-Caveat Lector- Dear William Bacon,
The masons are not mentioned in the litmus test. And as far as I am informed, Robert Welch, the founder of JBS, was a mason. Thus I will place the JBS inside the conspiracy. Yours, Ole Gerstrom, Copenhagen, Denmark ----- Original Message ----- From: "William Bacon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2004 1:42 PM Subject: [CTRL] JBS litmus test | -Caveat Lector- | | Subject: Re: [JBirch] Fellow Conservatives, I need your help now!!! | | P.S. I'm pasting in the litmus test I use on everyone. This determines | whether a liberal is trying to creep in the book. Everyone enjoy. Where | do you stand on the issues? Are you a true John Bircher? | | | THE TOPICS: | | A. ABORTION | | 1. Unborn children are by definition human beings from the | point of conception onward. As such, they deserve the right | to live and enter into this world unharmed, irrespective of | any 'inconvenience' or 'burden' this may cause the mother. | Morally speaking, abortion is tantamount to murder, and so, | must not remain legal. | 2. Although abortion certainly should be avoided whenever | possible, it is permissible under certain circumstances | including rape, incest, or in utero threats to the life of | the mother. Modest legal restrictions such as parental | notification are both acceptable and warranted. | 3. A woman's ability to choose whether to take a pregnancy to | term is her fundamental right as a human being. There are | significant moral differences between a fetus and a | full-fledged human being, especially in the first two | trimesters (during which the vast majority of abortions take | place). There should be NO restrictions on a woman's right to | choose. | | Please select one: 123 | | ________________________________________________________________________________ | | B. ANIMAL RIGHTS | | 1. Whether by God's will or by virtue of our inherent | superiority, human beings rightly hold dominion over all the | earth and its diverse creatures. As such, we have every right | to do as we wish with our other co-inhabitants on this | planet, provided we show ample respect for them or His | Creation. | 2. Generally speaking, cruelty to animals^whether in the | form of abusive husbandry practices, gratuitous | entertainment, or cosmetic testing^should be phased out in | deference to their basic integrity as living, feeling beings. | Nonetheless, their status as 'lesser beings' is | uncontroversial. | 3. Although granting basic rights to other animals is | obviously a distant prospect, humans should endeavor to end | their flagrant exploitation of their evolutionary kin, | especially mammals and other conscious beings. Vegetarianism, | non-animal scientific research, the cessation of so-called | 'sport' hunting, and the development of animal-free household | goods should be given serious priority. | | Please select one: 123 | | ________________________________________________________________________________ | | C. CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY | | 1. As the driving force of entrepreneurialism and job | creation in our society, business must be given as free a | hand as possible in the general marketplace. Consumers and | shareholders can adequately hold corporations accountable | through their purchasing and investment decisions. | 2. In order to keep business accountable to the general | public, campaign finance reform measures, more transparent | accounting rules, and greater environmental and worker safety | protections should be enacted. But the exclusive right of | companies to control investment should not be abridged. | 3. Corporations have become so huge and unaccountable to | workers, communities, and the environment that far-reaching | reforms are now necessary. These might include any or all of | the following: a return to charter revocation, vigorous | antitrust campaigns, and official democratic representation | by workers and communities on company boards of directors. | | Please select one: 123 | | ________________________________________________________________________________ | | D. EDUCATION | | 1. Our educational system is in shambles. Average test scores | are lagging those of other industrialized nations, especially | in the areas of math and reading comprehension. To remedy | this situation, not only must we get back to basics, but we | must move to a private voucher system in order to give | teachers the incentives they need to do a good job and to | finally give parents true choice in the education market. | Measures such as English-only classrooms, teacher competency | exams, and a return to school prayer should also be | considered. | 2. Public education does indeed face serious challenges. But | rather than move toward a private voucher system, which could | seriously divert much-needed funds from our public school | system, other reforms should take precedence. These might | include any or all of the following: a reduction in classroom | size, the introduction of merit-pay programs, national | academic performance standards, and the creation of charter | and magnet schools with community-tailored educational | priorities. | 3. American education is in a state of crisis, due mainly to | a lack of sufficient funding. Many poorly paid teachers are | either leaving the profession or languishing in deteriorating | classrooms, many of which don't even have textbooks. With the | exception of vouchers (a scam to divert scarce public funds | into private coffers), many excellent proposals have been put | forth to improve the situation. But none will have any | substantial or lasting effect without a major boost in | federal and state funding. This is especially important in | poor areas that still depend on an outmoded and grossly | unequal property-tax revenue stream. | | Please select one: 123 | | ________________________________________________________________________________ | | E. ENVIRONMENT | | 1. Although considerable challenges remain, the problems of | air and water pollution have greatly diminished, especially | in countries where the free market has been allowed to | flourish. What's needed are fewer complicated regulations and | less red tape so that business people and entrepreneurs have | the incentives they need to improve our quality of life even | more. | 2. Due largely to strong anti-pollution rules enacted since | the 1970s, extensive progress has been made toward a cleaner, | healthier environment. New public-private conservation | programs, investments in renewable resources and energy | efficiency, and flexible pollution control mechanisms like | tradeable permits will ensure that we remain on the right | track. | 3. Species are becoming extinct at a rate unprecedented in | recorded history, only a fraction of our original