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Region: Libertatem

History

Hey, just to make sure you all know, Cloudflare had a data leak.

Might be worth coming up with a new password.

Condealism

If the Trump Administration ends up doing a federal crackdown on marijuana, I will spam the ANGERY react on every Facebook post I see

Republic Of Minerva, Rateria, Shirayuki Mizore

Condealism wrote:2 hours ago: The Empire of Solid Eagle of the region Superiorem Merionem Region proposed constructing embassies.

*considers the implications of SMR-Libertatem interaction*

*decides that would be pretty freaking awesome*

Should I get started on the embassy-building?

Republic Of Minerva

The Foreign Minister's Office

Government House | Emperor City

Coronation of the Emperor

Friends:

This is a very historic and special day for the Central Pacific Empire as we crown our new Emperor. I have high hopes that our new Emperor will help our community to keep strong and move forward. I urge our citizens and our friends to help us congratulate [nation=short]Latin and Central America[/nation]. A new day has come.

[nation=short]New Nationale Einheit[/nation]

Foreign Minister

Rateria

Probably a good thing that the US will not immediately label China a currency manipulator. Of course they're manipulating the yuan, of course they should be condemned for it, but like with Taiwan if we want to be prudent and have a strong hand at the negotiating table, we shouldn't give away all of our tools before we even start asking for concessions. The weak and fumbling President Obama never even publicly threatened to use the stick, offering the carrot when China pleased the US, and doing nothing when they pushed into the South China Sea, gave sanctuary to North Korea and backed Putin's annexation of Crimea.

For anyone misled by the media, you can see the full extent of Black Lives Matter's unrestrained cultural Marxism on full display here: http://blacklivesmatter.com/guiding-principles/

Condealism

Pevvania wrote:For anyone misled by the media, you can see the full extent of Black Lives Matter's unrestrained cultural Marxism on full display here: http://blacklivesmatter.com/guiding-principles/

I read your link. I'm not very good at detecting Cultural Marxism. I may have picked up on a little bit of it. Could you help clarify this to me, please?

Pevvania

I've added a link to the (un)official discord channel of all libertarians on NS, headed by Great Minarchistan who is a pretty cool dude. Feel free to drop in and sh!tpost with us anytime you want. if it is popular enough I'll make a separate discord server for Libertatem.

Rateria, Condealism

Hey, wait a minute. I'm the Chancellor of War. Shouldn't I be doing something right now?

...Nah. *goes back to slacking off*

Rateria

Condealism wrote:Hey, wait a minute. I'm the Chancellor of War. Shouldn't I be doing something right now?

...Nah. *goes back to slacking off*

Chancellor of War? More like Chancellor of... Well, Nothing, I guess.

Rateria, Condealism

Rateria wrote:I read your link. I'm not very good at detecting Cultural Marxism. I may have picked up on a little bit of it. Could you help clarify this to me, please?

Essentially it's the concerted effort of certain groups and interests to subvert western/liberal values and replace them with Marxist collectivism. Class struggle, "liberation" of whatever minority group commies want to court, anti-white racism, demonisation of free markets, and so forth are all On BLM's "guiding principles" page, highlights include -

"We are committed to disrupting the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and “villages” that collectively care for one another, and especially “our” children to the degree that mothers, parents and children are comfortable."

- in every Communist society (and Nazi/fascist society, too) you see the state and the "community" replace the family, an efficient way to indoctrinate the youth. A particularly harrowing example is in Pol Pot's 'Democratic Kampuchea', which saw children report on their own parents to the party for complaining about the regime. Sometimes the children would be deputised to beat their own parents to death. The idea of the community as a family is particularly problematic for blacks, which has been suffering a major deficit in father figures since Johnson's War on Poverty started.

"Restorative Justice"

- code word for 'pay up, whiteys'. The concept that whites living right now are somehow responsible for slavery and segregation is patently ridiculous, yet socialist political parties enjoy propagating the idea that wealth and joy will come to black communities as soon as wealth is redistributed along racial lines. Forget the fact that whites and westerners were the first to abolish slavery, and that slavery existed long before and long after in Africa and Asia - this is a policy that ties socialism and racism together as nicely as bacon and eggs.

"Globalism - we see the different ways we are impacted our privileged as Black folk who exist in different parts of the world"

- opposition to free trade and economic globalisation has been a staple of Marxist and far-left thought for the past few decades, despite the enormous good it's done for the world's poor. The implication here is that free trade should be replaced with "fair trade", whatever that means, and massive foreign aid grants to African countries that have shown to be catastrophically harmful to African people.

"We are committed to fostering a queer-affirming network"

- vapid Third Wave feminist trash.

Rateria

Rateria wrote:I read your link. I'm not very good at detecting Cultural Marxism. I may have picked up on a little bit of it. Could you help clarify this to me, please?

Also, I dunno if you've read BLM's economic platform, but it's nastier and further left than anything Bernie's proposed.

Here's a line of questioning that minimum wage advocates cannot answer.

A: The minimum wage should be X!

Q: Why?

A: Because it'll raise wages for poor people!

Q: OK, if a minimum wage of X would result in higher wages, then why don't you want a minimum wage worth 100X?

A: 100X?! That's ridiculous! That would cause unemployment.

Q: So if a minimum wage that high would cause unemployment, at what point does the minimum wage not cause unemployment?

A: Umm, well.. It's... Uh... YOU'RE A FASCIST WHO HATES POOR PEOPLE!!!

