JustThinking.us

“Official truth is not actual truth.”

 “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

“Progress, the religion of those who have none.”

 “Political atheism: End justifies the means. This is still the most widespread of all the opinions inimical to liberty.”

“Divided, or rather multiplied, authorities are the foundation of good government.”

 “Bureaucracy is undoubtedly the weapon and sign of a despotic government, inasmuch as it gives whatever government it serves, despotic power.”

“Bureaucracy tries to establish so many administrative maxims that the minister is as narrowly controlled and guided as the judge.”

“It is bad to be oppressed by a minority, but it is worse to be oppressed by a majority.”

 “There should be a law to the People besides its own will.”

 “Democracy generally monopolizes and concentrates power.”

“Americans dreaded democracy and contrived their constitution against it.”

“For it is a most striking thing that the views of pure democracy...were almost entirely unrepresented in [the American] convention.”

 “The true natural check on absolute democracy is the federal system, which limits the central government by the powers reserved, and the state governments by the powers they have ceded.”

 “Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited.”

“Authority that does not exist for Liberty is not authority but force.”

“The will of the people cannot make just that which is unjust.”

 “A convinced man differs from a prejudiced man as an honest man from a liar.”

“By liberty I mean the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes is his duty against the influence of authority and majorities, custom and opinion.”

“It is easier to find people fit to govern themselves than people fit to govern others.”

 “The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern.”

The following is taken directly from the Resource Center at the Treasury Department.

Who/What is the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee (TBAC)?

Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee Members

CHAIRMAN

When somebody posts or comments at our Facebook page, I usually go over and skulk their page.

I found this photo over at Tina C's page and thought it was just the best thing I've seen in a long time.

From Charles Hugh Smith's fine site Of Two Minds.

Click the dominoes for the accomanying analysis.

As an aside, the Maastrict Treaty also known as the "Treaty Of The European Union" became effective on this date in 1993.

A couple of the minions hail from Southern California.

You may not be aware of this but for Southern Californians of a certain age, when it comes to Halloween there is only one band and only one tune that truly satisfies.

That band being Oingo Boingo and the tune, Dead Man's Party

So ... from 1985, here's Danny Elfman on guitar and vocals, Steve Bartek playing an exceptionally tasty lead guitar, John Hernandez on drums, John Avila on the bass synth, Michael Bacich (I think) on keyboards, and the horn section of Leon Schneiderman and Sam (Sluggo) Phipps on saxaphones with Dale Turner on the trumpet.

Oingo Boingo.

Dead Man's Party

No minions ..... thank you.

For some reason, it's been an incredibly rich week for video.

Here is some of the better short video we've either subscribed for or had sent our way.

Thanks to Somebody who sent us the Battle for Brooklyn stuff and didn't want to be identified in any way.

We figure he/she's embarrassed to associated with us.

Wealth disparity in China is far more profound than it is in America.

The following thought has been spreading across the length and width of China

If one percent of American people own 90% of the wealth, one ten-thousandth of the Chinese people own 90% of the wealth.

Who should be occupying what?

The phrase "Occupy ......." has been banned on all search engines across all of Communist China.

If you feel compelled to mess with the banks any way you can, this kid ... don't be offended, I've attained that age where damn near everybody's a kid to me ... has an extremely clever, nonviolent idea.

The following is an interview from the makers of and some bits of a trailer for the movie Battle of Brooklyn, a documentary on the acquisition of the land for and subsequent construction of Barclays Center and one of the more eggregious examples of the use of eminent domain for private profit you will encounter.

Unfortunately, around here Christmas comes with winter.

We're giving this one some serious thought.

Sheila P. messaged me straight out of left field or God's country depending on your point of view something to the effect that you don't want an airplane for Christmas, what you want is a horse.

Well ..... Ok ... not necessarily at this moment but yeah, most of the time.

Then she said, "You only post cutting horse video's.  Why don't you put up a reining video?"

I can do that.

Here is Shawn Flarida and the great Wimpy's Little Chic, the National Reining Horse Association's all time leading money earner with $514,800, winning the 2007 NRHA Open Futurity.

Who, if she could be bought at all, might start at auction on the low side at about the price of that seaplane.