Drone Attacks; Legal or Not

Drone Attacks; Legal or Not

Al Ritter 

To answer a question such as this we must clarify the terms. Very different situations may require different answers. Because of a recent declaration by Attorney General Eric Holder on lethal drone use within the confines of American airspace, a rather spirited discussion has been launched by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) as to the legality of such use, during the senate confirmation hearings on nominee John Brennan.

To determine the legality of such lethal attacks by drone one must first ask in which country the theoretical drone is flying. If outside the United State air space we have two different scenarios we must consider, we must consider international law and also the Geneva Convention that governs warfare.

The following research project Cornell University of Law spells out such scenarios on international law and touches on a little of the Geneva Convention. Their position is that of total legality under circumstanced spelled out.

www.lawschool.cornell.edu/research/ILJ/upload/Orr-final.pdf 

The opinion of Cornell University is not however mirrored in this article which brings up the point on the use of Uranium as a weapon as being against the Geneva Convention.

“The drones “Hellfire Missiles” are themselves horrendous to say the least and are described as follows:
The missile creates a pressure wave which sucks the air out of victims, shreds their internal organs and crushes their bodies. The explosion is described as “Thermobaric” and is known to contain depleted uranium. British pilots in Afghanistan have complained about their inaccuracy and the innocent civilians that have died as a result of their usage.

Although the British military does have its own smaller drones we do cooperate with the US and purchase the US-manufactured General Atomics Reaper for the RAF. This drone can carry four Hellfire missiles, two 230kg (500lb) bombs, and 12 Paveway II guided bombs. It can fly for more than 18 hours, has a range of 3,600 miles, and can operate at up to 15,000 metres (50,000ft). I would again stress that many such weapons contain Depleted Uranium and are thus classified as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and are in violation of the Geneva Convention by being indiscriminate killers.”

Source:  http://eyreinternational.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/drone-usage-on-the-increase-but-do-they-breach-the-geneva-convention/

Another opinion that doesn’t seem to mirror Cornell University’s is that the drones are exclusively manned by CIA employees and as such are not considered (members of the military) and as such are not allowed under our U.N. Charter and creates a dark area of conflicted operation under the Geneva Convention.

“According to the Geneva Convention, members of regular armed forces - involved in conflicts - are the only persons who may be considered lawful combatants and authorised (sic) to use lethal force. If the operators are members of the US or Pakistani military, they acquire this status. But the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as it were is not a military force. And since the CIA is not a military force, presumably the drone attacks constitute extra-judicial killing. But that point will be covered in the second corollary.

Military operations inside Pakistan do pose international legal problems, but it’s not because of the drones. It’s because the United States is technically not at war with Pakistan and because U.S. drone operations in Pakistan are being conducted by the CIA rather than the armed forces. The former violates the U.N. Charter; the latter arguably violates the rules on lawful combat in the Geneva Conventions. These dynamics create legal problems for U.S. military operations in Pakistan whether they are carried out by drones or by SEAL teams on the ground, as in the Abbottabad raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

[t]he real issue is not drones, but the summary execution of suspected criminals without evidence or trial, in complete secrecy, at perhaps an unacceptable cost to innocent lives. Whether this is happening with or without the consent of the Pakistani or Yemeni government is irrelevant. Whether it is being conducted by the CIA or by the U.S. military is irrelevant. Whether it is occurring with remotely piloted drones, manned aircraft, special operations forces, or death squads is irrelevant. What matters is whether extrajudicial execution is or is not the best way to protect citizens against terrorist attacks.”

Source: http://www.lawfareblog.com/2011/06/unsound-criticism-of-the-legality-of-drone-strikes-at-foreign-policy/

The DOJ and Eric Holder specifically hold the opinion that drone attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan are legal in all court settings because they do so under the sovereign permission of those two governments. Ever increasing civilian casualties have continued to strain those relationships and may eventually force this program into retirement. The government contends that drone attacks are considered police actions and not that of the attack of enemy combatants.

If this program were to stop on foreign soil tomorrow, the government would seek to repurpose these aircraft into another mission, which brings us to the discussion that Rand Paul had on the Senate floor 3/6/2013. When questioned as to using drones in a lethal capacity within the confines of our own country Attorney General Eric Holder said this:

“Attorney General Eric Holder has confirmed in writing that the president can kill U.S. citizens in a drone strike on U.S. soil, in “an extraordinary circumstance.”…………March 5, 2013”

Before John Brennan’s confirmation hearings, he was slightly more guarded in his reaction to the general use of lethally equipped drones. One has to wonder what his personal opinion is on the use of lethal drones within our own borders. Will he merely parrot the words of Eric Holder, or will he have some profound statement of his own. "For many people -- in our government and across the country -- the issue of targeted strikes raised profound moral questions," he said. "It forces us to confront deeply held personal beliefs and our values as a nation."

