Fav quotes

[R.E.H.W.R.]

Which one of the Founding Fathers made the remark about it being desirable to have a revolution about once a generation?

Jefferson

[Ibrahim90]

Which one of the Founding Fathers made the remark about it being desirable to have a revolution about once a generation?

Thomas Jefferson IIRC.

[MrBogosity]

"God forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, & always well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty...what country can preserve it's liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon & pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. It is its natural manure." —Thomas Jefferson, to William Smith, November 13, 1787

[AnCap Dave]

[yt]TW3rrnXE1sg[/yt]

[tnu]

From wikipedia's article on Social Contract.

a supposed social contract cannot be used to justify governmental actions such as taxation, because government will initiate force against anyone who does not wish to enter into such a contract. As a result, it is not voluntary and therefore cannot be considered a legitimate contract at all.

[MrBogosity]

From wikipedia's article on Social Contract.

That's the part where they summarize Lysander Spooner's position.

[AnCap Dave]

Even I get a good zinger in every now and then.

[Lord T Hawkeye]

From wikipedia's article on Social Contract.

They love to claim that violence is totally a reasonable response to breach of contract.  Funny how they can't seem to cite one case of Blockbuster sending armed men to your house for not returning videos or VISA locking you up for not paying your bill.  Strange isn't it?

[AnCap Dave]

[Ibrahim90]

[spoiler]

[/spoiler]

[R.E.H.W.R.]

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over an 85 billion dollar cut in the increase of spending this year,
While I panicked, nearly fainting, I realized they were feigning,
As of someone generating political capital I can not ignore.
"Tis some democrat," I muttered, "using scare tactics for a political score,
Only this, and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember, it was in the debt ceiling endeavor,
And each party claimed it would not rest till the deficit was shored,
Eagerly I waited knowing, vainly I hoped for a showing
that the cuts would be substantial in the relevancy they bore!
For the rare and unheard of spending cuts, of which the liberals abhor!
Stuck in committee, forevermore.

And the empty sad uncertain flapping of each mouth made certain,
Thrilled me-- filled me with fantastic pessimism I'd never felt before,
So that now, to still the beating of my heart I stood repeating,
"Tis some solution even partisans can't ignore!
Some late solution deserving vote upon the House floor.
That it is, and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; doubting representatives no longer,

"SIR," said I, "or Madam, truly your solutions I abhore;
But the fact is you were touting, from your devious accounting,
that draconian cuts amounting to our deaths was at our door,
That I scarce was sure you knew math."

Here I read the CBC report.
A cut in the rate of increase, and nothing more.

Deep into the budget peering, long I read it, wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams of a surplus never had before;
But the spending was unbroken, and sequester stayed unbroken,
As the only cuts we'd ever see, that much is sure.
This I knew, and David Boaz murmured back at me,
"that much is sure."
Merely 2%, and nothing more.

Back into my chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon it seemed every politician was going back upon his word.
"Surely," said I, "surely we can cut this 16 trillion.
Let me see then how we cut the budget, this debt that's so absurd.
Let pragmatics be still a moment as we cut this debt absurd.
16 trillion's too much to ignore."

But then here I gave up glumly, when, with many a graph and study
In there stepped Gillespie with some stats I couldn't ignore.
Not the least in panic was he; not a fiscal crisis dug he;
But with mien of lord or lady; pinned a graph on my chalk board.
Pinned a chart of budget facts, just above my chalk board.
Full of facts, and nothing more.

Then this leather laden libertarian turned my sad fancy into smiling,
'Cause he was sure to say that politicians he did abhor,
"Though thy math be full of fact, thou" I said, "art sure no hack,
rational, realistic, and libertarian, longing for freedom, sure.
Tell me why we fear such small cuts from the budget that's in store"

Quoth Gillespie, "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled at this awkward libertarian to hear discourse so plainly,
Though his answers had much meaning, in Washington they'd still ignore.
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever will live to see a budget with a surplus in store,
Not 'till Jackson, and never since, shall a surplus be in store,
With a yearly budget, larger than that of yore.

But Gillespie, looking at his statistics, spoke only
of impending insolvency, as if the reckless spending he could not ignore.
Obama's budget is inaccurate, sequester isn't taking an axe to it,
So I asked if we do not cut, what for us is in store?
Pension insolvency, forevermore.

"Extremist!" Said I, "Thing of evil!-- extremist still if right or wrong!
Whether debt's beyond controlling, or whether sequester is too much, sure!
You don't care about the children, the elderly, or the poor!
Quoth Gillespie, "The debt we can't ignore."

And the sequester, never avoided, still is sitting, still is sitting,
On the House floor.
And the cuts have all the seeming of saving face while seeming
To care about cuts while pretending to give a fuck about the poor.
And our treasury bonds' interest rates to pay off debt galore,

Shall be lifted-- Nevermore.

Just awesome.

[MrBogosity]

Just awesome.

No, it was pretty good. It would have been awesome if he'd matched the meter.

[evensgrey]

They love to claim that violence is totally a reasonable response to breach of contract.  Funny how they can't seem to cite one case of Blockbuster sending armed men to your house for not returning videos or VISA locking you up for not paying your bill.  Strange isn't it?

Well, in fact, they will, after a fashion, but only once the State gives it a formal OK through the courts, and it'll be the armed men employed by the State who actually do any dirty work.

[Goaticus]

[MrBogosity]

From The Onion:

"I already belong to a health club, a church, and the Kiwanis Club," Tammy Golden of Los Angeles wrote. "I'm a member of the Von's Grocery Super Savers, which gets me a discount on certain groceries. These are all well-managed organizations with real benefits. None of them send me a confusing bill once a year and make me work it out myself, then throw me in jail if I get it wrong."

Pauls added: "I love America, but what's that got to do with having a country?"