Viva la R3LOVution

The continues...with you!

I am proud and excited to announce a new project designed to continue, expand and improve on the work of the Freeman's Burden. On Monday, January 12th, 2009, I will be launching R3volutionConsultants.com.

This site is designed to give liberty candidates the tools and resources that they need to run successful campaigns. I will also use it as a platform to advance libertarian and constitutionalist ideas and network with other liberty-minded activists. The R3volution Consultants Blog will, therefore, be replacing the Freeman's Burden. I invite everyone to check out this new site and, if you're considering running for public office, don't do it alone. Put the R3volution Consultants to work for you!

The Anti-American Century in Latin America

Dec. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Latin American and Caribbean leaders gathering in Brazil tomorrow will mark a historic occasion: a region-wide summit that excludes the United States.

Almost two centuries after President James Monroe declared Latin America a U.S. sphere of influence, the region is breaking away. From socialist-leaning Venezuela to market-friendly Brazil, governments are expanding military, economic and diplomatic ties with potential U.S. adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran.

“Monroe certainly would be rolling over in his grave,” says Julia Sweig, director of the Latin America program at the Council of Foreign Relations in Washington and author of the 2006 book “Friendly Fire: Losing Friends and Making Enemies in the Anti-American Century.”

The U.S., she says, “is no longer the exclusive go-to power in the region, especially in South America, where U.S. economic ties are much less important.”

Continue reading...

The End of Dollar Hegemony

Just as the Fed is signaling its intention to lower interest rates to near zero, we can see from the graphs above that the inevitable results of the print and spend orgy that has now been going on for several months. This trend will continue to strengthen in the coming months as the multiplier affect further adds more cheap dollars to an already deteriorating situation. Now is the time to get out of dollars!

More pics from the R4tR After-Party

Rally for the Republic After-Party

Outside the Lone Tree Annex

Before the show

Marc Scibilia warmed up the crowd with a great acoustic set

John Tate, Matthew Hawes and Debbie Hopper enjoying a much earned moment of relaxation

Dr. Paul worked the crowd

Wow, I DO have a big mouth. As you can see they were letting
all kinds of rabble-rousers into the VIP

Just thought this was a cool shot

Jimmie ripped it up and then Aimee Allen jumped on stage and showed us her blues chops

The crowd upstairs got to enjoy a once in a lifetime intimate show while the folks downstairs got to see it all on strategically placed monitors

Costa Rica Fears Iran's Interest in Region

In other words, America's aggressive, hostile foreign policies have made Iran and Latin American leftists sympatico despite the fact they have no other common interests. But, as an American, if I question our foreign policies and the consequences they produce, I am called a peacenik, anti-American, a coward and a terrorist sympathizer. Just another day through the looking glass in the neo-con's "new normal."

Costa Rica Fears Iran's Interest in Region

From: Gambling 911

Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and potentially Ecuador (which has been at odds with neighboring Columbia in recent weeks) appear to be solidifying ties with Ahmadinejad.

At first glance, Iran seems to have little in common with Latin America. Trade and economic relations are rare, and the two regions have different cultural and religious traditions, a report in Friday's AM Costa Rica suggests.

But Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has found common ground with leftist leaders critical of the United States and its policy goals around the world.

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Ron Paul on Kudlow explains why the Fed should be taken out back and shot

Dirka, Dirka, Mohammed, Jihad

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Koran forbid Muslims from portraying Mohammed in characture?

Outrage at Cartoons Still Tests the Danes

By MICHAEL KIMMELMAN

AARHUS, Denmark — “I think this is safe house No. 5,” Kurt Westergaard said the other day, and it was clear that he genuinely had lost track.

Last month the Danish police arrested two Tunisians and a Dane of Moroccan descent on charges of plotting to kill Mr. Westergaard, one of the 12 cartoonists whose pictures of Muhammad in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten sparked protests, some of them violent, by Muslims around the world in 2006 and put bounties on the heads of Mr. Westergaard and his editor, Flemming Rose. Mr. Westergaard (he drew Muhammad with a bomb in his turban) has been in hiding ever since.

Americans, for whom the presidential election seems to have become a delirious, unending sport, preoccupying their attention, turn out not to be the only ones who preferred to forget about the cartoons. So had many Danes and fellow Europeans. They were shocked by the arrests.


Continue reading...

Don't let the Commodity Sell-Off Fool You

From silverseek.com

The financial problems revealed at Bear Stearns that may exist at other firms as well has inspired a general deleveraging of investments of all kinds to pay back loans and lower the level of leverage from ridiculously high levels. This has resulted in the selling of everything, whether it is gold and silver, commodities, or stocks. When you can’t sell what you want to sell than you have to sell what you can sell, and normally what tops that list are your winning positions. Gold, silver, and oil are among the few things that have done well for several months and their much anticipated correction came today. The only question now is how long will it last before their bull markets resume? With more financial problems evidencing themselves so frequently it can’t be long before people return to the only real money of gold and silver, and that is just one of many reasons driving them higher.

I wish I had better news

90 day US Dollar

"It is unsettling to watch the world's reserve currency disintegrate. Commodities from gold to oil and wheat are taking on the role of safe-haven "currencies". The monetary order is becoming unhinged." - Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

Read the entire article here.