1400 IRS employees slated to be laid off be used in make work programs.

So, let's summarize. The IRS was scheduled to shut down a processing facility and lay off the workers. Under political pressure from a few Congress people (not a vote of Congress, but simply a handful of politicos throwing their weight around), the shut down was delayed and the workers were given make work because keeping Federal agents employed is more important than the private free market. Meanwhile, the building is undergoing a lavish refurbishment.

So the FedGovs are renovating a building housing employees doing makework but whose main job is to collect and process taxes so the Federal government can operate…

…spending money keeping unneeded government employees in a newly upgraded facility.

We've crossed a line.

We're now paying government agents to collect money for their own employment in a very fancy building that is being renovated by that same money.

It's hard NOT to be anti-government after reading the stories for all of that.

Posted: Sun - September 5, 2010 at 01:09 PM

Tags: Original Vigil ∙ Andover ∙ IRS ∙ facility ∙ TJICistan ∙ LewRockwell.com ∙ makework ∙ anti-government bias ∙ Congress ∙ Paul Tsongas ∙ FedGovs

This is a page from the original version of Pagan Vigil. There are some formatting differences. Originally published at www.paganvigil.com/C127135145/E20100920121432

The “Tea Party” scares the political leadership

Something they can't control, even if it's not enough to take control away

Jesse Walker over at Reason Magazine sums up the Tea Party exactly.

““The issue isn't whether "the" Tea Party will do those things. The Tea Party isn't an actual party; it's an extremely decentralized movement with room for several different points of view. It is not libertarian in itself, but it has opened a space for libertarian ideas; it includes good guys like the Campaign for Liberty, and it includes its share of scamsters and authoritarians as well. And it includes a lot of people who are not pure libertarians but are motivated by a libertarian take on one or more pressing issues.””

My take is that the various Tea Parties scare the daylights out of the existing political parties because they are a bottom up movement instead of a top down organization. They don't take their "marching orders" from anyone except themselves. That's exactly opposite of how protests have been organized for the last thirty or forty years.

It's the politics of the everyman, not necessarily tied to election cycles.

The Republican leadership believes it can be subverted because they did it before. You may not remember the "Republican Revolution" in the 1994 midterm elections. When the newly minted members of Congress took their seats, the wheeling and dealing began. There was no way those freshmen Congressmen and Senators would get committee assignments unless they toed the line. The institutions of Congress and the political parties were designed to seduced and subvert anyone who might make change. That is exactly what happened.

This could be different. And I really stress that "could be." If people accept that the real change is only going to happen if they are involved and watching closely, then yes, it could get better.

Otherwise we're waiting for the system to collapse. And when the government starts spending more on debt service than anything else, it won't take long.

They established institutions of both major parties aren't interested in reform, they want power. Even if every candidate elected for the next three national elections was a "Tea Party" candidate, it wouldn't be enough to stem the tide. The only way the party leadership will accept reform is if they are running scared.

Posted: Mon - September 20, 2010 at 12:14 PM

Tags: Jesse Walker ∙ Tea Party ∙ Campaign for Liberty ∙ political leadership ∙ decentralized ∙ libertarian ∙ authoritarians ∙ scamsters ∙ political parties ∙ top down ∙ everyman ∙ Republican ∙ Republican Revolution ∙ Congress

““I am an American and a Patriot. I am my country's keeper. The President and Congress report to me. And so - I will stay informed and involved. Ignorance, apathy, and complacency are my enemy. I will make my voice heard and not just at election time. Silence is the same as consent in the face of oppression. I can make a difference. I matter.I am an American and a Patriot.””

Tags: picture ∙ American ∙ patriot ∙ President ∙ Congress ∙ informed ∙ involved ∙ ignorance ∙ apathy ∙ complacency ∙ enemy ∙ voice ∙ election ∙ silence ∙ consent ∙ oppression ∙ memes

Headlines that don't merit their own entry

Tags: Christian ∙ campus ∙ mass shootings ∙ Las Vegas ∙ shooting ∙ The Satanic Temple ∙ lawsuit ∙ State Department ∙ Hillary Clinton ∙ religion ∙ surveillance ∙ Congress ∙ net neutrality ∙ competition ∙ University of Iowa ∙ Faith organization ∙ humanist ∙ atheist ∙ climate change ∙ hate crime

The FCC sneaks in the back door on the cable companies

Tags: Original Vigil ∙ Stephen Colber ∙ Congress ∙ Truman Committee ∙ immigration reform ∙ Democrats ∙ Republicans

