MEME Busting - The Art Of Cultural Truth In Narrative

The "Arab Spring" of 2010-11 — however bitter or sweet its fruits may grow in the fullness of time — didn't just happen. Bill Whittle makes a powerful case for GWB's foreign policy as a major catalyst in his latest YouTube sensation, "Memebusters! The Osama bin Laden Edition," where he asks "Why are all these Muslims in repressive regimes suddenly rising up for freedom and the right to vote? Why now, all of a sudden? That's why," he answers, pointing to the iconic image of a triumphant Iraqi woman who had just voted for the first time in her life in the wake of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Caption Credit: SISU | Image Credit: Declaration Entertainment

MEME Busting - The Art Of Cultural Truth In Narrative

In the biological world, genes carry hereditary information, whereas, in the human communications world, MEMES carry cultural information.

If one were to rely on only getting their information from the news narratives we receive from large media broadcast and political organizations, we run the risk of living live through the lens of a distorted cultural truth versus a narrative focused on facts.

Take, for example, the MEME of "Mission Accomplished" and how it is being used to translate success and/or failure in our cultural landscape.

This excerpted and edited from Declaration Entertainment -

FIREWALL: Memebusters! The Osama Bin Laden Edition
By Bill Whittle

We used to have an immune system -- called the "press" -- that caught errors. Now the "press" generates most of the falsehoods themselves.

Memes are cultural beliefs that were not taught in school or in religion but that take on a life of their own because large numbers of people have emotional reasons for wanting them to be true …
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My joy about hearing about the death of Osama bin Laden lasted for about 20 seconds until I turned on the TV to see Andrea Mitchell crowing about how this really was "Mission Accomplished," not the premature "Mission Accomplished" that Cowboy George Bush claimed during his speech on that aircraft carrier, which happened, coincidentally, eight years earlier to the day …
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Only George Bush didn't claim "Mission Accomplished." In fact he said just the opposite.

So, where did this meme come from?

Well, the press made it up out of whole cloth. They not only distorted, they actually reversed everything that George Bush said on the deck of that aircraft carrier …

The Middle East before the 9/11 terror attacks. At this time, UBL was building a palace in Afghanistan from which he would be able to rule the Islamic caliphate he was working to establish. Image Credit: Declaration Entertainment

The Middle East after Bush's actions taken in response to the 9/11 terror attacks. Image Credit: Declaration Entertainment
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Now that day on the carrier, President Bush didn't say "Mission Accomplished," but he did say this:

"The advance of freedom is the surest strategy to undermine the appeal of terror in the world … Where freedom takes hold, hatred gives way to hope … When freedom takes hold, men and women turn to the peaceful pursuit of a better life … American values and American interests lead in the same direction: We stand for human liberty."
[Reference Here]

Where does all of this leave our current administration, the 44th Presidency of the United States? It is left to try and dismantle the good work previous generations had put in place in the name of Liberty with the allies in the United States press ... while reaping some of the benefits. UBL is dead, and is still dead, because of the larger strategy the 43rd Presidency had the foresight to put into play. Iraqi's can vote and express their human liberty our military and its strategy left behind.

The uprisings in Egypt, Yemen, Syria, and even Libya are actions that have been brought about because people can see what one country, with a similar demographic can do. The biggest problem with these developments lay in the fact there remains the risk that the desires of the people in the streets will be hijacked through jihad control freaks and, of course, the MEME agenda of the press ... led by Al Jazeera, and aided by our own administration through the lack of strategy used by the 44th Presidency ... Carter's Second Term!

Google's Blogger Down For Over 24 Hours!

Blogger Logo - Image Credit: Blogger.com

Google's Blogger Down For Over 24 Hours!

Blogger ... Google's web log hosting portal, has been down for a full 24 hours at the time of this posting.

This seems like a modern era record for this usually very reliable communications service and personal publishing arm of the giant search powerhouse, Google.

With all of the push Google has been putting in on Chrome, one has to ask - Is Blogger now becoming just an ugly stepchild to the array of focused services that Google has to offer? What - isn't Blogger sexy enough for Google to keep outages down to a minimum?

If this is the case, Google's shine is losing its luster.

