Well, all I can say is, I like it. Sounds similar to what I wrote independently this AM. Fred and I must be listening to the same muse- Common fricken Sense!
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YTQ3OWE3ZTY2N2U4MTFhOTBhYWRiYzhlMmFlMWU1ZmM=
Now this is the best news I have heard in weeks.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6606927.stm
While I am absolutely, positively sure it is a bad idea to ban the incandescent light bulb in favor of the newer longer lasting, and more efficient compact florescent bulbs, I have not made up my mind if it makes practical sense to switch over. The thought of a lower electric bill, and more importantly less time on the ladder changing bulbs is attractive. I have been kind of watching to see what happens on the theory that if they are really better they will quickly overtake the market. While many on the Left would have the swith over compulsory tomorrow based on what little they know about the subject, with these kinds of decisions the devil is in the details. For example, what about the manufacture of these new gizmo's is so expensive? Are there environmental implications associated with the manufacture? What happens when they break? The metaphore Neo-neocon brought up today on another subject applies; is the blind man only touching part of the elephant?
There is a way to know, and be as close to right as possible- let the market decide. Let millions of people try both, and if there is a compelling advantage, ol' Edison's bulb will become hard to find.
Here is a little tale about a lady who broke one(hat tip Moonbattery).http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=aa7796aa-e4a5-4c06-be84-b62dee548fda. She then duly called around to find out if there was anything dangerous inside and......Voila', they are full of mercury, a toxic hazardous substance. While it is a bit of an apochryphal tale, the point is solid. Next time someone chastizes your incandescent light bulb ask them what they know about mercury mining, mercury toxicity, the effect of mercury in local dumps on the water supply, etc. guaranteed blank stare.
I have not and will not read this new book. Mr. George "have it both ways" Tenet appears to see his post 9/11 and pre-iraq war as quite virtuous. Christopher Hitchen's has a little review at Slate worth the read. Here is his summary conclusion:
A highly irritating expression in Washington has it that "hindsight is always 20-20." Would that it were so. History is not a matter of hindsight and is not, in fact, always written by the victors. In this case, a bogus history is being offered by a real loser whose hindsight is cockeyed and who had no foresight at all.
Over the last few years I have often marvelled at how hard it is for the Left and Right to discuss the "Global War On Terror." Indeed, the Left has even chosen to abandon that term, even attempt to legislate against its use. The Left has argued that the term is misleading and that we should refer to specific local conflicts. That is, they do not believe that the conflicts are sufficiently related to justify the rubric. They also wish to be able to separate the conflict with Islamists in Iraq from those in so frighteningly many countries. In doing so, they enable themselves with the help of the mainstream media to bludgeon the Bush administration with Iraq, and still pursue Islamists militarily elsewhere (if a compelling need were to arise). Lastly, expunging the global war concept means we really don't have an ideological enemy which requires a firm collective response, rather we have a scattered ragtag nutcases which are more of an annoyance than a threat. History shows us that this was the Clinton Administration's attitude, and perhaps, most of our attitudes during the 1990's. 9/11/2001 changed that for some of us.
Many thinkers on the Right do not like the term "Global War on Terror" for wholly different reasons. For the Right, "terror" is simple a common unscrupulous tactic employed by our Enemy. In reality, the enemy are militant Islamists who wish to unify the moslem world through intimidation and thuggery. Videotaped beheadings of innocents are not the enemy, the enemy are those doing it. They are Islamists. A desire to avoid offending moslem people has caused even the Right to use such a poorly descriptive term as "Global War on Terror." In short the term is too Politically Correct.
There is a fundamental divide, a cognitive watershed, which separates the two camps on national security policy. The divide comes with the answer to the question:Do you think that militant Islamists are an existential threat to the United States of America, to Western Civilization as we know it? Which may be underscored with the question: have you even asked yourself the question?
The Left thinks America and the West do not face real danger from the Islamists; that, of course, America will survive this unpleasant problem. They believe that the problem is fundamentally one of public relations. That we have angered many in the Islamic world with oppressive business tactics and some are so angry as to become violent. For these violent few we need basically police and security forces where necessary. Thus we have Nancy Pelosi going to Siria to make ammends for our offenses. The answer lies in changing ourselves afterwhich the masked nutcases will settle down.
The Right accepts that American and Western civilization, the societies of individual freedom, now face another in a long line of dangerous and potentially lethal opponents. We see numerous uncomfortable parallels in world politics between 2007 and 1938. We see a ruthless intolerant ideological movement, based on religious principles which seeks world dominion by any means necessary. We see an ideological enemy which has declared total war on our way of life. We see an ever more pervasive more dangerous enemy who has educated a generation on how to kill us and taught them little else.
If our civilization is in mortal danger, then the war in Iraq is a pivot point to change the course of history for the better. If our children are facing peril, then Nancy Pelosi's trip to Siria is treason. If the problem is our behavior then we should do as the democrats recommend. I think we are in peril; I see it coming.
Well, in case there is any doubt, Mr. Obama is either very stupid or engaging in wholesale pandering for votes. Apparently Mr. Obama has not yet made it all the way through "Economics for Dummies." Mr. Obama has endorsed "Comparable Worth." This is that strategem where the government determines and fixes wages to satisfy feminists and other especially interested in complaining groups. Ughh. Mr. Obama is so far off the mark that one can hardly find words to discuss it. Micheal Barone takes a reasonable crack at it.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/opinion/baroneblog/archives/070426/notes_on_the_cu.htm?s_cid=rss:site1
another great pick up by LGF. Oh my. This man publicly writes about squads of police cordoning off America, block by block, and forcibly removing peoples guns, and, of course their, 2nd ammendment rights. I really can't believe this dumb dumb is able to breath.
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070425/OPINION04/704250310/0/OPINION
Recently I had a conversation with someone who did not seem to accept the premise that a large majority of moslems world wide are being radicalized. Here only one day later yet another pole suggests that a majority now favor living under sharia law in an islamic caliphate. Unfortunately, this is not good news for the pro-choice set, if you know what I mean. Read the orginal article. Here is LGF's bit.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=25284_Bostom-_The_Muslim_Mainstream_and_the_New_Caliphate&only
You know, Nancy Al-Pelosi blew off general Patreaus who was home to have serious conversations about Iraq. I guess she was busy. As has been pointed out frequently Rick Moran writes:
Pelosi's gaffe is mind boggling. Being able to find time to meet and drink tea with the Syrian thug President Assad but brushing off a briefing with America's own Iraq Commander General Petraeus is a juxtaposition of priorities that is too delicious not to use. The defeatists risk being seen as a variation of the Three Wise Monkeys with "see no progress, hear no progress, and speak no progress" when it comes to Iraq. Perhaps there is a little nervousness about some of the news that is breaking through all the stories about car bombings and suicide attacks, which are down in number but not much in casualties. In fact some of the indicators regarding the violence are improving less than 3 months into the surge.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/04/the_trouble_with_harry.html
Whose side ya on Nanc?
I will plant anything you want me too on 30 acres for the right price. I will even issue you a Dr. Charlemagne's Official Carbon Credit Certificate.
Here is a little expose' from the American Thinker on the subject if you would like to do some due diligence on the topic beforehand. By way of Delta's offer to sell same, the author pens:
Promoting this program may be shrewd advertising but buying carbon offsets is generally stupid.
Well, check out this bit of evidence brought to the fore by little greenfootballs. Here Harvard's Kennedy School of government demonstrates how the MSM was used as a weapon AGAINST Isreal during last summer's war in Lebanon. Pretty striking report.
http://worldpoliticswatch.com/article.aspx?id=717
While the war between Israel and Hezbollah raged in Lebanon and Israel last summer, it became clear that media coverage had itself started to play an important role in determining the ultimate outcome of that war. It seemed clear that news coverage would affect the course of the conflict. And it quickly transpired that Hezbollah would become the beneficiary of the media's manipulation.A close examination of the media's role during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon comes now from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, in an analysis of the war published in a paper whose subtitle should give pause to journalists covering international conflict: "The Israeli-Hezbollah War of 2006: The Media as a Weapon in Asymmetrical Conflict." Marvin Kalb, of Harvard's Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy, methodically traces the transformation of the media "from objective observer to fiery advocate." Kalb painstakingly details how Hezbollah exercised absolute control over how journalists portrayed its side of the conflict, while Israel became "victimized by its own openness."
At a time when many of us question the value of foriegn aid Mr. Obama has a plan. You guessed it, more give aways, double it!
"I know that many Americans are skeptical about the value of foreign aid today," Obama said. "A relatively small investment in these fragile states up front can be one of the most effective ways to prevent the terror and strife that is far more costly both in lives and treasure to the United States down the road."http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/04/24/MNGE5PE7E21.DTL
I am on the same page with Rudi here, for sure.
