Episode-228- Audience Questions for 6-25-09
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Today we cover eight questions from our audience on subjects such as libertarian politics, finding time to prep, growing food in the desert and more. Today’s show notes will be brief at first. I am tied up in meetings and will back fill later today but did not want to delay the publishing of the audio.
Just wanted to say that the new mic sucks. It’s very tinny sounding.
I have to agree, it sounds like a VERY cheap mic and is very edgy, compared to your old mic.
Jack, I enjoy listening to you and your opinions. I just started listening(~20 episodes) and do it daily, on weekdays. The mic is somewhat different, but with time you don’t know the difference
The mic does sound like you are on a phone. The mic is no good, FYI
I didn\’t notice a lot of tinniness and I believe the background noise was less than in the past.
Great show today, Jack! I appreciated the \"growing in a desert\" references.
About your comments on the Federal government response to hurricanes. I work for the federal government and I have worked on hurricane Ike and Katrina. I have to say that the US Cost Guard has been very impressive on both responses. I did not work with any National Guard but I do appreciate what they do. The state agencies are usually overwhelmed but they are essential because they have access to local resources that responders need. I know that you have a general anti-government attitude but you need to look at individual agencies. FEMA writes checks and develops plans and that is about it. The Corp of Engineers often fails but they are given an enormous number of tasks to work on and no where near enough money to do things correctly. They have to cut corners and sometimes it causes problems. I don’t want to tell you the agency that I work for because I do not want to be seen as giving the official comments. I will say that I am very proud of the work we do and I think we save lives.
About the Saudis hiding the amount of oil that they can produce. The thing is the Saudi government is a monarchy where a small number of people control all the nations’ wealth and everyone else resents it. The only reason the Saudi family can keep control of the country is because of oil wealth and relationships with oil dependent countries like the US. The incentive to lie about the amount of oil that can be produced is that they want to maintain control of the country and do not want to revel that they are loosing the #1 source of wealth and power. I have heard from US government sources who monitor the oil supply that the Saudis are lying. Oil field workers report pumping salt water into wells and this is something you do when a well is almost done producing. The Saudis have not changed the amount of oil reserves that they say they have in 20 years. It is an obvious lie. The question is how much do they really have left? I am preparing for bad news on this issue.
I think you guys are right there is a tin like quality to this headset. That sucks! I guess I will have to find another, back to the old one tomorrow but it sure is getting worn out.
Jack: YOU described the US SOLDIER as essentially being a gun and the government as being the “FINGER on the GUN.”
That being the case, then isn’t every soldier essentially saying I CANNOT DETERMINE WHO THE GOOD GUYS ARE AND WHO THE BAD GUY ARE — for Myself — so I will have some THIRD PARTY (ie the Pres, etc…) TELL ME who the “good guys” and “bad guys” are….. YES or NO Jack?
If this is so, this is an act of INTELLECTUAL COWARDANCE and abdication of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY to render these determination.
Lets be clear — the US Military is NOT the NAZI\\\’s — but every single German soldier could just as easily say \\"I\\\’m the gun, not the finger on the gun.\\"
Lets be clear — the OATH is to the CONSTITUTION — not the President or the govrnment….If a soldier took his oath literally – LITERALLY — to protect the US against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC the people eating his lead would not be Iraqis but US politicians who VIOLATE the US CONSTITUTION on a regular basis — most laws passed a patently Unconstitutional..
Also, how is the MILITARY paid for? Lets say some techie multi – millionaire is a Non – Interventionist — or even a pacifist — is he NOT FORCED to have his money spent in a way he abhors….
When you received a paychecks as a soldier — didn\\\’t that money get in your pocket from a NON – CONSENSUAL relationship — and at least some of the people who\\\’s money YOU ARE TAKING abhor (whether rightly or wrongly) abhor how that money is used…. Would you like it if your money was taken from you by force (either thru taxes or dollar devaluation) and spent in ways you found not only wastefule – but repulsive.
