Why Are You Connected to Human Traffickers?

Townhall.com ^ | February 6, 2011 | Kevin McCullough

[Vendome]

saw the “insuring” and also thought “ensuring”.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rico_act

Under the law, racketeering activity means:

Pattern of racketeering activity requires at least two acts of racketeering activity, one of which occurred after the effective date of this chapter and the last of which occurred within ten years (excluding any period of imprisonment) after the commission of a prior act of racketeering activity.

The U.S. Supreme Court has instructed federal courts to follow the continuity-plus-relationship test in order to determine whether the facts of a specific case give rise to an established pattern. Predicate acts are related if they “have the same or similar purposes, results, participants, victims, or methods of commission, or otherwise are interrelated by distinguishing characteristics and are not isolated events.” Continuity is both a closed and open ended concept, referring to either a closed period of conduct, or to past conduct that by its nature projects into the future with a threat of repetition.

Under RICO, a person who is a member of an enterprise that has committed any two of 35 crimes—27 federal crimes and 8 state crimes—within a 10-year period can be charged with racketeering. Those found guilty of racketeering can be fined up to $25,000 and sentenced to 20 years in prison per racketeering count. In addition, the racketeer must forfeit all ill-gotten gains and interest in any business gained through a pattern of “racketeering activity.” RICO also permits a private individual harmed by the actions of such an enterprise to file a civil suit; if successful, the individual can collect treble damages.

[dagogo redux]

Taxes are collected, ultimately, at the point of a gun. They are theft perpetrated by a sleazy protection racket, and the illusion that I have some great influence on how the local and DC mobs spend this money is absurd.

I may feel victimized by all this, but I am not personally guilty for the horrors that flow from this process.

[jmacusa]

Hey Kevin, lets see your W2. You think with your phony self-righteousness your taxes(if you pay any) aren’t going to the abortion mills? What, you get a special exemption?

[jmacusa]

Then the author should lead by example. Talk is cheap.

[reasonisfaith]

This post seems to make the author’s point more unclear: “then you need to do something about it.”

What is the “something?”

[RoadTest]

I’m not responsible for what the government does because I didn’t vote for it. I voted against it.

[goodwithagun]

Writing and publishing the article helps. He’s doing more than any of us, just sitting around b****ing about it on FR.

[majormaturity]

Your position sounds very much like what the average German citizens said in 1940..THEY weren’t personally operating the death camps, so why make a stink? They were required by law to pay their taxes, and so they claimed they had no control over the use of the tax money...Another good reason to abolish income taxation and switch to a national sales tax - you can vote by simply reducing your discretionary spending and starving the government until it listens - or you could quit your job and become self-employed, and then refuse to send in your taxes - don’t be cynical - if enough people did this, the battle would be won...and in case you think that no one would ever do such a thing, then you have no clue the price paid by the patriots in 1776...

[momtothree]

I don’t think I sound like the average German person in 1940. Most of them supported the Reich. What I am saying is that the government passes laws all the time not supported by the majority of tax payers or voters. I do vote Pro-life, support pro-life groups financially, etc... I agree with your view of a national sales tax. Personally, the thought that my money is being used to kill innocents is disgusting and disturbing. I wish a candidate would step up and support no federal funding for abortions... however, I don’t think that will happen anytime soon. Perhaps, I am too jaded. Just a thought.

[jmacusa]

I’ve done more in my time than bs on FR. I used to be a liberal and believed in abortion on demand. I’m no longer a liberal and I no longer believe in abortion(save in cases of rape/incest) I demonstrated in front of a Planned ParentHood clinic in NJ a few years ago.

[majormaturity]

“Most of them supported the Reich.” That is my point. Taking the view that “I obey the laws, I am helpless as to what happens to my money after the government collects it” is no justification for what happens. We must seek a way to de-fund a government that does not express our wills. That is what the Boston Tea party was about...