Monday Miscellany
Here’s a small collection of stuff I’ve picked up or thoughts I’ve thunk during the last week. This might become a regular feature. Or not. :-)
- An astute observer dropped this into the comments on a census post this morning: “Don’t Trust the Census.” Maybe you knew that so-called “confidential” census data was used to round up Japanese-Americans during World War II. Did you know that General Sherman — he of the unpunished “civil” war crimes — used census data in his genocidal march to the sea?
- The virtues of adversity. I mentioned the heroic Sister Kenny in my recent post about inspirational movies. That led me to a Wikipedia listing of famous polio survivors. Notice how many became writers or sports stars or even in one case a famous dancer because of their suffering.
- Something weird over at Time magazine. This is the second time I’ve seen them publish an article about secessionists that wasn’t both error-filled and sneering. Wow.
- From the “Things I’ll Never Understand” department. Why do so many people think it’s worse to expose a bad deed than it is to actually do the awful act in the first place?
I give you (in some slightly old news) Obama and Bush both blocking revelation of more photos of more government hirelings committing more (and possibly worse) torture than was revealed at Abu Ghraib.
Their claim (as put by the Obamaites; the Busheviks probably had more personal worries): that the images would “further inflame anti-American opinion” and endanger U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Uh … no, dude. Fessing up to the photos could lance the festering boil and begin the healing. It may hurt at first, but it’s the only way to say, “We don’t approve and will forever put a halt to war crimes like these.” Hiding the evidence when everybody already knows the crimes were committed, and are possibly still being committed … now that’s what will “inflame” people.
This reminds me of an old neighbor of mine whose creepy son was accused of molesting several children. One of the accusers was a cousin. “Mom” went up and down the neighborhood, loudly decrying the “betrayal” by her relatives. “They should have kept it in the family!” she railed. She never denied that her son did the deed. The only bad thing was that anyone would dare speak about it.
People. We’re very strange creatures. - Finally, I’ve just received copies of Indy-Pindy: The Liberty Mouse, the new freedomista childrens’ book, and Kent’s Liberty Primer, both by Kent McManigal. Kent already has permanent kudos from me for creating the “Time’s Up” or DullHawk flag. I’ll have more on the books later in the week. But so far … good stuff.
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February 1st, 2010 at 2:13 pm
No census for me, incase the new hard core leftists running national security decide to round up all of the pretty much average white guys with opposing ideas and collections of really weird books and trinkets that they could show on the evening news to justify it all. You know, like me =]
February 1st, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Glad you got ‘em. And honored that you give me kudos. :)
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:10 am
And in Germany prior to WW2 the census was altered to identify people by religion. Guess how they knew where all the Jews lived.
Just read the article in time magazine. And have noted the left leanind stance of the libertarians.
Is it only us that regard libertarians as neither left nor right and not even in the centre. We stand apart. Both the left and the right play the same game to a lesser or greater degree. Both are tied to the same system both here in the UK and in the USA.
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Which is why when we take part in the census we give only the information required by the Constitution. ‘They’ don’t have-a-need-to-know any further information and if ‘we the people’ just say no to the B.S., it will stop. Ben Franklin was right when he said, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:06 am
Two questions re Kent McManigal’s books:
1) What age is Indy-Pindy-The Liberty Mouse written for? (The picture on the cover looks young.)
2) While Amazon always seems to have whatever I want or need, I’ve never been able to get past their credit card status. Is there any way to buy Kent’s book(s) except through Amazon — or without a credit card?
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:30 am
Two things.
During the last census, we received one of the long forms filled with intrusive questions about everything except how often we used the bathroom each day. I sent it back with only the “how many people live there” questions answered.
Some months later, we received a phone call from a woman at the Census bureau who expected me to answer a bunch of survey questions. I told her our family does not do surveys. She proceeded to explain why it was important that everyone they call participate. I asked what part of we don’t do surveys was unclear. She actually took offense at the notion we did not want to comply! I just thank her for calling and hung up, wondering if the cops might appear at my door one day. Thankfully, they did not.
The other thing is this notion of “war crimes.”
Unless I misunderstand the concept, the purpose of fighting a war is to destroy the other side, to kill and beat them into submission while having as few of our side killed or otherwise hurt.
Given that, the very idea of “rules” is silly. It’s okay to drop bombs on cities and kill thousands but it’s not okay to do whatever is necessary to get information from one of the enemy?
If a nuclear bomb was hidden in New York City set to go off in a few hours and we had the person who hid it, should we advise him of his rights and then hope he’ll tell us where it is or should we do whatever we have to to get the location?
I vote for the latter.
Good, thought-provoking post. I hope you’ll make the Monday Miscellany a regular feature.
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:35 am
Gail, good on you for your stand on the census. Guess we’re likely to agree to disagree on other matters. But I do have three questions for you:
1. How many of the men tortured and/or killed in U.S. captivity have had — or been suspected to have — nuclear bombs set to go off in major population centers? Or anything similar to that? Were the men in the Abu Ghraib photos in that category?
2. If it’s okay to “do whatever is necessary” to get information, and if that means torturing people, then why is it not also okay to release photos of the torture?
3. If you learned that Iraqis or Afghanis were torturing U.S. soldiers that they had in captivity, would you think this was also okay?
Thank you for your comments and for your v*te to keep Monday Miscellany a regular feature.
Good disagreements make for good discussion. :-)
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:39 am
Pat,
Kent himself would be better able to answer your first question. But I’d say Indy-Pindy is aimed at pre-schoolers and early grade-schoolers. Or (for those who don’t see things in terms of schooling — maybe ages 3 to 7 or 8).
Last I checked, Amazon didn’t require credit cards exclusively. You can also pay by check or M.O. after placing your order. Just takes a little longer. But if you’d rather buy from another source, here’s a link to Kent’s online store:
http://www.dullhawk.com/shop.html
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:10 am
Thanks, Claire.
February 3rd, 2010 at 2:08 pm
this really a suggestion for pat. here in the uk you can get a prepay credit card and if you dont mind a restricted balance no checks are required either. the one we use is by O2 the phone company and you can even preload it at any mobile phone shop. they are good as they are far more secure that your average credit card and you can only spend the value of what you have put on it. we use on for all internet shopping that way any identity thieves are snookered as the card is not in our address. i would be surprised if you don`t have them there.
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:43 pm
Of course, I am always willing to consider alternative forms of payment, too. Just contact me at my email address (available at the website Claire linked above or the website you will find by clicking on my name) and we can work something out.