Jumping Smoke

A smokejumper descends toward a forest fire. Photograph by J.M. Greany, courtesy USDA Forest Service.

Smokejumpers’ Stories

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbHwPxCGb2tOCky3VLOd4DiMdBTstrgWI&feature=shared

Montana’s Healing Power

I don’t know who will win the primary election nominations. I do know that with tomorrow’s rising sun there will be birds singing, flowers blossoming and fish swimming under a blue sky with sun-washed clouds for another beautiful day.

In the years I was asked to stay informed about the antics of our right-wing lunatic fringe, I found it helpful to step back and do everyday things so as not to be upset by their kooky, crazy and sometimes criminal crusading. Let’s all make an effort to stay mentally healthy during these upcoming election months by remembering that when its all over we’ll continue to live our lives for what each of us has to offer.

I intend to read aloud Norman MacLean’s novella, “A River Runs Through It,” at johnbdriscoll.blogspot.com and may also read his book, “Young Men and Fire,” to commemorate this August’s 75th Anniversary of the Mann Gulch Fire in the mountains north of Helena. 

 

Finding Common Ground

Montana Libertarians’Congressional Candidate Scorecard

Candidate Name: John B Driscoll

Interview Date: May 27, 2024

 

Position Sought: U.S.House Montana District 2

Key Issues and Evaluation Criteria

Originalism

Question: Do you believe the US Constitution should be adhered to as understood at ratification? 

Candidate’s response:

In that time the nation was founded by white men, mostly slave holders, usually packing muskets. Too much has changed and so a great effort has to be made to apply the enlightened principles of the constitution and bill of rights to modern challenges. The greatest danger now is a counter-revolution that ends all the gains since the enlightenment underlying French Revolution and American Revolution. Hitler’s Third Reich was such a Counter-Revolution. I favor continuing to limit the power of tyrants while advancing the individual rights of human beings.

 

 Score (1-5): _______

Comments: 

 

Foreign Aid - (Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, etc…)

 

Question: What is your stance on U.S. foreign aid to all countries (including Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan) and its impact on national sovereignty and taxpayers?

 

Candidate's Response: 

We need to square off properly against Putin’s Russia with a Declaration of War, because of NATO  commitments, our commitment to protect Ukraine in return for giving up their Nukes, our September 2001 Congressional authorization of force against Terrorism (nuclear in this case), the need for a formal Declaration to permit all state guard units to operate overseas, and the terrible damage inflicted by Russia on a peaceful neighboring country. To communicate our seriousness suspend all other military engagements not contributing to the eventual defeat of Russia.

Discontinue aid to Taiwan unless we declare war on China.

Discontinue aid to Israel and Saudi Arabia. Their wars are no longer our wars. 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

War Powers

 

Question: Do you support the repealing of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force and bringing our troops home from all current military engagements where war has not properly been declared?

 

Candidate's Response:

Yes. I support repealing of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force passed in the aftermath of the 9/11 Attacks, and I support bringing home our troops from all current military engagements where war has not been formally declared. I also support no first use of nuclear weapons unless war has been declared.

      For all future conflicts, including transfers of weapons to nations engaged in active conflict, I support congressional declarations of war on the assumption that the declaration will approve in advance the first use of tactical or strategic nuclear weapons by our forces, or forces we  support.

     Russia’s Vladimir Putin is threatening nuclear war, and with this new kind of international terrorism, we need our people to be prepared mentally and to be mindful of the real possibilities.  Consequently I support replacing the 2001 authorization for the use of military force with a Declaration of War on Russia, recalling all forces currently in conflict unless their engagement contributes to a unified strategic war plan to defeat Russia. 

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

Defend the Guard

 

Question: Do you endorse the passage of the Defend the Guard Act in the Montana legislature to keep Montana National Guard units from being deployed overseas without a formal declaration of war by Congress?

 

Candidate's Response: No. The Guard should be treated seamlessly for training, the same as units of the active components. They have become integral parts of our national defense capability. However, the fact that some Legislatures require a Declaration of War before release of their Guard Units to overseas duty adds to my belief that we must in the future use Declarations of War.

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

Military Bases

 

Question: Of the 750 military bases the US has in over 80 countries, are there any countries the US should remain stationed in? Why?

 

Candidate's Response: 

With greatest appreciation of the fine work of the men and women of the U.S, Airforce assigned to Malmstrom Air Firce Base to maintain an operate the Minuteman  Intercontiental Ballistic Missiles that have kept nuclear war away from U.S. for more than 60 years, I want to see the missiles removed from Montana rather than modernized. Nuclear War Fighting has changed and we no longer need a Nuclear Missile attraction field on the west end of eastern Montana drawing the fires of hell down on our families. Otherwise determine basing of forces on cost effective support of war plans, enforced by tight budgets.

