Thursday, June 05, 2003

I've added a new article to my "Gun-free Britain" page. Amazingly, the British cops are now claiming that their incredible crime rate is "evidence that they are winning their war against illegal firearms." I'd like to dismiss this as satire, but unfortunately such an Orwellian pronouncement is just what I'd expect from a government. 10:09:28 PM    comment () Court denies injunction on exchange controls. The Venezuelan Supreme Court denied a request for an injunction to declare the exchange controls illegal. Basically, the current Court ruled in Dec. 2001 that only the National Assembly could decide to impose controls referring to a suit brought in front of the Court at the time of Caldera's exchange controls in 1994-1995 and 1996. Interestingly, the Court did declare that the matter was "urgent" and that certain steps would not be needed and the Court would consider the casde within 20 days. Reportedly, the Court is concerned that if it declares the controls illegal there could be capital flight. Thus, once again, the Court is going beyond its reach and considering not what the law says but the politics and implications of its decisions which is not its Constitutional mandate. If it is illegal, it is illegal and if there is capital flight, so be it. That's the law! [Miguel Octavio: Venezuela] The irony is, any capital which hasn't already fled Venezuela is owned by people so stupid that nothing more the government can do will make a difference. 9:56:59 PM    comment () I've just discovered a site called The Light of Reason, by Arthur Silber. He has some interesting posts! There's no RSS feed, though. 3:39:26 PM    comment () U.S. Pulling Troops From Korean DMZ [AP World News] They're not actually being pulled out of Korea entirely, just moved far enough back that they would be immediately in combat if North Korea invaded. Even that is silly, I think. South Korea is entirely capable of defending itself without US help. 3:05:50 PM    comment () You Make It, You Take It: PC Law. A bill that would require all computer manufacturers to collect and recycle old equipment has come one step closer to becoming law in the California state legislature. The governor has said he would sign it. By Gabe Friedman. [Wired News] Once again the government of California is demonstrating how silly it is. All this would do is raise the price of computers sold by companies that have to obey the law, giving a competetive advantage to computer companies with the sense to stay out of California. 9:08:11 AM    comment () 'Confident' Martha fights back. Martha Stewart, the US lifestyle guru at the centre of a securities fraud scandal, insists she has done nothing wrong. [BBC News | Front Page | UK Edition] She's obviously right, but unfortunately it doesn't matter. She's being accused of breaking a law (said law being itself illegal under the Constitution), which has nothing whatsoever to do with questions of right and wrong. 9:03:55 AM    comment ()

© Copyright 2006 Ken Hagler. Last update: 2/15/2006; 1:54:54 PM.