This excerpted from Blogger's Status Link:

Push-Button Publishing

Blogger Status

Friday, May 13, 2011

We’ve started restoring the posts that were temporarily removed and expect Blogger to be back to normal soon.

Posted by at 06:07 PDT

To get Blogger back to normal, all posts since 7:37am PDT on Weds, 5/11 have been temporarily removed. We expect everything to be back to normal soon. Sorry for the delay.

Posted by at 04:25 PDT

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UPDATE May 13, 2011 - 9:50am PT:

Blogger back online after nearly 30 hours of non-service.

Thanks, Google ... but we will be keeping an eye on you.

One Week Later ... UBL Is Still Dead!

Last known image of UBL just after Seal team #6 visits his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Image Credit Edmund Jenks (2011)

One Week Later ... UBL Is Still Dead!

... but the information he left behind lives on.

Also, the Obama Administration believes it is O.K. to Kill bin Laden ... just don’t Waterboard him as discovered by Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday.

UBL is still dead but the President still insists on broadcasting every small detail of HIS involvement (why, is HE this insecure?) ... while HE should be dealing with all of this.

The Sad Blow-By-Blow Of Obama WH Storytelling On UBL

The White House has said that the story changes because of the "Fog of War". How about the "fog of insecurity" - maybe what we are really witnessing is the "fog of Alinsky". Image Credit: Daily Mail (2009)

The Sad Blow-By-Blow Of Obama WH Storytelling On UBL

Here in Carter's Second Term, we are beginning to learn that this 44th Presidency of Barack Obama has nothing on the 39th Presidency of Jimmy Carter when it comes to getting a story straight.

In the Carter era, we were used to hearing a change of the narrative in a story (or correction) maybe once or twice. Here in the Obama edition of Carter's Second Term it is not uncommon to hear at least two or more corrections on the information communicated to us down in the lowly masses and that is just the way it is - take it or leave it. The problem with this is we live here, we know that credibility relates directly to the accuracy of what one communicates, and having to correct one's account of a situation, often, over a period time, is never good.

Employment numbers are commonly corrected at least twice, usually to a more negative direction (as reported today, we are now back at 9% up from 8.8% ... expect this to be adjusted upward a tenth or two in a couple of weeks).

The reporting on what is in the new healthcare law - ObamaCare - gets to the point where the only thing that this law doesn't effect is the daily outside temperature and that is only because one can not control the forces of nature or God ... unless, of course, you belong to one of this Administration's favored companies.

The President was consistent on stating that under this new healthcare law, we would be able to keep our Doctor and current healthcare plan. Yet, over this last year the law has been in effect, over 1,000 institution exemptions/waivers have been issued in order for some to have this statement remain true ... temporally.

It is great that Barack Obama and his administration acted and killed Usama bin Laden (UBL) but, again, what can anyone trust in regards to the truthfulness of the account of what happened May 1, 2011. Here is what we know that has been said by this 44th Presidency of Barack Obama during Carter's Second Term.

Obama as his motorcade navigates through the fog. Image Credit: Daily Mail (2009)

This excerpted and edited from Michelle Malkin's Facebook Posting -

The Fog of Fog
by Michelle Malkin on Friday, May 6, 2011 at 5:36am

Take One: Bin Laden died in a bloody firefight.

On Sunday night, Obama dramatically told the world that “after a firefight,” our brave men in uniform “killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.”

Embellishing the story the next morning, White House deputy national security adviser John Brennan said at his briefing that bin Laden “was engaged in a firefight with those that entered the area of the house he was in. … And whether or not he got off any rounds, I quite frankly don’t know. … It was a firefight. He, therefore, was killed in that firefight.”

Take Two: Bin Laden did not engage in a firefight.

The day after Brennan disclosed such vivid details, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney walked them back Michael Jackson-style. Bin Laden, he said in version 2.0, “was not armed.” Brennan had clearly implied that bin Laden “resisted” with arms. Carney amended the narrative by insisting that “resistance does not require a firearm.” How exactly bin Laden resisted, Carney would not say.

It’s been all downhill, uphill, K-turns and 180s ever since. Fasten your seatbelts:

Take Three: Bin Laden’s wife died after her feckless husband used her as a human shield.

Take Four: Bin Laden’s wife did not die, wasn’t used as a human shield and was only shot in the leg. Someone else’s wife was killed, somewhere else in the house.