MANCHESTER, N.H. —- Rudy Giuliani said if a Democrat is elected president in 2008, America will be at risk for another terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0407/3684.html
Here is Tom Delay with what everyone should be saying with respect the current Democratic leadership:
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "are getting very, very close to treason," DeLay said in a meeting with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_504197.html
I have recently had the gumption to mention to a few friends and family that the media in the US, UK, EU are pretty darned biased toward the left. The reaction I have universally recieved was not quite what I expected. Rather than a quick series of counter argument, more of a head tilting look of surprised puzzlement- as if to say, your joking right?
Here is a bit about how the french state owned media covered the first round of the presidential elections there:
Although CBS is not above a forged document or two designed to undermine our president, I am not sure the are willing to go that far, yet.France 3, the state-owned regional TV channel is notoriously anti-Sarkozy.
The personnel issued a gripes communiqué against him a few weeks ago. They claim
he said they’d all be fired after he’s elected. Shocking, n’est-ce pas? Unless
you know how they got appointed and/or hired in the first place. Let’s not get
tangled in their quarrel, we have more serious issues to treat this evening. But
I would like to mention this mind boggling fact: France 3 delivered a prime time
newscast 24 hours after the first round of the elections and focused on Royal,
Bayrou, the Communist Buffet and a few others in her league…and left out Nicolas
Sarkozy, the front runner and favorite for the final round. Excuse me if I
belabor the point, but I think this must be a first in media history. The news
department of a state-owned channel in a democratic country in which journalists
are strictly forbidden from expressing their personal political opinions can
cover the elections without mentioning the winner…except for spotlighting a
virulent anti-Sarkozy voter here or there. They did have a long report from
Clichy-sous-Bois. It might not surprise you to learn that Royal came in far
ahead of Sarkozy there.http://www.pajamasmedia.com/2007/04/french_election_updates_from_n.php
Its a good thing the Brits handled that hostage thing with such impecable political correctness. We certainly would not want them to get anybody mad. Obviously, we all just need to be friends, understand each other better, see the other guy's point of view.
AL-QAEDA leaders in Iraq are planning the first “large-scale” terrorist attacks on Britain and other western targets with the help of supporters in Iran, according to a leaked intelligence report.
Fear not gentlemen, thousands of Iranian women are being arrested and counseled for showing any skin. I guess this is an annual pogrom to counter the tendencies of Iranian women to want to dress cooler during the sweltering interminable Iranian summer. A short sleeve shirt or a loose hijab will not be tolerated.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070422/ts_afp/iranwomenfashionislam
Took a couple days there to reset my Astonishment meter. The perversity of the unhinged way people think had me in orbit.
Forgive me for harping but the list of Global Warming hypocrites is at parity with the list of Global Warming activists. Over the weekend we get more documentation of the lifestyles of those who direly impore us to change our polluting ways. Sheryl crow who would have us wipe with one square to save trees, travels with an carboniferous entourage whose ecodamage outstrips my entire lifetime of wiping properly on a single journey.
Here is a nice rundown on this fruitcake.
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2007/04/sheryl_crow_con.html
Don't forget this shameless boob:
"Laurie David, the producer of "An Inconvenient Truth" and global warming activist, told Texas A&M students to change their "individual behavior" in order to consume fewer resources and to help battle global warming. As an employee of Easterwood Airport, I would like to point out that Mrs. David flew to our campus in a luxurious private jet, which could be seen from 10 miles away due to the thick plume of smog it left in its wake. I am neither denying nor confirming the epidemic of global warming, I am simply pointing out that hypocrites such as Mrs. David don't care about the environment, only their own political agendas. This is proven time and again by these celebrities' and lobbyist's "do as I say, not as I do" attitude.
Richard Pawlik
Class of 2007"
http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2007/04/12/MailCall/Laurie.David.Is.A.Hypocrite-2837056.shtml
And of course the great Laurie David goes from A to B in a private jet. I guess he needs the privacy to think of complelling ways to convince me that my lifestyle is sinful.
Someone actually told me the other day that these people need to pollute so much because someone has to get the message out. It's magnificent really.
McCain vs Reid by Kristol. Please read this comparison of these two statements about the war in Iraq. The difference is hard to bear silently, one reason I am blogging.
http://www.time.com/time/columnist/article/0,8599,1613027,00.html
ah yes, close to home. This tale of two cities with and without guns is worth memorizing. The town that banned guns, Morton Grove, didn't fair so well. But, once again, why would we want to throw facts into a utopian argument.
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55288
The triumphant good guys of Marvel Comics. The Hero's. The incredibly modest yet powerful forces who would reluctantly shed their modesty to violently confront evil and save the innocent. Where are they. Where were they at Virginia Tech? No longer does America seem to teach its children to be strong, to be brave, to be resolute in the face of evil. America now sees Superman as a rich white male villian who would deprive criminals of their deserved spoils and their just revenge because he is self absorbed and subjective in his sense of right and wrong. To America today, superman is a outmoded, unevolved, undereducated, and possibly religious, thug. This is depressing.
The facts below, which I have read about but never, ever, ever, seen on CNN, make my blood boil. Every day I grow less and less patient with the sanctimonious hypocritical "faith based" American Left. Again, Democrats hang your head in shame! This is no joke. The Democrats have come completely unhinged. They no longer care about reality at all. Here we learn about the very real, very humiliating, differences between Al Gore's Gas guzzling Mansion, and George Bush's modest, off the grid, evironmentally miraculous ranch house in Crawford.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/04/two_houses_symbolize_two_ameri.html
Here we learn that Fred has not been the friend of Tort-Reform which we would hope. I await his essay on this subject.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YzIwYTk5MjU2OWQ1MDBlODQxMmIxMWZjMzMwZDkwNzg=
Man. When was the last time there was an unanounced candidate for President who was drafted by popular demand into the race and who confidently wrote his own essays for mainstream consumption on specific issues with specific stances. This guy is the real thing. The Democrats should hang their heads in shame. This guy doen't even want to be President but will out of a sense of duty. "bad job" he says to himself, "but how can I give my country to the ego driven fools."
Fred Thompson on Guns, in full, courtesy the National Review.
One of the things that's got to be going through a lot of peoples' minds now is how one man with two handguns, that he had to reload time and time again, could go from classroom to classroom on the Virginia Tech campus without being stopped. Much of the answer can be found in policies put in place by the university itself.
Virginia, like 39 other states, allows citizens with training and legal permits to carry concealed weapons. That means that Virginians regularly sit in movie theaters and eat in restaurants among armed citizens. They walk, joke, and rub shoulders everyday with people who responsibly carry firearms — and are far safer than they would be in San Francisco, Oakland, Detroit, Chicago, New York City, or Washington, D.C., where such permits are difficult or impossible to obtain.
The statistics are clear. Communities that recognize and grant Second Amendment rights to responsible adults have a significantly lower incidence of violent crime than those that do not. More to the point, incarcerated criminals tell criminologists that they consider local gun laws when they decide what sort of crime they will commit, and where they will do so.
Still, there are a lot of people who are just offended by the notion that people can carry guns around. They view everybody, or at least many of us, as potential murderers prevented only by the lack of a convenient weapon. Virginia Tech administrators overrode Virginia state law and threatened to expel or fire anybody who brings a weapon onto campus.
In recent years, however, armed Americans — not on-duty police officers — have successfully prevented a number of attempted mass murders. Evidence from Israel, where many teachers have weapons and have stopped serious terror attacks, has been documented. Supporting, though contrary, evidence from Great Britain, where strict gun controls have led to violent crime rates far higher than ours, is also common knowledge.
So Virginians asked their legislators to change the university's "concealed carry" policy to exempt people 21 years of age or older who have passed background checks and taken training classes. The university, however, lobbied against that bill, and a top administrator subsequently praised the legislature for blocking the measure.
The logic behind this attitude baffles me, but I suspect it has to do with a basic difference in worldviews. Some people think that power should exist only at the top, and everybody else should rely on "the authorities" for protection.
Despite such attitudes, average Americans have always made up the front line against crime. Through programs like Neighborhood Watch and Amber Alert, we are stopping and catching criminals daily. Normal people tackled "shoe bomber" Richard Reid as he was trying to blow up an airliner. It was a truck driver who found the D.C. snipers. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that civilians use firearms to prevent at least a half million crimes annually.
When people capable of performing acts of heroism are discouraged or denied the opportunity, our society is all the poorer. And from the selfless examples of the passengers on Flight 93 on 9/11 to Virginia Tech professor Liviu Librescu, a Holocaust survivor who sacrificed himself to save his students earlier this week, we know what extraordinary acts of heroism ordinary citizens are capable of.
Many other universities have been swayed by an anti-gun, anti-self defense ideology. I respect their right to hold those views, but I challenge their decision to deny Americans the right to protect themselves on their campuses — and then proudly advertise that fact to any and all.
