Biden Scolds Israel Again
With all due respect Mr. Vice President, who the hell do you think you are? Peace is not achieved through the giving up of land, and regardless of how much of a super power the U.S. is, the United States has no right to tell the government of another country where they can and cannot build within the confines of their own territory.
I realize that big brass ring labeled “Peace In The Middle East” has been enticing Presidents for decades (Bush promised a Palestinian state by the end of ‘08 in a last-ditch to have that as his legacy), but seriously, Israel giving up half of Jerusalem and going to the 1948 borders won’t end anything. As long as there’s a Jewish state in the Middle East, that state’s neighbors will cause trouble.
Recommended viewing: FreeMiddleEast.com – The Phased Plan
Amazon.com Vs. Colorado
I received the following email this morning:
Dear Colorado-based Amazon Associate:
We are writing from the Amazon Associates Program to inform you that the Colorado government recently enacted a law to impose sales tax regulations on online retailers. The regulations are burdensome and no other state has similar rules. The new regulations do not require online retailers to collect sales tax. Instead, they are clearly intended to increase the compliance burden to a point where online retailers will be induced to “voluntarily” collect Colorado sales tax — a course we won’t take.We and many others strongly opposed this legislation, known as HB 10-1193, but it was enacted anyway. Regrettably, as a result of the new law, we have decided to stop advertising through Associates based in Colorado. We plan to continue to sell to Colorado residents, however, and will advertise through other channels, including through Associates based in other states.
There is a right way for Colorado to pursue its revenue goals, but this new law is a wrong way. As we repeatedly communicated to Colorado legislators, including those who sponsored and supported the new law, we are not opposed to collecting sales tax within a constitutionally-permissible system applied even-handedly. The US Supreme Court has defined what would be constitutional, and if Colorado would repeal the current law or follow the constitutional approach to collection, we would welcome the opportunity to reinstate Colorado-based Associates.
You may express your views of Colorado’s new law to members of the General Assembly and to Governor Ritter, who signed the bill.
Your Associates account has been closed as of March 8, 2010, and we will no longer pay advertising fees for customers you refer to Amazon.com after that date. Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned prior to March 8, 2010, will be processed and paid in accordance with our regular payment schedule. Based on your account closure date of March 8, any final payments will be paid by May 31, 2010.
We have enjoyed working with you and other Colorado-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program, and wish you all the best in your future.
Best Regards,
The Amazon Associates Team
Now, I did a piss-poor job of using the affiliate program, so this isn’t exactly a loss I’ll notice. However, it’s unfortunate that the actions of the state government are harming the income of state residents. With Amazon leading the way, who will follow?
Crossing the Line: Anti-Zionism or Anti-Semitism?
Looks like an interesting documentary. I’ll try to order a copy this week and get a review up sometime soon.
HT: One Jerusalem
Blog Business: Changes are coming
You know, I’ll probably never develop a brand if I keep changing stuff…
So, here’s the deal: In the next day or two, I’ll be changing the url of this site to justinology.org. Reasons:
1) I’m not really a classic libertarian. I believe in small government, but foreign policy trips me up. I don’t think the U.S. should be the world’s police force, but to think the radical Islamists will leave us alone if we leave them alone is a grave error. To quote Blaise Pascal, “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”
2) Because of the above, I’m scared people will be misled by the site’s name and address. Though, in all truthfulness, I don’t think I qualify as a conservative anymore, either. I guess I fall somewhere between libertarian and conservative.
3) I want a name that’s non-specific enough to allow me to merge my other blogs into this one (I’ve got six total, though the personal blog will continue to stand alone). Why pay for web space I don’t need?
It’s not like I’ve had a major shift in political beliefs or anything. I guess the change is mostly one of convenience; I want to expand my topics a little, and do that with just one blog.
Glenn Beck Speaks At CPAC
The Infamous Audi “Green Police” Super Bowl Ad
Before making a big deal out of it, I want to know how many people out there would seriously support this type of code enforcement.
Scott Brown Wants Government-Run Health Care
We really are a 1-party system.
HT: lp.org
CBS Washington Unplugged: H1N1 Cases Exaggerated?
Watch CBS News Videos Online
I’m no conspiracy theorist, but I do find myself wondering why such a big deal is being made of Swine Flu when it’s no more dangerous than the plain ol’ seasonal flu.
We got a dollar, we got a dollar…
…but, sadly, it looks like nobody else wants it!
It seems calls to replace the U.S. dollar as the world’s currency are getting louder, and I honestly have my suspicions that our President is on that bandwagon. After all, his administration is calling for a new economic world order,and I doubt that is going to lead to nations continuing to remain as independent as they are. (aside: what’s up with Presidents and their use of the phrase “new world order?’ Are they deliberately trying to freak out the conspiracy theorists?)
Obama: "We had too little government…"
So, the economy is a mess because Obama’s cronies decided that home ownership is a right, got the banks to give out a bunch of sub-prime adjustable-rate mortgages, those mortgages were defaulted on, and the debt that was sold from one company to the next is now coming due and companies are crumbling because they need their money.
How would more government have prevented this, when the government caused it?
