Comments

Episode-1078- More Listener Feedback – 2-26-13 — 82 Comments

  1. Great observation on devolution Jack. It sounds like that, assuming the stars align and if there are enough constitutionalists in the country, that this decentralization would simply return the United States to the conditions that existed with the founding of our union and a Federal government concerned with only a few items of real nation interest, such as defense. As for secession, I have noticed the increased talk about it, but my observation of history, and the geographics and geopolitical realities of America would make me very pessimistic about secessionist movements happening peacefully or resulting in a society that is any better than what we have now. I desperately hope that former, and not the later, happens.

  2. Regarding the Chinese buying up California.

    This kind of colonization differs only from what they’ve done in Tibet in that the colonists are carrying government cash instead of akms. I’m sure that they’re also paying top dollars for investment properties and businesses. The effect will be to crowd out American buyers. To get a sense of what living under Chinese colonization is like, just take a look at how they’ve treated the Tibetans.

    • I’m personally not to worried about what is going on. China is far, far weaker than we think. Peak under the hood and you see that shiney sports care is a clunker. Their economy is not really capitalistic, it’s a sleight of hand, the chinese government has a major stake in every major company and every major industry. Without massive government subsidy many of their companies would be unprofitable and corruption is pervasive at every level. I could list a litany of reasons: energy reserves too small for their population base, food production, lack of natural infrastructure like the US mississippi river basin, demographic suicide, and lack of freedom, so on and so forth, why China is in far worse position than the US. But one thing I don’t think we should forget. China has 3 trillion dollars in reserves, yes, but over half of those reserves are in US treasuries. The Chinese are buying gold because they are realizing that half of their reserves could eventually end up being worthless, and they need every Yuan they can get. And in the end, who is hurt worse. The debtee that doesn’t have to worry about paying, the Chinese can’t force us, or the debtor who just lost half of their savings?

      As for Chinese investment. China has a history of going trough major periods of major instability or major oppression. The last period of major oppression was the great leap forward and the last major period of instability was when the Nationalist government started to collapse. The PRC is undergoing a leadership transition, and two seperate groups are secretly duking it out for power. I believe the arrest and conviction of Bo Xilai is an example of the beginnings of this struggle. Many wealthy, and politically connected chinese, pay attention to their nation’s history, and want to be somewhere other than China once everything goes down.

      • Keep telling yourself all that, keep ignoring how much real capital China owns. Keep ignoring it isn’t how much a nation has it is how much in relation to other nations.

        You want to talk about a fake economy? You are living in one right now, our economy is FAR more an illusion then the Chinese economy.

        • Jack,

          Im not disagreeing with you at all that the US is in big trouble or that our economy remotely resembles how things actually are. It am 100% in agreement with you.

          But I think many China alarmists are ignoring the many, many fundemental issues that show how in trouble China is in the long term. Demographics far below replacement? How about a massive malinvestment in both infrastructure and real estate? How about an economy that is still incredibly inefficient and heavily reliant on two major markets? What about the Hokou system? Just like our economy, there is a lot of their economy that isn’t real or grounded in sustainable development. They also have the added burden of alot of people who are still piss poor and an incredibly illiberal society.

          And you are right about how much a nation has relative to others, but that is my point. The US has for more natural resources both absoutely, and relative to it’s population, than does China. Purchasing stakes overseas is a poor second, as your hold on that stake is dependent on a third party or your ability to enforce your contract. China can’t project any major force overseas yet, they don’t even have a functioning career group yet and the development of a functional career group will take them decades to develop and master the logistics that are required. In short, like how you often say about bullion: if you don’t hold gold or silver, you don’t really own gold or silver.

          I don’t commment very often, but I have been listener for the last few months and have used a lot of what I have heard on here to alter my lifestyle. I’m not anywhere near prepared, but I have made steps in the right direction.

      • You may be correct. The Japanese did this in the 80’s and everyone was worried. I knew things would drop and they would sell at a loss. This will probably happen to the Chinese. I lived there for 3 yrs. They have alot of cash from exporting but their focus is Taiwan, not the US. When we crash, they will slide right on into Taiwan, unopposed. They will have a tough time moving beyond that since our market will have dried up.
        A few years ago, some toy had cadmium and Matel was importing it. they stopped importing and 20,000 small factories disappeared. Leaving a lot of angry workers. Many of the owners of the factories slipped out during the night with what was left of the cash.
        Seems like globalists are winning as if one falls, we all fall.
        Don’t forget they still have real slave labor and 70,000 riots every year……

        • This is VERY different that what the Japanese did! While they went around and bought a bunch of landmark buildings and golf courses on credit (borrowed money). The Chinese are buying up LARGE tracts of farmland in CA (have a large client here and have first hand knowledge) and the grain belt. Also…go to Africa…they have been able to make in-roads where no one else ever has. They now “co-operate ” on vast tracts of various natural resources that country has to bear. Jack is right…it is as if they have sat back over the past 100 years and watched the rest of the world mess things up…just binding their time. (Their culture has a very different view of what “long term” is). Visit a college in CA….it is the beginning of the foothold

      • Cogitans,

        Looking at things over the long term, I tend to agree with you regarding China’s problems. There is also the India factor — in my opinion probably the most important geopolitical variable for the next 100 years.