GOOD RULE OF THUMB — before running your mouth, its always a good idea to try and appreciate looking at a situation from the OTHERS GUYS PERSPECTIVE…..
That guy in Afghanistan shooting at the soldiers may not be Al Qaeda…or even Taliban….he might just be some guy who doesn\\\’t want the US Gov on his \\"turf\\"….. REVERSE THE ROLES….. If AFGHANISTAN has a military presence in the US would you be like — \\"hey – those guys are just doing their job, they might not wanna be here…their just doin there job — or would you BLOW THEM AWAY and say Get the \\"F\\" out of my country….. We\\\’ll Jack — turn about is fair play — whats good for the goose — etc….
Use the old one, Jack!
@Stevec,
People like you are so married to being right that they grab onto one or two words in a 10 minute statement. I clearly stated that soldiers are trained to refuse immoral or illegal orders.
You really are almost not worth responding to since I covered all of your objections in the show. As for the guy shooting at an American soldier not being Taliban or what ever. Sorry dude if you shoot at someone they shoot back.
My statement was clear enough but I will respond to your opening here for the casual reader who has not heard the show yet. When I said the soldiers were the gun not the finger I was talking about where they are sent to and what the mission when they get there is.
Once they are on the ground they by and large do use a moral compass and they do the best that can be expected under the circumstances.
You stated, “GOOD RULE OF THUMB — before running your mouth, its always a good idea to try and appreciate looking at a situation from the OTHERS GUYS PERSPECTIVE…..”
And you said that right after calling either I or the troops or both cowards! How about you stop running your mouth and put yourself in the boots of a man who has served this nation and the many others that do so. I spent time in 5 different nations (only one for combat) and I know what it is to be a soldier. You however, are the coward who serves nothing larger then yourself and then wants to tell others how they should live from the comfort of a chair in front of a PC late at night.
In fact I would say you are a hater or our troops plain and simple. You in fact are the exact type of ass hat I was talking about when I defended those that truly object to the war but still support the soldier. Thanks for showing people what a sanctimonious coward who has no respect for our troops looks like.
There are tens of thousands (hundreds of thousands) of men and women in the armed services…..
There are HONORABLE DECENT PEOPLE and there are DEGENERATES who get off on wearing a uniform and have no INTERNAL sense of self – esteem.
Anyone who undertands American History knows that ALMOST ALL WARS are based upon LIES and PROPAGANDA (from ALL sides).
WARS are fought by poor people – not all — but by in large.
WARS are fought by the YOUNG — many of whom cannot even find the places they are going on a map — and have no historical context other than some white/black good guy – bad guy mentality that takes away the “INDIVIDUALITY – HUMANITY” of the “other.”
Wars are generally cynically EXPLOITED by certain factions for personal gain who beat war drums but have NO USE for a soldier after the war is over and he’s rotting away in some VA with physical and/or mental problems. But don’t worry – these guys will play the “Marching Music” again when the NEXT war comes around.
Aside: I truly ENJOY your podcast – especially the PERMACULTURE/GARDENING segments and found your comment demeaning — you don’t know me.
Listening to your podcast is something I CHOOSE to do because I find VALUE in it.
The government taxes and devalues our money against the peoples wishes — in large part to finance wars – paid for in both MONEY and BLOOD by the lower classes (to get college money or whatnot)..We have no CHOICE whatsoever whether to have our money spent this way.
It is not a contradiction to be a pro – DEFENSE libertaian. There are real threats (in some cases I think the grievances are real from enemies of the US)…. It is a contradiction to be pro – Military and a libertarian to the extent the military is NOT being used for DEFENSE (whether as a taxpayer paid defense force for big oil, or AIPAC’s bitch, or Lockheed, etc…).
By definition – a WAR is CENTRAL PLANNING and BIG GOVERNMENT….War is a government control of all aspects of our lives — from rationing, to a draft, to deficit spending etc….