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

End the Fed

 

Question: Do you support H.R. 8421 to abolish the Federal Reserve Act, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Reserve banks? Why?

 

Candidate’s Response:

We have a mixed market economy. We need the Federal Reserve to stabilize our economy, when economic organizations “too big to fail,” enjoy bailouts consequential to ideological practices, and as various economic special interests tinker with our currency system hoping for a better way of making money. The federal reserve system will eventually be replaced or disappear when it’s no longer needed.

 

Score (1-5): ___

Comments:

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)

 

Question: What is your view on the implementation of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and their implications for financial privacy?

 

Candidate's Response:

Cautious. I’m unimpressed by the energy and environmental costs of mining for digital currencies. I also expect, as the U.S. dollar eventually ends its reserve international currency status earned with WWII, it’s just a matter of time before the reserve unit of measurement becomes the real value of a kilowatt hour of electricity, an already uniform international unit of measure, universally recognized on international markets.

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

Competitive Currency

Question: Do you support abolishing legal tender laws so that people can use gold, silver, cryptocurrency (or whatever wins in the marketplace) as money without capital gains tax implications? 

 

Candidate's Response:

See above answers regarding evolution of federal reserve and reserve currency.

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

Automobile Kill-Switches

 

Question: What is your stance on federally mandated automobile kill-switches and their impact on personal freedom?

 

Candidate's Response:

Kill switches have always been on engines. If we’re talking handing control of them, or speed governors, to someone besides the operator, my priority will be safety over all else. 

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

 COVID Lockdowns and Mandates

 

Question: What is your position on COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates, and how should the government respond to future pandemics?

 

Candidate's Response:

We need competent, capable, credible and agile public health institutions to keep our folks clean and healthy during contagions.

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

AIPAC Registering as FARA

 

Question: Should AIPAC be required to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which applies to American citizens when they lobby on behalf of foreign principals, as Rep. Thomas Massie has suggested?

 

Candidate's Response:

AIPAC, like NRA and any number of other groups with far-reaching interest in decisions by our government, is just another campaign contributor of massive proportions, linked interests and outsized importance. They’re only as effective as the congressional personalities motivated by perceived power that comes with accepting their money. I choose not to give my power to money and expect to be elected and effective.

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

Electronic Identification Eartags for Cattle and Bison

 

Question: What is your position on the mandate for electronic identification eartags for cattle and bison?

 

Candidate's Response:

I’m not familiar with the problem that needs addressing. Please explain your view.

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

 

H.R. 4664 (FBI Building Funding)

 

Question: Do you support H.R. 4664, which would strike the $300 million currently allocated for a new FBI building?

 

Candidate's Response:

I like the FBI’s present location on Pennsylvania Avenue.

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

 

Alphabet Agencies

 

Question: Which executive agencies would you vote to abolish? 

I want to make Congress run as smoothly as it can to be able to address the challenges we face. If also improving organizational efficiency of the Executive and Judicial Branches happens faster and better because of my efforts to smooth Legislative operations, great.

 

Candidate's Response:

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

Weapons Ownership

Question: Are there any weapons that the government has the authority to restrict the individual use and ownership of? If so, where do you draw the line?

 

Candidate's Response:

Every weapon, including UAV’s, cars and fertilizer, can and should be restricted if personal, social or cultural traditions associated with their use fail to protect the individual rights of others. 

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

Unconstitutional Federal Laws

 

Question: Do you believe states can or should ignore unconstitutional federal laws under the 10th Amendment (eg. firearm regulations, employment regulations, marijuana laws, or other federal laws the states oppose)?

 

Candidate’s Response.

If they have the money to invest on legal fees.

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

Drugs

 

Question: What drugs or medical treatments does the US Constitution authorize the federal government to regulate, if any? What drugs or medical treatments do you believe the federal government should regulate, if any? 

 

Candidate's Response:

Drugs or poisons that may result in expensive self harm or socially costly addiction. 

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

Subsidies

Do you believe the federal government is authorized to subsidize any entity or industry (agriculture, energy, medical, etc.)? If so, which industries or entities do you believe should be subsidized?

 

Candidate's Response:

Products of immature industries deemed desirable, or essential products of cyclical industries deemed in need of stabilization to exist, or products that require long lead-time research and development.

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

Liberty and Freedom Issues (FISA, Patriot Act, Fed funding of Medical Research, etc.?)

 

Question: What other measures do you support to enhance personal liberty and reduce government overreach?

 

Candidate's Response:

Stop the banning of books. Stop snooping in the bedrooms of consenting adults. Allow health care decision-making to remain private between a patient and his or her physician. Protect privacy of communication. End the forcing of religious views on others.

 

Score (1-5): _______

Comments:

 

Grading Sheet

 

Overall Impression

 

Strengths:

 

Weaknesses:

 

Overall Score (Average of all issues): _______

Additional Notes: