Mad Statists

New Jersey Suddenly Begins Enforcing Air Rifle Ban

"In New Jersey, it is illegal to own an air rifle if it in any way reduces noise. That would make it a weapon with a silencer. Such weapons are illegal in New Jersey. The police did not bother with this in the past, but now they do. The idea that criminals are going to threaten victims with air rifles equipped with silencers is bizarre. But in the world of bureaucracy, North’s law of bureaucracy reigns supreme: 'In any bureaucracy, some bureaucrat will eventually enforce the letter of the law to the point of absurdity.' I don’t know how gun owners are supposed to comply. Must they sell their guns to New Yorkers? How are they to transport their guns across the state’s border?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew Jersey Suddenly Begins Enforcing Air Rifle Ban

Jordan lawmaker fires Kalashnikov assault rifle at colleague

"A Jordanian MP was arrested after firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle in parliament at a colleague on Tuesday, without causing injuries, judicial and parliamentary sources said. The source said the shooting came after an argument broke out in parliament on Sunday between Damissi and another member, Yahia al-Saud. Video footage emerged showing Damissi removing his shoes and Saud his belt during the dispute, which flared due to differences over parliamentary procedure, before they were separated. In July 2012, a live television debate on domestic issues between two deputies also degenerated into fisticuffs before one of them pulled out a gun and was overpowered." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJordan lawmaker fires Kalashnikov assault rifle at colleague

Nigel Farage offers Barroso some cooling news on euro and climate change

"The euro which you believed would give us monetary stability has done the very opposite, it was a misconstruction from the start, and it's pretty clear that youth unemployment, at nearly 50% across the Mediterranean, is probably nearly double what it would have been as a direct result of the misconstruction that is the euro. They're in the wrong currency, but I know that you'll never ever admit to that, and the euro I think will die a very slow and painful death. But it's the green agenda that I find really more interesting. You keep telling us that climate change is an absolute top priority, and you've been greeted with almost hysteria in this place over the last ten years." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNigel Farage offers Barroso some cooling news on euro and climate change

7 Reasons Why the Public Is Right to Mistrust Obama on Syria

"1. What Iraq taught Americans -- what Vietnam taught before that -- is that Washington foreign-policy planners cannot accurately say beforehand just how long a war will last, how much it will cost, or how many Americans it might ultimately kill, even though many of them earnestly believe that their prognostication is accurate. They're asking us to believe their assurances about how limited the conflict will be, even though many of them got Iraq wrong on that same metric. They talk about intervention in Syria as if they know just what will happen. That's part of why they can't be trusted: their delusions of control." Continue reading →

Continue Reading7 Reasons Why the Public Is Right to Mistrust Obama on Syria

Napolitano: Obama’s remedy for embarrassment nothing but tough talk

"Mr. Obama is generally firm in his belief that he needs to vindicate the threat he made last summer when he was trying to outdo Mitt Romney on sounding tough. It was then that Mr. Obama threatened to intervene in the Syrian civil war if chemical weapons were used by the government. Nevertheless, hating the international embarrassment visited upon him when suddenly Mr. Putin seems more reasonable than he does, Mr. Obama conceded to my Fox News colleague Chris Wallace that the Kerry-inspired and Putin-pushed idea seemed worth considering. Then the Syrian government agreed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNapolitano: Obama’s remedy for embarrassment nothing but tough talk

The U.S. Is Getting “Played” In Syria

"Even if the U.S./NATO is going to wage war, is this how you do it? Do you telegraph your moves days ahead of time? I must have missed that class when I studied at the Naval War College. By comparison, little E-1 Pvt. Bradley Manning (or is it Chelsea?) will rot for many decades in prison (the women’s wing?) after being convicted of releasing a pile of classified emails. And young Ed Snowden is a hunted man because he told the world that the National Security Agency sucks signals out of the ether. I’m shocked to know that! But Obama administration officials are holding press conferences — Press! Conferences! — to offer up the tactical details of any attack that’s set to hit Syria." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe U.S. Is Getting “Played” In Syria

On Syria (and all else), it’s ‘Us’ against ‘Them’

"The 'estimable' men arguing for war in both Houses and before them are not on the people’s side. Never will be. For they do not accept that a just government’s duty is to its own citizens first. We have a solemn [negative] duty not to violate the rights of foreigners everywhere to life, liberty and property. But we have no duty to uphold their rights. Why? Because the ostensible upholding of the negative rights of the world’s citizens involves compromising the negative liberties of Americans – our lives, our liberties and our livelihoods. By this imperative, Kerry, Hagel, Dempsey, Kinzinger, the senior Republican flake from Arizona, the junior Jeff Flake from the same state, will never abide." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOn Syria (and all else), it’s ‘Us’ against ‘Them’

Kerry becomes first war casualty

"Much as the strike may (or may not) weaken the Syrian armed forces and diminish its military capabilities, Kerry's capacity to be an effective secretary of state for the reminder of President Barack Obama's term may have been seriously 'degraded' already. The point is, over three full eventful years still remain in Obama's presidency and three years is a lot time in politics. Kerry's tragedy is that he is being called upon to defend an indefensible brief. Three major gaffes within the space of a week is a terrible record for a top diplomat to pile up under any circumstances." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKerry becomes first war casualty

Pepe Escobar: Dogs of war versus the emerging caravan

"Not even the ghost of Machiavelli would come up with an adjective to describe the whole planet waiting in disbelief to see whether the almost universally despised House of Representatives (15% approval rating, according to RealClearPolitics) decides, Roman Empire style, to give the thumbs down and authorize the bombing of one of the oldest cities in humanity (well, they have an illustrious precedent of applauding Shock and Awe over Baghdad, which topped the Mongols going medieval in the 13th century). And all this against the will of the 'American people' who, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll support this folly by an overwhelming 9%. Yes We Bomb. But what for?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPepe Escobar: Dogs of war versus the emerging caravan

A war the Pentagon doesn’t want

"They are embarrassed to be associated with the amateurism of the Obama administration’s attempts to craft a plan that makes strategic sense. None of the White House staff has any experience in war or understands it. So far, at least, this path to war violates every principle of war, including the element of surprise, achieving mass and having a clearly defined and obtainable objective. They are repelled by the hypocrisy of a media blitz that warns against the return of Hitlerism but privately acknowledges that the motive for risking American lives is our 'responsibility to protect' the world’s innocents." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA war the Pentagon doesn’t want