Wednesday, November 06, 2024

the Bastiat Society of Nashville present Yaron Brooks, "Democracy, the Rule of the Mob."


Join Yaron Brook for a provocative exploration of modern democracy and its implications for individual freedom and societal progress. In this compelling talk, Brook challenges the conventional understanding of democracy, arguing that it often devolves into the rule of the majority without respect for individual rights. Through a critical examination of democratic systems, Brook will address the dangers of mob rule and advocate for a system that prioritizes reason and individual liberty over collective whims. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with thought-provoking ideas on the future of governance and personal freedom.

For tickets and more information, follow this link

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Wait, Harris Still Might Win, ....

... If The Vice President has the Courage to do the Right Thing. 

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Tuesday, November 05, 2024

Be Sure to Vote TODAY! Vote for the Constitution!


Donald Trump has Called for Terminating the Constitution. 

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Monday, November 04, 2024

Trump Wouldn't Mind Someone Shooting at Him Through Where the Media are Positioned

 by Rod Williams, Nov. 4, 2024- Yesterday I post 40 Instances in Which Trump Incited or Praised Violence Against his Fellow Citizens, and Those who Don't Care. The post contained excerpts from an Atlantic piece listing forty instances of Trump calling for violence. 

As expected, a Trumpinista questioned the source and alleged the quotes were taken out of context. That is almost a standard response to any calling out of Trump's outrageous, cruel, or incendiary rhetoric. One, dismiss it because of the source, the "Fake News" response. Two, claim it is taken out of context. Three, say it is hyperbole, and he really didn't mean it. I am just astounded that Trump supporters cannot see plainly what is in front of them. I guess that is what happens when you join a cult.

Not that it will make any difference to Trump supporters, but Trump made a statement at a rally yesterday saying he wouldn't mind if someone shot at him through members of the media. Here is a portion of the story from the Wall Street Journal.  

While I am disappointed that Trumpinistas will not see the truth and will use one of the three above standard responses to dismiss the comment, I fear that there are a lot of Trump supporters who do not excuse Trump but actually agree with him and would be pleased if Trump critics were shot. They have given up on democracy and have embraced a strong man and they approve of shooting his critics. 

If Trump is elected and suspends the Constitution and actually starts rounding up his enemies and having military tribunals and firing squads take care of the "enemy within," many of Trump's supporters will approve.  


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Sunday, November 03, 2024

40 Instances in Which Trump Incited or Praised Violence Against his Fellow Citizens, and Those who Don't Care.

by Rod Williams, Nov. 3, 2024- Recently The Atlantic compiled a list of forty instances in which Trump incited or praised violence. Below are a few excerpts from that article.

“This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH.” September 22, 2023, on Truth Social, suggesting that General Mark Milley, then the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, should be executed

“Any guy that can do a body slam, he is my guy!” October 18, 2018, referring to then-Representative Greg Gianforte, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for physically assaulting a reporter

“Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?” June 2020, according to former Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s memoir, which described Trump having said this about protesters outside the White House (Trump has denied saying this)

“I don’t fucking care that they have weapons. They’re not here to hurt me.” January 6, 2021, just minutes before addressing the crowd at the Ellipse, Trump shouted this to his advance team, according to testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson (who served as assistant to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows during the Trump administration)

“I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.” March 4, 2023, at the Conservative Political Action Committee summit

“We pledge to you that we will root out the Communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, that lie and steal and cheat on elections … The threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous, and grave than the threat from within. Our threat is from within.” November 11, 2023, during a Veterans Day speech

“If I don’t get elected … it’s going to be a bloodbath for the country.” March 16, 2024, during a speech about the U.S. auto-manufacturing industry in Ohio (Trump’s campaign later said that he was referencing a “bloodbath” for the automaker industry)

“In Colorado, they’re so brazen, they’re taking over sections of the state. And you know, getting them out will be a bloody story. They should have never been allowed to come into our country. Nobody checked them.” September 7, 2024, at a rally in Wisconsin, referring to his mass-deportation plans

“I always say, we have two enemies … We have the outside enemy, and then we have the enemy from within, and the enemy from within, in my opinion, is more dangerous than China, Russia, and all these countries … We have some very bad people; we have some sick people, radical-left lunatics. And it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by the National Guard—or, if really necessary, by the military.” October 13, 2024, in a Fox News interview

“It is the enemy from within. And they’re very dangerous—they’re Marxists and Communists and fascists … They’re dangerous for our country. We have China, we have Russia, we have all these countries. If you have a smart president, they can all be handled. The more difficult are, you know, the Pelosis, these people, they’re so sick; they’re so evil.” October 15, 2024, during a Fox News town hall

As disgusted as I am by Trump making these remarks, I think I am more disgusted and saddened that people I know and some people who I love approve of and cheer these remarks. They not only approve of Trump's violent rhetoric but also his cruelty and authoritarian tendencies.  There are people I am close to and people who I worked with to advance the conservative cause and win elections who think Trump's call to violence is acceptable and justified. 

