Cali to Release 40k Inmates; State Still Refuses to Alter Carry Laws

Q:  What happens when some 40,000 prison inmates, some of which are the hardest of the hardened criminals are released all at once due to a court order of poor and inhumane conditions due to over crowding and lack of "mentally ill" treatment?

A:  Unless you have one of the illusive and endangered species listed carry permits in Cali, you're Just Another Nameless Victim (JANV). 

Well, that is the stage that has been set before SCOTUS, and it looks like they are ready to rule upon the Constitution, and not for the greater good in keeping criminals locked up and behind bars.  Seems that even Justice Alito understands the consequences of the pending ruling.

"If I were a citizen of California, I would be concerned about the release of 40,000 prisoners," said Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., noting that the forced release of prisoners elsewhere has led to an increase in rapes, robberies and assaults.

This means that average, law abiding citizens of the great state of California, will remain nearly defenseless as they roam the streets with the lowest of the low. 

Pres Obama Not to Meet Karzai in A-stan

When the President hops on AF1, it isn't always advertised, especially for security reasons.

However, when he hops on AF1 to fly to Afghanistan to schmooze with the troops (God Bless them, and I hope none of them have to put up with his royal pompousness for too long), the question needs to be asked why the president isn't meeting with the president of the occupied country.  Perhaps Wikileaks is downing the President's leverage for diplomacy and schmoozing of foreign dignitaries?  Or is the incompetent one, just not that smart? 

Wounded Vet Seeks Vigilante Scare of Westboro Batnuts

Vigilante justice is a dish best served cold!  Well, okay.  That's not exactly the line that Ricardo Montalban's character, Khan, used in the movie Star Trek II, but it does well to describe the message that Ryan J. Newell was trying to send in Westboro, KS. 

According to the Wichita Eagle, Newell decided that it was a good idea to follow a group of Westboro Batnuts with a van full of firearms.  Apparently, that leads to charges of misdemeanor stalking, carrying illegally concealed firearms, and the false impersonation of a police officer.  What is not so clear from the article is if this veteran just happened to be a victim of wrong place, wrong time, and the ever increasing influence upon daily lives of the police / nanny state.  Last I checked, it isn't wrong to carry guns and ammunition in your vehicle, and without knowing the Kansas carry and transpiration laws, I can't even begin to speculate if Newell was in compliance. 

Either way you slice this story, we'll come away with a few generalities.  First, the Westboro Batnuts are still batty.  Second, while vigilante justice is often a way towards feeling better about moral justice, it doesn't solve Constitutional justice.  No matter how wrong these perverted retards are (and we still refuse to call them religious zealots because they speak in political generalities, not scripture), they are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Third, if Newell broke the law or his actions even so much appeared to be threatening towards the lives of these pieces of trash, he should be punished for at least harassment.  While I may have some sympathy towards a veteran, the law is the law is the law, and we can't break it or threaten the lives of others simply because we do not agree with them.

Karma works in mysterious ways, and I hope Newell's case get's a fair shake.  After all, that is the only thing that we should truly pray for. 

QOTD: Soverign Debt Backstop Doesn't Negate Risk

From the Daily Reckoning:

Now, such action [providing sovereign backstop to liquidity] can slow contagion, to be sure, but can it stop it? As the sovereign steps in to provide ever more explicit guarantees for the financial system, this places the sovereign in the front line, facing investors who may still desire to reduce credit risk. Just because credit risk has been assumed by the sovereign does not in any way imply that the risk has disappeared; rather, it has merely changed form, from private to public. Debt which investors previously thought would be serviced via private sector economic activity, such as the generation of corporate cash flows to service corporate debt, or the generation of household incomes to service household debt, now must be serviced by the government, which implies that it must be paid for out of future tax revenue.

The first part of a two part article is a great explanation into just how risk, debt, and default all play an interesting part in navigating freedom, markets, and economics.

Bankers or Us

Late yesterday afternoon, I noticed that "Bankers or Us" was the hottest search on Google.  Seems that a piece by Alex Jones is what fanned the flames up, and while I refuse to repost any of that whack job's work, he makes some interesting points. 

So, consider this your reference to go forth and educate.