Whiteout Press
Joe Six Pack has turned his blog into a full-blown column over at a new news outlet. Come visit us at
Whiteout Press - If it's blacked-out, covered-up or censored, you can find it here!
May 3, 2011
Whiteout Press
Whiteout Press
Joe Six Pack has turned his blog into a full-blown column over at a new news outlet. Come visit us at
Whiteout Press - If it's blacked-out, covered-up or censored, you can find it here!
February 20, 2011
Psychic Prediction for Chicago's 2011 Mayoral Election
It's election time again and you know what that means. Time to cast my predictions on the outcomes. For those of you that missed it, the November elections three months ago proved my psychic visions 100 percent accurate. Yes, aside from my one wishy-washy pick, I accurately predicted them all. Fortunately, for me anyway, I entered a radio station contest and switched my wishful-thinking pick to reality on my official entry, and took home the prize money for accurately predicting every single race right, including the 'voter turnout'.
Now, we're two days away from Chicago's historic race to replace Mayor Daley. While the local media predicted Rahm Emanuel would win without a run-off months before he even moved here or declared his candidacy, reality might just prove them wrong - and their polls showing him bringing in 52 or 55 percent of the vote. That's one of their tricks you know - say something often enough and people not only believe it, they start living it.
Well, I the political prognosticator Joe Six Pack, would like to weigh in if I may. If you'd like to weigh in, get your own Blog, hahaha. Just kidding. Please, feel free to post your predictions below in the comments section. All are welcome. No prize money though.
Without further delay, here are my picks for Chicago's municipal election coming up on February 22, 2011.
Mayor - percent
Emanuel - 42 (more baggage than Samsonite)
Chico - 27 (will immediately poll even with Rahm after the election)
Braun - 13 (Crack-heads and Nazi's?)
del Valle - 10 (nice guys finish last, the good die young, life's a b*tch and then you marry one, it's all true)
Watkins - 5 (very impressive, we'll see her again)
Walls - 3 (the independent suffering from the standard independent-curse)
City Clerk - percent
Mendoza - 61
Horton - 39
Since that's all there is on the city-wide level, here are a few predictions from The Six Pack Posse's Northwest Side base and the Ward Aldermanic races I'm familiar with.
32nd Ward - percent
Waguespack - 52 (one of the good guys, help him if you can)
Pavlik - 30
Gorman - 10
Lynch - 8
38th Ward - percent
Cullerton - 29
Caravette - 22 (one of the good guys, help him if you can)
Morabito - 14
Quartullo - 10
Goldberg - 9
Hernandez - 8
Bambouyani - 5
Videkis - 3
41st Ward - percent
Gavin - 25 (everyone's grandma's say she's a life-saver)
O'Connor - 19
Murphey - 16 (unapologetic reformer)
Gonzalez - 14
Merck - 12 (past Green candidate)
Ateca - 4
Lapinski - 4
Mullen - 3
Quinn - 3
Banna - 0
Schname - 0
45th Ward - percent
Garrido - 25 (Republican cop, and we still like him for some reason)
Arena - 24 (reformer, endorsed by both papers? Interesting)
Faz Huppert - 20 (non-resident, union-hack, endorsed by unpopular Alderman - done)
Ward - 17
Blair - 6
Klocek - 6
Bellissimo - 2
Well, that's it. I can't wait to see the results. Most of these are political rookies, so this will be a good test of just how psychic I am. Nobody has a clue how anyone's going to do in these races. I could be way off, but we'll know in two days. I'm sure there are going to be run-offs. So, we'll see you right back here in April. Same bat time, same bat channel.
Joe Six Pack
and the Six Pack Posse
Now, we're two days away from Chicago's historic race to replace Mayor Daley. While the local media predicted Rahm Emanuel would win without a run-off months before he even moved here or declared his candidacy, reality might just prove them wrong - and their polls showing him bringing in 52 or 55 percent of the vote. That's one of their tricks you know - say something often enough and people not only believe it, they start living it.
Well, I the political prognosticator Joe Six Pack, would like to weigh in if I may. If you'd like to weigh in, get your own Blog, hahaha. Just kidding. Please, feel free to post your predictions below in the comments section. All are welcome. No prize money though.
Without further delay, here are my picks for Chicago's municipal election coming up on February 22, 2011.
Mayor - percent
Emanuel - 42 (more baggage than Samsonite)
Chico - 27 (will immediately poll even with Rahm after the election)
Braun - 13 (Crack-heads and Nazi's?)
del Valle - 10 (nice guys finish last, the good die young, life's a b*tch and then you marry one, it's all true)
Watkins - 5 (very impressive, we'll see her again)
Walls - 3 (the independent suffering from the standard independent-curse)
City Clerk - percent
Mendoza - 61
Horton - 39
Since that's all there is on the city-wide level, here are a few predictions from The Six Pack Posse's Northwest Side base and the Ward Aldermanic races I'm familiar with.
32nd Ward - percent
Waguespack - 52 (one of the good guys, help him if you can)
Pavlik - 30
Gorman - 10
Lynch - 8
38th Ward - percent
Cullerton - 29
Caravette - 22 (one of the good guys, help him if you can)
Morabito - 14
Quartullo - 10
Goldberg - 9
Hernandez - 8
Bambouyani - 5
Videkis - 3
41st Ward - percent
Gavin - 25 (everyone's grandma's say she's a life-saver)
O'Connor - 19
Murphey - 16 (unapologetic reformer)
Gonzalez - 14
Merck - 12 (past Green candidate)
Ateca - 4
Lapinski - 4
Mullen - 3
Quinn - 3
Banna - 0
Schname - 0
45th Ward - percent
Garrido - 25 (Republican cop, and we still like him for some reason)
Arena - 24 (reformer, endorsed by both papers? Interesting)
Faz Huppert - 20 (non-resident, union-hack, endorsed by unpopular Alderman - done)
Ward - 17
Blair - 6
Klocek - 6
Bellissimo - 2
Well, that's it. I can't wait to see the results. Most of these are political rookies, so this will be a good test of just how psychic I am. Nobody has a clue how anyone's going to do in these races. I could be way off, but we'll know in two days. I'm sure there are going to be run-offs. So, we'll see you right back here in April. Same bat time, same bat channel.
Joe Six Pack
and the Six Pack Posse
November 19, 2010
2012 and Independent Voters
With the 2010 midterm elections mostly behind us, it’s time to not only look back and see exactly what happened, but look forward to 2012. For starters, at the completion of this 2010 election, ‘third parties’ and independents did incredibly well. My prediction of Greens and Libertarians receiving two, five, even ten times their typical vote totals was right on the money.
