Government Shutdown FAQ Page

As a public service, I shall now address the most frequently asked questions about the Government shutdown.

WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT?

In this case, it’s the federal government, as opposed to your state, city or county government. I live in an area with a merged city-county government. It is sort of like Christian Rock combining the worst of elements of two conflicting disciplines. The federal government is described in the United States Constitution.

The federal government has three branches: 1) Executive (the President and all his minions); 2) Legislative (Congress); and 3) Judicial (Courts). The Shutdown involves primarily the Legislative Branch.

WHAT IS CONGRESS?

Our Congress has two parts. The Senate consists of like 50 or 100 senators or possibly more. The House of Representatives contains God knows how many people, maybe 1,000. They make the laws, sort of. Mostly, they just disagree about what the laws should be. This is because the Republicans control the House and the Democrats control the Senate. John Boehner, a leathery-faced chain smoker from Ohio, is the Speaker of the House. Harry Reid, a feckless milquetoast from Nevada, leads the Senate. They do not get along with each other. Although Reid used to be a boxer, my money is on Boehner in an actual fight.

Congress has an approval rating of less than 10%, putting it just ahead of syphilitic dementia and just behind root canals in popularity.

WHAT IS A SHUTDOWN?

It’s where the government doesn’t have enough money to operate and shuts down a bunch of stuff. They won’t shutdown everything. We’ll still have air traffic controllers, prison guards and, of course, Congress.

WHY DO THEY CALL IT A SHUTDOWN?

Not everyone calls it that. Fox News calls it a “slim down,” which sounds like a really positive thing. It might be a real positive, unless you’re one of the million or so people not getting paid during it.

Others call it a slow down, as though the government could actually move any slower than it already does.

HOW DID IT GET SHUTDOWN?

The House controls spending and won’t agree to fund anything unless part of Obamacare is delayed for a year AND members of Congress are required to participate in it. The President and, hence, the Senate refuse to agree to this, saying that the law is law. So, both sides would rather have much of the government grind to all a halt than compromise.

WHO SHUT IT DOWN?

That’s hard to say. There are three schools of thought:

The Right: Folks on the right (the “Conservatives”) say that the President did it. Why? First, they hate the President, so he has to be blamed. Second, the President is a Democrat, and the Conservatives are not Democrats. They blame the President for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act a/k/a Obamacare. They don’t like Obamacare and don’t want it implemented, even though it is now the law. So, the House won’t agree to fund any of the government unless there are changes made.

The Left: Those on the left (the “Liberals”) blame the Conservatives, more particularly the Republicans. They don’t want to negotiate with the Republicans. So they don’t. They hate the Republicans. As a result, they don’t really want to talk to them at all. Their hate of the Republicans is probably the reason they made Obamacare a law to begin with.

Everyone Else: The remaining Americans (the “Victims”) don’t know who the f**k to blame and don’t give a rat’s ass.

WHAT IS OBAMACARE?

I’ve written extensively about that before. No one really knows, but it exists.

WHO IS MY CONGRESSMAN?

I have no idea. Just pick one. They’re all about the same.

WHY WOULD ANYONE VOTE FOR THESE PEOPLE IN CONGRESS?

You got me on that one. No clue.

SO, IS THERE NO GOVERNMENT NOW?

It’s not really shut down completely. Let’s say you worked in factory, and it got shut down. There would still be security guards and some maintenance people working. It’s kind of like that, but completely different.

Mostly, they’ve just furloughed a lot of employees. That means they’ve told them not to come to work. Of course, they also don’t get paid. For example, of the 1500 employees of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only three are working. Those three are complying statistics on how many people in the Bureau of Labor Statistics aren’t working.

If you are a “non-essential” employee, you’re not working. “Non-essential” means they don’t really need you, which begs the question of why they’re paying you to begin with.

I’M A NON-ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEE. WHY DO I HAVE TO WORK?

That’s likely because you don’t work for the government. Private sector non-essential employees should still report to work and pretend to be busy like usual.

HOW MANY FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ARE THERE?

Something like 3,000,000, and that doesn’t include the military, CIA, NSA and a bunch of others. That’s more than Walmart, IBM and McDonalds combined. The Department of Homeland Security has 230,000 employees itself. That’s hell of a lot but only one for every 1300 people in the country. They can’t really protect all of us, can they?

IS CONGRESS GETTING PAID?

