The Liberty Belle: Put your lighters up!

Posted on 17. Jan, 2010 by RK in The Liberty Belle, United Kingdom

California announced some good news for Liberty. Lawmakers are considering a bill that would… legalize marijuana!  Not just medicinal marijuana, but marijuana for pleasure and recreational use. No, you are not dreaming and I’m not kidding. The bill, which would treat pot with the same regulations and restrictions as alcohol, passed the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee vote yesterday 4-3.  It still has to go through another Assembly vote on Friday for final consideration, but the mere fact that it’s finally being debated is a big step and, with the will of the people and groups like Law Enforcement Against Prohibition behind it, will pave the way to putting this issue at rest once and for all.

Once it has passed, it will radically change California for the good – they’ll come out of bankruptcy, the crowded jail problem will be eliminated, drug cartels will be crushed, children will now have restricted access, and they will find their citizens to be more calm, focused, and happy overall. Imagine the businesses that will spring up! This could prove to be the answer to our economic woes. I predict that this will spread to each state and, within two years of its passage, will be legalized throughout the country.

Finally a reason to celebrate.  Pass the Pineapple Express!

The Liberty Belle – Atheism is A-ok.

Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by RK in The Liberty Belle, United Kingdom

Many kudos to the Illinois State Capitol police for defending the First Amendment last week.

A sign placed on the State Capitol building by The Freedom from Religion Foundation was removed by Illinois comptroller candidate, William Kelly because he felt the message was “hate speech.”

The sign read:

“At the time of the winter solstice, let reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is just myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”

This message is obviously full of evil hate… that is, if your definition of “hate” is “criticizing religion.”

The Capitol police stepped in, replaced the sign, and escorted Mr. Kelly off the premises.

There was also a nativity scene and a Christmas tree on the Capitol steps.

I’m not sure if Mr. Kelly has ever read the First Amendment or knows that it’s the basic founding principle of this country, but it says that there should be “no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” He seems to think it has an “except for atheists clause.” (Ed: To be fair, atheism isn’t a religion)

How are the First Amendment rights of atheists any less than those of theists? There is no justification for that behavior and Mr. Kelly should resign from his candidacy for infringing on those rights.

However, we can all agree, that the rights of those who celebrate Festivus trump all others: “For the second year in a row, the Capitol also has an aluminum Festivus pole commemorating the fictional holiday created in ‘Seinfeld.’”

The Liberty Belle: The Emperor Has No Clothes

Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by RK in The Liberty Belle, United Kingdom

During the presidential campaign of 2008, the Messiah Barack Obama stole the hearts of American voters with talk of change and hope. This is nothing new, of course, for he is known worldwide for his almighty holy and healing rhetoric.  But, let’s look back on the term of this cult of personality and see how he’s doing.

This is the fastest decline in an approval rating of a first term president ever.

Recently, on ABC’s Christmas at the White House programme (which no one watched, I might add), Oprah asked him how he would grade his performance so far. He gave himself “a good, solid B-plus” and said that when he passes healthcare, an A-minus.  (please vote in the grading polled on the website linked…the results are more than hilarious)

The emperor has no clothes.

Mr. President has forgotten that the voters are the only ones who give out the grades…but he’ll find that out in 2012, won’t he?

The Liberty Belle: Who is John Galt?

Posted on 16. Nov, 2009 by RK in The Liberty Belle

Yesterday I spent too much of my time sifting through blogs and reading the whining nonsense of leftist journalists, so I decided to check out our taxpayer funded, bipartisan blog, whitehouse.gov/blog, for some fact.

Instead, I found this bit of propaganda.

Here are a few interesting tidbits from the site:

It first accuses the “insurance lobby” (I believe the administration includes Tea Parties in this lobby) of “releasing alarmist reports” about the “draconian health care premium increases” that the new health care legislation would bring about. I’m not sure the effect on insurance premiums the new legislation would have, but I do know that the Congressional Budget Office report does not address it. So, the White House also does not know the effect on premiums.

It also claims that “insurance companies can profit from blocking down reform.” Of course they can! The legislation would implement a “public option” in health care which would create unbalanced competition eventually leading to the complete demise of the private insurance industry! In the words of Calvin Coolidge, “After all, the chief business of the American people is business. They are profoundly concerned with buying, selling, investing and prospering in the world.” Now the White House seeks to demonize business and profit in order to pass legislation intended to murder the private sector.

It gets better. The White House has obtained the statistics on insurance company profits from none other than its mistress, Goldman Sachs (one of the main receivers of taxpayer provided bailout money)! Why am I surprised?

The blog goes on to list key points in the legislation such as:

“Changing the way we handle hospitalizations, to prevent mistakes and to prevent unnecessary readmissions.”

“Creating incentives in the payment system to reward quality of care rather than just the quantity of procedures.”

“Putting prevention first, rewarding care that focuses on wellness and treating the whole patient in an integrated and coordinated delivery system.”

“Establishing a health insurance exchange with a public insurance option, where individuals and small businesses can buy lower-cost insurance that will spur competition and put downward pressure on costs”

Translation: We will tax you and control your life.

It adds:

“A fee on insurance companies offering high-premium plans — which would create a strong incentive for more efficient plans that would help reduce the growth of premiums.”

Dear private sector: You are screwed.

The Liberty Belle: Cheers to 2010!

Posted on 09. Nov, 2009 by RK in The Liberty Belle

Tuesday, November 2nd was election day here in the U.S. — Virginia and New Jersey tossed out their blue governors and replaced them with red ones, New York City re-elected Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and New York State District 23 elected a democrat on a technicality.

Because of King Barry Obama’s nomination of Congressman John McHugh as Secretary of the Army, District 23 held a special election to replace him.