Whenever I've seen one of those "Gun-free Zone" signs, especially outside of a school filled with our youngest and most vulnerable citizens, I've always wondered exactly who these signs are directed at. Obviously, they don't mean much to the sort of man who murdered 32 people just a few days ago.
— Fred Thompson is an actor and former United States senator from Tennessee.
Over at Counter-Punch Sherwood Ross has written about how because of America's collective guilt the families of the Virginia Tech slain have no right to mourn. No Comment which I could print here. Hat-tip Moonbattery. http://www.moonbattery.com/
"The American people, including the families of the murdered Virginia Tech innocents, have collective blood-guilt on their hands. I have not gone to jail to protest the war machine, so I am no better than they and probably a good deal worse because I have given the issue some thought. How many of those parents in the audience hearing the President's words had elected to Congress men and women who voted for lax laws on gun ownership? How many of those parents in the audience had also voted for legislators who backed the president's illegal invasion of Iraq? Are we, as a nation, too obtuse to grasp the connection between our "gun culture" policy at home and our militarist policy abroad that murders and mutilates human beings at every turn? Practically any one in America can buy a gun, and abroad, any dictator in the world can buy weapons made in America because we just happen to be the world's biggest arms peddler."
Now the Taliban has released a tape of a 12 year old boy beheading a "spy." Trouble is, Nancy Pelosi hasn't got over there yet to talk to them about doing bad things like that. Is anybody getting it yet? Anybody?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070420/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_child_executioner
Ah, but don't forget, good and evil are relative. One man's terrorist, is another man's freedom fighter. Yeah, ok. But what does this have to do with the Global Warming emergency, anyway. Watch the hand people, watch the hand.
Newsbuster's (who incidentally irrefutably exposes the MSM liberal bias every day) has a clear statement of my view of the Global Warming Hoax from a Canadian scientist/ environmental consultant.
http://newsbusters.org/node/12174
Read this. Stuff like this is just plain painful to consider because of how dangerous a reality it suggests. First hand account of what probably happened to Iraq's WMDs.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/features/29092/i-found-saddams-wmd-bunkers.thtml
Hat tip: Lucianne
...is likely to get us killed. Why doesn't our Media explain the things which Caroline Glick outlines in her latest clear eyed assessment of the mid-East? Because the Democrats have wed their political future to a passivist strategy of appeasement which is based on a horrendous underestimation of the worldwide Islamist threats. The other thing they are not explaining, is that the sacrifice of Isreal may be required for the fufillment of their strategy. Take the Sudetanland and be happy.
Trouble is, facts on the ground are really scary. Thats why ol Nancy had to go shake Assad's hand as if to say, "see they are not so bad." Keep the peeps thinkin everything is gonna be just fine. "Nothing to see here, move right along people." Really Nancy? There are places other than CNN to find out whats going on. There is a whole scary lot to see here.
Read this article and the rest of Caroline Glick's fine work.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1176152838812&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
"Syria has been openly preparing for war since the last summer. And in the space of the past week alone, the Syrians twice announced their intention to attack Israel. On Monday, Syria's Propaganda Minister Moshen Bilal threatened that if Israel doesn't fully implement the Arab plan which calls for its retreat to the 1949 armistice lines and acceptance of millions of Arab immigrants, Syria will go to war. On Wednesday, Syrian dictator Bashar Assad said, "We always prepare ourselves. Israel is a fierce enemy. We have seen nothing from it but harm."
The Democrats may not be trusted with our national security. A second Holocaust or an heroic evacuation of Isreal is unacceptable, even if that were to be where it stopped. Unfortunately, the legacy of the Munich Agreement tells us that it would be only the beginning.
I stand with the Jews.
Here is a very important post from Little Green Footballs quoted in full. This is very troubling stuff. http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=25190_The_Mainstream_Media-_Islamist_Facilitators&only
"M. Zuhdi Jasser has a piece at RealClearPolitics on a frequent topic at LGF; the media’s outrageous coddling and whitewashing of radical Muslim front groups:
Jasser was featured in the documentary Islam vs. Islamists, suppressed by PBS after they had it reviewed by Islamist sympathizers with connections to the Nation of Islam."
'As one of the subjects of the documentary, I was able to experience first-hand the professionalism and in-depth journalistic standards of veteran filmmaker, Martyn Burke, and his first-class team of consummate professionals. It was refreshing to have a documentary set out objectively to look into the deep-seated internal struggles of anti-Islamist Muslims like myself. Our work at the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) here in Phoenix has been riddled with continual blowback and resistance in many forms from the power structure of the activist Muslim community in the Phoenix Valley. The Valley Council of Imams, the local Muslim Voice newspaper, and organizations like CAIR-AZ have provided a laboratory of typical Islamist responses to an American organization of Muslims, like AIFD, who are trying to rescue spiritual Islam from the death grip of Islamists—Islam vs. Islamists. I do this out of love for my faith and its spiritual path to the God of Abraham in order to free it from the corruption of the political imam which has become so ubiquitous.
I have previously discussed the harm of our government’s enabling of Islamists (like CAIR, MPAC, MAS, MSA, or ISNA) in the United States and how the governmental endorsement of Islamists publicly empowers them and allows them to dodge their responsibility of countering Islamism as an ideology. This order of magnitude is greater in impact when it concerns the media’s inability to wage the debate of the “struggle for the soul of Islam”. Stories about Islam and Muslims have been more and more ubiquitous since 9-11 and now are actually commonplace. Yet, the actual debate within the Muslim community has barely begun. Where’s the disconnect? Look no further than the Islamist enablers in the media.
When so many ask across the nation, “where are the moderate voices of Islam?”, one cannot help lately but exclaim that they are being suffocated by misguided political correctness and by Islamist influence within mainstream media and government. The PBS censorship of the documentary, Islam vs. Islamists, highlights one of the best examples to date of the symbiosis of both government complicity and media complicity with the Islamist ideology.'
In what has traditionally been considered French fashion, Harry Reid wants to give up in Iraq. His commentary yesterday is mindboggling. When I have some more time, I plan to write in detail about just how dangerous yellow bellies like Harry Reid are to our children's future.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/04202007/postopinion/editorials/harry_reids_white_flag_editorials_.htm
Noticed this last week but did not get around to singling it out. For those still clinging to the utopian notion of the United Nations, I must say that I have shared with you that vision. However, when confronted with the overwhelming evidence of what the UN has become, I have accepted that it is a dangerous farce. see this bit about Iran and Syria's recent election to the disarmament commission, and save utopia for another time.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1820450/posts
Our Democratic leadership will not debate on Fox because it does not want to legitimize the venue, however legitimizing the Muslim Brotherhood is just fine.
http://www.nysun.com/article/52777
Straight from the brothers mouths:
"We ask Allah that the elimination [of America] will be at the hands of our mujahideen brothers, [and] that Allah will give them martyrdom for His sake, [and] will bring victory to Islam."
Hat tip: Altas shrugs
A nice critique of the Goracle. Adherents to the Global Warming hysteria please take note.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid78334376/bclid78383014/bctid791890138
hat tip: Powerline blog
I am an American. I was born to a white Anglo-Saxon father and a Jewish mother. My father was born in the late 30's as the bullets began to fly in Europe, my mother a few years later as the Nazi extermination of the Jews began. Neither parent is formally a baby boomer, yet all of us live in a time dominated by that dominant demographic.
Those born in 1946-7, are now turning sixty. They spent their formative years, the years of their childhood memories, the time of their ideals, during the Fifties. That post-war period, in America has been termed the Era of Good Feeling. It was a time of prosperity and tranquility for the victors of World War II. It was a time where adults who had lived through the suffering of the war, survived the war, cherished conservative values. It was the time portrayed by "Happy Days." While the baby boomers absorbed the ideals of those happy days, they took that childhood state for granted. They came to believe that prosperity and tranquility were a given. They sought to leave the stogy cardigans and family values of their parents behind. With prosperity and peace a given, they believed that they were free to explore their moral limits.
As the boomers reached their sexual maturity and early adulthood, the culture of the 60's and 70's was born. Irresponsible, sexually free, and experimental- in short, 20 something. Next, the boomer's naturally obeyed their biological instincts and most had families. Thus, with the boomer's feeding their families, the 80's and 90's, the prime of life for the boomers, show a reversal, a reborn work ethic, a lust for competition, and ultimately a resurgent American prosperity.
Although the boomers threw off their irresponsible and free booting ways, they retained their naive Idealism. The Era of Good feeling, whose conservatism they rejected, but in whose unrealistic optimism they had steeped, left them with a sense of invulnerability. The American baby boomer has a Superman complex. We see the fruits of this in American politics today.
Today's leaders are baby boomers. The hardships and horrors of the second World War which produced conservatism in their parents are unknown to them. They have grown in world economically fertilized by World War II and its aftermath. This is a world shaped, designed, and built by the victors of World War II. This is a post-World War II world. The baby boomers can not perceive this over-arching reality, precisely because they are its fruits and its product.
