Quotes of the Day

“The constant, obvious flattery, contrary to all evidence, of the people around the Tsar had brought him to the point that he no longer saw his contradictions, no longer conformed his actions and words to reality, logic, or even simple common sense, but was fully convinced that all his orders, however senseless, unjust, and inconsistent with each other, became sensible, just, and consistent with each other only because he gave them.”

Leo Tolstoy  

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when adults are afraid of the light.”

Plato

“Be strong enough to stand alone, be yourself enough to stand apart, but be wise enough to stand together when the time comes.”

Mark Amend

“To what shall I compare this generation?  They are children playing games in the marketplace, distracting one another.  ‘We played the flute but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’  John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’  But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

Matthew 11:16-19

Source: Jesse’s Café Américain: Stocks and Precious Metals Charts – Hardened Hearts

Quotes of the Day

“The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.”

John Kenneth Galbraith

“They are intent on making every conversation and every form of behaviour in the world known to them.”

Edward Snowden

“You know, if government were a product, selling it would be illegal. Government is a health hazard. Governments have killed many more people than cigarettes or unbuckled seat belts ever have.”

P. J. O’Rourke

“In the end, one or the other will triumph – a funeral dirge will be sung over the Soviet republic or over world capitalism.”

Vladimir Lenin

Source: The Burning Platform

Quotes of the Day

“The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.”

H. L. Mencken

“Opinion is ultimately determined by the feelings, and not by the intellect.”

Herbert Spencer

“The difference between libertarianism and socialism is that libertarians will tolerate the existence of a socialist community, but socialists can’t tolerate a libertarian community.”

David Boaz

“If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library.”

Frank Zappa

Source: The Burning Platform

Quotes of the Day

“Government is essentially immoral.”

Herbert Spencer

“Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state. They forget that the state wants to live at the expense of everyone.”

Frédéric Bastiat

“The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions.”

Daniel Webster

“When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt, but protects the corrupt from you – you know your nation is doomed.”

Ayn Rand

 

Source: The Burning Platform

NAR Gets Woke – Will We All Go Broke?

REALTORS® who engage in hate speech or discriminatory conduct even outside of their real estate practice could face disciplinary action under the Code of Ethics. The National Association of REALTORS®’ Board of Directors on Friday approved a proposal intended to hold members to a higher standard of ethics in everything they do. The board meeting was held during the virtual 2020 REALTORS® Conference & Expo.

NAR President Vince Malta called the passage of the proposal “a monumental moment for NAR” in reaffirming its commitment to fair housing. The changes go into effect immediately but do not retroactively apply to members’ past activities or actions. REALTORS® who make discriminatory remarks, on their business or personal social media accounts, can be subject to disciplinary action.

NAR’s Professional Standards Committee first developed the new rules this past summer after nationwide social unrest following the death of George Floyd.

Local, state, and national REALTOR® associations reported receiving an “unprecedented” number of complaints about members posting hate speech on social media. “I applaud NAR’s Board of Directors and our Professional Standards Committee for their efforts to raise the bar on the professionalism and private speech of America’s 1.4 million REALTORS®,” Malta said Friday. “Combating and overcoming bigotry and injustice starts with each of us.

REALTORS® today took tangible steps to ensure we are held to the highest possible standard while providing a mechanism of enforcement for those who violate our new policies.” The new rules extend Article 10 of the Code, which already prohibits discrimination in professional services and employment practices, to include discriminatory speech and conduct.

Article 10 prohibits REALTORS® from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The new Standard of Practice, 10-5, will now state: “REALTORS® must not use harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs” against members of those protected classes. The board also approved a revision to NAR’s bylaws to expand the definition of “public trust” to include all discrimination against the protected classes under Article 10, as well as all fraud. Going forward, associations will be required to inform their state real estate licensing authority of final ethics decisions that hold REALTORS® in violation of the Code in instances involving real estate–related activities and transactions where there is reason to believe the public trust may have been violated. Prior to approval, the hate speech proposal was reviewed and thoughtfully debated by members.

Some suggested the Code shouldn’t change, and instead, the proposal should become a conduct suggestion. Others expressed concern that the new standard could be viewed as violating the First Amendment right to free speech. NAR, however, is a private association that is supported by member dues and, therefore, has the ability to impose ethical duties on its membership, according to FAQs from the Professional Standards Committee.

Other board members welcomed the no-tolerance policy against hate speech, saying that discrimination on the part of any real estate professional reflects poorly on the entire membership. Board member Maurice Hampton, speaking in favor of the proposal, said the nation’s 1.4 million REALTORS® are “not looked at as individuals. We are looked at as a whole. We have a fiduciary duty to protect the REALTOR® brand.”

Board member Boyd Campbell, echoing support for the proposal, said the policy should not be looked at as solely a race issue. It applies to protecting all classes outlined in Article 10 of the Code. “We have a choice to be a REALTOR®. And if you choose to be a REALTOR®, you have certain qualifications, characteristics, and duties that you have to fulfill,” Campbell said.

Any complaint alleging a violation of Article 10’s prohibition on hate speech can now be brought to a hearing panel at a local REALTOR® association. Members accused of violating the standard of practice will be given an opportunity to present their case and defend themselves before the hearing panel, which would weigh the specifics of the alleged violation, whether the comments were made inadvertently or unintentionally, and whether the member has any previous ethics complaints. NAR’s professional standards policies include a defined process of checks and balances to protect members and evaluate potential Code violations.

NAR’s Professional Standards Committee will continue to develop case interpretations to assist members and professional standards enforcement volunteers understand the Code. NAR has produced training and resource materials to assist leaders with understanding and implementing the changes and will roll those out in the coming weeks.

Source: In ‘Monumental Moment,’ NAR Cracks Down on Hate Speech | Realtor Magazine

My comment (which they wouldn’t post.)

I have to seriously consider remaining with an organization that is so averse to free speech. You know, the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. Stupid is as stupid does. Get woke, go broke.

These are the same morons that thought we needed even bigger FHA loans in 2007, just before it all blew up harming millions of homeowners.

I will continue to express myself as I please and I don’t need big NAR brother to police my private life. F**k you! If you guys worried more about the membership & the public, and less about all of your expensive parties in DC & your foolish moralizing, we’d all be better off. Why should I pay $1,000/year for this BS? NAR – National Association of Reprobates.

I urge all of you fellow Realtors to vote with you wallet. Losing millions might end this idiocy. Meanwhile, I promise to physically harm anyone who even tries to take away my livelihood. God, you pompous a******s.

Yes, we’re talking to you: Charlie Oppler, Leslie Rouda-Smith, Kenny Parcel, Nancy Lane, Vince Malta, Leigh Brown, Tommy Choi, And Bob Goldberg. We know who you are, and we know where you live and work. Next time, let us vote on stuff like this, instead of just assuming you know best. You need us, we really don’t need you.

Quotes of the Day

“The general population doesn’t know what’s happening, and it doesn’t even know that it doesn’t know.”

Noam Chomsky

“Taxation is theft.”

Murray Rothbard

“The beginning of political wisdom is the realization that despite everything you’ve always been taught, the government is not really on your side; indeed, it is out to get you.”

Robert Higgs

“The Founders knew that a democracy would lead to some kind of tyranny. The term democracy appears in none of our Founding documents. Their vision for us was a Republic and limited government.”

Walter E. Williams

Source: The Burning Platform

(Photo : Peggy Collins)