Not really. I made that up. But it is ironic that, in regard to two different strange tribes, “authorities” are saying in one case “leave these people alone” and in the other case “you will adhere to our standards.” In the case of primitive tribes like the one recently discovered in the Amazon they prescribe exceptional measures to ensure that the tribes can continue to live their lives as they see fit without outside interference. In the case of the relatively modern and civilized FLDS sect in Texas they prescribe exceptional measures to force the members to live like the authorities want them to live.
In which tribe do you think the children are most abused? How many of the Amazon tribe’s girls do you think make it to 18 before giving birth? How many do you think live to be 18?
Granted, I’m talking about two different sets of authorities, but this demonstrates how little confidence we should have in authorities. Authorities are consistent in only one way; they have laws, rules or procedures that allow them to do most anything they want to do. And they will want to do more and more unless we resist. Although they have eroded over the years we have checks and balances built into our method of government. But the greatest check against the oppressive power of government is the people.
Referring to the aerial photographing of the Amazon tribe, Fiona Watson of Survival International, said:
It is understood that when the plane first flew over the village, the people scattered into the forest. When it returned a few hours later they had painted themselves red and fired arrows into the sky.
They must have suffered some sort of trauma in the past and must know that contact is not a good thing.
Perhaps they’ve been talking to the FLDS sect in Texas.
March 23, 2008 – 11:01 am
I started to lose confidence in government when, about fifty years ago, it came up with its scheme to “save daylight” by cranking the clock ahead by an hour. A wise old man said that was like cutting off one end of a blanket and sewing it onto the other end to make the blanket longer.
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I saw this advertisement on a web page:
“I Got Scammed 27 Times — Avoid Work At Home Online Scams! I Will Show You The ones That Work.”
Just the person you need to help you avoid scams, right?
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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has strongly criticized China’s government for seeking to contain the riots in Tibet. I wonder what Pelosi’s position would be if the Hispanics in California started rioting violently and demanding independence from the US. The Tibetans may have a stronger case for independence than the California Hispanics, but why should a member of our government be splitting this hair?
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The debate over the science and evidence of global warming may not be over, as Al Gore likes to insist it is, but it seems to me that it has become irrelevant. Those who expect to profit immensely from government (taxpayer) grants and subsidies seem to be driving the runaway train now.
October 20, 2007 – 8:24 am
If you’re not alarmed yet over how the government is wasting your money, read these two articles:
Hemingway’s Cats, Pampered by Uncle Sam
Lawmaker Questions $318K for Turtle Crossing Fence
September 12, 2007 – 7:27 am
In a column at FoxNews.com Lis Wiehl discusses a case in which New York City School Chancellor Joel Klein fired John Halpin, a construction supervisor who has worked for the Department of Education for 21 years, for repeatedly leaving work early. Halpin was fired because his employer-supplied, GPS-equipped cell phone ratted him out. The phone documented that he left work early 83 times in about five months.
Questions that taxpayers in New York City should be asking: Why does Joel Klein need GPS devices to ensure that his employees are getting their jobs done? Where was Halpin’s supervisor while the time cheating was going on? What about Halpin’s performance on the job? Are the Department’s managers measuring productivity or just the amount of time spent on the job?
If an employee has to be tracked using an implanted device to keep him or her on the job, I would say that employee is most likely not really needed. One notable exception might be when the job primarily involves traveling from point A to point B, such as driving a long-haul truck. Even then it should be relatively easy to determine if cargo is being delivered on-time and to the right place.
I don’t buy the argument that employers are entitled to invade the privacy of their employees in any way they see fit. You won’t be able to convince me that the NYC Schools are only monitoring their employees during working hours. I’ll bet that some functionary has gleefully noted that Jack’s phone and Jill’s phone seem to be in the same place for a couple of hours after work two or three times per month.