Headlines that don't merit their own entry

Tags: CFPB ∙ resistance ∙ Masterpiece Cakeshop ∙ marijuana ∙ pot ∙ taboo ∙ conservative ∙ Roy Moore ∙ Al Franken ∙ Trent Franks ∙ surrogacy ∙ First Amendment ∙ Phillip DeFranco ∙ Congress ∙ President ∙ Pam Anderson ∙ victimhood feminism ∙ Harvey Weinstein ∙ everybody knew ∙ black market ∙ Spain ∙ cheese ∙ Republicans ∙ tax cutting ∙ broadband ∙ internet ∙ Harvard ∙ drug prices ∙ big pharma ∙ monopoly ∙ August Ames ∙ gay porn ∙ exceptions ∙ adult film star ∙ QE

Microsoft's new Chinese web portal censor's words like "freedom" and "democracy"

Tags: Donald Trump ∙ Goldwater Rule ∙ national monuments ∙ Utah ∙ racism ∙ anti-racism ∙ EU ∙ taxes ∙ extortion ∙ Barack Obama ∙ Logan Act ∙ Wyoming ∙ robbery ∙ cops ∙ opoid crisis ∙ mandatory minimum sentences ∙ Devin Nunes ∙ Congress ∙ DoJ ∙ FBI

Older headlines that don't merit their own entry

Tags: Republicans ∙ Democrats ∙ Donald Trump ∙ Barack Obama ∙ Hillary Clinton ∙ looted ∙ Antifa ∙ Samantha Power ∙ unmasking ∙ Princeton ∙ campus newspaper ∙ editorial board ∙ dissent ∙ climate change ∙ Florida ∙ solar power ∙ crony capitalism ∙ Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ∙ slush fund ∙ Congress ∙ President ∙ taxpayers ∙ Jeff Sessions ∙ fearmongering ∙ stingray ∙ warrant ∙ rental ∙ vacancy ∙ Elizabeth Warren

“Senator Jon Tester Showing How He Received the Republican "Tax Reform" Bill Just Hours before the Late Night Vote was Scheduled and how it was marked up in a way that made it impossible to read/understand. Is this even legal?”

Tags: Congress ∙ Senate ∙ tax bill ∙ Jon Tester ∙ video ∙ guest content

Tags: Donald Trump ∙ Congress ∙ judicial nominees ∙ NFL ∙ voter fraud ∙ Elizabeth Warren ∙ Trevor Noah ∙ Native American ∙ Kate Steinle ∙ Wyoming ∙ highway robbery ∙ puppicide ∙ Facebook ∙ wellness checks ∙ retirement ∙ bitcoin ∙ Silk Road ∙ climate alarmist

Tags: polite ∙ spiderweb ∙ 7-Eleven ∙ Apple ∙ New Hampshire ∙ China ∙ trade ∙ civilian review board ∙ Donald Trump ∙ Robert Menendez ∙ technology ∙ Canada ∙ right to work ∙ Rex Murphy ∙ Antifa ∙ alt-right ∙ U.S. Virgin Islands ∙ racism ∙ cops ∙ Voynich manuscript ∙ Congress ∙ bureaucracy ∙ technocrats ∙ Hillary Clinton ∙ robbery ∙ Supreme Court ∙ travel ban ∙ Pope Francis

Headlines that don't merit their own entry

Tags: ACLU ∙ Venezuela ∙ Russia ∙ speech wars ∙ Mike Pence ∙ CNN ∙ white supremacy ∙ Congress ∙ Fourth Amendment ∙ affirmative action ∙ Trump administration ∙ Iran ∙ webcams ∙ security ∙ UC Berkeley ∙ TSA ∙ privacy

As I said, the tax exempt status is a "devil's trade" intended in large part to silence churches.

Tags: 2016 election ∙ Robert Mueller ∙ Donald Trump ∙ Loretta Lynch ∙ Bill Clinton ∙ Republican ∙ Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ∙ President ∙ Congress ∙ simple vs complex ∙ Army ∙ Confederate general ∙ Brooklyn ∙ Paul Ryan ∙ crony capitalism

Headlines that don't merit their own entry

Tags: Planned Parenthood ∙ transgender ∙ masturbation ∙ healthcare ∙ Congress ∙ Roomba ∙ mapping ∙ Donald Trump ∙ brutalize suspects ∙ Justin Amash ∙ two major parties ∙ Seattle ∙ eminent domain

