Monthly Archives: November 2012

Nov 29 2012

Rampant Wasteful Spending in Pentagon Budget

Originally posted at the Coalition to Reduce Spending

Some lawmakers claim that we cannot afford to cut a dime of Pentagon spending. That is simply untrue. Like every federal government department, the Department of Defense is susceptible to wasteful spending and pet projects. Perhaps more so because many lawmakers do not seriously scrutinize the Pentagon budget for fear of being perceived as “weak on defense.”

But the reality is that a large chunk of the DOD budget has nothing to do with defending this country.  Since the number one national security threat is our $16 trillion national debt, we must be willing to cut spending in all areas of government.  We all want a safe and stable country which means that we cannot afford to spend taxpayer money on unnecessary projects that have nothing to do with protecting our national security. There are tons of duplicative programs, unnecessary weapons that Pentagon officials do not even want, funding for bizarre studies, and more ridiculous spending in the Pentagon budget.

Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma has created a booklet called the “Department of Everything” to highlight wasteful spending in the Pentagon budget. Here are some examples of ludicrous spending from his report that should outrage every taxpayer.

How Does This Fall Within the Mission of the Department of Defense?

  • The Pentagon runs its own microbreweries and U.S. based liquor stores.
  • The Pentagon gave $1.2 billion to grocery stores in 2012.
  • The DOD will spend at least $580 million this year on programs to promote global health.
  • The DOD has committed $180 million to widen parts of U.S. highways.
  • The DOD has 127 separate programs for elementary and high school students to encourage the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
  • The Pentagon is involved in space weather monitoring, research, and forecasts.
  • The Pentagon funds breast cancer and prostate cancer research.
  • The Pentagon runs U.S. schools when public schools are less than a mile away–the Pentagon run elementary and junior high school at Dahlgren only has five students in the fifth grade, three students in the seventh grade!
  • The Pentagon recently partnered with the Department of Agricultural to produce a reality cooking show called Grill it Safe.

Many of these programs are overlapping. (i.e. at least six different federal departments fund breast cancer research.)

Ridiculous Studies Funded by Our Taxpayer Dollars

  • The Navy funded research on what the behavior of fish can teach us about democracy.
  • The Navy and Air Force funded a study that compared the jargon that New Yorkers vs. Californians use on Twitter.
  • The Air Force Office of Scientific Research funded a study that examined how to make it easier to produce silk from wild cocoons in Africa and South America.
  • The Navy funded research on developing an iPhone app to alert users when it is the best time to take a coffee break.
  • The Pentagon funded a conference that included a session titled “Did Jesus Die for Klingons too?”
  • The Pentagon has spent more than $1.5 million to develop its own beef jerky roll ups treats.
  • The Air Force funded a study on if men holding guns appear taller, stronger, and more masculine than those not holding guns.
  • The Office of Naval Research funded research on the social interactions between robots and babies.
  • The Air Force funded a study on the feather colors of the first birds on Earth. They concluded that their feathers were most likely black.
  • The Pentagon has spent about $6 million studying the science of storytelling.

Green Energy Scams in the Pentagon Budget

  • The DOD launched more than 100 wasteful renewable energy initiatives in 2010. That number is higher than the Department of Energy.
  • The Pentagon is purchasing Chevy Volts as part of their green initiative program. These cars cost around $40,000 to buy but cost as much as $89,000 to produce.
  • The Air Force is spending $14 million on converting three Alaskan radar stations from diesel to wind turbine energy.

Please check out Senator Coburn’s full report for more details.

There is clearly a lot of wasteful and unnecessary spending in the Pentagon budget. Yet, too few lawmakers are willing to cut a dime out of the DOD budget. Many are even unwilling to reduce the percent by which future Pentagon spending increases–this is what the sequester would do.

Contrary to rhetoric by some lawmakers, sensible Pentagon cuts will not destroy our military. It is time to get serious about the national debt and cut wasteful spending across the board.

Nov 13 2012

Tips on Creating a Libertarian YouTube Channel

I occasionally get messages from people who are interested in starting a libertarian themed YouTube channel and ask me for tips. I am no expert and I am still learning what works on YouTube. But instead of typing out the same message over and over, I thought I would make a comprehensive public post. Also, this is just what I do. This may not work for everyone.