What does that mean? That means 35 states and DC now have at least one political party other then the Democrats and Republicans with complete ballot access and official recognition by the state. That’s the most after a mid-term election since 1918. You wouldn’t know that ‘third parties’ did so well by watching any of the ultra-liberal or neo-conservative news programs. As usual, they’re blocking out any positive news about independents. It’s a shame when a nation’s proud and unbiased ‘press’ represents an angle and not the truth, the people, or the U.S. Constitution which guarantees its existence.
But what do the voters who are sick of watching the Democrats and Republicans destroy each other, and our country in the process, have to look forward to in 2012? I’m glad you asked. Now that independent voters have momentum, ballot access and history on their side, they should have a fairly decent choice of candidates. If the trend continues, whoever the consensus independent candidate for U.S. President will be, he or she won’t be saddled by the media with the ‘spoiler’ label. Like Ross Perot in 1992, independents should be in the thick of things from day one. Here’s a very early ‘short list’ of likely independent Presidential candidates in 2012. Of course, these are merely your author’s humble opinion, something we’re all entitled to. Please feel free to email me with your list of possible candidates at illinoisindependence@yahoo.com.
•‘The Donald’, Donald Trump. While Mr. Trump has not only the fortune, name recognition, connections and backing of power-brokers throughout the nation, the question remains, is he independent enough or beholden to the same super-rich power brokers entrenched in the GOP?
•Ralph Nader. While Mr. Nader has more than earned his independent credentials, he has come up short in his run for President too many times. Last election in 2008, he wasn’t even a factor.
•Charlie Christ. Not only does he have the office of Florida Governor under his belt, he’s also proved that he’s a couple years ahead of the game. By switching to independent this year, he may have lost his re-election bid for Governor, but he won the right to challenge the two establishment parties as a sincere independent.
•Sarah Palin. Mrs. Palin could easily make it a three-horse race the second she dropped her hat into the ring. She’s already threatened to bolt from the GOP, with as many of their members as she can, and run for President as an independent. That’s right, no typo. Sarah Palin is a self-admitted ‘independent Republican’. She’s also a card-carrying member of the Alaska Independence Party.
•Jesse Ventura. While were on the subject, Mr. Ventura is also a card carrying member of the Minnesota Independence Party. While he’s shied away from the political arena in past years, he’s recently found himself in the spotlight with his cable TV show and periodic appearances on shows like Larry King Live where he proves he’s still got his thumb on the pulse of the American independent voter.
•Michael Bloomberg. Mr. Bloomberg is probably the odds-on favorite to capture the consensus independent vote in 2012. Beginning as a Democrat, then switching to Republican and finally proclaiming his independence, he has been a successful political candidate as all three. Most importantly, as mayor of the nations largest city, Mr. Bloomberg could possibly capture New York state and its entire delegation. That alone makes him the most serious independent contender in recent history.
As previously mentioned, the list of potential independent candidates in 2012 is impressive already and this is hardly a complete listing. Already though, it’s apparent that the American voter may be on the verge of a truly free, fair and open election for President unlike any we’ve seen since Ross Perot led in the polls over George Bush and Bill Clinton in 1992. Of course, we all remember how that turned out. The independent was admittedly terrorized and intimidated into dropping out of the race while ahead in the polls. Perhaps in 2012, the consensus candidate will be a veteran of the terrible struggle that independent voters and candidates have faced to get this far and will have the strength, courage and foresight to see the death threats, attacks on their children, slurs and accusations coming. We can only hope.
What does that mean? That means 35 states and DC now have at least one political party other then the Democrats and Republicans with complete ballot access and official recognition by the state. That’s the most after a mid-term election since 1918. You wouldn’t know that ‘third parties’ did so well by watching any of the ultra-liberal or neo-conservative news programs. As usual, they’re blocking out any positive news about independents. It’s a shame when a nation’s proud and unbiased ‘press’ represents an angle and not the truth, the people, or the U.S. Constitution which guarantees its existence.
But what do the voters who are sick of watching the Democrats and Republicans destroy each other, and our country in the process, have to look forward to in 2012? I’m glad you asked. Now that independent voters have momentum, ballot access and history on their side, they should have a fairly decent choice of candidates. If the trend continues, whoever the consensus independent candidate for U.S. President will be, he or she won’t be saddled by the media with the ‘spoiler’ label. Like Ross Perot in 1992, independents should be in the thick of things from day one. Here’s a very early ‘short list’ of likely independent Presidential candidates in 2012. Of course, these are merely your author’s humble opinion, something we’re all entitled to. Please feel free to email me with your list of possible candidates at illinoisindependence@yahoo.com.
•‘The Donald’, Donald Trump. While Mr. Trump has not only the fortune, name recognition, connections and backing of power-brokers throughout the nation, the question remains, is he independent enough or beholden to the same super-rich power brokers entrenched in the GOP?
•Ralph Nader. While Mr. Nader has more than earned his independent credentials, he has come up short in his run for President too many times. Last election in 2008, he wasn’t even a factor.
•Charlie Christ. Not only does he have the office of Florida Governor under his belt, he’s also proved that he’s a couple years ahead of the game. By switching to independent this year, he may have lost his re-election bid for Governor, but he won the right to challenge the two establishment parties as a sincere independent.
•Sarah Palin. Mrs. Palin could easily make it a three-horse race the second she dropped her hat into the ring. She’s already threatened to bolt from the GOP, with as many of their members as she can, and run for President as an independent. That’s right, no typo. Sarah Palin is a self-admitted ‘independent Republican’. She’s also a card-carrying member of the Alaska Independence Party.
•Jesse Ventura. While were on the subject, Mr. Ventura is also a card carrying member of the Minnesota Independence Party. While he’s shied away from the political arena in past years, he’s recently found himself in the spotlight with his cable TV show and periodic appearances on shows like Larry King Live where he proves he’s still got his thumb on the pulse of the American independent voter.
•Michael Bloomberg. Mr. Bloomberg is probably the odds-on favorite to capture the consensus independent vote in 2012. Beginning as a Democrat, then switching to Republican and finally proclaiming his independence, he has been a successful political candidate as all three. Most importantly, as mayor of the nations largest city, Mr. Bloomberg could possibly capture New York state and its entire delegation. That alone makes him the most serious independent contender in recent history.
As previously mentioned, the list of potential independent candidates in 2012 is impressive already and this is hardly a complete listing. Already though, it’s apparent that the American voter may be on the verge of a truly free, fair and open election for President unlike any we’ve seen since Ross Perot led in the polls over George Bush and Bill Clinton in 1992. Of course, we all remember how that turned out. The independent was admittedly terrorized and intimidated into dropping out of the race while ahead in the polls. Perhaps in 2012, the consensus candidate will be a veteran of the terrible struggle that independent voters and candidates have faced to get this far and will have the strength, courage and foresight to see the death threats, attacks on their children, slurs and accusations coming. We can only hope.