Is anything I’ve said UNTRUE?
It is hard to kill an Asian.
It is easy to kill a GOOK.
It is hard to kill an Arab.
It is easy to kill a Sand Nigger or Dune Coon.
Why do you think they try to get you not to think of these people as people but some “collective other.” IT IS EASIER TO KILL THEM.
There is more….. Take a look at a documentary called “Iraq for Sale” (yes, i know he’s a pinko)and see if your blood doesn’t boil.
COWARDICE can take many forms…… It is entirely possible for someone to be extremely BRAVE PHYSICALLY – risk his life by running into a burning building to save a kid — and still be an INTELLECTUAL COWARD…..
Soldiers (and ALL people – not just) should think for THEMSELF — not just follow “orders” – a dog sent to obedience school can do that.
I’m not a pacifist but think that the REAL ENEMIES of America and the Constitution are local — but if that road is taken the PROTECTOR of the CONSTITUTION will be called a nut or a traitor or a 9/11 kook or some supremacist or some bullshit label.
I’ve got a lot of hard personal shit going on right now – and I thought you were a friend in spirit – now you attack me PERSONALLY andgot me ALL WOUND UP and I’ve got a ton of work on my desk and will have a hard time focusing all day – I hope your happy.
Re: Yes I know he’s a pinko…. The producer/director of IRAQ FOR SALE is Robert Greenwald – a pretty hardcore lefty — but I still think his points are spot on.
A good episode and great questions today. To SteveC’s comments, I won’t wade in as I know I’m going to say something I will regret. That said, the soldiers are doing what they are told to do; most are wholly moral and not going into the theatre of war for the jolies of killing and some dark, twisted ideas. I maynot support the wars (and I’m a Canadian and think that the Iraq and also the Afghan campaigns are largely bogus), but not supporting the soldiers is just showing your disrespect for those who are willing to do things that you aren’t (and I’ve not been in the military either).
Jack, thank you for the comment on the variable rate vs fixed rate mortgage “debate”; I have sadly let myself go with the variable rate setup previously; but should my family and I make the move we hope to, to the west coast of Canada, we’re going to lock in on a fixed rate mortgage most likely.
Other than that, great show.
@stevec,
Don’t play your victim bullshit with me here. You get what you give buddy, you called our troops cowards, you got that back. I attack no one unless attacked.
Further no I am not your friend in spirit! What you have said here are things I not only disagree with but I would not associate with. Just because much of it (90%) is true doesn’t make the other 10% acceptable.
I leave your words stand because they don’t violate the TOS but I sure don’t imply endorsement. Further to call a man or woman with the courage to wear the uniform a coward is indeed the act of a coward. You are the one the told me not so “shoot off my mouth” before understanding others, that is what you did, this is the response you get. If you don’t like it, tough!
I stand by my words and I take the responses that come from them. I don’t turn around and play victim. You might just need to learn from that.
Jack, to your assertion that Russia will be the UK for China and India and that Brazil will be the banking location for the BRIC countries; it’s not unreasonable and though shocking to many people, the rise of those countries (as you’ve noted) is a paradigm shift for the world.
That said, my big concern (beyond my personal environmentalist hat wearing) is the looming water crisis and the associated wars. But just as big is the issue of population control (add the BRIC countries together and you have almost 42% of the world’s population (rough accumulated values/percentages from both Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population and the CIA World Factbook sites: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html). A juggernaut is awaking and the next decades will be an interesting time.
“that ALMOST ALL WARS are based upon LIES and PROPAGANDA (from ALL sides).”
So, we completely ditch our Armed Forces and defense capabilities because the Repubs and ‘Crats alike are clueless about the Constitutional process for declaring war?
When the wolf actualy does show up in that ALMOST case and the clowns in kongress are justified in using force to defend the country, who do we call? The Boy & Girl scouts??