I try to not let political differences taint my view of people. I try not to be embittered toward them. There is more to a person than their political views. I paper over differences by telling myself honorable people can have different opinions. Most often it has been people to my left for whom I have had to remind myself of this. During the Cold War I had to accept that the anti-anti-Communist and advocates of unilateral disarmament were good people who were simply misguided. I am pro-life, but it has not stopped me from loving pro-abortion family members.

Should Trump win, I don't know how bad he will be. I don't think in one term Trump could consolidate his power and destroy our democratic institutions. I suspect life, for most of us, will go on as normal. While if I were Liz Chaney or Nancy Pelosi, or Mark Milley or John Kelly or maybe one a few hundred people, I would be concerned for my life and my freedom; for most of us, I think we personally have nothing to fear from Trump. If that is the case, then as emotions subside, any animosity I might feel toward those who elect Trump will subside. However, if as J. D. Vance once said, Trump becomes "America's Hitler," it will be difficult to feel kindly toward the people who put him in office.

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Saturday, November 02, 2024

Trump Policies will Lead to Worse Inflation

From The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 28, 2024 


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Nashville grocery store that stopped raising prices to help people with food inflation may face closure

 Nashville grocery store that stopped raising prices to help people with food inflation may face closure

Rod's Comment: Duh. Good intentions don't keep the lights on. 

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More on Donald Trump's Economically Illiterate Plan to Impose Massive Across-the-Board Tariffs

 

by Rod Williams, Nov.2, 2024- Unfortunately, we have two economic illiterates running for president this year and one will hold office. If Trump is elected, I doubt he will listen to economist who will tell him his tariff proposal will be disastrous for workers, consumers and the American and world economy. He thinks he is the smartest guy in the room and will expect total loyalty and no backtalk this time around. 

Congress has the constitutional authority to set tariffs, but overtime Congress has delegated that authority to the executive branch. Congress has for decades been delegating more and more rule-making authority to the executive branch. Simple gridlock will not stop Trump form imposing his tariff proposals should he be elected. Congress could claw back that authority to set tariffs from the executive branch, but it would not be easy, and gridlock in this case would serve the president and prevent Congress from regaining the authority they delegated away.  

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Beware Kamala Harris’s Disastrous Housing Price Controls

 

by Rod Williams, Nov. 2,2024- I have already voted and voted for Kamala Harris. However, that does not mean I approve of her economic proposals, or much else about her campaign. I voted for her because she was the candidate that did not attempt a coup and is not likely to become a dictator.

Price controls is one of those dumb unworkable ideas that just keep popping back up.  If Harris is elected, maybe she will listen to economist and abandon her price-fixing scheme. If not, I hope Congress can block this rent control proposal from becoming law. I hope for gridlock. 

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Donald Trump says Liz Cheney should face gunfire

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Friday, November 01, 2024

Taxpayers Paying For Metro’s Mistakes

From The Pamphleteer, Nov. 1, 2024- It’s time to cough up a bit more cash for Metro’s unconstitutional sidewalk debacle. Next week, the council will be meeting on Thursday instead of Tuesday (due to the election) and is set to dish out another $36,472.51 in sidewalk reimbursements. Back in 2017, then-council member—now vice mayor—Angie Henderson sponsored a bill granting Metro the ability to withhold building permits, effectively allowing the government to coerce owners into building sidewalks for the city. A little over a year ago, the policy was deemed unconstitutional. To date, Metro has racked up legal fees and reimbursement payouts totaling $784,000 and some change.


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About Trump’s ‘Reciprocal’ Tariffs

by Rod Williams, Nov. 1, 2024- Ever since the end of World War II up until the election of Donald Trump the Republican Party has been the party most committed to free trade. The presidents who were the strongest advocates of free trade were Ronald Reagan and George H. Bush.  It was Reagan who described the Republican Party as a three-legged stool comprised of a coalition of fiscal conservatives, social conservatives and national security hawks. Free Trade was a major component of the party's fiscal conservatism.

Durning this post WWII period, opposition to tariff reduction usually came from Democrats responding to labor union pressure, but that was a minority position in the Democrat coalition. Under the leadership of Bill Clinton, the Democrat Party fully embraced free trade and opposition to free trade was from then on, a small fringe of both parties. 

Donald Trump has changed that. Now, opposition to free trade is a major feature of Republican Party politics. It is surprising to me how many Republicans have jettisoned things they once believed in, in order to hold on to power or curry favor with Trump. One Republican who has not is former U. S. Senator Pat Toomey.  

I know that anyone who does not kowtow to Donald Trump is denounced by Trump loyalist as a RINO, or swamp creature or member of the Deep State. Pat Tomney is a solid conservative. Durning his time in the Senate he was one of the most conservative members. The Club For Growth gave Toomey a rating of 93%. and the American Conservative Union Rating gave him a score of 100. Pat Tomney did not change, the Republican Party did.

Below are excerpts from an article in the Wall Street Journal where Senator Tomney explains why Trump's tariff proposal is detrimental to American workers and consumers. 

About Trump’s ‘Reciprocal’ Tariffs

He wants to raise your taxes, and he thinks I’m the stupid one.