Take Five: A transport helicopter experienced “mechanical failure” and was forced to make a hard landing during the mission.

Take Six: A top-secret helicopter clipped the bin Laden compound wall, crashed and was purposely exploded after the mission to prevent our enemies from learning more about it.

Take Seven: The bin Laden photos would be released to the world as proof positive of his death.

Take Eight: The bin Laden photos would not be released to the world because no one needs proof and it’s more important to avoid offending peaceful Muslims who supposedly don’t embrace bin Laden as a “true” Muslim in the first place.

Take Nine: Bin Laden’s compound was a lavish mansion.

Take Ten: Bin Laden’s compound was a glorified pigsty.

Take Eleven: Bin Laden’s compound had absolutely no television, phone or computer access.

Take Twelve: Bin Laden’s compound was stocked with hard drives, thumb drives, DVDs and computers galore.

Take Thirteen: Er, remember that statement about bin Laden being armed? And then not armed? Well, the new version is that he had an AK-47 “nearby.”

Take Fourteen: A gung-ho Obama spearheaded the “gutsy” mission.

Take Fifteen: A reluctant Obama dithered for 16 hours before being persuaded by CIA Director Leon Panetta.

Take Sixteen: Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and close advisers watched the raid unfold in real time — “minute by minute,” according to Carney — and a gripping insider photo was posted immediately by the White House on the Flickr picture-sharing website for all to see.

Take Seventeen: Er, they weren’t really watching real-time video “minute by minute” because there was at least nearly a half-hour that they “didn’t know just exactly what was going on,” Panetta clarified. Or rather, un-clarified.

Take Eighteen: Stalwart Obama’s order was to kill, not capture, bin Laden.

Take Nineteen: Sensitive Obama’s order was to kill (SET ITAL) or (END ITAL) capture — and that’s why the SEAL team gave him a chance to surrender, upon which he resisted with arms, or actually didn’t resist with arms, but sort of resisted without arms, except there was an AK-47 nearby, sort of, or maybe not, thus making it possible to assert that while Decisive Obama did tell the SEALs to kill bin Laden and should claim all credit for doing so, Progressive Obama can also be absolved by bleeding hearts because of the painstakingly concocted post facto possibility that bin Laden somehow threatened our military — telepathically or something — before being taken out.

Take Twenty: “We’ve been as forthcoming with facts as we can be,” said an irritated Carney on Wednesday.

And they wonder why Americans of all political stripes think they’re blowing smoke.
[Reference Here]

How about the "fog of insecurity" - we could only wish this crowd children acting in adult roles would get their act level up to "Bush League"! Maybe what we are witnessing is the "fog of Alinsky".

The truth has a funny way of bubbling to the surface. How many times has the story changed and why can't this 44th Presidency get its story straight? On this issue it doesn't matter because UBL is STILL dead and not an intelligence node (but we got his thumb and hard drives - best of both worlds) or a terror threat here in Carter's Second Term.

Mitt Romney Blasts Administration's Response To Economic Peril

Former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney announced on April 11 that he is “formally exploring a presidential bid”. Image Credit: conservativesforamerica.com

Mitt Romney Blasts Administration's Response To Economic Peril

In an opinion editorial featured in the little known and non-internet posting New Hampshire Union Leader, Mitt Romney does not believe that President Barack Obama and his administration is not serious about the economic health of the country.

The OP-ED entitled "Obama is not serious about America's financial health", which Romney later posted to his Facebook page, Mitt describes what he believes an executive response to the recent Standard & Poor's signaling of a change of the United States bond rating downward should be.

This excerpted and edited from Mitt Romney's Facebook posting -

Obama is Not Serious About America's Financial Health
by Mitt Romney on Monday, April 25, 2011 at 5:29am - Originally published in the New Hampshire Union Leader

America received a giant wake-up call when Standard & Poor’s, the bond rating agency, announced that it was changing the outlook on its highly prized AAA rating for U.S. Treasuries to “negative” from “stable.” This is the first ratings warning for the United States since S&P began evaluating our creditworthiness in 1941.