November 1, 2010
Nov 2, 2010 Election Prediction - local races (IL)
Okay, I do this every election, but now I've have a way to say, "I told you so" or "Whoops". Here are my predictions for tomorrow's election.
I believe the post-election headlines will scream two things - First, 'Split decision - Republicans take House in landslide while Democrats hold a one-vote majority in the Senate' (yes, one vote - because Murkowski will win with her independent write-in campaign in AK - whoo hoo!). The second part of the headline may actually be blacked out in some papers, CNN and the three old networks, as I suspect it will. But the second surprise of the night will be that Third Parties have gotten 3, 5, even 10 times the votes they normally do and we will officially be a 4-Party system - about time.
On the local level here in Illinois, I believe it won't depend so much on who turns out more, the Dems or GOP. Instead, the results will be determined by which Third Party takes away the most votes. If the Greens take more votes from the Dems than the Libertarians take from the GOP, the GOP wins big. If it's the other way around, the Dems win big. My personal hunch is that the Greens will siphon off more votes because many Libertarians are supporting Tea Party Republicans.
Here are my predictions for our local races here in Chicago, along with a little commentary on some.
US Senate - Kirk wins by a few points (he's the lesser of two evils, not to me, but whatever)
Governor - Quinn wins in a statistical tie (he's the only honest politician in IL. Honest wins over smart in this election)
County Assessor - Claypool wins, barely and I hope (if he loses, it's because his campaign put too much emphasis on phone banks and harassing phone calls)
AG - Speaker Madigan's daughter ('nuff said)
Comptroller - Topinka (I just don't like her)
Congress 5th Dist. - Quigley wins big (I do like him)
Kirk's old Congressional seat, whatever number it is - Whats-his-name beats Dan Seals (Seals misleading ads were too much)
St. Senator 10th - Mulroe wins in the most chaotic race of the night (Doherty's misleading ads were too much and the city Dems will out-Machine the suburban GOP)
Last but not least, for our friends in Cali, I say "Yes on 19". Unfortunately, pot heads just don't vote. The 'legalize marijuana' referendum will go up in smoke - mmmm...smoke.
Whatever your political persuasion, GET OUT AND VOTE!!!
To all the people volunteering all night tonight, putting up signs and prepping materials for election day, here's to you.
Joe Sixpack
and the Six Pack Posse
I believe the post-election headlines will scream two things - First, 'Split decision - Republicans take House in landslide while Democrats hold a one-vote majority in the Senate' (yes, one vote - because Murkowski will win with her independent write-in campaign in AK - whoo hoo!). The second part of the headline may actually be blacked out in some papers, CNN and the three old networks, as I suspect it will. But the second surprise of the night will be that Third Parties have gotten 3, 5, even 10 times the votes they normally do and we will officially be a 4-Party system - about time.
On the local level here in Illinois, I believe it won't depend so much on who turns out more, the Dems or GOP. Instead, the results will be determined by which Third Party takes away the most votes. If the Greens take more votes from the Dems than the Libertarians take from the GOP, the GOP wins big. If it's the other way around, the Dems win big. My personal hunch is that the Greens will siphon off more votes because many Libertarians are supporting Tea Party Republicans.
Here are my predictions for our local races here in Chicago, along with a little commentary on some.
US Senate - Kirk wins by a few points (he's the lesser of two evils, not to me, but whatever)
Governor - Quinn wins in a statistical tie (he's the only honest politician in IL. Honest wins over smart in this election)
County Assessor - Claypool wins, barely and I hope (if he loses, it's because his campaign put too much emphasis on phone banks and harassing phone calls)
AG - Speaker Madigan's daughter ('nuff said)
Comptroller - Topinka (I just don't like her)
Congress 5th Dist. - Quigley wins big (I do like him)
Kirk's old Congressional seat, whatever number it is - Whats-his-name beats Dan Seals (Seals misleading ads were too much)
St. Senator 10th - Mulroe wins in the most chaotic race of the night (Doherty's misleading ads were too much and the city Dems will out-Machine the suburban GOP)
Last but not least, for our friends in Cali, I say "Yes on 19". Unfortunately, pot heads just don't vote. The 'legalize marijuana' referendum will go up in smoke - mmmm...smoke.
Whatever your political persuasion, GET OUT AND VOTE!!!
To all the people volunteering all night tonight, putting up signs and prepping materials for election day, here's to you.
Joe Sixpack
and the Six Pack Posse
June 10, 2010
BP Oil Spill and Fantasy Land
Okay, I'm going to offend some of the Posse with this one - Not because I'm incorrect necessarily, but because I'm blunt. I'm sorry, but it's just the kind of wake up call America needs. If our country would have listened 20, 10 or even 5 years ago, the BP oil spill never would have happened.
I've known for quite some time now that there are two parallel Americas in existence, occupying the same space, time, land, citizens, everything. The only difference is one America is living in a fantasy land and the other Amerika is living in reality.
The fantasy America believes the US will bounce back from this recession and create the tens of millions of required new jobs to do it. Until then, we'll just keep living on credit like we've been doing for the last decade. While the real Amerika knows those jobs are long gone and thanks to the laws our greedy multi-national corporations have written and passed, they're never coming back.
The fantasy America believes our national debt is 'manageable', after all, we're America. The real Amerika knows that each and every Amerikan family currently owes $800,000 and multiplying everyday. It's never getting paid back. After all, defaulting on credit is the American way.
In conclusion...
Fantasy America believes that if they yell and scream loud enough, President Obama, Congress, or someone - will exact revenge upon BP and not only force them to clean-up America's Gulf, but pay the bills for the clean-up and reimburse all residents and businesses for their losses - even if it totals in the billions. After all, if they don't, American's will simply stop getting gas at BP and will instead go somewhere like Amoco.
The real Amerika knows what BP's CEO, Tony Hayward, knows. Amerika has laws that cover oil spills, laws written and passed by none other than BP, Exxon and the rest. The maximum fine BP will have to pay is $75 million. That's why BP won't pay the claims, even defying President Obama's demands and threats. They know they don't have to. And if President Obama switches into Dictator Obama mode and forces them to pay, BP will and in the year 2031, the US Supreme Court will order that any fine over $75 million was a violation of BP's rights and every cent collected from BP over that amount by the US government will have to be returned, plus interest.
Don't think so? Consider this...
In 1989, the Exxon Valdez destroyed a large section of Alaska's coast and economy.
In 1994, a court-imposed settlement ordered Exxon to pay $5 billion in damages.
In 2006, a court reduced that amount to $2.5 billion in damages.
In June 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court reduced the damages Exxon had to pay to $500 million, or one-tenth of the original fine.
So Fantasy America, tell me why this time is going to be any different and I'll stop living in the real Amerika. Also, to everyone who wants to nationalize BP, British Petroleum - you can't "take over" or nationalize a foreign company, not without going to war with England. Welcome to the New World Order. Let's take over Exxon instead, they're bigger.
