Why sheep must buy Audi

As Uncle puts it: Now, some folks are rather upset about that ad for fear of a police state or because it displays environmentalists as fascists and a whole other host of reasons that I’m not going to talk about. I’m going to talk about why the ad ensures I will not buy that car. The ad shows people violating what I presume are green laws and those people being arrested, harassed, and having the police state come down on them. The compliant people suffer no such fate. That is, the sheep are left alone. The ad says that, by virtue of buying this car, you will be a compliant citizen. In essence, you’ll be a better sheep. Fuck that. The commercial should have ended with a guy in a big ass Ford Earthfucker™ that gets 5 miles per gallon with seats made from baby seals blowing past the roadblock billowing smoke. And, for effect, the driver flips them off. I’d buy that car. Not this little compliant pansy car. You appeal to Americans in an ad by showing rebellion and general orneriness. Not passiveness, compliance, or sheepishness. Some cool guy responded to that demand and created the ad for the Ford Earthfucker ™:

Guantanamo is in Berlin

A few years back when the US opened Guantanamo and when there were talks about secret CIA prisons where suspected terrorists were allegedly tortured, especially Europeans were among the harshest critics - and rightly so. The end does not always justify the means. Western democracies must keep their core values alive, above all. Otherwise their fight is not worth fighting. Now, however, it is not about mere security and the protection of human lives through questionable methods. Now, the only concern at stake is the government's money, in other words government's immediate and most important interest. And now, Germans, French or Dutch suddenly lose all their noble reservations. They do expect their governments to buy stolen bank data although ordinary citizens would be committing a criminal offense if they did the same thing. When it comes to the government's core interest, everything else becomes secondary. The citizens welcome their government's spending of taxpayer money in order to reward criminal thugs, only because it serves their Nanny State directly. In such case, the State and its bureaucrats are above the laws. This is the perfection of the total State. Disapproving of the government's use of criminal methods in order to save lives while approving of the government using criminal methods in order to finance its unsustainable and unjust Welfare State is a sign of a deep and very concerning moral depravation.

New Swiss blog on guns

The first Swiss Gun Blog's out: http://swissgunblog.wordpress.com/, the author calls himself Konrad Baumgarten: Welcome to my new blog, which appears to be the first true Swiss Gun Blog. Here’s where we will talk about gun rights and gun culture, freedom, legal developments, politics, how to buy or sell a gun legally in Switzerland etc.

Fenix & Spydero

Meet my new Fenix LD20 (180 lumen) and my Spyderco Sage, a true urban Gentleman's tool :-) I haven't really tested the Fenix yet. The Sage however is an awesome tool. It is extremely sharp (steel CPM-S30V), and its handle which is made of carbon fibres gives it a very elegant look and an excellent grip. I also like the clip being made out of wire, that way it remains discreet in your pocket without scaring the hell out of people not so much used to knives. Yet, the clip is not as robust as other more classic clips (like the Griptilian's for instance) and it can bend if it is trapped between you and a wall or if it gets stuck in any other way. Unfortunately, ordering a  mere replacement clip from the US is indeed quite an expensive bargain... Still if you move a bit careful, the Sage is an awesome little knife to possess.

When Government threatens its subjects...

I can only agree with Dan Mitchell on this one: It is a tedious production, but perhaps it deserves an award for being the most sinister or collectivist video on youtube. The video is designed to bully Brits into telling tax authorities about offshore accounts, and the narrator brags that the tax authorities has “more powers” and actually has the nerve to complain that people with undeclared accounts are ”robbing public services of much needed funding.” Yes, robbery is taking place. But at the risk of pointing out the obvious, it is government that is using coercion to take money it doesn’t deserve.

Gun culture in Switzerland

There's a very good video on Swiss gun culture, really worth watching. I stumpled upon it through the Firearm Blog, one of the excellent gun blogs out there: There is an interesting video at WorldRadio.ch about the famous unique gun culture of Switzerland. At the start of the video a Swiss guy shows the rifle he used in military service, his fathers service rifle and says that his grandfather's service rifle is hanging in his office. How cool is that? Here's an old picture from LIFE documenting that tradition and showing what appears to be a K11 (the predecessor of the classic K31) For more information on these old Swiss rifles (in German: "Karabiner"/ in French: "Mousquetons") click here.

A human right

Supreme Court says Americans have right to guns The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices' first major pronouncement on gun rights in U.S. history. The court's 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia's 32-year-old ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. The decision went further than even the Bush administration wanted, but probably leaves most firearms laws intact. The court had not conclusively interpreted the Second Amendment since its ratification in 1791. The amendment reads: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." The basic issue for the justices was whether the amendment protects an individual's right to own guns no matter what, or whether that right is somehow tied to service in a state militia. (...) As gun-control laws merely manage to give a competitive advantage to outlaws (burglars, murderers, the police state and other vilains), this judgement is a great step towards more individual liberty.

