Zimmerman to be Indicted

What bothers me about the George Zimmerman indictment is that the special prosecutor refused to turn it over to a grand jury.  This looked like an obvious instance in which the grand jury option would make sense.  My guess is that the prosecutor knew a jury would no-bill Zimmerman.  The politicians want a trial.  They would like to see Zimmerman railroaded into a conviction.

Let me make my position clear.  I do not know if George Zimmerman was justified in killing Trayvon Martin.  In fact, the only living person who knows that is Zimmerman himself.  The external information in the form of the sole eyewitness account suggests that it was a self-defense shooting, but I do not know.  I find it hard to believe a grand jury could reasonably return an indictment given the scant data available.

The prosecution is going to be based on the fact that Zimmerman should have stayed in his vehicle and not attempted to pursue or confront Martin.  Zimmerman may have been imprudent in taking that course, but that has little or nothing to do with what transpired in the encounter that took place between the two men.  If Zimmerman's story is true, Martin came looking for trouble, initiated an assault, and was attempting to severely injure the older man when Zimmerman responded by shooting him.

While we can question Zimmerman's wisdom, he did not at any point engage in an illegal action.  He was on a public street in his own neighborhood.  I no longer live in any kind of suburban or urban environment, but, if I did, I would want to be able to walk around the block and see what was going on if the notion struck me.  Why should Zimmerman have been forced to leave the area and hide in his house?  This is doubly true if Martin posed no threat of any kind. 

Again, this is assuming Zimmerman's story is correct, and his story is really the only one there is so far.  This looks like a political prosecution.  The end result is hard to predict, but I can safely forecast that the law of unintended consequences is already working like gravity in a ten-story fall.  

An Apple a Day Keeps the Crash at Bay

Lots of interesting stuff has been happening the last few days.  Investors are really liking U.S. Treasuries -- not because we are in good shape but because euro bonds are scary.  They are fleeing equities, at least for the moment.  As Denninger points out here and here, the market is basically Apple, and it cannot possibly end well.

The central banks have a lot of deck chairs they can shuffle.  Nobody wants to go into a deflationary depression -- even though that is the real remedy.  Certainly no one with any political clout in the U.S. wants to let her sink before November.  I suppose we will see how much control they have.

Given the options, I expect inflation to continue, despite the not insignificant slippage in crude.  Oil is declining as other commodities, e.g., precious metals, hold on or rise.  This is a function of both the weakening of the euro and the weakness of last weeks U.S. jobs report.

I expect Bernanke to take advantage of the situation and do some more bond-buying whether officially QE-n or not.  The Fed may start pumping money into euro bonds to hold down a rising dollar.  Stupid, but it can work for a while.

About every time I go to town these days, I come back with more ammunition.  It's supposed to rain here quite a bit the next couple of days.  Maybe I'll get some more reloading done -- load up all the empty cases I have.      

This is dedicated to all The Powers That Be who think the Dire Wolf will eat you last:

I sat down to my supper
Was a bottle of red whisky.
I said my prayers and went to bed.
That's the last they saw of me.

When I awoke, the dire wolf,
Six hundred pounds of sin,
Was grinnin' at my window,
All I said was, Come on in.

Don't murder me.
I beg of you,
Don't murder me.
Please,
Don't murder me.

SOG Fusion Tactical Tomahawk

Ever since my hillbilly childhood, I have considered the axe to be a nearly indispensable tool.  My fascination with all sharp objects is obvious, and the tomahawk is no exception.  From Ed Ames pitching a 'hawk in the opening sequence of "Daniel Boone" (not to mention Johnny Carson) to depictions in The Last of the Mohicans and The Patriot to their actual utilization by American troops in combat in Vietnam and more recent conflicts, tomahawks are seen as useful and effective.

The SOG Fusion has a stainless steel head with a special casehardened titanium nitrate finish.  The head is mated to the Zytel handle with a steel shaft, heavy-duty bolts and a steel ferrule.  The ferrule is that smooth collar below the bolts in the photo.  This is a very solid connection.  Probably if the Zytel haft ever breaks, it would be a nightmare to replace, but, odds are against it breaking.

I was leery of a spike since this replaces the utility of the hammer head of more traditional tomahawks.  But as an implement for digging or breaking out a window in an emergency situation, or being used on the backstroke in combat, it works quite well.  The spike end has no sharp edges.  It is pick.  Hammering is not completely lost to the Fusion as turning the head sideways allows the user to drive tent pegs, stakes, even nails with the dimpled sections just above the haft.  It is not a very good hammer, but it can work within limits.

SOG did a good job on the head, making it heavy enough to chop with authority but quick enough to be controlled should the tomahawk have to be used as a weapon.  The cutting edge is nicely done, as well, with a good grind for an axe.  I whacked through seasoned hardwood with no problems hanging up or sticking.  The edge did not roll and maintained its sharpness.