Joe Six Pack and the Six Pack Posse
I've known for quite some time now that there are two parallel Americas in existence, occupying the same space, time, land, citizens, everything. The only difference is one America is living in a fantasy land and the other Amerika is living in reality.
The fantasy America believes the US will bounce back from this recession and create the tens of millions of required new jobs to do it. Until then, we'll just keep living on credit like we've been doing for the last decade. While the real Amerika knows those jobs are long gone and thanks to the laws our greedy multi-national corporations have written and passed, they're never coming back.
The fantasy America believes our national debt is 'manageable', after all, we're America. The real Amerika knows that each and every Amerikan family currently owes $800,000 and multiplying everyday. It's never getting paid back. After all, defaulting on credit is the American way.
In conclusion...
Fantasy America believes that if they yell and scream loud enough, President Obama, Congress, or someone - will exact revenge upon BP and not only force them to clean-up America's Gulf, but pay the bills for the clean-up and reimburse all residents and businesses for their losses - even if it totals in the billions. After all, if they don't, American's will simply stop getting gas at BP and will instead go somewhere like Amoco.
The real Amerika knows what BP's CEO, Tony Hayward, knows. Amerika has laws that cover oil spills, laws written and passed by none other than BP, Exxon and the rest. The maximum fine BP will have to pay is $75 million. That's why BP won't pay the claims, even defying President Obama's demands and threats. They know they don't have to. And if President Obama switches into Dictator Obama mode and forces them to pay, BP will and in the year 2031, the US Supreme Court will order that any fine over $75 million was a violation of BP's rights and every cent collected from BP over that amount by the US government will have to be returned, plus interest.
Don't think so? Consider this...
In 1989, the Exxon Valdez destroyed a large section of Alaska's coast and economy.
In 1994, a court-imposed settlement ordered Exxon to pay $5 billion in damages.
In 2006, a court reduced that amount to $2.5 billion in damages.
In June 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court reduced the damages Exxon had to pay to $500 million, or one-tenth of the original fine.
So Fantasy America, tell me why this time is going to be any different and I'll stop living in the real Amerika. Also, to everyone who wants to nationalize BP, British Petroleum - you can't "take over" or nationalize a foreign company, not without going to war with England. Welcome to the New World Order. Let's take over Exxon instead, they're bigger.
Joe Six Pack and the Six Pack Posse
May 27, 2010
Foreign Aid or Unemployment Benefits, Pick One
While perusing through the news this afternoon, I came across a brief update on today's quiet happenings on Capital Hill in Washington. Call me a cynic, but I actually wasn't surprised - angry, yes - surprised, no.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, congressmen debated the need to extend Unemployment Insurance yet again. Benefits for every American in the country who's been collecting unemployment for more than six months, will suddenly stop next week, with no extension in sight. The thought of ten or twenty million hard-working Americans suddenly with no income, zero, scares me to death. Desperate people do desperate things. Unemployment benefits aren't much, in some states only $100 or $200 a week, hardly enough to support a small family. But at least it provided the necessities, food, phone, school supplies and transportation to get to and from job interviews. While many Americans are getting tired of repeatedly extending Unemployment Benefits to the tens of millions of Americans who lost their jobs, most Americans will also concede that there just aren't any jobs out there yet. It's not like these providers don't WANT to work. It's just that 195,000 new jobs aren't enough to get 20 million people back to work.
At the end of the debate in the House of Representatives to extend unemployment today, Democratic leaders scrapped their plan to bring the extension to a vote. Unbelievably, they didn't have enough votes to move it to the next level. Apparently, the 'Blue Dog Democrats' who I usually agree with, switched over to the Republican's side and blocked any more extensions. "Instead" they said, "We need to focus on the national debt". Strange, I thought, considering the 'extension' would be funded by a tax increase on investment fund managers, oil companies and multinational conglomerates - the very same people that in my opinion and apparently many others, are single-handedly responsible for the massive number of unemployed Americans.
Across the Hill, over at the U.S. Senate, Democrats and Republicans debated a different bill. This bill covered foreign aid, plus a few other individual requests. As I read the brief list of things included in this massive spending bill, $60 billion in all, I couldn't help but wonder how a country that can't afford to pay unemployment benefits to its own citizens, could somehow spare the same amount of money to fund the needs of other countries' citizens. Included in the Senate bill were items such as - 30,000 additional troops to fight in Afghanistan, billions to 'replenish disaster aid accounts', more money for Haiti's disaster relief, and billions in foreign aid to anti-American countries in the Middle East to 'help in their fight against terror'. The 'test vote' for more foreign aid passed overwhelmingly in the Senate 69-29. Yet, at the same time, the bill to extend Unemployment Benefits in the House was shot down.
Don't get me wrong, I'm as much a sympathetic philanthropist as anyone. And I'm all in favor of eliminating terror, anger, sadness and all the other bad emotions. But in my opinion, a starving person shouldn't keep giving his last dollar away to strangers. He should buy himself something to eat, so he can live one more day. The U.S. Senate just voted to take the last dollar from tens of millions of starving Americans and give it to rich companies like Halliburton and oil-rich countries throughout the Middle East. Not only am I angry, but as I said earlier, I'm afraid. When Unemployment checks stop going out, America is going to be shocked, possibly even overthrown. Again, desperate people do desperate things. Tens of millions of desperate people don't just do desperate things, they do historically significant, world-altering things.
I might just be overreacting, but I might not be. If you think I'm being over dramatic, then tell me - what WILL happen when ten or twenty million Americans suddenly find themselves without a single penny of income, starving and homeless? So far, each person that thinks I'm overreacting has only answered my question with, "I don't know". Well, thanks to the way Congress voted today, we all may find out in the next two weeks.
Joe Six Pack and the Six Pack Posse
In the U.S. House of Representatives, congressmen debated the need to extend Unemployment Insurance yet again. Benefits for every American in the country who's been collecting unemployment for more than six months, will suddenly stop next week, with no extension in sight. The thought of ten or twenty million hard-working Americans suddenly with no income, zero, scares me to death. Desperate people do desperate things. Unemployment benefits aren't much, in some states only $100 or $200 a week, hardly enough to support a small family. But at least it provided the necessities, food, phone, school supplies and transportation to get to and from job interviews. While many Americans are getting tired of repeatedly extending Unemployment Benefits to the tens of millions of Americans who lost their jobs, most Americans will also concede that there just aren't any jobs out there yet. It's not like these providers don't WANT to work. It's just that 195,000 new jobs aren't enough to get 20 million people back to work.
