Heads Up



   A Weekly edition of News from around our country



		  February 14, 1997   #22



	  by:  Doug Fiedor    fiedor19@eos.net



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  Previous Editions at:  http://mmc.cns.net/headsup.html

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PROPERTY RIGHTS

	The third of our most basic unalienable 

rights, property, is under discussion again in Congress. 

(see Unalienable Rights in "Heads Up" #11)  This time it 

is an attempt to protect "some" of our property against 

the heavy hand of government regulators.

	This "protection" comes in the form of 

H.R. 95, a bill "To ensure that Federal agencies 

establish the appropriate procedures for assessing 

whether or not Federal regulations might result in the 

taking of private property, and to direct the Secretary 

of Agriculture to report to the Congress with respect to 

such takings under programs of the Department of 

Agriculture."

	The bill states that:  "The Congress finds 

that there are certain Federal laws, regulations, and 

actions, which adversely affect the value of private 

property."  . . . And that, "The purpose of this Act is 

to reduce the risk of undue or inadvertent  burdens on 

the public resulting from certain lawful Federal 

Government actions."

	In this bill, "the term 'private property' 

includes all property protected by the fifth amendment 

to the Constitution, including real and personal property 

and tangible and intangible property; the term 'taking of 

private property' means an activity wherein private 

property is taken such that compensation to the owner of 

that property is required by the fifth amendment to the 

Constitution; and the term 'agency' means a Federal 

agency in the executive branch which engages in activity 

with the potential for taking private property, including 

any department, government corporation, government-

controlled corporation, or other establishment in the 

executive branch of the United States Government."

	The Fifth Amendment is rather clear in 

restricting the federal government:  "No person 

shall . . . be deprived of life, liberty, or property, 

without due process of law; nor shall private property 

be taken for public use without just compensation."

	To decrease the value of private property 

through regulation is, of course, to deprive the owner 

of the free use of the property.  To "take" a citizens 

property through forfeiture is little more than stealing 

it under color of law.

	The author of the bill, Rep. Gerald 

Solomon (R-NY), obviously intended this bill to apply 

primarily to the problems experienced by farmers.  And, 

herein lies the shame of Congress.  Because, when the 

heavy hand of government attempts to regulate -- or, in 

the case of forfeiture, to steal by force -- private 

property, the bureaucratic hand should not be slapped but 

cut off up at the elbow!  Today, all property of all 

citizens needs protection from the central government.  

And severe penalties are needed to back these protections.

	But this bill does not even "slap."  

There are no penalties included for an agent of 

government violating a citizen's property rights.  Not 

even a hint of a penalty is included.  No enforcement 

whatsoever!

	Regardless of its title, the bill is little 

more than a joke.  It is, in effect, a lame attempt to 

pacify rural constituents by a representative who has 

been in Congress way too long.  Proof of that comes down 

in Section 5 of the bill:

	"No regulation issued by an agency after 

the date of enactment of this section shall become 

effective until the issuing agency is certified by the 

Attorney General to be in compliance with Executive Order 

12630 or similar procedures to assess the potential for 

the taking of private property in the course of Federal 

regulatory activity, with the goal of minimizing such 

takings where possible.  The Attorney General shall make 

a certification under this paragraph no later than 90 

days after the date of the issuance of the regulation."

	What a joke!  Even if this only applied 

to farmers, what's some guy with 40 acres out in Idaho 

supposed to do when he gets hassled by any of one-hundred 

federal agencies?  Yeah, go make an appointment with 

Janet Reno for clarification!  Sure.

	One specific ideal professed by all of 

the Founding Fathers is that private property is 

"private."  That is, it does not belong to the 

government.  Therefore, the function of government then 

becomes simple:  to protect the rights of the citizen 

over property.  Government was instituted to protect 

property rights, not to violate those rights.  There is 

no authority in the Constitution allowing government to 

tell you what to do with your money, car, farm, home, or 

anything else.  The federal government should not even 

speak on the subject.

	The Founders were very adamant about 

this.  In fact, they even went to war to enforce their 

unalienable right to property.

	Someday . . . maybe . . . we will pay 

close enough attention and select legislators who 

understand.  Yeah.  Maybe someday.



SOCIALIST LEADERSHIP

	The Democratic leadership in the House 

gave Vermont Rep. Bernie Sanders the top minority 

position on the Government Reform Subcommittee.  But, 

Sanders is not a Democrat.

	Bernie Sanders aligns himself with the 

leadership of the Democratic Party in the House because 

they all think alike.  But Sanders is not a member of the 

Democratic Party.

	Yet, who better to have a top spot on 

the Government Reform Subcommittee than Sanders -- the 

only avowed socialist in the House.  You see, they list 

him as an Independent.  But he is not.  He is a real 

socialist.  Oh sure, many others in the House "act" like 

socialists.  Sanders, however, really is one.

	Government Reform by a socialist. . . .