What kind of idiot are you? Of course, they’re getting paid. The Congressional barber shop, gym and shoe shine service are closed, though. So, they are suffering but not as much as Congressional Barbers, Shoe Shiners and Gym Attendants. Besides, if Congress doesn’t get paid, the Washington D.C. prostitution industry will collapse.

I’M IN A TENT AT A NATIONAL PARK. WHAT’S THE DEAL?

You have 48 hours to get the Hell out. If you don’t, the NSA will turn bears loose on your campground.

DOES THIS AFFECT THE NFL?

Luckily, no.

CAN I GET FREE HEALTH INSURANCE?

Probably not, unless you’re really poor or a member of Congress.

ARE THE PEOPLE WHO LISTEN TO MY PHONE CALLS FURLOUGHED?

No, we’re not.

DOES ANY OF THIS AFFECT MY OBAMACARE BRAIN IMPLANT?

Yes. For the time being, the microchip implant has been deactivated. You’ll know when it restarts, because you’ll piss your pants a couple of times.

ARE THE DEATH PANELS STILL WORKING?

Yes, they are. Much like jury duty, you may be called to serve at any time.

SO, I GUESS THERE ARE NO COPS? (ASKING FOR A FRIEND)

You’re wrong about that. Most cops are state employees anyway. Plus, I know an FBI agent, and he’s still working, although it’s questionable about whether he’s being paid. Imagine how surly he’d be if he had to bust your ass for free.

DO I STILL GET MY MAIL?

Yes. The Postal Service isn’t affected, because it generates income from postage. Somehow a business that loses billions of dollars can still deliver a letter for you 3000 miles away for 46 cents. Go figure.

I’M DRUNK AND DON’T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS

First, that’s not a question. Second, your drunkenness does not explain your lack of understanding. Many teetotalers, including the few sober members of Congress, don’t understand any better than you.

WHY ARE THEY TAKING OUR GUNS?

That’s a Frequently Asked Question About The United Nations. I can’t answer it.

WHY CAN’T A GOOD GUY WITH A GUN STOP THIS?

Mr. LaPierre, I told you to quit posting questions.

WHAT’S THE PRESIDENT DOING?

How should I know? Golf? Vacationing? Fighting evil? Doing evil? Just the usual stuff that Presidents do, I guess.

DO YOU THINK YOU’RE THE BOSS OF ME?

Yes.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: THE FOREGOING REPRESENTS THE OPINIONS, SPECULATION AND ASSUMPTIONS OF THE AUTHOR. ALTHOUGH I AM A LICENSED ATTORNEY, NONE OF THE ABOVE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED OR RELIED UPON AS LEGAL ADVICE. IN FACT, MUCH OF IT IS INACCURATE AND/OR FALSE. IF IT WERE ACTUAL LEGAL ADVICE, I WOULD SEND YOU AN EXORBITANT, YET REASONABLE, BILL FOR MY SERVICES.

©thetrivialtroll.wordpress 2013

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How Evil or Not Is Our President?

I’ve watched a little of the History Channel series on the Bible. A lot of folks are bothered by the violence in it. I assume those people haven’t actually read the Bible, the Old Testament in particular. There is incest, forced slavery, rape, murder of every description and even genocide. It’s tough stuff. A lot of folks who want to ban other books because of the Bible would probably want to ban the Bible itself if they ever read it.

Some are upset by the portrayal of Satan. Why? He looks like our president. Really, he does (the TV Satan, that is). It’s supposed to be a coincidence, and maybe it is. It does, however, raise the question of whether Obama is, in fact, Satan or just really evil. My conservative friends think so. My liberal friends think quite the opposite, of course. The hard right (rock-ribbed Republicans, as my Dad would have said) reject everything Obama says or does as wrong-headed and Socialist. The Left accepts everything he says or does as being brilliant and enlightened. In other words, he’s the Democrat version of George W. Bush.

I don’t know much about Satan or Lucifer or Beelzebub or whatever you call him. The Bible doesn’t talk that much about him, either. All this stuff about him being the proudest angel and falling from grace, etc., isn’t in the Bible. Regardless, I know he’s bad news. He tempts us with all kinds of evil. I can’t endorse that behavior, although I have to admit that I’ve enjoyed a few of his temptations. He’s also the overlord of Hell, which is bad in all possible ways with its lakes of fire, weeping and wailing and the obligatory gnashing of teeth.