At the end of the debate in the House of Representatives to extend unemployment today, Democratic leaders scrapped their plan to bring the extension to a vote. Unbelievably, they didn't have enough votes to move it to the next level. Apparently, the 'Blue Dog Democrats' who I usually agree with, switched over to the Republican's side and blocked any more extensions. "Instead" they said, "We need to focus on the national debt". Strange, I thought, considering the 'extension' would be funded by a tax increase on investment fund managers, oil companies and multinational conglomerates - the very same people that in my opinion and apparently many others, are single-handedly responsible for the massive number of unemployed Americans.
Across the Hill, over at the U.S. Senate, Democrats and Republicans debated a different bill. This bill covered foreign aid, plus a few other individual requests. As I read the brief list of things included in this massive spending bill, $60 billion in all, I couldn't help but wonder how a country that can't afford to pay unemployment benefits to its own citizens, could somehow spare the same amount of money to fund the needs of other countries' citizens. Included in the Senate bill were items such as - 30,000 additional troops to fight in Afghanistan, billions to 'replenish disaster aid accounts', more money for Haiti's disaster relief, and billions in foreign aid to anti-American countries in the Middle East to 'help in their fight against terror'. The 'test vote' for more foreign aid passed overwhelmingly in the Senate 69-29. Yet, at the same time, the bill to extend Unemployment Benefits in the House was shot down.
Don't get me wrong, I'm as much a sympathetic philanthropist as anyone. And I'm all in favor of eliminating terror, anger, sadness and all the other bad emotions. But in my opinion, a starving person shouldn't keep giving his last dollar away to strangers. He should buy himself something to eat, so he can live one more day. The U.S. Senate just voted to take the last dollar from tens of millions of starving Americans and give it to rich companies like Halliburton and oil-rich countries throughout the Middle East. Not only am I angry, but as I said earlier, I'm afraid. When Unemployment checks stop going out, America is going to be shocked, possibly even overthrown. Again, desperate people do desperate things. Tens of millions of desperate people don't just do desperate things, they do historically significant, world-altering things.
I might just be overreacting, but I might not be. If you think I'm being over dramatic, then tell me - what WILL happen when ten or twenty million Americans suddenly find themselves without a single penny of income, starving and homeless? So far, each person that thinks I'm overreacting has only answered my question with, "I don't know". Well, thanks to the way Congress voted today, we all may find out in the next two weeks.
Joe Six Pack and the Six Pack Posse
May 15, 2010
The Great Immigration Debate
With all the anger and excitement in America these days over Arizona's attempt to address its crime and violence problem, I felt it was time to chime in. Depending on where you live I suppose, the media coverage has been overwhelmingly one-sided against Arizona and on behalf of the civil rights of Latino Americans. Now, I'm a big supporter of civil rights for ALL Americans. But somewhere hidden in the barrage of anti-Arizona talking points, the media always manages to slip in one quiet little fact - depending on which poll you sight, some 68 - 88 percent of Americans support the Arizona law - and so do I.
Giving a description of the guy who murdered your child and telling the police that the killer was "tall, thin, White" IS racial profiling, it's also height and weight profiling, and there's NOTHING wrong with it. It's called giving a description of the assailant. Profiling is how the police find wanted criminals. Without a profile, or a description, they have no idea who they're looking for. So all this talk about how profiling is 'evil' is nothing more than emotional people voicing their fears and concerns, but is based on ignorance.
The other 'anti-Arizona' argument is that now, the police will be asking "let me see your papers" any time they're arresting or interrogating someone. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they already do this to all Americans, all the time. It's nothing new, except to people who by law, have been protected and shielded from ever having to prove their identity. To them, it's a big change. Just like it was for the rest of us when the Supreme Court ruled that the government DOES have the right to randomly stop all US citizens, and presumably all illegals too, and check their identities, and most commonly, whether or not their driving under the influence of alcohol or have their seat belts on or have car insurance or a valid drivers license. At the time, we argued that allowing random government roadblocks was a violation of our civil rights and a throw-back to the days of Soviet Communism. But we lost that argument twenty years ago. Where was the anti-Arizona crowd then? I'll tell you where, nowhere. Because they really don't care about Constitutional rights. They're simply using it to drum up sympathy and support from as many well-intentioned Americans as they can.
Now, assuming we're all in agreement that there IS an immigration problem in America, and the Latino community STILL argues that there IS NO PROBLEM, I'd like to very briefly, I hope, address the cause of our problem, where the track we're on is headed, and my alternate suggestion.
First, the problem isn't with America's immigration laws - we have one of the most open and welcoming immigration policies in the world and it includes common-sense limits and safe-guards. No, our problem stems from "illegal immigration". And this is where, in my opinion, all the experts veer off in the wrong direction. As far as I can see, we don't have a serious problem with "illegals" from Canada, Poland, Haiti, Russia, China or any of the other nations of the world. No, our problem is due to what I can only describe as a "Mexican invasion". For that's exactly what it is.
What else would you call it when 30,000 Mexican Army commandos change into civilian clothes and sneak across the border of their sovereign neighbor, in a simultaneous, clandestine, prearranged operation? I would call that an "invasion". And what would you call it when immediately following the successful infiltration by the 30,000 commandos in strategic, sympathetic locations around the US - they are followed across the border by 50 million of their fellow Mexican nationalists? I'd call that a "successful invasion".
Now, I know the 30,000 commandos are really employed by the Mexican drug cartels and are here to set-up and protect tens of thousands of drug distribution sites across America, but that doesn't mean they don't support their fellow Mexicans in their attempt to reconquer the US and reclaim the lands of the American southwest, lands that once belonged to them before they were 'stolen' by America.
One only needs to look back at history, and those who don't are doomed to repeat it, to see that exactly what happened when America annexed northern Mexico, creating California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas, is exactly what's going on now, only in reverse. Back then, America flooded northern Mexico with American citizens until the population became 80 percent American. At that point, the citizens simply seceded from Mexico and joined the USA. Now, with the Mexican populations of states like Arizona and New Mexico passing 50 percent, 90 percent in many areas, it's only a matter of time, maybe ten or twenty years, before they secede from the US and rejoin Mexico. Don't believe me? Compare maps of America and Mexico now and maps of America and Mexico just before the Alamo, and tell me why I'm wrong? It's so similar, it's like the Twilight Zone. If it weren't for the Mormons in Utah, it would be an exact mirror image of two different times in history, only reversed.
Assuming for a moment that I'm correct and the Mexican populations in these states will in fact vote to secede from the US and rejoin Mexico, what would happen then? Again, look at history for your answer. The only time any state has ever seceded from the US, the remaining states sent in the army and we fought the bloodiest civil war in Earth's history. Since Abe Lincoln's policy of 'once you're an American state, you're an American state for life and the only way out is to die', ironically similar to the membership policies of street gangs, is still in effect, I don't see why the US WOULDN'T send in the army and forcibly bring those states in America's southwest back into the union. Again however, look at history. When Serbia found itself in the exact same situation, with ethnic Albanians making up 80 percent of much of Serbia's country and the Albanians broke away, what did the the Serbs do? They sent in the military to take back their sovereign territory. With the world against them, they lost. The world has for some reason, changed it's policy since the 19th century. No longer does a NATION'S claim to a certain piece of territory outweigh the claim of the people who currently inhabit it. With that said, we the US, would lose our civil war to reclaim the American southwest and the maps of America and Mexico will once again look the way they did prior to America's 'Manifest Destiny'.
