This date in history

Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as Soviet president on this day 20 years ago. Russia had declared its independence the day before.

There are now adults attending college and serving in the military who do not remember this. We will be vulnerable to the same fate if we are arrogant enough to think that we are immune from it. Occupying Afghanistan and economic mismanagement tends to take a heavy toll on superpowers.

Why you should be worried about indefinite detention

There are religious terrorists out there. There are also secular terrorists out there. For that matter, I suspect some terrorists are as sincere about their religious beliefs as politicians are about their campaign promises.
There are also right wing terrorists, left wing terrorists, anarchist terrorists, and people with no coherent ideology who just want to blow up things and hurt people. Terrorists can be of any race or ethnicity.
Terrorists can look like anybody. Even elderly and disabled people have joined these movements. So anybody can be mistaken for a terrorist. Maybe a disgruntled neighbor might leave an anonymous type about you taking flight lessons or a chemistry class.

There are a couple of reasons why this will make us less safe:
1. When a suspect is captured, our justice system takes further steps to ensure that the right guy is in custody and the actual perpetrator is still at large. One of these steps is called a trial. Some people might insist that it is better to punish the innocent than let the guilty go free, but allowing people to establish their innocence helps ensure that guilty people do not go free.
2. Here's a hypothetical scenario. Let's say a bomb goes off in Chicago, and some group calling itself the Detroit Lions Liberation Army claims responsibility. The government arrests 10 Lions fans and doesn't give them a trial. Would this make Lions fans more or less loyal to America? Now replace "Lions fans" with "Southerners", "abolitionists", "African-Americans", "Mormons", "Japanese-Americans", "German immigrants" or any other group that has ever been placed under suspicion.

Brief update

We'll be having a meeting later this month. Since it's at a private residence, I'm not going to announce somebody's address to a bunch of trolls. But the odds are that we have a few lapsed members who haven't been getting our emails. Maybe you have a new email address or an over zealous spam filter. Anyway, contact me and I'll you where and when the meeting is.

Also, I saw this video, and I hope it drives a nail into Rally for Rail's coffin.

Regarding illegal activity at protests

Some people are upset that protesters are being allowed to camp in Freimann Square in violation of the law. But the most important job of the police is to promote public safety, so discretion must be used in situations where normal police actions could provoke violence. This isn't to say that illegal activity should get a pass just because it's nonviolent. Police simply have to do their jobs in a way that minimizes risk to themselves and others.

One way to handle the matter is to issue citations that require the violator to appear in court. Maybe he'll show up and pay the fine, or maybe a bench warrant will have to be issued. Getting arrested after a traffic stop three months after the protest is over is somewhat less glamorous as getting arrested while your friends film it.

Veterans Day

The best way to honor Veterans Day is preserve what they protected. We must not discard at home what they fought for abroad.

It should also be noted that November 11, 1918 was known as Armistice Day. It was a celebration of what was hoped to be a long and lasting peace. I suspect that among every generation in every nation there is an impulse to honor the heroes of the past by replicating their feats, by proving we are as brave now as they were then. There may very well be a time when there is no longer a need for heroes, but that is a problem we can only look forward to for now.

The Thin End of the Wedge

The Occupy protests

The Occupy movement has no consistent message, aside from the fact that they are upset with corporations, just as the Tea Party movement has no consistent message aside from the fact that they are upset with the federal government. Large organizations are like parents: necessary, but nobody is going to be happy with everything they do.

I do find some of the symbolism baffling. You would think that these people wearing Guy Fawkes masks would realize what Guy Fawkes actually stood for.

Here is something written by an Occupier that all other Occupiers should read.

Ken Burns' documentary on Prohibition.

I heartily recommend this miniseries. Prohibition was a case of good intentions gone awry. When FDR signed the Cullen–Harrison Act, which legalized 3.2% beer, it was perhaps the single best thing that any US president did for the American economy.

Instead of raising taxes, or addition to raising taxes....

Ayn Rand said people should be willing to pay 90% in taxes if it were necessary for national defense. It was hyperbole, but the point is that if the revenue is needed, then the taxes must be paid. Even Ayn Rand thought so.
If the government is in a situation in which taxes must be raised on the rich and corporations, then I propose that the following steps be taken as well.
1. End all subsidies to corporations. Corporations are supposed to raise their own capital and generate their own revenue. If a company can't do either, we shouldn't concern ourselves with it. A company that can no longer make money is like a lawnmower that can no longer cut grass. It has completely failed at its purpose. It should be scrapped.
2. End all entitlements to the wealthy. If taxes are charged based on the ability to pay, entitlements should be paid out based on need. If the country is such dire financial straits, if certain people are demanding that their own taxes be raised, why isn't this one of the first things to be cut?

Positive signs in negative ads.

Recently I've been getting mailers from the Indiana Democratic Party. They want to point out all the times that Paula Hughes has voted to raise taxes. Listed without any apparent irony was the time that Hughes voted for a downtown arena in 2000.
I want to think of this as a positive sign. To me, it's a sign that prior support of subsidies of the entertainment industry is now a political liability.

The Debt Ceiling

We all understand, or should understand, that politics is fueled by drama. It's hard to make people care about some policy issue unless you can show how if you don't get your way, it'll cost someone their life or job.

I suspect that both sides will reach a deal at the last minute. Give in anytime before then, and the side that gave concessions will look weak in front of their base. But aren't we all tired of having this debate every couple of years? Aren't we worried that there will come a time when both sides dig in their heels and goes into default? Is default inevitable in the long run? I don't have an answer for that. If it happens, it'll be one of those events that looks inevitable in hindsight.