Miencraft, Republic Of Minerva, The Ambassador To The Clfr, Rateria, Condealism, The United States Of Patriots

The ceaseless pushing and pulling between the left and the right is driving me crazy. The former tells us we can't have this, can't own that; the latter tells us we can't do this, can't be that. Liberty and equality, which should go hand in hand, are merely paid lip service by one of the two feuding giants - the people are treated as useful idiots by avaricious, powerful individuals who constantly argue over what morals the state should enforce and who it should oppress.

And don't get me started on this "your relatives are your family" malarkey and "your community is your family" bologna - those ideals, while probably satisfactory to any who preach them, simply won't satisfy everyone. Family comprises whomever an individual considers dear, be it shown in blood, proximity, matrimony, or good old-fashioned friendship. It should be up to every person to determine what to be, how to act, and who to love - not decided for them by some leftist or rightist permutation of a governing body.

Miencraft, Pevvania, Republic Of Minerva, The Ambassador To The Clfr, Rateria

Pevvania wrote:Here's a line of questioning that minimum wage advocates cannot answer.

A: The minimum wage should be X!

Q: Why?

A: Because it'll raise wages for poor people!

Q: OK, if a minimum wage of X would result in higher wages, then why don't you want a minimum wage worth 100X?

A: 100X?! That's ridiculous! That would cause unemployment.

Q: So if a minimum wage that high would cause unemployment, at what point does the minimum wage not cause unemployment?

A: Umm, well.. It's... Uh... YOU'RE A FASCIST WHO HATES POOR PEOPLE!!!

Interesting you should bring that up. I just read this earlier this week:

http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2016/05/24/fmr-mcdonalds-usa-ceo-35k-robots-cheaper-than-hiring-at-15-per-hour.html

Pevvania, Condealism

So Trump is going to hike defensive spending by $54 billion, to be offset by spending cuts.

This is much more frugal than the Reagan and Bush II defense build-ups, which essentially doubled the budget each time.

Post self-deleted by Narland.

Condealism wrote:The ceaseless pushing and pulling between the left and the right is driving me crazy. The former tells us we can't have this, can't own that; the latter tells us we can't do this, can't be that. Liberty and equality, which should go hand in hand, are merely paid lip service by one of the two feuding giants - the people are treated as useful idiots by avaricious, powerful individuals who constantly argue over what morals the state should enforce and who it should oppress.

And don't get me started on this "your relatives are your family" malarkey and "your community is your family" bologna - those ideals, while probably satisfactory to any who preach them, simply won't satisfy everyone. Family comprises whomever an individual considers dear, be it shown in blood, proximity, matrimony, or good old-fashioned friendship. It should be up to every person to determine what to be, how to act, and who to love - not decided for them by some leftist or rightist permutation of a governing body.

I totally agree with the first paragraph. The false dichotomy of the the spectrum of left and right obfuscates the real divide of Liberty (e.g., self-government) vs tyranny (e.g., Socialism). Liberty and Equality are non-contradictory in light of the Classical Western Civ understanding of Natural Law rooted in the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian terms that gave it frame from the Renaissance.

Unfortunately, stinking thinking took us on a sharp turn across the "Line of Despair" in the 19th and 20th Centuries. After Hegel, but specifically Kant et al., (because of epistemological circular reasoning used to justify its validity) the perspectives of political academics that followed is doomed to pit one sphere against the other--Liberty over Equality; or Equality over Liberty. It hamstrings itself from discerning the necessary cohesion of (Liberty and Equality) in synergy by a vibrant body politic.

Subjectivism in particular justifies dialectic determinism and its means, false dichotomies as the tool to herd people into explicit compliance and implicit consensus of their politically correct synthesis for their "Big Idea" and a supposed "greater good" to make YOU safe for Democracy. In this line of thinking ideas never have negative consequences as long as one has good intentions. When ideas fail those who were insincere or non-compliant are to be blamed. Words only mean what they want them to. Lies when convenient can be given for Truth (a narrative).

Reality is ignored producing a patently false equality and utterly illusory sense of liberty to make it so. If you disagree with their means, you are the existential threat. The insane at this point are literally running the asylum, as can be seen by the dysfunction of the Establishment whether in Academia, broadcast media, Hollywood, Madison Avenue, the Washington Beltway (of both Parties) and in the permanent entitlement underclass.

No new man/Ubermensch EVER rises from the ashes in the psychotic Socialist teleology at that point when fabric of "Bourgeoisie" society is destroyed to lead the way to a Proletarian golden age. It is always the same old tyrants in new guise. They ever lead the others in a final solution to be equally free in their bondage and freely equal in their misery.

Objectivity can expose this false dichotomy for what is inductively through self-interest and non-aggression and deductively and from the Natural Law. Clarity in objectivity allow individuals to govern themselves without the imposition of political indoctrination to "balance" liberty and equality against each other to the detriment of both. Life, Liberty & Property; and Equality & Justice are descriptors for a Free Person in a Free Society, not a pretended prescription for social injustice.

As for your second paragraph--okay lets not get started. :) Good dialogue and good debate make for more sharp thinking and good camaraderie. Soapbox diplomacy in the public fora is a cornerstone of self-government for both Liberty and Equality.

Pevvania wrote:So Trump is going to hike defensive spending by $54 billion, to be offset by spending cuts.

This is much more frugal than the Reagan and Bush II defense build-ups, which essentially doubled the budget each time.

There is something to be said for "lean and mean" on the way to minimal external government.

Miencraft, Condealism, The United States Of Patriots

Greetings, Libertatem

I am [nation=short]Solid Eagle[/nation], Superiorem Merionem Region's Secretary of Foreign Affairs. I am eager to work with you guys and hope we can strengthen our bond as great, proud regions. If there any questions or concerns, you can telegram me anytime. If one of our members, spams or trolls your RMB please do not hesitate to contact me as soon as possible. If you know of any possible threats to you or any allied regions of yours, please by all means contact our Secretary of External Defense [nation=short]Cringe Kingdom[/nation].