        That said, in the short term, China has all the makings of a psychopathic nation state:

        – a fascist government (let’s call it what it is);

        – a culture with strong racist tendencies, subtly (for now) encouraged by the state (master race, anyone?);

        – a long and ancient history of being “center of the world” and considering that their rightful place in the order of things, combined with a massive chip on their collective shoulder for having to take a backseat to the West for the past few hundred years, not to mention the drubbing Japan gave them;

        – a large gender imbalance in a massive population (I’ll take “Ways For a Fascist State to Rid Itself of Millions of Restless, Unmarriageable, Surplus Young Males” for $500, Alex);

        – they are a nuclear power, so that pretty much neutralizes that factor;

        With a nod to that old Chinese proverb, I think we, and our children even more so, are in for some interesting times, indeed.

  3. @ Jack – when I heard you mention Hawaii has the most restrictive gun laws in the U.S., it reminded me how Wayne Lapierre, Alex Jones & the like have been pushing the line that, “places with the most restrictive the gun laws have the higher the gun murder rates.” So I looked up Hawaii’s murder rate, expecting it to be at the top of the list. However, I found that it has the LOWEST gun murder rate in the United States.

    Since we know that neither Wayne nor Alex would mislead us for political purposes, I figure that the Bad Guys just haven’t figured out there is an entire island of unarmed people, ripe for criminal exploitation. Boy, I’d hate to be in Hawaii when they finally figure that out.

    http://www.statemaster.com/graph/cri_mur_wit_fir-death-rate-per-100-000

    • You will note I don’t make that argument like Jones or even Wayne does.

      Here is what is more accurate. When a society is disarmed violence increases and when armed violence on the innocent decreases.

      To make a blanket statement that any place with more guns will have less crime then a place with more is a fools trap. Gun crime in Hawaii is low because the culture is largely pacifistic, the quality of life is high (even for the poor) and the island itself is isolated (for now) from many problems.

      Yeman has gun freedom on par with Arizona but it isn’t a really safe place. The UK has some of the most oppressive gun and knife laws in the world but you are more likely to get your throat slit in a bad part of London then in Dallas.

      Guns in the hands of law abiding citizens are a huge deterrent but it does not alter the culture of the society itself. Unfortunately many strong advocates of the 2nd Amendment fall into this trap like say Ted Nugent.

      My point has always been disarm a society and over all violent crime goes up and arm it and the overall violent crime goes down. The key is the baseline. It is not reasonable to use say Denmark with oppressive gun laws and compare it to the US, there are to many other factors at play. Just as it is unreasonable to compare say Iraq (where citizens have almost no gun rights) to the US (which has some of the most liberal laws) and say see disarming leads to massive violence cut and dry. Iraq is a fricken war zone (in spite of the fact the TV told you Obama won that war and it is over) of course there is more violence there. Denmark it a very low crime small nation of course they have a low crime rate. My point is arm the law abiding citizens of Denmark and bet your ass it will go even lower.

      • I understand what you’re saying, but I think it’s a bit of a stretch in the face of that report to just ignore the increased death tolls in states with lax gun laws – for Pete’s sake, after Hawaii you’ve got Massachusetts, a state most of your listeners have on their “list” with the 50th lowest gun murder rate…& who’s that at number 46? It’s none other than Sergeant Kone’s New York! – pretty damn good rate for the home state of the world’s largest metropolis… I’m sure the bulk of New Yorkers would just as soon keep their gun laws & send Sergeant Kone & his views packing to a state with a higher murder rate.

        Consider that 2 of the 3 states with the top gun murder rates are Alaska & Wyoming – it doesn’t get much more right-wing & rural than that – I can only assume their gun laws reflect those politics. Moreover, unlike NY & Mass, neither state has a major urban area which naturally have high murder rates due to the close proximity of rich & poor.

        Any unbiased source analyzing this data would have to conclude that stricter gun laws tend to produce lower gun murder rates. This data flies in the face of the argument that “criminals will find guns anyway.” There are plenty of good arguments to make for the second amendment, but trying to spin the data to make it look like more guns = less death just makes us look foolish. I realize that’s not YOUR argument, but it is the strategy of many who represent & speak for our cause. If that’s the only card we have to play, we will lose.

    • Glad I re-read through these posts. I was just about to post that same link. Its a good one if you haven’t checked it out guys.

  4. You said that if enough people, like minded to you, move to Texas, maybe some of the hippies in Austen might decide to move. I like the hippies in Austen. It is one of the things that make it such a vibrant city. Austin is one of the music capitals of the US. Cant you scale down the idea of a republic and let the people of Austin choose what type of community they want and the people in your community choose what it wants?

    I agree with you on a lot, but if the idea of a Republic means crowding out hippies, I am against that. Cant one city be different from other cities in the same state and we respect all?

    Am I misunderstanding your view and hopes for this project?