Headlines that don't merit their own entry

Tags: San Diego ∙ teacher ∙ Border Patrol ∙ Jeff Sessions ∙ marijuana ∙ violent crime ∙ police ∙ Pentagon ∙ weapons ∙ healthcare ∙ Rand Paul ∙ repeal ∙ Congress ∙ transgender

“The End of Cash; The End of Freedom”

Tags: guest content ∙ video ∙ Adam Ruins Everything ∙ cannabis ∙ can do ∙ weed ∙ harmless ∙ deaths per year ∙ alcohol ∙ tobacco ∙ gateway drug ∙ marijuana ∙ memory problems ∙ poor cognitive functioning ∙ moderation ∙ Herodotus ∙ weed was legal ∙ Harry Anslinger ∙ Federal Bureau of Narcotics ∙ 1930 ∙ racism ∙ propaganda ∙ Congress ∙ Reefer Madness ∙ 1937 ∙ banned marijuana ∙ mandatory minimum sentencing ∙ false claims ∙ 1973 ∙ bipartisan commission ∙ Richard Nixon ∙ decriminalize ∙ War on Drugs ∙ John Ehrlichman ∙ political enemies ∙ minorities ∙ DARE

Headlines that don't merit their own entry

Tags: War on Drugs ∙ opoid crisis ∙ Mexico ∙ military invasion ∙ Afghanistan ∙ drug experation dates ∙ government ∙ Congress ∙ boycott ∙ israel ∙ lawmakers ∙ Constitution ∙ Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ∙ CFPB ∙ economy ∙ Donald Trump ∙ Republican ∙ Democrats ∙ establishment ∙ Obamacare ∙ Kid Rock

Our heroes are defined by what they have done and how they inspire us.

Tags: Crux Files ∙ Robert A. Heinlein ∙ Lawrence W. Reed ∙ certainty ∙ perfection ∙ government ∙ promises ∙ good intentions ∙ price distortions ∙ prudent person ∙ Congress ∙ new regulations ∙ second order consequences ∙ third order consequences ∙ feedback loop ∙ politicos ∙ loan game ∙ free money ∙ something for nothing ∙ Second Amendment ∙ neither help nor hinder ∙ Christians ∙ outsourced wages ∙ industrial nations ∙ free to choose ∙ Judeo-Christian ∙ Christianity ∙ Constitution ∙ E pluribus unum ∙ one from many ∙ united we stand ∙ codified law ∙ public morality ∙ religious system ∙ The Moral Authority ∙ personal morality, ∙ multiple faiths

““Congress is permanently in “Annie” mode. It will deal with its war responsibilities, like its myriad other forfeited powers, tomorrow, which is always a day away.””
     — George Will, Congress is fleeing its warmaking responsibilities

Tags: George Will ∙ Congress

Tags: House of Representatives ∙ DEA ∙ regulations ∙ Donald Trump ∙ impeach ∙ NSA ∙ Democrat ∙ email ∙ Middle America ∙ Donald Trump Jr ∙ media ∙ Muslims ∙ Islamist terror ∙ Islamists ∙ VISA ∙ war on cash ∙ Oympics ∙ IOC ∙ International Olympics Committee ∙ stadium scam ∙ Congress ∙ responsibility ∙ George Will ∙ Phoenix ∙ government ∙ private enterprise

Tags: Congress ∙ Amazon ∙ food security ∙ Fedal subsidies ∙ Iqaluit ∙ Walmart ∙ John McCain ∙ Donald Trump ∙ Russia ∙ New York Times ∙ media ∙ Vladimir Putin ∙ Cash for Clunkers ∙ liberal ∙ Rust Belt ∙ Democrats ∙ California ∙ unions ∙ phone numbers ∙ addresses

Tags: freedom ∙ press ∙ politicos ∙ protect citizens ∙ marriage ∙ approval ∙ medicine ∙ medical devices ∙ government power ∙ Congress ∙ Public Laws ∙ 2016 ∙ Barack Obama ∙ regulations ∙ Federal Register ∙ More Government ∙ personal responsibility? ∙ ☆

“How I missed the point of bitcoin”

“Congress considers bill greatly expanding feds’ power to seize your money, Bitcoin, and property”

Tags: clipping ∙ bitcoin ∙ dark web ∙ censorship-resistance ∙ Marc Hochstein ∙ Congress ∙ seize ∙ money ∙ property ∙ Charles Grassley ∙ Dianne Feinstein ∙ John Cornyn ∙ Sheldon Whitehouse ∙ monetary instruments ∙ blank check ∙ criminal activity ∙ Justin Haskins

Tags: net neutrality ∙ Drudge Report ∙ Lois Lerner ∙ IRS ∙ Tea Party ∙ Barack Obama ∙ election ∙ hack ∙ Russia ∙ Congress ∙ budget process ∙ tolerance ∙ Kathy Griffin ∙ consequences ∙ Democrats ∙ Syria

And this would be a bad thing how?

