Comments: The Blizzard of Oz. (Good test run for martial law.)
What a mish-mosh of well-meant criticisms of nanny government.
How many lives have been saved by bicycle and child football helmet laws, child and adult car seatbelt laws? Blame the neglectful parents and local governments who failed in their mandates to protect the otherwise helpless, innocent, ignorant and stupid. If the government oversteps constitutional authority go bitch and moan to your legislators and demand the hazard-prevention laws be rescinded!
Take responsibility for your dereliction of duty and teach your children well. Kookoo kvetching results in wretchard retching!!
Posted by Stug Guts at January 28, 2015 9:51 AM
Well Stug, that was an interesting comment, but I have no idea what your point is. Does that mean that the standard for legality is strictly effectiveness? Lives saved? Do you mean to imply that governments actually have a mandate to protect the "helpless, innocent, ignorant, and stupid"? 'Cause, I've never seen such a mandate, and sure wouldn't have voted for one. In fact, I'm pretty sure the 2nd Amendment was put in place as an explicit check on such a mandate.
I dunno, maybe I'm missing the subtlety of your comment. The last limerick suggests that you are probably much more profound than I can comprehend.
Posted by The Hammertoss at January 28, 2015 1:14 PM
The Hammertoss, as stated in the preamble to our Constitution, an aim of the Constitution is to promote the General Welfare of the citizenry -- recognizing rights of states and individuals in the absence federal authority.
Fundamentally, US government is there to protect the lives of its citizenry against foreign and domestic threats. That's a reason why all levels of government have laws against murder, rape, robbery, assault,... The laws are to protect the innocent, helpless, stupid, ignorant. I did explicitly say government may overstep its stated authority [when other authorities are seriously neglectful of their obligations to protect the citizenry].
The 2nd Amendment is there to ensure that citizens may bear arms to protect themselves, and where justified, others, against marauders.
I don't see where we are in disagreement. Surely, you're not suggesting anarchy is the way for a society to organize [or disorganize] itself, with every man/woman strictly for their self.
Posted by Stug Guts at January 28, 2015 4:06 PM
When groups of wild assed animals become too large their weakest are allowed to be killed off and thereby not presenting a *drag* on the remainder.
I've long said that incessant gov't rules have created an environment where the wildest animals of all, idiot humans, are not killed off at the rate that they should be, and had been in the past, and are *dragging* the rest of us down.
Eventually the safety rules on the traditional beach ball will be so vast and in so many languages that the smallest size to be purchased will 10' in diameter and though it will have all 6 colors it will appear black because of all the print and idiots will still use it as a life preserver and die.
Posted by ghostsniper at January 28, 2015 7:35 PM
All you ever need to know about Martial Law:
http://dpjk.blogspot.com/2014/12/martial-law.html
Posted by chasmatic at January 28, 2015 9:46 PM
As a long-time conscious observer of our media and govt's cozy and getting cozier relationship, I had the same thought watching the run-up to snowmageddon. The heavy-handed lock downs and ominous edicts. But I think half of it is because politicians fear that the media will make them look like W did after Katrina.
Posted by Joan of Argghh! at January 29, 2015 3:49 AM
The media is a lot more in collusion than during Bush's time.
I think the government fears the people unless and until they can control them. Lockdowns are a way to get people used to the lash.
"... But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” Goering
"Being attacked" is like all the crises the media tells us we are facing and along comes DC saying "We can help, we can fix that, just form a line".
Posted by chasmatic at January 29, 2015 5:47 AM
If we weren't so busy dicking around blocking Global Warming, snow storms like this failed Juno wouldn't exist.
We wouldn't have the Government jumping in our shorts issuing all sorts of dicta concerning driving, walking, sticking one's tongue on lamp posts, pissing in snow banks, fornicating without proper contraception during blizzards and what in hell else.
Pay your Carbon Tax, go broke so Obama will shut up and winter can return to normal.
Posted by Vermont Woodchuck at January 29, 2015 5:52 AM
"....laws against murder, rape, robbery, assault,... The laws are to protect the innocent..."
================
They do nothing of the such and you should know better.
Posted by ghostsniper at January 29, 2015 7:43 AM
gs, all you need do is check the government stats on violent crime convictions and imprisonments, year-by-year. Those in prison do not commit violent crimes against those innocents outside of prison. Do you believe the 2 million plus prisoners in the USA are all saints?
How many of us would like to shoot one or more politicians and don't do so because we fear the consequences to ourselves and our families?
Posted by Stug Guts at January 29, 2015 1:37 PM