Thank you for your time.

Rateria

Hello!

Narland, Rateria

Citilovila wrote:Hello!

Hello. Are you new here?

Solid Eagle wrote:Greetings, Libertatem

I am [nation=short]Solid Eagle[/nation], Superiorem Merionem Region's Secretary of Foreign Affairs. I am eager to work with you guys and hope we can strengthen our bond as great, proud regions. If there any questions or concerns, you can telegram me anytime. If one of our members, spams or trolls your RMB please do not hesitate to contact me as soon as possible. If you know of any possible threats to you or any allied regions of yours, please by all means contact our Secretary of External Defense [nation=short]Cringe Kingdom[/nation].

Thank you for your time.

Solid Eagle 2020

Stianland wrote:Solid Eagle 2020

Ayy!

Am I the only one who thinks that ACA should be treated as Willful Attempt to Defraud, and Conspiracy to Defraud? Trying to get my Congressman on board with Repeal and Replace with NOTHING except free and open markets is like pulling teeth. I told his office that to try to salvage ACA is tantamount to aiding and abetting the commission of felony fraud and larceny. The secretary was polite, but looked at me like I had three eyes poking out of a poor reptilian disguise.

Miencraft, Pevvania, Rateria

Citilovila wrote:Hello!

**The ambassador pears... **

Clearly we have an imposter here. That is this nation's flag!

Rateria, Citilovila

Now now, we can all share the Gadsden flag

Actually, nevermind. The rallying cry of the flag is "FVCK YOU I GOT MINE BIOTCH"

The Ambassador To The Clfr, Rateria, Condealism

The Ambassador To The Clfr wrote:**The ambassador pears... **

Clearly we have an imposter here. That is this nation's flag!

At least I have different colors

Rateria

Citilovila wrote:Hello!

Welcome to Libertatem. Feel free to browse around the links, and post a message or two.

Rateria, Citilovila

Republic Of Minerva wrote:"FVCK YOU I GOT MINE BIOTCH"

Ah. The mating call of the neoconservative.

Rateria

Narland wrote:Am I the only one who thinks that ACA should be treated as Willful Attempt to Defraud, and Conspiracy to Defraud? Trying to get my Congressman on board with Repeal and Replace with NOTHING except free and open markets is like pulling teeth. I told his office that to try to salvage ACA is tantamount to aiding and abetting the commission of felony fraud and larceny. The secretary was polite, but looked at me like I had three eyes poking out of a poor reptilian disguise.

What's the Congressman called? I presume he's a Democrat?

La La Land won the popular vote!! #NotMyOscars

Rateria, The United States Of Patriots, Shirayuki Mizore

Pevvania wrote:La La Land won the popular vote!! #NotMyOscars

People still watch that stuff?

Shirayuki Mizore wrote:People still watch that stuff?

Well I've seen La La Land and it's a great film; a charming ode to Golden Age Hollywood. Haven't seen Moonlight yet.

Post self-deleted by Rateria.

Pevvania wrote:Well I've seen La La Land and it's a great film; a charming ode to Golden Age Hollywood. Haven't seen Moonlight yet.

Have you seen the Honest Trailer for the Oscars? It was unbelievably accurate.

Rateria wrote:Have you seen the Honest Trailer for the Oscars? It was unbelievably accurate.

Haha yep! Great channel.

Rateria

Pevvania wrote:Haha yep! Great channel.

I also love the Honest Trailers Overwatch, especially because I play the game.

Post self-deleted by Narland.

Post self-deleted by Narland.

Post self-deleted by Narland.

Pevvania wrote:What's the Congressman called? I presume he's a Democrat?

Unfortunately not. My Congressman wants to implement Walden's Bill to keep the pre-existing conditions mandate (I think it already passed), giving Congress that much more invasive control, as if Obamacare can be fixed. Repeal the entire freaking thing!!! Replace it with NOTHING but free and open markets. Let the insurance companies rise and fail on their own integrity and leave the physicians and patients be. Step in when there IS fraud, don't *&^%$%^&* be the sponsors of it.

The ACA was passed as a one package bill of that actually originated in the Senate, the whole of which not only is unconstitutional but a direct violation of the Constitution (it was required to originate in the House) which those Congressman swore to uphold. Who the hell read the thing (900 pages of law spawning 20,000 pages of bureaucratic regulation!) before it was passed?!--that in itself is gross negligence and wanton disregard for their oaths of office, none of whom voted for the thing should have ever been re-elected in a sane society.

Parts have been redefined through legislative decree by a petty tyrants on the Bench of the Supreme Court (again in violation of the US Constitution)--Courts adjudicate and interpret law not legislate regulation and policy. It is fraud and larceny on a scale heretofore only found in corrupt Banana Republics and Eurotoxic "Democracies" unbefitting a free people.

It is like the Beltway and any person sent there by their constituents have lost their minds. I even have doubts about Rand Paul at times, but at least he seems to be coming through for the side of Liberty re: ACA. Ryan needs to step down and be replaced with someone who won't weasel themselves from doing right by the lives, liberty and property of the American People.

Miencraft, Pevvania, Kumquat Cove, Rateria, Fairbankska

I live in Idaho 2nd Congressional District at this time, and my Congressman is GOP. You can look him up on Vote-Smart if you like. [url]https://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/2917/mike-simpson[/url] He is an legislation by legislation voter (which can be a good thing); fiscally conservative, votes for lower taxes, consistent with right to life, and 2nd amendment legislation; supports entrepreneurs, small businessmen, and small trade groups over large corporations, large labor syndicates, and national bureaucratic control MOST of the time, but has been suckered into supporting the Chamber of Commerce and American Library Association on numerous issues. (Libraries and Archives need to be free from politics (just like the courts) and not politically active supporters of American Progressivism.)

He has been a good fit for our small farmers and ranchers. Even though he does not understand Constitutional constraints as well as he should, he does believe in a vague federalism where most decision should be made at the individual and most local levels and generally works to that end. His desire to not want to see anyone left behind can be done better at the state and local levels.

The United States Of Patriots

Mine is Don Young. He's been pretty good historically on the Second Amendment, resource development, indigenous land rights, and in theory is solid on education issues like combating Common Core. He also has a very interesting idea of an explicit "war tax" to ensure the public sees the financial burden of any military engagement. Unfortunately, for last few years he's been completely asleep at the switch as far as introducing legislation goes, he refuses to buck his party on anything, and he has severe corruption issues which limit his ability to get things done even if he wanted to when he's too bogged down in investigations and bad press.

I actually marginally preferred the Democrat this last election cycle, with the anti-Obamacare and anti-Common Core stances he took leading me to go: "okay, he'd be Begich'd if he goes back on his semi-libertarian campaign record, and more importantly he's not Young." I voted for the Libertarian, McDermott, but I really would have preferred to see Young out regardless of which of his competitors emerged the winner.

Hello

Kumquat Cove

Post self-deleted by Rateria.

Post self-deleted by Fairbankska.

Post self-deleted by Fairbankska.

I'm new too. I guess I should introduce myself. The Armed Republic of Fairbankska is a beacon of sanity, a shining city on a hill showing the benefits of freedom, human dignity, and economic development in all walks of life.

In offline life, I'm a 20 year old girl with a tremendous Disney obsession. A college student hoping to go into law, possibly JAG. A conservative libertarian/neolibertarian in the tradition of Barry Goldwater; economically right-wing, socially center-left, a foreign policy realist, staunchly federalist. A Christian, raised Baptist. A proud Alaskan who (being 1/4 Athabaskan) has roots in this land going back millennia, and from "real Alaska"(tm), not that pseudo-Seattle hellpit we call Anchorage.

Pevvania, Narland, Kumquat Cove, Rateria, The United States Of Patriots

Fairbankska wrote:I'm new too. I guess I should introduce myself. The Armed Republic of Fairbankska is a beacon of sanity, a shining city on a hill showing the benefits of freedom, human dignity, and economic development in all walks of life.

In offline life, I'm a 20 year old girl with a tremendous Disney obsession. A college student hoping to go into law, possibly JAG. A conservative libertarian/neolibertarian in the tradition of Barry Goldwater; economically right-wing, socially center-left, a foreign policy realist, staunchly federalist. A Christian, raised Baptist. A proud Alaskan who (being 1/4 Athabaskan) has roots in this land going back millennia, and from "real Alaska"(tm), not that pseudo-Seattle hellpit we call Anchorage.

Welcome to Libertatem! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I suppose I should warn you that this game's logic is generally absurd and inconsistent.

Narland, The United States Of Patriots

Will do! :)

And I've definitely noticed. My country is a barren, desolate wasteland for basically no reason other than that my markets are pretty open, apparently. I mean, it's not like I gave everyone a blank check to slash and burn everything, externalities are a thing that will always necessitate some kind of caution and oversight.

Also I have no idea why my citizenry are massively rude.

Narland, Rateria

Fairbankska wrote:I'm new too. I guess I should introduce myself. The Armed Republic of Fairbankska is a beacon of sanity, a shining city on a hill showing the benefits of freedom, human dignity, and economic development in all walks of life.

In offline life, I'm a 20 year old girl with a tremendous Disney obsession. A college student hoping to go into law, possibly JAG. A conservative libertarian/neolibertarian in the tradition of Barry Goldwater; economically right-wing, socially center-left, a foreign policy realist, staunchly federalist. A Christian, raised Baptist. A proud Alaskan who (being 1/4 Athabaskan) has roots in this land going back millennia, and from "real Alaska"(tm), not that pseudo-Seattle hellpit we call Anchorage.

A female libertarian on the internet?

*sits up*

hi how are ya

Miencraft, Rateria, The Aradites, Fairbankska

Pevvania wrote:A female libertarian on the internet?

*sits up*

hi how are ya

Good, just munching on some leftover fried rice for lunch. You? :P

Fairbankska wrote:Good, just munching on some leftover fried rice for lunch. You? :P

Nice. Just learning lines for my acting class. Did you see Papa Trump's address to Congress the other day?

Pevvania wrote:Nice. Just learning lines for my acting class. Did you see Papa Trump's address to Congress the other day?

Awesome! I do theater myself, in my spare time.

I saw the address. Surprisingly presidential and well-spoken, I hope he's not caving on border security being ramped up before any "pathway to citizenship" is discussed though. Even speaking as someone who thinks some method of paying a penalty and getting in line should be offered, it would only encourage future law-breaking if we don't first protect against future incursion.

Narland wrote:I live in Idaho 2nd Congressional District at this time, and my Congressman is GOP.

My Brother-in-law is from there as well.

Also my Representative is Jason Chaffetz. Who, for all his faults, is a great chair of the oversite committee.

Plus watching him and Trey Gowdy nail people for corrupting is endlessly entertaining/

Narland

Brain Mast was just elected here in Florida's 18th district ( Rubio and Nelson are the senators). Seems to be a hard-line republican, but isnt thrilled about cuts to the EPA.