"If anyone in government who works in this area tells you they haven’t struggled with this, then they haven’t spent much time thinking about it," Brennan said. "I know I have, and I will continue to struggle with it as long as I remain involved in counterterrorism."…….John Brennan in a speech on 4/30/2012

This administration is no stranger to the contempt they have for the Constitution of the United States which clearly states that in Article I Section 9 …. “The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.”

And in Article III Section 2 where is says…. “The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.”

Further Amendments as follows:

Amendment V …… “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

Amendment VI……… “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.”

Amendment VIII……. “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” 

All these Constitutional mandates will be ignored under Eric Holder’s opinion of the legality of drones on our soil and specifically “summary executions” without trial.

Some conservatives yesterday were extremely happy that Sen. Rand Paul held a filibuster on the Senate floor about the use of drones on our soil. Unfortunately his vitriol was misplaced. He has filibustered John Brennan’s because of something Eric Holder said, not what John Brennan had done in the past. His filibuster will go by the wayside in the next few days and the situation will continue.

In my opinion Sen. Paul is upset because the Congress gave unfettered control for the use of drones in the first place and now he seeks to somehow “put the cat back in the bag.” Congress voted for the use of drones in the first place without putting specific controls on them.

Sen. Paul use of Senate Confirmation hearing will do NOTHING to change the law only forestall John Brennan’s appointment.

Rand Paul is trying to do what the President has been so successful at for 4 years……controlling public opinion. Unfortunately public opinion means nothing in this debate. To change the course of the use of drones Congress either has to enact a law regulating its use or the Supreme Court will have to rule on domestic use of drones.

Ron Observes The REAL State of the Union – Part 2

Ron Observes The REAL State of the Union – Part 2
Ron Boat

Recently we were exposed to Obama’s perception, or delusion, of the State of the Union. This article as well as Part 1 deals more with the REAL State of the Union as experienced by real people who are, or should be, realizing the controlling, threatening, dictatorial thuggery of Chicago politics emanating from the hallowed halls of our own capital.

I’m increasingly suspect of the news pouring with much “enthusiast glibbery” from the White House or Washington in general. Job numbers manipulated; laws passed without being read; others blatantly broken and covered up with denial, lies and misdirection; leaders deceive us making decisions based on their personal weaknesses of power, greed and wantonness. Money is irresponsibly borrowed, spent and wasted with disregard to our future and the consequences. All of this leads not to a state of the union which is relaxed and productive – or real.

The REAL State of the Union for me is what down to earth, real intelligent people around the country and the world really experience and think about our country in two main areas: Our ability to productively work and produce, and to live free without intrusion and authoritarian loss of rights and much valued freedoms. These make up the REAL state of the union in my mind. When these work, we see a truly efficient working population, happier and all functioning together for the good of themselves, each other and with the country as the ultimate beneficiary.

Again, I'm blessed to have input from some valued friends and professionals. People with “real life” insight into the issues that shape our current world, and who possess governmental, business, financial and religious foundations and awareness of the circumstances we find ourselves faced with.

·        Bernie Finn:
Parliament of Victoria, Australia
Member of the Legislative Council · Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

·        Dorina Lanza:
CEO of White Tiger Group, LLC
Strategy and International Business Consultant, Business Mentor, and Speaker
Adjunct Faculty Northeastern University School of Business and Department of Mathematics
MBA in Strategic Planning and International Business
PhD Candidate in Applied Mathematics at Northeastern University

·        Erik Rush:
Columnist and speaker
FOX Contributor
Author -  “Negrophilia: From Slave Block to Pedestal ~ America’s Racial Obsession,”

·        Todd Feinburg:
Tufts University graduate in political science
Evening, late morning and most recently morning drive time talk radio host on WRKO in Boston
Named three times to Talkers Magazine's “Top 100 Most Important Talk Hosts in America”

With the insight and opinions of these valued contributors, I present the following to see if we’re really living the American dream or just dreaming of an America once great, now being lost. Each answer is their own rational and poignant opinion, quoted exactly as presented by them.

Part 2 -

4) Where do you feel we are in the area of national security as it relates to economic, social and military factors?