I know what CNN is saying.

But realistically, why would a government shutdown be bad?

We know what Milton Friedman said.
Pretty much everything else could be done better by the states or the private sector.

If your local grocery store closed because they forgot to order, you'd go somewhere else. If the plumber you called couldn't come because his truck got repossessed, you'd call another. If your favorite coffee place had no one to work and was closed, well, there are other options.

But with government services, there aren't options.

Government doesn't like competition.

Every year, statists tell you How Important Government Is and how the "other party" is about to screw up your life.

It's political theater.

There isn't even a budget.

The last time there was officially a budget was 2009. But it was pretty much a budget in name only. Even if there was a budget, it would be several thousand pages long, incredibly detailed on some things and disturbingly vague on others. It's meant to be abused. I don't want to examine the Federal budget process here but I will tell you that even if Congress makes no changes, each agency gets the same amount it had the previous year plus an automatic increase. This is the so-called discretionary spending.

That's right. It takes an act of Congress to keep spending at the same level it was in the previous year.

The default setting is more government and more spending.

Then there is the mandatory spending which isn't part of the budget process. Congress may revisit the rules every few years on mandatory spending qualifications, but it usually rolls along on it's own. Mandatory spending is about two-thirds of the budget, Social Security alone is about one-third.

And I haven't even gotten to earmarks.

Government doesn't like competition so it locks private interests out of the services it provides. It manipulates you into blaming the other party so it can tax and spend more of your money. And it expects thanks for it's hard work.

Government shutdown.

This would be a bad thing how?

Tags: government ∙ government shutdown ∙ Milton Friedman ∙ picture ∙ competition ∙ Congress ∙ budget process ∙ political theater ∙ budget ∙ discretionary spending ∙ mandatory spending ∙ Social Security ∙ earmarks

Headlines that don't merit their own entry

Tags: ethanol ∙ Congress ∙ gasoline ∙ cellulose ∙ food crops ∙ subsidies ∙ food prices ∙ good intentions ∙ bad law

r/libertarian vs r/socialism

Tags: war ∙ Congress ∙ Constitution ∙ George Washington ∙ James Madison ∙ Donald Trump ∙ reset ∙ Syria ∙ Iraq ∙ North Korea ∙ China ∙ Russia ∙ mainstream media ∙ intelligence agencies ∙ politicos ∙ freedom ∙ American hegemony ∙ tribute

Buying Reform

❝❝Charged with promoting campaign-finance reform when he joined Pew in the mid-1990s, Treglia came up with a three-pronged strategy: 1) pursue an expansive agenda through incremental reforms, 2) pay for a handful of "experts" all over the country with foundation money and 3) create fake business, minority and religious groups to pound the table for reform.

"The target audience for all this activity was 535 people in Washington," Treglia says — 100 in the Senate, 435 in the House. "The idea was to create an impression that a mass movement was afoot — that everywhere they looked, in academic institutions, in the business community, in religious groups, in ethnic groups, everywhere, people were talking about reform."

It's a stark admission, but perhaps Treglia should be thanked for his candor.

>snip<

But this money didn't come from little old ladies making do with cat food so they could send a $20 check to Common Cause. The vast majority of this money — $123 million, 88 percent of the total — came from just eight liberal foundations.

These foundations were: the Pew Charitable Trusts ($40.1 million), the Schumann Center for Media and Democracy ($17.6 million), the Carnegie Corporation of New York ($14.1 million), the Joyce Foundation ($13.5 million), George Soros' Open Society Institute ($12.6 million), the Jerome Kohlberg Trust ($11.3 million), the Ford Foundation ($8.8 million) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation ($5.2 million).

Not exactly all household names, but the left-wing groups that these foundations support may be more familiar: the Earth Action Network, the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, People for the American Way, Planned Parenthood, the Public Citizen Foundation, the Feminist Majority Foundation . . .

What did this liberal foundation crowd buy with its $123 million?

For starters, a stable of supposedly independent pro-reform groups, with Orwellian names you may have heard in the press: the Center for Public Integrity, the William J. Brennan Center for Justice, Democracy 21 and so on.