We see the resultant blindness in the leadership of both the Left and the Right today. The hubris of Nancy Pelosi's absurd mission to Syria is akin to the hubris of the neo-conservatives overhauling the politics of the middle East with 100,000 American troops in Iraq (right idea arrogantly implemented).
We have entered World War III. Some count the cold war as the third war. I disagree. When the history is written, the cold war will be seen as merely an aftershock of WWII; a dangerous detente with the same chess pieces still on the board. This World War III is no detente. It is a fight to the death with a fascist ideological enemy more brutal, more worldwide, and more virulent, than Freedom has yet encountered. There is a new standard of ruthlessness being brought to bear by our enemies.
Unfortunately for freedom loving Western democracies, our leadership has a congenital blindness for real existential danger. There was no such thing in there Era of Good Feeling, their childhood, and thus, there is no such thing now. Even 9/11 produced only a transient whisper of conservative caution. Unfortunately, with blase' leadership in our midst, the west requires a much deeper wound to awaken. Unfortunately, that wound is not yet come, perhaps intentionally withheld by the enemy. Unfortunately, at this historical crossroad, we stand on the cusp of uncontrolled, unstable worldwide Nuclear proliferation.
The high school student of my own generation were still taught the story of World War II in some detail. The narrative was of how the world powers appeased an evil war-like dictator and paid a terrible price for their naivete'. They taught us of ordinary Germans who, unbelievably, were able to go about their business while hundreds of thousands of Jews were incinerated nearby. The mind of a teenager grasps these things dimly. They are the surreal obsessions of an old man. Yet, for me at least, these narratives always prompted a question or two. Why are they so keen to teach me this stuff? Why do they think I need to know about appeasement and world powers? I thought, we live in the USA and are the strongest. This stuff is merely a curiosity. Or so any young mind can easily believe.
Today it is clear what the Greatest Generation had on its mind with that curriculum. Perhaps because my formative years were spent not during the Era of Good Feeling but during the cold war, I can now understand why they were so keen to teach me that stuff. Perhaps because I learned to think at a time when nuclear Armageddon was a realistic possibility, I am able to sense the true danger the West now faces.
The forgoing is my answer to a serious question. How can Nancy Pelosi retrace Neville Chamberlain's humiliated steps so exactly? How is it that every day brings a new story of appeasement? How is it that Europe and its new friends in the United nations are again on the verge of scapegoating the Jews? I can not believe that power lust by the Democrats and Socialists could allow such careless, foolish, and immoral politic. I believe it is the baby boomers blind spot.
Despite Japan's draconian gun control, the mayor of Nagasaki was shot to death yesterday, apparently by members of an organized crime ring. I expect that that ring produces much of its income in the gun trade. Like it or not, gun control renders the law abiding and innocent defenseless, while creating jobs for the criminal.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070417/ap_on_re_as/japan_mayor_shooting
Apparently Governor Corzine was traveling 91 MPH when he crashed his big ol SUV. Rosie O'Donell harps on gun control but brings an armed possey around with her (not bad judgement there, given her mouth). And, of course Al Gore has the carbon footprint of a mastodon, and has refused in congressional testamony to alter his lifestyle. Does this all bother anyone? It does me.
You know, a few stray bird shot from Cheney was fodder for the MSM for weeks. Now Governor Corzine (who I hope makes a complete recovery) could have killed a family of four with driving this reckless. Are we going to get weeks of outrage in the Media?
Well, right on cue the Supreme court has handed down an Abortion ruling which guarantees that abortion will be a campaign issue this cycle. Uggh. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3052624
The moral gordian knot of abortion is insoluable. The pro-choice crowd will tell you that this is a moral choice to be made by the woman in whose body the child is developing, on whose body the child utterly depends. The right to life crowd will tell you human life begins at conception and that the defenseless child must be protected. Both sides have their merit. Neither side can bear to see the United States legislate against their moral conviction on the subject. The pro-lifer's can not bear to see a pregnancy terminated; the pro-choicers can not bear to have a woman forced to carry an unwanted child (which in practice it can not anyway, these women will find a way to terminate regardless of the law, sometimes unthinkable ways.)
That this debate is based on belief, moral conviction, religion, gender equality and so on is exactly why The Law of the Land should not prescribe nor proscribe abortion. To impose any belief on everyone( i.e. you must abort, you must not abort) is simply un-American. We are a secular, pleuralistic, and tolerant nation. Just as a woman may choose to wear a burka, she can not be forced to, no matter how strong someone's conviction on the subject may be.
The conservative movement's pro-life stance is perhaps its single most counter productive position. It is a root cause of the hatred and fear of George Bush. Many are terrified that Bush would seek to harshly impose his religiously based anti-abortion stance.
While I do not have a firm stance on partial birth abortion, I strongly suspect that today's ruling is a mistake. Far from a victory for conservatives, the Supreme court's decision today to ban partial birth abortion may hand the next presidential election to the Democrats. I can not imagine a turn of events more galvanizing for Hillary Clinton's base. Rightly or not, there are few things Democrats fear more than a slippery slope to overturning Roe v. Wade.
The sober and perforce reality based minds at Investor's Business Daily seem to share my concerns about the current situation with Iran:
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=261702585281471
Every freedom loving, tolerant, pleuralistic Western mind must ask itself this question. It is a question which I have asked myself with every ounce of objectivity, realism, and honesty which I could muster. The answer was a long time in coming. My answer:
I stand with the Jews.
The word "stand" in that statement is critical. What does it mean to take a "stand?" In the face of what kind of adversity will you maintain your stand? Is your stand worth sacrifice? Will you allow the West, in a fatal attempt at appeasement, to sell out the Jews? Have the 60 million WWII dead died in vain? You, we, all of us must decide, and soon. Nancy Pelosi will soon come back from Iran, paper in hand, and proclaim: "Peace for our time." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_Agreement
Baron Bodissey at Gates of Vienna has a spectacular post from 2004 wherein he proclaims, "I stand with the Jews." Please read every word of it carefully.
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2004/10/new-kristallnacht.html
If the West shall allow it again, then the West shall surely fall, and rightly so. Yeats' classic, The Second Coming, contains this telling couplet:
The best lack all conviction
while the worst are full of passionate intensity
I say, "Never again!" Do you?
I see it coming! Do you?
I stand with the Jews! Do you?
This piece discusses how Obama compared the violence at VTech to outsourcing of jobs. The clip from Obama's speech has to be one of the stupidest bits of writing I have ever seen. There is almost nothing right about it. Pathetic.
http://reason.com/blog/show/119704.html
Hat tip: Glen Reynolds
Wait. I have more to say here. The dems have now proposed 1) Tax increase, 2) increased minimum wage, 3) no outsourcing. Oh my God. I hope they are going to increase unemployment benefits too because we are all gonna need it.
Check out this one from little green footballs. As they predicted, the murder of Alan Johnston has been officially blamed on Isreal by a member of the British press corps. I wonder if this guy also believes in the Isreali AIDs tainted melon rouse which has gripped the Saudi's in recent days. The perversity here is really disturbing.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=25153_UK_Journalist-_Israel_Probably_Murdered_Alan_Johnston&only
What happened yesterday at Virginia Tech is happening almost daily in Iraq. Mass murder of innocents by the dozens. This is happening in Iraq because America's promise to liberate Iraq from the murderous tyranny of Saddam Hussein is not yet fufilled. Our soldiers are bravely struggling to prevent the sort of event which filled us with such horror yesterday. On what moral basis would we leave the iraqi's to even worse?
Beautiful thing which happened tonite at Virginia Tech. As beautiful as human expression gets, really. A massive peaceful demonstration of community, solidarity, goodness, and life over death. A show of strength in the stuggle between good and evil. I hope good people in the Iraqi populace took notes.
Here is the >60 min documentary from the UK which says its not. Its called The Great Global Warming Swindle. Don't get caught standing in a crowd of fools.
http://video.google.com/url?docid=4499562022478442170&esrc=sr1&ev=v&q=channel+4+bbc+global+warming&vidurl=http://video.google.com/videoplay%3Fdocid%3D4499562022478442170%26q%3Dchannel%2B4%2Bbbc%2Bglobal%2Bwarming%26hl%3Den&usg=AL29H23dTJnvFljxVzdcqHts0sO-tJtNfQ
As I posted yesterday was likely, there is evidence that islamic fanatacism could have inspired yesterday's Virginia Tech massacre. I have not seen details from the note he left yet but we have this.
"The note included a rambling list of grievances, according to sources. They said Cho also died with the words "Ismail Ax" in red ink on one of his arms."