Bernie:  “The role of the US has long been for the good of peace in the world. Wherever freedom has been under threat, America has more often than not stepped in on the side of liberty. With the debt crisis and an administration that undervalues the US defense forces, that role may well be under threat itself. Without a strong US, the future of the Free World is bleak.”

Dorina:  “Economic and social national security are not real concepts. They are empty phrases. Military national security has been misguided since 1946. We should not be saving the world. And, the US has no business kowtowing to the whims of all of the wackos out there. It is an embarrassment and a massive show of weakness. We should be defending US citizens.”

Erik:  “The attacks on September 11, 2001 were a great example of how threats to our national security can harm the economy. This administration has substantially compromised our national security, so it’s only a matter of time before another event or series of events begins to have even more serious effects.”

Todd: “With national security, we tend to talk about areas such as Libya and Syria and the more conventional methods of war, when threats and the potential of threats are more to do with our systems and internet. Chinese hackers are running wide in our systems and our power grid, financial and defense systems are at risk. Banking could see problems along with personal information – that’s the future of real warfare. Military muscle of the future will be dealing with hackers rather than bombers. In general we’re facing future technology wars rather than conventional wars of the past. The military is bloated and over funded and needs to be pared down to become more efficient and faster to respond and able to fight differently. Washington is fearful of not spending its money and the military is part of it. Power structures live and benefit from the status quo and change is not desired by those in power.” 

5) What do you suggest and how do you feel about our REAL short and long term future as a free country, economic powerhouse in the world, and a beacon for real growth and potential?

Bernie:  “It goes without saying that the killing of almost 56 million American children over the past 40 years is strongly indicative of a deep national moral malaise. Many Americans are fighting to turn this around, as shown by the over half a million people marching thru DC, but the fact remains the current President is the most overtly promoter of abortion to ever hold that office and there is no end to this mass slaughter coming anytime soon. As Blessed John Paul said when Pope, “Any nation that kills its own children has no future.” Difficult to argue with that!

I am desperately keen to see a strong USA leading from the front but fear those days might be rapidly coming to an end.”

Dorina:  “There are only two suggestions that are compelling enough to include in this short essay. First, our mental horizons, beyond which we cannot see, project, predict, or calculate, need to keep expanding in the same way the science of weather prediction keeps pushing forecasts to be more reliable and further out in the future. Those horizons control our rate of progress.

 

The second recommendation is to take every single action necessary to preserve liberty within society. Freedom has been a critical enabling factor in the success of our past and present society. There is reason to believe that it will continue to be the most important factor in the success of our society. So accept no limitations on nor substitutes for liberty. “

 

Erik:  “Being a person of faith, I have to remind myself and others that all this isn’t ultimately in our hands. That said, I think that things will continue to decline as long as this administration is in power. Unless we come to a realization as a nation that the policies of the left are singularly destructive and reverse course, it will continue even beyond that. If Obama and the soft socialists in our government (some of whom are in the GOP, by the way) are allowed to continue this evolution toward their oligarchical collectivist model, then America’s days as a dominant economic concern are over.”

Todd: “We have potential, but whether we can save the country from expansion of government and reckless overspending as a form of paying voters is suspect. We’ve been so corrupt, we’re a replicate of the old soviet union (ineffective, and can’t respond quickly to changes and needs). Potentially we’re going to crash and burn in some in some manner. Possibly revolution, in one form or another, hopefully nonviolent. We are the titanic, we can see the iceberg but the people in authority are too happy with the course to make changes. People who ran GM knew it was going to implode but from the penthouse you have your retirement package and the perks and you go on… living well and everything is fine for you, so why stir the pot. People running this won’t tell you the truth any more. People take theirs and go off somewhere and leave the problems for everyone else because they’re ok…everything else is other people’s long term problem.”

6) If an amount of fraud and deception happened within our recent electoral process, is there now an irreversible long term harm to our union, and the trust we must have in our governing bodies?

Bernie:  [Being a citizen and resident of Australia, Bernie felt his firsthand knowledge of this was inadequate to answer.]

Dorina:   “No. Voter fraud and deception has been going on for 238 years. It is nothing new. When people want accurate elections they will get them. We have the technology for secure, anonymous, and verifiable voting. The fact that we don't use that technology is because "we" don't want secure, anonymous, and verifiable voting. The technical definition of trust is "the condition necessary for betrayal." Our citizens prefer ignorant trust to informed reliability.”