    • Depends on what hippies, I tend to say shit and lump people together I shouldn’t. So long as said hippie doesn’t want to hike up taxes for social justice bs or take away my guns I likely agree with him or her a hell of a lot more then most republicans. Who knows maybe yuppie is a better word.

      My point was simply that Texas has a pretty solid culture. One based mostly on non interference with its citizens. I would change some things if I could like allowing medical marijuana and I would love to see the state OUT OF the business of policing who can marry whom but overall people are free to be free.

      Those that want to take away guns in Texas as one example issue though are at odds with just about everyone outside of a few yuppieish (is that a word) areas of Dallas, Houston and Austin. You can’t find a west Texas democrat opposed to the 2nd amendment. So my point is say if a shit load of 2A supporters join us and Texas is moved further that way and say adopts open carry, well that would be great. If anyone dislikes that sufficiently to leave I will hold the door for them so it doesn’t hit their ass on the way out.

      Likewise our school system is broken, if we get enough people here to start removing excessive administrators and let teachers create their own lesson plans again, well that is great. If that pisses off some folks that want more money wasted on programs that don’t do a thing to get students ready for the real world and they leave again I’ll hold the door, we do that in Texas by the way, hold doors for folks as I am sure you do it too. Wait for someone to hold a door for you in NYC and see how far you get.

      So hippie is likely not the right word. My point is only that if a state moves further to the direction that it already leans, many of the people pulling the other way might get tired of it and pick up and go to something more in keeping with what they want. Call that hippies, yuppies, democrats, progressives, it doesn’t really matter in the end. I am just saying if you don’t want gun rights you ain’t going to like Texas and if you think we need a state income Tax or something like that, well it won’t be well received.

      • Here is something you might like. Her letter is in the link. I posted the senator’s response.

        http://www.kgwn.tv/story/21088461/state-representative-under-fire-for-letter

        Rev. Fulbright,

        I’ll be blunt. If you don’t like the political atmosphere of Wyoming, then by all means, leave. We, who have been here a very long time (I am proudly 4th generation) are quite proud of our independent heritage. I don’t expect a “mass exodus” from our state just because we’re standing up for our rights. As to your comments on fracking, I would point out that you’re basing your statement on “dangers” that have not been scientifically founded or proved as of yet.

        It offends me to no end when liberal out-of-staters such as yourself move into Wyoming, trying to get away from where they came from, and then pompously demand that Wyoming conform to their way of thinking. We are, and will continue to be, a state which stands a head above the rest in terms of economic security. Our ability to do that is, in large part, to our “live and let live” mentality when it comes to allowing economic development, and limiting government oversight. So, to conclude, if you’re so worried about what our legislature is working on, then go back home.

        Sincerely,

        Hans Hunt

        Representative Hans Hunt

    • Hey Steve, I like the hippies am just surprised that they’re calling themselves that again.

      That’s always the rub with “revolutions” of any type – you’re just not sure that you won’t end up with something just as bad. Frankly, my biggest fear is patriotic movements around strict religious orthodoxy and ideology (kinda like this all started at Plymouth, etc.). For me, it’s a tough call between godless (meaning the spiritual life) liberalism and our version of the Spanish Inquisition.

      If you think I’m totally full of crap. Visit some of the other prominent prepper sites such as Survival Blog.com. Boy howdy, there is some religious elitism and isolationism (is that a word?) on many of these.

      • As a Deist I fully agree. I have no problem with anyone’s faith, I don’t want them using the force of law though to compel me to be bound by it.

    • Oh and on Austin or more accurately Travis County being say a state in a “Texas Republic” you bet absolutely. So long as Travis County doesn’t violate citizen’s rights according to the Texas Constitution. If you read the Texas Constitution for example the right to keep and bear arms is clearly protected, dare I say more so or more clearly then the US constitution.

      So if Travis county wanted a higher tax rate, fine, if they want to do something I consider wasteful fine it is up to their citizens to police their own officials. Yet if Travis wanted to ban concealed carry, no that isn’t okay. I hope that makes sense.

      This is a very good point though. If states ever do secede by choice, desperation or simply a federal collapse (as in you are on your own as was much the case in the USSR) that is exactly the model they need to implement. It would be FAR MORE EFFECTIVE TO BOOT! Let’s face it moving from Travis to Bastrop county is pretty damn easy to do.

      Now if I recall correctly Texas has like 250 odd counties so it may not be that far down. Perhaps most new “states” would be made of 2-4 counties or something like that. That would result in 60ish choices and 3-4 choices for most people with out a major move geographically.

  5. I couldn’t agree more, and what a neat idea. I would suggest a max of 5 location ‘naughty’ list, better to focus on the worst offenders of Liberty.

    1). Hawaii
    2). New York
    3). California
    4). Illinois
    5). Mass.

    Currently an Oklahoma Refugee in New Mexico looking to get back to the Mid-West.