So, what's my solution? Do you really want to hear it? It's drastic, but I don't see any other option. My suggestion, and just for discussion purposes - we acknowledge the fact that Mexico has declared war on us and launched a full-blown invasion and we declare war in response. Only then can we take the necessary steps to stop the horrible events that have already been set in motion.
Call me crazy if you want, and I can already hear you. But all I've done is take our current situation and apply the reactions of the current participants taken from actual, similar events in recent history. I didn't make any of this stuff up. If anything, I can't believe no one else sees it.
Joe Six Pack and the Six Pack Posse
Giving a description of the guy who murdered your child and telling the police that the killer was "tall, thin, White" IS racial profiling, it's also height and weight profiling, and there's NOTHING wrong with it. It's called giving a description of the assailant. Profiling is how the police find wanted criminals. Without a profile, or a description, they have no idea who they're looking for. So all this talk about how profiling is 'evil' is nothing more than emotional people voicing their fears and concerns, but is based on ignorance.
The other 'anti-Arizona' argument is that now, the police will be asking "let me see your papers" any time they're arresting or interrogating someone. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they already do this to all Americans, all the time. It's nothing new, except to people who by law, have been protected and shielded from ever having to prove their identity. To them, it's a big change. Just like it was for the rest of us when the Supreme Court ruled that the government DOES have the right to randomly stop all US citizens, and presumably all illegals too, and check their identities, and most commonly, whether or not their driving under the influence of alcohol or have their seat belts on or have car insurance or a valid drivers license. At the time, we argued that allowing random government roadblocks was a violation of our civil rights and a throw-back to the days of Soviet Communism. But we lost that argument twenty years ago. Where was the anti-Arizona crowd then? I'll tell you where, nowhere. Because they really don't care about Constitutional rights. They're simply using it to drum up sympathy and support from as many well-intentioned Americans as they can.
Now, assuming we're all in agreement that there IS an immigration problem in America, and the Latino community STILL argues that there IS NO PROBLEM, I'd like to very briefly, I hope, address the cause of our problem, where the track we're on is headed, and my alternate suggestion.
First, the problem isn't with America's immigration laws - we have one of the most open and welcoming immigration policies in the world and it includes common-sense limits and safe-guards. No, our problem stems from "illegal immigration". And this is where, in my opinion, all the experts veer off in the wrong direction. As far as I can see, we don't have a serious problem with "illegals" from Canada, Poland, Haiti, Russia, China or any of the other nations of the world. No, our problem is due to what I can only describe as a "Mexican invasion". For that's exactly what it is.
What else would you call it when 30,000 Mexican Army commandos change into civilian clothes and sneak across the border of their sovereign neighbor, in a simultaneous, clandestine, prearranged operation? I would call that an "invasion". And what would you call it when immediately following the successful infiltration by the 30,000 commandos in strategic, sympathetic locations around the US - they are followed across the border by 50 million of their fellow Mexican nationalists? I'd call that a "successful invasion".
Now, I know the 30,000 commandos are really employed by the Mexican drug cartels and are here to set-up and protect tens of thousands of drug distribution sites across America, but that doesn't mean they don't support their fellow Mexicans in their attempt to reconquer the US and reclaim the lands of the American southwest, lands that once belonged to them before they were 'stolen' by America.
One only needs to look back at history, and those who don't are doomed to repeat it, to see that exactly what happened when America annexed northern Mexico, creating California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas, is exactly what's going on now, only in reverse. Back then, America flooded northern Mexico with American citizens until the population became 80 percent American. At that point, the citizens simply seceded from Mexico and joined the USA. Now, with the Mexican populations of states like Arizona and New Mexico passing 50 percent, 90 percent in many areas, it's only a matter of time, maybe ten or twenty years, before they secede from the US and rejoin Mexico. Don't believe me? Compare maps of America and Mexico now and maps of America and Mexico just before the Alamo, and tell me why I'm wrong? It's so similar, it's like the Twilight Zone. If it weren't for the Mormons in Utah, it would be an exact mirror image of two different times in history, only reversed.
Assuming for a moment that I'm correct and the Mexican populations in these states will in fact vote to secede from the US and rejoin Mexico, what would happen then? Again, look at history for your answer. The only time any state has ever seceded from the US, the remaining states sent in the army and we fought the bloodiest civil war in Earth's history. Since Abe Lincoln's policy of 'once you're an American state, you're an American state for life and the only way out is to die', ironically similar to the membership policies of street gangs, is still in effect, I don't see why the US WOULDN'T send in the army and forcibly bring those states in America's southwest back into the union. Again however, look at history. When Serbia found itself in the exact same situation, with ethnic Albanians making up 80 percent of much of Serbia's country and the Albanians broke away, what did the the Serbs do? They sent in the military to take back their sovereign territory. With the world against them, they lost. The world has for some reason, changed it's policy since the 19th century. No longer does a NATION'S claim to a certain piece of territory outweigh the claim of the people who currently inhabit it. With that said, we the US, would lose our civil war to reclaim the American southwest and the maps of America and Mexico will once again look the way they did prior to America's 'Manifest Destiny'.
So, what's my solution? Do you really want to hear it? It's drastic, but I don't see any other option. My suggestion, and just for discussion purposes - we acknowledge the fact that Mexico has declared war on us and launched a full-blown invasion and we declare war in response. Only then can we take the necessary steps to stop the horrible events that have already been set in motion.
Call me crazy if you want, and I can already hear you. But all I've done is take our current situation and apply the reactions of the current participants taken from actual, similar events in recent history. I didn't make any of this stuff up. If anything, I can't believe no one else sees it.
Joe Six Pack and the Six Pack Posse
May 10, 2010
Is the experiment called America over?
I keep hearing politicians, the media and pretty much everyone except the unions and government employees, telling me that America is going over the edge of the cliff and we are on the verge of passing the point of no return. What was basically a fiscal problem, will unfortunately transform itself into a social problem and become all too real for almost all Americans. The problem here is, in my opinion, it's too late to fix anything other than put a band-aid on a gunshot wound.
Do the math. Even if we shut down the entire government today, each and every man, woman and child in America currently owes China, Japan the Middle East, Europe and even little old ladies, $200,000. If you don't include state/local debt or the next ten years worth of already-borrowed money, it's probably half that. Without cherry-picking though, that means for myself and my two children, I currently owe $600,000 and I don't even have a job anymore, ha ha ha. Sorry for laughing, it's just easier than crying. My point is, we can all argue all we want. It just may be too late, as they recently found out in Greece the other day. The wonderful experiment called the United States of America is in jeopardy of being over, at least it will be as soon as China calls in their loans or stops buying our debt. And if you delve past the media's soundbites, you'll see that it could happen any day now.
