Ayn, Neal and the world around me...

[dover]

Martin Niemöller (1892-1984) was an ardent nationalist and prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last 7 years of Nazi rule in concentration camps.

 

Niemöller is perhaps best remembered for the quotation:

 

 

 

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out --

Because I was not a Socialist.

 

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out --

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

 

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out --

Because I was not a Jew.

 

Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me.

 

 

[greggy]

Sweet, I get to cheer to Vettel again.

[greggy]

Hamilton will find a way to screw up his pole position.

[dover]

Hamilton will find a way to screw up his pole position.

 

 

He said he had no idea why he was slow.

 

Still McLaren at the top. I may have to root for.......Jenson.....!!!??!?!?!?!?

 

[dover]

1 J Button (GBR) McLaren 25

2 S Vettel (GER) Red Bull 18

3 LC Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 15

4 M Webber (AUS) Red Bull 12

5 F Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 10

6 K Kobayashi (JPN) Sauber 8

7 KM Räikkönen (FIN) Lotus 6

8 S Perez (MEX) Sauber 4

9 D Ricciardo (AUS) Toro Rosso 2

10 P di Resta (GBR) Force India 1

11 JE Vergne (FRA) Toro Rosso -

12 N Rosberg (GER) Mercedes -

13 P Maldonado (VEN) Williams -

14 T Glock (GER) Marussia -

 

McLaren and Red Bull still the two dominant teams.

 

Ferrari? Lost most of their aero staff to Mercedes who were fast all weekend with the Ross Braun "wing-duct". Fernando got more out of the car than it was really able to do.

 

Kimi!!! The Ice Man!!! WOW! Two years away fromthe sport and jumps back in and lights them up.

 

Williams, a glimmer of hope for them as well.

 

Seems you will need a Mercedes pushing your vehicle this year.

[dover]

 

 

I travel a lot. I get to see many places and meet many people from around the world. I like to take stock of where I am and see what I can in the time I am allowed outside of he work.

 

When I was in Germany last week I did a lot of driving and not much seeing other than signs on the road. I saw one that made me really stop and take notice.

 

You can read about things, see pictures and watch videos and think you understand what they are, me just seeing the sign on the road as I drove through Munich was enough to get me upset.

 

Dachau

 

I hope to visit it someday but just seeing the sign let me feel and understand that it really did exist. It really did happen.

 

Never had that before.

 

 

[dover]

'I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."

 

 

James Madison

4th president of US (1751 - 1836)

 

 

Regardless of intentions and goodness, liberty taken is liberty lost.

[Doc Joe]

 

I travel a lot. I get to see many places and meet many people from around the world. I like to take stock of where I am and see what I can in the time I am allowed outside of he work.

 

When I was in Germany last week I did a lot of driving and not much seeing other than signs on the road. I saw one that made me really stop and take notice.

 

You can read about things, see pictures and watch videos and think you understand what they are, me just seeing the sign on the road as I drove through Munich was enough to get me upset.

 

Dachau

 

I hope to visit it someday but just seeing the sign let me feel and understand that it really did exist. It really did happen.

 

Never had that before.

 

 

It sticks with you thats for sure. Did a trip around Germany with the wife and mother in law, did the Dachau tour, and Bavarian castles and Berchtesgaden etc. A great trip, but seeing a camp is a must.

 

 

[dover]

Pearl Harbor took a few steps off my pace for a moment. It holds no light on what happened at Dachau.

 

I make stay an extra day next time just to visit.

 

 

[dover]

 

 

MR. CARVIN: Thank you, Mr. Chief Justice;

may it please the Court:

 

I'd like to begin with the Solicitor

General's main premise, which is that they can compel

the purchase of health insurance in order to promote

commerce in the health market because it will reduce

uncompensated care. If you accept that argument, you

have to fundamentally alter the text of the Constitution

and give Congress plenary power.

 

It simply doesn't matter whether or not this

regulation will promote health care commerce by reducing

uncompensated care. All that matters is whether the

activity actually being regulated by the act negatively

affects Congress or negatively affects commerce

regulation, so that it's within the commerce power. If

you agree with us that this is -- exceeds commerce

power, the law doesn't somehow become redeemed because

it has beneficial policy effects in the health care

market.

 

In other words, Congress does not have the

power to promote commerce. Congress has -- Congress has

the power to regulate commerce. And if the power

exceeds their permissible regulatory authority, then the

law is invalid.

[dover]

 

Some lite but earnest reading.

 

 

No. 11-398 SCOTUS Tuesday Oral Arguments

[dover]

 

 

 

When will enough actually be enough?

 

53% pay for themselves and the other 47%; 53% pay for 100%.

 

 

$3.8 trillion is not enough.

 

 

When will we all be in this together? When will we all share the burden?

 

 

Will it be more fair when 40% pay for 60%? 40% pay for 100%.

 

Will that be more fair?

 

 

 

 

 

[Hamlet]

Your numbers are only accurate if you are pretending that FICA doesn't count.

 

FICA generates almost as much Federal revenue as income taxes. It is regressive, and everyone who works pays it.

 

The freeloading problem is not nearly as large as you are making it out to be by focusing on just income taxes.

 

 

When will enough actually be enough?

 

53% pay for themselves and the other 47%; 53% pay for 100%.

[dover]

"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer."

 

--Benjamin Franklin, "Management of the Poor" (1766)

 

[dover]

Your numbers are only accurate if you are pretending that FICA doesn't count.

 

FICA generates almost as much Federal revenue as income taxes. It is regressive, and everyone who works pays it.

 

The freeloading problem is not nearly as large as you are making it out to be by focusing on just income taxes.

 

 

When will enough actually be enough?

 

53% pay for themselves and the other 47%; 53% pay for 100%.

 

 

I speak only in terms of Federal income tax. It would be impossible to speak in any other terms as they vary state to state and income to income.

 

Since we are all subject to the other multiple form of taxation, I remove them. Please don't bother to lecture on the limits based on income; I understand that one as well.

 

Someday we will all have to get in and share the cost and enjoy the rewards. Until then the acceptance of sloth outside of a defined few at the cost of the successful will not pay off in the long run. We are all in this together, one Nation, or we are not. To have some taxed to the benefit of others is not a long term justifiable solution. It dilutes the effort, weakens the mind and spirit and surrenders us quicker unto Caesar every day.

 

As long as we are divided we will continue the path towards failure.

 

As long as the flag waves "more fair" we shall never progress as people or country. Because it will never be "fair", it will always require more from some to spread to others.

 

Perhaps we should strive to be more neutral in taxation based on success and instead levy a flat charge against life and the services rendered for protection of Liberty and better enable the citizen to pursue Happiness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dover]

"An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among the several bodies of magistracy as that no one could transcend their legal limits without being effectually checked and restrained by the others."

 

--James Madison

 

 

"To the free man, the country is the collection of individuals who compose it, not something over and above them. He is proud of a common heritage and loyal to common traditions. But he regards government as a means, an instrumentality, neither a grantor of favors and gifts, nor a master or god to be blindly worshipped and served."

 

--economist Milton Friedman (1912-2006)

[Doc Joe]

Someday we will all have to get in and share the cost and enjoy the rewards.

 

Marxist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[greggy]

Go Vettel!!!!!

[TupennyConan]

[TeddieMercede]

bump.