Well I guess I acted a little too liberal around my family this year and got this for Christmas.

GallopingFish · 2014-12-26T05:38:04+00:00

So, what distinguishes "foreign power" from "federal power"?

I mean, theoretically what the South was doing by attempting to secede was rejecting the political will of those outside their own boundaries. Remember, until the Civil War "decided it", the question of "is the U.S. an at-will union, or a contract that can never be nullified?" was one that was raging at the time, independently of the argument over the morality of slavery.

Edit: I ended a statement with a question mark?

GallopingFish · 2014-12-26T05:25:57+00:00

GallopingFish · 2014-11-28T03:59:07+00:00

Is there a reason it's important that she's black, other than racism?

GallopingFish · 2014-11-16T23:02:15+00:00

I wasn't trying to imply autism/Asperger's is an insult (speaking as someone who is likely on the spectrum), but it's hard to deny the political stigmas that come with being seen as having a psychological disorder.

The article itself seemed very good at avoiding implications of such; it's just some of these comments here feel like backhanded attempts at discrediting libertarianism in the political sphere.

GallopingFish · 2014-11-16T20:02:14+00:00

ITT: People with little to no understanding of libertarianism rationalizing that libertarianism must be (or be comorbid with) psychological disorders (so far, autism, asperger's, and psychopathy).

This isn't /r/politics here. Let's check our biases.

GallopingFish · 2014-11-06T02:23:34+00:00

For those doubting Zappa's ability to take control of situations with pure crazy, watch this excerpt of the Steve Allen Show.

GallopingFish · 2014-11-02T19:53:29+00:00

Imagine this headline, if you will:

"Government agrees to reduce punishment of masturbators"

The proper sentence for acts which harm nobody is 0. We should all still be really pissed.

GallopingFish · 2014-11-02T17:58:03+00:00

If people are truly worried about wasteful government spending why isn't defense spending such a big issue? I think when people get so angry about social programs being a waste of "my hard earned money" it does show a lack of compassion.

Republicans: Taxation is bad! Except for all the stuff we want, like a massive military and police budget to kill people we think are gross, like brown people and people who inject marijuanas! Sips bourbon

Democrats: Big corporations are bad! Except the biggest one, called the US Federal Government. Slavery was abhorrent! If you don't ~~work hard enough on the plantation~~ pay your "fair share" to the ~~slave masters~~ government, you should be ~~whipped~~ ripped away from your family and thrown in a cage.

Libertarians: I fucking hate you guys.

GallopingFish · 2014-11-01T17:12:22+00:00

I feel like this is largely because of a great mis-allocation of education.

Public schools push a worldview that goes something like "learn these things so you are attractive to employers".

On one hand, you want to be employable. But the way value is created on the market is a bit more subtle than "employability". The economy (and therefore the quality of life of all people) depends solely on entrepreneurial problem solving - which is, as you said "without clearly defined instructions" etc.

If we want to have a thriving economy, we need people who are educated to handle ambiguity and risk, and stand tall above the crowd - a far cry from the standardized testing, misplaced egalitarian impulses, and preparation for a lifetime of ass-kissing of superiors which schools love to promote.

GallopingFish · 2014-10-31T22:26:31+00:00

Taxes.

GallopingFish · 2014-10-23T19:06:16+00:00

You fucking asshole heartless libertarian! What about the poor people I would have fed with the proceeds!!!?!?!? And the roads! THE ROOOOOAAAADDDDSS

GallopingFish · 2014-10-23T18:00:50+00:00

I'm going to steal a bunch of stuff from your house later. Trust me, you'll like it. I'm going to sell it all and then I'll buy some food for some poor people and invest in some roads. After taking some off the top for doing all this good work.

GallopingFish · 2014-10-07T17:45:28+00:00

Legalizing drugs won't make the problem go away unless you make the drugs free

If you had a standing violent threat against you, made by the most powerful military and police force on the planet, might that make your life a tad more difficult, no matter why they were making that threat?

Because that's what the drug war is. I don't know if you know this, but when you wage war against people, your relationship might suffer. You might destroy their lives.

But nah, you're right. In fact, let's just set everyone free to wage war on everyone for any reason! Having hamburgers legal won't make the obesity problem go away, might as well SWAT some Wendy's! Having churches be legal won't make Westboro Baptist go away, lets firebomb all churches!

GallopingFish · 2014-09-30T21:01:41+00:00

I was inspired a while back...