S&P’s action is a significant marker of our country’s deteriorating economic position.
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Obama’s top economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, downplayed the event, saying, “I don’t make too much about it.” The President himself went on a weeklong campaign swing highlighted by six fundraisers and sharp partisan attacks against Republicans for their attempts at deficit reduction and entitlement reform.
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Consider that during the Bush years, the U.S. government’s deficit — the gap between what Washington taxes and spends within a year — hovered between 2 percent and 4 percent of GDP. Already that was a problematic level.

But in the first year of the Obama administration, the shortfall in our annual spending exploded to 10 percent of GDP — a shocking number — and has risen even higher, to 11 percent of GDP in 2011.

No less dramatic has been the explosion in our level of debt, the total amount Washington has borrowed to pay for its out-of-control spending. In 2008, our debt was 40 percent of GDP. That was bad enough. But, according to S&P, even under the most optimistic scenario our government’s indebtedness will double to nearly 80 percent of GDP by 2013. Other estimates project that our nation’s debt will equal the entirety of our nation’s economy — 100 percent of GDP — by 2020.
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The main job of any executive — whether a CEO, a governor or a President — should be to avert these dangers, or work to repair them.
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We are not on a sustainable course. The consequences may come in slow-motion, with reduced growth, chronic high unemployment and a lower standard of living. Or they may come suddenly, in the kind of cascading crises that we just witnessed when the housing-price bubble burst. The only way to avert it is to take action that is rooted in the need to reduce spending.
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The overall picture may be dark, but we should not lose sight of what we are capable of as a country. Our economy is astonishingly flexible. It is highly diversified. We have low inflation.
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Even more significant are the clear signs that the American people have had enough of a federal government that is increasing in size and dominance. We are a great republic in which change is possible. The Obama administration may not be serious about addressing the problems that have caused the S&P downgrade, but in less than two years the voters will tell us whether they will issue a decisive downgrade of their own.
[Reference Here]

There may not be enough resolve in the rest of our Government houses (the House of Congress and the Senate) to stem the tide of damage this and the previous Executive Administrations have placed on our country.

Borrowing 4 billion dollars a day (that is $12.00 a day for each and every citizen living here in the United States ... or $4,356.00 each year) to hold on to the status quo will only kill what little freedoms we enjoy here in the once grand United States.

America's Pathway To Insolvency ... Near Completion

A tipping point is about to be reached, in America, during Carter's Second Term. Image Credit The Carbon Catalog

America's Pathway To Insolvency ... Near Completion

In reading an article in the American Thinker, Jeff T. Allen highlights that our country is reaching a tipping point, that point in time where there is no return, where economic and societal crisis will be upon all of us. He believes that this crisis will visit us this year where averting a debt and currency implosion will crush us all.

Three major signs passed us by last week while we have been watching the Grammys, listening to reports from the unrest in the Islamic middle-east, and watched the start of the new season of the reality hit, Survivor.

All three of these events show a path of upheaval to the likes our nation has never seen and investing in Gold may not protect the average family nest egg.

First, the leadership in the House of Representatives backed off on its original promise of real control of government spending against an Executive Branch that is hell bent on pushing the money throttle to the floor.

Second, employment reporting by the government is never as clear as it is always first reported. The number of people unemployed always goes up "unexpectedly" yet what is rarely reported are the number of people who QUIT looking for work because it has become hopeless. All of these numbers are set against a "Benchmark" which were also revised. These benchmarks effect the adjustment of interest rates charged on the servicing of borrowed money which effect how well our current government and economic systems will work.

Third, Social Security payments to those who collect benefits has now passed collections by over 56 Billion dollars for 2011 as projected in a report released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). This occurrence was not supposed to happen until the year 2020