Erik:  “Yes. Definitely. As with so much of what has gone on in this administration, there was ample evidence to investigate the practices in the 2012 general election, but it was not done, due to the complicity of the press and cowardice on the part of Obama’s political opponents.”

Todd: “Yes and it’s been that way - it’s just become more visible to us. If you look at people like Al Franken, his seat was taken by political shenanigans. Ted Stevens was removed from office in Alaska by corrupt prosecutors. But these sorts of corrupt games aren't new. The Jack Kennedy election was bought, with people going around with suitcases of cash buying votes using Joe Kennedy's money. It’s a well-known part of our culture, yet Americans have such an ingrained sense of the goodness and integrity of our country that they don't put two and two together. The stories we hear about Chicago politics, or stolen millions in New Orleans, or dead people voting - they're assumed to be anomalies. The word corrupt, in the mind of most voters, describes other, undeveloped societies. Not us.”

____________________________________________

Through these writings and views of others in my circle, I’d like to say that I was looking forward to a more positive expression. But I fear that the reality of America may well be staring us in the mirror, for we are seeing ourselves diminishing in the world, our future reflected in our own apathy. With a lessoning of regulation and invasion of our personal and business lives; with a return to morals, values and real authentic governance, without racial or class warfare, then the REAL state of our union would be improved… but alas, consider that it’s not to be for at least the next four year and possibly a generation or more.

Unlike many talk show hosts and others who are either blind, or feel some sort of “courtesy” respect and allegiance to the president, I don’t. Since before his first term when running for office, my personal research and consideration of his background, upbringing, family, social and educational mentors revealed a disturbing pattern of hatred for America and our way of life. His own social actions and words in his books show this distaste for American life and capitalism, and alleges our domination of countries throughout history, stripping away their wealth and resources. People should have paid more attention to that comment to Joe the plumber. The Socialist concept of “redistribute the wealth” is coming back to haunt us in spades.

I truly see this man as having an agenda, a goal to, as he said “fundamentally change America” and I don’t like it and I'm not going along with it. You don’t radically change something that has worked pretty well and has been a beacon of freedom and opportunity for over 200 years – unless you have other goals.

It’s time that America woke up – at least the 49% that aren’t living off the government teat and making their own way in life. Start fighting to regain our country from the strangle hold we’re experiencing from the weight of supporting the 51% and the overbearing governing elected. We can’t continue down the path of destruction we’re on. We can’t nor should we live under the rule of one man’s misguided obsession for our country. We can’t sustain this insufferable debt. We can’t continue to live governed by unpatriotic, selfish people out for their own personal good but not for the country they serve. We can’t continue to have oppressed people living under threat of excessive taxation, over regulation, loss of God given rights and religious freedoms. Dare I say tyranny?

Even though Bernie lives and works in Australia, his grasp of our future may be most foretelling: “In a nutshell, it seems the United States is in an advanced state of decay on a number of fronts. I am desperately keen to see a strong USA leading from the front but fear those days might be rapidly coming to an end.”

God bless each of you and God bless the REAL America.

#freedom
#stateoftheunion
#america

Ron observes The REAL State of the Union – Part 1

Ron Observes The REAL State of the Union – Part 1
Ron Boat

Recently we were exposed to the top down’s “indoctrination” or Obama’s perception of the State of the Union. A national time slot previously filled with the president’s rhetoric on economic misconceptions, the dressing down of our Supreme Court, and even the openly verbal expression of a leading Republican congressman reminding us what a liar the president is. A fact that more and more Americans are, or should be, realizing as they see the controlling, dictating thuggery of Chicago politics emanating from the hallowed halls of our own capital.

In keeping with my personal promise five years ago, I never watch or listen to “him” on TV or radio. I knew that he would become even more adept at portraying “his” truth, the “half-truth” and nothing like the “real” truth of matters, because if you can tell a big enough lie long and loud enough…people will believe it. And through blind belief you garner support and ultimately total tyrannical power and control. Are you buying that “Nothing I’m proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime?”

Personally I have come to not believe what I hear out of the White House or Washington in general. Job numbers are manipulated; laws are passed without being read while others are blatantly broken and then covered with lies and misdirection; leaders deceive us by making decisions not based on America’s greatness but their personal weaknesses of power, greed and wantonness; Money is being irresponsibly borrowed, spent and wasted with disregard to our future and the consequences. All of this leads not to a state of the union which is relaxed and productive – or real.