  6. Bad list
    California
    New York
    New Jersey
    Maryland
    Connecticut
    Michigan
    Illinois

    Good list
    New Hampshire
    Texas
    Ohio
    Arizona
    Alaska
    Montana

  7. Most oppressive states

    California
    Illinois
    New York
    Massachusetts
    Connecticut
    New Jersey

    Good

    New Hampshire
    Texas
    Carolinas
    Alaska

  8. Bad List – Illinois, California, new York, new Jersey, Massachusetts

    Good List – Texas, Idaho, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Montana
    I live in Chicago and am already planning my move to Texas.

  9. Bad List Good List
    NY TX Alaska
    Ca Tenn Montana
    IL Ga Arizona
    NJ FL NH
    MD Ohio WV
    Oregon
    DC
    (tho not a state)

  10. Least free states:

    Illinois
    Rhode Island
    Maryland
    Connecticut
    New York
    Massachusetts
    New Jersey
    California

  11. This resource would be a huge asset to the TSP community…GREAT idea. Ten feels like the right number…there is probably no hope the the bottom 5 ( worst states) will ever be changed (Como is insane!) but there might be hope for 6-10….maybe this would be a start in the right direction.
    Bottom 10:
    CA
    IL
    NY
    NJ
    MA
    DC(not really a state I guess)
    CT
    MD
    MI
    CO

    Very excited about this…hope it takes off. Now is the time.

  12. Naughty:
    1. New York
    2. California
    3. New Jersey
    4. Rhode Island
    5. Maryland
    6. Illinois
    7. Hawaii
    8. Connecticut
    9. Massachusetts
    10. Delaware

    Nice:
    1. Wyoming
    2. Alaska
    3. Nevada
    4. South Dakota
    5. Montana
    6. New Hampshire

  13. Can someone fact check China’s control of the canal? That looks like a false rumor that has been spread for years.

    I live in Houston & would love that to be true, but for a short time like Jack said.

    • This is highly disputed and many people want to claim they don’t. Technically Panama has control of the canal. Which is what is often pointed out. But who is running it? Chinese companies and Chinese money. Who is actually doing the work, by and large the Chinese.

      A large group of foreign banks including the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation, the European Investment Bank, The Inter-American Development Bank, the Latin American Development Bank and The International Finance Corporation loaned Panama a total of 2.8 billion for the project but the total cost (estimate it always goes higher) is 5.25 billion. Now I wonder where the other 2.45 billion is coming from.

      Not to mention the companies running the project are all Chinese and there are Chinese companies all over the zone with “ownership” of many projects and contracts. These do employ mostly Panamanians but they are controlled by Chinese companies.

      Next why is this being done? So we can send gas to China and China can send more crap to us. Ports all over the US are expanding just to handle more Chinese ships. Not just more ships but MUCH BIGGER ONES, lots of Eastern Ports are considering expansion but the ones already doing it include only Baltimore, Maryland, Norfolk, Virginia, and Miami, Florida. All will be ready by the time the project is done.

      The key though is the LNG, while it is true that there is some LNG sales between Latin American nations that the canal will make more profitable it is a tiny drop in the bucket. I mean we are talking about Trinidad & Tobago selling to Chile, seriously how would that compare to the USA (soon to be the largest LNG producer in the world) selling to China, (the most populated and most rapidly developing nation in the world). This is what IS going to happen, for something so earth shattering there is little info on it but if you keep your ear to the ground you get info like this, http://energy.aol.com/2012/01/27/no-more-slow-boat-to-china-for-us-liquefied-natural-gas/

      The issue is when people here control they think old school control. Military and governmental control. Today we are run by corporatocracy and plutocracy. That is to say by the corporations and the wealthy that own and or fund them. In China you have a nation that is effectively a Corporate Conglomerate. They are the only nation that has ever pulled this off, this is why our progressive leaders fawn over the Chinese model. The USSR tried it and it was a complete failure, the Chinese have done it. I am not an admirer of it I am just honest, they have made it function by ruthless control of their population. A population that was much more receptive to this type of rule by the way due to their history then the average Russian, Ukrainian or Georgian, etc.

      Chinese control of the canal is corporate. They “bid” and win the management and construction projects, they lend money to cover short falls, they get fast track immigration and citizenship for their citizens, who then get the best most technical jobs in the canal zone. When the 20 year bill comes due and Panama can’t pay it China will pay it for them, by then 10-15% of Panama will be “ex pat” Chinese anyway.

      They control the zone they way they “control” Africa. They are far more kind to these “partners” then to their own citizens. They are happy to let these nations make money, exploit their resources and build their economies. Hell they need OTHER CUSTOMERS. This is a new wave of “benevolent imperialism” and they are doing it MORE FAIRLY then say the US or UK ever did.

      It is really transparent to me, just like all the other things I told you about before they happened. It actually scares the shit out of me when our Congressmen say “the Chinese run the Panama canal” in a campaign speech because while true I know they don’t have an fing clue what they are saying. They are making the very claim you voiced skepticism about. None of those clowns (except those at the top) could get anywhere near explaining this the way I just did. That isn’t me being arrogant it is me being very sad for my nation that our leadership is this incompetent.

