Posted on 01/07/2011 2:59:54 PM PST by CounterCounterCulture
| During the despotic eras of Norman and Plantagenet England, the Crown declared one third of the land area of Southern England to be the royal forest, the exclusive preserve of the monarch, his forestry officials and his favored aristocrats. The people of Britain were forbidden access to and enjoyment of these forests under harsh penalties. This exclusionary system became so despised by the people that in 1215, five clauses of the Magna Carta were devoted to redress of grievances that are hauntingly similar to those that are now flooding my office. |
House Chamber, Washington, D.C. January 7, 2011.
M. Speaker:
Much of my district comprises forests managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Over the last two years, I have received a growing volume of complaints protesting the increasingly exclusionary and elitist policies of this agency.
These complaints charge the Forest Service, among other things, with:
• Imposing inflated fees that are forcing the abandonment of family cabins held for generations;
• Charging exorbitant new fees that are closing down long-established community events upon which many small and struggling mountain towns depend for tourism;
• Expelling long-standing grazing operations on specious grounds – causing damage both to the local economy and the federal government’s revenues; and
• Obstructing the sound management of our forests through a policy that can only be described as benign neglect, creating both severe fire dangers and massive unemployment.
Practiced in the marketplace, we would renounce these tactics as predatory and abusive. In the public service sector, they are intolerable.
Combined, these actions evince an ideologically driven hostility to the public’s enjoyment of the public’s land – and a clear intention to deny the public the responsible and sustainable use of that land.
Most recently, the Forest Service has placed severe restrictions on vehicle access to the Plumas National Forest, despite volumes of public protests. Supervisor Bill Connelly, Chairman of the Butte County Board of Supervisors writes that “The restriction applies to such activities as: collecting firewood, retrieving game, loading or unloading horses or other livestock, and camping.” He writes, “The National Forests are part of the local fabric. The roads within the National Forests are used by thousands of residents and visitors for transportation and recreation. These activities generate revenue for our rural communities, which are critical for their survival.”
This is not a small matter. The Forest Service now controls 193 million acres within our nation – a land area equivalent to the size of Texas.
During the despotic eras of Norman and Plantagenet England, the Crown declared one third of the land area of Southern England to be the royal forest, the exclusive preserve of the monarch, his forestry officials and his favored aristocrats. The people of Britain were forbidden access to and enjoyment of these forests under harsh penalties. This exclusionary system became so despised by the people that in 1215, five clauses of the Magna Carta were devoted to redress of grievances that are hauntingly similar to those that are now flooding my office.
Mr. Speaker, the attitude that now permeates the U.S. Forest Service from top to bottom is becoming far more reminiscent of the management of the royal forests during the autocracy of King John than of an agency that is supposed to encourage, welcome, facilitate and maximize the public’s use of the public’s land in a nation of free men and women.
After all, that was the vision for the Forest Service set forth by its legendary founder, Gifford Pinchot in 1905: "to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run."
In May of 2009 and April of 2010, some of my California colleagues and I sent letters to the Forest Service expressing these concerns. I have also personally met with senior officials of that agency on several occasions in which I have referenced more than 500 specific complaints of Forest Service abuses received by my office.
All that I have received to date from these officials are smarmy assurances that they will address these concerns – assurances that their own actions have belied at every turn.
It is time for Congress to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the abuses by this increasingly unaccountable and elitist agency, to demand accountability for the damage it has done – and is doing – to our forests’ health, to the public’s trust, to the government’s revenues and to the nation’s economy – and to take whatever actions are necessary to restore an attitude of consumer-friendly public service which was Gifford Pinchot’s original vision and for which the U.S. Forest Service was once renowned and respected.
Neglect is NOT benign. When are we ever going to stop playing defense? Tom should know better.
I suspect it would be Illuminating to discover why, in limiting the damage to "benign neglect," Tom sidesteps speaking of the evidence that reveals an offensive. (Like the one you laid in his lap and in the laps of his aides).
But who would believe a report back that runs in opposition to expectations and hopes?
A report that crushes the hopes of many conservatives would be met in what manner?
What is your plan for when that "greets" you?
Savage Beast wrote: “Step number one is to re-capture the mass media.” Yes. But how?
- - -
Fair question, sir. I don’t profess to have a truly cogent plan worked out, but you have induced me to put some thoughts down “on paper” so to speak.
[1] What should the goal be?
IMO, the target audience must be American youth. They are the future and they are, by defintion, at an impressionable stage of their intellectual lives and possess the added advantage of not having already been terminally coopted by leftist indoctrination. When I speak of “American youth”, I am referring to those of all races, ethnic backgrounds, and sexes and degrees of innate intelligence.