forest | cover remains intact, toxic substances are proliferating | throughout the globe (impacting the poorest communities the | greatest), and global warming looms large on the horizon. Not | only are stronger environmental protections needed, but | natural resources and the ecological services nature provides | must become explicitly accounted for in everyday economic | decision-making in both the public and private sectors. | | Please select one: 123 | | ________________________________________________________________________________ | | F. FOREIGN POLICY | | 1. Throughout our nation's history, America has stood for two | cardinal principles: liberty and democracy. Whether through | our anti-Nazi campaigns in World War II, our anti-communist | resolve throughout the Cold War (and in Vietnam), or our | recent liberation of Kuwait from Saddam Hussein and Kosovo | from Slobodan Milosevic, the U.S. has always been and must | continue to be a powerful force for freedom in human affairs. | This will require us to maintain the world's pre-eminent | military arsenal both at home and in allied territories. | 2. Although our nation has made a number of tactical foreign | policy blunders^most particularly in Vietnam and in some | areas of Central America^U.S. policymakers have attempted to | maintain peace and stability throughout the world. With the | growing threats of terrorism, rogue states, and biological | warfare now coming to the fore, we will need to maintain a | strong military infrastructure (albeit a proportionally | scaled back one) in the interest of national security. | 3. The only thing that's changed with regard to U.S. foreign | policy since the end of the Cold War is that now American | military leaders can exert their will throughout the globe | without significant resistance. Fundamentally, U.S. foreign | policy is about maintaining and expanding our access to | critical natural resources, cheap labor, and markets for | surplus goods, even if this means supporting brutal dictators | (e.g., Indonesia's Suharto and, before 1990, Iraq's Hussein). | In the interest of true peace and justice, the U.S. military | must be cut at least in half and genuine multilateral | cooperation in accordance with the U.N. Charter must become a | central operating principle. | | Please select one: 123 | | ________________________________________________________________________________ | | G. GLOBALIZATION | | 1. Provided American sovereignty is not being compromised, | the ongoing globalization of commerce is cause for | celebration, not lament. Since fewer trade barriers means | greater opportunities to sell goods and services to the rest | of the world, Americans will benefit in the form of new jobs | and higher earnings. Moreover, increased trade between | countries is leading to higher standards, not only in product | quality but in environmental and worker protections | worldwide. | 2. The process of globalization has admittedly had negative | impacts on certain sectors of the economy (particularly | textiles and manufacturing). Nonetheless, overseas | investments and exports by American companies are | skyrocketing, a trend which has resulted in steady gains for | shareholders and workers alike. To lessen the blow to those | who have been displaced, worker re-training and educational | programs should be expanded. | 3. While globalization has prompted an explosion of cultural | interchange between nations, it has also led to the | homogenization of goods and services by colossal | transnational corporations (TNCs). These TNCs are wielding | ever-increasing power over national and local governments, | many of which are being forced to lower environmental | standards, shred public safety nets, and thwart unionization | drives in the interest of attracting investment. Global | investment rules holding corporations accountable should be | enacted and taxes on international transactions should be | levied to fund much-needed conservation efforts and | locally-focused development programs. | | Please select one: 123 | | ________________________________________________________________________________ | | H. HEALTH CARE | | 1. The American health care system is the envy of the world. | The only thing that's needed is increased competition in the | health care market to lower costs, improve quality, and | expand access to those currently uninsured. To be sure, other | reforms are needed like Medical Savings Accounts to let | people earmark money for their future health care needs. What | should be avoided is any further government intrusion into | the health care market. | 2. Although America's health care system is undoubtedly | first-rate, costs have been rising significantly in recent | years, forcing millions to forgo even basic health insurance. | In order that everyone can afford quality health care, | managed competition reforms should be put into law to allow | people to pool their purchasing power in the open | marketplace. Moreover, for uninsured children and the poorest | of the poor, tax credits and vouchers should be administered | to ensure universal coverage. | 3. Health care is a basic human right. Costs have been | soaring because huge Health Maintenance Organizations have | become bloated bureaucracies that demand ever-growing profit | margins in an increasingly oligopolistic market. Private | insurance companies need to be phased out of the health care | business and a universal health care system should be | established similar to those now prevalent in Europe and the | rest of the industrialized world. | | Please select one: 123 | | ________________________________________________________________________________ | | I. RACE RELATIONS | | 1. Race relations have become severely strained in recent | years as bankrupt '60s era policies have finally taken their | toll. Whites have grown resentful of minorities who are seen | as receiving undue preferences in hiring and education. In | order to restore civil harmony, so-called 'affirmative | action' must be abolished and replaced with rededicated | efforts to enforce existing civil rights statutes and expand | outreach and educational opportunities to disadvantaged | youth. | 2. Although many whites have grown increasingly wary of | affirmative action, the fact is that it has played a | significant role in integrating America's work force and has | increased opportunities for millions of previously overlooked | women and minorities. Nonetheless, egregious instances of | reverse discrimination persist. Therefore, affirmative action | must be amended, not ended, by enacting provisions to ensure | that ALL qualified candidates receive due consideration in | hiring and education. | 3. Accounts of affirmative action's abuses are greatly | exaggerated. Majorities