Cuts to the EPA are the main reason I preferred Trump over Clinton. Opening ANWR is really the only way to save my state from the ongoing humongous budget crisis and restore growth, enabling us to diversify so we can avoid this in the future.

I don't support rooting it out tooth and nail, I think it often plays a necessary oversight role. For example, its funding to UAF for climate observation serves a useful national purpose, we can't muster those same resources to fund that at the state level unless the federal government releases our resources. And its oversight over Pebble Mine vastly mitigated copper leak risk that would have wrecked our fishing industry and polluted the groundwater of the indigenous communities who live near the mine.

In most cases though, they do more harm than good though, I think. There's a common tendency in the environmental movement and among EPA bureaucrats to just shut down growth if any small risk is present to any flora or fauna, rather than the organization's intended goal of informing industry/the public of risks and setting boundaries to protect against externalities.

Pevvania, Narland, Republic Of Minerva

Pevvania wrote:A female libertarian on the internet?

*sits up*

hi how are ya

They are a myth. Like black libertarians. And Asian libertarians. And martian libertarians. Actually nevermind I saw a martian libertarian before, he was pretty cool

Rateria, The United States Of Patriots

Fairbankska wrote:Cuts to the EPA are the main reason I preferred Trump over Clinton. Opening ANWR is really the only way to save my state from the ongoing humongous budget crisis and restore growth, enabling us to diversify so we can avoid this in the future.

I don't support rooting it out tooth and nail, I think it often plays a necessary oversight role. For example, its funding to UAF for climate observation serves a useful national purpose, we can't muster those same resources to fund that at the state level unless the federal government releases our resources. And its oversight over Pebble Mine vastly mitigated copper leak risk that would have wrecked our fishing industry and polluted the groundwater of the indigenous communities who live near the mine.

In most cases though, they do more harm than good though, I think. There's a common tendency in the environmental movement and among EPA bureaucrats to just shut down growth if any small risk is present to any flora or fauna, rather than the organization's intended goal of informing industry/the public of risks and setting boundaries to protect against externalities.

That's a fair assessment.

Although it is worth pointing out the EPA has its fair share of wrongdoings as well.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/16/politics/navajo-lawsuit-epa-animas-river/

My preference is to wind the EPA back to its original goal of protecting property rights. One idea I've always championed was allowing people to own the contents of the soil beneath their property, so that fracking companies would have to gain the explicit permission of anyone involved in order to actually frack.

Miencraft, Pevvania, Fairbankska

Post self-deleted by Fairbankska.

Post self-deleted by Fairbankska.

Republic Of Minerva wrote:They are a myth. Like black libertarians. And Asian libertarians. And martian libertarians. Actually nevermind I saw a martian libertarian before, he was pretty cool

I'm a multiracial (3/4 white or 1/2 if you don't count Jews, 1/4 American Indian) female libertarian. Two myths for the price of one!

Republic Of Minerva wrote:That's a fair assessment.

Although it is worth pointing out the EPA has its fair share of wrongdoings as well.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/16/politics/navajo-lawsuit-epa-animas-river/

Totally agreed. My post was mostly based on saying that the EPA has caused considerable hardship for my state and cutting the EPA is a tremendously important issue for me, so being un-enthused about it is basically foreign to me. Trump had my support over Clinton purely on that issue.

The large paragraph dedicated to defending them against some of the more "kill all environmental protection with fire" critics was written out of reflex. In Alaska, these issues are highly emotional. Basically everyone who doesn't work for the EPA vehemently supports opening ANWR, and most people (myself included) deeply resent the heavy burden they've placed on the state. We all want the federal government to give us back our resources for development, our terms of statehood were contingent on being able to sustain ourselves with our resources rather than depend on federal aid. Because of this desire, you do get occasional calls that I think go a little too far into "no oversight is needed, what are externalities?" territory. My position is basically the norm though, Pebble Mine is too easy an example to point to.

Republic Of Minerva wrote:My preference is to wind the EPA back to its original goal of protecting property rights. One idea I've always championed was allowing people to own the contents of the soil beneath their property, so that fracking companies would have to gain the explicit permission of anyone involved in order to actually frack.

This sounds like a good idea, though it would have to be worded right to ensure consultation past the very initial groundwater impacts. Taken literally, that would only require consulting the person whose soil you're developing on regardless.

I'm in favor of any solution that ensures against externalities harmful to other regional industries, health, and natural beauty, with as little bureaucratic intrusion as possible. Anything that can be handled at the local court level should be, though I'm sure there would need to be some mechanism for inspection before the final "okay" in most of these agreements.

Republic Of Minerva

Crikey, the ANWR is a hell of a touchy issue. It came up in one of my SAT practice tests.

Fairbankska, what would you say to those who argue opening it up for drilling and exploitation would spoil it?

Post self-deleted by Rateria.

Should we hold a funeral for Mhomen? It's just a thought. I know he CTE'd a while back.

Condealism, The Aradites

Rateria wrote:Should we hold a funeral for Mhomen? It's just a thought. I know he CTE'd a while back.

Who the hell's getting a funeral?

Pevvania, Rateria, Condealism

Hahahaha 250,000 liberals signed a petition to boot Joe Manchin from the Senate Democratic Leadership after he gave Trump a hug!

You can't make this stuff up, folks!

Miencraft, Narland, Kumquat Cove, Condealism, Shirayuki Mizore, Fairbankska

Rateria wrote:Should we hold a funeral for Mhomen? It's just a thought. I know he CTE'd a while back.

We should rename the region Mhomen City in his honor. Ours is the meme that will pierce the heavens!

Rateria

Pevvania wrote:Crikey, the ANWR is a hell of a touchy issue. It came up in one of my SAT practice tests.