Senator Pat Toomey
By Pat Toomey, Wall Street Journal, Oct. 27, 2024 - Donald Trump recently declared that only stupidity could explain my opposition to his reciprocal-tariff proposals. There are other explanations. Concern for Americans’ jobs and standard of living comes to mind.

I understand the emotional appeal of trade-rules reciprocity—it satisfies an urge for revenge. But that revenge will be less satisfying for the working-class Americans facing unemployment and higher prices if Mr. Trump carries through on his import-tax promises.

As I tried to explain to Mr. Trump when he was president, another country’s misguided decision to tax its citizens on what they buy from American manufacturers isn’t a good reason to punish Americans who wish to buy that country’s products. ...  low taxes on imports give American consumers more choices, cheaper prices and a higher standard of living. Low tariffs also make American manufacturers more competitive ... Mr. Trump’s reciprocal tariffs would effectively allow other countries to determine how the U.S. taxes its own citizens. 

No country has ever tariffed its way to prosperity. ... Today the nations with the highest tariffs are economic basket cases, ... 

More than 20 years ago noble prize-winning economist Milton Friedman wrote a Newsweek column extolling the virtues of free trade. That column still rings true today. I assume most of you know of Milton Friedman. He was an author and advisor to presidents and advocate of markets. If political movements had patron saints, Milton Friedman would be a patron saint of the conservative movement. 

Friedman on free trade

Milton Friedman
October 1, 1993 - We have heard much these past few years about using the government to protect the consumer. A far more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government.

The immediate occasion for these remarks is the bill that is being considered by the House Ways and Means Committee to impose import quotas on textiles, shoes, and other products. Such a bill will, like present tariffs, raise prices to customers and waste our resources. Unlike present tariffs, it will not even yield any revenue to the government. The higher prices will all go to the producers—mostly simply to pay for higher costs. The consumer will be forced to spend several extra dollars to subsidize the producers by one dollar. A straight handout would be far cheaper.

The proponents of quotas say, "Free trade is fine in theory but it must be reciprocal. We cannot open our markets to foreign products if foreigners close their markets to us." Japan, they argue, to use their favorite whipping boy, "keeps her vast internal market for the private domain of Japanese industry but then pushes her products into the U.S. market and complains when we try to prevent this unfair tactic."

The argument sounds reasonable. It is, in fact, utter nonsense. Exports are the cost of trade, imports the return from trade, not the other way around.

Suppose Japan were incredibly successful in her alleged attempt to restrict imports into Japan, managing to dispense with them entirely. Suppose that Japan were incredibly successful in her alleged attempts to push exports to the U.S., managing to sell us large quantities of assorted goods. What would Japan do with the dollars she received for her exports? Take crisp greenbacks back to Tokyo to stash in the vaults of the Bank of Japan? Let deposits at U.S. banks pile up? Jolly for us. Can you think of a better deal than our getting fine textiles, shiny cars, and sophisticated TV sets for a bale of green printed paper? Or for some entries on the books of banks? If the Japanese would only be willing to keep on doing that, we can provide all the green paper they will take.

The Japanese might accumulate, as they have been doing, a moderate sum in greenbacks or dollar deposits or dollar securities as a reserve for possible future needs. But they are too smart to do so indefinitely. Very soon Japan would take steps either to reduce exports or to use the dollars to buy imports (by changes in trade restrictions, or in the internal price level, or in the exchange rate between the yen and the dollar). We would again be under the unfortunate necessity of having to pay in real goods for real goods.

But, you may say, what if the Japanese asked for gold? Like greenbacks, gold would be useful to them only as a reserve for future purchases. They would derive no current services from the gold any more than we do from the gold buried at Fort Knox. I for one would rather have the useful goods than the idle gold. But if the U.S. authorities thought differently, they could readily refuse to sell the gold for the dollars at a fixed price of $35 an ounce. In that case, Japan would again have only the alternatives of greenbacks, deposits, dollar securities—or buying U.S.-produced goods.

Japan does impose numerous restrictions on trade—though in recent years she has been reducing them. Those trade restrictions hurt Japan and they hurt us—by denying them and us mutually profitable trade. In Japan no less than in the U.S., concentrated producers exert a greater influence on government than widely diffused consumers and are able to persuade the government to fleece the consumer for the benefit of the producers.

However, we only increase the hurt to us—and also to them—by imposing additional restrictions in our turn. The wise course for us is precisely the opposite—to move unilaterally toward free trade. If they still choose to impose restrictions, that is too bad but at least we have not added insult to injury.

This is clearly the right course of action on economic grounds. But it is also the only course of action that is in keeping with our political position in the world. We are a great nation, the leader of the free world. Yet we squander our political power to appease the textile industry in the Carolinas! We should instead be setting a standard for the world by practicing the freedom of competition, of trade, and of enterprise that we preach.

Unfortunately, the above will not resonate with today's Republican Party, for the Republican Party has ceased to be a conservative party and has morphed into a nationalist populist party that has turned its back on the principles it once professed. Along with support for America's leadership role in the world and collective security, the Republican Party has also jettisoned fiscal responsibility and free trade. 

 

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