So, why the Hell does the President look so much like Satan? There really can’t be a good explanation, UNLESS–you got it–he IS Satan. Okay, I know that’s a stretch. What if he’s just the Anti-Christ? The evidence is disturbing to say the least:

The Westboro Baptist Church thinks he’s the Anti-Christ. That’s a credible source for theological truths. They also think the U.S. Army is dominated by homosexuals.
The Obamacare microchip implants are certainly a bad sign. The Mark of the Beast.
The name “Barack” has 6 letters, as in 6-6-6. How convenient.
He’s black. The History Channel has proven that Satan is, too. Plus, Satan is always called things like the “Dark One.”
As we all know from the film Jesus Christ Superstar, Judas was black. Coincidence?
Although the Bible says nothing about the age of the Anti-Christ, isn’t there at least a decent chance he would be about Obama’s age?
It is well-known that the Anti-Christ will be a charismatic figure, much like–you guessed it!–Obama.
Revelation 13:5-8 says the Anti-Christ will rule for 42 months. That’s fairly close to one term of Obama’s presidency.
There’s even a website that questions whether he’s the Anti-Christ. If he weren’t, why would someone go to all that trouble?
Michael Savage says Obama is “the most evil” President ever. That’s good enough for me.
This passage from Revelation 13 succinctly describes Obama:
- [1] And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
  [2] And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
  [3] And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
  [4] And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?
  [5] And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
  [6] And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
  [7] And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
  [8] And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world
They might as well put a photo of Obama next to this passage. Sixty or seventy years ago, a lot of churches thought the Papacy was the Anti-Christ. Don’t they look silly now?

Those of you with a conservative bent are probably smiling. Maybe you’re thinking: “He can’t be serious, but, you know, all that makes sense.” If you’re over there on the Left, you may be angry, thinking: “Another right-wing Nazi making fun of the greatest President ever.” If you’re really far Left, you’re probably an atheist anyway and just generally offended by anything hinting at religion. You don’t have faith in anything, except the Government, that is (that’s big G Government, just like big G God). Oddly enough, atheists now worship a man who has been a Christian his entire adult life.

All this naturally leads to my next line of inquiry. If we dismiss Obama as Satan or even the Anti-Christ, what if my friends on the Left are correct and he is a great man–the greatest man? Consider:

We know nothing of Jesus’s teen or young adult years. The same can be said of Obama whose formative years remain shrouded in mystery.
Some people think Jesus looked like this:

The resemblance is uncanny.

Jesus was black. Okay, I have no direct or indirect proof of this, but isn’t it at least possible? The Bible doesn’t say he wasn’t black. Don’t you find that suspicious? I do. Besides, look at his picture!
Like Jesus, Obama has fed the multitudes. In Obama’s case, it’s with food stamps, but the effect is similar.
Obama made Chris Matthews’ leg tingle. That has to be some kind of miracle.
Louis Farrakhan once said of Obama “The Messiah is speaking.” He never says anything nutty.
Speaking of miracles, Obama got a black man elected President of the United States–TWICE!
Jesus and Obama are both excellent public speakers.
Both were carpenters. I’m little thin on facts to support this one, but it hasn’t been dis-proven to my satisfaction.
We all know that Jesus was born of a virgin mother, but what of Obama? What do we know of his so-called “father?” Not much. Did he even exist? If not, why not?
I’m pretty sure Jesus didn’t have a birth certificate, either.
One can persuasively argue that Jesus, too, was a community organizer. He organized an entire religion!
Jesus’s followers were the meek, the downtrodden, the poor in spirit. Isn’t this exactly what folks on the Right say of Obama’s supporters?

Before you condemn me to the Lake of Fire, I am not suggesting that Obama is the Messiah or even a Messianic figure. I only ask the questions that others fear. Not surprisingly, I have no answers.

As with any serious theological debate, there are countervailing arguments. If he were God or something similar, it’s hard to understand why Rand Paul wasn’t smited during his recent filibuster. If he were Satan or one of his minions, one would think he would try to woo the religious Right instead of constantly enraging them. We can’t allow such obvious inconsistencies to derail our reckless speculation.

The Bible is thin on details describing Satan. I’ll admit that Revelation contains an excellent description of the Anti-Christ what with the two heads and whatnot. Although the Bible makes it clear that Jesus will return, it is equally explicit that we don’t know when or where. Using those criteria, it is impossible to eliminate Obama. Thus, we may never know the answer until it’s too late.