[2] What should the medium be?
Forget the old regime TV broadcast media, which is in the death grip of leftist management, offers no real attraction for the intended young target audience, and in any case is demonstrably on a steady course toward cultural and popular irrelevance. My media of choice would be radio, the internet, indie film, and the street.
-> radio doing current cutting-edge music and sports talk music stations managed by hip young fast-moving conservatives and hosted by clever comically-oriented individuals of similar cultural mindset able to humorously lampoon the left and draw a hip audience while doing so. Put this radio programming on the web, reinforced by blogs and social networking sites. Fund the development of an indie film industry with an underlying themeof ridiculing and exposing the Left (what fertile ground lies there!); put the films on the web and put the producton the web; that will short-circuit the control of Leftwing Hollywood over national film distribution. $upport and develop young performing artists, comedians, singers, groups, street-dance teams who deliver a conservative vibe as well as a network of clubs and venues around the nation to host them. Advertise them on the web and those radio stations we just invested in. Create youth movements (as opposed to “organizations”). Stage street theater. Make it COOL to be conservative.
[3] What is the message?
Put a copy of Saul Alinsky’s book under your pillow. Attack through ridicule. Keep it simple and elemental. Tailor and direct the message toward what it important among the young. Explain to them the freedoms that are being taken away by the Left, what it will cost the young in the future, how old-fashioned and out of touch the Left is. Ask why they would let ANYONE try to dictate how they should think. Press their buttons. DON’T LECTURE. DON’T WHINE. Ridicule, ridicule, ridicule, attack, attack, attack.
[4] Operational guidelines -
Manage the process nationally. Make the offensive wide-ranging and fast-moving. Constantly shift focus upon different targets in an unpredictable fashion; don’t give the Left an opportunity to develop any retaliatory traction (i.e. - make it old news before the Left can marshal a response). Do not engage or debate the Left directly (they just lie and misrepresent). Don’t play defense against their attacks. Just keep ridiculing them, belittling them, highlighting their manifol hypocrisies, eroding their image of credibility.
If carried out with sufficient vigor, persistence, dedication and funding, this will work. It won’t work right away, but it will work over time. And it may save the nation.
Opinions and comments welcome .....
Savage Beast wrote: “Step number one is to re-capture the mass media.” Yes. But how?
- - -
Fair question, sir. I don’t profess to have a truly cogent plan worked out, but you have induced me to put some thoughts down “on paper” so to speak.
[1] What should the goal be?
IMO, the target audience must be American youth. They are the future and they are, by defintion, at an impressionable stage of their intellectual lives and possess the added advantage of not having already been terminally coopted by leftist indoctrination. When I speak of “American youth”, I am referring to those of all races, ethnic backgrounds, and sexes and degrees of innate intelligence.
[2] What should the medium be?
Forget the old regime TV broadcast media, which is in the death grip of leftist management, offers no real attraction for the intended young target audience, and in any case is demonstrably on a steady course toward cultural and popular irrelevance. My media of choice would be radio, the internet, indie film, and the street.
-> radio doing current cutting-edge music and sports talk music stations managed by hip young fast-moving conservatives and hosted by clever comically-oriented individuals of similar cultural mindset able to humorously lampoon the left and draw a hip audience while doing so. Put this radio programming on the web, reinforced by blogs and social networking sites. Fund the development of an indie film industry with an underlying themeof ridiculing and exposing the Left (what fertile ground lies there!); put the films on the web and put the producton the web; that will short-circuit the control of Leftwing Hollywood over national film distribution. $upport and develop young performing artists, comedians, singers, groups, street-dance teams who deliver a conservative vibe as well as a network of clubs and venues around the nation to host them. Advertise them on the web and those radio stations we just invested in. Create youth movements (as opposed to “organizations”). Stage street theater. Make it COOL to be conservative.
[3] What is the message?
Put a copy of Saul Alinsky’s book under your pillow. Attack through ridicule. Keep it simple and elemental. Tailor and direct the message toward what it important among the young. Explain to them the freedoms that are being taken away by the Left, what it will cost the young in the future, how old-fashioned and out of touch the Left is. Ask why they would let ANYONE try to dictate how they should think. Press their buttons. DON’T LECTURE. DON’T WHINE. Ridicule, ridicule, ridicule, attack, attack, attack.