My point is this, our focus should be on revamping our military to defend our borders and sea coast, not serving as occupiers or military welfare in 130+ nations. Too many folks in the Libertarian movement want to turn up their noses at the folks in uniform, bury themselves in rhetoric, and by doing so, they alienate the Troops, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen who are fed up with Leviathan and being used as Imperial Legions.
Many of the self same Libertarian types bemoan the slaughter of innocents when wolves break down doors in other nations. Ghengis Khan, Oliver Cromwell, Stalin, Hitler, and Mao along with other historical butchers have been out of the bag for a LONG time. If you have no militia to defend yourself with, you have no right to be mystified if you meet a violent demise by invaders. Genocide is a paragraph in every freekin’ chapter of human history, reaching that happy, kumbya & multi-culti rainbow picnic is pie in the sky, just study some history.
\"It is hard to kill an Asian.
It is easy to kill a GOOK.
It is hard to kill an Arab.
It is easy to kill a Sand Nigger or Dune Coon.\"
Oh geez, throw in the RAYCISS card & climb Mount Moral superiority.
My peeps, and I\’m a scum of the earth Scots-Irish, Kraut, and Frog mix white guy, had NO problems killing Brits in the Revolution, War of 1812. Their fellow Scotts-Irish in the Civil War, which was our bloodiest war, ever.
We had no problem butchering our Kraut cousins in WWI or II.
Four to five pounds of trigger pressure. I don\’t discriminate based on race. You don\’t tend to see a clear view of peeps making bang-bang at you in combat, just flash, dust, or a quick movement BTW.
1) I never said I was a “victim” – its just that I don’t go in for personal attacks. Letting others decide who YOUR enemies are is an act of MORAL cowardice…. Jack Spirko knows who his enemies are – far better than GWB or BAO.
2) JACK WROTE: Just because much of it (90%) is true doesn’t make the other 10% acceptable.
— If you admit that 90% of what I say is true than i would guess I’m doing far better with YOU than almost every politician in DC… Is 90% of what GWB or Pelosi or Harry Reid say true — or could we just put up a kyron under their name that says “FULL OF SHIT.”
3)JACK WROTE — Further to call a man or woman with the courage to wear the uniform…..
Q) Is that true of EVERY Military Uniform – or does this ONLY apply to the US MILITARY?
If ONLY the US – why? (as apposed to the Hungarian Military or the Mexican or Bangladeshi military).
I don’t know the total of US Soldiers (plus National Guard) but I’m sure some of them are good patriotic Americans….. and some just getoff wearing a uniform… and some are just 18 YO without direction – maybe lower middle class – who see it as a way to get college money.Perfectly understandable.
There are EVIL people out there (many in POWER)- who will sell us a bill of goods — Wrap it in a flag — and then denounce anybody who calls BULLSHIT as BULLSHIT as Unamerican…..
stevec,
You did play victim everyone can see that, whining and crying when you said,
“got me ALL WOUND UP and I’ve got a ton of work on my desk and will have a hard time focusing all day – I hope your happy”.
What more does anyone need, to see how you play the victim card?
I will only answer one more of your questions because I am bored with you. No, not only American soldiers are brave. Any man or woman that serves their nation is brave if they STAND and do it with honor and don’t hide who/what they are. That is why in my soldier tribute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=097k0tKdwSg
you see Iraqi soldiers, Egyptian soldiers and others. Someone (may be you, may be not) emailed me to point out that in most of those pictures the men and women are armed. My response and yet the kids don’t fear them! That says everything about most soldiers from most nations.
Finally you called me out, it was your choice and you did attack me and my service and you attacked my brother soldiers. Screw your whining about “personal attacks”, again you get what you give! You choose the tone, now deal with it.
Jimbo:
Thank you for the comment…. I’m sure that under combat the mind/muscle reflex takes over…no doubt.
The point is that during war and especially during the run up to war — their is a concentrated government effort to DEHUMAZIZE the enemy. The last thing they want you thinking when firing is that this person is somebody with a mother who is going to miss them.