Plus, favorable press coverage. Here, the story — as laid out in the Political Money Line report — gets really ugly.❞❞

Tags: skimmed ∙ 2005 ∙ Sean Treglia ∙ campaign finance reform ∙ Watch List ∙ Congress ∙ Pew Charitable Trusts ∙ Schumann Center for Media and Democracy ∙ Carnegie Corporation of New York ∙ Joyce Foundation ∙ George Soros ∙ Open Society Institute ∙ Jerome Kohlberg Trust ∙ Ford Foundation ∙ John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation ∙ Earth Action Network ∙ NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund ∙ People for the American Way ∙ Planned Parenthood ∙ ublic Citizen Foundation ∙ Feminist Majority Foundation ∙ Center for Public Integrity ∙ William J. Brennan Center for Justice ∙ Democracy 21 ∙ clipping

‟Ignore the Mob—Long Live the Electoral College”

Tags: skimmed ∙ David Harsanyi ∙ electoral college ∙ President ∙ Vice President ∙ politicos ∙ scaremonger ∙ Senate ∙ Congress ∙ Barack Obama ∙ Donald Trump ∙ clipping

Memo To The Next President: We Can Grow A Lot Faster

❝❝The idea that there is some kind of inevitable decline in productivity, he says, is nonsense: "Experience and formal analysis tell us clearly that innovation and productivity happen where there is rule of law, simple and predictable regulation, property rights, reasonable taxation, an open and competitive economy, and decent public infrastructure," Cochrane wrote recently. "These politicians do have ample control over, and ample opportunity to screw up."

Presidents, working with Congress, can have an enormous impact on the things that matter.

So what matters? A kind of consensus is emerging among some economists that significant barriers to growth exist — and that they can be swept away. Doing so could push the long-term growth path back above 3% -- creating millions of new jobs and higher incomes at the same time.❞❞

Tags: skimmed ∙ decline ∙ productivity ∙ innovation ∙ productivity ∙ rule of law ∙ regulation ∙ property rights ∙ taxation ∙ President ∙ Congress ∙ clipping

2016 is when more Americans will vote against someone rather than for someone.

Tags: video ∙ election ∙ Congress ∙ Save The Day - Vote ∙ none of the above ∙ not your friend ∙ NOTA ∙ guest content

We’re at the point where the American republic may fall.

At this point, I’m honestly not sure it can be saved.

I’m not sure it should be saved.

There are some ideas I have been playing with the last few years or so. I’ve tried to talk these out with people I trust. And now I am putting them here. All are Constitutional amendments.

Remember that the Constitution was designed to restrain the actions of government, not citizens. Remember too that many of the checks and balances have been removed over the years. And finally, the Federal government was never intended to run smoothly and efficiently. The checks and balances were designed to protect freedom.

Liberty is the goal, not democracy.

• Repeal the 16th Amendment

The income tax is one of the biggest threats to freedom ever enacted. With it, the Federal government assumes you are guilty unless you can prove that you are not. This is a complete reversal of the rule of law prior to the amendment.

With the 16th, the Federal government is not restrained by the need for a warrant. Your employer, your bank, any financial company that you do business with, all are required by law to report transactions over a specific amount or any “suspicious activity.” There are “rewards” if other citizens turn you in. Effectively, everyone around you is required to spy on you and penalized if they do not.

Tax cases are heard in an administrative court run by the Internal Revenue Service with it’s own rules of evidence. Your money and property can be seized and the only way you can get it back (less interest) is to prove that the IRS is wrong by it’s own regulations. Regulations that are so complex that it is literally beyond the ability of any one person to understand.

The “progressive” tax system is designed to foster envy and “class” disruption. The income tax is one of the most despised Federal laws in American history. The only thing that keeps Americans from hanging IRS agents is that citizens think the “system” hits someone else worse. It fosters scapegoats so it seems “fair.”

An income tax system inevitably leads to political corruption. Unpopular groups find themselves under extra scrutiny. Politicos use it to keep their enemies and rivals in line.

There are technicalities that I could spend pages and pages examining. For example, if there is a “standard deduction,” then by definition taxes are too high.

The income tax took away your freedom. You have to acknowledge this every year by signing a Federal form. Under penalty of law.

• Repeal the 17th Amendment

Brought to you by the same merry madcaps who gave us the 16th, the 17th Amendment reduces freedom in the name of popular democracy. The 17th has made Senators political bosses in their own states, with control of the Federal money spigot and a guaranteed spot high up in the political parties.