Fairbankska, what would you say to those who argue opening it up for drilling and exploitation would spoil it?

I think it's become something of a symbol for the environmental movement in the Lower 48, regardless of what the science says.

The left isn't wrong that opening it would require some oversight to prevent spills, as exists for any petroleum/gas development. There are certain animal populations historic to the region that should be protected, as well as neighboring indigenous tribes and their fisheries. The left is wrong that drilling would turn it into a Mordor-looking wasteland, drilling occurs in much more concentrated areas than the "bulldoze and suck up the oil" they're picturing.

I'd argue not doing the above is dooming Alaska to be one giant military base and nature refuge for tourists, in violation of our statehood terms. Our budget is in crisis and we're experiencing brain drain down to Seattle. While I think we should have started diversifying by growing things like our tech and (with increasing numbers of retirees attracted to the mild-climate parts of "the last frontier") healthcare industries the last time our budget was healthy, as well as incentivizing renewable energy considering the usefulness of hydropower and wind in much of the state, that has passed. We really need ANWR open to see growth and become the economic powerhouse we're capable of being, doing it safely is easy as long as the basic inspection standards are followed.

Miencraft

I also had a solution to this, which involves -you guessed it- private property rights.

My idea was to allow people to take ownership over animals in the wild, perhaps track them and monitor them their health or whatever. I can't find a specific reason why people would want to do this, but I am sure there are more then enough girls with rich daddies who realllly want to own a giraffe but don't want one in the mansion.

A few benefits is this would greatly deter poaching, since poachers would be liable to be sued for killing what is tangibly someone else's property, furthermore it would become difficult for poachers to poach in areas that may have this system going on, since they wouldn't know which animals are "owned."

Even Cecil the Lion's death may have not even occurred.

Fairbankska

I never wanted a giraffe, but I totally want a pet reindeer.

Republic Of Minerva, The United States Of Patriots

TD;LR writ a huge response to you Fairbanks for the post above, but it got shot down because it "contained inappropriate language."

Oh come on, Max Barry hardly regulates the forum for profanity yet the RMB is different? SMH

Rateria, Fairbankska

And don't think of me as someone who is a huge mean swearer, my comment was more akin to "the sh!t is real!" than anything naughty or abrasive.

Rateria, Fairbankska

Republic Of Minerva wrote:TD;LR writ a huge response to you Fairbanks for the post above, but it got shot down because it "contained inappropriate language."

Oh come on, Max Barry hardly regulates the forum for profanity yet the RMB is different? SMH

Welcome to NationStates.

Republic Of Minerva, Shirayuki Mizore

Republic Of Minerva wrote:And don't think of me as someone who is a huge mean swearer, my comment was more akin to "the sh!t is real!" than anything naughty or abrasive.

This just in: President Minerva goes on grotesque, vulgarity-infused rant about destroying the environment and why the animals deserve to die. Time for impeachment?

Brought to you by CNN

Miencraft, Narland, Republic Of Minerva, Rateria, Condealism, The United States Of Patriots, Shirayuki Mizore, Fairbankska

To be honest I probably swear far too much in day to day conversation. When I was working in a summer camp in California, I received several complaints from the kids because I dropped so many F-bombs in my sleep.

Rateria

Republic Of Minerva wrote:I also had a solution to this, which involves -you guessed it- private property rights.

My idea was to allow people to take ownership over animals in the wild, perhaps track them and monitor them their health or whatever. I can't find a specific reason why people would want to do this, but I am sure there are more then enough girls with rich daddies who realllly want to own a giraffe but don't want one in the mansion.

A few benefits is this would greatly deter poaching, since poachers would be liable to be sued for killing what is tangibly someone else's property, furthermore it would become difficult for poachers to poach in areas that may have this system going on, since they wouldn't know which animals are "owned."

Even Cecil the Lion's death may have not even occurred.

No, then you are forcing people to use their own money to operate a game preserve. Kind of like this mess down in Texas:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/02/texas-rancher-caught-in-regulatory-web-after-rare-spider-found-on-land.html

The Ambassador To The Clfr wrote:No, then you are forcing people to use their own money to operate a game preserve. Kind of like this mess down in Texas:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/02/texas-rancher-caught-in-regulatory-web-after-rare-spider-found-on-land.html

I don't understand? There is no direct force involved here.

Bravo to our favourite neocon non-libertarian traitor (as ancaps would call him) Rand Paul for fighting for a free market healthcare bill.

However I disagree with anyone who says tax credits for low incomes would be 'Obamacare Lite'. It differs wildly from the insurance mandate. Right now, you're forced to buy health insurance by law, and if you don't buy it you're essentially hit with a big fine. Under the proposed tax credits, you have the opportunity to reduce your tax burden by purchasing health insurance, and the only penalty of not using it is... paying the same amount of tax as you were going to anyway. It's not an entitlement, it's an incentive and can even be viewed as somewhat of a tax cut.

Miencraft, Rateria, Condealism, Fairbankska

Trump is making a mistake expanding air strikes in Yemen. If he's not careful, this could be his Libya.

Trump is making a mistake expanding air strikes in Yemen. If he's not careful, this could be his Libya.

Pevvania wrote:Trump is making a mistake expanding air strikes in Yemen. If he's not careful, this could be his Libya.

Pevvania wrote:Trump is making a mistake expanding air strikes in Yemen. If he's not careful, this could be his Libya.

So much of a mistake, you had to say it twice.

Pevvania, Republic Of Minerva, Rateria, The United States Of Patriots

Pevvania wrote:To be honest I probably swear far too much in day to day conversation. When I was working in a summer camp in California, I received several complaints from the kids because I dropped so many F-bombs in my sleep.