Does anyone know what happens when China and everyone else calls in their loans? Yep, complete shutdown - no fuel, no food, no water, no police. But what happens then? My colorful imagination points me in two possible directions. Either we take our own advice and the advice many are giving Greece today and lop off a couple parts of the country and have a fire sale to pay off our debts. Or even worse, our never-greedy or power-hungry 'representatives' could negotiate some long-term financial arrangement, similar to the way Mayor Daley here in Chicago has sold off half our city to foreign interests, and in exchange for a handsome negotiating fee, the big banksters could arrange so that we could take the next 500 years to pay off our debt. But in return, China would want.... Fill in your own nightmare.
All we can do in the meantime is hope that China keeps loaning us billions after billions, week after week. Because if not, everything shuts down, and it shuts down within hours, not weeks or months. In closing, I go back to my original question, Is the experiment called America over? If not, someone point out whose giving me the $600,000 to pay my family's part of the debt. Something tells me I'm not going to believe it until I see the cold hard cash in my cold dead hand. Sorry, that's my other hand. I'm waiting for the Supreme Court to rule on the 2nd Amendment next.
Joe Sixpack and the Sixpack Posse
Do the math. Even if we shut down the entire government today, each and every man, woman and child in America currently owes China, Japan the Middle East, Europe and even little old ladies, $200,000. If you don't include state/local debt or the next ten years worth of already-borrowed money, it's probably half that. Without cherry-picking though, that means for myself and my two children, I currently owe $600,000 and I don't even have a job anymore, ha ha ha. Sorry for laughing, it's just easier than crying. My point is, we can all argue all we want. It just may be too late, as they recently found out in Greece the other day. The wonderful experiment called the United States of America is in jeopardy of being over, at least it will be as soon as China calls in their loans or stops buying our debt. And if you delve past the media's soundbites, you'll see that it could happen any day now.
Does anyone know what happens when China and everyone else calls in their loans? Yep, complete shutdown - no fuel, no food, no water, no police. But what happens then? My colorful imagination points me in two possible directions. Either we take our own advice and the advice many are giving Greece today and lop off a couple parts of the country and have a fire sale to pay off our debts. Or even worse, our never-greedy or power-hungry 'representatives' could negotiate some long-term financial arrangement, similar to the way Mayor Daley here in Chicago has sold off half our city to foreign interests, and in exchange for a handsome negotiating fee, the big banksters could arrange so that we could take the next 500 years to pay off our debt. But in return, China would want.... Fill in your own nightmare.
All we can do in the meantime is hope that China keeps loaning us billions after billions, week after week. Because if not, everything shuts down, and it shuts down within hours, not weeks or months. In closing, I go back to my original question, Is the experiment called America over? If not, someone point out whose giving me the $600,000 to pay my family's part of the debt. Something tells me I'm not going to believe it until I see the cold hard cash in my cold dead hand. Sorry, that's my other hand. I'm waiting for the Supreme Court to rule on the 2nd Amendment next.
Joe Sixpack and the Sixpack Posse
April 15, 2010
Property Taxes and the end of the American dream
I promised myself that the first post on this blog would be something that was nearer and dearer to my heart than anything. I didn't want to get blog-happy and spout off about anything and everything that entered my passionate soul. So, with that said, my first blog is going to be about PROPERTY TAXES, the number one blight upon the American People.
To sum up my argument, before this turns into a book, my thought is that human beings have been fighting and dieing for the right to own their own property for thousands of years, literally since the beginning of time. Hundreds of thousands of rightous people, literally gave their lives so that hard-working people could own their own property. In the middle-ages, they were call 'land-owners'. In 19th century America, they were called 'property owners', and yes, in the time of American Slavery, even free Blacks who owned their own property were considered free and equal citizens. Go ahead, tell me I'm crazy. I'm from Chicago, the city FOUNDED by a free, land-owning Black man, 50 years before the end of slavery. There was just something sacred about a man who left his blood, sweat and tears in the soil just so he could have 'a place of his own'. It's the same dream all human beings across the Earth have dreamed of.
And yet, here we are in 21st century America, and aside from Freedom, the number one right that mankind has fought and died for over a thousand years, once won, has now been quietly GIVEN away, probably never to be held again...the right to own property. They call it "Property Taxes".
What the hell are "property taxes"? The way I see it, and correct me if I'm wrong, the government owns your house, land or property, not you. What they call a "tax", is obviously not a "tax", it's "rent". Look it up in the dictionary. What happens if you don't pay your property taxes? The same thing that happens if you don't pay your rent, you get evicted.
When I was a Colonel in the Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia, yes it was over 15 years ago in a past life of mine, I was the County Commander of the Starke County Militia, one of the hardest-hit counties in America right now. The year was 1993 and kicking senior citizens out of their homes for back property taxes was something new. For some reason, the local media picked up on a story of a frail little old man, probably 90 years old, who's great, great, grandfather had built their home in the midst of the civil war in the middle of nowhere Indiana. Now, over a hundred years later, this founding father was being dragged out of his home, with the barrel of a gun stuck in his mouth, and 15 big, tough County Sheriff's Deputies manhandling him and twisting his arms behind his back, all because he didn't care what some "UnAmerican property tax law" said, he wasn't leaving.
Fortunately, it didn't get that far. Why? Within 24 hours of the local South Bend media publicizing his dramatic circumstance, complete with interviews with law enforcement officials claiming, "we don't care what he thinks, the law's the law", myself along with two other rightous Militiamen, made two phone calls. One was to a local reporter I thought we could trust to tell it like it is, and the other was to the Militia's second in command. The gist of the midnight scramble was this - The Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia has decided to make this little old man's fight OUR FIGHT, and as the name "Militia" suggests, we were going to fight with our guns. The soap box and ballot box and done nothing to protect innocent elderly Americans like this. It was time for the cartridge box. During the nighttime hours, we would secure a perimeter around the old man's property with heavily-armed militia men. I had personally spoken with the little ole man himself and he assured me, he was pretty sure he was going to be murdered in the morning. If we wanted to make the stand with him, he was happy to have us.
In hindsight, if we'd given them more than 12 hours notice, Lon Horiuchi and the FBI's "Hostage Rescue Team", the same man that killed Sam and Vicky Weaver in Ruby Ridge, and ALSO all the little kids at Waco, would have surely been dispatched to kill not only myself, but the old man and anyone else they deemed as "insightful".