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-ustech-side,0,7759008.story?coll=ny-sports-columnists
As a poster at Lucainne points out:
"Ibrahim went towards the temple armed with an ax. ....with his ax he destroyed all the statues except one, the biggest of them. He hung the ax around its neck and left.....Allah rewarded Sarah with a son, Ishaq in spite of her old age." http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/ibrahim.htm
Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are all in mourning today. Yesterday's senseless coldblooded killing at Virginia Tech has deeply wounded us all. Some of us will not give it much thought. Some will brood about about it. Some will seek to explain. Many will seek to blame.
The story of Professor Liviu Librescune is one of the only clear and meaningful stories which has come to light from the scene. The seventy year old Isreali professor was a survivor of the Holocaust, a survivor of the terrible communist oppression in Romania. The professor's last act was to barracade the door in order to give his students time to jump out of the window. The professor knew- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil over good is for good men to do nothing.
We will all die one day. When that day comes for me, I will... that I have stood for what is right and had the courage to confront evil.
Update: Sad irony- Professor Librescune died as his counrymen paused to observe holocaust memorial day.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/848972.html
John Edwards, better known as Silky Pony, seems wont to get pricey haircuts.....frequently.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0407/The_Hairs_Still_Perfect.html
Here is the classic Youtube of him brushing, and brushing, and brushing it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AE847UXu3Q
Nancy's jet contrails have hardly dispursed into our ever warming atmosphere and yet, Syria is publically threatening Isreal.
"Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal threatened on Monday evening to return the Golan Heights to Syrian hands "by way of resistance if Israel [rejects] the Arab peace initiative."
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1176152808626&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
"Resistance", of course, means suicide bombing and shelling of Isreali civilians. Good work Nancy.
This bit from Powerline makes me laugh:
" 'One week ago, al-Sadr mobilized tens of thousands of Iraqis for a peaceful demonstration in two Shiite holy cities, on the fourth anniversary of Baghdad's fall. At the rally, many participants called for a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.
Al-Rubaie said the Sadrists' withdrawal from the Cabinet was because the prime minister did not respond to demands made at last week's demonstration.'
So it's official: al Sadr's position on Iraq is the same as the Democrats'."
http://powerlineblog.com/archives/017364.php
Angela Merkel's recent visit to Isreal where she convincingly showed support for the mideast's only democracy, and snubbed the terrorist Palistinian leadership certainly raised an eyebrow. Next weeks election in France looks like it may be a turning point for Europe, hard Right! Read Christopher Hitchen's at Slate.
http://www.slate.com/id/2164275/
Here is a bit from the Chicago Sun Times by a former US embassador to the UN. Paints the picture reasonably but he doesn't seem to see a diplomatic solution.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/342756,CST-EDT-REF16.article
Meanwhile the Telegraph is reporting that Ahmadinejad says, "Iran will resist to the end." Nice way of putting it, I think.
Despite Moqtada Al-Sadr's overtly outlaw, anti-american, anti-democracy, and deadly militant behavior since the invasion of Iraq, the US left him alive on the notion that by appeasing him they could coax a large Shiite bloc into joining and supporting the government. Instead he has been a continuous two-faced disruption, a source of espionage and infiltration into the fledgling Iraqi government, and is now once again calling for attacks on American forces. Appeasement never works.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6558405.stm?ls
The odd thing about moral equivalence is that once you can freely interchange good and bad, you can just as easily consistently get it backwards. This Victor Davis Hanson piece about all the political lynchings throws more wood on Evan Sayet's fine theorums.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NGVmNTI3NThhZDJmZDhjY2Q0ZWRlODU5NjY1MWFkMmU=
How is the Moral Equivalence crowd going to explain today's massacre at Virginia Tech?Did the teachers or fellow students somehow behave in a way which from the shooter's point of view justifies the killing. Remember, "one man's terrorist is another man freedom fighter." And of course, "good and evil are relative." Maybe he was slaughtering to feed his family.
Imagine if he had been caught before killing himself, say trying to reload. What should his penalty be? Hard for me to believe there is any debate here. Let me guess, "insanity defense?" Couple years in the looney bin?
Nope. Sarcasm off/ common sense on. Evil, plain and simple. No excuses. Death after swift justice. I am sure that I have 32 of 32 grieving families with me on this tonite.
See what one Minnesota campus is doing to further our ever growing effort to accomodate, nay, appease our unintegrated muslim community:
http://www.startribune.com/191/story/1122449.html
"The task force's eventual objectives on American campuses include the following, according to the website: permanent Muslim prayer spaces, ritual washing facilities, separate food and housing for Muslim students, separate hours at athletic facilities for Muslim women, paid imams or religious counselors, and campus observance of Muslim holidays. The task force is already hailing "pioneering" successes. At Syracuse University in New York, for example, "Eid al Fitr is now an official university holiday," says an article featured on the website. "The entire university campus shuts down to mark the end of Ramadan." At Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Mich., "halal" food -- ritually slaughtered and permissible under Islamic law -- is marked by green stickers in the cafeteria and "staff are well-trained in handling practices.""
Help, somebody please help us.
It has started already, the debate on gun control. Socialists: "see, pass anti-gun laws." Conservatives: "Trained gun owners with concealed weapon permits would have markedly reduced the bodycount." I am clearly on the side of conservatives here. Gun control only takes guns away from the law abiding rendering them helpless against the murderers. Gun control stimulates a black market for guns and increases organized crime. The right to bear arms was included in the constitution for very important reasons. Who will guard the guards? Just as Al Gore emits carbon like a smoke stack, the gun controllers would surely be the only ones allowed to own a gun, one way or the other.
Its early to opine on this tragedy, but one thing is already for sure- senseless violent killing of the innocent is on the rise in the US. I believe, regardless of this killer's affiliations or motives that the thin veneer of civilization is being warn away by the Jihadi's who are perpetrating this kind of violence all over the world. It is seeping into our collective conscious while our mainstream media consistently blame our culture and apologize for the terrorists. Evil grows like a cancer.
Next time someone confidently tells you that there was no connection between Saddam's Iraq and 9/11, ask them what they know about Mr. Ahmed Hikmat Shakir.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=M2ViNzFjNzE4ZmZhNmQzMjZlYTg0M2I1M2JmYzZjYzA=
See this bit about how much British Doc's like working for the Government. Capital G there, cause thats how the Left thinks about it.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/04/a_model_for_hillary.html
Check out this one from Albany about yesterday's frigid snow bound global warming rallies.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=580966&category=REGIONOTHER&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=4/15/2007
Thanks to Moonbattery who makes the fool of them.
http://www.moonbattery.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6557679.stm
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil over good is for good men to do nothing.
Here is a WSJ bit written by Fred Thompson himself on taxation.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009940
Interesting how this guy is writing his own copy on the issues. Cavuto has a piece from last week on how Fred showed up to an interview at Fox studios- by himself, no entourage. Pretty cool this guy Thompson.
Breaking news from an outlet known as Arab News. In an article entitled, "you can't appease them," Amir Taheri explain why the recent nasty atrocity and violence in North Africa demonstrate just how dumb Nancy Pelosi's illegal foriegn policy tours really are.
"Until just a few days ago, most policymakers and analysts in the West often cited Algeria as a successful example of dealing with Islamist terror through political means rather than the use of force. The idea is that accommodating the Islamists by offering them a share of political power while adopting part of their social agenda would temper their appetite for total domination."
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=94973&d=14&m=4&y=2007
God save us from Nancy Pelosi and her clitorectomizing friends.
at the hand of the evil west? Of course not. Who? You guessed it, militant totalitarian islamic maniacs.
"BBC reporter Alan Johnston has been killed by an al-Qaeda affilated Palestinian organization, according to an internet statement obtained by Ynetnews. "
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3388215,00.html
Yet, in recent days they voted to boycott Isreal. They continuously blame the welfare state of Palistine on us. Maybe, if they appease this monster EVEN MORE, they will stop killing journalists.
Immigration is good. The great strength of America has always been her immigrants. The proverbial melting pot helps to guarantee our constitutionally liberal democracy. The age demographic consequences of the second world war (baby boom/social security beneficiary boom) have made immigration an economic necessity for the USA, now more than ever. Most serious economists project a need for a million or more per year. However, massive numbers of undocumented illeagal aliens have very serious adverse consequences. Simply put, no papers, no identity= no respect for the law of the land. Thus, we need a vigorous system of documenting, tracking, and organizing immigration, not a system to prevent it. Once documented, an immigrants stay is contingent on their willingness to live and function in civil society. We need immigrants who come to this nation, respect its laws, understand its foundational principles, learn to speak its language, and enrich it with their own language and culture. The objection to teaching hispanic kids in LA only in Spanish is not that we reject their language, it is that they have come here and are rejecting ours. Further, we know that non-fluency in English is a terrible disadvantage here in the US and across the world.