If Obama is Satan, then where does that leave Dick Cheney? If Obama is the Messiah, then why is he a Muslim? If he is just a man, why do we have all these questions, none of which are subject to adequate answers? Have I written this under Satan’s spell or by divine inspiration? Where does Glenn Beck fit in to all of this? Why does Rachel Maddow look like a dude? We may never know the answers to these and other questions.

So, where are we? I don’t know. Maybe Obama is an Ivy League-educated ideologue who surrounds himself with like-minded people–a decent family man with whom a lot of people (myself included) vehemently disagree on some issues. The Liberal George W. Bush. NOW, I’m talking crazy.

©thetrivialtroll.wordpress.com 2013

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John Roberts and the Temple of Doom

I’m a lawyer. In 25 years of law practice, I’ve read a bunch of U.S. Supreme Court opinions, at least 4 or 5 in their entirety. Everyone is abuzz about National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius which was decided on June 28, 2012. What is that, you ask? It’s the Obamacare case. I realize that most folks don’t have the benefit of my education and years of law practice to help them understand what happened. As a public service, I’ve decided to address these concerns with this primer on Sebelius and what it means.

WHAT IS OBAMACARE?

It’s a law called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It’s 2700 pages long. I’ve never read it and won’t. I tried to read The Fountainhead one time. It’s only like 1000 pages long. I just couldn’t do it.

WHAT IS THE SUPREME COURT?

Good question. It’s the only court required by the Constitution. There are no qualifications to be on the Court. You can be foreign-born, any age and have little or no education. You don’t even have to be a lawyer, although I’m pretty sure all the justices (We call them “justices,” not judges) have been lawyers. Geddy Lee, Alex Trebek and Jackie Chan could be on the Court. So could Snookie.

WHAT DOES THE COURT DO?

That’s hard to say, really. I’ve never been there and probably won’t ever be. I know people who have, and it’s pretty intimidating. That said, they only hear cases that they want to hear. You have to petition for a Writ of Certiorari to be heard. It’s hard to pronounce and even harder to do. Don’t even try.

WHO ARE THE JUSTICES?

Well, there are 9 of them, although the Constitution sets no limit. If I were in charge, I’d change it to like 27 to make it a free-for-all. To the best of my knowledge, these are the justices:

John Roberts: He’s the Chief Justice. Smart dude. Good writer. He’s now a scurrilous lackey for the President.
Anthony Kennedy: He’s the wildcard. Hard to say if he’s liberal or conservative. I had lunch with him one time. Okay, maybe not with him, but really close to him. He seemed like a fine fellow.
Antonin Scalia: Another really smart guy. Extreme ultra-conservative. Excellent writer, but a little testy. Kinda like if your grandfather was a genius and started writing legal opinions.
Clarence Thomas: Come on, you know him. Gets a lot of flak for not asking questions during oral arguments. As a lawyer, I like that. Don’t interrupt my brilliant presentation with your inane questions.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The tiniest Justice. Almost elfin. Wears fabulous neck wear with her robe.
Stephen Breyer: Liberal dude. His opinions are whiny. I don’t like that.
Alito or Alioto or something like that: Sorry. Couldn’t pick him out of a police lineup.
Sonia (maybe?) Sotomayor: Again, don’t much about her.
Elena Kagan: Really liberal. That’s about it. Looks like a heavy Rachel Maddow.

They all went to really good law schools. So, if you went to a state university like I did you got no shot. Sorry. Besides, I wouldn’t be any good. My penchant for foul language would disrupt many an oral argument. Plus, I’m not that strong a reader.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?

In a 5-4 vote, the Court upheld most of Obamacare. Chief Justice Roberts wrote the opinion. He’s supposed to be a conservative but now is viewed as a wild-eyed liberal.

As an aside, I know that “Obamacare” started as a derisive tag for this act, but it’s really catchy. It has a certain flow to it.

WHY DID THEY DO THAT? ARE THEY CRAZY?

Honestly, I haven’t read the whole opinion. Actually, there are multiple opinions. All Supreme Court rulings have a syllabus at the beginning that summarizes the ruling. That’s usually good enough for me. Eventually the opinion will be published and then will have “head-notes” included. These are like bullet points at the beginning that tell you the highlights. Sort of like Cliff Notes. For most lawyers, head-notes will suffice unless you’re some kind of egghead. Or a law professor, but they aren’t really lawyers anyway.