The popular election of Senators took away some of the oversight the state legislatures were supposed to have on Congress. But since Senators no longer answer to their state legislature, they have become tools of their party.

This does not serve freedom.

This part of popular democracy destroys freedom. It’s an illusion designed to expand the major political parties while fooling the voter into thinking that they have influence.

There’s a place for popular democracy, but not unrestrained popular democracy. The Bill of Rights is the best example.

• None of the Above and Alternative Voting

Every election should have a None of the Above choice. If NOTA won, then those candidates on the ballot would be barred from serving in that office for that term.

One choice that people should always have is the choice to walk away.

We should never assume that the default is to elect someone. Especially if the voters aren’t picking who gets to run.

Alternative voting just means ranking the candidates in order of your favorites. The biggest advantage is that the minority candidates have a better chance of being elected and major parties are forced to pay closer attention to all the voters. Instead of voting against a bad candidate, voters could choose someone closer to their beliefs and priorities.

• Laws and Regulations

As things stand now, there will always be more laws and regulations unless Congress takes direct action. Think about that carefully.

The default state of the American Federal government is more government.

That is not freedom.

I suggest a three pronged attack.

First, ALL government regulations would sunset within three years unless made law by Congress and the President.

Second, state legislatures would approve Federal regulation before it applies in that state. This approval could be withdrawn at any time. Congress has the power and authority to pass laws for the nation, but it can’t delegate that power. Every single Federal regulation that governs individuals and states is unconstitutional.

This would reduce Federal regulation to it’s proper scope and shift coercive power away from millions of unelected technocrats.

I know this seems excessive, but it is actually well within Constitutional principles. There’s nothing in the Constitution that provides for regulatory agencies except the much abused and overused commerce clause. Certainly there is nothing that provides for administrative court systems outside the Federal courts.

Third, each state legislature could choose one Federal law annually for referendum at the next Congressional election. Each Congressional election, there could be up to 100 Federal laws on the ballot. And if a law does not get a national majority voting to retain it, it would be gone.

Practically, this would effectively be automatic repeal. Unless it was a very good idea, I can’t see a majority voting to keep a law. But the possibility is there. The automatic repeal means that Congress would have to convince voters of the worth of each and every law. And if the state legislatures are canny, one carefully chosen law could defang dozens of others.

In other words, this proposal gives the states direct oversight of Congress.

There are other things that I would love to see done. But these four would do wonders. I welcome your comments and ideas.

Tags: American republic ∙ repeal ∙ amendment ∙ technocrats ∙ Constitution ∙ President ∙ amendment proposal ∙ referendum ∙ 16th Amendment ∙ income tax ∙ IRS ∙ 17th Amendment ∙ Senate ∙ none of the above ∙ alternative voting ∙ Congress ∙ more government ∙ Federal regulation ∙ default state ∙ sunset clause ∙ exempt ∙ automatic repeal ∙ commerce clause ∙ Republic ∙ classic ∙ favorites

The party system controls who runs for office & stops the public from interfering

Tags: Trump ∙ Hillary Clinton ∙ elites ∙ either/or ∙ CGP Grey ∙ Congress ∙ President ∙ video ∙ none of the above ∙ guest content

❝John Hackmann, a Fairview Heights, Ill., retiree, labeled it a “Washington cartel.”

“They just let the government do whatever they want,” said Jim Walker, an Arnold, Mo., businessman.

What is the establishment? Nationally, eight in 10 people told a McClatchy-Morning Consult poll this month it includes members of Congress. Similar numbers cited the Democratic and Republican parties, political donors, Wall Street bankers and the mainstream media.

They split on whether Trump, a billionaire real estate developer who’s thrived in the New York business world, was part of the establishment, but seven in 10 said Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton was.

In essence, the establishment lives and thrives in a small world that lives and works in New York and Washington, on Wall Street, in Big Media, and in Politics, connected by the high-speed Acela corridor and often by mutual self interest.

Many, perhaps most, do care deeply about the common good though they are anything but common themselves. They hire each other and each other’s children. They huddle at the same white tie and black tie dinners. And, they sometimes attend each other’s weddings.❞

Make your choice.

Tags: skimmed ∙ establishment ∙ free market rebellion ∙ freely chosen ∙ institutions ∙ Congress ∙ Democrats ∙ Republican

The Imperious Leader expects the American people to swallow the shit to get the good parts.

Tags: Congress ∙ Imperious Leader ∙ tyranny

They’ve forgotten that their power comes from the people.

Tags: election ∙ Imperious Leader ∙ Congress