      The word is compartmentalization. Each dupe in the system knows only what he or she “needs to know”. Some of the Republicans and Democrats really do hate each other (I am talking Senators and Reps here), they really believe in what they are doing. Yet they are nothing but bitches to the DNC and RNC, they walk in owing a debt to their party and have to BUY a committee seat. The DNC and RNC are beholden to the same funders, said funders can tell you exactly what I just did and more.

      And you know what, those people funding this couldn’t give a shit that someone like me tells people what is really going on. They know no one is going to believe it. Well not enough to tip the apple cart anyway. This is why they love guys like David Icke and Alex Jones, they suck in the majority of people that know something is wrong, pull them to the complete outer limits and discredit anyone in the middle by doing so.

  14. Jack, thanks for your words about sportsmen in the naughty states – we exist, we’re armed, and we have like-minded friends. Fleeing the five worst states is not realistic, or a good idea. Look at the red-blue map by county and see how CA has very distinct areas. Most of the farmland is inland and that ground should not be surrendered lightly. When the two-party paradigm shifts it will take a national effort to drive it home, including decent folks in the most populated, obnoxious states.

    • See you don’t get it, your senators are progressive anyway, your idiots in NYC, Los Angeles and Chicago, etc. make sure of that. Sure you send some republican reps to the house but that doesn’t really matter.

      See the House is based on population. As you take citizens from states A and B and move them to C and D states C and D gain districts while states A and B loose districts. Loose a district loose a Representative. Gain a district gain a Rep so the movement off sets. Enough New Yorkers come to Texas and New York looses a district and Texas gains one. And frankly I will take MOST Texas democrats over MOST NYC republicans any day.

      (keep in mind I think the dichotomy is bs anyway but I am meeting you where you want the discussion to be)

    • Not to mention I actually expect the majority of movers in most of these states to come from high density urban areas. Farmers don’t move unless a farm fails.

  15. I live in NY… and am a new listener- I appreciate you remembering that there are some good people here who are liberty minded… I’ve actually wanted to go to NH for several years now with the FSP, (due to family ties I haven’t committed) when the time comes that I sign up, I intend to go.

    I dont however think moving all the “good people” to “good states” is a wise idea–at least not unless we face the fact that republic is otherwise doomed.

    Don’t you think some people need to be “behind enemy lines” to try to sow the seeds of liberty in the minds of these idiots who have minds filled with propaganda and .gov dependance? If we all lived together we will just preach to the choir. Yes, it would be a much less stressful life, but tyranny would grow exponentially in our absence as much as liberty would grow exponentially in states where we gather.

    Maybe it just depends on the individual.

    Bad states: NY,CA,IL,MA,NJ
    Good states: AK,NH,VT,TX,OK

    • You are not moving right? Do you really think “all the good people” will leave any state?

      But I have to ask what if they did? How bad would it really be? What would it mean for the other 40ish states? Would it not actually demonstrate what works and what doesn’t?

      Would it not be better then an eventual total collapse? NY, CA, IL are all going to collapse any way. What good will staying do for liberty minded people when it does.

      I also don’t like the terms “good people”, “bad people” or “enemy lines”, I just want people sick of oppression who want more freedom.

      My goal with this project is as much to repel as attract people to the various states. If someone looks at the real culture that is Texas and says, I like this one thing but those others not so much, I want them to keep looking and find a state closest to what they want. If they can’t find something better stay where they are.

      Again your founders knew EXACTLY what they were doing when they set up a Federal Republic. Frankly this is the last step for an oppressed people before an all out revolution. Voting doesn’t work, working hard doesn’t work, writing your clowns doesn’t work and every thing you do in one of these shitty states prolongs their ability to continue what they are doing. So what good does staying do?

      New York, Illinois, California, etc. won’t change until forced. Bankruptcy forces change. I prefer it to the alternatives.

  16. New York
    New Jersey
    Massachusetts
    California
    Ilinois

    I have family living in NJ and MA and the laws there are terriable after moving to Texas from Ma I am now able to own rifle and handguns without jumping through government hoops.

  17. Naughty:
    1. New York
    2. New York
    3. New York
    4. California
    5. New Jersey
    6. Rhode Island
    7. Maryland
    8. Illinois
    9. Hawaii

    Nice:
    1. Texas
    2. New Hampshire
    3. Alabama
    4. Alaska
    5. Montana

    Yep.. Im really pissed off at NY and am planning on leaving.

  18. Hey Jack i love the walking to freedom idea. i think it would be great to have a checklist to identify the key freedom indicators and how each state ranks in those area. for example “Second amendment – Freedom, good, average, poor, Oppressive” anyways here is my list

    Bad list:
    California
    New York
    New Jersey
    Michigan
    Illinois

    keep up the good work,
    JB ATX

  19. Bad:
    Illinois
    California
    New York
    New Jersey
    Massachusetts

    Good:
    New Hampshire
    Texas
    Alaska
    Idaho
    Wyoming
    South Dakota
    North Dakota

    I’m really curious about moving from MN to WI.