The opinion has something to do with the Commerce Clause of the Constitution which gives the Federal Government the power “To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian tribes.” You’ll have to trust me on this one, but that little clause gives the government the power of Thor. BUT, it doesn’t give it the power to make you buy health insurance. Now, if you belong to an Indian tribe, you may be SOL, but I don’t know for sure. Chances are that they can force the Indians to do anything.

What they CAN do is tax you for NOT buying health insurance. So, Obamacare can tax your ass for not buying insurance. That’s it. Learn to live with it. Oddly enough, the Indians are exempted from this part. Go figure.

I don’t know if they’re crazy (the Supreme Court, not the Indians). They might be. Justice Ginsburg looks a little crazy. Thomas is quiet which is certainly a sign of craziness, but he was against the ruling. If he’s crazy, it’s for other reasons.

Justice Roberts wrote the bulk of the Court’s opinion. He doesn’t seem crazy to me, but he could be. Sometimes people who don’t appear to be crazy are really super-crazy. He could be the Ted Bundy of the Court. I’m not suggesting that he’s a serial killer nor am I suggesting he’s not. Draw your own conclusions.

HOW CAN WE GET RID OF ROBERTS?

We can’t. He’s appointed for life and would have to be impeached. It won’t ever happen. You have more chance of making out with Salma Hayek. Or Bradley Cooper. Or both.

DO I GET FREE HEALTH INSURANCE NOW?

No, unless you now qualify for Medicaid, which may be expanded if your state wants to expand Medicaid, which it doesn’t have to, by the way. If you qualify for Medicaid, your life might suck so much that you don’t really care about staying healthy anyway.

WHAT’S ALL THIS STUFF ABOUT TAXES?

Basically, the government can tax you now for not having health insurance (unless you’re an Indian). Some now fear that they will be taxed for not eating broccoli, although I’m not sure that’s in the Act. It could well be, of course. Justice Roberts reaffirmed what we already know: The government can tax you into the poorhouse. I didn’t need him to tell me that.

WHY AM I BEING TAXED?

Because you can afford health insurance but won’t buy it. What kind of idiot wouldn’t have health insurance if he could afford it? It’s the Idiot Tax. If you can’t afford the tax, you go to a gulag full of sick people. It will really suck. Okay, I made up that part, but they could tax you for not going to the gulag. THAT would be perfectly legally.

BUT DON’T TAXES SUCK?

Of course. Taxes are bad. Bad, bad, bad. This tax is really bad, because it brands YOU as the problem. You not only get taxed, but you’re also identified as a selfish jackass.

WHAT DID THEY SAY ABOUT THE DEATH PANELS?

Nothing as far as I know. But I’m sure there’s something about them in the 2700 pages of the Act. Like our members of Congress, I have no intention of ever reading the whole act. Here’s how it probably will work: You’ll contract some deadly disease like Ebola virus. At this point, the only decent thing to do is go ahead and die. If you refuse to die, the Death Panel will tax you for staying alive until you do the patriotic thing and give up. If that doesn’t work, they’ll invoke the Patriot Act on you and send Navy Seal Team 6 to your house. And that will be that.

CAN I SERVE ON A DEATH PANEL?

I think so. I think it’s like the Supreme Court. There are no real qualifications. Well, except you have to be alive, of course. Maybe.

SO, WILL GETTING SICK BE A GOOD THING NOW?

Possibly, but it depends on how sick you are. If you’re kinda sick, it’s okay. If you’re extremely sick, that’s bad (see the comments on the Death Panels above). Of course, it’s always bad to be extremely sick, but you might have health insurance now, unless you’re an Indian.

WON’T MORE PEOPLE WANT TO BE SICK NOW?

Of course. Since everyone will be insured, there will be less incentive to stay healthy.

WHAT IF I’M A DEADBEAT LIVING IN MY PARENTS’ BASEMENT?

There is some good news. The so-called Slacker Mandate allows you to stay on your parents’ health insurance until age 26. Make yourself comfortable in the basement and get as sick as you want.

WHAT IF I’M UNINSURABLE?

Good news: They’ll have to insure you. Bad news: I was uninsurable for a while and bought my coverage through a high risk pool. Good luck affording that.