Stop reminding me of myself!

Pevvania

Good heavens, I thought conservatives raised enough of a stink when Obama was first elected, but these constant liberal allegations that Russia rigged the election in favor of Trump are something else. The media won't back down from their petty narrative.

I do think Trump's petulance on the Guccifer 2.0 investigation, the DNC hacker who the metadata and his pattern of attacks shows was likely aided by Russian intel, makes him look childish and just feeds the left's narrative that the White House is somehow run by Bannon on behalf of Russia. Since I'd be surprised by any direct tie between Trump and the Russian government, it seems to be driven by "my enemies support it so I'm going to stonewall them." If the Guccifer 2.0-FSB link allegations are true, while I'm glad the information came out, that does constitute a foreign power meddling in the election. Cyberattacks, unlike whistleblowers, deserve no protection.

The "Russia literally hacked the voting machines" allegations are easy to refute, the supposed kompromat dossier looks like something out of a terrible tabloid, and the current Jeff Sessions allegations are nothing any other Senator didn't do.

In short, a kernel of truth (Russia pulled out every stop they could to benefit Trump) has become a full-scale assault blown far out of proportion to undermine the President's entire agenda.

Republic Of Minerva

partisans will be partisans

One side has convinced themselves the other side is irredeemably evil.

Condealism

Republic Of Minerva wrote:partisans will be partisans

One side has convinced themselves the other side is irredeemably evil.

Business as usual.

Condealism

Fairbankska wrote:Will do! :)

And I've definitely noticed. My country is a barren, desolate wasteland for basically no reason other than that my markets are pretty open, apparently. I mean, it's not like I gave everyone a blank check to slash and burn everything, externalities are a thing that will always necessitate some kind of caution and oversight.

Also I have no idea why my citizenry are massively rude.

Unlike RL Property rights insures environmental desolation in NS; and brashness (lack of public education for some reason) is equated to rudeness.
Kumquat Cove wrote:Brain Mast was just elected here in Florida's 18th district ( Rubio and Nelson are the senators). Seems to be a hard-line republican, but isnt thrilled about cuts to the EPA.
Hopefully the constituents can find a contender to replace him at the next primary/caucus.

Republic Of Minerva wrote:That's a fair assessment.

Although it is worth pointing out the EPA has its fair share of wrongdoings as well.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/16/politics/navajo-lawsuit-epa-animas-river/

My preference is to wind the EPA back to its original goal of protecting property rights. One idea I've always championed was allowing people to own the contents of the soil beneath their property, so that fracking companies would have to gain the explicit permission of anyone involved in order to actually frack.

A small corner office within the Next-Agency-to-be-Axed Building is my preference. :)

Fairbankska wrote:I'm a multiracial (3/4 white or 1/2 if you don't count Jews, 1/4 American Indian) female libertarian. Two myths for the price of one!

Thanks for clearing up any mythunderstandings. Welcome to Libertatem. Feel free to move to Idaho any time to offset all the Californians

Republic Of Minerva wrote:I also had a solution to this, which involves -you guessed it- private property rights.

My idea was to allow people to take ownership over animals in the wild, perhaps track them and monitor them their health or whatever. I can't find a specific reason why people would want to do this, but I am sure there are more then enough girls with rich daddies who realllly want to own a giraffe but don't want one in the mansion.

A few benefits is this would greatly deter poaching, since poachers would be liable to be sued for killing what is tangibly someone else's property, furthermore it would become difficult for poachers to poach in areas that may have this system going on, since they wouldn't know which animals are "owned."

Even Cecil the Lion's death may have not even occurred.

Property rights solutions are key, but in a country like Zimbabwe where citizens are denied their right to keep and bear arms and several villagers are killed every year by lions, to those villagers the only good lion is a dead one. [url]http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/08/150826-lions-big-cats-attack-zimbabwe-tour-guide-animals/[/url] [url]https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/05/opinion/in-zimbabwe-we-dont-cry-for-lions.html?_r=0[/url]
Rateria wrote:Business as usual.
I am very interested in how Mexico tampers in US elections and how many Mexican nationals may have illegally voted. It is most likely far more pervasive.

Post self-deleted by Fairbankska.

Narland wrote:Welcome to Libertatem. Feel free to move to Idaho any time to offset all the Californians

Thanks for the offer! I hope to stay in Alaska, and I'm confident if the opposition discredit themselves and he answers their few legitimate questions, Trump will be able to get ANWR opened before the usual midterm backlash.

If I have to move though, Idaho would be near the top of my list. The Idaho Panhandle/Spokane area of Washington are very culturally similar to Alaska. Southern Idaho not so much though, there be weirdos who root for the Broncos and Avalanche.

Narland wrote:Property rights solutions are key, but in a country like Zimbabwe where citizens are denied their right to keep and bear arms and several villagers are killed every year by lions, to those villagers the only good lion is a dead one. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/08/150826-lions-big-cats-attack-zimbabwe-tour-guide-animals/

In their defense, the advocates for keeping ANWR closed aren't talking about lions. They're talking about caribou, who are not only rarely a threat, but a traditional food source for the local tribes. I think this can be handled by simply going through with already existing inspection laws.

Narland wrote:I am very interested in how Mexico tampers in US elections and how many Mexican nationals may have illegally voted. It is most likely far more pervasive.

Fortunately, unlike effective cybersecurity, there's an easy solution for that. Voter ID laws prevent what, despite much of the media's protestations, is a problem that has actually been documented numerous times.

Post self-deleted by Narland.

[quote=fairbankska;24211777]Thanks for the offer! I hope to stay in Alaska, and I'm confident if the opposition discredit themselves and he answers their few legitimate questions, Trump will be able to get ANWR opened before the usual midterm backlash.