The best way to prepare for and possibly prevent a default is to reduce the amount of power and responsibility that we assign to the federal government. If it's worth doing, and doesn't involve national defense or tangible goods crossing state lines, then it shouldn't be done by the federal government. Our healthcare and your children's education should not be subject to the whims of 536 people who cannot reach a consensus when it matters most.

Tragedy in Norway

Things I wish I could have said to the perpetrator before it happened:
1. You might think that you are waking people up to the threat of Islam. But it's far more likely that they'll wake up to the threat of you and whatever movements you claim to support.
2. Islamic terrorists have planned attacks against Norway. They've planned attacks in a lot of places. I plan to pay off my house and lose 25 pounds within five years, but it doesn't mean it's going to happen. Why not take a wait and see approach? If foreign terrorists do attack, you can say that you were right and more people will listen to you. If they don't, you can rejoice in the fact that your country has been unharmed by the current crisis.
3. Are you really doing this for the reasons that you claim? Do you really want Norway to become a police state? Or are you doing this for the notoriety and the attention? Do you think that 100 years from now, historians will say "Boy, it's a good thing that this guy killed all those people"?
4. Lie face down on the ground, and put your hands behind your head.

Will Social Security checks arrive on time next month?

I think that they probably will. But the President says he cannot guarantee that they will. So let's talk about this. Would you buy a product from a company that could not guarantee that they would deliver that product? Maybe you could get your money back, but in the case of Social Security, your money is the product in question. Whether you blame the President or the GOP for the current fiasco, this is simply one more reason why the federal government should not control your retirement.

I think everyone reading this will agree with the following: "I take the time to weigh each candidate's qualifications and stances on the issues. But sometimes they break their promises once elected. And sometimes some douchebag from a different party cons a bunch of morons into voting for him." The fact is that the wrong people have a way of gaining power. People might disagree about who the wrong people are. But if you put your healthcare and your retirement in the hands of the government, you are putting it in the hands of those wrong people.

City tries its hand at real estate speculation

The first paragraph in this article says it all:

Fort Wayne wants control over how the land near Parkview Field is used, despite having no specific plan for development.

One would think that officials would welcome almost any private investment downtown. Instead, the city has bought this land so that it can cherry-pick potential buyers. If the redevelopment commission tries to micromanage downtown land usage, fewer businesses will be interested in locating there. It seems like many businesses "support" downtown but refuse to move there.

Do we really need the Harrison?

Barry Real Estate still cannot get the financing to build the Harrison building, which is part of the Harrison Square project that is named after Harrison Street. (This city has a habit of shunning creative names, but that's another post.) Barry Real Estate insists that the recession could not have been anticipated.

It's hard to argue with that. Even economists have difficulty predicting what the economy is going to do. But the recession has taken a heavy toll on the real estate market. The City Council did not know that this would happen when Harrison Square was approved in 2007. Now that the real estate market has changed, perhaps it is time to reconsider what should be in the empty space next to the ballpark. If the goal is still to generate property tax revenue to put in the TIF fund and help pay off the bonds that were sold to pay for the ballpark, then a new developer should be found.

Of course, many important and influential people are going to have conflicting ideas about what should be in that spot. But they should resist the urge to declare "My way or the highway". The city should let a developer willing to invest his own money decide what should be built there, as well as guarantee that his business will be allowed to remain as long as he pays his bills and complies with local ordinances.

Whatever your opinion of the Harrison Square project is, you still need to understand that companies have a love/hate relationship with eminent domain. They hate it when a high-value location is taken away from them, but occasionally they like having the city take an albatross (remember Southtown?)off their hands. If companies have to worry about their buildings being bulldozed to make way for the next mayor's grand vision, downtown could stagnate even if the economy takes off. Whatever happens with the condos, and whatever you think about the project as a whole, let's agree to quit using downtown as a political sandbox.

Dead Kids Make Bad Laws

Here's an interesting article about a New Jersey law that requires teen drivers to have a special decal on their car. It's not exactly the worst law ever passed, but this is an interesting case where both supporters and opponents of this law cite children's safety as the reason for their opinion. This shows how emotions can cloud the judgement of legislators.

Another video

You're too lazy to read and I'm too lazy to write. Enjoy a video!

How you can be sure that OBL is dead.

Some people think that Bin Laden is still alive. While the US government has certain credibility issues, a little common sense would go a long way into understanding why they wouldn't lie about this.

If Bin Laden is alive, I would think that he would be motivated to put out another video in order to embarrass his foes. For him to stay silent and "play dead", you would have to think that it is in both Bin Laden's interests and the US government's interests to mislead everyone else into thinking that he is dead.

Truth may be the first casualty of war, and it can be argued that some lying is needed when the enemy has access to the same Internet as everyone else. But a skilled liar has to tell the truth occasionally in order to keep his lies believable. Whatever you think of this war or the current president, there is no doubt that Bin Laden is dead.

Bin Laden is dead.

A century before the tragic events of September 11th, 2001, President Theodore Roosevelt said "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." He claimed that this proverb originated in Africa. Insert your own joke about American Presidents and alleged African origins here.

It should be apparent to people of all nations, no matter their station in life or whatever god they believe in, that America carries many sticks of all shapes and sizes. Let's hope that this still-new millennium gives us the chance to speak softly to the world once again.

Planned Parenthood funding

Cutting funding for Planned Parenthood was the right thing to do. While it is my opinion that an organism needs a functional nervous system before it has any rights, I still think it is wrong for the state or the federal government to force people to pay for activities that they find morally abhorrent.
I enjoy violent video games, but I don't think Jack Thompson should pay for my fun. I enjoy hamburgers, but I don't think vegans should have to subsidize the beef industry. And I certainly don't think that environmentalists should have to pay to bailout a company that makes SUV's.