Last night a young left leaning friend of mine was kind enough to engage in some political discussion raised when I showed her this blog. During the conversation I got the inevitable "but what about Sweden, they are socialist, and everything there works better." Allow me to point to another Gates of Vienna post which put that old saw down for ever.
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2006/03/war-against-swedes.html
Please also read the original article entitled: Is swedish society collapsing.
http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/Fjordman50506.htm
man. That last one is painful to read.
Thoroughly depressing. The only good thing about this one is that America's favorite tourist destination- on fire -may open a left leaning eye or two. From The Gates of Vienna.
"In my essay about the retreat of the Western world order, I mentioned the possibility of civil strife in the West caused by runaway immigration. This is no longer just a theoretical possibility. It is pretty clear to anybody following the developments in Europe that the situation in France is starting to become rather serious. President Jacques Chirac threw out part of a youth labor law that triggered massive protests and strikes, bowing to intense pressure from students and unions. The unemployment rate for youths under 26 is a staggering 22 percent nationwide, but soars to nearly 50 percent in some of those troubled areas with many Muslim immigrants. French Jews are leaving the country in ever-growing numbers, fleeing a wave of anti-Semitism. Nidra Poller, American ex-pat writer and translator in Paris, has written some appalling stories about aggressive anti-Semitism, such as the murder and brutal torture of French Jew Ilan Halimi early in 2006.Muslim blogs are calling for violence against the Jews, the whites and the well-to-do. They say, “We must burn France, as Hamas will burn Israel.” The growth of the Islamic population is explosive. According to some, one out of three babies born in France is now a Muslim. Around 70% of French prisoners are Muslims. Hundreds of Muslim ghettos are already de facto following sharia, not French law. Some have pointed out that the French military are not always squeamish, but there are estimates that 15% of the armed forces are already made up of Muslims, and rising. How effective can the army then be in upholding the French republic? At the same time, opinion polls show that the French are now officially the most anti-capitalist nation on earth. France has chosen Socialism and Islam. It will get both, and sink into a quagmire of its own making."
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2006/04/fall-of-france-and-multicultural-world.html
No biggy. Whats a little economic collapse, stoning, clittorectomy, honor killing, public beating, and religious genocide amongst friends.
This article from Grand Rapids Michigan speaks for itself. When asked about the unseasonable cold and snow, the rally organizer says, "I've thought of that." Pure genius.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-35/1176475579151600.xml&coll=6
Atlas isn't shrugging about this one. See her post on it. Kadra, a woman who dared to take a stand against clittorectomy was beaten unconscious by 8 mulsim men on the streets in Norway. Apparently, the thought she had trampled the Koran. The article is disturbing, that the American Left thinks we are to blame for the middle East's woes is unfathomable.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1734869.ece
Here is a bit from an Ollie North article over at Human Events about Tehrans Nuke program.
" Iran's nukes are at the heart of this week's "War Stories" special, "Secrets of the Bomb: Manhattan Project to Tehran." In preparing for the broadcast, I asked former weapons inspector Dr. David Kay, "Should we be worried about a nuclear Iran?"
His answer is instructive: "We should be worried about it for two reasons. First, they're on a course that will in fact, at some point, produce nuclear weapons. Secondly, they have a regime which does not appear to play by the normal rules of stable international society. They speak of destruction, of chaos, wiping Israel off the face of the earth. They also are the leading state sponsor of terrorism. So Iran is not exactly what I view as a secure holder of the nuclear genie."
Failing to act on a warning that clear is tantamount to playing nuclear roulette with an Iranian finger on the trigger."
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20244
Now Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty is reporting that a Prague based Radio Farda journalist has been abducted by the Iranian Authorities in Tehran. Add Parnaz Azima to the ever growing list of journalists who have been abducted, held hostage, tortured, beheaded, and otherwise murdered at the hands of totalitarian militant Islamic fundamentals governments and militias.
Despite continued unpresidented casualities, the western media continues to act as chief apologist for these maniacs. Despite the fact that the number of journalists who have been murdered by western type folk is roughly ZERO, our media continues to censur or every attempt to defend against the encroaching barbarian hoards.
Interesting isn't it. The Left consistently sides with their ideological opposite, the islamists. Meanwhile the islamist repeatedly capture and kill their chief ally in the West, the journalists.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8OGQB700&show_article=1&catnum=2
"Britain's National Union of Journalists denounced Israel on Friday for its "military adventures" in Gaza and Lebanon, called on the government to impose sanctions and urged a boycott of Israeli goods.
By a vote of 66 to 54, the annual delegate's meeting of Britain's largest trade union for journalists called for "a boycott of Israeli goods similar to those boycotts in the struggles against apartheid South Africa led by trade unions, and [for] the [Trades Union Congress] to demand sanctions be imposed on Israel by the British government."
Some of the union's 40,000 members decried its "trendy lefty" agenda. Other motions before the four-day meeting in Birmingham, which ends Sunday, included condemnations of the US detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and support for Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez."
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1176152792457&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
What? You must be kidding me. Meanwhile another islamist bombing in Casablanca. I have family who will not admit to me the liberal bias of our media and point to the BBC as proof that they are getting diversified opinion from the mainstream media.
See little green footballs for some discussion.
Thanks to Rev. Al Sharpton, Don Imus's stupid phrase "nappy headed ho" has been permanently entered into the American lexicon. Everywhere I went today people were getting a kick out of calling one another "nappy headed ho." Interestingly the phrase is fun regardless of the subjects race or gender. Millions of people are being subjected to this insult of insults. So now we are stuck with it, emblazoned in our minds. Moral: playing the victim is counterproductive. I don't support what Imus said at all, but I support the reaction even less.
There are increasing reports that the faith based Global Warming movement is having some real objective consequence. The drive to replace fossil fuels with ethanol is driving up the cost of corn, farmland, tortillas and even meat (animals are fed corn). I read recently that the price of tortillas has doubled in mexico where, of course, poor people count their tortillas. This is serious. Real people may starve over this hysteria while Al Gore jets around the world giving concerts and lecturing us to do as he says not as he does. Perhaps the Enviromentalist who constantly remind us of the interconnectedness of life on earth have forgotten that the ECOnomy is part of the ECOsystem. Buying carbon credits for absolution does not feed the poor (who incidentally can not afford carbon credits either).
hat tip: Moonbattery who reminded me today to reinforce this topic.
Hat tip to Pajamas media for finding this one.
http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=2571
(2007-04-13) — Democrats who control the House and Senate today agreed to a long term “progressive” strategy to begin making laws sometime in late 2008 or early 2009, once they complete their investigations of everyone in the Bush administration.
“We don’t want to be too literalistic when it comes to defining the word 'legislator',” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-VT, whose judiciary committee is investigating whether eight political appointees were fired from the Justice Department for political reasons. “However, at some point we think lawmaking would be a nice change of pace from the daily routine of hearings and probes of the criminals who work for Bush.”
Deputy White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said, “The president finds the new Democrat idea of Congress as a legislative body refreshing.”
“At this point,” Ms. Perino said, “They seem to be working their way slowly through the Bill of Rights and have yet to get beyond 'Congress shall make no law'.”
I can't believe he actually said that.
Have you ever noticed that Capitalism, business, a desire to make money is generally considered evil by the Left. Haliburton and Microsoft are the devil on earth by the measure of the Left. What is pure, by their measure, is a not-for-profit special interest coalition. In Leftwing Missoula, I am told we have as many of these per capita as anywhere in the world. That is certainly the way it appears. Its the way many Leftwingers here make a living. Set up a not-for-profit, pay yourself a salary, and champion A GOOD CAUSE!
Interestingly, these CAUSES raise money by donation. Fundraisers galore! A slotted jar for your money everywhere. Mail solicitations incessantly. Even doorknocking. Who is the target? Well, anyone successful enough to make more than subsistence wage. Yes, businessmen! Doctors! Lawyers! People who have steadily worked hard to get ahead. People who the economy is rewarding for their unique contributions to our society.
I am not against these not for profits. In fact, I support several. I do, however, resent the socialist mentality which rejects, undermines, and seeks to destroy the very fountain of their being, capitalism. Of course it is the rich who cultivate those aspects of our society which do not have utilitarian value. For example, it is the rich who create a market for artists- painters, sculptors, musicians, etc. Those working at the local hardware store, simply can not afford to support the arts, or preserve the environment.
The great socialist and communist failures of the Twentieth century were not the epicenters of the arts, they were not bastions of environmentalism, they were not good at anything the Left values. Socialist economies run down to bare minimum subsistence. Starving people kill and eat everything. Freezing people cut down every tree. These people don't care about causes.
Wealthy capitalist societies with excess production are the sine qa non of all of the Left's most cherished causes.
In case you haven't heard our democratic congress is working their fingers to the bone on a bill to ban the good 'ole light bulb. Lost in theories and methods, the liberal genius of the American Left has produced one of the most MAGNIFICENT STUPIDITIES of our time. Breathtaking.