If I have to move though, Idaho would be near the top of my list. The Idaho Panhandle/Spokane area of Washington are very culturally similar to Alaska. Southern Idaho not so much though, there be weirdos who root for the Broncos and Avalanche. [/quote]

Lol, yeppers. Boise has been utterly Californicated; but it isn't a hopeless loss. Libertarians can easily get 15-20% percent of the general vote in most local elections. The Democratic Party here is ripe for take-ever with just a few thousand Libertarians moving in. Most native Conservatives are Libertarian leaning. This is the land of TEA (Taxed Enough Already) as originally espoused (End the Fed, End the IRS, Replace the Income Tax with Nothing, End Nafta and GATT, and Sound Currency (Cryptocoinage sound best to me). [/quote]

[quote=fairbankska;24211777]In their defense, the advocates for keeping ANWR closed aren't talking about lions. They're talking about caribou, who are not only rarely a threat, but a traditional food source for the local tribes. I think this can be handled by simply going through with already existing inspection laws. [/quote] I spent two weeks on a reindeer ranch in northern Norway--caribou/reindeer are the ultimate farm animal--tallow, meat, leather, gelatin, milk/cheese, pet, transportation, emergency heat source, fertilizer, and fuel from their tailings), to name a few. I hope it gets settled with minimal disruption to the people. Unfortunately domesticated reindeer have some of their spunk and intelligence bred out of them. If you ever do get one as a pet, please share the photos with us. [/quote]

[quote=fairbankska;24211777]Fortunately, unlike effective cybersecurity, there's an easy solution for that. Voter ID laws prevent what, despite much of the media's protestations, is a problem that has actually been documented numerous times.[/quote]If we can only get the National News Media fixated on that instead of looking for Russians behind every bush.

My friend says that if we move ANWR to the East by about 4 or 5 hundred miles it will no longer be a problem. For the Yukon on the other hand...

Post self-deleted by Fairbankska.

Narland wrote:Lol, yeppers. Boise has been utterly Californicated; but it isn't a hopeless loss. Libertarians can easily get 15-20% percent of the general vote in most local

elections.

Boise is pretty libertarian-leaning even now with all the California refugees, but it's culturally always been a border area between the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies, like Western Montana. As much as Alaskans complain about the Seattlfication of the Anchorage area, and as much as we basically stand alone as a culture here in the Interior, we're closer to the PNW than to any other Lower 48 region. Especially the inland, less Californicated parts. The basic traditions, cultural values, and outlook on life match up between the two pretty well. The Rockies share a basic libertarian mentality with the inland PNW, but it just feels a bit more distant to me.

Also, our libertarians got 29% in a federal Senate race just last year, and we usually vote for the libertarian in presidential politics in higher numbers than any other state. ;)

Narland wrote:Most native Conservatives are Libertarian leaning. This is the land of TEA (Taxed Enough Already) as originally espoused (End the Fed, End the IRS, Replace the Income Tax with Nothing, End Nafta and GATT, and Sound Currency (Cryptocoinage sound best to me).

That sounds like most conservatives here. Though I'm a FairTax supporter rather than a "replace with nothing" supporter, replacing with nothing means either inability to fund national defense or a destructively vast tariff schedule. I'm definitely down for ending the Fed and IRS, sound currency, and if it wouldn't mean an even more cronyist tariff schedule (what most criticism of NAFTA amounts to), ending NAFTA/GATT.

Narland wrote:O hope it gets settled with minimal disruption to the people. Unfortunately domesticated reindeer have some of their spunk and intelligence bred out of them. If you ever do get one as a pet, please share the photos with us.

I do as well, and will do! I love them to bits, they're a completely majestic animal. <3

Narland wrote:My friend says that if we move ANWR to the East by about 4 or 5 hundred miles it will no longer be a problem. For the Yukon on the other hand...

Canada actually has less compunctions about this than us. Their addiction to bureaucracy is greater than America's, but their development has been nowhere near as hamstrung thanks to the Harper administration. I'm sure getting leverage over "the evil empire" through most non-terrorist-funding oil being Albertan helps to sell said development to Joe Canadian. ;)

As resident Canadian and Quebecois of Libertatem, I'd say to keep your eyes on Maxime Bernier who's running for Conservative leadership. Not-libertarian leaning, but an actual Libertarian.

Republic Of Minerva

Good to hear! I'll be keeping an eye on his campaign. We do a lot of business with Canada in the Last Frontier, so your politics affect us greatly.

Our media has only focused on O'Leary and Blaney. O'Leary seems libertarian-leaning as well (though I disagree with him on abortion) and basically has just gotten publicity because he's famous in the US for Shark Tank, Blaney unfortunately seems to represent all the authoritarian tendencies of the Trump movement but expanded into a further creepy direction. Both have, for dramatically different reasons, been compared to Trump.

Fairbankska wrote:Good to hear! I'll be keeping an eye on his campaign. We do a lot of business with Canada in the Last Frontier, so your politics affect us greatly.

Our media has only focused on O'Leary and Blaney. O'Leary seems libertarian-leaning as well (though I disagree with him on abortion) and basically has just gotten publicity because he's famous in the US for Shark Tank, Blaney unfortunately seems to represent all the authoritarian tendencies of the Trump movement but expanded into a further creepy direction. Both have, for dramatically different reasons, been compared to Trump.

O'Leary makes me feel a little nervous concerning "job-creation" and the Canadian dollar from which I believe he'd want to do some heavy economic stimulus, which I disagree with

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M689xuNgJyA

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Written by Refuge Isle.