We’ve heard the previous, and surely to be repeated, lies that the private sector “is doing just fine and  we’re on the way back.” We’ve heard about the “recovery summer” which morphed into the fall of anxiety, which dissolved into the winter of discontent, which faded into the spring of hope which of course didn’t materialize as “hoped.”

The REAL State of the Union for me is what real, down to earth intelligent people around the country and the world really experience and think about the state of our country in two main areas: Our ability to productively work and produce, and the other to freely live our own personal lives without intrusion and authoritarian loss of rights and much valued freedoms. These make up the REAL state of the union in my mind. When these work in harmony, we see a free society, a truly efficient working populace happier and all functioning together for the good of themselves, each other and the country as the ultimate beneficiary.

In pursuit of finding out what real people think about our current direction and state of affairs, I'm blessed to have input from some valued friends and professionals. People with “real life” opinions and insight into the issues that shape our current world, and who possess governmental, business, financial and religious foundation and awareness of the circumstances we find ourselves faced with.

·        Bernie Finn:
Parliament of Victoria, Australia
Member of the Legislative Council · Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

·        Dorina Lanza:
CEO of White Tiger Group, LLC
Strategy and International Business Consultant, Business Mentor, and Speaker
Adjunct Faculty Northeastern University School of Business and Department of Mathematics
MBA in Strategic Planning and International Business
PhD Candidate in Applied Mathematics at Northeastern University

·        Erik Rush:
Columnist and speaker
FOX Contributor
Author -  “Negrophilia: From Slave Block to Pedestal ~ America’s Racial Obsession,”

·        Todd Feinburg:
Tufts University graduate in political science
Evening, late morning and most recently morning drive time talk radio host on WRKO in Boston
Named three times to Talkers Magazine's “Top 100 Most Important Talk Hosts in America”

With the insight and opinions of these valued contributors, I’d like to answer the following and see if we’re really living the American dream or just dreaming of an America once great. Each answer is their own rational and poignant opinion, quoted exactly as presented by them.
PART 1 -

1)      How do you feel about where we are and more importantly, where are we going as individuals and as an economic force in the world?

Bernie: “Economically, it is difficult to see how America will ever pay off its debt - particularly with an administration that clearly has no interest in doing so. To make matters worse, the Republicans seem equally disinterested in taking on this challenge. John Boehner's recent performance has been abysmal as the GOP rolls over at the very time it should be standing strong. Further lifting of the debt limit is just postponing the inevitable - and making the situation worse. The US may think it’s immune from the problems hitting Greece but it may be a case of 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall'. There is very real concern about how the financial collapse of the US would impact the rest of the world, particularly those countries who are America's closest trading partners.”

Dorina: “As individuals it is getting harder because of the proliferation of parasites. As a force in the world we are weakening, but that is a sensible historical trend because the other nations of the world are getting stronger. The recent, purposeful acceleration of the trend is a Bad Thing (tm). In my day to day observation of the mass market I am noticing less traffic, empty stores, people postponing spending on what they deem non-critical, and a general malaise. I am also seeing a distressingly high proportion of people who are unemployed or underemployed and display little hope for improving their situation.”

Erik: “As a nation, there’s been an effort made to maintain the illusion that there are garden variety economic problems that need to be addressed, when in reality (as experts have indicated) we are teetering on a precipice. The illusion is maintained by the Obama administration because they don’t want widespread panic – yet. They do know that the tipping point will come, probably at a time of their choosing, at next to which the 2008 downturn will pale.”

Todd: “We’re still teetering on a cliff. We’re still in the problem area. We could still fall off the financial cliff. A lot of what gov’t is doing is fear driven - they're scared we'll understand how bad things are and then we'll be scared, which of course would be very scary for politicians wanting to win reelection. So they have a rabid belief in stimulus - stimulus creates the illusion that we're in a recovery from the crash rather than that we're still in the car bleeding waiting for the ambulance.”

2)      What can/should the government do to create an environment conducive to job growth? Can we grow or is the government hurting jobs by driving business out of the country by its tax and regulatory overreach?

Bernie: “The US also seems to be hit hard by the entitlement mentality. Americans were once seen as resilient, enterprising and independent. No doubt, many Americans still are but that general image has been shaken of recent years. The 'something-for-nothing' mentality is leading the United States down a path from which it may not easily return.”

Dorina: “Get out of the way. Stop "protecting" people with the overabundance and incessant increase in regulation. Stop with the money grab and the class warfare. Stop trying to "help" people by force. Forcible charity is not charity.”