This excerpted and edited from the American Thinker -

A Tipping Point Is Nearing
By Jeff T. Allen - February 14, 2011

Out of a $3.8 trillion government spending agenda, the wonkish Mr. Ryan, considered by many to be the best hope for fiscal conservatives, revealed proposed cuts of a whopping $74 billion. After some tense meetings, (referred to as a "revolt" by some media) newly elected conservative congressmen convinced the leadership to commit to unspecified cuts of an additional $26 billion. The actual "cuts" from any such legislation will, of course, be less once the appropriate political log rolling and deal-making are done- let's call it $50 billion (while the deficit grows by $26 billion during the week it takes to discuss it). So go the hopes for serious spending restraint from our newly elected wave of rabid, anti-big government Republicans. They may deliver cuts 1.3% of total spending that is itself approximately 90% greater than collected taxes. Let's mark this spending reduction effort as an epic fail, at a time when epic success is almost required for survival.
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The little-noticed (not by the bond market) aspect of the report was the "benchmark" revisions, an attempt to get the total picture more accurate each year than simply adding up all the monthly change numbers. This year's benchmark revisions showed two alarming things: a decline from previously reported employment in December 2010 of nearly 500,000 jobs, and a reduction in the workforce of a similar amount.
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In context, a 3.7% yield does not appear high by historical standards. In our current predicament, however, it is heading toward Armageddon. If interest rates on our debt rise by 1% it means our interest payments rise by more than $100 billion dollars annually (not including the interest payments owed to the Social Security Trust Fund--see below). As global liquidity and deficit spending have accelerated, food and commodity prices have skyrocketed, sending many prices up 25-50% worldwide since August.
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[Social Security] Any limp action by conservatives to bring this program into solvency can be expected only to slow the raging river of red ink this behemoth program (along with its twin Godzilla, Medicare) spills on U.S. citizens. With no political will to fix them, these "entitlements" will obligate Americans to borrow more and more money from China--to honor promises we simply refuse to admit we can't keep.

So why do these developments argue for a crisis of Great Depression proportions? Because they speak unequivocally of our pathway to insolvency, and the potential of currency failure via hyperinflation, despite the hopes of conservatives and market participants to see a halt of such direction. Housing prices, the foundation of so much of private citizen debt loads, are destined for stagnation -- not inflation -- as the supply of homes is far greater than the demand -- 11% of the nation's homes stand empty today. When the world begins to recognize that there is no fix for America's borrowings, a fast and brutal exodus from our currency and bonds can send us a shock in mere weeks or months.

Unlike the Great Depression, however, we will enter such a shock in a weakened state, with few producers among us and record mountains of debt. More cataclysmic is the specter of inadequate food, as less than 4% of us farm, and those that do may cease to be as productive or may not accept devalued currency as payment, should the tipping point be crossed. Corn and wheat prices in the U.S. have nearly doubled in less than 12 months, using our rapidly evaporating currency as the medium of exchange.

The time for action has passed, which may only become apparent as the "aid" of easy money becomes seen as the harm that it is. May we all be spared the worst, but I offer no such prayers for those responsible. The harm that comes will be swifter, and more severe, than most of them thought possible.
Reference Here>>

We are not close to a growth-led recovery, and with the actions of our 44th President of the United States/Carter's Second Term acting in interference to the efforts of States to carry out their elected duties, we are definitely a nation in economic chaos.

The Lawless, Soft Tyranny Of Carter's Second Term

The Obama Administration continues to pursue the implementation of a voided health care law ... breaking additional statutes of federal law. Image Credit: White House Photo Chuck Kennedy (2011)

The Lawless, Soft Tyranny Of Carter's Second Term

This week saw the coming and going of some major movements on the 2,700 page health care law that was passed last year by the Democrat Party, without debate, without reading, and without transparency that went by the official name of H.R.3590 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ... "ObamaCare"!

On Monday, January 31, 2011, a federal district court judge in Florida ruled that a key provision in the new health care law is unconstitutional, and that the entire law must be voided.

Federal Judge Roger Vinson agreed with the 26 state-government plaintiffs that Congress exceeded its authority by passing a law penalizing individuals who do not have health insurance.

"I must reluctantly conclude that Congress exceeded the bounds of its authority in passing the Act with the individual mandate," Vinson writes. "Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not sever-able, the entire Act must be declared void."

On Wednesday, February 2, 2011 the United States Senate held a vote to REPEAL the 2,700 page health care law. Senate Democrats fended off a Republican effort to repeal the law overhauling the health care system, voting down the measure, 47-51, submitted as an amendment to an airports construction bill. So, Senate Democrats voted to uphold a Federal Court voided and unconstitutional ObamaCare law.

This places our government in a Constitutional crisis. For four days now, our 44th Presidency has fail to respond, and has sought to obstruct the intent of the Judges decision.