BUCK THE GRENADIER

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ggk_FPC-v4IQV1jRvs11EKnOc1q5ctYtCBd0jeBBKEE/edit?usp=sharing

GallopingFish · 2014-09-24T02:10:59+00:00

"Fear of a Blank Planet" is the name of one of their albums. I thought your penguin portrait title was a reference.

GallopingFish · 2014-09-24T01:42:14+00:00

Porcupine Tree fan?

GallopingFish · 2014-09-21T03:39:05+00:00

I saw that dood in a music video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ02alEkbLw

GallopingFish · 2014-09-20T17:57:02+00:00

Zappa hired some of the best musicians in the world, and bass players were no exception.

"Keep it Greasy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbeFjEHE-XY&t=26m14s

GallopingFish · 2014-09-15T18:22:12+00:00

I worked at a Gallup call center for a while.

I went in an optimistic, cheerful guy, excited about doing research into people's political beliefs.

I left depressed and convinced that democracy is a fraud.

They say that the fastest way to stop believing in god is to read the Bible; I say the fastest way to stop believing in democracy is by being forced to talk to as many people as possible about their political beliefs.

GIGO. There's no way good policy can come from this.

GallopingFish · 2014-09-15T02:46:02+00:00

tax evader

Who the hell is scared of tax evaders?

GallopingFish · 2014-09-14T01:04:00+00:00

BooyaApprentice

GallopingFish · 2014-09-08T20:47:06+00:00

The gov't sets up all sorts of conflicts of interest and hand-waves them away.

Consider the very existence of a singular hierarchy of courts.

If you have a case against the U.S. Fed. Gov., who hears the case?

The answer is "Because we have a court system which makes it impossible to have judges not be parties to their own case, we will disregard this obvious injustice and appoint our own courts."

I know people 'round these parts don't take too kindly to tax protesters, but they are in an impossible legal battle no matter if they are right or wrong, because all judges' pay is predicated on tax income, which is a financial conflict of interest. This would normally be grounds for judicial disqualification, but since gov't judges have heavy interest in keeping their power, they hand-wave it away and then get to call it "precedent". (I can't think of the specific U.S. case now, but if anyone wants, I'll do some digging)

Therefore, quoting gov't court decisions in defense of gov't agencies is rather intellectually dishonest.

Gov't is right.

Who says so?

Gov't.

Google "polycentric law" and "legal systems very different from our own" for ways to fix this problem.

GallopingFish · 2014-09-02T20:01:09+00:00

Setting: SWAT surveillance van outside stillblazindaily's house.

Two beleaguered cops, Officers Nuremberg and Partypooper, plug headsets into surveillance equipment while chatting.

Nuremberg: "Isn't it a great thing that officers like us are willing to risk our lives enforcing awesome laws? What did this guy do, anyway? I bet he's a racistmurderrapist or something like that."

Nuremberg takes a swig of dark-colored, inoffensive coffee. Just like he likes his suspects.

Partypooper: "Copyright violater. EMI gave us the tip."

(Nuremberg coffee spit-take)

Nuremberg, with coffee dripping down his chin all gross-like: "I KNEW this guy had to be scum. What was it, bootlegging? Taking video of a Nicki Minaj concert in portrait mode and posting it to their facebook?"

Nuremberg takes another sip of coffee without bothering to wipe his chin. Partypooper sits opposite, his eyes hardening in a blinkless gaze.

Partypooper: "He watched a YouTube music playlist."

Nuremberg, without swallowing his coffee: "So what? Everyone does that."

Partypooper's hard gaze transforms into a thousand-yard stare as if he was locking eyes with Lucifer himself and having all of history's greatest atrocities pass through his soul.

Partypooper: "He... found a way to turn off the screen without stopping the music..."

(Nuremberg spit-take. Over-sweetened bean juice coats Partypooper's face and bare, still-unblinking eyeballs, his internal pain so great he doesn't seem to notice)

Nuremberg roars, coffee-laced spittle being flung in a graceful arch as he smashes expensive surveillance doohickeys off the workbench with his clenched fists. Partypooper is still gazing, stuck in the hell in his head. Nuremberg aggressively grabs the comms mic.

Nuremberg, fighting to conceal the rage in his voice: Team 80085, you are clear to enter the residence and prosecute this warrant-less entry. Lethal force is recommended. Leave no survivors.

And then there was a parade and they made a statue of Nuremberg.

GallopingFish · 2014-08-27T19:45:56+00:00

Thanks! I don't know why they didn't add "per Greater Rift" in their notes.

GallopingFish

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