Erik: “The problem here is not that we have an incompetent or shortsighted government (we do), but an administration whose intention is to bring about the social and political change they desire partly through manipulation of the economy. Thus, doing anything to arrest the decline would be working at cross purposes. They have no motivation to do so. B) Definitely; anything that will stultify or hamper business will harm the economy, so naturally they’re going to do it. It doesn’t take much investigation to see that this administration has taken the opposite tack from that which would turn the economy around right down the line.”

Todd:  “There are lots of things that could be done to spur economic growth. Generate jobs by allowing oversees funds to be repatriated at reduced tax rates or even tax free. We need better tax policies for job creation, better healthcare policies, a pullback on regulation rather than a government eager to create more bureaucracy... We should have a president that goes to job creators and says “let’s partner on creating new jobs.” Instead the president threatens job creators with higher taxes and more regulations.”

3)      Is the role of government in our “personal” lives reaching the point of overbearing and therefore hampering the quality of life in our country and the real state of the union?

Bernie:  “The MSM [Main Stream Media] in the US is corrupt and no longer interested in reporting facts during news services. This has to adversely affect the thought processes of those who watch, listen and read it. A free press is crucial to democracy. Whether much of the American media can still be described as 'free' is very much open to debate.” 

Dorina:   “Yes. It is beyond that point. Note that that trend of discouraging success began in the late 1800s and is accelerating.”

Erik:  “Absolutely; it has been increasing incrementally for decades as we gravitate (regress) away from a model of governance, toward a model of ruling. The Founders knew that it was the nature of government to behave in this manner; that’s why they put provisions in the Constitution to prevent it. Through abysmal education and propaganda, the political left has succeeded in removing, ignoring, or superseding those provisions because the public no longer knows any better.’

Todd:   “Oh, sure. How do you have a representative government when the people we elect to represent us no longer hold the power? This is the hazard of big government - huge amounts of money flowing through Washington fund oversized bureaucracies that make decisions on auto-pilot. Members of congress don't know where the levers are to pull to affect change because institutional Washington is bigger than congress. One example - There are 16 different intelligence gathering agencies in the federal government, very good at hiding what they're doing from each other and from oversight. Do our elected representatives even bother trying to regulate them, or do they spend their time raising the $500,000 or million dollars they need to raise each year, on the low side, to run their reelection campaigns?”

Through these writings and views of fellow workers and others in my circle, I’d like to say that I would see a positive expression but I fear that the reality of America’s future may well be staring us in the face. With a lessoning of regulation and invasion of our personal and business lives; with a return to morals, values and real authentic governance, without racial or class warfare, then the REAL state of our union would be improved… if we can work positively toward our futures monetarily, spiritually, socially and patriotically.

Even though Bernie lives and works in Australia, his grasp of our future may be most foretelling: “In a nutshell, it seems the United States is in an advanced state of decay on a number of fronts. I am desperately keen to see a strong USA leading from the front but fear those days might be rapidly coming to an end.”

In my next article we’ll continue this Q/A approach from around the world with the subjects of national security, our real future as a free country, and the question of election fraud and trust emanating from our last national election.

Dear Patriots, HEADS UP

Dear Patriots, HEADS UP

William G Burmer

 

With all the talk about Religious Freedom, Freedom of Speech and Press, rights to peaceably  assemble and to petition the Government for redress of grievances, Guns, Guns rights,  the 2nd amendment and the right to bear arms,   I hear little to nothing about the actual wording of these Amendments in particular. 

The First ten Amendments to the Constitution became part of the Constitution after being ratified by the requisite number of States beginning September of 1789 and ending December 15th 1791.

I would like the reader to focus on the wording and perhaps put an end to the myth that the Congress, the Supreme Court or the President has any say about these rights, secured constitutionally.  Push comes to shove We the People did not grant any contravening authority with these regards to any branch of Government in our Republic.

The Wording is crystal clear beginning with the 1st Amendment "CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW RESEPECTING" establishment of religion, etc.  Beings how Congress is the only branch of government authorized constitutionally to make law; it automatically excludes the Supreme Court or the Executive Office to supersede their authority.  With respect to the Words "Shall Not" are repeated several times with respect to all of the Bill of Rights. It should be clear that if Congress is forbidden by law, so are the Executive and the Judicial.   

As for the 2nd Amendment regarding the right to "Keep and bear Arms" "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED" is a pretty strong statement in and of itself.  Every law ever made by the Individual States, the Federal Government and the Supreme court are made null and void by this mere expression of SHALL NOT BE.   As for the word "infringed" its' definition by law and legal professionals is unambiguous.

