Update: The Full Time-line of the debate is online! Read my live-tweet of it here. Tomorrow night, barring unforeseen circumstances, I’ll be tweeting the Republican presidential debate taking place in Florida from McGinn’s Pub North. You can follow the live updates on my twitter page, Odd Lane. Feel free to share any thoughts or observations with me during the course of the evening.

Following up on last week’s video exploring the problem posed by Pakistani gangs in the United Kingdom, today I’ll present a fascinating debate between Matt Cavanagh and Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP, over the wisdom of mass (unskilled) immigration to a modern welfare state afflicted by recessionary economic conditions. Pay close attention to Farage’s rebuttal to the hoary canard that cohorts of unskilled  laborers are an inevitable byproduct of seeking high-skilled immigrant pools.

Although Cavanagh’s arguments are not persuasive, IMO, some of the callers to the BBC Radio program do hit upon some uncomfortable truths. One being that the seemingly congenital indolence of homegrown job-seekers in Great Britain-or at least, a substantial portion of them-is partially to blame for the current situation. Theodore Dalrymple has written exquisitely about the problem of yob culture, which seems to be endemic to England, contrasting it unfavorably with the innate courteousness and industriousness of some foreign-born Britons. Decide for yourself whether the UK’s current immigration policy is a sensible one. 

Update: Your questions answered! A time-line of today’s convention. 

Later today I’ll be heading out to the Manhattan Libertarian Party Convention. Throughout the day I’ll be sharing my thoughts on Twitter and bringing you news about a political party that just might have  a decisive impact upon the coming election. Will former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson be able to unify libertarians, even those who view him with some measure of skepticism? Will RJ Harris say that someone not named Ron Paul is best qualified to be President of the United States? Will Danny Panzella and Ron Moore disagree on general election strategies for libertarian voters?  Will the subject of immigration come up? Chances are, since I’ll be in attendance, it will. However, if you want answers to the rest of those questions you’ll just have to tune in to my no doubt riveting reportage and analysis of today’s event. 

The disastrous consequences of unfettered immigration and state-enforced multiculturalism upon Europe, particularly, the United Kingdom, is a subject that we’ve addressed repeatedly on this website. It seems that the problems which stem from Europe’s open borders and inexorable deconstruction of national identity have finally been acknowledged by the information gatekeepers at the British Broadcasting Corporation, which regularly defames and attacks anyone who voices a dissenting view from immigration groupthink. The Newsnight discussion below is a refreshingly candid examination of the problem of imported Pakistani gangs and pimps who are now part of the fabric of urban England. I recommend you watch it in its entirety. 

Update: The full live-tweet of the debate is online. You can access it here. 

 Later today I’ll be live-tweeting the last Republican debate held before this weekend’s South Carolina Republican primary. With the withdrawal of Rick Perry from the race, as well what appears to be a last minute surge by Newt Gingrich, it should make for interesting viewing. Whether any of the remaining candidates will highlight the heretofore neglected issue of patriotic immigration reform and enforcement remains to be seen. If past debates are any guide, this vitally important issue will be wholly ignored by both the debate moderators and the candidates on stage. Read More »

Most of you are probably aware of the attempt by members of Congress, buttressed by millions of dollars in Hollywood lobbying, to retard what has been the greatest source of economic and creative innovation in this country in the past two decades. The misleadingly named Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA), and its cousin, the Protect IP Act, are ostensibly intended to protect intellectual property from infringement by foreign websites who pirate copyrighted material. However, much like the domain seizures that ICE has preoccupied itself with now that it’s no longer enforcing American immigration laws, the actual rationale for these bills-and their potentially devastating impact on the Internet as we know it-has been obscured by a skein of misrepresentations by the likes of Chris Dodd and Lamar Smith. 

For a brief overview of what’s actually at stake in this debate, I recommend you watch a brief but edifying video produced by Engine Advocacy, which explains why legislation like SOPA and PIPA would destroy the economic engine that is the World Wide Web. In order to find out what drives the man behind the effort to enchain the Internet, check out a post by Chris Quinn of the San Antonio Express-News, who’s helpfully provided us with some links that explain how ex-Senator Chris Dodd continues to screw American taxpayers even after leaving Capitol Hill. 

Finally, and most importantly, here is a page provided by Wikipedia, which like many important websites has decided to black itself out in order to draw attention to this issue. You should use it to contact your member of Congress and urge him or her to reject this unconstitutional assault upon what has been one of the greatest breakthroughs in human communication and creativity since the invention of the printing press. Notwithstanding recent defeats, the supporters of SOPA/PIPA have not given given up, which is why you need to fight back while you still have the chance. Having a few websites blacked out for one day is preferable to having the Internet blacked out in perpetuity. Take action now, before it’s too late. 

The deadline for submitting petitions to put the repeal of AB 131 on the ballot is almost here. Download a copy of the AB 131 Referendum Petition and submit it if you want to see this issue decided by California voters. Assemblyman Tim Donnelly has provided all the information necessary in order to complete the petition in time. I strongly urge Californians who want to reverse the downward trajectory of the Golden State to support the Stop AB 131 initiative. It’s time to save your state.

We just received word of a missing person from Amarillo, Texas. Haley Faith Wilson disappeared the day after Christmas and hasn’t been seen since. Information about her disappearance-and the number you can contact if you have information about her whereabouts-can be found on this Facebook page. Her father’s heartfelt message-uploaded to Youtube two days ago-can be seen below.

Hat Tip: Brandy Baron

One of the wonderful things about this season is the spirit of giving it inspires among ordinary Americans, who by almost any measure rank as the most generous people  on the planet. In keeping with that spirit of generosity, I’d like to highlight a worthwhile organization whose mission hits very close to home. My family has a history of heart disease which usually manifests itself later in life. Unfortunately, my cousin Sean Mellon  had a congenital heart condition that took his life just as he was on the cusp of adulthood and looking forward to an incredibly bright future. Read More »

Disclaimer: American Rattlesnake has not released an official endorsement of any Republican presidential candidate. However, Joanna Marzullo, President of NY ICE, has some news about the campaign of Congresswoman Michele Bachmann which her supporters might want to know. Details after the jump. Read More »