The handle allows for a secure one-hand grip, but it is long enough to use two-handed if needed for a little extra power.  The ridges are smooth, not likely to cause calluses, and cover enough of the handle to permit hand placement appropriate to the task -- at the end for power, choking up for finer control -- without fear of slipping.  The diameter is about right for me, but I am amazingly average, so those with really small or really large meat hooks might have a different view.

Full disclosure requires me to say that I did not throw that.  I just thought it made a good picture.  I think the Fusion would throw pretty well, but it's not something I plan for.

My intention for the Fusion is primarily to pack when I'm working around the place or carry as an emergency tool in a vehicle when traveling.  It would be a handy addition on camping, hunting, and fishing trips.

Dimensions:  blade length 2.75 inches, head length 8 and 1/8 inches, overall length 15.5 inches.  It has a lanyard hole in the base of the haft.

The sheath has three snaps along the bottom.  Insert the head, snap it shut to keep it in place.  There is a belt loop on the sheath, though it seems more appropriate for attachment to a MOLLE vest or pack than to an actual belt.  If you are wearing a belt, the best way to carry the Fusion is simply to stick the handle under the belt.  There are also five grommets in the sheath that would allow a person to run leather thongs, twine, paracord or some other cordage through them for "personalized" carry options.

In fact, about the only negative comments I have seen about the Fusion relate to the sheath, and I tend to think those are mainly from users who have not thought through the possibilities.

The price seems to vary quite a bit.  I picked it up as a close-out from SMKW for $24.99 (as of posting date, 4-6-2012) -- which I thought was pretty good.  Other offers I have seen are closer to $40.

More on the Azerbaijan Connection, Russia and Iran

The Jamestown Foundation site carries the following story about a possible Russian response to an Israeli attack on Iran:  

Russian Defense Ministry sources told the semiofficial news agency Interfax that action plans are being finalized to react to an armed conflict involving Iran and its nuclear program.  ...

... The Russian spearhead may be ordered to strike south to prevent the presumed deployment of US bases in Transcaucasia, to link up with the troops in Armenia, and take over the South Caucasus energy corridor along which Azeri, Turkmen and, other Caspian natural gas and oil may reach European markets. By one swift military strike Russia may ensure control of all the Caucasus and the Caspian states that were its former realm, establishing a fiat accompli the West, too preoccupied with Iran, would not reverse. 

This seems to be fairly speculative information, and the source, Russia's Interfax, is probably questionable.  Still, Putin is strengthening his hand.  Iran has affiliated, by default if nothing else, with the old Soviet Union and now Russia since the Shah was deposed, and the two nations are currently strongly allied.

The report states that Russia believes American involvement in an Israeli strike against Iran is "inevitable" given the limitations of Israel's resources.  The Russians expect the action to take place sometime this summer. 

Some of what is said has the flavor of disinformation or of a verbal feint to forestall cooperation by nations like Azerbaijan, but we saw how the Russians boldly intervened in Georgia in 2008, so anything is possible.  What is particularly disturbing about the scenario is how nicely it would play into the re-election plans of Obama while giving Putin cover to extend his control and influence in the old Soviet territories.  We know from Obama's hot mike blunder that he is basically in agreement with Putin's regime and more than willing to see Russia gain power and prestige at the expense of the United States.  An Iranian war could easily work to their mutual advantage politically.  

Read Brandon Smith's "Slave Mentality"

"Understanding the Slave Mentality" by Brandon Smith at Alt-Market.com

It is a fairly long piece, but it getting quite a bit of play at various sites so everyone may have read it already.  But if anyone happens to stumble by, follow the link.

I am particularly in agreement with Smith's comments on the obsession with the law.  I am a law-abiding citizen.  The Constitution is the law of the land.  It has never been repealed.  Certain aspects of it -- the Fourth Amendment comes to mind -- have been effectively abrogated by bad judicial support of the ever-expanding police powers under the War on Drugs and the War on Terror -- but it is still the law if it were taken seriously.  At some point, I have a hope that we will return to that foundation, perhaps under the duress of economic necessity. 

Certain laws or rulings can be ignored without being violated, you might say.  Abortion is a good example.  As long as abortions are voluntary, my job is to pray for women and to do everything I reasonably can to oppose abortion because I believe it is wrong.  As long as that is the case, killing abortion doctors, bombing clinics, and other violent actions are wrong.  However, should the day ever come that abortion becomes mandatory and an oppressive government forces women to kill their babies -- perhaps as a means of population control or in response to "climate change", all bets are off.  Then the murder of the innocent becomes a cause for stronger opposition and even violence if necessary. 

If the government tells us that we cannot burn Korans, we should disobey.  If the government says we cannot own, possess or carry firearms or other weapons, we should disobey.  If the government says, we cannot defend ourselves or our families from thugs and criminals, whether independent or government-sanctioned, I will disobey.  Every tyrant, whether elected or enthroned under the divine right of kings, has issued edicts, laws, rules, etc., that are oppressive and in violation of the basic human right to freedom and liberty.