TERM LIMITS

	It is very interesting to watch members 

of the House debate term limits.  They talk it up a lot, 

but every one of them knows that less than 25% in 

Congress really wants it to pass.

	The Republicans leadership is for term 

limits.  Or, so it seems publicly, anyway.  The Democrats 

with safe seats are, of course, speaking against term 

limits.  Wonder why?

	What we've got here, folks, is a bunch 

of so called professional politicians protecting their 

incomes.  Most of them have never had a job outside of 

government.  Nor do they ever intend to have one.

	It doesn't matter that they cannot handle 

their present position very well (look at the laws they 

pass, and the state of the country).  They like their 

position, and most intend to stay.  Term limits stands 

about as much chance of passing as Slick Willie does of 

getting his face up on Mt. Rushmore.

	Like the man said last year, "Cut their 

salaries, cut their time, and send them home."  Yeah, 

then cut their perks and pensions to zero and watch how 

many stick around!  But, that may not work, either.  Then 

we'll still need term limits to get rid of the 

millionaires -- there are over 50 in the House alone.

	This is depressing.

	Probably the only thing we can do is to 

actively work against anyone who has been in Congress for 

over ten years.  Otherwise, they are where they want to 

be:  Controlling and collecting.  And they have us right 

where they want us to be: Obeying and paying.



ASIDES

	Last week we mentioned a little of the 

"Third Way" type of government -- the blend between 

communism and capitalism we find ourselves living under 

in these United States.  Actually, we just kind of 

sneaked the old "Third Way" term into a piece about Slick 

Willie, with only a brief explanation, to see if anyone 

would notice.  Many readers did.

	Judging by mail received, there seems 

to be quite a lot of interest in that subject.  So, 

starting this week, Bill Kasper will lend his wit and 

wisdom to these pages with a series on the "Third Way" 

style of government and how it can ultimately be expected 

to affect our lives.

	Bill's writing is always a delight to 

read.  It might stand out here like Shakespeare at a 

Bevis and Butthead festival.  But, most of us will find 

it both interesting and insightful.  The material related 

will also be very important to all of us.

	On another matter:  Last week "Heads 

Up" received (indirectly) its first piece of hate mail.  

A well educated person of some notoriety (who shall 

remain unnamed herein) told others that, although they 

agree with 99% of what they read here, "Heads Up" 

nevertheless spreads "poison" and "propaganda."  That's 

an interesting opinion.  However, no examples of either 

"poison" or "propaganda" were cited to back it up -- 

which makes the charges rather inconvenient to answer.

	So, we looked on the brighter side of what 

we read:  We think it quite an honor to please any single 

reader 99% of the time.  Oh sure, we wonder about the 

"poison" part a little, too.  Our eyes, however, much 

preferred to rest on the 99% approval rating stated in 

the letter.

	And, the "propaganda" part?  Well, our 

dictionary defines propaganda as:  "1. The systematic 

propagation of a given doctrine.  2. Ideas, information, 

or other material disseminated to win people over to a 

given doctrine."  So OK.  What's the problem with that?



CLASSIST THEOLOGY

	An introduction to "Third Way" thought basics

	by Bill Kasper

	The fundamental differences between 

Communism and Capitalism are not limited to their 

economic structures.  While it is true that the economic 

structures of Communism, as taught in schools all across 

America, are different from the capitalist system, there 

is an extremely dark, fundamentally necessary component 

of Communism without which the economic frosting on its 

power cake could not exist.  This component is not taught 

in school.  It is too disturbing and too abstract.  It is 

a philosophy.  Or rather, an unstated, dark 

sub-philosophy only hinted at by Communism's explicit 

statement of the necessity of a "temporary" government to 

rule until the proletariat actually run everything in the 

worker's paradise.

	This sub-philosophy is not, as Marxists 

and Socialists would have us believe, the philosophy of 

"fair" and equal distribution of wealth, embodied in the 

phrase "From each according to his ability, to each 

according to his need."  It is a far more subtle, and far 

more insidious belief.

	It is the unquestioned assumption that 

somewhere, someone is deciding how much to take from 

those with ability, and in what forms and amounts it will 

be given to those in "need."  There is the further 

unstated belief that without this omnipotent forced 

guidance, the "people" would act to their own detriment, 

eventually causing the greatest evil conceivable:  Chaos 

and Anarchy.

	This hidden socio-theology assumes the 

existence of two distinct sub-species of Homo-sapien:  

Working Man (Homo-ergos), and Administrative Man 

(Homo-bureaucratis).

	According to the religious tenets of this 

belief, Homo-ergos has the burden of production squarely 

on his shoulders, and is mercifully free of the burden of 

actual ownership and direction of the results of his 

labors, both personally and societally.  His rights 

extend only as far as members of Homo-bureaucratis say 

they do (sometimes, Homo-ergos even gets to vote for 

which Homo-bureaucratis he wants to rule him).