No, we caught them by surprise. With less than 12 hours before armed confrontation, the County Sheriff postponed his "forced eviction" and the media was left shaking their heads. They couldn't wait for someone to get killed, 'what a headline'. Yeah, we used the media. It was somewhat of a bluff. I was willing to die to make the stand for the old man and so was he. But I wasn't completely sure if the rest of our freedom-fighters were willing to die for him, and the idea. But that's just how passionate I feel about the right of mankind to own their own property. Aside from my kids, the only thing I'd give my life for is Liberty and Freedom. Without that, nothing else truly exists, unless the government "allows" it to.
To make a long story short, I know too late, we have to pick our battles wisely. We're up against anyone and everyone who's ever had a wet dream about conquering the world, whether it be Cesar, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, Rockefeller or whoever. The American people's attention span is about 12 seconds. If there is one battle to fight, it's for the elimination of property taxes. They'll demand to know, "where are we supposed to find the money to replace the property tax revenue?". Tell them, "you're the elected official, you tell me. Just keep your dirty hands off my home!".
Being 'Joe Six-Pack', I'm not for creating a tax shelter for billionaires who hide their fortune in a thousand mansions. If I had my way, every American (married couples get 2) gets ONE home or property completely exempt from property taxes. If you own 6 homes, you'd pay taxes on 5 of them. At least this would protect the senior citizens, the small farmers and the working class families who pass their home down from one generation to the next, because one of the definitions of America was the fact that you COULD build a home with your bare hands without EVER worrying about the government taking from you. After all, this is America. That was a promise from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and all the other founding fathers. Find somewhere else to find your "revenue". Stop making good, hard-working Americans homeless.
Joe Six Pack and the Six Pack Posse
To sum up my argument, before this turns into a book, my thought is that human beings have been fighting and dieing for the right to own their own property for thousands of years, literally since the beginning of time. Hundreds of thousands of rightous people, literally gave their lives so that hard-working people could own their own property. In the middle-ages, they were call 'land-owners'. In 19th century America, they were called 'property owners', and yes, in the time of American Slavery, even free Blacks who owned their own property were considered free and equal citizens. Go ahead, tell me I'm crazy. I'm from Chicago, the city FOUNDED by a free, land-owning Black man, 50 years before the end of slavery. There was just something sacred about a man who left his blood, sweat and tears in the soil just so he could have 'a place of his own'. It's the same dream all human beings across the Earth have dreamed of.
And yet, here we are in 21st century America, and aside from Freedom, the number one right that mankind has fought and died for over a thousand years, once won, has now been quietly GIVEN away, probably never to be held again...the right to own property. They call it "Property Taxes".
What the hell are "property taxes"? The way I see it, and correct me if I'm wrong, the government owns your house, land or property, not you. What they call a "tax", is obviously not a "tax", it's "rent". Look it up in the dictionary. What happens if you don't pay your property taxes? The same thing that happens if you don't pay your rent, you get evicted.
When I was a Colonel in the Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia, yes it was over 15 years ago in a past life of mine, I was the County Commander of the Starke County Militia, one of the hardest-hit counties in America right now. The year was 1993 and kicking senior citizens out of their homes for back property taxes was something new. For some reason, the local media picked up on a story of a frail little old man, probably 90 years old, who's great, great, grandfather had built their home in the midst of the civil war in the middle of nowhere Indiana. Now, over a hundred years later, this founding father was being dragged out of his home, with the barrel of a gun stuck in his mouth, and 15 big, tough County Sheriff's Deputies manhandling him and twisting his arms behind his back, all because he didn't care what some "UnAmerican property tax law" said, he wasn't leaving.
Fortunately, it didn't get that far. Why? Within 24 hours of the local South Bend media publicizing his dramatic circumstance, complete with interviews with law enforcement officials claiming, "we don't care what he thinks, the law's the law", myself along with two other rightous Militiamen, made two phone calls. One was to a local reporter I thought we could trust to tell it like it is, and the other was to the Militia's second in command. The gist of the midnight scramble was this - The Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia has decided to make this little old man's fight OUR FIGHT, and as the name "Militia" suggests, we were going to fight with our guns. The soap box and ballot box and done nothing to protect innocent elderly Americans like this. It was time for the cartridge box. During the nighttime hours, we would secure a perimeter around the old man's property with heavily-armed militia men. I had personally spoken with the little ole man himself and he assured me, he was pretty sure he was going to be murdered in the morning. If we wanted to make the stand with him, he was happy to have us.
In hindsight, if we'd given them more than 12 hours notice, Lon Horiuchi and the FBI's "Hostage Rescue Team", the same man that killed Sam and Vicky Weaver in Ruby Ridge, and ALSO all the little kids at Waco, would have surely been dispatched to kill not only myself, but the old man and anyone else they deemed as "insightful".
No, we caught them by surprise. With less than 12 hours before armed confrontation, the County Sheriff postponed his "forced eviction" and the media was left shaking their heads. They couldn't wait for someone to get killed, 'what a headline'. Yeah, we used the media. It was somewhat of a bluff. I was willing to die to make the stand for the old man and so was he. But I wasn't completely sure if the rest of our freedom-fighters were willing to die for him, and the idea. But that's just how passionate I feel about the right of mankind to own their own property. Aside from my kids, the only thing I'd give my life for is Liberty and Freedom. Without that, nothing else truly exists, unless the government "allows" it to.
To make a long story short, I know too late, we have to pick our battles wisely. We're up against anyone and everyone who's ever had a wet dream about conquering the world, whether it be Cesar, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, Rockefeller or whoever. The American people's attention span is about 12 seconds. If there is one battle to fight, it's for the elimination of property taxes. They'll demand to know, "where are we supposed to find the money to replace the property tax revenue?". Tell them, "you're the elected official, you tell me. Just keep your dirty hands off my home!".
Being 'Joe Six-Pack', I'm not for creating a tax shelter for billionaires who hide their fortune in a thousand mansions. If I had my way, every American (married couples get 2) gets ONE home or property completely exempt from property taxes. If you own 6 homes, you'd pay taxes on 5 of them. At least this would protect the senior citizens, the small farmers and the working class families who pass their home down from one generation to the next, because one of the definitions of America was the fact that you COULD build a home with your bare hands without EVER worrying about the government taking from you. After all, this is America. That was a promise from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and all the other founding fathers. Find somewhere else to find your "revenue". Stop making good, hard-working Americans homeless.
Joe Six Pack and the Six Pack Posse
April 12, 2010
Welcome to the world of the Six Pack Posse
Hello all. For decades, the media has given us all kinds of names - the silent majority, mainstream America, middle America, Joe Six Pack, and many more. Politicians and the media LOVE to tell the world how we feel and what we think. Since neither one of them seems to have a clue, we thought we'd speak for ourselves. Stay tuned for comments and discussions on any and all current events concerning our money and our country. I don't know about you, but we're excited about finally having a voice, and we can't wait to use it!
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