We cannot be expected to go along with every ridiculous law or regulation simply because it is "law".  We cannot depend on the interpretation of the Supreme Court, either.  Many laws are "illegal" to anyone with even modicum of common sense or any understanding of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.  As the Second Amendment supporters say, what part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand?

Never Been to Spain

It's probably not just the ladies that are insane there.  U.S. markets are taking a bit of a hit today because the reality of the EU problem is not succumbing to the smoke-and-mirrors remedy.  Spain and Italy are a much bigger deal than Greece:

Spain saw borrowing costs rise and demand for its government bonds decline in the first auction since unveiling its latest austerity budget last week. The average yield on three-year paper came in at 2.89%—up from 2.44% in a previous sale in March. 

To put that in perspective the yield on 3-year U.S. Treasury bonds is 0.5% as of today.  What it means is that paying the interest on government bonds becomes prohibitively expensive.  Government can no longer be financed by debt and servicing the debt increases the debt load.

He added that there is a risk Spanish yields rise to a level where it gets too expensive to borrow money in the credit market and a contribution from the euro-zone rescue fund may be necessary. He also pointed to Italy as a concern. 

“If Italy and Spain need a bailout we’re talking about a major disaster,” De Leus said. “The rescue fund is not big enough for that.”

This is bad in Europe, and it has potential global repercussions, but it can easily come to a North American nation very near you.  In fact, if there is no course correction and barring the development of a perpetual motion machine or other technological advancement or unforeseen calamity, it is coming to America.

In their last meeting the Fed supposedly took further quantitative easing off the table.  But that is pure BS.  Bond-buying is still going on, if not by the Fed directly, by many banks with the same intent of boosting the money supply.  Inflation is real and growing and the markets know it, maybe not explicitly, but they know just the same.

Commodities are being beaten back a little today, which is what the Fed was hoping, but probably by the impending collapse of EU growth more than anything else.

In yet another potential harbinger of doom, the Austrian Central Bank has joined Bundesbank of Germany in rejecting bonds from the bailed-out nations of Ireland, Greece, and Portugal. 

The Bundesbank was the first of the region’s central banks to make use of a change in European Central Bank collateral rules announced on March 23. The ECB no longer obliges members to accept bank bonds guaranteed by governments “whose credit assessment does not comply with the benchmark for establishing its minimum requirement for high credit standards.”

 On the face of it, in terms of actual numbers, this isn't a really big deal since the banks usually get the loans via their own central banks anyway.  What is does signal is that monetary policy is decentralizing within the EU.  It is a baby step, perhaps, foreshadowing the eventual death of the euro.  

Whom Do You Trust? -- Israeli Version

Via Breitbart's "Big Peace", strange doings are afoot.  As a Christian and a supporter of Israel, perhaps most disturbing is finding that the Obama administration may have leaked the details of an agreement between Israel and Azerbaijan that would have allowed the Israelis to launch a strike against Iran.  The Islamic republic of Azerbaijan lies on the east coast of the Caspian Sea and borders Iran to the northeast.  Launching from an airbase in southern Azerbaijan would have enabled Israelis bombers to carry out a devastating attack deep into Iranian territory with minimal warning time, such that the mission would not necessarily end with the loss of planes or personnel. 

Quoting John Xenakis:

This situation is causing a diplomatic firestorm, as it's beginning to appear that the Obama administration purposely leaked the Azerbaijan story in order to make it more difficult for Israel to use the base as a springboard to launch an attack on Iran. (It's worth noting that a direct attack from Israel to Iran would require crossing air space monitored or controlled by the U.S., so launching from Azerbaijan would allow Israel to keep the attack secret from Washington until it's well underway.)

So why would Obama do this?  I don't know.  Maybe the same reason that Jimmy Earl sat with his thumb up his butt while our ally the Shah was deposed and Islamic radicals took over Iran in the first place.  Did that ever work out well.  His stupidity cost Americans dearly and continues to do so to this very day.  It may be that only Jesus coming back can fix the mess in the Middle East, but there is no sense in making it worse than it needs to be.  Since Obama has managed to equal or exceed the magnificent failure of Jimmy Earl in so many areas already, I think it quite possible that he will fail so spectacularly with regard to Iran and Israel that he will easily capture his sought-after place in history as Worst President Ever.

I should say something positive about Carter.  He did, very reluctantly, under pressure from David Rockefeller and others, permit the exiled Shah to enter the U.S. for medical treatment.  This is sometimes considered the actual cause for the subsequent Embassy take-over and hostage crisis.  While it may have been the excuse, it was the Shah's alignment with the non-Moslem West, the U.S. in particular, that stirred the fundamentalists' ire against him in the first place -- aided by Soviet propaganda that depicted the Shah's regime as excessively oppressive.  He was our friend and ally, and we failed to support him.  And by "we", I mean Baptist Sunday School teacher James Earl Carter.