“Berkeley’s actions may be detestable and unpatriotic, however Code Pink attempts to explain them. However, the Senators trying to cut off funds in order to punish Berkeley are rather hypocritical. South Carolina argues that, as a state, it has every right to incorporate the Confederate flag into its flag, even though that is the flag of a domestic insurgency that dwarfs Al Qaeda and, in fact, killed more Americans than all of America’s other conflicts put together. Additionally, the same Senators speak about the earmarks being government waste. I agree, there should be no earmarks, but their states are the worst transgressors. I also agree with their perspective that the federal government should not be able to tell states and localities what to do, outside of what is permitted in the Bill of Rights, but that is what they are trying to do now. Berkeley consumes very little federal money, but contributes a monstrous amount of the money. I am not defending Berkeley’s actions, but making a big deal out of it, only provides the publicity Code Pink wants and serves no public good. The Senators would do well to spend their time on introspection instead of grandstanding.

Berkeley’s residents generate over $3.1 billion dollars of taxable income at a median household income of over $50,000. If they were to stop contributing income tax and pay those taxes to local government, Berkeley would benefit by approximately $800 million dollars, assuming Berkeley’s median tax rate of 25%. That equals about half of the Marine Corps’ personnel budget and is hundreds of times the size of federal funds granted to Berkeley.

According to the Tax Foundation, South Carolina costs the federal government $1.38 for every $1 it contributes. Three of the sponsoring senators are from Oklahoma or Louisiana. Those states cost $1.48 and $1.45 per dollar contributed, respectively. The senators should feel free to condemn Berkeley’s actions, but depriving Berkeley of federal funds is biting the hand that feeds, clothes, educates and protects you. California is the cash cow for needy states. The least senators from such states could do is let California run itself, instead of trying to stop funds from going into the state.”

Young Billy tosses around epithets like “total and utter treason”, “wing nut”, “communist”, and “fascist” when he writes about leftists who are U.S. citizens (hint), then he has the effrontery to call us “totally and utterly hysterical” when we point out his errors of logic.

Can he see the irony here?

I’ll admit that Billy has a real talent for the infelicitous phrase, as when he so clumsily says using the word treason was a “comparative” measure.

Around here, we have a phrase for evasive talk like that— we call it “total bullshit”.

Democrats have long known that there is no higher form of patriotism than to speak out in opposition to our government’s policies when we think they’re wrong, and no amount of Republican fulminating will force us to stop that practice.

It amazes me that Republicans have never learned that truth, and still insist on demonizing those who speak out against a government gone wrong.

Article III Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution defines treason as follows:

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.

As Billy perhaps knows, though you’d never guess it from his windy screed, the actions of the Berkeley City Council, right or wrong, don’t qualify as treason, legally.

You would think, in making an appeal to the patriotic sensibility of John Q. Public, the intelligent appellant would frame his words in measured language suitable to the seriousness of the subject.

But it seems there are some vocal antagonists on the right who, like the bearer of the Roman fasces, would call down the wrath of the government on those who are simply exercising those rights that our vociferous countrymen so loudly assure us are being defending by our military.

I am sure that the wheels of justice will grind, however slowly, to address any acts of treason committed in future by the Berkley City Council.

In the meantime, I don’t expect to hear a judge issue vacuous verbiage that implies innocent citizens should be executed.

First, young Billy tells us that “In a show of what appeared to be total and utter treason, the city of Berkeley told Marine recruiters that they wanted them to close up shop…” and calls the actions of the Berkeley City Council “fascist”.

Then he bravely informs us that “innocent men and women are fighting for their right to be so outlandishly foolish.”

Oh, really?

The U.S. Marine Corps is fighting for the right of U.S. citizens to commit what Billy says appears to be “total and utter treason”?

I certainly hope not.

I’m beginning to think that Billy isn’t smart enough to see how inconsistent he is, and why his writing is so incoherent.

It’s laughable that such an incompetent and unpersuasive writer has the gall to think he knows what’s ‘enlightened’, and what’s not.