AM I FORCED TO USE CONTRACEPTIVES?

Only if you are insured under the Slacker Mandate, in which case you must use them even if you are not in a relationship. Plus, you’ll be forced to use them with random uninsured people chosen by the government.

HOW DOES THIS LOWER THE COST OF HEALTH CARE?

It’s simple, really. Since more people will be insured, the risk will be spread around which will offset the increased cost of insuring pre-existing conditions and more people. The insurance companies will pass this savings on to YOU, rather than just pocketing the increased profits.

Oh, hell, I just read that somewhere. I have no idea how it would decrease costs. My health insurance premiums go up every year. Why would that change? If you know, tell me.

WE HATE OBAMACARE. DOESN’T THAT COUNT FOR SOMETHING?

Sorta. Sadly, the Constitution doesn’t have a Popularity Clause allowing the Court to throw out unpopular laws. We can, however, vote. Now, don’t get confused. You can’t vote against Justice Roberts. Remember, he has a job for life.

HOW ABOUT AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION?

You’d think that would work, but it won’t. The last amendment took over 200 years to get approved. So, you’ll long be dead by then unless Obamacare results in us all living to be 300 years old. If that happens, we’ll probably be okay with it.

DO WE HAVE TO KEEP CALLING IT OBAMACARE?

Of course not. We’re Americans. You can use its catchy acronym: PPACA. Here are some other alternatives: Barackacare; Robertscare; Obamalamadingdongcare; Osamacare; ObamaScare; Yomamacare; YoYoMaCare; and Whocares.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

It’s either the greatest opinion in the history of jurisprudence or the end of the republic. The Court struck a blow for better and more affordable healthcare or eviscerated the Constitution. We’re on the road to Communism or joining the 21st Century. It is the single greatest moment ever (Barack Obama’s view only) or the last puzzle piece needed to establish a worldwide caliphate (Glenn Beck only). I have no idea.

BY GOD, WHAT IF I JUST LEAVE THE COUNTRY?

That’s one possible solution–or you can join an Indian tribe, if that’s allowed. Here’s the rub: Almost every other country has some form of socialized medicine, plus they suck in all kinds of others way. For example, they won’t have football. Also, they may not speak English.

Greece has really good health care, but everything else about Greece sucks. France, too, but, hey, it’s France. What are you, a Commie? I’m not sure what you should do. People in Monaco live to be around 90. They must be good.

Our government already provides about 65% of all the health insurance anyway. Let’s just stay here and see what happens. Plus, we have football. Don’t forget that.

SO, YOU’RE SAYING THERE’S NO HOPE?

Yes, that’s what I’m saying. At least there’s no hope of going back to Ron Paul’s childhood where doctors made house calls and you paid your surgical bills with chickens or pelts.

While everyone was chewing off their arms over Obamacare, the Supreme Court quietly delivered its opinion in United States v. Alvarez. That involved a law which makes it illegal to lie about having military medals. In other words, you can’t buy a Purple Heart off eBay and go around pretending to be a war hero. The law is unconstitutional, because we have the right to lie. Outraged, are you? Don’t be. If the government can criminalize lying, it can also decide which lies to criminalize and, ultimately, what is true and what isn’t. That’s a blow for freedom. All is not lost. A good thing happened on the same day as a bad thing, assuming you think a bad thing happened at all. That’s exactly what they want you to think.

Now, those of us willing to plumb deeper into the depravity of the Supreme Court note the “coincidence” of Alvarez holding that lying can’t be a crime on the same day they found that Obamacare is a tax. The President, of course, said it wasn’t a tax, which means he was lying. But lying isn’t a crime now, is it? Hmmmm. Well played, Mr. President and your lap-dog, Chief Justice Roberts.

WHAT NOW?

Most–if not all–of what the government does is perfectly fine under the Constitution. That doesn’t mean I like it, and it certainly doesn’t mean I support it. In fact, most of what the government does is imbecilic. I’m not all that worked up about Obamacare, but I have a bunch of other stuff stuck in my craw. I’m not counting on John Roberts and his cabal of Fellow Travelers to unstick my craw, either. I’m voting. You should, too.

One word of caution. The call now is for “Repeal and Replace!” Another gaggle of Congressional idiots will draft the replacement. Oh well, that will just give us another crisis to get hair-lipped over.

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