[4] Operational guidelines -
Manage the process nationally. Make the offensive wide-ranging and fast-moving. Constantly shift focus upon different targets in an unpredictable fashion; don’t give the Left an opportunity to develop any retaliatory traction (i.e. - make it old news before the Left can marshal a response). Do not engage or debate the Left directly (they just lie and misrepresent). Don’t play defense against their attacks. Just keep ridiculing them, belittling them, highlighting their manifol hypocrisies, eroding their image of credibility.
If carried out with sufficient vigor, persistence, dedication and funding, this will work. It won’t work right away, but it will work over time. And it may save the nation.
Opinions and comments welcome .....
Thank you. Do modern property rights lawyers and environmental officers know about this medieval legacy of forest management?
Most people just study American history to learn about our past. There is a whole English, Germanic and Roman legal heritage that has so much bearing on our world view and traditions, particularly as regards property.
Tom
Bump.
Unfortunately, the Democrats are well aware of this, and have been very successful in using Republican policies and rhetoric to paint themselves as the party that cares more about freedom. The Republican line of attack must be that Democrats are puppetmasters and thieves, interested only in controlling the individual and milking him like a cow. Wonderful advertisements could be made using nothing but the Denocrats' own words - bu the RNC apparently considers that rude and uncivil. :)
|
Teaching Math
1. Teaching Math In 1970 A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100.. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit? 2. Teaching Math In 1980 A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100. His cost of production is 80% of the price. What is his profit? 3. Teaching Math In 1990 A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100. His cost of production is £80. How much was his profit? 4. Teaching Math In 2000 A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100. His cost of production is £80 and his profit is £20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20. 5. Teaching Math In 2005 A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. Your assignment: Discuss how the birds and squirrels might feel as the logger cut down their homes just for a measly profit of £20.
6. Teaching Math In 2009 A logger is arrested for trying to cut down a tree in case it may be offensive to Muslims or other religious groups not consulted in the felling licence. He is also fined a £100 as his chainsaw is in breach of Health and Safety legislation as it deemed too dangerous and could cut something.. He has used the chainsaw for over 20 years without incident however he does not have the correct certificate of competence and is therefore considered to be a recidivist and habitual criminal. His DNA is sampled and his details circulated throughout all government agencies. He protests and is taken to court and fined another £100 because he is such an easy target. When he is released he returns to find Gypsies have cut down half his wood to build a camp on his land. He tries to throw them off but is arrested, prosecuted for harassing an ethnic minority, imprisoned and fined a further £100. While he is in jail again the Gypsies cut down the rest of his wood and sell it on the black market for £100 cash. They also have a departure BBQ of squirrel and pheasant and leave behind several tonnes of rubbish and asbestos sheeting. The forester on release is warned that failure to clear the fly tipped rubbish immediately at his own cost is an offence. He complains and is arrested for environmental pollution, breach of the peace and invoiced £12,000 plus VAT for safe disposal costs by regulated government contractor. Your assignment: How many times is the logger going to have to be arrested and fined before he realises that he is never going to make £20 profit by hard work, give up, sign onto the dole and live off the state for the rest of his life? 7. Teaching Math In 2010 A logger doesn’t sell a lorry load of timber because he can’t get a loan to buy a new lorry because his bank has spent all his and their money on a derivative of securitised debt related to sub- prime mortgages in Alabama and lost the lot with only some government money left to pay a few million pound bonuses to their senior directors and the traders who made the biggest losses. The logger struggles to pay the £1,200 road tax on his old lorry however, as it was built in the 1970s it no longer meets the emissions regulations and he i forced to scrap it. Some Bulgarian loggers buy the lorry from the scrap merchant and put it back on the road. They undercut everyone on price for haulage and send their cash back home, while claiming unemployment for themselves and their relatives. If questioned they speak no English and it is easier to deport them at the governments expense. Following their holiday back home they return to the UK with different names and fresh girls and start again. The logger protests, is accused of being a bigoted racist and as his name is on the side of his old lorry he is forced to pay £1,500 registration fees as a gang master. The Government borrows more money to pay more to the bankers as bonuses are not cheap. The parliamentarians feel they are missing out and claim the difference on expenses and allowances. You do the math. 8. Teaching Math 2017 أ المسجل تبيع حموله شاحنة من الخشب من اج 100 دولار. صاحب تكلفة الانتاج 80 من الثمن. ما هو الربح له؟= 20 |
BTTT
Hay Forester! You seen this discourse yet???
Lol, good stuff and fearfully a possibility in the future!
Thanks!
I agree with all you say. Selling classic conservatism to the young won’t be easy. But de-panting and ridiculing the Left with their own words, in a manner that will appeal to the young, should be a no-brainer for any clever mind. IMO, it’s basically a marketing issue.
Sadly, yes.
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