Chertoff on Real ID: We're not Kidding

Of course DHS isn't kidding about the Real ID. Because you can't kid when the jokes on you.

Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff has come out today saying that all states must comply with the mandate from the Feds, otherwise travelers won't be able to board planes at airports. Reaction from states like South Carolina, Maine, and Montana? I would describe it as making a loose fist, putting it in the general vicinity of ones nether regions, and shaking vigorously. Oh, and don't forget to throw in a rolling of the eyes.

Montana's Governor REALLY doesn't like the REAL ID, listen to an interview he gave recently to NPR here. I've never heard of a governor actually saying "blah blah blah" on the radio in an official interview. It's friggin hilarious. Here's what DHS's reaction to Montana:

On Friday, the federal agency granted Montana an extension, even though state officials didn't ask for one and insist they will not adhere to the Real ID law.

Go Montana.

Montana is Awesome Part II

Throw this brief interview of Democratic governor Brian Schweitzer on the Real ID along with Montana's stance on the 2nd Amendment on that growing pile of evidence that Montana is the awesomest state in the Union. The "Live Free or Die" state of New Hampshire has nothing on Montana.

Not really having to do with Montana but with the liabilities of the Real ID, Kerry Howley at Reason mag says one group of citizens who is extra vulnerable:

Organizations such as the National Network to End Domestic Violence contend that stores of half-guarded data would empower stalkers, violent exes, and obsessive abusers hunting for information. Abuse survivors are living repudiations of the assumption that only criminals need seek the comforts of anonymity.

Read the whole thing here

Secession Fever! Catch it!

Montana is making noise about it because of their stance on the 2nd Amendment. Vermont has always had a secession streak as well. But the Lakotah Indians went ahead and announced their withdrawal from all treaties with the United States back in December. Now I don't know if it's technically secession, but what they are doing is declaring their independence. So go with it.

The big question, of course, is how is Washington DC going to react? We haven't had to deal with a secession question since the Civil War, and we all know how that turned out. But how can our country support the independence of say, Kosovo, and not support the withdrawal and independence of the Indians here?

My imagination does go wild with the possibilities of the restoration of a country in the middle of the United States that doesn't have to deal with the bureaucracy and burden of dealing with a heavy-handed federal government (they've already said there wouldn't be an income tax). What if they create and develop a sound, asset-backed currency that wasn't controlled by a central bank? Investment by companies and individuals would pour into their country. If they developed strict secrecy and privacy laws for their banks, they could be like Liechtenstein but here in North America. That in itself would bring untold prosperity to the indians. Just by banks respecting privacy rights for its customers (which is something we don't have here).

Anyway, here's Russell Means talking about it:

First Montana, Now Liechtenstein?

Awesome:

The government of Liechtenstein on Wednesday detailed plans to strengthen privacy guarantees for the investment vehicles at the center of a tax evasion scandal in Germany, a move that might prevent this tiny Alpine country from exiting a short black-list of international tax havens.

But wait, it gets awesomer:

Liechtenstein maintains that whether Germans or other foreigners with Liechtenstein-based bank accounts or foundations pay their taxes is none of its business. Klaus Tschütscher, the Liechtenstein justice minister, said foundations should not be tarred with a bad reputation just because some Germans might have set them up in order to avoid taxes, saying that was a separate matter.

"The Germans say, "Take this product off the market because some Germans may be using it wrongly," Tschütscher said at a news conference in Vaduz, the capital. "If someone puts their money in a mattress to avoid paying taxes, I can't say, 'You have to stop making mattresses.' "

It's the equivalent of the "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" argument. Good for them, at least some common sense is prevailing in Europe. Now if we can bring some of that back to this country we'll be all right. (Thanks to Montana for keeping hope alive here.)