This excerpted and edited from NewsOK -

Alaska gov.: Enacting health care may violate oath
By BECKY BOHRER, Oklahoman - Published: February 3, 2011

Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell is asking his attorney general to advise him on whether implementing the federal health care overhaul would put Parnell in violation of his oath of office.
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Parnell says he took an oath to support and defend the constitutions of the United States and Alaska. While the Republican governor concedes the issue is expected to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, he says he has a duty to uphold the law and wants the attorney general to advise him on what the duty is after the Florida ruling.
Reference Here>>

This begs the question; Why doesn't this ruling have every elected official and agency head in violation to their oath of office?

It turns out that there is a federal statute which will place States ... all States in contempt of this ruling if they continue to spend federal money to set up the bureaucracy required to implement the ObamaCare law.

Radio host and former federal lawyer, Mark Lavin posits, "Now the states of Wisconsin and Florida, it appears, have decided that there's no law for them to implement any longer. And they are in fact correct, since the last position of the law as it applies to Obamacare is that there is no law.

And so the states should stop implementing this statue until there is a different ruling from a higher court. If the Obama administration wants to continue to violate the Constitution, to defy a federal judge, and play rope-a dope, then you states have no responsibility whatsoever to comply.

And you insurance companies ... there is no Obamacare law officially. It's been voided. And it is not an act of civil defiance to refuse to adhere to any aspect of it.

The act of civil defiance -- that is, the act of constitutional violation -- are occurring on the other side." said Mark Lavin Thursday.

There is a federal statute - Crimes and Criminal Procedure - 18 USC Section 641 / Public money, property, or records - which will place the Federal Government, States, and local Governments in contempt of this ruling if they continue to spend federal money to set up the bureaucracy required to implement the ObamaCare law.

This is what 18 USC Section 641 states:

Crimes and Criminal Procedure - 18 USC Section 641

Legal Research Home > US Laws > Crimes and Criminal Procedure > Crimes and Criminal Procedure - 18 USC Section 641

01/19/04

Sec. 641. Public money, property or records

Whoever embezzles, steals, purloins, or knowingly converts to his
use or the use of another, or without authority, sells, conveys or
disposes of any record, voucher, money, or thing of value of the
United States or of any department or agency thereof, or any
property made or being made under contract for the United States or
any department or agency thereof; or

Whoever receives, conceals, or retains the same with intent to
convert it to his use or gain, knowing it to have been embezzled,
stolen, purloined or converted -

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten
years, or both; but if the value of such property does not exceed
the sum of $1,000, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned
not more than one year, or both.

The word "value" means face, par, or market value, or cost price,
either wholesale or retail, whichever is greater.

AMENDMENTS
1996 - Pub. L. 104-294 substituted "$1,000" for "$100" in third
par.
1994 - Pub. L. 103-322, in third par., substituted "fined under
this title" for "fined not more than $10,000" after "Shall be" and
for "fined not more than $1,000" after "he shall be".

SHORT TITLE OF 1984 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 98-473, title II, chapter XI, part I (Secs. 1110-1115),
Sec. 1110, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2148, provided that: "This Part
[enacting section 667 of this title and amending sections 2316 and
2317 of this title] may be cited as the 'Livestock Fraud Protection
Act'."

Last modified: April 13, 2006

It is high time for this government of Carter's Second Term/the 44th Presidency of Barack Obama to start obeying the law and stop with their soft tyranny of ignoring the law and legal rulings handed down from our court system.

UPDATE #1: Here is a link to additional soft tyranny tactics of Barack Obama and his administration having to do with the drilling of oil.

Favorite take-away quote from source article - “The government was not at liberty to impose its own will after the court struck down the policy,” Sam Giberga, Hornbeck Offshore Services general counsel, said. “The government, like any citizen, had to obey the ruling, even if it didn’t like it.”

UPDATE #2: This article entitled "Obama Invites Crisis If He Ignores Ruling" from Investors Business Daily.

Favorite take-away quote - "Failure of the Obama administration to stop all activity related to the law that the federal court held to be unconstitutional would create a potential constitutional showdown between the two branches rarely seen in our nation's history. When coupled with the state's refusal to submit to federal regulations implementing a law that has been stripped from the books, our nation is looking at a potentially historic fight not only between branches of government but between the states and the federal government."