  20. Smart idea — but I don’t like it — teasing us, telling us you won’t let on the secret why working at the state level is our only choice right now. LOL now I have to keep listening. 😉

  21. My bad list:

    California
    Massachusetts
    New York
    New Jersey
    Illinois
    Hawaii
    Maryland
    Connecticut

    Good list:
    Texas
    Oklahoma
    Kansas
    Idaho
    Montana
    New Hampshire
    Vermont
    Indiana
    Kentucky
    Tennessee
    Wyoming

    Jack, thanks for the show. I’ve been listening for about a month and a half. Get up the good work.

  22. My Naughty List:
    California (My current home state)
    Illinois
    New York
    Maryland
    Pennsylvania
    New Jersey

    My Nice List:
    Idaho
    Texas
    Arizona
    Montana
    Wyoming

    I am looking forward to this new forum since I am actively investigating where to move. I visited 18 states last summer and am trying to figure out what state to spend two weeks coming up soon. So far, Texas and Idaho are on the top of my list to investigate. I am a nurse and plan to teach nursing so I don’t think getting a job will be too difficult. It is everything else I have to consider.

  23. Best/Worst state thoughts.
    Recommending a cut-off of 13 states (as opposed to the 5, 8, 10 numbers considered in the show)

    1) My first though was an arbitrary 25% cutoff on each side which would round up to 13 states total
    2) Hey 13 skills
    3) 13 Original colonies

    So, my 13 good states (not really in any particular order other than my personal bias of putting NH first )

    New Hampshire
    Oregon
    Nevada
    Indiana
    Missouri
    Colorado
    Idaho
    Texas
    Florida
    Kansas
    North Carolina
    Utah
    Wyoming

    As for the 13 bad states. As I said this is harder. I’d like some input/scrubbing on this list. I suspect that if we decide to drop from 13 it will be because there are a few too many states that make it on the list and as a community, we won’t be able to agree on the importance of a particular criteria.

    New York
    New Jersey
    California
    Hawaii
    Massachusetts
    Rhode Island
    Maryland
    Ohio
    Illinois
    Washington
    Delaware
    Connecticut
    Tennessee

    So, there it is. 13 ‘bad’ states was a little hard to come up with. Interested in the thoughts of others.

  24. Naughty:
    1 through 5 are places I would not even consider moving. If asked in my current job to move to New York or Massachusetts (two possibilities), I would decline a major promotion. 6 through 8 include places I’ve lived or spent time and I just feel like they’re too much in your shorts for my taste.
    1. New York
    2. California
    3. New Jersey (I’ll pump my owwn gas, thanks)
    4. Massachusetts
    5. Illinois

    6. Maryland – never moving back… nosy yankees. I hate I have to still visit family there. 🙂 NW and Eastern Shore MD are both beautiful, rural, and relatively liberty minded but are both unfortunately within 100 miles of and affected by the huge populations of Baltimore/DC.
    7. Hawaii – Many of the population of HI don’t want me there, so I’ll oblige. Having been accosted as a “howly” by some guys who could’ve made it a bad day for me, I find it hard on Oahu to follow the Fortress Defense advice “Stay away from places with stupid people doing stupid things”.
    8. Virginia – Northern VA (DC suburbs) is beginning to have the same effect here that NYC/CHI have on NY/IL. It’s too bad really, beautiful state with so much history of liberty and freedom.

    • AngusBangus says:

      8. Virginia – Northern VA (DC suburbs) is beginning to have the same effect here that NYC/CHI have on NY/IL. It’s too bad really, beautiful state with so much history of liberty and freedom.

      I remember entering Virginia on a road trip several years ago. The visitor was greeted by billboards telling you what all was illegal in the state of Virginia – radar detectors is the thing I remember in particular because we had one. (We hid ours in the trunk for the duration of our time there but IIRC it was illegal even to possess it, not just use it.) No “welcome to Virginia, enjoy our state” or anything like that. It was a long time ago, but I remember the unfriendliness made us want to turn around and leave. I was disappointed because I had looked forward to all of the history there, and the border experience sort of tainted our stay.

      • While living there, I was often reminded by people riding with me that using my radar detector was illegal. I reminded them with this… “so is driving 80, but you aren’t complaining about that.”

  25. Those cheap green housez sound like my chicken tractors. I make them out of two cattle panels and 2x4s. I was going to use one for a green house this year. Instead im going to use one as a trellis for mouse melons. Maybe put ahade cloth on it.

    Bad states:
    New york
    Illinois
    California
    New Jersey

    Watch list:
    Maryland
    Hawaii
    Washington
    Oregon
    Colorado

    Awesome states
    Florida
    Montana
    Georgia
    Idaho
    Texas
    Wyoming
    Oklahoma
    Alaska

  26. since the idea is to flee “corrupt” or bad states to better ones, I’d suggest weighting to accordingly..

    Top 10 worst “less free, most regulated”
    to the
    Top 5 best “most free, least freedom infringed”

    this way we can concentrate the efforts of improvement and repair of our once great non-fascist republic

  27. In my opinion, I think this concept of voting with your feet is just wrong. I absolutely support the freedom to move but think that it is akin to white flight and will lead to the problems found in very many of the inner cities, but you are advocating it on a state wide scale.