	Homo-bureaucratis is the natural master 

of Homo-ergos.  He goes about directing the macro and 

micro-steps of his Homo-ergos charges, all with the 

benevolent subconscious knowledge that, were he to cease 

ruling, Homo-ergos would degenerate into his natural, 

brutish, self-destructive true self and society would 

degenerate into C & A (Chaos and Anarchy).  To this end, 

there exist two sets of laws: one for the Working Man, 

and one of the Administrative man.

	The dichotomy between the rights and 

abilities of Homo-ergos and Homo-bureaucratis are so 

obvious to both sub-species that they never even need 

to be stated.  In fact, to question the right of 

Administrative man to feed off Working Man's effort is 

considered crass and obnoxious in pleasant 

Homo-bureaucratis company, and will be tagged as 

"anti-democratic" and even "anti-government."

	This socio-theology is, unfortunately, not limited to 

communism or socialism.  It is, in varying forms, the 

fundamental underpinning of almost all governments 

throughout history.  From Plato's fictional Republic to 

Hitler's nightmare Germany, it is there.  There is only 

one notable exception:  The American Republic, as defined 

by the Declaration of Independence and codified in the 

Constitution of the United States of America.

	America under the Constitution was the 

first nation on earth to declare that all men (not just 

those of royal lineage, or those owning land) have 

certain unalienable rights, and that the two sub-species 

of humanity were not only a fiction, but a fiction to be 

banned by the institution of a governmental system 

through which every "peasant" could be president, and 

every member of the landed gentry could find himself in 

prison for abuse of the rights of the "commoners."  There 

was to be one law for all, regardless of position in 

life.  This effectively banished the false religion of 

elitism and classism from the workings of America for 

nearly 150 years.

	(to be continued)



DRUG CHECKS

	Congress is readying to check all of 

it's employees for illegal drug use and abuse.  And, 

needless to say, there is quite a lot of complaining 

going on in the halls on Capitol Hill.  However, we note 

that all employees of the legislative branch were given 

plenty of time to "get clean" before the tests are to 

begin.  Therefore, anyone caught now is really stupid.

	But there is a lot more to this than meets 

the eye.  Most of these "Hill Rats" are liberals.  Yet, 

they are the very same people responsible for adding the 

most oppressive sections to the drug laws used to better 

control us citizens out in the states.  So, that presents 

a quandary for us on this end.  Normally, "Heads Up" 

would say that drug testing is little more than a 

tyrannical abuse of power -- a search of your body 

without permission of a warrant.  But, in this case we're 

forced to sit back, snicker and say, "succumb to the 

tests, Hill Rats; turnaround is fair play!"  Let's see 

how they like it.

	Rep, Solomon pushes the issue even 

further with H.R. 90, a bill  "To require random drug 

testing within the executive branch of the Government."  

Then, he submitted H.R. 92, a bill "To require random 

drug testing of Federal judicial branch officers and 

employees."

	On top of that, there is talk on the floor 

of the House that Members of Congress should be tested, 

too.  Fat chance!  But it's an interesting thought.



GORE MUST BE BORED

	Anyone else notice that Ozone-head 

never turns up for work?  The vice-president's only duty 

is to preside over the Senate (and wait for the president 

to die).  He's paid big bucks for that, but never does it 

(the Senate part, that is).  Instead, like a typical 

socialist buttinsky, he tries to control things not 

included in his job description.

	That no one wants him there, acting as 

President of the Senate, is self evident.  The guy's a 

dunce, and probably couldn't handle the job.  The 

administration does not want him acting as President of 

the Senate, either.  He would be out in public then, and 

people might notice that there is a dolt next in line for 

the presidency.

	So they gave him a job "reinventing 

government," in which he obviously did his best.  Like a 

good little bureaucrat, he produced a large report 

printed on expensive paper.  No results, of course.  But 

a real fancy report!  You see folks, the truth is in the 

numbers.  And, a quick look at the federal budget shows 

that the administration continued to grow by eight to ten 

percent a year.

	That completed, they gave him a commission 

on airline traffic security.  There's not much he could 

hurt there, since there are between four and five-million 

successful commercial aircraft flights in this country 

annually -- all but a handful without a hitch.  However, 

being a bureaucrat, he managed to come up with something, 

nevertheless:  Terrorism.

	Now the administration calls for 600+ FBI 

agents working commercial airline security, supplemented 

with 600+ "other" associated personnel.  They call for 

bomb (and drug?) sniffing dogs, new methods of baggage 

searchers, and even whole body searches of all passengers 

via new electronic scanning equipment.  And, of course, 

"profiles" on half of the American population will now 

need to be entered into a government computer to better 

sniff out all those would-be terrorists.

	It's all working, too.  There is not a 

terrorist in sight.  Yup, even before it starts, it's all 

working.  

	Don't you feel safer already?