1. Just Start a Channel.

Think of a topic, film yourself talking about the topic (it’s alright to use a cheap video camera), edit if necessary (windows movie maker is okay to use), post it online, and wait. Content is more important than quality for people new to making videos.

I had no idea what I was doing when I started my channel. I barely knew how to post a video online. But I learned as I went. Your first videos may not be that good but that’s normal. It’s awkward to talk to a camera and then post it online for strangers to see. You’ll get more used to it overtime. Build up your subscribers before you make perfect videos with fancy equipment.

2. Make Entertaining Videos.

This is something that I had to learn. Ask yourself: (if I was someone else) would I want to watch this video? If the answer is no, change it up.

Learn what works on YouTube by watching popular YouTube channels (not necessarily political.) People who watch YouTube have very, very short attention spans. Make the first few seconds count or people will find another video to watch. Use funny facial expressions. Use your arms when you speak. Funny sounds. Talk fast. Whatever. Keep them guessing.

Be sure to be informative too! Entertaining + informative = success.

3. Make Short Videos.

With few exceptions, YouTube videos should be under 5 minutes. You can probably do longer videos if you have a large subscriber base. But to start off with, probably best to keep them just a couple of minutes long.

4. Update Regularly.

YouTube recommends posting a new video three times a week. That is probably unrealistic for most people. If you want a successful channel, I would say to post a new video at least a couple of times a month.

5. Let the Haters Hate.

Don’t let the YouTube trolls get to you. No matter how awesome, good looking, smart, etc. you actually are, there will be someone posting mean comments on your video. These people just want to get a reaction out of you. Don’t let them.

I usually just ignore them or leave a funny/silly comment. But don’t let them discourage you. It takes guts to put your face out there on the Internet. But with that said, please do listen to constructive criticism and adjust your videos accordingly. Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works.

6. Make Videos about Current Events.

Look at what people are talking about on social media. See what’s trending on Twitter. See if you can put a libertarian spin on something in the news. People are more likely to stumble upon your video through searches if you tie it to a current event. People are also more likely to share your video if it’s tied to a current event. This also increases the likelihood that people outside of the liberty movement will watch your videos (you may be able to convince them!) The most rewarding thing for me is when I get messages from liberals or neoconservatives saying that I opened their mind or changed their opinion on a topic. It’s a good goal to reach a larger audience than just libertarians that already agree with you.

Don’t forget to use tags!

7. Respond to Your Viewers.

Develop a relationship with people that watch your videos. Respond to messages. Reply to comments. People are more likely to continue watching your videos and subscribe to your channel (so they get your new uploads in their feed) if you communicate with them.

8. Connect With Other Libertarian YouTubers.

Try to connect with people who make similar videos. It is mutually beneficial for both of you. You can ask to “box for box.” Meaning you put their channel on your YouTube homepage, if they do the same for you.  (You can see mine under featured channels on my homepage.)

Check your settings and make sure that you have everything checked under the sharing tab (this will notify subscribers in their feed when you like, comment on another video, etc.) When I like another libertarian’s video, the video shows up in my subscriber’s feed. When the libertarian YouTuber likes my video, it shows up in their subscriber’s feed. Since we have subscribers with similar interests, this benefits both of us.

They will also be more likely to share your videos on their social networks if you share their videos on yours.

9. Share Your Videos.

The best place to share your videos is probably Twitter. I’d recommend getting on Twitter if you aren’t already. Use the hash tags #tcot (top conservatives on Twitter) or #tlot (top libertarians on Twitter) which enables you to reach a lot of like minded people. Facebook is good too if you have many libertarians on your friends list. Also, post on Reddit. Share, share, share.

10. Spread the Message of Liberty.

Remember that the more people that watch your videos, the more people that are exposed to the ideas of liberty. That’s what it’s all about: changing hearts and minds. If you just want a lot of YouTube views or you just want to go viral, you’re better off starting a makeup channel or a video game review channel. Be a good representative for liberty and try not to turn away from the liberty movement :)