    Instead why don’t we make our stand and fight (politically) and force them to flee.

    • White flight? Seriously WTF! I want people to stop having their necks stepped on and one of my own makes this about race, that is seriously bullshit.

      You want to tell oppressed people to stay in New York, go ahead make your case! Don’t fing make it about race though! My beef and the beef of most citizens isn’t with other citizens it is with the government.

      I say the worst of the worst at this point are a lost cause, good citizens leaving is frankly the only thing that MIGHT save them. I mean at first they will be overjoyed, MORE STATEISM, until they add up the tax rolls at the end of the year. MAY BE again MAY BE they will catch on and start to correct the reasons for the exodus.

      Again I don’t care if you don’t like the idea, I don’t care if you oppose it but do not make it about race or as I said today not even about “good people” and “bad people”, this is about government oppression. Would you have advised people to stay in East Germany and fight? Those that LEFT did more to bring down the wall then those that stayed behind.

      Again the founders KNEW what they were doing, this is the final act of revolution that doesn’t involve riots in the street or worse. As for staying and fighting, how is that working for ya to paraphrase Dr. Phil? I can answer it too, it isn’t. Liberty will fall in many states this year to even lower levels and you staying there won’t change that. Leaving at some point has to.

      The people that gravitate toward oppression are never in majority producers they either work for or live off government. Well I say go Galt! Let them try their social justice BS with only takers and see how it works out for them. They then will at some point have to change if they want to attract others back to them.

      Frankly get this through your head there isn’t enough time to turn around California or Illinois or New York before the Federal Government goes broke. National Default will occur at some point if you want to make a stand in NY when it happens God bless and keep you safe and I mean that, but I sure won’t be bumping into you or getting in your way while you do it.

    • Jack, I was reading up from the bottom and saw your reply first, so I was expecting the comment to be worse. In Cash’s defense, I think he was really talking about the PROBLEMS caused for those left behind in the inner city once “white flight” (the commonly accepted term for the phenomenon) happens rather than making it about RACE. I would note that “white flight” is actually flight of the upper middle class rainbow of fruit flavors these days – doctors and lawyers break out of a rising-crime urban area to the peaceful burbs regardless of what color they may be.

      I agree with him that people should fight for what they believe as long as they ARE staying. That said, I don’t agree that someone should stay a minute longer than they have to in an oppressive situation. Those “left behind” can pick up and start over elsewhere, too. Their welfare is not the responsibility of the oppressed who wants to leave.

  28. Thanks for the plug. I hope everyone checks it out and begins to see the clearly how the process within congress is corrupted. Makes perfect sense when you understand it. Hopefully I’ll be a guest soon and can elaborate. Thanks for all the great work everyone is doing!

  29. Naughty states:

    California
    New York
    Illinois
    Connecticut
    Michigan
    Hawaii
    New Jersey
    Massachusetts

    Those are the states I would never live in.

  30. “Idaho lawmaker just introduced a bill to make all adult State citizens a member of the state militia, regardless of age or gender.”

    A big boo ya for Representative Rice. The more I think about it, the more genius I see in it. This could really give the feds fits.

    Livin’ large in southwest Idaho.

    • @ jandg – Are you on TSP forum? If so, could you please PM me at “NorIDhunter”? Thanks!

  31. Illinois:
    On the plus side, there are very few restrictions on homeschooling in Illinois. We also get about a yard of rain and have some of the best soil in the world.

    On the minus side, that good land I live on will probably be taxed out from under me when my parent’s generation retires and starts collecting their pension.

  32. Just getting to this episode now, but I have to praise Jack for the Walking to Freedom plan.

    As for the list, sure, I’m biased, but there’s no way to argue with California. It’s a special achievement to bankrupt a state so rich in beauty, natural resources and private innovation. This is a place that has so much going for it that people are willing to put up with a lot of crap to remain here. But they just keep on pushing. The idiots here just inexplicably voted to the gas tax. These people are insane. I suppose this is supposed to bully me onto the Caltrain, which is not only more expensive than driving, overcrowded and since I don’t work for the government when the train is late it costs me about week’s worth of gas is lost wages anyway. Madness.

    Unfortunately I’m not in a position to move right now, so my revenge is to scope out every BS government program I can and see how much of my money I can milk back out of the system via handouts. Whatever money I can leech from the state I’ll put aside in a “Move to Texas Fund.”

    Man, that would make a delicious fuc…er…farewell letter.

  33. Can’t help but notice that the three states that Jack mentions the most as being on the ‘bad’ list (California, New York, Illinois) account for 25% all economic activity in the entire country. It must be mentioned that Texas is also an economic powerhouse, but nonetheless it seems foolish to hope that these ‘bad’ states will be pushed over the edge into some kind of economic abyss by some sort of exodus, because as they go, so the country will go.