Well done, Ireland!

Ireland rejects EU reform treaty with 53.4 percent "no" vote While the Eurocrats tried to double-cross some 500 million citizens with the so-called "Lisbon reform treaty" after the aborted "constitution" in 2005, the brave Irish people has shown the red card to Brussels. The reform treaty does not contain especially bad things compared to the existing treaty. But the Irish vote is a good thing because it hampers European integration as it is presently understood by Eurocrats, namely: more centralization, more taxes, less liberty. The Irish have been the only people to be able to express their opinion on the issue. This mere fact was sufficient a reason to reject the reform treaty and the buraucracy it stands for.

Israeli-Syrian peace talks?

In a dramatic announcement, the Prime Minister's Office said that Israel and Syria had begun indirect peace talks. This is certainly dramatic news. Though many rumors spread in the last months on this issue, it is actually quite unexpected to get an official confirmation now on contacts between the two countries. It is especially remarkable when remembering that Israel obviously carried out a successful airstrike against Syrian nuclear facilities last September. This might show that Israel really considered the threat at the time to be very serious since this attack could have very well compromised any such sensitive talks. Anyway, it may of course be naive to place any hope in such negotiations. But the very fact that they take place is remarkable and not at all comparable to the regular pro-forma meetings with the Palestinians. Compared to the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah clique, the Palestinians are a mere junior ennemy. Syria's stakes are however quite high and, considering its alliances and commitments, it will be very difficult to find a way to deal with Damascus. In any case, the price the parties would come to pay will be an expensive one. Also, it would be quite ironic that these political steps should take place under such a weak and disappointing politician as Ehud Olmert. However, it seems that such talks have started back in 2004, i.e. while Ariel Sharon was in office. After his defeating of Palestinian terrorism and his withdrawal from Gaza, this would definitely make Ariel Sharon Israel's first hero in the 21st century.

Too drunk to fuck

I don't know why but I love the interpretation of that song. It can be found on the soundtrack of Robert Rodriguez' stylish movie Planet Terror.

Mazel Tov, Israel

60 years ago, on 14 May 1948 at 4 p.m., David Ben-Gurion read a 979-word declaration of independence in front of a small audience at the Tel Aviv Art Museum. He finished, "The state of Israel is established! The meeting is ended." At midnight, British rule over Palestine lapsed. Happy Birthday, Israel.

Pro Life. Pro Choice.

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes...Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.” "The strongest reason for the people to retain their right to keep and bear arms is as a last resort to protect themselves against tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson Pour l'idée, thx Lorenzo (image: my Taurus 66).

Arrested @ the Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Many people have already heard of this. But seeing these young and inoffensive people getting interrupted and arrested by all-too zealous policemen at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial! really makes you feel you're in some sort of 1984-parody. Here's the original Facebook group, here's an account of that night, here on flickr, here's the new corresponding Facebook group and here's where you can donate for the girl who's got arrested and who will now have to face the Police state.

Myth: Gun Control Reduces Crime

And Penn & Teller on the 2nd Amendment, I just love them:

Albert Hofmann dies

Albert Hofmann, creator of LSD, has died last night in his hometown, near Basel, Switzerland at the age of 102. Even if you are not a drug user (I am not), his book, LSD: My Problem Child, is very much worth reading. Hat tip: Lorenzo.

Swiss Censorship on eBay?

You would think that you'd get to see such sites in communist China only. Yet, if you want to have a closer look at certain things on the internet which do not please the government, you experience state censorship made in Switzerland (note that I did not want to watch or buy any porn or terror items or the like but just take a look at a 60 year old Bayonet). Dear User: Unfortunately, access to this particular category or item has been blocked due to legal restrictions in your home country. Based on our discussions with concerned government agencies and eBay community members, we have taken these steps to reduce the chance of inappropriate items being displayed. Regrettably, in some cases this policy may prevent users from accessing items that do not violate the law. At this time, we are working on less restrictive alternatives. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause you, and we hope you may find other items of interest on eBay. Thank You. So things you may want to look at but which your government does not want you to see, let alone possess, are now called "inappropriate". In some 50 years, people will look back and they will say that that is how everything began, how we let the police state into our homes and how we allowed more and more restrictions to be imposed on our own personal liberty by statists. We are facing an alarming evolution which will ultimately lead to more state, to more taxes and to less liberty. Thus today's political priority is to resist and to limit state power whereever it is possible.