  "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED" means that no one, including all three branches of Government may "abuse the privilege, contravene, disenfranchise, force, incur, infract, interfere with, invade, seize, usurp, violate or encroach upon any person’s right to these protections. The Executive, The Judicial, and the Legislative Officers so elected, and or appointed, are and would be in violation of their OATH OF OFFICE; and should be held for treason to INFRINGE UPON THESE INALEANABLE RIGHTS. In short they cannot be taken away from us.

Let's not forget the Preamble to our Constitution which begins with "We the People" with these regards, and let us not be afraid to let our Representative, the Executive and Judicial forget for whom they are sworn to serve and protect. Any other event as regards to our rights constitutionally is in the Hand of God.  

Pro Comp Electronics Stack Injection

Pro Comp Electronics Stack Injection

I purchased a Pro Comp stack injection system for a Small Block Chevy engine this past November from a distributor in California called Straight Line Performance in Norco California, it was advertised as being usable with a speed density ECU of TPI variant FAST, Holley, or equivalent. It was also advertised as having a vacuum plenum (which would be necessary to run a map sensor.)

I received my system (intake, throttle bodies, fuel rails, and some assorted plumbing) as advertised. I was curious to see if the throttle bodies could be swapped side for side to put the injectors to the inside as Straight Line Performance said they probably could. That was to no avail as the fuel rails would have hit each other and the electrical connections would have also. While the throttle bodies were off I took pictures of the remaining manifold and adapters.

The entire system is made in Australia and shipped here through distributors. The intake was originally designed for IDA style Weber carburation and then adapters were machined to accept this Australian throttle body. As I inspected the system further I observed there was NO vacuum plenum or for that matter no fittings or open bungs for vacuum whatsoever. I contacted Straight Line and asked why the Small Block Chevy system had no vacuum system. He assured me it was there and had 3/8” hole in the runners. With the throttle bodies off and a runner length of only 2 inches any holes would have been readily visible but weren’t there.

I was bound and determined to use this system based on the latest TPI Chevy computer # 1227730 (speed density) with 24lb injectors, with a dedicated custom stand alone harness and a custom burned prom. To accomplish this goal I needed a vacuum source, so I modified the runners to come together underneath the intake and exit on top of the manifold in the rear. After close to 4 hours work this was accomplished.

I installed the entire system and proceeded to fire the unit. After 4 different proms we finally came to a combination that didn’t run so rich, but the main problem was that the system made very little vacuum (10 inches.), right on the borderline for the ability to run a speed density computer. To get it to idle and run at all I had to apply an external vacuum (mighty vac) @ 18inches.

While the system was acquiring operating temperature everything seemed ok, but it was when it went into closed loop things fell apart. The system started to pop back through the throttle bodies in random patterns, it was also popping through the exhaust. Any additional blipping of the throttle would cause additional backfiring. The man I had do the electronic setup has done 100’s of these things commercially and he was as baffled as I was. First we tried another Map sensor, then kicked down the fuel pressure to lean it out (we finally ended up @ 35psi). We replace the computer and 4 custom burned chips. Each chip got successively better but still not actually drivable.

My electronics guy thought it might be that the FI trigger wire (to negative coil tower) might be getting interference from surrounding electronics and suggested I install a MSD 6 AL to acquire a cleaner square wave signal for the FI trigger. After trying that it was to no avail, the system just flat out won’t work with a speed density system. I even looked up the Pro Comp Electronics catalog and they showed a small block Ford intake with throttle bodies and said that a Small Block Chevy system was available. They also claimed that the Chevy system has a vacuum plenum….it doesn’t! The Pro Comp catalog shows a complete turn-key system but doesn’t say if it is a speed density system or if it’s an Alpha-N system (which would make far more sense.)

Alpha-N takes the vacuum out of the equation entirely because it makes decisions based on TPS, ignition pulse, and oxygen sensor input. You might think, “what’s the big deal just get the Alpha-N computer.” The difference is the price…..a factory style TPI speed density computer can be had with prom for about $300……..The Alpha-N systems start at about $1700!

Initially I thought, “How can anyone build an electronic fuel injection manifold with no vacuum ports?” The answer is right there if you pay attention, the manifold was originally designed for carburation (Weber IDA’s.) With a stick shift transmission there would be no need for vacuum. Obviously the transformation to electronic fuel injection was not very well thought out as ANY speed density system requires a map sensor be hooked up to the engine vacuum, and this one has none!