In one corner, weighing a whopping 900 billion dollars was “Republican” Dede Scozzafava, the Dem in GOP attire. She was endorsed by Newt Gingrich (that was his third strike for me), The National Rifle Association… NYSUT (largest labor union in the state), lib dem blogger Markos Moulitsas, and the Daily Kos…need I say more?

In opposition, scaling the same weight class at $1 trillion, was Independent-turned-Democrat Bill Owens.

Because New York law requires no primary and nominees are selected by party chairs, Conservatives in the district were left without a candidate to represent them.

But lo! From the shadows emerged Doug Hoffman representing the Conservative Party of New York to the rescue! Though a sound contender, Hoffman was often described by those who know him best as an “awkward” regular Joe with “no charisma” nor “any public speaking capability whatsoever.” (the guy is an accountant, give him a break!) Despite this and his third-party status, conservatism prevailed.

Three days before election, considering her conservative constituents and the recent polling data putting her in third place, http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/hoffman_Scozzafava_/2009/10/26/277085.html?s=al&promo_code=8F67-1 Scozza dropped from the race in cowardice. She then endorsed Owens (I smell lobbyists).

Two days before election day Siena released a poll putting third-party Hoffman ahead of Owens 41% to 36%. A surge of electricity flowed across the country as the GOP opened its eyes to the true winner of elections: conservatism. They realized that the American people no longer tow the party line, but they vote on principles (wish they had learned this BEFORE nominating John McCain).

Despite having dropped out of the race, Scozzafava somehow managed to get her name on the ballot twice; one for the Republican Party and the other for the Working Families Party, who also endorsed Owens (boy was this election screwy?!)

The final score:

Owens (D) 49%

Hoffman (C) 46%

Scozza (R) 6%

46% + 6% = Majority

Despite the disappointing loss, Hoffman proved that conservatism is what the people want and, if necessary, they will elect a third-party candidate to get it.

The good news? This was a special election, which means Owens is up for re-election one year from now.

Mr. Owens, some sound advice:

When your last opponent won 45% of the vote and you did not win by majority, it would be wise not to break four campaign promises your first hour on the job.

Hoffman’s campaign website proudly reads: “Only 365 days until Election Day 2010!”

Cheers to 2010!

The Liberty Belle: Chiming in.

Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by RK in Features, The Liberty Belle

Last week we published the well received graphic as a teaser for our newest feature at KeepRightOnline. Entitled, “The Liberty Belle,” this weekly column by a sound-as-a-pounddollar resident of the United States this week introduces herself in a passionate, Reaganite manner, espousing just what exactly is going wrong across the pond.

The political climate in the United States this year has been intense, to say the least. ‘We the People’ have been patiently and quietly watching as our great nation is slowly stripped of its foundation by socialist bureaucrats whose vision for our future is a state controlled, utopian, “classless” society free of capitalism and individual liberty.

We were awakened in September 2008 during the “sub-prime mortgage crisis.” Within a matter of days the government had us all convinced that if they didn’t implement the “Troubled Asset Relief Program” (“TARP”) that the economy would surely collapse and we would see hardships worse than those of The Great Depression.

So, within a week’s time, they passed the $700 Billion rescue package, which bailed out major banks, and sent an “IOU” to We the Taxpayers.

Then in February 2009, our 111th Congress passed the $787 Billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which was designed, much like President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 1930’s, to forge the creation of jobs by raising taxes and increasing government spending, a concept at which I’m still scratching my head in overwhelming curiosity. President Obama spit-out numbers left and right that the stimulus package would create 1.5 million new jobs, 2 million new jobs, 3.5 million new jobs by the end of 2010 (it seems I didn’t get the memo that ‘job creation‘ is a role of government). He also declared this week, to our jubilee, that the Recovery Act is working according to plan! The national unemployment rate for January 2009 was 7.6% and the current (Sept 2009) unemployment rate is 9.5%. Looking at those numbers, the program seems to be a success!

Other government takeovers of private industry have added to the straws on the camel’s back — the federal government owns more than 60% of General Motors, the failed “Cash for Clunkers” Program put a strangle hold on small business auto-dealers (Ed: a slightly catchier name than Gordon Brown’s ’scrappage scheme’), the passing of the horrendous Cap and Trade legislation which includes provisions to allow the federal government to set building codes and dictate whether citizen homes can be sold based upon their ‘energy efficiency rating’ and finally their most recent effort to nationalize healthcare by means of the propaganda machine.

From this sequence of events emerged the TEA Party Movement.

I refer to The Declaration of Independence:

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, – that when any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the people to alter or to abolish it… …it is their right it is their duty to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Men are indeed more prone to suffer than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. We have been silent for decades as Washington has slowly pushed this free nation closer to a Marx-Engels way of life. That is what the TEA Party movement and the American people are out to abolish.

Unlike our Founding Fathers, we need no new government. We have a solid declaration of freedoms in writing; freedoms which have not been granted to us by government and therefore cannot be taken away from us by government. We have finally begun to understand that in this nation the government only has powers which have been allotted by We the Governed. We do not have to sit back and watch them change our freedom-loving society into a collectivist state.

Of course, the mainstream media, the left, and all branches of government have portrayed our protests as “lunatic fringe” and our grassroots efforts as merely “Astroturf”, but we know the truth and will continue to fight to protect the rights of the individual. Nevertheless, those who stand on the side of Liberty and those who stand on the side of Tyranny have equal protection under the First Amendment.

The next few months will be very exciting as the current leftist administration continues its efforts to nationalize medicine, just in time for the 2010 Congressional elections. And with numerous races, so far, proving successful for third-party conservative and libertarian candidates, perhaps Washington will finally acknowledge the cry of the American people to once again uphold the principles of our founding.

Hear The Liberty Belle ringing out loud and proud, every Monday here on KeepRightOnline.com