See a clear article on this at American Thinker.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/04/ban_the_bulb.html
Over at Powerline blog a humorous but important question. Why hasn't there been another major terror attack in the US. I think Silverback is essentially correct. They are afraid of our response. They will not attack again here unless its a potent multi-prong WMD mega killer which they wrongly think would cause us to submit.
http://www.plnewsforum.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/17551/
"I don’t doubt that more vigorous and widespread activities by all sorts of U.S. anti-terrorist forces, civil and military, have thwarted many possible attacks and made such attacks harder to pull off. However, the main reason that the U.S. has been spared any more 9/11 level attacks, it seems to me, is that those Muslim groups capable of carrying out such an attack have realized that if such a second attack were to happen, the enervating, blinding and concealing fog of confusion and disinformation they and their allies in academia and the MSM have been able to manufacture that has cloaked and protected them so effectively would instantly dissipate and America and Americans would wake up and retaliate with overwhelming force. Things would go much harder for Islam and Muslims and especially for many Muslims in the U.S., whose militant leaders would now be subject to deportation, whose radical Mosques would be subject to close observation and possible closure and whose actions would be subject to increasingly pervasive scrutiny and harsh restrictions.
Terrorist leaders are smart enough to favor the approach of turning the heat up in very small increments so that the frog in the pot doesn’t perceive that he is slowly being boiled alive; turn the heat up high right away and the frog senses danger and jumps out of the pot. "
Hama's version of a constitution. Send a copy to Nancy Pelosi. Scary Stuff.
http://www.mideastweb.org/hamas.htm
Note the explicit reference to "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." Here is the wikipedia entry on this infamous pile of propaganda.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:The+Protocols+of+the+Elders+of+Zion&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
This very dangerous principle is foundational to the modern liberal thinker. You know, "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." The concept can also be put as, "there is no good or evil, its all relative."
Once a society convince's itself of this, well, its has big problems. This is the source of self hatred and blame coming from the American Left. This is one of the intellectual mistakes which lead to Appeasement (there are a couple of other underpinnings).
A couple of weeks ago a new suicide bombing tactic reared its head in Bagdad. Because the check points have been effective in keeping car bombers away from the best (lots of innocent people) targets, the terrorists got creative. They realized that children in the car would make t
hem appear harmless. So they put a couple of young kids in the car, made it easily thru the checkpoint, drove up to the marketplace, jumped out of the car (leaving the children inside) and blew it and a couple dozen passerbys to Allah. Evil. Despicable Evil on this earth. Evil which is spreading like a grassfire under our noses. Freedom fighters my arse.
According to Evan Sayet, the modern liberal mind cannot, will not, tell right from wrong, good from evil. I think he is on to something. Read his post from April 6, here:
http://sayetright.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html
Mr. Weston's awesome article over at Gates of Vienna is worth the read.
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2007/04/is-european-civil-war-inevitable-by.html
Below is a longish excerpt:
"Somewhere between 2017 and 2030, during a period of heightened tension, Islamists in France, Holland or Britain will blow up one church, train or plane too many. Retaliation will begin and they, in turn will respond. So will the spiral begin.The police are unable to cope now; they will be even less prepared then. The army will be drafted in, and members of the military who are even willing to carry out orders against their neighbours will find themselves massively outnumbered and outflanked. Civilians will be massacred. And so begins the civil war.When the violence reaches a tipping point every person — be they moderate or extremist in their views — will be forced to take sides in this war. There will be no bystanders, and no civilians. Moderate Muslims will in all likelihood take the sides of the extremists. This war will resemble none of Europe’s previous conflicts, with their standing armies massed along clearly delineated lines. In the coming conflagration, it will initially be civilians, armed not with tanks and machine guns, but with knives, bombs and terror, who will call out the dogs of war.I say “initially” because although the army will be of little use in the beginning, it will certainly be capable of forming an impregnable line behind which the native Europeans, unused to knife fighting, will flee and re-group.And then, enter America — as always— Europe’s saviour. Whilst Europe’s navies blockade the ports, America will deliver technical weaponry to the organised Europeans, weaponry against which Islam will have no response. Whilst they are being annihilated in response to the butchery they carried out in the early days of the war, Muslim countries such as Pakistan and Iran will threaten a nuclear response. If they do, they too will be annihilated.Such is the future brought about by multicultural liberals. Not only will they be responsible for bloodshed unseen even in the last century, they will also be responsible for the extinction of Islam. In 1907 no one could see the coming carnage, whereas in 2007 all educated people with some knowledge of history can see the inevitable. Quite how large this war becomes is of course beyond any prediction. However, it will not be limited to a merely European conflict. Our civil war could well become a global nuclear war against Islam; and one the Islamists have no hope of winning.Such a scenario is unimaginable to the vapid multiculturalists, but it is their actions, past and present, which will bring about this nightmare. One can hardly blame Islam for wishing to dominate the world, but one can certainly blame liberals for giving them the geographical means and ideological confidence whereby they feel confident that it is actually possible. Will they attempt it? On a small scale, with their ratio of 18:1 they are attempting it now. How do you think they will behave with a ratio of 5:1 let alone 2:1?The liberal response to an essay such as this is to make accusations of hysteria and paranoia. To those, I would say only one thing: rather than leave sneering one line comments, give us a thousand word, closely reasoned article explaining why the scenario outlined above is not likely. Use reality-based arguments rather than simply repeating outmoded ideology.As much as I wish you could present such a case against my scenario, I believe the war is inevitable, and it will be a tragedy for the West, for Islam, and for all of mankind.Please refute it. I really would like it another future than the one I have outlined."
I agree with much of what Mr. Weston argues. Should the denument of this clash of civilizations actually not come until 2017, I pray for the chain of events he describes in the above excerpt. Unfortunately, I fear it will be much worse. Without major intervention now, the middle east will quickly nuclearize. This nuclear tinderbox will create an very unstable detent. Major world nuclear powers will be forced to align with one unstable tyrant or the other. The potential for a whack-job like Iran's president to draw the major powers into a full nuclear exchange will be too great. Someone will rashly push over the first domino. Many of my friends wonder why I am so hawkish. This is why. We must act now. A nuclearized middle east will bring Armageddon.
Looks like Chicago has narrowly averted the Global Warming emergency for another year. Whew! Thank god for all that cold snowy miserable April weather.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/338364,CST-NWS-snow12.article
Remember when the democrats told us that Bush's tax cuts were irresponsible, that we were spending too much and needed a tax increase? Well, of course, they were wrong, again. The tax cuts have as usual lead to increased economic activity and increased federal revenue. Over at American Thinker they have a nice go at this in an article called "Missing headlines."
""Budget deficit continues sharp decline." You probably haven't heard that the budget deficit is down sharply, and that federal tax revenues are soaring in the wake of the Bush tax cuts fostering increased economic activity (aka, prosperity)."
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/04/missing_headlines_a_continuing_32.html
Socialist ideas like this always have the reverse effect to that desired. Everyone would love to see an end to poverty. One difference between liberals and conservatives is that conservatives know direct legislative actions like increasing the minimum wage will not make people less poor, it will make them more poor. Liberals ignore the overwhelming lessons of the past, or at least don't let on that they are aware. Increasing the mimimum wage causes businesses to: 1) go out of business, 2) hire fewer employees, 3) become even more uncompetitive with the far east, 4) outsource their workforce and even production. The net result is few jobs for American citizens, more illegal workers who can be forced to accept even worse conditions because of their illegality. Its not that conservatives care less about the poor, it is that they accept the overwhelming evidence regarding how these things actually work.
Please do not negotiate a prisoner swap for hostages. This is the path to destruction for us all. The debate may not be over on Global Warming, but it is on Hostages-no negotiating, ever. Caroline Glick at JP wears out her pen on this:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1173879277514&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
This is a must read for anyone claiming to have an opinion on this difficult war. It is sober, lucid, and very very true. His speech today in Virginia.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MzBiODNhODE1YjI2Yjg5Y2NlYTYyMjdhNmFkM2ZmODA=
This is one of the most straightforward pieces from the Arab press I have read. First hopeful thing for humanity I have seen all day.
Here is the caption but definitely worth the 2 page read:
In two recent articles in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyassa, Saudi columnist Yousef Nasser Al-Sweidan argued that the Palestinian refugees' right of return is an idea that cannot be implemented, and that the only solution is for the refugees to be naturalized in the countries where they currently reside.
http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD154007
This thing is earth shattering considering its source. Highest accolades for Mr. Al-Sweidan.