Take a look at a Frank Capra documentary called “Why We Fight” and you’ll see the simplistic jingoism I’m refering to…..Or see any of the old recruiting posters going way back to WWI “Protect us from the HUN.” And include American but don’t just mean only American — Propaganda does not employee “Critical Thinking.”
One thing and I’ll pack it in for today…..You said on a Podcast maybe a month (maybe 2) was that you USED to be (or at least think of yourself)as a “Conservative Republican” and most of those guys you were of like mind with are not gonna come over (you spoke of something of a commonground between the earthy crunchy lefties and the survivalist gun toting right) going about the same thing different ways.
What would the “OLD” Jack Spirko say to the “NEW – AWAKENED” Jack Spirko….and visa versa.
SteveC
The new Spirko if there is such a thing, certainly would not try to reach the republican Spirko from many years ago by MFing our men and women that serve our nation. Once you do that you loose my respect.
“The point is that during war and especially during the run up to war — their is a concentrated government effort to DEHUMAZIZE the enemy. The last thing they want you thinking when firing is that this person is somebody with a mother who is going to miss them.”
There are these peeps called combat veterans, my father being one of them, who tell you like it is concerning war and these nifty things called books on warfare that you can read, too. Nanny isn’t an omnipotent information source.
Dear SteveC,
You are an ass-hat.
Love,
Sister Wolf
Sister Wolf-
I disagree with you. I am sure you listen to the podcast everyday, and should know better.
The correct term is “Ass-clown”. 🙂
-Marty
They are both good terms!
ass hat (noun) – an individual who walks through life with his head inserted into his ass, creating the image of one who wears his ass as a hat.
ass clown (noun) – an individual who tries to be serious and tries to be seen as important, however, due to consistent foolishness and ass hat like behavior is taken for a clown by unattached observers.
Don’t forget the G.I. version: Ass helmet!
Just my two cents here.
stevec is neither an ass-hat nor an ass-clown.
Clowns are funny and hats are useful.
stevec is just an ass. And not the useful donkey kind, the other kind that’s full of….
Without commenting as the whether or not one should “support the troops” which is a vague term, I would note that Steve did not call the troops cowards. He stated that abdicating personal responsibility for one’s actions and evaluating the mission your being given is an act of intellectual cowardice.
While I certainly wouldn’t call someone willing to get shot at as a soldier a coward, if one is unwilling to take responsibility for his part in something, regardless of where the order came from then there is a problem, because where does one draw the line? There must be a point at which any person is willing to decide that the orders being given are unjust and can no longer be followed. I don’t really like the idea of calling people with minds of their own a weapon that can be pointed as easily as a gun and that will fire with the same compunction.
Jack, I have no idea what kind of emails you get that attack your libertarian cred, so they may be accusatory or rude. But I will say that your response in the podcast seems just as close-minded as emails you mention. You attack a whole group of people who have a different take on how one should handle libertarianism and members of the military. You do frequently mention your libertarian beliefs, and I think if you do so and also frequently mention something that many consider to be completely outside of that, then your going to keep being questioned about it.
I’m also not making a comparison between the US and Nazi Germany, or Stalin/Russia. But these are countries where horrific things happened because soldiers simply did what they were told. They acted as the mindless gun you mention. When you absolve people of their responsibility when following orders, then these are the extreme things that can happen under insane leader.
Jack, thoughts on soldiers who refuse to serve? Or a more specific question would be, do you think soldiers should be refusing to serve in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan?
And yes, Stevec is kind of a douche.
Where is the link to the permaculture bill mollison video? I was looking under googles video and not finding the one you was talking about. I have found others but not that one.
@Jetta,
I think this is what you are looking for,
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8753613033531029453&ei=cq5LSuv1BYK-qwKhuuyDDg&q=permaculture+bill+mollison&dur=3