of almost all minority groups and | most women still support affirmative action because they know | that the levers of power are still disproportionately | controlled by white men. If anything, affirmative action | should be strengthened by emphasizing outreach to the | economically disadvantaged. Race relations will only markedly | improve when the economic chasm that now exists between | different ethnic groups is substantially diminished. | | Please select one: 123 | | ________________________________________________________________________________ | | J. SEXUAL ORIENTATION | | 1. Homosexuality is an unnatural and generally unhealthy | lifestyle. No special allowances or privileges should be | granted to homosexuals on the basis of their freely chosen | behavior. In particular, there should be no revision of our | anti-discrimination statutes or expansion of the legal | definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. | 2. There is no logical or moral justification for | discriminating against people on the basis of their sexual | orientation. Anti-sodomy laws should be struck down and | explicit civil rights protection should be granted to gays | and lesbians. In order to bring these changes about, however, | gay rights activists should abandon their 'in-your-face' | tactics and overt public displays, as these tend to reduce | popular support for such objectives. | 3. All discriminatory practices against gays and lesbians | should be declared illegal, in both the public and private | sectors. While cordiality and respect must be maintained, | gays and lesbians must never resort to 'hiding' who they | really are to the general public. After all, the freedom to | be open, honest, and comfortable about their identity is | rightfully the ultimate goal of the gay liberation movement. | | Please select one: 123 | | ________________________________________________________________________________ | | K. TAXATION | | 1. Big government is completely out of control. Hard-working | Americans are doing all they can to make ends meet, due | largely to excessive income and payroll taxes imposed upon | them by tax-and-spend liberals. It's time for fundamental | reform of our taxation system, either through the adoption of | a fairer and simpler flat tax or the replacement of our | current income tax with some form of a national sales tax. | 2. Americans certainly deserve tax relief. But rather than | scrap our current progressive taxation system based on | people's ability to pay, other reforms should first be | considered. These might include a simplification of existing | tax brackets, the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, | or college and vocational training tax credits for the | working poor and the middle class. | 3. The economic hardships that most Americans face are | attributable mainly to stagnant wages being paid out by | corporate America, not over-taxation by government. Still, | certain tax reforms deserve consideration such as lowering | the bottom and raising the top income tax levels or replacing | much, if not all, of the current income tax with pollution | taxes on companies that release contaminants into our soil, | air, and water. | | Please select one: 123 | | ________________________________________________________________________________ | | L. WORKERS' RIGHTS | | 1. Unions already exert too much influence in the public | arena, whether through misplaced campaigns against NAFTA and | welfare reform or through well-heeled PACs in state | legislatures and the halls of Congress. Moreover, their | rights to organize and strike are more than adequately | protected by existing labor law. Attempts by labor activists | to push for protectionist measures and coercive regulations | in international trade agreements are both wrong-headed and | ultimately self-defeating. | 2. While organized labor undoubtedly helped scuttle the | proposed 'fast-track' expansion of NAFTA and the Multilateral | Agreement on Investments, the power of unions has actually | greatly diminished since the 1970s. As companies have become | more global in scale, they have gained greater leverage over | their workforces. To help even the playing field between | workers and owners, modest measures should be enacted like | increased funding for the Department of Labor and expanded | unemployment insurance. | 3. Corporate America routinely outspends labor by a factor of | at least three to one in federal elections. This fact, in | concert with big business's ongoing union-busting drives | since the 1970s, has led to stagnant wages for most Americans | and forced a precipitous decline in union membership. In | order that working people may once again have effective | representation, corporate contributions to public officials | should be greatly curbed (if not banned), workers' rights to | organize should be vigorously protected, and the ability of | companies to hire replacement workers during a strike should | be made illegal. | | Please select one: 123 | | | | | ________________________________________________________________________________ | | | | "I pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to | the REPUBLIC for which it stands, one Nation under God,indivisible,with | liberty and justice for all." | | visit my web site at | http://www.voicenet.com/~wbacon My ICQ# is 79071904 | for a precise list of the powers of the Federal Government linkto: | http://www.voicenet.com/~wbacon/Enumerated.html | | www.ctrl.org | DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER | ========== | CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic | screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�?"not soap-boxing�?"please! These are | sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�?"with its many half-truths, mis- | directions and outright frauds�?"is used politically by different groups with | major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. | That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and | always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no | credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. | | Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. | ======================================================================== | Archives Available at: | | http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ | <A HREF="http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> | ======================================================================== | To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: | SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] | | To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: | SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] | | Om www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