According to a study outlined in Scientific American, the North Woods are bad- they cause global warming. Please don't tell the Goracle. There has been enough clear cutting here in Montana.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=DCA231BA-E7F2-99DF-3105874539B83ECB&ref=rss
I have never been that fond of the phrase, as it is a politically correct euphemism for the global war on militant fundamentalist islamic jihad. Nevertheless, that the congress is spending time trying to ban the phrase makes me see red. Why such infantile behavior? Well thats easy, if the American people figure out how pervasive and dangerous this war is, how global it really is, and how Iraq is now its major pivot point, then the Dems chances go down dramatically in 08. So, divide it up. create the illusion that fighting the jihadi's in Iraq is the worst mistake ever, but that fighting them elsewhere might be necessary from time to time.
Walid Phares has a clearheaded comment on this frighteningly global struggle over at Counterterrorism Blog with regard today's Algiers bombing.
http://counterterrorismblog.org/
Update: if you don't like my phrase, Drennan Lindsay took a stab at it:
How about "the War on Iraq, Israel, The United States, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Malta, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Argentine, Egypt, England, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Germany, the Philippines, Tanzania, Kenya, Jordan, India, Russia, Chechnya, Singapore, Dagestan, Yemen, Bali, Morocco, Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia, Thailand, Canada, Somalia, Kuwait, Columbia and Nepal"?
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/04/no_more_gwot_how_about_this.html
Dr. Sanity is one of my favorite bloggers. She is very very smart. I advise my friends to read her work compulsively. Please also read as many of her foundational posts (lefthand column) as you can. Today she has found the perfect page on wikipedia. Its what the serious amoung us are thinking about every day recently. Is it 1938 my friends?
She writes:
"Yes, it does speak volumes, Nancy! I urge you to have tea with Mr. Ahmadinejad and come to a civilized agreement for all our sakes. And when you come back triumphantly with a signed letter from him, you can know that you proudly follow in the footsteps of that great British statesman, Neville Chamberlain. Indeed, through your efforts, we will once again have "peace for our time." We can call it the Tehran Agreement."
Please read the wikipedia page by clicking on Tehran Agreement.
Laugh of the Day goes to the ever ascerbic wit of Glenn Reynolds:
"HAVE THE DEMOCRATS FINALLY FOUND a rogue regime they won't negotiate with?"
http://instapundit.com/archives2/004066.php
Its very funny:
The Message "Smile, God Loves You" Banned by Elementary School
The moonbat campaign to stamp out Christianity marches forward at the Wrightsville Elementary School in Pennsylvania, where fifth-grader Tawney Lehman was forced to remove a magnet from her desk because it read "Smile, God Loves You."
When her mother complained that Christianity is once again being singled out for suppression, Principal Donald Gillet responded in typical educrat fashion — by banning all magnets no matter what they say.
Shockingly, this would even include magnets reading "Cower, Allah Hates You." It's hard to believe that a principal could be so Islamophobic.
http://www.moonbattery.com/
A good friend of mine is a rancher. He manages hundreds of acres. He is now being approached to sell his "carbon credits." He doesn't have to change anything, just register his land. As you probably know, the concept is that some other polluting type can buy these credits and absolve himself of environmental sin. Remember though, my friend is not doing anything different. Its enough to give a thinking man a nervous breakdown. Sheer Moonbattery.
Update:
I have been thinking about it some more, unfortunately. This rancher drives a H1 HumVee to the ranch every day. Does this adversely impact his available carbon credits? Does he get to "write off" the gas guzzling because it's for a ranch? Does he have to buy carbon credits from himself or even more lunatic, someone else? Oh my, this is stupid.
Over at American Thinker Greg Richards has a good column about the Bush Administration not arguing its case. He writes:
"One of the things that totally mystifies us supporters of the Bush Administration is its absolute, total, continuous, inexplicable refusal to make its case in the public forum."
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/04/seize_the_opportunity.html
This has in fact been my biggest beef with Bush. He is not able to explain himself. This needs to be done clearly, repeatedly, unwaveringly, and with the conviction many of us feel. This is perhaps what many of us are seeing in Fred Thompson that is the most exciting- the ability to convey resolution and utmost confidence in his actions to the people.
Maybe, cultural relativism, a willingness to please, a desire not to offend, a "yes, but you can't say that" attitude has seeped from the Left into the Conservatives. If you are afraid to say what you really believe because someone will be offended or "spin it," you end up with platitudes. Speeches about Golden Mountains and Free Eagles. These, of course, persuade no one.
The case must be made with resolution and with specifics at every opportunity. Playing defensive chess will not do here.
Across the Bay has a very nice post illustrating why Pelosi's recent foray is so wrongheaded. The thing that is bothering me more and more is that it would seem that in her ignorance (or perhaps better, arrogance) she thought she could just go over, say "come on guy's, lets be reasonable," and the peace process would be on its way. After you read this article, if you are not frightened, you should be.
http://beirut2bayside.blogspot.com/2007/04/road-to-damascus-is-dead-end.html
Efendi offers a penetrating summary quotation:
"To quote James Phillips, "What is missing is not American willingness to talk to Syria but Syria's willingness to halt its hostile actions.""
NRO columnest Anne Bayefsky has another outrage from the UN. Please read her whole article. It is really unbelievable. Who in America can read this story and think Pelosi and Lantos are on the correct side here.
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NmM3NjNjOTA2Mjg5Y2MzY2FmYTEwNTBmODM4NjMyMjY=
(hattip: little green footballs)
Now Bill Gates the worlds richest man wants to go. I wish someone would calculate what that does to his carbon footprint. Good thing he is rich, because I bet you have to re-forrest Ontario to get enough carbon credits to make up for this little jaunt.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070411100056.k8qcho45&show_article=1
Confederate Yankee nails it here:
"Liberals are solidly behind the idea of boycotting a news network to avoid giving them legitimacy, but they are in favor of defying their own government's foreign policy to lend legitimacy to yet another terrorist state that has sponsored attacks on our allies and are actively engaged in trying to kill U.S. soldiers."
This one from the San Franscisco Chronicle will knock your socks off.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/10/BAGV9P6C0S6.DTL
The breathtaking stupidity here should be quoted in full everyday for one month or until every American has heard it. Here it is in full:
04-10) 18:42 PDT -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, just back from a trip to Syria that sparked sharp criticism from Republicans and the Bush administration, suggested Tuesday that they may be interested in taking another diplomatic trip - to open a dialogue with Iran.
The Democratic speaker from San Francisco and Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, were asked at a press conference in San Francisco Tuesday whether on the heels of their recent trip to the Middle East they would be interested in extending their diplomacy in the troubled region with a visit to Iran.
"Speaking just for myself, I would be ready to get on a plane tomorrow morning, because however objectionable, unfair and inaccurate many of (Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's) statements are, it is important that we have a dialogue with him,'' Lantos said. "Speaking for myself, I'm ready to go -- and knowing the speaker, I think that she might be.''
Pelosi did not dispute that statement, and noted that Lantos -- a Hungarian-born survivor of the Holocaust -- brought "great experience, knowledge and judgment" to the recent bipartisan congressional delegation trip to Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia in addition to Syria.
"I find the president of Iran's remarks to be so repulsive that they are outside the circle of civilized human behavior,'' Pelosi said, referring to Ahmadinejad's past comments that Israel should be wiped off the face of the map and his questioning of the existence of the Holocaust.
"But a person of Mr. Lantos' stature and personal experience is saying that -- even as a Holocaust survivor and even recognizing the outrageous statements of the president of Iran -- it's important to have dialogue. I think that speaks volumes.''
Pelosi was criticized by President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other members of the administration for meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who the administration said has meddled in the politics and fomented violence in Iraq and Lebanon and is a state sponsor of terrorism. Other Republicans, however, also visited Syria during the current congressional recess. One of those lawmakers, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista (San Diego County), visited Syria a day after the Pelosi delegation and said the Bush administration should be talking with Assad as a way of trying to bring peace to the region.
The president also has tried to isolate Iran, saying its government, too, has aided attacks against Americans in Iraq and elsewhere while ramping up its efforts to build nuclear weapons.
Lantos said that for more than a decade, he has been trying to obtain a visa to visit Tehran with the help of former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan -- and to date neither he nor any other member of Congress has been successful.
Pelosi said that throughout the congressional delegation's recent Middle East trip, "every place we went we had a constant message: the safety and security of Israel, fighting terrorism.''
"There was, of course, a shadow over all of it, Iran: Iran's support of terrorist groups is something that must be stopped,'' she said. "Iran's quest for a nuclear weapon is something that must not happen and we must stop them with the strongest of diplomatic measures.''
Lantos noted that "with the speaker's support,'' he has co-sponsored legislation in the House that calls for making available to all countries -- including Iran -- nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes under international oversight by establishing a "nuclear fuel bank."
"So if the Iranian president says that he is developing (nuclear material) for peaceful purposes, we are assisting him in that process,'' said Lantos, who anticipated the legislation could pass as early as May.
E-mail Carla Marinucci at cmarinucci@sfchronicle.com
Who is going to run the "nuclear fuel bank"? I know, how bout the UN. God help us.