    • Ed, see this is what people don’t get, CA, NY and IL are ALL ON THE ROAD TO BANKRUPTCY right now this very second AS IS THE NATION. If I take a wino and give him an AMEX a VISA and a MasterCard all with a 250K limit he will be living large for quite a while won’t he, what does that really mean though? What does it look like when all three cards are maxed out and you can’t use one to pay the others any longer?

      The people of this nation really seem to think economic collapse isn’t ever going to happen, that is just foolish. As for those states and others they damn well are going to go and they damn well are going to take the ship (which already has many of its own holes) down with them and you better be prepared for it when it happens. Do you have any idea what the unfunded obligations of the US are the federal level, try 122 Trillion! Do you even know what unfunded obligations are?

      Thing is the Feds can print money for a while the states can’t, CA, IL, NY, MA and many other big government and big union (more accurately big government union) states are in a similar mess. They may be running what look like reasonable Debt to GDP levels but the truth is far more about what they will owe then what they already owe and can barely service. All the while many cities within each are at the very edge of bankruptcy, in fact 5 cities in CA this last year went bankrupt. Stockton once a thriving suburb is now a ghost town. The town of Camden NJ could not afford union police officers so dismissed their entire police force and the city had no real law enforcement until it was reestablished as a non union department.

      These states and their city and county governments are also sitting on massive unfunded liabilities. As we speak millions of citizens of these states are about to begin retiring, the boomers don’t just get SSI you know they are also NYC Teachers with Cadillac retirements with on going “free health care”, CA lifeguards with 100K a year retirements, not all of them but these are just two real examples. Most government workers in these states are in government unions, they have “negotiated” (more like bribed) contracts that are completely unsustainable.

      Now here is what is about to happen, the US is about to have a boom cycle, as I said for a while now, the last big one, this idiotic states will get even more foolish during it, the band will play “Happy Days are Here Again”, none of them will use this for a war chest. When the next recession comes (more like the final depression) they are all screwed, for that matter we all are but the states will have to rebuild a new economy. Good luck doing it in one of these socialist hell holes.

      There is another way to look at the high amount of “economic activity” they account for. Do you know the population of those states? 85 million! That is almost a full 1/3rd of the US, there is why, it isn’t just because of LA, Chicago, Boston and NYC, nope it is the people at least the producers that live their. They are the engine that drives the machine! Take even 2 million of said producers in the next 5 years from those five or perhaps 7 states and things look a lot different.

      As for the Exodus, I am not causing it or starting it, just organizing it so it can be more organized and those leaving can find what they most want. It is already in progress and much bigger then anyone wants to admit, here are the top 5 states citizens are already leaving, do any of their names ring a bell?

      http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/11/28/Tax-Exodus-5-States-That-Residents-Are-Fleeing.aspx#page1

    • Leaches and parasites attach themselves to the richest vein they can get access to.

      On bankruptcy..

      The US median family income is $45,000.
      Every year they spend all of it, and slap another $13,500 on the credit cards
      (This is the US ‘budget deficit’)

      And they don’t bother to put aside the $90,000 they need to fund their retirement
      (This is the increase in 2011 SS, Medicare & Fed retirement liability for 2011. $7 Trillion)

      So, how long do you think this family can remain solvent?

      Spending + Accrued Liabilities = 230% of income

    • Many good points, Jack.

      As usual, I’ve learned a lot from you. Fortunately, and mostly thanks to you, my family and I are prepared for the inevitable worldwide depression that awaits us, though I tend to believe we face a long, grinding, economic contraction, caused mostly by our bumping up against resource restraints (water and oil come to mind), and that in fact this contraction is already well underway and will continue into the forseeable future.
      Your scenario of one last boom followed by a really wicked downturn is certainly possible, but it has always seemed to me that you are sticking your neck out pretty far with that prediction. Don’t forget that the U.S. doesn’t exist in a vacuum and some unforeseen event on the other side of the planet could cause an economic collapse at any time….and people have been predicting ‘the big one’ since the 70’s and surely even before that.

      • Everyone says this but this time is different. The nation has turned a corner where the interest on the debt will go up faster then the growth of the economy. In just a few years the interest on the debt will be as large as the entire DOD, do you get that?

        This isn’t a maybe, this is math. That said there are dynamics at play for one big load up first. As for not being in a vacuum, do you really think I think that, more accurately do you really think the people in charge are not as involved in Europe, Africa and the East including China and India as they are here?

        This is a system of designed failure, once you understand the design it is easy to see where you are going. I never claim to know when or exactly how, I do know the next one will be a shift of global power unprecedented in global history.

  34. Bad:
    Illinois
    California
    New York
    New Jersey
    Massachusetts
    Florida

    Good:
    New Hampshire
    Texas
    Alaska
    Tennessee

  35. I built one of these greenhouses this weekend. I made it 3 panels long and used Husky 6 mil translucent poly painters plastic for the sheeting. Since it was longer, I added a 2×4 across the bottom middle to remove the bowing in the base stringers. That 2×4 was also used as the base for a counter top support added at the halfway point, which allowed me to add one row of counter top along both sides.

    I really like the result and consider it very cost effective both in terms of materials and labor.