Announcing AtlasShrugged.com

A new site has been created, dedicated to Ayn Rand's great novel, Atlas Shrugged: http://AtlasShrugged.com/ In Atlas Shrugged, Rand outlined her philosophy, Objectvism, which she described as follows: My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute. Ayn Rand was once asked if she could present the essence of Objectivism while standing on one foot. Her answer was: Metaphysics: Objective Reality Epistemology: Reason Ethics: Self-interest Politics: Capitalism Atlas Shrugged is a subversive book with its own particular esthetics and a captivating rhythm of narration which would predestinate it for Hollywood (it includes them all: sex and crime and violence and heroic success). This is a must-read for people who do not believe in statist mystisicm nor in gratuitious altruism. But beware: it can very well get you addicted and - despite its more than 1000 pages - could also be used as a tool for conversion to capitlism, the unknown ideal.

Happy Birthday, Thomas Jefferson!

Today's the 265th birthday of Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826), 3rd president of the United States and especially the author of the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. A great man to everyone who believes in human freedom (the Washington D.C. police certainly don't).

Dodge Challenger 2008

This is probably what I'd buy if I had some $ 50'000 left to spend. The 2008 Dodge Challenger, almost as cool as his elder brother, Kowalski's 1970 Challenger. Should you like muscle cars, car chases, the desert and, above all, Freedom, and should you not know Vanishing Point yet, I'd vividly recommend you go and buy that movie and take care of that deficit.

Israel's ambassador before the UN

As Palestinian terrorism is back at its murderous best, it is worth to study the speech which Israel's ambassador delivered today at the UN: Statement by Ambassador Itzhak Levanon, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, Geneva 7th Regular Session - Human Rights Council Response to Resolution A/HRC/7/1 6 March 2008 Mr. President, I cannot compete with the exaggerations, distortions and inaccuracies I haveheard here today. I must admit that I don't have such a fertile imagination, and am unable to point a rhetorical picture which doesn't reflect reality. What, yes, I can do is to tell you and the council the truth, the simple truth. The truth is, that the Hamas terrorists took over the Gaza Strip by force, and established an irredentist entity. That, they have smuggled lethal weapons into this territory with the sole purpose to kill Israelis. That, since the beginning of this year, in only two months, they have fired 671 missiles at civilians, women and children. That, they received these missiles from countries in the Middle East, such as the Iranian-made 122mm Grad missile. That, Hamas is committing war crimes and collectively punishing a population of a quarter of a million citizens living in Ashkelon, Sderot, the Negev and Netivot. That, they call for the physical destruction of my country and translate these words with deeds. That, they brought Al-Qaeda to the Gaza Strip, a fact confirmed by the President of the Palestinian Authority. Mahmoud Abbas, in the London El Hayat newspaper on 27 February 2008. The truth is that 50% of the population of Sderot suffers from anxiety and stress. That, more than half of the juvenile population endures sleeping disorders. That, the children of southern Israel are screaming "I want to live." That, Israel has left no stone unturned in our attempts to alert the international community that the situation is untenable. That, we have knocked on the door of every embassy and every chancellery. And the world remained silent. The truth is, that in the 12 resolutions regarding the Palestinian-Israeli situation that have been passed by this Council, not one has made even passing mention of the relentless aggression against Israel. Not only of them has called explicitly to halt the deluge of Kassam rockets and Grad missiles. Not one of them attempted to recognize that Palestinians do not have a monopoly on suffering; not one of them acknowledged that the children of Israel have the same right to safety as Palestinian children. Not one of them attempted to empathize with the cries of an Israeli mother protecting her children, or the fear and trauma experienced while running to a bomb shelter, know that only 30 seconds separates you from death. Mr. President, Israel will not be intimated by critical words of one-sided resolutions. We have the fundamental right to live and the essential right to self-defense. It is our obligation to protect our citizens and we will do so. The passage of yet another resolution will not waive the problem, and will not bring stability to the region. The solution, Mr. President, is deceptively simple: Hamas aggression must stop immediately. The firing of missiles must terminate completely. When the Palestinian permanent observer takes the floor, I wonder on behalf of whom is he acting? Is it on behalf of his President Abbas, who seeks peace and stability with Israel? Or does he defend the Hamas terrorists who spread suffering and desolation? Mr. President, Another routine resolution does not show temerity. A country making patronizing statements at the High Level Segment does not demonstrate strong moral fiber. A true show of courage would be displayed if the members of this Council would look with objective eyes, would think in a non-selective way, and would decide impartially. Yet, because of the self-serving members of the OIC and Arab Group who hold a majority can block any courageous steps, that is unlikely to happen here. For those who constantly ask why we do not engage with the Council more often, it is precisely because of circumstances such as this. This is also a good opportunity to pay tribute to Ariel Sharon, who has turned 80 a few days ago. Thanks to Gabrielle for the text of the above statement.