Fortunately my electronic guy has been here and done that before. He was doubtful from the start that a stack injection system could run off a speed density system. They are notoriously low vacuum producers. Thank goodness he has done low buck Alpha-N stack injection systems before. He has worked with the now obsolete Accel Gen 6 ECU before on a retrofitted Hilborn stack setup. The Gen 6 ECU has an Alpha–N capability at a low price, so we found the computer, altered the harness, programmed the new ECU and reinstalled the system.

Today was the turning point, the car acts 100% different with the Alpha-N tune in the Accel Gen 6 box. Idles great and has the crispness that one expects with electronic fuel injection. Jim's Performance had the knowledge to fix a problem caused by a manufacturer that didn’t do the required research and development to properly sort out their finished product. I blame both Pro-Comp (who to this day never returned my phone calls), and Straight Line Performance in Norco California that denied my claim that the intake manifold didn’t have and vacuum provisions (they told me I didn’t know where to look!)

Conclusion:

Would I ever buy another product from Pro-Comp Electronics? The obvious answer is NO! Would I buy anything from the distributor known as Straight Line Performance? This ranks and even bigger NO! The owner was very condescending after he had all my money and ignored any and all my concerns. I now know how to “fix” this poorly executed system, but there are other systems that are designed better and perform better. Maybe the Small Block Ford stack system they make is better and actually HAS a vacuum plenum, but I know the Small Block Chevy system does NOT! Be forewarned the manufacturer and the distributor BOTH confirmed to me that this system would run with a speed density computer…….IT WILL NOT! VERY DISSATISFIED!

Dear Patriots:

Dear Patriots:

William G Burmer 

What about America, Faith, Courage, and Integrity?

For many Americans our land is more than a place where any people can prosper and enjoy freedoms not available in any other part of our world;   to many it is a place consecrated by God, a choice land above all other lands, ordained to be free from bondage, captivity, and from all other nations in the World.

I am one of those persons who feel this way.  Matter of fact I am bold enough to say I know it to be true. Many good people of all faiths are grateful to their Creator for America and its Constitution. 

As we are all aware the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, in particular the 1st and 2nd amendments have been under attack by the Obama administration for years.  It is no secret that Obama and many in the congress , and particularly the Senate currently relish the idea of obliterating any of these defenses to our liberty and freedoms if they could;  thankfully they have be unsuccessful, largely due to our diligence as Citizens,  making our voices heard.

Still there are far too many citizens, and non citizens at large who espouse the concepts of a Collectivist Society, a theorized Socialist Utopia such as described scripturally as secret societies where certain men and women alike "seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark." See Isa.29, 15-16.

You can call it liberalism, Socialism, Collectivism, and even progressivism a new euphemism currently used by Barrack Obama and others.   The Prophet Isaiah is referring to those infamous founders of Communism and those who follow in their traditions of deceit and tyranny.  Call it what you will their Ideals and traditions are the antithesis of the principles of our Constitution, Bill of Rights and, Christian principles. These people are Godless, they seek to destroy, or overthrow our capitalist traditions and free enterprise system in trade for a communal dictatorship, and the elimination of private property, along with a classless, stateless society. 

Today we are in a battle for the hearts and souls of man. It is a battle between two opposing systems: Freedom and Slavery, Christ and Anti-Christ.  We must not allow these soulless counterfeits to destroy what our founders and God left to us visa vie our National Sovereignty in a Constitutional Republic.  To support Communism in any form presented is treasonable, and no patriotic conscionable American citizen may become either a communist or a supporter of such an organization. 

Yet we are at risk, even vulnerable to this powerful enemy and it is attributable to our loss of active faith in the God of this land.  Too many Americans have lost sight of the truth that God is our source of Freedom, and that He is our Lawgiver.   Personal righteousness and integrity is the most important essential to preserving our freedom. We as a people must return to the fundamental principles of Christianity and of Constitutional Government. Know this, once freedom is lost only blood will win it back. 

We must awaken ourselves to our awful condition, resist Communism in all its forms,, call it out for what it is,  seek for those who are good, wise and honest to lead our country, those who love our land and its Constitutional  principles. Once elected We The people must uphold them.

Perhaps most importantly we must study the inspired Constitution and become involved in the political process ourselves within our communities, county, state and federal levels.   Whatever role we play might we be like Sir Thomas More, in the play ("A man for all Seasons" by Robert Bolt) who lost all that he had but carried with him his personal integrity to the grave. America deserves no less a commitment.